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
St. James or his Protoevangelion Origen Tom. 11. Comment in Mat. Epiphan Haeres 30. n. 23. Eustathius Antiochen Comment in Hexaemer Epiphanius monachus in notis Allatii ad Eustathium Multa ex hoc Evangelio mutuasse Gregorium Nyssenum tacito Jacobi nomine monet Allatius ibid. This Book is now in Manuscript in the Library of Vienna as is said by Lambecius l. 5. p. 130. Father Simon says he has seen two Manuscript Copies of it in the Kings of France's Library Nouvelles Observations c. p. 4. It was printed by Neander and also by Grynaeus in the first Volum of his Orthodoxographs 2. The Liturgy of St. James is printed in the second Tome of the Bibliotheca Patrum at Paris Anno 1624. 3. We mention'd before The Book of St. James concerning the Death of the Virgin Mary but there want not Reasons to believe Iohn and not Iames to be the Author of it VI. IOHN 1. The Acts of St. John Euseb. Hist. Eccles. l. 3. c. 25. Epiphan Haeres 47. n. 1. Augustin l. 1. contra adversarios legis prophetarum Turribii Scriptum inter Epistolas Leonis magni Phot. in codice 229. 2. Another Gospel of Iohn Epiph. Haeres 30. n. 23. 3. The Itinerary or Voyages of St. John Gelasius in decreto 4. The Liturgy of St. John It was together with several others printed in Syriac at Rome See Father Simon in his Supplement to Leo of Modena 5. We spoke twice before of St. Iohn or St. Iames's Book about the Death of the Virgin Mary 6. The Traditions of St. Iohn Euseb. Hist. Eccles. l. 3. c. ult VII PHILIP 1. The Gospel of St. Philip. Epiphan Haeres 26. n. 13. Timotheus Presbyter a Combefisio editus in tomo secundo Auctuarii 2. The Acts of St. Philip. Gelasius in Deceto VIII BARTHOLOMEW 2. The Gospel of St. Bartholomew Hieronym in prolegom Com. in Mat. Dionysius Areopagita de Mystica Theologia cap. 1. IX THOMAS 1. The Gospel of St. Thomas Origen in Homil. ad Luc. Euseb. Hist. Eccles. l. 3. c. 25. Nicephor in Stichometria Ambros. in Comment ad Luc. Augustin contra Faustum l. 22. c. 79. Cyril Hierosolym Catech. 4. 6. Gelasius in decreto 2. The Acts of St. Thomas Epiphan Haeres 47. n. 1. Idem Haeres 61. n. 1. Augustin contra Adimant Idem l. 1. de sermone Dei Idem contra Faustum l. 22. c. 79. 3. The Revelations of S. Thomas Gelasius in Decreto 4. The Itinerary of St. Thomas Gelasius in Decreto Nicephor in Stichometria 5. The Book of the Infancy of Christ by St. Thomas Epiphan Haeres 34. n. 18. Nicephor in Stichometria Gelas. in Decreto Lambecius says that this Book lies in Manuscript in the Library of Vienna Tom. 7. p. 20. Father Simon writes that there is a Manuscript Copy of it in the French King's Library Nouvelles Observations c. It was printed two Years since in Latin and Arabic with learned Notes by Mr. Syke at Vtrecht X. MATTHEW 1. The Liturgy of St. Matthew Tom. 27. Bibliothecae Patrum Lugdunensis Natalis Alex. in saeculo 1. part 1. c. 11. art 1. Gerardus tom 1. Conf. Cathol There is also a Liturgy attributed to St. Mark XI THADDAEVS 1. The Gospel of St. Thaddaeus Gelasius in Decreto XII MATTHIAS 1. The Gospel of St. Matthias Origen Homil 1. in Luc. Euseb. Hist. Eccles. l. 3. c. 25. Hieronym in prolegom ad Comment in Mat. Ambros. in Comment ad Luc. Gelas. in Decreto 2. The Traditions of St. Matthias Clem. Alex. Stromat l. 7. XIII PAVL 1. The Acts of St. Paul Origen l. 1. c. 2. de Principiis Idem tom 21. in Joan. Euseb. l. 3. c. 3. Hist. Eccles. c. 25. Philastrius Haeres 88. 2. The Acts of Paul and Thecla Tertullian de Baptismo c. 17. Hieronym de Script Eccles. in Paulo Luca. Augustin l. 30. contra Faustum c. 4. Gelasius in Decreto Nuper Editus est hic Liber Oxonii Epiphan Haeres 78. n. 16. Extant 3. The Epistle of Paul to the Laodiceans Tertullian adversus Marcion l. 5. c. 17. Hieronym in Catalogo c. 5. Philastr in Haeres 88 Theodoret. tom 8. Haeres 47. n. 9. alibi Legatur etiam Theophylactus extant 4. A third Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians 2 Thes. 2. 2. 5. A third Epistle to the Corinthians and a second to the Ephesians 1 Cor. 5. 9. Ephes. 3. 3. 6. The Epistles of Paul to Seneca with those of Seneca to Paul Hieronym in Catalogo c. 12. Augustin de Civitate Dei l. 6. c. 10. Idem in Epist. 54. ad Macedonium extant 7. The Revelation of St. Paul Epiphan Haeres 38. n. 2. Zozomen Hist. Eccles. l. 7. c. 19. Augustin Tract 98. in Joan. Theophylact. in Schol. ad 2. ad Corinth Mic. Glycas annal part 2. Gelas. in Decreto Zozomen Hist. Eccles. l. 7. c. 19. 8. The Preaching of St. Paul Clem. Alex. Stromat l. 6. Lactant. l. 4◠c. 21. Autor etiam Anonymus de non iterando Baptismo à Rigaltio in observationibus ad Cyprianum insertus 9. Saint Paul's Narrative concerning the charming of Vipers reveal'd to him by St. Michael in a Dream Lambecius says that there is now a Manuscript of this Book in the Library of Vienna Tom. 5. p. 103. 