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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	authority_n	law_n	legislative_a	2,620	5	12.4064	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85386	Calumny arraign'd and cast. Or A briefe answer to some extravagant and rank passages, lately fallen from the pen of William Prynne, Esquire, in a late discourse, entituled, Truth triumphing over falshood, &c. against Mr John Goodwin, Minister of the Gospel. Wherein the loyall, unfeigned and unstained affection of the said John Goodwin to the Parliament, and civill magistracie, is irrefragably and fully vindicated and asserted against those broad and unchristian imputations, most untruly suggested in the said discourse against him. By the said John Goodvvin. Licensed entered and printed according to order.	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1645 (1645)	Wing G1153; Thomason E26_18; ESTC R12923	51,593	64

reason which Mr. Prynne alledgeth to countenance the sense which he puts upon the words now contested about to the disparagement of mine viz. that be maintains point-blank against me throughout his Treatise a legislative and coercive power in Parliaments and that the inference which I draw from the said words is quite contrarie to the next ensuing words and pages I answer 1. To the former part of the Reason that it is most untrue he doth not maintain point-blank against me throughout his Treatise a legislative and coercive power in Parliaments and civill Magistrates I every where acknowledge and assert a civill legislative power in both therefore Mr. Edwards maintaining such a power in them maintains nothing point-blank against me And whether he maintains a spirituall or Ecclesiasticall legislative power in them especially throughout his Treatise let this passage be witnesse between me and my Adversarie There is nothing more common in the writings of the learned and orthodox then to shew that the civill power and Government of the Magistrate and the Ecclesiasticall Government of the Church are to genere disjoyned and thereupon the power of the Magistrate by which he deals with the corrupt manners and disorders of his people it in the nature and specificall reason distinct from Ecclesiasticall discipline a I know not what artificiall construction and meaning Mr. Prynne may possibly find out for these words but surely he that hath not affirm'd the contrarie as Mr. Prynne very inconsiderately that I say not PRESUMPTUOUSLY hath done will not affirm that Mr. Edw. in this passage maintains an Ecclesiasticall legislative power in Parliaments or civill Magistrates but the contrary yea and affirms this to be the common judgement of men learned and orthodox So again when he affirms p. 282. that it is their duty speaking of the Parliament by their power and Authority to bind men to the Decrees of the Assembly he doth not doubtlesse maintain an Ecclesiasticall legislative power in the Parliament for they that have such a power cannot be bound in dutie to own the Laws or Decrees of others much lesse to bind others to subjection to them I omit many other passages in this book of like importance The truth is that Mr. Prynnes opinion concerning an Ecclesiasticall spirituall Jurisdiction in the Civill Magistrate which yet is his grand notion in all that he hath written upon the subject of Presbyterie overthrows the main grounds and principall foundations upon which the Doctrine of Presbyterie is built by all her ablest and most skilfull workmen Insomuch that I wonder not a little that the Masters of that way and Judgement have not appeared at another manner of rate then yet they have done for the vindication of their principles against him that hath made so sore a breach upon them and laid their honour in the dust Somewhat I know some of them have done in this kind but the Prophet Elisha reproved the King of Israel for smiting thrice onely upon the ground and then ceasing telling him that he should have smitten five or six times 2. To the latter part of the Reason I answer and confesse that the inference I draw from the words mentioned may very possibly be quite contrarie to the next ensuing words and pages and yet the sense of them no wayes wrested nor mistaken by me because it is familiar in the Discourse for the Author to contradict himself as well as other men according to one of the ingredients in that most true and happie character of the Discourse given by a woman who describes it to be wrangling-insinuating-contradictory-revengefull storie b And the truth is that in the eye of an unpartiall and disengaged Reader there is scarce any passage or period throughout the whole Discourse but may be commodiously enough reduced under one of these 4. heads And therefore whereas Mr. Prynne gives this elogium of it that it is in truth unanswerable c I confesse that unanswerable it is in severall respects and sundrie wayes First it is unanswerable to that esteeme which my self with many others had of the