the Order of Council it is so far from proving that the History of Wickliaffianism was none of his as Mr. Varillas pretends that it proves the contrary very clearly for otherwise how could he have obtained it but by affirming that is was a Book of his and that a Copy of it was stollen from him On what other ground could the Merchant of Lions have been fined for he had obtained the Licence for printing it both of the Kings Advocat and his Attorney according to the Custom which is printed at the end of the Preface signed by them both and it is certain that such a Licence as this was sufficient to secure the Stationer against all prosecution at the Kings sute nor could Mr. Varillas found his complaint upon any other ground but this that he was the Author of the Book since he could not prosecute the Stationer for printing another mans Book There is another reason which Mr. Varillas will not easily answer that shews him to be the Author of all those retracted Passages which is that it is well known that no man in France could be inclined from any consideration of Interest to magnify Iohn Hus or to decry the Council of Constance on the contrary this would have been of very ill Consequence to them and might have brought them into great trouble so that men will be inclined rather to think that at first Mr. Varillas writ his own true sentiments touching Iohn Hus and that Council which afterwards he thought fit to suppress when he saw how much prejudice this might bring him A man is easily believed when he writes against his Interest but if it appears that a man has either a design to raise himself or at least to preserve himself the world is too ill-natured not to suspect all that he can say let him use what terms soever he will when it once appears that these are his motives especially if there is any other occasion given to suspect his sincerity and in a word all his complaints of the Printer of Lions and even the Order of Council and Fine will pass with jealous people but as a Collusion so that after all I do very much apprehend that he greatest part of his Readers will still believe him to be accountable for those suppressed passages whether he will or not chiefly when they consider that there was an effectual means by which Mr. Varillas might have cleared himself of those Imputations of which he has not made any use and that was the refuting by good Evidences all those Additions that were in the Edition of Lions and the disproving them by solid Reasons For it is not enough barely to affirm the contrary especially in this case in which it cannot be denied but that there are still specious enough Reasons to induce us to believe them not withstanding his bare Denial A DEFENCE Of the REFLECTIONS On the Nin'th Book of Mr. Varillas's History of Heresies Being a Reply to his Answer MR. Varillas has given me in his Title-Page all possible grounds to expect foul dealing from him for tho the Titles of Books are too publick to be falsified yet he that will be thought an Original in so many other things it seems resolved to begin with one that is a little extraordinary for common Impostures are below him I had entitled my Book Reflections on his History of Heresies and more particularly on his ninth Book and he gives it a new Title as if it had been a Critick on the two first Tomes of his History of the Revolutions that have hapned in Europe in the matters of Religion This was not a failure of Memory but a studied Imposture for he represents my design as if it had been against his whole Work and upon that he charges me for having singled out only some particulars of which he mentions a few and adds that tho all these were errors his first ten Books would deserve still to be believed since his mistakes were only matters of small consequence and in this there was nothing but that to which any man was subject But when I undertook only to examin his ninth Book if I have discovered that all that relates to England is a contexture of falsehoods then I am sure I have quite overthrown one of his ten Books and by overthrowing that I have very much shaken the credit of all the other nine since the Faults that I charge on him are not only some small mistakes but a series of Impostures and the greatest of all is that he pretends to cite Vouchers which are not in being I will not say that his Errors are more than what any man is subject to but I do not know any man that has ever committed so many Mr. Varillas charges me for writing against him in so barbarous a manner keeping none of the Rules of Decency and to let the World see how little he knows the things which he cites he says that the two most passionate Criticks of any Age Scaliger and Schoppius observed these with great exactness but for him he is resolved to play the part of a Christian and so he will only answer the things in which Truth is concerned without regarding those that relate to himself I kept all the measures that I thought became a Christian with relation to his Person nor have I said one word of him but as he is a Writer I have not sent to Paris to have a series of his life transmitted to me on the contrary when some here had offered me while I writ my Reflections some particulars that were to his prejudice I would not hearken to them for I said I would only examin Mr. Varillas as he was an Author but not as he was a Man or a Christian I confess the confidence with which he asserts so many Impostures gave me a just Indignation against him so that I resolved to ruin his credit as he was an Historian because I saw he deserved it so very ill and made so bad a use of it but if he expects that I measure his being a Christian by this Answer I will have as bad an opinion of him that way as I have of him in the quality of an Historian He says I have cut off and supprest and changed his words that so I might represent them as I thought fit But in that I appeal to the Reader I did not think fit to reprint all he had writ nor will I now reprint his Answer as he has done my Reflections I have indeed desired my Printer to reprint it by it self if he finds his account in it and I think that is sufficient I confess I cannot enough wonder at his printing of mine since it discovers too plainly the defects of his Answer and I am apt to think that his Printer has engaged him to it as a thing that would have a good appearance In this the Printer did wisely for he was sure his Book would go off
