opposing the Gospel Such service for the Papists was then done by the Puritanes whose Libels were cited and applauded by those of Rome even Hacket himself hath an Apology made for him although as execrable a miscreant as most have been of that paste (d) p. 256. The libellous Pamphlets of Martin-Mar Prelate thâ—t early Puritane in Queen Elizabeth's dayes were urged by the Papists as Authentick Witnesses and sufficient Evidences foâ— the disgrace and condemnation of the Protestant-Church So true was that which I shew'd you fâ—om the Lord Keeper Puckering that the Puritanes do joyn and concur with the Iesuites Thâ—ir rebâ—llious Principles What (e) p. 138 139. â—â—3 Principles of Rebellion were scattered abroad among thâ— peoâ—le by the Puritane leaders in seveâ—al Countreyâ— â—uch as Wickliff Clesselâ—us Knox and Winram that excellent Examen will quickly tell you p. 178.179 And what Heathâ—niâ—h Notes the Genevians put uâ—on â—he Bâ—ble (g) p. 151. How Felton a zealous Puritane comâ—itâ—ed his murder upon thâ— Duke How Covetousâ—ess and Non-conformity were so married together that 't was not eaâ—e to divorce them (h) p. 153. How an Act of Parliament wâ—s made against Puritanes 23 Eliz. c. 3. (i) p. 156. And a High-Commission enforced to curb them (k) p. 158. How mock-ordinations were made at Antwerp by a mongrel sort of Presbyterians consisting of two blew Aprons to each Cruel Nightcap In a word it will tell you their sabbatizing their downfall their essayes to rise their disappointments their new attempts by the way of Lecturing in which the Iesuites went before them their pride without parallel their malice without measure and thâ—ir acts of injustice without remorse Sect. 15. That irresistible Champion of the Protestant Church against her Adversaries of Rome Bishop Montague ' s judgmeâ—t of Puritanes I mean the learned Bishop Montague who was imployed by King Iames to write the Annals of the Church Catholick and all along as he went to reform Baronius on the one side as the Magdeburgenses on the other doâ—h often justifie and distinguish the Church of England no less from the Puritane then Popish party He calls them in one place * Religiosi nebulones nostrates Deum Ecclesiam emulgentes aiunt Deum culâ—u merè spirituali 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Montac in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad An. Chr. 2. See his Appello Caesarem â—art 2. c. 1. p. 11â— 111 112. the sacrilegious hypocrites of our Countrey who rob God and the Church under colour of spirituality saying that God is well pleased with no other worship then what is spiritual In another place he speaks of them as our Saviour spake of the Pharisees Ecclesia Anglicana recte quicquid vacillent Puritani 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He had long before noted That many were arrant Puritanes in heart who for preferment did conform holding with the Hare and running with the Hound And that many once Puritanes turn'd often Papists Fleeting being commonly from one extreme to another Men of moving violent quick-silver gun-powder spirits can never rely upon midling courses but dum furor in cursu est run on headlong into Extremes And so I may avow I will not be a Papist in haste because I never was a Puritane in earnest or in jeast having found it true in my small Observation that our Revolters unto Popery were Puritanes avowed or addicted first Ib. p. 113. A little after he calls the Iesuites the Puritane-Papists and for the Protestant-Puritanes he doth not reckon them as Members of the Church of England but onely an overweening-faction which was wont to be shrowded under the Covert of the Church of England and to publish their many idle dreams fancies and furies unto the World under pretext of the doctrine of our Church And our Opposites of the Romish side did accordingly â—harge our Church with them which words when I compare with divers things before mentioned I am apt to think that many Papists did call themselves of the Church of England and acted their parts on our English Theater under the name and disguise of the Puritane-party that so they might help the real Puritanes to bring our Protestant Church into disgrace and misery Sect. 16. To this I will adde some words of Grotius because he was so great an honour to the true Protestant Religion Grotius his judgment concerning Puritanes Serenissimi si per Puritanos liceaâ— Potentissimi Regis Britanniarum beneficio c. Discuss Riv. Apol. p. 57. not more for his learning then moderation who speaking of the King of Britain and of some obligations received from him thought fit to say The most serene and if the Puritanes will suffer him the most potent King of England words most worthy