Author formerly Secondly unanswerable it is to that opinion which he would have the world conceive of his parts and learning and in speciall manner of his abilities to deal in the particular controversie Thirdly it is unanswerable to his profession as he is a Christian Fourthly much more unanswerable is it to his calling as he is a Minister of Jesus Christ and of the Gospel And fifthly and lastly most unanswerable it is to those frequent solemn and large professions which he makes both in his Epistle and elsewhere of his love to the Apologists and candor and fairnesse in writing But for any such unanswerablenesse as Mr. Prynne intends the one part of it will not indure that such a thing should be spoken of the other there being enough in the Discourse it self to answer whatsoever is to be found in it of any materiall consideration against the Congregationall way as will in time convenient be made manifest in the sight of the Sun God not preventing by more then an ordinarie or at least expected hand And whereas Mr. Prynne glorieth and that twice over at least for failing that it hath not been hitherto answered by the Independents d I answer three things First that neither hath Mris Katharine Chidleys Answer to Mr. Edwards his Reasons against Independencie and Toleration been yet replyed unto or answered either by Mr. Edwards himself or any other of his partie notwithstanding the said Answer be but a small piece in comparison of the Antapologie and besides hath been some yeers longer abroad then this Besides this there are many other Tractates and Discourses extant and so have been a long time in defence of the Congregationall way which as yet have not been so much as attempted by any Classique Author whatsoever A particular of some of these you may see p. 65. of my Innocencie and Truth triumphing together in the Margent As for that which A. S. or in words at large Adam Steuart hath lift up his pen to do against M. S. if men will needs vote it for an Answer an Answer so called let it be * but doubtlesse he that wants either will or skill to distinguish between the persons and the distempers of men is in an ill capacitie or incapacitie rather of framing any sober answer to a sober Discourse Secondly Mr. Edwards himself the smallnesse of the content of the Apologeticall Narration considered took not a whit lesse time to give answer to it then hath yet been taken by the Independents to answer the Antapologie But thirdly and lastly if Mr. Prynne knew and considered who it was that hath hindered the Independents and that once and again from answering it as yet viz. he that sometimes hindred Pauls coming to the Thessalonians e though in Mr. Edwards apprehension he both hastened and furthered the coming back of the Apologists into England f he

rather levied upon the estate of his own modestie who by his own confession runs the hazard of perverting the meaning of those passages under debate whereas I never came so neere the crime of such a perversion as to ingage my self in any Interpretation of them at all But if you will please to heare his Interpretation and compare it diligently with his Text the passages cited by me from the Divines of Scotland you may very fairly translate Mr. Prynnes If I mistake not into certainly Mr. Prynne mistakes I Answer saith he 1. That their onely meaning if I mistake not in these passages is that the Prince or chiefe Civill Magistrate of himselfe without a Parliament or without the assistance and consent of his Nobles Commons Clergie cannot legally make any Ecclesiasticall Lawes to oblige his people Mark this saying well and see how like it looks to the genuine Interpretation sense or import of these and the like ensuing sentences All men as well Magistrates as inferiors ought to be subject to the judgement of the Nationall Assembly in Ecclesiasticall causes without any reclamation or appellation to any Judge Civill or Ecclesiasticall within the Realme Againe It belongeth to the Synod the Clergie having the chiefe place therein to give Direction and advice not to receive and approve the definition of the Prince in things which concerne the worship of God but it self to define and determine what Orders and Customes are fittest to be observed c. We see here in the Text that the chiefe place yea the sole power for what other sense can be put upon those words It belongeth to the Synod it self to define and determine of defining and determining Orders and Customes in things which concerne the worship of God is ascribed unto the Synod wherein also the Direction of the Clergie ought to be predominant not onely without the definition of the Prince or chiefe Civill Magistrate but with rejection of his definition NOT TO RECEIVE OR APPROVE THE DEFINITION OF THE PRINCE saith this text Whereas in Mr. Prynnes Interpretation the Prince or chiefe Civill Magistrate as we heard hath the preheminence and precedencie in all such definitions and determinations assigned unto him and next to him the Nobles