10. The Anabaticon of Saint Paul wherein he relates what he saw when he was snatch'd up into the third Heavens Epiphan Haeres 38. n. 2. 11. Som would infer from his own Words that he wrote a Gospel In the day says he when God shall judge the Secrets of Men by Christ Iesus according to my Gospel Rom. 2. 16. XIV Of the Gospels of Judas Iscariot of Eve and Abraham c. 1. That none of the Apostles might be thought unable to write a Gospel we find one alledg'd by the Caianites a Sect of the Gnostics under the Name of Iudas Iscariot Epiphan Haeres 38. Theodoret l. 1. de Haeret. Fabul c. 15. 2. Nor should we wonder at Iudas's being an Author when we read of the Prophetical Gospel of Eve whom the Gnostics reckoned a Patroness of their Opinions and to have receiv'd extraordinary Knowledg and Light in her Conference with the Serpent Epiphan Haeres 26. n. 2. 3. The Sethians another sort of Gnostics shew'd an Apocalypse under the Name of the Patriarch Abraham not to mention his learned Pieces of Astrology nor the Books of Adam believ'd by the Iews Epiphan Haeres 30. n. 16. Isidor Pelusiot l. 2. Epist. 99. 4. The Prophecy of Enoch which St. Iude quotes is for the most part still extant and was believ'd to be Genuin by several Fathers who alledg it in defence of the Christian Religion Origen contra Cels. l. 5. Idem de Principiis Tertullian de habitu Muliebri c. 3 c. 5. The Testament of the twelve Patriarchs the Assumption of Moses the Book of Eldad and Medad the Psalms of King Solomon the Revelation of Zachary and the Vision of Isaiah but I forget that I am reciting the spurious Books
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
a good deal of the Book was written afterwards be the Author who you please And they should have told us likewise how General FAIRFAX durst send one part of his Papers to the King when he sent the rest to the Parliament or since they would make us believe he was so kind to the King why he did not restore him all the Papers when 't is very evident that those which the Parliament order'd to be publish'd were infinitely of greater consequence and made him a world of Enemies which oblig'd the Author of Icon Basilike to write a Chapter on this very Subject whereas the Papers in question would probably mollify som of his Opposers But now when all is don tho' General FAIRFAX was afterwards against putting the King to death yet he was not at that time dispos'd to grant him any Favors and acted with as hearty Zeal against him as any in the Nation which appears by all the Histories of those times as well as by his own and the Memoirs of the Lord HOLLIS As for Major HUNTINGTON Dr. WALKER assures us That he told him when he heard such a Book was publish'd and confidently reported to be the Kings all he said was that he surely believ'd those were the Papers he saw him so usually take out of his Cabinet and that he never read one Line or Word of them This and Sir WILLIAM DUGDAIE'S Testimony are diverse from that of Mr. RICHARD DUKE of Otterton in Devon who writes the following Letter to Dr. GOODAL famous for his Zeal on the behalf of Icon Basilike Sir I confess that I heard Major HUNTINGTON to say more than once that whilst he guarded CHARLES the First at Holmby-House as I remember he saw several Chapters or Leaves of that great King's Meditations lying on the Table several Mornings with a Pen and Ink with which the King scratch'd out or blotted som Lines or Words of som of them Upon which I must also confess that I concluded they were originally from the King but others have drawn a contrary Argument from the King 's correcting the Papers Yet I put this under my Hand that the Major told me that he did suppose them originally from that learned Prince which is the Totum that can be intimated from Sir your humble Servant RICHARD DUKE Then one Mr. CAVE BECK writes to Dr. HOLLINGWORTH That Major HUNTINGTON at Ipswich assur'd him that so much of the sa'd Book as contain'd his Majesty's Mediations before Naseby-â—ight was taken in the King's Cabinet and that Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX deliver'd the said Papers to him and order'd him to carry them to the King and also told him that when he deliver'd them to the King his Majesty appear'd very joyful and said he esteem'd 'em more than all the Jewels he had lost in the Cabinet This Major HUNTINGTON was a strange Man to vary so often in his Story and to tell so much more or less to every body that enqâ—â—r'd of him but indeed 't is no great Wonder that these Gentlemen should so widely differ from one another both as to Time and Place as well as to Matters of Fact when Sir WILLIAM DUGDALE has printed under Major HUNTINGTON's