your consideration as having been written in the year 1645. when you cannot but remember how much his Majesty was promised to be made the mightiest King in Christendom It is but seldom that Grotius doth name the word Puritane although sometimes * Rex Iacobus se Puritanis semper exosum fuifse dicit non alio Nomine quà m quod Rex effeâ— Ibid. pag. 92. he names it too but he gives us so often a just accompt of their Tenâ—ts which have commonly broken forth into Blood and Rapine that I need not stay longer upon his exact judgment Mr. Thorndike 's judgment of Puritanes In his Epilogue to the Trag. of the Church of England Conâ—lus p. 405. Ib. p. 423. I will conclude my whole Catalogue with what I lately met with in my perusal of Master Thorndike It is evident saith he that Preachers and People are overspread with a damnable Heresie of Antinomians and Enthusiasts formerly when Puritanes were not divided from the Church of England called Etonists and Grindeltons according to several Countreys c. well had it been had that most pious and necessary desire to restore publick penance been seconded by the zeal and compliance of all estatesâ— and not stifled by the tâ—res of Puritanisme growing up with the Reformation of it In fine if any thing may have been defective or amisse in that order which the Church of England establisheth it is but justice to compare it with both extremes which it avoideth meaning Popery on one hand and Puritanisme on another If you read his whole Book you will probably return to the Church of England by being convincâ—d that you have left her If you will read but some part you will find him shewing what I shall now but say from him Id. lib. 1. p. 77. viz. 1 That the Scotish Presbyterians have done like them who oblige subjects to depose their Soveraign if the Pope excommunicate them making both subjects and Soveraigns the Popes vassals Ib. p. 78. Conclus p. 4â—4 them to rule and those to obey at his discretion who can excommunicate them 2 That it is Puritanism or Popery for subjects to fight against their Soveraign yea a Branch of Puritanism
with which you have any the least Agreement Reduce your proof then a second time into a syllogisme truly made and your case will be alter'd but nothing mended Your fall into the Fire will indeed be regular but you will get no more by it than if you continue in the frying-pan For your truly form'd Syllogism will be but thus whosoever hath none but a Deacon or Deacons to attend him is a Primitive Bishop A Presbyter hath â—one but a Deacon or Deacons to attend him Therefore a Presbyter is a Primitive Bishop Here the matter is as untoward as the Form was before The Major proposition being admirably false For though a man may be a Bishop who hath no more to attend him when no more are to be had and that because no more are needfull which is the thing that Dr. Hammond hath often taught you yet his having no more doth not prove him to be a Bishop which was the thing to be proved from Dr. Hammond When Ignatius reckons the Three Orders Bishops Priests and Deacons 't is as impossible for him to meane that Priests are Bishops as that Deacons are Priests For though every Bishop is a Priest it can no more follow that every Priest is a Bishop than it can possibly follow that every Animal is a man because it is true that every man is an Animal A Primitive Bishop and a meer Presbyter may have a Conversion per Accidens and another conversion by Contraposition but a simple conversion they cannot have To say they can without proof is but the begging of the Question which being sure to be denyed you I shall advise you to beg no more I will conclude this subject with a remarkable passage of Mr. Thorndike And I will do it so much the rather because the weightiness and the price of that excellent Volume may probably keep it from the perusal of vulgar Readers who onely meddle with the cheapest Bookes Mr. Thorndik's judgement of Presbyt Ordinations c. In his Epilogue to the Tragoed Of the Ch. of Engl. Concl. p. 408. The Presbyterians sometimes pleade their Ordination in the Church of England for the authority by which they ordaine others against the Church of England to do that which they received authority from the Church of England to do provided that according to the order of it A thing so ridiculously senseless that common reason refuseth it Can any state any society do an act by virtue whereof there shall be right and authority to destroy it Can the Ordination of the Church of England proceeding upon supposition of a solemn promise before God and his Church to execute the ministry a man receiveth according to the order of it inable him to do that which he was never ordained to do Shall he by failing of his