Hieragonisticon: OR, CORAH'S DOOM, BEING AN ANSWER To Two Letters of Enquiry into the Grounds and Occasions of the Contempt of the Clergy and Religion.  
In Vindication of the Contemned.  
By way of Epistle to the Author of the said Enquiry.  Contra Rationem, nemo sobrius; contra Scripturam, nemo Christianus; contra Ecclesiam, nemo pacificus. 
London, Printed by Tho. Milbourn, for Dorman Newman at the Kings-Armes in the Poultry, 1672.   

An Answer to two Letters of Enquiry into the Grounds and Occasions of the Contempt of the Clergy and Religion, in Vindication of the Contemned: By way of Epistle, etc.  
SIR,  
THe Reformed Religion and Clergy (England's Glory) being by you betrayed to Contempt, under pretence of an amicable Enquiry into the Grounds and Occasions of it; (which I here offer to make good) I cannot conceive, how I may better manage my vouched Vindication of both, then,  
1. By Vnriddling the mystery of your Inquest to the Laity; and  
2. By answering to your Process formed in it, against Religion and Clergy.  
This therefore is the method which I will observe in the present Contest, which, had I reckoned it— Certamen de Oleastro, a debate about matters of no greater consequence, than are, Achilles' Toes, the Graecian's Boots, or Neapolitan Chestnuts, etc. I had never, I assure you, contrasted you in, to your, the worlds, or my own trouble.  

As touching the First General, viz. the Vnriddling of the Mystery, and detecting of the stratagem, project, and imposture of your Inquisition; and that in order to the prepossessing and guarding of the Laity against it:  
This, Sir, I will endeavour by way of distinct gradual paragraphs, commenced, not (a Nannaco) from Adam, or the Praeadamites; nor yet from your great Mormo Belshazzar; but from the very Genealogy of the Christian Religion, by you impeached; thence proceeding ab Equis ad Asinos, till in fine, Sphinx do upon the matter become his own Oedipus; and your Riddle (whether one in the Mystery of Iniquity, or not, the Reader shall be Judge) as legible, as that plain truth, as great a one as any that occurrs throughout your whole Rhapsody, namely, 
Let. 2. pag. 10  that there is a near relation between Atheism, and Contempt of the Clergy, wherein, let me tell you, you have in a manner prophesied your own doom, as Caiaphas did our Saviour's, unawares.  

First then, Sir,  
The Christian Faith, or Religion, is, That which God the Father, (the original Author of Truth as well as Being) hath delivered to his Son; his Son, to his Apostles; his Apostles, to his Church; the primitive, to succeeding Churches; and all, to their respective Members and Matriculates: This is a prescript of the learnedst Apologist, and Defender of the Faith, that ever the Church enjoyed; namely, the great Tertullian; and with me, a grand piece of Orthodoxy.   

Again Sir,  
This Religion thus conveyed from God the Father, by his Son, to his Apostles, and by the intermediation of both, to his Church; hath been in all the successive Ages thereof, from the Apostles downwards. to this present time; and will be to the end of the world, published, preached, and propagated, by a constituted Hierarchy, or continual Series of persons of holy Order and Office, duly authorized and qualified thereunto; styled the Lights of the World, the Stewards of Divine Mysteries, the Ambassadors of Christ, the Pastors, Teachers, Guides, Angels, and Overseers of the Church: For this, Sir, besides its congruity to the principles of general Equity, I would produce Scripture-Arguments, but that I fear lest they might share in the common lot of sacred Promises, Precepts, Narratives, etc. by your overdaring Wit facetiously abused.— sacra sacris! Hence Sir it follows,   

Thirdly,  
There cannot be a more compendious method or stratagem devised, for propagating of any sinister innovation or revolution, Pagan or Papal, in matter of Religion; and the most Atheistick, Idolatrous, lose licentious principles and practices whatsoever, even to an universal re-paganizing of a Nation; than either by utterly subverting of an Orthodox Clergy therein, or else by rendering it useless and unserviceable: For if either the Persons of those Sacred Stewards, Teachers, Guides, and Supervisers, be removed; or (which is all one as to use and serviceableness in the Church) their authority rebated and infringed; those Lights, either quite exstinct, or at leastwise eclipsed; those sacred Pipes cut or stopped, etc. what other can the sequel be, then gross Ignorance? And what may not be obtruded upon an Ignorant Laity, of all that the arbitrary Laws and lusts of their new Masters, (to whose service and blind obedience they are now most humbly envassaled) shall impose? their swallow being sufficiently prepared by this time, not for their Gnats only (Tush● (that's ordinary with the blind to a proverb) but for their Camel!— the Beast himself! for a nauseous deadly Crambe! a blasted Nehushtan! for Stocks, Stones, Idols, Images, and what you will, even to— an unknown God which undoubtedly is the reason why Satan & his Accomplices, have in most of the Catastrophes that have befallen the Church, still commenced the tragedy from the Ministry, (witness both history and experience) addressing all their power and policy, to an utter, either extirpation, or exauctoration of the same. This, Sir, I have likewise adopted, into my Creed, as following consequentially from the former.   