Name quite another Story from the written Memorial out of which he had it In his short View he positively says as we read before that the Manuscript was written with the King 's own Hand But in his Warrant for this it is only said as Mr. WAGSTAF himself acknowledges that all the Chapters in it were written by the Hand of Sir EDWARD WALKER but much corrected with Interlineations of the King's Hand and that the Prayers were all so NOW to shew further how cautiously People should rely on Sir WILLIAM DUGDALE and Historians like him we shall produce another remarkable Instance In the Book before-quoted he expresly writes That Mr. HERBERT did often see the Icon Basilike while he waited on the King in the Isle of Wight wheras all that Sir THOMAS for he was Knighted after the Restoration has said in the Manuscript which Sir WILLIAM perus'd and wherof Mr. WAGSTAF has printed an Abstract is that he had there the Charge of the King's Books and that those he most read after the Sacred Scriptures were Bishop ANDREWS's Sermons HOOKER's Ecclesiastical Policy VILLALPANDUS on EZEKIEL SANDY's Paraphrase on the Psalms HERBERT's Poems the Translation of GODFREY of Bulloign by Mr. FAIRFAX of ORLANDO FURIOSO by Sir JOHN HARRINGTON and SPENCER's Fairy Queen to which he might have added PEMBROKE's Arcadia And at this time it was as is presum'd continues Sir THOMAS that he compos'd his Book call'd Suspiria Regalia publish'd soon after his Death and entitul'd The King's Portraiture in his Solitudes and Sufferings which Manuscript Mr. HERBERT found among those Books his Majesty was pleas'd to give him those excepted which he bequeath'd to his Children hereafter mention'd In regard Mr. HERBERT tho' he did not see the King write that Book his Majesty being always privat when he writ and those his Servants never coming into the Bed Chamber when the King was privat til he call'd yet comparing it with his Hand-writing in other things he found it so very like as induces his Belief that it was his own having seen much of the King's Writings before Here Sir THOMAS only presumes the King might write the Book in the Isle of Wight and directly says he never saw the King write it nor the Book it self till after his Death but Sir WILLIAM affirms from these very Papers for they are said to be written at his Request by Sir THOMAS that he often saw it in the Isle of Wight when he waited on the King in his Bed-Chamber 'T is to be observ'd that the Title of Suspiria Regalia is as agreeable to Mrs. GAUDEN's Narrative as the rest of the Particulars are different from Sir WILLIAM's Relation BEFORE we examin the Force of Sir THOMAS's Testimony we must first consider what is said by Mr. LEVET who attended the King at the same Time and Place In short he says That of his own certain Knowledg he can depose the Book was truly the Kings having observ'd his Majesty oftentimes writing his Royal Resentments of the bold and insolent Behavior of his Soldiers when they had him in their Custody That being nominated by his Majesty to be one of his Servants during the Treaty in the Isle of Wight he had the Happiness to read the same oftentimes in Manuscript under his Majesty's own Hand being pleas'd to leave it in the Window of his Bed-Chamber And that when the King was remov'd to Hurst-Castle he had the Charge of this Book and a Cabinet of other Papers which at the said Castle he deliver'd again to his Majesty where by the way he does not inform us if the Book was distinctly given him from the Cabinet or that he only concluded it was in it Here are several very observable Circumstances As First that altho' Mr. HERBERT who was of the
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
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
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
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
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
that have bin formerly us'd to prove it spurious and the Confidence of a late Writer the Author of MILTON's Life asserting it to be so without either producing any new Evidence for the Proof of his Assertion or offering one Word in answer to those just and rational Exceptions that had bin made before to those only Testimonies which he insists upon to prove it a Forgery or making any Exceptions to those later Evidences that have bin produc'd to prove it Authentic Whether this Book was compos'd by himself is our Business at present to enquire and shall be quickly determin'd for as to his improving by his Sufferings I will not deny what I hope and Charity commands me to believe The Reason why I produc'd no new Evidence to prove the spuriousness of Icon Basilike was because I thought the old ones sufficient I vouchsaf'd no Answer to the