and next to them the Commons of neither of which ne {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} quidem in the Text are interessed in the same and the Clergie or Synod which are made the head and have the chiefe place if not the sole power about such definitions and determinations in the text are in the Interpretation made the taile and compelled to come behind all the rest as a partie borne out of due time or at least in the lowest influence of power for any such Interest If Mr. Prynne be not at the softest mistaken in this Interpretation the sense and meaning of those words Abraham begat Isaac a may very possibly be this that Judas went and hung himself b Judge Reader between me and my Adversary who hath more cause to blush and who is the more miserable wrester of words and perverter of meanings And whether there be not an ayre or gentle breathing of a contradiction in this period which he subjoynes within it self and in one part of it to the premised Interpretation I desire the Reader attentively to consider But that the King saith he or supreame temporall Magistrates assisted by a Parliament and Orthodox Divines may not make binding Ecclesiasticall Lawes or that their or our Parliaments have not a reall Legislative power in any matter Ecclestiastique the onely point controversed is directly contrary both to the constant Doctrine and Practise of our Brethren and their Church c. I beleeve that neither our Brethren nor their Church will conne Mr. Prynne thanks for this his vindication and plea for them but however I shall not speak in his cast nor forestall his market Onely I desire to know of him if their and our Parliaments have a reall Legislative Power in matters Ecclesiastique as he affirms in the latter part of the sentence why he requires an assistance of Orthodox Divines in the former part of it to make binding Ecclesiasticall Lawes They that have a reall Legislative power in or within themselves need no forinsecall assistance of others to make their Laws binding though they may need forinsecal advice for the better constitution of them as in Laws about any particular trade yea he had given this judgement in the case a little before as we heard that the Prince or chiefe civill Magistrate cannot legally make any Ecclesiasticall Lawes to oblige his people not onely not without a Parliament but not without his Clergie also Doth he not here interesse the Clergie every whit as farre and as deep in the very essence or substance of the Legislative power to make binding Ecclesiasticall Lawes for the people as he doth the Parliament it self And whereas in the passage last recited he affirms the onely point in controversie to be whether our Parliaments have not a reall legislative power in any matters Ecclesiastique I wonder why he storms me and my writings with so much indignation pag. 106 107. c. for printing passages onely charged by him as being against the Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction of Parliaments a which likewise is his usuall expression elsewhere Doth he apprehend no difference at all between an Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction power Authoritie and a legislative power in or about Ecclestiasticall matters or things Mr. Edwards if he will vouchsafe to learne of him will teach him a wide difference who in many places gives and grants unto the Magistrate a power and Authoritie about Ecclesiasticall causes and businesses b of many kinds though not of any c as Mr. Prynne bountie extendeth but no where to my remembrance grants any Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction or power to him yea p. 163. of his Antapologie he interrogates his Apologists Whether there doth not reside in the Church all Ecclesiasticall power absolutely necessary to the building up of the Kingdome of Christ and salvation of men even when the Magistrate is not of the Church The import of which interrogation agrees well with that assertion of the same Author and tract p. 169. that the civill power and Government of the Magistrate and the Ecclesiasticall Government of the Church are toto genere disjoyned and thereupon the power of the Civill Magistrate by which he deales with the corrupt manners and disorders of his people is in the nature and specificall reason distinct from Ecclesiasticall Discipline If there be an Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction or Legislative power in civill Magistrates Parliaments to make Ecclesiasticall binding Laws why may not the exercise of this power in the administration or execution of these Lawes be called Ecclesiasticall Discipline or Government yea why not rather Ecclesiasticall then civill So that Mr. Prynne confounding an Ecclesiasticall power with a power about Ecclesiasticall things plainly shews that he is not perfectly initiated in the mysterie