promise by the act of that power which supposed his promise receive authority to destroy it Then let a man obtaine the Kingdom of Heaven by transgressing that Christianity by the undertaking whereof he obtained right to it They are therefore meer Congregations voluntarily constituted by the will of those all whosâ— acts even in the sphere of their ministry once received are become voide by their failing of that promise in consideration whereof they were promoted to it Voide I say not of the crime of Sacriledge towards God which the usurpation of Core constituteth but of the effect of Grace towards his people For the like voluntary combining of them into Presbyteries and Synodes createth but the same equivocation of words when they are called Churches to signifie that which it visible by their usurpation in point of fact not that which is invisible by their authority in point of right For want of this authority whatsoever is done by virtue of that usurpation being voide before God I will not examine whether the form wherein they execute the Offices of the Church which they think fit to exercise agree with the ground and intent of the Church or not Onely I charge a peculiar nullity in their consecrating the Eucharist by neglecting the Prayer for making the elements the dody and blood of Christ without which the Church never thought it could consecrate the Eucharist Whether having departed from the Church Presbyteries and Congregations scorne to learne any part of their duty from the Church least that might seem to weaken the ground of their departure or whether they intend that the elements remaine meer signes to strengthen mens faith that they are of the number of the elect which they are before they be consecrated as much as afterwards the want of consâ—cration rendering it no Sacrament that is ministred the ministring of it upon a ground destructive to Christianity renders it much more Immoderatâ— viâ—ulence towards those of the Episcopal way Sect. 39. I now returne to your long Preface from whence I stept into your book that the things of one Nature might be consider'd together in one Head That for which I am next to complain of you unto your self is your immoderate bitternesse to the Episcopal way and to the men of all qualities who dare to own it Many Gushes of it there are of which I will here transcribe a few * Praef. to Disp. of Church-Gov p. 17. We see that most of the ungodly in the land are the forwardest for your waies You may have almost all the Drunkards Blasphemers and Ignorant haters of godliness in the Country to vote for you and if they durst againe to fight for you at any time The spirit of prophaneness complyeth with you Ibid. and doteth on you in all places that ever I was acquainted in * Grot. Rel. p. 113. should one of you now pretend to be the Bishop of a Diocess you would have a small Clergy and none of the best and the people in most Parishes that are most ignorant drunken prophane unruly with some civil persons of your mind c. * P. 114. The cause of their love to Episcopacy is because it was a shadow if not a shelter to the Prophane heretofore and did not trouble them with discipline and because they troubled and kept under the Puritanes whom they hated But if you did not exercise Discipline on them your Churches would be but the very sinks of all other Churches about you to receive the filth that they all cast out and so they would be so great a reproach to Episcopacy that would make it vile in the eyes of sober men So that a Prelatical Church would in the common account be near kin to an Alehouse or Tavern to say no worse * â— 11â— So that for my part were I your enemy I would wish you a toleration but being really a friend to the Church and you I shall make a better motion c. Whilst you rail at this rate not onely without but against all reason nor onely beside but against your own knowledge as if it were your design to be voted for an ill
The New Discoverer DISCOVER'D By way of Answer to Mr. BAXTER his Pretended Discovery of the GROTIAN RELIGION With the Several Subjects therein Conteined To which is added AN APPENDIX Conteining a Rejoynder to diverse Things both in the Key for Catholicks and in The book of Disputations about Church-Government and Worship c. TOGETHER WITH A Letter to the Learned and Reverend Dr. Heylis Concerning Mr. Hickman and Mr. Bagshaw By THOMAS PIERCE Rector of Brington 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian Ep. l. 4. c. 5. Their own Tongues shall make them fall Psal. 64.8 LONDON Printed by I. G. for Richard Royston at the Angel in Ivye-lane 1659. A Preadvertisement to the Reader CHRISTIAN READER IF thou desirest to know the Reason why I begin to Mr. Baxter with more respect