Exceptions made to those Testimonies because I neither thought 'em just nor reasonable And I would not discuss the Facts that have bin since alledg'd to prove the Book Authentic because I intended not before to write a just Dissertation on this Subject and so was not oblig'd to mention all the Particulars relating to it If Mr. BLACKHALL does not think this Answer satisfactory I shall make amends now for all former Omissions and being very desirous to content him will follow that same Method he was pleas'd to chalk me out in his Sermon IN the first place therefore to make this Discourse complete and that the Evidence of the several Parts whereof it consists may the better appear by laying 'em all together I shall here insert the Abstract which I made of Dr. WALKER's Book in MILTON's Life with ANGLESEY's Memorandum and the other Testimonies I shall secondly give particular Answers to the Exceptions that have bin made to all these Pieces And lastly shew the invalidity of the Facts which are alledg'd to prove King CHARLES the First was the true Author of Icon Basilike I have not undertaken this Work out of Affection or Opposition to any Party nor to reflect on the Memory of that unfortunat Prince whose officious Friends are much more concern'd but to clear my self from a public Charge and to discover a pious Fraud which deserves not to be exemted from Censure for being the Contrivance of a Modern Bishop no more than those of the ancient Fathers of the Church THE Relation of the whole Fact in MILTON's Life is after this manner In the Year 1686 Mr. MILLINGTON hap'ning to sell the late Lord ANGLESEY's Library by Auction put up an Ikon Basilike and a few bidding very low for it he had leisure to turn over the Leaves when to his great Surprize he perceiv'd written with the same noble Lord 's own Hand the following Memorandum KING CHARLES the Second and the Duke of York did both in the last Sessions of Parliament 1675 when I shew'd them in the Lords House the written Copy of this Book wherein are som Corrections and Alterations written with the late King CHARLES the First 's own Hand assure me that this was none of the said King 's compiling but made by Dr. GAUDEN Bishop of Exeter which I here insert for the undeceiving of others in this point by attesting so much under my own Hâ—nd ANGLESEY This occasion'd the World to talk and several knowing the Relation which the late Dr. ANTHONY WALKER an Essex Divine had to Bishop GAUDEN they inquir'd of him what he knew concerning this Subject which he then verbally communicated to them But being afterwards highly provok'd by Dr. HOLLINGSWORTH's harsh and injurious Reflections he was oblig'd in his own Defence to print an Account of that Book wherein are sufficient Answers to all the Scruples or Objections that can be made and whereof I here insert an exact Epitome He tells us in the first place that Dr. GAUDEN was pleas'd to acquaint him with the whole Design and shew'd him the Heads of divers Chapters with som others that were quite finish'd and that Dr. GAUDEN asking his Opinion of the thing and he declaring his Dissatisfaction that the World should be so impos'd upon GAUDEN bid him look on the Title which was the King's Portraiture for that no Man is suppos'd to draw his own Picture A very nice Evasion he further acquaints us that som time after this being both in London and having din'd together Dr. GAUDEN took him along with him to Dr. DUPPA the Bishop of Salisbury whom he made also privy to his Design to fetch what Papers he had left before for his perusal or to shew him what he had since written and that upon their return from thâ—â— place after GAUDEN and DUPPA were a while in privat together the former told him the Bishop of Salisbury wish'd he had thought upon two other Heads the Ordinance against the Common Pray'r Book and the denying his Majesty the Attendance of his Chaplains but that DUPPA desir'd him to finish the rest and he would take upon him to write two Chapters on those Subjects which accordingly he did The reason it seems why Dr. GAUDEN himself would not perform this was first that during the Troubles he had forborn the use of the Liturgy which he did not extraordinarily admire and secondly that he had never bin the King's Chaplain whereas Dr. DUPPA was both his Chaplain his Tutor and a Bishop which made him more concern'd about these Particulars Thirdly Dr. WALKER informs us that Dr. GAUDEN told him he had sent a Copy of Icon Basilike by the Marquiss of Hartford to the King in the Isle of Wight where it was we may be sure that he made those Corrections and Alterations with his own Pen mention'd in my Lord ANGLESEY's Memorandum and which gave occasion to som then about him that had accidentally seen or to whom he had