Prynnes wish Fiat Justitia in Mr. Prynnes sense are fulfilled together 9. He is not ashamed to avouch that I publish my brain-sick jealousies and suspicions of the Parliament behind their backs in open Pulpit and then to the whole world in print a strange misdemeanor indeed and more monstrous and incredible then ever committed by the VERY Pope or Turk himself or the great Antichrist or the Arch-Prelate or Oxford Aulicus or the most venemous Malignant that a man should doe that behind mens back which he doth in print to the whole world of purpose to make my Auditors Readers jealous of them as men who invaded the very incommunicable royalties and priviledges of Heaven a Whereas the God of Heaven who knows my purpose and intent in those passages as in all my actions besides much better then Mr. Prynne knows the contrary and that my purpose therein was singly and simply and with all faithfulnesse as becomes a Minister of Jesus Christ to caution those worthy persons of honor and trust against that snare of sinning against God into which great places of power and interest in the world are apt to lead men before they are aware 10. He chargeth my late Sermons and Pamphlets to have kindled such unhappie flames of contention in our Church and State as all the teares of Repentance which I may shed will not be sufficient to quench For my part I know of no such I heare of no such I know no cause why I should imagine that any such unhappie flames as he speaks of should be kindled by any of my Sermons or writings I have much more reason to conceive and think that Mr. Prynnes writings charge mine with kindling flames of contention much after the same manner and upon the same terms that one charged Eliah with being the troubler of Israel b and that mine may recharge his as the Prophet did that King c 11. Whereas he further chargeth me that in my Innocencies Triumph I slander the Parliament more then before and shew my self a man despising Government at least any Church-Government the Parliament shall establish not sutable to my fancy self-willed and even speaking evill of Dignities c. d The truth is that there is far more slander in the charge then in the crime the best is that that book is open before the world to see and judge whether therebe I doe not say any aspersion of slander but so much as the least touch or tincture of any thing dishonourable to the Parliament or to any Government or Dignitie whatsoever because not sutable to my fancie 12. Whereas he insinuates a guilt upon me of Socinian errors a and in his margent invites his Reader to see Mr. Walkers and Mr. Roburroughs answers to them the truth is that in the Answers he speaks of his Reader may see and finde mistakes of my opinion and confutations of those mistakes as substantially managed as want of apprehension of my thoughts and somewhat else was able to manage such an enterprize but for any Socinian errors of mine they are onely to be seene in such books as were never written and then where the Answers to them are to be seene remaines yet as matter of further inquirie for Mr. Prynne For the second head propounded the unreasonable wresting torturing and tormenting of my words I shall chiefly insist upon his paraphrase upon that passage recited in part by him p. 107. but mis-cited in the margent as touching the page where it stands in my book The tenor of the Passage in this If I have denyed the least dram or scruple of that power which is truly Parliamentary and consistent with the word of the great and glorious God of which misdemeanor I am not in the least measure conscious unto my self as yet I most seriously and solemnly professe in the presence of this God my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost that I lie not that I did it out of a loving tender and affectionate jealousie over the Parliament lest possibly they might dash their foote against that stone by which all Rule and all Authoritie and power will one day be broken in pieces So that if either my tongue or pen have in the least miscarried it was Error amoris not amor erroris c. You have heard the text and if you have any mind to see darknesse brought out of light hearken to the Interpretation But good Sir saith this Intepreter one I may say of twentie thousand can any rationall man think though you should protest it ten thousand times over that such Anti-Parliamentary passages as yours are should proceed from your love to the Parliament Suppose the passages he speaks of were Anti-Parliaentary an aspersion I conceive fully attoned in the foregoing discourse yet is it so highly irrationall to conceive they should proceed from love to the Parliament especially upon ten thousand Affidavits made for it that it must be made matter of a doubtfull disputation whether it be possible for a rationall man so to think or conceive Did Mr. Prynne never heare of a veine of people who did bona animo malè precaris wish that which was hurtfull to their friends out of good affection towards them Seneca I am certain speaks of such And God himself is said to have testified things against his people as the former English translation and Junius out of the Originall reads the place Gen. 32. 