than thou allow'st him whereas I treat him in my Appendix with little more than he deserves making almost as great a difference in my stile to him as is observable in his to me be pleased to accept of this hasty but just accompt I was indulgent in the beginning to mine own particular Inclinations but at the end I consulted his greatest Needs My Inclinations would ever lead me to speak as * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15.2 pleasingly as I may but that my Iudgment sometimes corrects them and makes them give way to my * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15.2 Neighbour's profit His bitter Enmity against my person which he hath sturdily concluded in a state of Damnation and so by consequence a Reprobate after his way of reasoning though blessed be God his Conclusion is not deduced from any premises save what his Passion and his Fancy have shapâ—d out to him I say his Enmâ—ty to my person did onely move me to forgive and to use him gently But when I beheld him a second time as the bitterest Adversary of Truth reviling the Fathers of the Church and the Church herself more than any Presbyterian I ever met with unless I except Mr. Hickman with whom I shall reckon in due time for his great uncleannesse I durst not * Gal. 1.10 seek to please men so as to cease to be the servant of Iesus Christ. And therefore however I have begun my ensuing papers with what was most pleasant for me to write yet have I suffer'd my self at last to adde such things in the Conclusion as I found Mr. Baxter had need to read For if after my having been very liberal I find my Client so much the worse the likeliest method to make him better is to become for the future but strictly just He is a different man in his book of Government and Worship and in the later part of his Key for Catholicks from what he was in his Discovery of the Grotian Religion for so it seems he was pleas'd to word it and that did make him the fitter for somewhat a different Entertainment †Grot. Rel. â—râ—f Sect. 3. It is not long since he made profession that if any should gather from his Discourse my being such my self as he affirmed Grotius to have been he protested against all such Accusations as no part of his intention but in his two last Volumes his mind is changed or else his Members have prevailed against his mind so far forth as to accuse me of downright Popery and of having a hand in the Grotian plot which if we may prudently believe him is to bring Popery into the Land and together with that a Persecution He takes it ill that I am suffer'd to have a * Key for Cath. p 385 386. Rectory here in England and thereupon bewrayes his judgment that I am fitter for the * Key for Cath. p 385 386. Strappado which whilst he saith that such as he cannot escape in my Church implying me to be one of the bloodiest Papists whether Spanish or Italian he doth not say he doth abundantly insinuate his kindnesse to me Had I a heart to return him Evil for Evil I might fitly proclaim him either a Iesuite or a Iew. For without question he is either as much as I am a Papist but I will not vie slanders with men of Toung nor try the strength of my Invention to beat an Enemy at his own weapon for this were onely to be at strife who should be the most impious No let the Rigid Presbyterian take such victories to himself without receiving the trouble of being contended with at all I may often times punish but never wrong him and when I punish the Malefactor I spare the Man * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agapeâ— Diac. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 83. Vengeance is a thing which I leave to God I being fully content with a Vindication 'T is true I prove him to be a †See Append. Sect. 5. Papist by fourteen Arguments but they are Arguments onely ad Hominem and professedly urged by a Prosopopoeia and onely in order to his Conviction that more may be said against him than he can say against Grotius and that his injuries to Grotius do onely prove his own hurts And having thus proved him to be a Papist I freely * Ibid p. 175. professe to believe him none I hope his Calumnies of Grotius and the Episcopal Divines will now obtaine the less credit with his most credulous Admirers for that he hath poured out the same and a great deal worse against a person of great remarke amongst the Counsellours of State * Compare The Vindication of Sir Henry Vane with Mr. Baxter's unchristian usage of him in his Key for Catholicks The Vani or Vanists for he is pleas'd to speak in both Dialects are made the burden of his invective in his Key for Catholicks In his Dedicatory Epistle which some have call'd his Court-Flattery he make's a grievous complaint against ten