shown the Book to believe the whole was his own Fourthly Dr. GAUDEN after the Restoration told Dr. WALKER that the Duke of York knew of his being the real Author and had own'd it to be a great Service in consideration of which it may be the Bishoprick of Winchester tho' he was afterwards put off with that of Worcester was promis'd him And notwithstanding it was then a Secret we now know that in expectation of this Translation the great House on Clapham Common was built indeed in the Name of his Brother Sir DENYS but really to be a Mansionâ—house for the Bishops of Winchester Fifthly Dr. WALKER says that Mr. GAUDEN the Doctor 's Son his Wife himself and Mr. GIFFORD who transcrib'd it did believe it as firmly as any Fact don in the place where they were and that in that Family they always spoke of it among themselves whether in Dr. GAUDEN's Presence or Absence as undoubtedly written by him which he never contradicted We learn Sixthly that Dr. GAUDEN after part of it was printed gave to Dr. WALKER with his own Hand what was last sent to London and after shewing him what it was
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
of the Summer 1674. his Lordship went first to Farnham to the late Bishop of Winton the 14th of May and among several things he had in Charge from the Bishop to his Father he bad him tell him that the King had very ill People about him who turn'd all things into Ridicule that they endeavor'd to bring him to have a mean Opinion of the King his Father and to persuade him that he was not the Author of the Book which goes under his Name And when after his Lordship's Arrival in France the 30th of the same Month he had deliver'd his Father these Particulars among others to that concerning the Book his Father reply'd Good God! I thought the Marquiss of Hartford had satisfy'd the King in that Matter From hence Mr. WAGSTAF would infer that my Lord Chancellor did not believe any other besides CHARLES the First to be the Author of Icon Basilike and that he wondred any should go about to induce CHARLES the Second to question it But for my part I think it very plain on the contrary that he believ'd King CHARLES the First not to be the Author of that Book and wondred that King CHARLES the Second should not understand so much from the Marquiss of Hartford who as Dr. WALKER and Mrs. GAUDEN inform us was the Person that carry'd the Manuscript to the King in the Isle of Wight and so next to Dr. GAUDEN himself was best able to convince his Son of the Truth Moreover how could the Bishop of Winton imagin that the ill People about CHARLES the Second could bring him to doubt of his Father's being the Author of Icon Basilike if he really knew it to be written by him when upon this Supposition he was rather capable of satisfying all those who had any Scruples in this Affair AS for Dr. GAUDEN'S great Services and his saying in a Letter to the Chancellor That what was don like a King should have a Kinglike Retribution Mr. WAGSTAF says that those are Mystical Expressions and that by them he might probably mean a Book he wrote against the Covenant and a Protestation he publisht against the King's Death neither of which could be term'd such extraordinary Services when many others had don the same and more much less could it be said that either of these Books was don like a King or deserv'd a Kinglike Retribution whereas Mr. WAGSTAF and those who are of his Opinion maintain that the the Stile and Matter of Icon Basilike are so like a King 's that no Subject could possibly write it but a Multtiude of others agree with me that the Stile is infinitely liker that of a Doctor than a King LASTLY It is objected that Dr. WALKER's and Mrs. GAUDEN's Testimonies contradict one another But how Dr. WALKER says that Dr. GAUDEN told him he did not know if CHARLES the First had seen the Book but Mrs. GAUDEN affirms that the Marquiss of Hartford told her Husband the King had seen and approv'd it both which Assertions are consistent enough together For Dr. GAUDEN might be ignorant that the King had seen it when Dr. WALKER askt him that Question who perhaps never mention'd it to him again in their Discourses about this Matter or might easily forget it as he says he did several other Particulars little foreseeing he should ever be oblig'd to make this Discovery and besides we must upon all Accounts allow his Wife to know more Circumstances of thâ—s Business as of most others than his Friend The next suppos'd Contradiction is that Dr. WALKER says Dr. GAUDEN once told him after the Restoration that he did not positively and certainly know if King CHARLES the Second knew he wrote Icon Basilike tho' he believâ—d he might because the Duke of York did who own'd it to have bin a seasonable and acceptable