46. Cannot a rationall man conceive that these things might proceed from love and good affection in God towards this people because they were against them I cannot but think that Mr. Prynne himself hath been Anti-Parliamentary I meane hath done some things if not many in their natures at least if not in their fruits and effects prejudiciall to the honour and safety of the Parliament as by name in representing their cordiall Friends as sometimes his conscience or something else prevailes with him to call them a unto them as dis-affected unto them and as acting and that successively against their jurisdiction more desperately then the worst Malignant Royalist Cavalier on the Arch-Prelate himself b Doubtlesse such a practise as this is in the nature and tendency of it very disserviceable to the Parliament as making sad and so indisposing the hearts of those whose inclinations otherwise stand ready bent with all chearfulness to serve the Parliament with all their strength and all their power as blessed be God they are resolved to doe after the example of Christ who continued still to cast out Devils though represented by the Pharisees unto the people as dealing by Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils in casting them out Compare Mat. 9. 34. with Mat. 12. 22. c. So againe by representing unto them as peaceable innocent and harmlesse a generation of men as the land beares any yea persons as deeply and dearly devoted unto of as high and honourable endeavours to promote

did you print it of purpose to make them think that they had as much power and Authoritie to make Lawes for his Churches as Christ himself hath Such affirmations and right-downe conclusions as these are worse then the most uncharitable unchristian detestable execrable groundlesse fanatique jealousies b The second signification of the auxiliarie verb PRAESVMO is as Mr. Prynne from his Authors or otherwise informs us to conceive before-hand and to prove that in this sense I trespassed the trespasse of his complaint PRESVMPTVOVSLY he advanceth with this demonstration 2. To establish and support that Independent way which you had before-hand without any lawfull warrant conceived ere the Parliament had made choyce of or setled any Church-Government for them c. But good Sir hath no man a lawfull warrant to consider inquire after and consequently to conceive what Christ hath established in point of Church-Government untill the Parliament hath made choyce of or setled such a Government Every man hath warrant enough yea and that which is more then a warrant an ingagement by way of dutie lying upon him especially Divines as you call them whose particular calling and profession it is to search the Scriptures and to discover the mind of Christ there to conceive before-hand if they be able what tenour or forme of Church-Government is most agreeable to the mind of Christ and not to suspend their studies inquiries conceptions in that kinde untill men have fram'd their conceptions or apprehensions for them The Parliament had not made choyce of nor setled any Church-Government for Mr. Edwards when he compos'd and printed his Antapologie Did he therefore PRESVMPTVOVSLY to conceive it before-hand and so peremptorily conclude for it as he hath done Whether yet they have made choyce of any or no I cannot say I have no demonstrative grounds to think they have but certain I am that they as yet have setled none and so are still at libertie to choose another in case they have chosen any Hath not Mr. Prynne then done PRESVMPTVOVSLY to conceive a Government before-hand and to print for it the Parliament as yet having chosen none or however setled none If Mr. Prynne being a Lawyer had a lawfull warrant to conceive a Church-Government before-hand as he hath done Church-matters being eccentricall to his profession much more hath he that is a Divine and neverthelesse because he is a meere one Neither can the five Apolog. be said to have done this first because they rather shew their own practise and desire libertie therin then peremptorily as some others prescribe to others under the notion of schismatiques and troublers of the publick peace if they be not of their minds in all things about what they practise and professe as in their judgements most agreeable to the truth A third signification of the verb we wot of is according to Mr. Prynnes Lexicographie to usurp or take that upon a man which belongs not to him And to prove that in this sense also I am a Son of PRESVMPTION in the transgression voted by Mr. Prynnes pen upon me he riseth up higher then yet in this insulting straine It was no lesse then high PRESVMPTION in you being a meere Divine and a man altogether ignorant of or unskilfull in the ancient Rights and Priviledges of our Parliament as your writings demonstrate and your self intimate p. 5. to undertake and judge of them so peremptorily When as if you had knowne any thing concerning them you might have learned