An ANSWER to a Letter to Dr. Burnet, occasioned by his Letter to Mr. Lowth.  
SIR,  
I Thought you had some remnants of Shame and Sense left with you, and that a Correction you met with some Years ago, had brought you a little into order; but, as was then observed, Nature is Nature still, and will return and have the better, where neither Religion, Virtue, nor good Manners, have force enough to restrain a petulant and insolent Temper.  
You intent to support a Forgery, of which I have reason to suppose you the Parent, as well as you are now the Nurse to it, and therefore you are tender of your own Brat, but with what success I can even make you yourself the Judge; and if you knew the opinion that I have of your sincerity, you would believe this was a great evidence of my being very well assured that I am in the right. But some Men have got a trick of facing all things down with Noise and Impudence▪ and imagine that blustering and foul Language will carry all before it.  
In short, for no Man can take pleasure to take a Kennel long, you discharge a whole Sheet full of Slime and Choler at me, for asserting that I had omitted no part of that Manuscript of Cranmers▪ and that I had particularly printed that for the omission of which Mr. Lowth has accused me, whereas you tell me that I have only printed the Subscription of T. Cantuarien, to an Assertion concerning Extreme Unction, and that I have not added it to the Assertions concerning Church Power. Now how any Man that had his sense about him, and thought that I would call him to an account of it, could venture on so gross a piece of falsehood and folly both, I cannot easily imagine; so that really I am inclined to think, the last New Moon, or the New Wine, have their shares in it.  
In the beginning of those Papers, Pag. 201. line 6. where I set down their Title, I tell, That as they are taken from the Originals, under the Hands of those Bishops and Divines, so I add, That in copying them, I judged it might be more acceptable to the Reader to see every Man's Answer set down after every Question, and therefore they are published in that Method. Thus instead of setting every Paper entirely by itself, I set every Man's Answer under every Question; to which I was advised, as being the easier method to give a view of their Thoughts of every particular altogether. And Pag. 242. when I come to the last Question, I set this down on the Margin, over against Cranmers Subscription; These are the Subscriptions which are at the end of every Man's Paper. After all this, no man but you, could have been so forsaken of common Sense and Honesty, as to pretend that the Subscription to which I refer, was only to the last Article concerning Extreme Unction, and not to the whole Paper; and by this same art of Reasoning, you may pretend that your Subscription belongs only to the last line of your Letter.  
I do assure you I do not admire your Understanding so much, as I perceive you do yourself; yet I did not think it was so sunk, for this is such childish and gross Ignorance, that your Friends had best enter a Caveat, lest you be begged for it. But I am afraid your Morals are more in fault here than your Intellectuals. You thought somewhat must be said for supporting your Friend, and so took hold of any thing could furnish out a Letter.  
And now for the Flourish and Garniture of your Letter, it is so like the Author, that none who have given themselves the trouble to read any of his Books, can miss him. The Character is indelible, and sticks as close as if he were stigmatised with it. I will let it all go, for I am not practised to search among Excrements, only one remarkable Line in it deserves some Observation. You sprinkle a little Civility, p 2. l. 13. and call my History, the only good thing I ever wrote, that could recommend me to the kind Opinion of Honest Men, that know the difference between English and Scotch. This lewd Reflection on a whole Nation, as it shows the clownishness of your Temper, for all your pretence to Courtliness, so it shows your contempt of the King and the whole Royal Family, and of that blessed Martyr himself, that was born in that Kingdom, notwithstanding all your Affectations, and writing of Addresses in the Name of the Primitive Church.  
But thus it is, That because in the last disposal of Bishoprics, the Secretary to the Primitive Church was forgotten, he who but a Year ago set his Majesty above Christ himself, and taxed the Expression of praying for the King as Supreme under Christ, as crude, not to call it profane, is now so disgusted, that he says, Honest Men (and to be sure he ranks himself in that number, though he is singular in that too) know the difference between English and Scotch. And thus while you fall on me, you secretly discover what lies at your Heart ever since the last Disappointment. But now that you have so wisely taken a whole Nation to task, it seems you intent to have all the Characters of the Rehearsal Transprosed to you; and that you are not contented with being Bays, but you will be Draw-can-sir too. I wish you a better mind, and am,  
Yours, etc.  
I have now justified my sincerity in my History; and that being established, I will think myself little concerned in all the Billingsgate Language that you or any else can throw out upon me. I would not have said so much, if there were not some Occasions in which it is necessary to answer a Fool according to his Folly, as well as there are others in which it is as necessary not to answer him according to his Folly: And as I have brought myself, not without some uneasiness, to treat you as you deserve, so it will be much easier for me, to despise all you can say, and to be silent hereafter.  
FINIS.   

LONDON: Printed for Richard Baldwin, in the Old-Baily Corner on Ludgate-Hill. 1685.