sorts of men of whom he declare's he is very jealous The third of these are the Vani whom God by wonders confounded in new England but have here prevailed far in the dark To explain his meaning in the Epistle he tell 's us †Key for Catâ— p. 330 331. plainly in the Book that the first sort of Iuglers or Hiders of their Religion under whom the Papists do now manage their principal design are the Vani whose Game was first plaid openly in America in New-England where God gave his Testimonies against them from heaven upon their two Prophetesses Mrs. Hutchinson and Mrs. Dyer the later brought forth a Monster with the parts of Bird Beast Fish and Man The former brought forth many neer 30. Monstrous Births at once and was after slain by the Indians This providence he add's should have awakened the Parliament to a wise and godly jealousie of the Counsells and Designs of him that was in new-New-England the Master of the Game and to have carefully searched how much of his Doctrine and design were from heaven and how much of them he brought with him from Italy or at least
Grotius as a pacifick was much esteemed by that King Nor can he be one of Christ's family who doth not love Pacification But if by that word you mean his Pacificatory deâ—ign how came you to dislike at your eighteenth page what but twelve pages before you highly liked If you say you distinguish his particular way from his design it seems your quaâ—rel is onely this that having chosen a good end he did not jump with your humour in chusing the means of its attainment But methinks for this you should never have us'd him as you have done because he knew not you were an Oracle and so he could not consult you concerning the course he was to take You do avow your approbation of Pacificatory attempts between us and the Papists p. 30. where then lay the fault when Grotius attempted such a pacification with the greatest Industry and Wisdom that God had given him Had you been as Grotius in point of poweâ— and prudence to say no more you would have taken his course and so if Grotius had been as you he would no doubt have taken yours But Grotius being as he was one of the wisest and most learned of all mankind and you continuing as you are neither the wisest nor the most learned what matter of wonder can it be if he was otherwise advis'd then you would have him If you do really take Grotius to have been so learned and so judicious as you expresse p. 4. and do as really judge your self unworthy to be named with him as in the page I now cited you have acknowledged methinks it is pity that your whole Book should be little else then a preferring your opinion before his judgment your jealousies and fears before his knowledge and your fortuitous conjectures before his exact deliberations Whereas you add that you abhor their disposition who can despise or violate the Churches Peace for every pety conceit of their own which they have called by the name of â—ruth or Duty p. 19. you oblige your self and your party to do some very severe penance for having violated the Peace of the Church of England which for so many happy years had been establish'd The Presbyterian way of Discipline was a pety conceit of their own as you at least must acknowledge who have written against it as hath been * Look back on Sect. 12. shewed The Common-Prayer book you †Look on what shall be said ch 6. sect 9. num 2. confess was more perfect then the Directory which was therefore another of the pety conceits for which the peace of the Church was despised and violated Nay you complain to * Of Inf. ch memb and Bapt. p. 122 123. Mr. Tombs that plain duties were wiped out and excellent things taken from us which we were in actual possession of Your National-Covenant it self you must acknowledge was a pety conceit of your own for which you have cause to repent if we may credit your †Ibid. p. 123. own words Why then did you violate the Churches peace or if you abhor your self for it why do you not make us some satisfaction You are often an admirer of Bishop Davenant who had told you all in good time * Sent. Daven ad Duraeum p. 39. Aâ—hort ad Pac. Eccl. cap. 11. p. 148 149. that rather then have troubled the peace and quiet of the Church under which you lived in subâ—ection and of which you did profess you all were members you should quietly have deparâ—ed into some other Church to which you could have been pleased to yield obedience or have remained in ours without disturbance Nay this said the Bishop you should hâ—ve done thoâ—gh you had thought your opinions had been of such moment as that salvation it self depended on them How much moâ—e should you have done it when the things you stood uâ—on so stifly were pety conceits of your own and