Fourthly,  
The most artificial and expedite way, either to destroy the Clergy, or (which is much the same) to render it useless and unserviceable to the Church; as this is, to destroy Religion; is to expose and betray it, to misprision and Contempt in the Laity. This, Sir, I take to be as high a strain of Politics, as ever Socinian, Loyolite, or Jesuited Pander throughout the world could write himself master of; and indeed, a very sacra anchora in the Romish Sea; for all other artifices failing, Enchantments, Arguments, Anathemaes, Menaces, Massacres, Altar-Coals; the Learned Quill, the Charming Cup, the sacred Key, the thirsty Sword, etc. inter sacrum & saxum— Ahab's prejudice will do the business: The Jesuite's Powder-Plot, An. Dom. 88 was a shrewd stratagem, as being leveled at the Community, in Ruler and Representative (where each unite stands for thousands) universally devoted to a tout a coup, such an epitomised stroke upon the English, as the enraged Caligula imprecated to his offending Romans, without the trouble of a repetition: But now those Ghostly Politicians are taught by experience, that sacred erterprises never luck more prosperously, then when managed surdo verbere; and that the Serpent is far more serviceable in the cause, than the Dragon; as acting with less noise, & greater execution: Once throughly leaven an ungovernable Laity with contempt, and prejudice against their Clergy, and what the consequents hereof might prove, may be perceived without a prospective-glass; this active ferment will doubtless by degrees foment the whole mass of Blood and Spirit, with which it once incorporates, to an utter rejection of that, which it ought (if called for) to be expended in defence of; and thus the contemner, poor wretch! (which is the very accent of his misery) will prove felo de se, a self-aggressor, like Chorah— Clergy-contempt in the Laity, being like to that granum thuris in chalice vini, amongst the Jews, an intoxicating Cup propined at the very instant of execution, to the end that the Malefactor might be the less sensible of his fatal exit: the Application is easy. This paragraph, Sir, I do likewise hold for Canonical.   

Fifthly,  
All designs of innovation and imposture whatsoever, in Church or state, are most effectually both insinuated & propagated under some specious pretence and colour of vouched friendship, to that very interest which is by the Projector or Impostor predestinated to ruin; as enquiry into grievances or enormities, Civil or Ecclesiastic, under colour of redress, as ignorance (for instance) or poverty in the Clergy; and contempt hereupon conceived in the Laity; or the like: The most notorious Triumvirate that were ever Coactors in the same bloody Tragedy, are known to have successively prologued their respective parts and interludes, with some specious Salute; Herod, his cruelty, with a free-will-offer of worship; as if he meant that his devotion should hollow his design: Judas, his treachery, with a hail Master; accosting our Saviour with a Kiss, whilst he betrayed him to the spear: Pilate, his injustice, with an innocent ceremony; the foulest of facts, with clean washen hands. And thus Sir, the Trade began, which hath been ever since indefatigably prosecuted, and that to a marvellous improvement in your modern Church-sophies', as though co-inspired from the same Tripus with their Predecessors: an Ephod, and a Teraphim! the Devil in Samuel's Mantle! an Angel of light! the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing! a Herodian Votary! an Atheist or Loyolite incognito! Ghostly Mascaradoes! Our Saviour in his Interest, Truth, Clergy, etc. (as formerly in his Person,) re-betrayed with a Kiss! all those are matters a la mode in this Generation, as if it were a kin to the Sileni, a most complaisant sort of People; who (as I have read) kill, as Courtiers greet, with hugs and embraces: And to give the Devil his due, of all persons in the World, none such absolute masters of this saculty, as the Pope's Creatures, Romish Agents, Emissaries, Seminaries, Panders, Proctors, Parasites, Minions, and mercenary Hackneys; the Wisdom of that holy Court having observed, an unsafe exposal of their other methods to Letts, or Laws, which this innocent indiscernible one is free from: and what their language in reference to the case in hand may be, is easily conjecturable;— If ever we compass our grand propagating design, amongst the English; and in order thereunto, that of fomenting popular contempt and prejudices against their Clergy, it must necessarily be managed with all the fair friendlike, smooth, plausible pretences, cajolling insinuations, and dextrous compliances imaginable; they being a People whom of all others, we may sooner humble-Servant, than alarm to our side; be it therefore by all means resolved, that we appear their seeming friends, till we render them their own Real Enemies, in plucking out their own Eyes, and pulling down of the house upon themselves, though to the eternal ruin of the whole. And, Sir, amongst those, (which I suppose you are not ignorant of) the deztrous Praevaricator and Aequivocator, is still esteemed the lucrous Python, and Demetrius; by means of those all-saving shifts of mental reserves and Equivocations, and through an ambidextrous managery thereof, an officious slandering, maligning, and traducing, not of a foreign, but even of their own Religion; yea, renouncing, impugning, nay, abjuring of it (possibly by authority from St. Peter's— I know not the Man, etc.) all authenticated by that Canon which makes the end to specify the means; that is, to justify the most horrid and execrable, provided they may but (as the gainful Damsel, to her Master) obstetricate to the interests of the sacred Corban; all which, I would make out here, but that I am confined to a few sheets: I am sure my narrative is truth, however matter of fact be apocryphal; as also the next ensuing: And now— in te convertitur ferrum, O Rutili.   