this among other things that Divines are no competent Judges of Parliaments priviledges that the Priviledges Rights and Cujiomes of our Parliaments are onely to be judged and determined by the Parliament it selfe not in or by any other inferiour Court c. In this passage there are some things true and some things false and both the the one and the other make aloud and without straining against the Author and neither of them against me at all For 1. If I be a man altogether ignorant if the ancient rights and privileges of Parliament how come I to be charged as a wilfull underminer or violator of them a Ignorance though it bee good for little but to cause men to stumble and doe amisse yet it is for the most part a preserver of men from offending wilfully how ever it selfe may be a wilfull offence Those things saith Aristotle appeare to bee involuntary b or unwillingly done which are done either by externall compulsion or out of ignorance If I judge Mr. Prynne ignorant of that government which the Scriptures hold forth I cannot reasonably judge him a wilfull opposer of it 2. If the Privileges Rights and Customes of our Parliaments be onely to be judged and determined by the Parliament it selfe and not in or by any other inferior Court how comes Mr. Prynne by his authority or commission to judge and determine that I have wilfully violated presumptuously undermined the undoubted privileges of Parliament by the very roots Surely he hath not the power which an inferiour Court of Judicature hath much lesse is he the Parliament it selfe and yet he undertakes to judge and determine that positively and negatively which I doe not not onely the privileges themselves of Parliament but the very roots also of these privileges If according to his own assertion he hath no power or authority to judge or determine of the privileges we speak of why doth he judge and censure me as a PRESUMPTUOUS underminer and violator of these privileges Can any man reasonably passe a sentence against another as a delinquent in such and such cases when as the cases themselves are not of his cognizance nor lawfull for him to judge of 3. If the Privileges and Rights of our Parliament bee onely to bee judged by the Parliament it selfe upon what Christian or indeed reasonable foundation shall we a vouch the taking of the late Nationall Vow and Covenant wherein with our hands lifted up to the most high God among other things we sweare that wee would sincerely really and constantly in our severall vocations endevour with our estates and lives mutually to preserve the Rights and Privileges of Parliament c. Did we sweare in this most tremend and solemne manner to preserve those things not onely that wee know not what they are but which it is not lawfull for us to enquire after at least not to judge and say what they are after our most diligent and faithfull enquiry after them If before the taking of this covenant I had conceived that whatsoever Mr. Prynne should please to avouch for Privilege of Parliament I should have stood bound by the covenant taken to maintain with my estate and life for such I should rather have exposed both to the mercy and equity of the Parliament by refusing it then both these and my selfe besides to the displeasure of God by such an unchristian yea unreasonable and unmanlike action Besides Parliament privileges are either fundamentall generall and common

had little or no cause to glorie in that priviledge But Quod defertur non anfectur Quicquid sub terrâ est in apricum proferet aetas Having as you have heard befriended Mr. Edwards his fellow-labourer in the Presbyterian cause with the best accommodation he could to make one piece of him hang to another but alas who is able to comprimize between fire and water he proceeds and tels me behind my back and yet with an intent I presume that all the world should take notice of it that my passages out of Mr. Hayward Bishop Jewel Mr. Fox Mr. Calvin Jacobus Acontius c. make nothing at all against the legislative Authority of Parliaments in matters of Religion and Church Government and have no affinity with my passages words most of them propugning the very Ecclesiasticall power of Parliaments which I oppugne And yet in the very next words adds that indeed some of their words seem to diminish the coercive power of Magistrates and enforcing of mens consciences in matters of Religion as if I ever oppugned or denied any other Authority or power in Magistrates then this If he will please but to peruse my Innocencies triumph pag. 8. and my Innocency and Truth triumphing together pag. 72. 73. 