Service But Mrs. GAUDEN affirms that her Husband acquainted the King with it himself which is very true But pray let us examin at what time After his Discourse with Dr. WALKER most certainly For does she not in clear and direct Terms say that it was in his last Sickness which prov'd Mortal to him and that the Reason of it was because he saw som Persons who were privy to it desire nothing more than to have it conceal'd which he was not willing it should be in consideration of his numerous Family to whom it might somtime or other do seasonable Service NOW that no Mistakes may be occasion'd hereafter by imperfect Fragments of Mrs. GAUDEN's Narrative and that this Affair may be set in the clearest Light I shall before I proceed to the Examination of the positive Testimonies produc'd for the King insert the Narrative here at large as it was exactly copy'd from the Original to which the curious are refer'd Mrs. GAVDEN's NARRATIVE MY Husband understanding the great Value and Esteem the People had of CROMWELL and of others in the Army occasion'd by the high Opinion which they had of their Parts and Piety he being also well assur'd that one of the main Designs of those wicked Politicians was to Eclipse his Majesty that then was as much as might be and to give a false Misrepresentation of him to the World he that he might do his Majesty right did pen that Book which goes by the Name of the King'sâ—Book The Title which he gave it then was Suspiria Regalia and the Design was to have it put forth as by som Person who had found the Papers in his Majesty's Chambers at Holmeby being by chance left or scatter'd there And to this purpose he had prefix'd an Epistle which might be suppos'd to be written by that Person who having found them by that Accident thought it not fit to conceal them His Design also in the Book was to give such a Character of her Majesty to the World as her great Worth extream Merits and admirarable Endowments deserv'd when my Husband had writ it he shew'd it to my Lord CAPEL who did very highly approve of it and though he thought it would do very well to have it printed yet he said it was not fit to do so without his Majesty's Approbation and to come to speak to his Majesty in private was then impossible in regard of the strict Guard which they kept about him Immediately after this there was a Treaty with his Majesty at the Isle of Wight whereupon my Husband went to my Lord Marquiss of Hartfâ—rd that then was and to him deliver'd the Manuscript and he deliver'd it to the King at the Isle of Wight and likewise told him who the Author was When my Lord Marquiss return'd my Husband went to him to whom my Lord said That his Majesty having had some of those Essays read to him by Bishop DUPPA did excâ—edingly approve of them and asked whether they could not be put out in some other Name The Bishop reply'd that the Design was that the World should take them to be his Majesty's Whereupon his Majesty desir'd time to consider of it
King's Bed Chamber never saw him write a Syllable of this Book his Majesty he says being always in privat when he wrote and his Servants never coming into his Bed-Chamber till he call'd yet Mr. LEVET a Page of the Back Stairs often saw him write knew what he wrote and could read the Book when he pleas'd Then that the King who is said to value this Book more than all his Jewels should so carelesly leave it in his Bed-chamber when he was abroad and where Mr. HERBERT and others nay the very Soldiers might see it as well as Mr. LEVET is not very likely And lastly that the King should have so much leisure to mind this Book during a Treaty with his Subjects or would lose any time in writing of it when the Business in agitation concern'd no less than his re-establishment or Abdication is not credible besides that there is nothing particularly written concerning the Insolence of the Soldiers in all Icon Basilike And I have talk'd with Persons of Quality and good Reputation now alive who had much more of his Majesty's Company and Confidence in the Isle of Wight than Mr. LEVET either shar'd or could reasonably expect but yet they neither dreamt of this Business then nor believ'd a jot of it afterwards as well knowing how the King spent his time in that place But now supposing Mr. LEVET's Relation to be all true yet it is very from amounting to a Proof that King CHARLES the First was was the real Author of Icon Basilike which is the Point in question and not whether he interlin'd or transcrib'd it which he ought to have don if he had a mind it should pass for his own besides that Dr. GAUDEN sent it to him for that very purpose to be corrected allow'd or laid aside as his Majesty should think fit But tho' the King in all reason might and I really believe