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A65321 Dialogues between Philerene and Philalethe, a lover of peace and a lover of truth, concerning the Pope's supremacy. Part I Watts, Thomas, 1665-1739. 1688 (1688) Wing W1156; ESTC R27584 35,721 46

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DIALOGUES BETWEEN Philerene and Philalethe A Lover of PEACE and a Lover of TRUTH Concerning the POPE's SUPREMACY PART I. IMPRIMATUR Liber cui Titulus Dialogues between Philéréne and Philalethe March 27. 1688. GVIL. NEEDHAM R.R. in Christo P. ac D.D. Wilhelmo Archiep. Cant. a Sacr. Domest LONDON Printed for Joseph Watts at the Angel in St. Paul's Church-yard MDCLXXXVIII ADVICE TO THE READER IT is above a year since this little Treatise hath been fit for the Press and if the Author had pleased he needed not have delayed the Publishing of it so long but as he did not undertake it with that design so he did not consent to it but at the sollicitation of a judicious and learned Friend for whose Advice he had the same regard as for his Commands You will not find in these Discourses that delicacy of Expression and that justness of Speech which are the ornament and beauty of the greatest part of the works of this Age For besides that the stile of Dialogues ought to be plain and easie the Author never made any account of that high-raised and lofty Eloquence which as a Learned Man of our Age says * Monsieur Nicole dans l'art de penser seduces men into error by its counterfeit splendor He always thought that solid Eloquence consisted in Matter and not in Words and that it were incomparably better for a Man to say a great deal in few words † Vid. Plutar. in Phoc. than little or nothing at all in a great many He ever esteemed the Conciseness of Cicero before the Copiousness of Demosthenes and always held this maxim of the Fathers concerning Eloquence in Holy things That the Eloquence of those who make Religion their Subject ought to consist in the weight of their Matter and of their Reason and that they ought to explain themselves after an easie manner that all sorts of people might understand them When we speak of God says St. Cyprian ‖ Cypr. ad Donatum the Discourse we make use of to prove the Faith ought not to depend upon the strength of Eloquence but of Matter The Church says St. Athanasius *⁎* Atha Orat. de semente is not a School of Sophisters nor of Orators And the famous St. Augustin * Aug. lib. 4. de doc Christ c. 15. c. tho he were one of the most eloquent of his time freely declares That a Man were better be reproved by the Gramarians than not understood of the people and that a Preacher of the Gospel ought chiefly to endeavour to make himself to be understood and heard with desire and with a spirit of submission of his Auditory which he may better arrive to by the Piety of his Prayers than by the Artifice of his Discourse If you take good heed you shall find that false Teachers have always hid themselves under the vail of false Eloquence † Vid. 1 Cor. 2. 1 Cor. 11.6 c. and that it is out of this Golden Cup that they have made men drink the mortal Poyson of Error whereas the Apostles and all Orthodox Teachers ‖ Vid. Irenae lib. 1. Advers Haeres Valent. Orig. lib. 11. de principiis lib. 4.5 contra Celsum taking a contrary way made it their glory to use a great simplicity of speech wanting that which St. Paul calls the enticing words of mens wisdom The Author hath followed these noble and glorious methods and without putting himself to the trouble of ending his Periods in their just measure keeping however to the purity of the language as much as possibly he could he hath applied himself chiefly to the weight and force of his Reasons You will find in him I hope sufficient to perswade and to convince you provided you bring with you an easie peaceable and wholly unprejudiced mind This is the spirit that runs throughout this whole work and it was this spirit that began and finished the design the Author having not proposed to himself any other aim than that of animating Christians to the searching out of Peace and Truth two the greatest happinesses that ever men can arrive to Furthermore If this little Treatise hath the good fortune to please we may furnish you with some others which the Author hath composed at more leasure and which he hath enriched with some particular observations which he hath made by Reading the most Ancient and the most Learned Fathers of the Church Accept however of this with the same mind that he offereth it to you Quod Gloriosus fratres quam subjici vinci a veritate superet te veritas volentem nam invitum ipsa superabit Aug. in Psalm 57. DIALOGUES BETWEEN PHILERENE and PHILALETHE PART I. The First Dialogue NOtwithstanding the Difference between Philalethe and Philéréne as to their Age they were both of them persons of so great Worth and their Inclinations were so much alike that scarce had they seen one another three or four times but they contracted a very strict Friendship As they never were better pleased than when they were together they oftentimes left their ordinary Employments for the Satisfaction of seeing one another and conferring together as well concerning things which they had Read as those they had Heard of In this Design they often went to walk upon a River-side from whence they could discover one of the finest and richest Countries of all France And as they were both of them men of great Learning and of a clear Apprehension they went always home greatly satisfied with their Conversation They made use of the first fine days which the Spring afforded to renew their desireable Conversation which the severity of the Winter had interrupted And the first time they met having given Assurances of their mutual Affection and shewed how glad they were to meet in a place where they might freely discover their most secret Thoughts to each other Philéréne spoke thus to his Friend Have you not heard talk my dear Philalethe of the present Affairs I mean of the Deliberation which the Assembly of the Clergy hath taken I have answered Philalethe heard something of it but I cannot give you a full Account o' nt if you know it you will oblige me to tell it me Philéréne I need not tell you my dear Friend that my Lords the Bishops of Tournay of Meaux of St. Maloes of Vaur of Châalons and of Aleth had been named by the Assembly of the Clergy to examin the Six Propositions of the Sorhonne presented to the King in 1663. because you know it already But what perhaps you do not know is That the Clergy did Assemble the 17th of the last Month after the usual manner and took the Report of these Prelates My Lord Bishop of Tournay who was Head of the Commission began the Report and delivered himself very Learnedly upon this Occasion The next day in the Evening the other Commissioners were heard and they discoursed upon this Subject with great Learning