78. with severall other passages in these and other my writings he will or at least very easily may see that I oppugne deny no other Authority power in Parliaments Civill Magistrates but onely that which is enforcing of mens consciences in matters of Religion Whereas he promiseth or undertakes that he shall in due place answer these words of theirs which as he saith seem to diminish the coercive power of Magistrates in matters of Religion and manifest how I abuse the Authors herein as well as Mr. Edwards My answer onely is that he may indeed soon answer them after that rate of answering at which he hath answered any thing of mine hitherto and he may shew how i. say that I abuse them and without writing or speaking as well as by either manifest that I abuse their Authors herein as well as I do Mr. Edwards But for this last particular I am willing to save him the labour and pains of writing for the manifestation of it For I here freely confesse that I have abused these Authors in what he speaks of just as I have abused Mr. Edwards and both of them just as much as amounts to no abuse at all I wonder by what art or way the Gentleman means to go to work to prove that I have miserably wrested or abused the Authors he here speaks of or their words when as I have put no construction at all or interpretation upon their words nor drawn any inference or deduction from them but onely transcribed them with as much diligence and faithfulnesse as I could and presented them cleerly as they stand in their respective Authors If his meaning be that I have miserably wrested and abused them by my quotation of them as subservient to my cause or purpose a deed of folly which himself commits with the holy Scriptures themselves many a time and often my answer is that were this assertion true that they are not subservient to my cause or purpose yet my recourse unto them for aid to my purpose were no miserable wresting or abusing of them Our Saviour being an hungry did not abuse the fig-tree by repairing to it though there prov'd nothing upon it for his purpose Nor should Mr. Prynne abuse a Tavern by going into it to drink a cup of wine that pleaseth him though he shold be disappointed in his expectation when he comes there Nay in this case would he not rather think and that much more reasonably of the two that the Taverne had abused him then he it In like manner if those Authors and sayings which I have produced and which Mr. Prynne speaks of have no affinity with my passages and purpose I may much more truly and reasonably say that they have abused me then Mr. Prynne can either say or ever prove that I have abused them For the truth is if they do fall me or refuse to stand by me in the defence of those passages spoken of when Mr. Prynne hath done his worst to them they are the greatest dissemblers that ever wore the livery of paper and inke Never were there sentences or sayings that more fully and freely complied with any mans notions whatsoever in terms and words then farre the greatest part of these do with my passages and purpose If Mr. Prynne can dissolve or abrogate the Authoritie of Grammar rules and destroy the naturall and proper signification of words then may I have some cause to fear that he may possibly evict me to be a miserable wrester and abuser of Authors and their sayings But if words be able to defend themselves and make good the possession of their known significations and rules of construction their both ancient and moderne interest in the understandings of men against the Authority or violence of Mr. Prynnes pen I defie all his interminations and threatnings of manifesting me either a miserable wrester or abuser of my Authors The last parcell of his high contest against me in this Discourse is that I pervert the meaning of the Divines of Scotland in one or more or I know not he knows not how many or how few of those passages which I cite from them whereas I meddle not little or much with any sense or meaning of any of them but onely barely tender them unto the Reader leaving it free unto him to judge of the sense and meaning of them and whether they consort with my apprehensions or no And though he be doubtfull of that interpretation or meaning which himself however adventures to put upon them as there is reason more then enough why he should delivering himself with this sub-modest caution If I mistake not yet am I rated and chidden at no lower rate then this you may THEREFORE blush at this I wonder which your perverting of their meaning as if they held that the Parliaments of England or Scotland had no power to make Ecclestasticall Laws for Religion and Church Government THEREFORE may I blush wherefore what because Mr. Prynne hath put such a sense and interpretation upon the passages in hand of which he knows not it seems what to make but suspects a mistake in it Blush in this respect I confesse I may but what cause have I to blush at my perverting of their meaning when as 1. I do not interpose to put any meaning I mean any particular or speciall meaning upon any of them 2. Why should I blush upon Mr. Prynnes injunction at any meaning which I put upon them when as that very meaning which himself puts upon them by way of confutation and disparagement of that which he pretends to be mine is by himself little lesse then suspected for a mistake The tax of blushing which Mr. Prynne imposeth upon me should in reason be