did correct or interline a part and perhaps transcribe the whole Book yet I can by no means be persuaded that he could find Leisure enough to write so many Copies of it in his Solitudes and Sufferings in the midst of Treaties in the Hurry of Removals while he meditated his Escape and was strictly observ'd by his Guards But these Gentlemen tell us of as many Copies as the Papists shew Heads of St. JOHN BAPTIST or Quarts of the Virgin MARY's Milk Mr. HERBERT had one left him by the King for a Legacy CHARLES the Second as Dr. CANARIFS writes to Mr. WAGSTAF shew'd another to Mr. WOOD a Commishoner from the Scotish Kirk at Breda and who knows which of these or whether it was either of them that Mr. LEVET deliver'd to the King at Hurst-Castle But why in the Name of God is none of these ever since produc'd How came this Prince's Autographs to be thus neglected when his Day is so strictly observ'd This is a Piece of Respect that 's usually paid to less considerable Persons and I believe either of the Universities would readily give Five Hundred Pounds to have such a Copy plac'd in their Library tho' if they had the Manuscript it would make nothing at all for their Purpose NOW let us consider the the Force of all those Testimonies join'd together which is that one saw the King write he knew not what but believ'd it might be this Book another observ'd him writing his Resentments against the rude Behavior of the Soldiers and so was ready to depose of his certain Knowledge that Icon Basilike was his own a third presumes the King might write it because he read a great many Books and they unanimously conclude that he was the genuin Author because the Book was written with his own Hand all which Testimonies considering the Promises prove no more nor less than that the King could write and read which was never deny'd by any that I know IT is further urg'd by the Admirers of this famous Book that Mr. ROYSTON had it to print as from the King in which all sides are agreed and signifies nothing to the Merits of the Cause for be sure the Bookseller was not made privy to the Secret And as for the Anonymous Authors of two Books which are alledg'd by Mr. WAGSTAF we shall hear and examin them when they 'll please to tell us their Names tho' all they have to say is answer'd already When Dr. HOLLINGWORTH tells us who are his sufficient Witnesses we shall likewise consider their Evidence for such Affirmations must go for nothing in proving a Fact of this Nature and may well serve for a Flourish but not for an Argument no more than several more Assertions of his concerning this Maâ—ter which were exploded by other Hands and not defended by Mr. WAGSTAF MR. LE PLA Minister of Finchingfield writes to Dr. GOODAL that one WILLIAM ALLEN who collected his Tythes for two Years and was formerly a Servant to Dr. GAUDEN affirm'd to him That the Doctor told him he had borrow'd the Book and was oblig'd to return it by such a time that besides what other time he might imploy in it he sat up one whole Night to transcribe it that he sat up in the Chamber with him to wait upon him to make his Fires and snuff his Candles and Mr. LE PLA thinks for he 's not positive it was from Mr. SYMMONDS of Rayne that he said the Doctor had borrow'd the Book Dr. HOLLINGWORTH has formerly affirm'd this Story of SYMMONDS's who indeed assisted afterwards in printing the Book at London but was so far at this time from living at Rayne in the Neighborhood of Bocking where Dr. GAUDEN dwelt that as Dr. WALKER shews Mr. SYMMONDS was long before sequestred for his Loyalty fled to the King's Quarters and one Mr. ATKINS plac'd in his room by the Parliament Nor is it credible that Dr. GAUDEN whether he meant a a Fraud or not should give an Account of his Studies much less discover the Secret of this Book for no Reason in the World to never so trusty a Servant especially to one that was to look after his Fire and snuff his Candles NOW we com to the late King JAMES's Letters Patents to Mr. CHISWEL for Liberty to print his Father 's Works for they are urg'd as an Argument that he thought Icon Basilike genuin tho' this Book be not specially mention'd in these Letters which are general and refer not to those of his Brother in 60. But here I must beg Leave to relate a Story that will give som Light to this Matter In the Year 1677 the House of Commons having voted two Months Tax for the more dccent Interment of CHARLES I. and to raise a Monument for him Mr. CHISWEL being Mr. ROYSION's Son in law thought of a Project that would answer the End of the Parliament and not be unserviceable to his Father with whom he was concern'd in Trade and it was that a Part of that Sum might be appropriated towards bearing the Charge of an Impression of the King's Works