Sixthly and lastly, to make gradual application of the whole,  
Such a Pagan-Papal project and design, Sir, as is above specified, namely, of propagating and promoting in England, atheism, Libertinism, Profaneness, and lose licentious principles and practices; seems to be couched and carried on, in and by your Letters of Enquiry, etc. Sir, Paganism and Papism in matter of imposture and design, I confound, as being coincident in unitertio: what more ordinary with Romish Seminaries, then to deal by their Proselytes, as their Father-Tempter did (in his very last assault) by our Saviour? namely, to carry them from the Temple, to the Mountain? expecting that worshipful compliance in the latter, which they know, they cannot hope for in the former: an immediate remove from any bewedded persuasion, were matter of invincible difficulty, Nullus fit transitus ab extremo ad extremum, nisi per intermedium; therefore they first alienate from a true Church, before they once offer to matriculate into their own; first Re-paganize, and then Re-baptize with Holy-Water; person or people being never so well prepared to swallow their Camel, as when first resolved into their materia prima of pure naturals; the pre-atheized Popeling ever proving the most Votive Vassal of the Triple Crown: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, then, your fundamental Axe, Sir, seems to be laid to the very root, with a raze it— even to the foundation, both ministerial (the Clergy) and scriptural, (Religion) and in both, the personal (the Messiah) and in all God himself! and could you string the Rainbow, and dispatch out of it, the most virulent arrow that ever Satan fledged, through all the sub-sphears into the Empyrean itself, what could you do more? Again, This design, Sir, you advance and promote by exposing the Clergy and Religion to popular contempt; the very ready way I confess! there being a near relation (by your own tongue-trip-testimony) between atheism and contempt of the Clergy; this you endeavour; first, by representing the Clergy, to the Laity, as the most insignificant, ridiculous, despicable order of all the Sons of the first Adam, or Pretenders to the second; defaming, vilifying, reproaching, maligning, traducing, slandering, deriding, mocking and flouting of them— ex cathedra, from off the seat of the scornful, alias, that of the Beast: Secondly, by turning Divinity into drollery (the peccant humour of the times) as if you (and a Duumvirate more, whom I could name, for— res ad triarios) meant, since you can nor charm, nor awe, dispute, nor live it down, to evaporate it in a scoff! making amends to lame polemics, with smart Ironicks, scornful invectives, facetious sarcasmes and satyricisme (Ishmael's Sword, That of the Spirit failing you) the cardinal points of your mock- Religion; insomuch, that it hath been said (by some in my hearing) that such a man alone, (meaning the Author of the Contempt, etc.) was able to Jeer all Religion quite out of the World; (to your commendation Sir!) and of what influence such Wildfire as this is, may have upon a pre-disposed Laity (which is you know titio ad ignem) is of easy conjecture: Lastly, Sir, This contempt of the Clergy and Religion, you stily insinuate into, and foment in the Laity, under colour and pretence of a friendly Enquiry into the grounds and occasions of it; giving the world (till better acquainted with you) to hope, that you mean no other (God knows your heart, not you) then as a fast-friend to both parties, to redress the same, if Just, in the Clergy; or if , in the Laity; whereas on the contrary, Sir, to the common damage of both, having prefaced your Inquisition, as Pilate did his, with washen hands, you have joined issues with him in the sequel; of Inquisitor, turning Accuser of the brethren; as if in coining of your facetious Religion, you had been prompted and inspired, by that Gentleman 's Ghost; like as the Trent-Councel was in theirs, by the Pope's ('tis a known story) posted thither from Rome in a Cloak-Bagg; or as (a signior Impostor) Mahomet was in his, by his Hellish Monk.  
I deny not, Sir, but that there are scattered here and there throughout your Letters, several cunning retrieves and healing Expressions, (like, you know whose, as it were's, and as I may say foes) which some Myops that cannot see beyond the Channel, may happily reckon salve sufficient in the case; but latet anguis, should your asseverations countervail a peremptory flat remonstrance in terminis, against Pope and Popery, and that accented with all the high rhetorical (alias Hectorical) amplifications of oathing, swearing, and cursing, that— you know not the Beast; all this is no more Signior, (which I hope your Reader will make a right use of) than what the most devout Popeling that ever trudged on bare Ten-toes to kiss his Paw, is pro re nata, (especially when the grand propagating work is concerned) tolerated, authorised, yea obliged to do; and yet by a certain mysterious kind of antiperistasis remain good Catholic still; such an universal help at maw, is that canonical salvo of Equivocation and mental reserves; all Justifyable by that odd maxim in the Civil Law, adopted into their Canon for fundamental,— authoritas Majorum in illicitis excusat, of which I'll palate our Reader with one little gusto for all, in the business of Confession, and that from an ingenuous Papist himself; (Catalina, Cethegum!) namely, the Learned Divinity-Reader in Salmantica, Francisco a Victoria, whose words are these in the name of all the Romish Doctors, (I would quote, book and page, but that it is out of fashion) Sed quid faciet Confessor, cum interrogatur de peccato, etc. What shall a Confessor do (saith he) if he be asked of a sin that he hath heard in confession? may he say, that he knows not of it? I answer, according to all our Doctors, that he may: But what if he be compelled to swear? I say that he may and aught to swear, that he knows it not, in that it is understood, that he knows it not besides confession; and so he swears true: But suppose, that the Judge or Prelate, shall maliciously require of him upon his oath, whether he know it in confession, or no? I answer that a man thus urged, may still swear that he knows it not in confession; in that it is understood, that he knows it not to reveal it, or so as that he may tell. And thus much of their matter of confession, and that in another's concern too; test and taste sufficient of what we may make of them in their other methods and mysteries; the impartial be Judge: so then, should I hear confess you, Sir, Lupum auribus! I see what I must trust to; till such time as the Heavens bless us with a witty Convict, tuning the Instrument ad canendam palinodiam; that is plainly, Sir, till you exchange your seat of the scornful, for a stool of repentance; and give the world as public testimony and assurance, of your awful respects, honour and veneration for both Clergy and Religion for the future, as you have already, of Contempt.    