coâ—fessed such at long running however magnified at your first setting out I ever apâ—lauded those dissenting and dissatisfied brethren who peaceably went into new-New-England and other parts of America until I was taught that they intended a very unpeaceable return Be not angry at your Mâ—n â—r but meekly receive the admonition not at all for my sake but Bishop Davenant's And if according to your own Doctrine Truth ought to be suspended for love of peace then be not offended with this consequence that you must judge the way of Grotius or Bishop Bramhall very much worthier to be followed then your own or Mr. Chillingworths p. 29. in case they are likelier to take effect This I say you must do unless you can give some better reason then I am able to expect for your refusal Sect. 17. Now that you see what you have gotten by the six Reasons of your Dislike Mens thoughts of Grotius must be esteemed by their words for such it was in your power to call them though not in power to make them such be pleas'd to reflect on your profession p. 9. that your thoughts of Grotius are not either bitter censorious or uncharitable In which profession if there is Truth why would you write what you never thought Did you think it was enough to think well of the man whilest you spake as ill of him as it was possible for you to speak If your expressions are so bitter when you are full of sweet thoughts I wonder what words you could have us'd in case your thoughts had been bitter too Or what advantage could you aim at in pouring out so many bitter censorious words and in professing at the same time a contrariety of your thoughts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But perhâ—ps you may deny that there is bitterness in your words and therefore that shall be tried before I leave you If you forget what is past it will be good for your memory to look before you Sect. 18. For now I hasten to conclude my Vindication of Grotius The conclusion And I hasten so much the rather because I hear it will be done in an elaborate manner and ex professo by a great admirer of his perfections and because I hope I have said enough to make you sensible of your mistake For methinks you should not take leasure in trying to make men believe that the learnedst of mortalls at last turnd Papist or in case that that is too bold a word one so richly accomplished with all variety of secular and sacred knowledge joyned to wonderful endowments of Grace and Nature but for nothing more remarkable then acuteness of research and depth of judgement Now that a person of such importance should in the full maturity of all these excellencies forsake the Protestant Religion in exchange for the Papistâ— would be a greater advantage to our adversaries then I am willing to afford them and I heartily wish you had not done it For the Roman Catholicks are too apt to take such honours unto themselves when they
a contrary design nor can I imagin from what Familiar you may have received your Intelligence I grant he continued a perfect Papist for all he labour'd to reconcile the Church of England's Doctrine with that of Rome But then you must grant by the same reason that Grotius continued a perfect Protestant for all he proposed a Reconcilement of the Tridentine Articles with the Augustan If St. Clara did the former to draw the Protestants to be Papists Grotius also did the later to draw the Papists to be Protestants Can the designs of Grotius and St. Clara be both the same when Grotius endeavour'd so to moderate and soften Popery as to rob it thereby of all its poyson whilst St. Clara made it his business to infuse a poyson into the Articles of the Church of England Behold a strange partiality The poor Protestants of England must suffer on both sides It pleaseth a Papist to interpret our English Articles as a Pacifick and thereupon our Archbishop must needes be warping towards Popery An eminent Protestant doth the same by the Romish Articles which by analogy should infer that the Pope is warping towards the Protestants But still it must be quite otherwise this must also become an Argument against the Prelatists of England who if they approve of that Protestant's Labours or but refuse to raile at him for being turn'd unto the Papists must needes be turn'd Papists as well as he 4. Why do you say that I assure you of Grotius his Followers here in England If you meane here are Pursuers of his pacifick design I shall confidently challenge you to name One man who is employed at present in any such enterprise Not but that we do desire and wish for Peace as much as any but seeing the Papists are more invasive and more at enmity with us then ever we find it more needfull to betake our selves to our defence then