A DEFENCE Of The REFLECTIONS On the Ninth Book of the First Volum Of Mr. VARILLAS's History of Heresies Being a REPLY to his ANSWER By G. BURNET D.D. Amsterdam Printed for J. S. 1687. The AUTHOR'S ADVERTISEMENT I Do not think it necessary to write any thing in the way of Preface to so short a Book but since there appeared a long Preface before the French Translation of my Reflections to which Mr. Varillas has made some sort of Answer The same worthy Person having given himself the trouble to translate likewise my Reply thought it necessary to say somewhat in Defence of his former Preface I have translated that into English since it gives a further discovery of Mr. Varillas's sincerity The Translator's PREFACE Put in English I Had accused Mr. Varillas in the Preface which I had set before Dr. Burnet's Reflections that he had in his History of Heresies contradicted several things which he had affirmed some years before that in his History of Wickliaffianism for tho the two first Books of the former are indeed the same work with the latter as to the main parts of them yet several considerable Alterations were observed to be between them many things being left out in the History of Heresies which were in that of Wickliffianism To all this Mr. Varillas answers in a few words and says 1. That the History of Wickliffianism was printed without his knowledg 2. That his Name was not prefixed to it 3. That tho it contained indeed several things that were taken from him yet it contained others that were none of his 4. That he not only never owned that Book for his but that he moved to have it suppressed and that at his Instance an Order of Council was granted for suppressing it and for fining the Printer in 600. Livres From all which he concludes that he is not at all accountable for any thing that is in that Book and that no Inferences ought to be drawn from it to his prejudice It is true that it cannot be proved that Mr. Varillas sold the Copy to Certe the Merchant of Lions but it is certain that he pay'd dear for it and that the Copy that was sold him was very clean writ and that there were some Marginal Notes writ upon it by another hand tho these were not indeed of great Consequence The Stationer was also so much scandalised when he saw that Iohn Hus was represented so advantagiously and that the Council of Constance was so ill spoke of that he intended to have altered the Copy a little but in that he was not left to his Liberty The Book was printed and sold publickly both at Lions and Grenoble for some considerable time and it passed generally for Mr. Varillas's Book both among the Roman Catholicks and the Protestants The more moderate of the Roman Catholicks recommended the Book to the Protestants as an Evidence to convince them that there were Writers in their Church that even in Matters of Consequence durst say the Truth very boldly Nor was it then so much as pretended by any person whatsoever that there were any Passages foisted in which were not of the Authors Writing The Book was not only looked on as writ by Mr. Varillas in the remoter Provinces but even in Paris it self it past for his and this report went so current that Mr. la Rogue spoke of it in his Iournal last year as a thing of which no doubt had been made for he tells us That Mr. Varillas begins his two first Books with the History of Wickliff of John Hus and Jerome of Prague which had already appeared in several Impressions under the Title of the History of Wickliffianism So that it is certain that the Order of Council which Mr. Varillas procured against the Printer of Lions for suppressing that Book made no great noise at Paris otherwise the Author of the Iournal would have heard of it The Preface that was set before the Edition at Lions is indeed writ by one who says that the Author would not give his consent to the printing of the Book and for that reason he does not set his Name before it but he does not say a word of any Additions that are made to it tho he shews himself to be both so zealous for his Religion and so full of esteem for Mr. Varillas that it is not probable that he would have suffered any Additions to be made especially such as those that were marked in the former Preface On the contrary tho he says he will not answer but that there may be some Faults in the Printing yet he affirms that none will be found that contradict the Truth of the History I will not be so malicious as to say that it is probable this Preface was of Mr. Varillas's own composing since it is not likely that there are many besides himself that think so well of him as the Writer of that Preface does and the Artifice of Printing Books by the Authors themselves and yet in the Name of another as if their consent was not obtained is so common that Mr. Varillas may think that he escapes well if he is not charged with fouler and more inexcusable Impostures than this is But it is certain that all those Additions which Mr. Varillas does now reject and writ in the same stile with the rest of the work and no man that is acquainted with his way of writing will think that if he had intended to have said those things which he now disowns he would have expressed himself in other Terms And besides all this he cannot think it is enough to say that there are some things in the History of Wickliffianism that are taken out of his Book since the whole Body of the Work is word for word the same excepting those alterations So that if he would express himself with any sort of sincerity he ought to have said that these two Books weere indeed his But since he does not think fit to own those passages that are now struck out he ought only to have added that some Additions were put into the former Editions without his knowledge instead of setting this matter down so indefinitly as he has done by which he pretends to cover himself and to disavow whatsoever passages are abjected to him as he shall think it convenient for him to do But it is now a little too late for Mr. Varillas to make use of this Excuse and let him say what he will he must at least justify himself for aâ—l that is in his History of Heresies An Ingenious Author has lately shewed him that he has now rendred himself accountable for the former Book even with all the Faults that were in it Let him defend himself as he can but let him not fancy that he will escape a second time by casting the blame of the Faults that are now in this Edition as well as they were in the former over on the Printers or Book-sellers As for