And what if I suppose, Sir, (what I will not yield) that you had no formal intent, or the least design in the world to betray either Clergy and Religion to Contempt, on the one side; or the Laity to Atheism, Popery, or the like, on the other? and that all the mischief and execution committed or committible by either edge of Ishonael's sword, were mere chance-medley; finis openis, non operantis; yet this being the immediate, direct, concurrent tendency of both your Letters, as may appear from the general fram, scope, series, tenor and contexure of the whole (for your speech bewrayeth you Signior) yourself, the world, yea very Nature may Justify the Church of England, in guarding and securing herself, both in her Clergy and Laity, (and in both, her endeared Religion) against the pernicious influences and growing mischiefs of your Pestilent Rhapsody (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) namely, those two near correlates (by your own confession) the contempt of the one; and atheism, etc. in the other; and what dismal train those may carry with them, ut Caecias, nubes; as also in animadverting upon you as no better, then Heathen or Heretic, without, (what as your friend I advise you at your first return from Devonshire) a public recantation.  
And thus, Sir, I have made the way to my text (as your contemned Clergy use to do by theirs,) as smooth and plain as any thing, with a Preface, (as you may remember) not from Adam, but from Alpha, the Ancient of days himself, though my business in part (your doom) lie at the farther end, (almost the very last verses) of all the Bible; so that it now remains, that I turn allegata into probata, and make good what I have here charged your Letters withal; that I may not seem to speak without-book.   