either to offer them Termes of peace or to expect such from them as we can yield to If you have read the late writings of Bishop Bâ—amhall and Dr. Hammond two impregnable Propugners of the Protestant cause and let the Reverend Dean Cosins be ever remembred as a third you cannot but know that the Prelatists are more the adversaries of Rome than the Presbyterians 5. You aske in thâ—se words Is it any more proof that Grotius was a Protestant for joyning with them than that they are Papists who joyn with him ibid. Thus whilst you aske if it is any more proof you implicitly confess it to be as much that it must be as much you cannot modestly deny and even this Ad Hominem will serve the turn For t is plain you make them all Papists who joyn with Grotius whilst you call them the Grotian Cassandrian Papists and therefore according to your reasoning Grotius who joyn'd with our Episcopal Divines must have been a prelatiâ—al English Protestant 6. What you adde of the late King doth serve to prove him a Protestant and what you adde of Dr. Bayly doth serve to speak him a Papist but what of this Grotius was not that Doctor any more than that King Our Episcopal Divines made a discovery of the cheat and reckon'd Bayly no other than what they found him rather a man of the sword than a true pacifick Though t was observed by learned Montague that our Puritans were the men who did commonly turn Papists yet he did not conclude they were the likelier to be Papists who never turn'd Dr. Bezier â—leared from aâ— implicit Câ—â—â—â—y No to argue in such sort is your own peculiar Sect. 24. What you cite from I. B. to shew the judgement of those on whom the Iudgment of Grotius had any influence p. 390. is every way to your prejudice For 1. The Author is Dr. Bezier a French Protestant by birth and by education not one whit the likelier to have been poâ—ishly affected for having been prefer'd by the Bishop of Durham to be a Prebend in that Church the Bishop himself being so contrary and that in your knowldge 2. It is more then you know that the Judgment of Grotius had any influence upon His or that he ever took Grotius into consideration Take heed of sâ—eaking things out of your meer Imagination Dr. Bezier is a person of whose practice in France I have been an Eye-witness and that I know did evince him a sober Protestant But 3. Why should not a Frenchman preferr'd in England have leave to wish for the ancieâ—t Vnion so as each injoying their true Liberties they might reform all Errors in point of Doctrin for Themselves 4. The design of that Tract being to prove against the Papists that in casting out the Papacy we are not guilty of Schism or Heresie urging Barnes his Book as a good Confession on their side and his monstrous usage for that Confession what need was there of more than to clear the Liberties of our Church 5. Since the Gallican Church had the same Liberties with the British He could not take a fitter hint to expresse his wish for our Vnion 6. * Si utraque pars absque pre judicio sese mutuò intelligeret pars extrema de rigore suo vellet remittere ea Britannicae Ecclesiae cum Gallicanâ consensio non foret adeo improbabilis atque primâ fronte videtur Ecclesiam utramque vel alterutram ignorantibus I. B. de Antiq. Eccl. Britanâ— libert p. 34 35. What he speaks in their favour is only this That if the French Church would uâ—derstand us rightly and would thereupon remit of her present Rigor which you know implies a Reformation our Agreement would be likelier than appears at first sight to such as have not a knowledge of either Churche And will not you say as much as this of that or any other part of the Roman Church certainly these are to be thought those very tolerable terms upon which you profess for the French Papists that you would run with the forewardest to meet them p. 390. Sect. 25. Your odd Resolution Pacificks are not a Cause of Discord that bellum discordia non sunt nisi à pacificis propter pacem p. 392. can onely be verified through the wilfulness of the unreconcileable For Love of Peace by it self would never be apt to make war If any contention shall arise about the meanes of union that again must be charged on them that diâ—â—ike the mean's propos'd and yet propose no better nor more probâ—ble perhaps much worse and more unlikely to take a confortable effect whereas the Pacifici if they really propose the very best meanes they can and do the utmost that in them lye's to live peaceably with all men as they cannot be blame-worthy for doing no more so 't is their coâ—fort if they miscarry that they have freed their own soules Of the Pope's Primacy Sect. 26. You seem to forget the thing in Question when you inveigh against an opinion of the necessity of an