more to be decried for the bare name of the Author will be beyond all that a can be said for their disparagement I confess I cannot imagin what a sort of a man Mr. Coquelin is whose approbation accompanies all Mr. Varillas's late Works for it seems he cannot find another that is so complying and therefore he does not change his man I fancy Mr. Coquelin must be profoundly learned in the Oriental Tongues or in the Mathematicks for these are the studies in the World that are most opposite to that of History therefore I conclude that Mr. Varillas comes to him as to the person in the whole Sorbon that is the most unacquainted with late Transactions and perhaps he finds him resolving some Probleme or reading some Arabick Manuscript and as all men tho addicted to one sort of study yet are willing to be thought universal so no doubt Mr. Coquelin hopes to pass for a good Judge in History by approving Mr. Varillas's Books but he will do better to go on in the course of his other studies in which he may be very Eminent for ought I know but I am sure he is a very ill Judge of the History of the last Age. I shall not take the pains to examin all that recital that Mr. Varillas makes of the Pensions that have been offered to him and that have been refused by him I will believe them all for once and this is a great matter for me to do since he himself is the only Author of this piece of his own History for his Credit is not very authentical with me but all that can be made out of this is that he had once gained some Reputation as a man that had discovered many Secrets and that had penetrated into many Intrigues all which he has made a shift now to lose for as long as he went about the Ruelles of Paris those things might perhaps pass with less exact Judges but now that he will carry his Visions further he is not like to be solicited on all hands by the offers of Pensions any more so he must now try to keep up the value of his Books for the sale of them being perhaps the only revenue that is left him he must maintain their credit better than he has done otherwise both they and he will sink in their price It is not the Dedicating his Books to a great Monarch that will support their Reputation It seems he fancies that those poor Flateries that he has offered up at that Altar give him such a pretension to a protection from thence that he may boldly invite that Prince to be a Witness to this Dispute of his with me not considering how much it is below the Sublimity of such a Monarch to be appealed to on so mean an occasion It is a forgetting the respect due to crowned Heads to run to them with every trifle but Mr. Varillas will needs engage the King in the Quarrel and represent himself as his Champion not doubting but that this his Zeal for his Glory will receive some Eminent Reward yet if the reward is proportioned to the service that is done it will not go far and as it seems the Iesuites have desired Mr. Varillas not to meddle with the concerns of their Order for they are too good Judges not to know that the services of so decried an Author are Injuries rather than Favours so it is not to be doubted but those two Eminentmen who have consecrated their pens to their Princes Honour will be moved with a just Indignation when they see how poorly it is defended by Mr. Varillas and that they will procure an Order prohibiting him to medle with Subjects that are so far above him But it is very likely that this precaution will be needless and that he will quickly bring himself as low in the esteem of the World as it seems he is high in his own For not contended to tell the World that he rises above the Vulgar and that he has studied to imitate the Antients leaving as in a Region below him such poor Writers as I am to be reckoned among the Historians of the lower form as if all this were too little he will carry his own Commendations further and since this ingrateful Age does not pay him the esteem it owes him he will make all that up in a most superlative value that he puts on himself He is not satisfied to compare himself to Tacitus but thinks the Characters that he gives are even Superiour to those of Tacitus I will not disturb him in the peaceable possession of those good thoughts that he has of his own productions in which I believe he has few rivals but as for that small disposition that I once had to think well of them with which he reproaches me sometimes he has so fully convinced me of my mistake that he has quite cured me of it I had softned a severe censure I put on his works by saying that his writings wanted none of the beauties of History but that of truth where the Incense that I gave in the former part of the Period was intended to carry some mitigation to the sharpness of the latter part of it but as one that is extreamly in love with himself misrepresents even the reproofs given him as if they had been praises so he turns this as if I had said that he wanted none of the qualities of a good Historian without adding any expression of that of truth yet because I confess my words gave some occasion to this mistake and since I would not be willingly guilty of any thing that may encrease his distemper I do now acknowledg that I writ these words too carelesly and that I shewed more good breeding than exactness in them But to let him see how apt I am to confess my Faults and to retract them I do acknowledg that he has so fully convinced me of my error that I am now like to fall into the other extream and to allow him none of the beauties of History unless it be a smooth way of telling his dreams for there is as little judgment as there is truth in what he writes I hope he is now satisfied with my sincerity in this confession and to shew him how sensible I am of my former error I shall take great care in all time coming not to commend him beyond what I think is due to him and then I am sure I shall be very sparing and will praise his works as little as those learned men at Paris do who begin now to speak out to the world that which they said to me in discourse while I had the honour to see them Mr. Hosier's Letter is no great sign of his admiring Mr. Varillas as much as it seems he himself does and tho I do not think fit to name the persons that gave me those ill impressions of his works for which he reproaches me yet I do not doubt but