The first thing then that offers itself in your Letters, Sir, is the very theme and title thereof, viz. The Grounds and Occasions of the Contempt of the Clergy and Religion enquired into: Being then that Religion and Clergy (an individual Conjugate in themselves, as well as in your Epistles) is the subject-matter of your Inquest; being that a previous contempt of both de facto is by you (but too truly) supposed; and the redress hereof the futuro by you pretended; It will necessarily follow, that if instead of redressing of this contempt, either by removing (to your power) the grounds and occasions of it, if Just and deserved, in the Clergy; or by removing it, if unjust and undeserved, in the Laity; your Letters administer false and unrighteous grounds and occasions of additional contempt, etc. If so (I say); it will necessarily follow, that the project and design of your Enquiry can be nothing less, nothing else, then that of propagating Atheism, etc. in the Laity, by means of a confirmed unjust Contempt of their Clergy, (between which, there is such a near relation, by your own confession) and that (else your politics were as faulty as your cause) under the disguise of a friendly pretence: It is a grand maxim in Law (but only with a Civilian) non defendere videtur qui latitat; very silence or non-appearance for the accused &c. much more publication without vindication (as in the present case) is an implicit charge; so that the very negative, your non-vindicating of Religion and Clergy from that Contempt which you both (too truly) presuppose, and divulge, is an indirect proscription and exposal of both, to a further degree and confirmation of it; your Inquisition, interpretative (though there were no express) accusation! and hence, according to this rule, the properest paraphrase upon your Text (and I dare say, most congruous to the original) must be this:— The Grounds and Occasions of the Contempt and Contemptibility both of the Clergy (Person and Function) and of Religion, under Colour of Friendly Enquiry into the same, and pretence of Redress of the present G●●tempt, but with a real intent of fomenting and propagating a further and firmer Prejudice, and (what hath a near relation thereunto) Atheism, etc. alleged or administered, and in perpetuam rei memoriam published to the world, by Oath, ex officio, etc. And now— ex ungue Leonem!  
But Sir (to subsume a fortiori) in stead of Vindication of Religion and Clergy, or the pretended redress of popular contempt of both (by you both supposed and divulged) you have exposed and betrayed both, to, (what you have foully bewrayed in yourself), accumulative prejudice, and a confirmed contempt; and in order to the more effectual propagation hereof, and your Atheistick, Antichristian design herein, in a a most defamatory, reproachful and blasphemous manner traduced and abused the doctrinal foundation of both, viz. the Holy Scriptures, to the infringing and subverting (what you can) the sacred authority (and consequently, the necessity and utility) of the same, and therein the Christian Faith founded thereupon; for which you must be accountable.  
As touching your first and chief assault, Sir, This being made (as is said) upon the doctrinal foundation of both Religion and Clergy, the Holy Scriptures, and in them the personal, God and his Christ, or rather this complex, God in Christ (if those phrases may not be offensive to you) and thus at once, antiscriptural, antichristian, atheistical; I Judge it necessary that I first by way of defence, prepossess the Reader against it; and then for conviction, in a few instances amongst many, a little exemplify it.  
As for the former, I cannot better prepossess the Reader, nor counter-work you, then by asserting from the very principles of Reason (the only significant topic in this case) the authority by you debased and disparaged, namely, That of the Holy Scriptures, which I will briefly perform in these few ensuing paragraphs, wherein I consult not so much his judgement, as his memory; the reality, as the rationality of his Faith; as being rather prompter hereof, then founder; hoping that I have not herein to do with more Atheists, than one; nor fearing in defence of such a rational interest, to encounter them all.   

First then, Sir,  
That there is an One only true and living God; that to this God, is due from the Creature, all possible worship and service; that upon the right performance of this worship, depends all true and certain happiness;;; are all truths demonstrable from principles of common Reason; (else I am willing to take shame for my assertion) viz. That of a true Deity, partly from natural Conscience, as being in its latitude, both Conservatory of common connate notions and principles (of which, that of a Deity, divine worship, and concomitant Reward, are the chief) the very Light and Law of nature; and also witness and judge, by way of domestic process in matters of fact vicious or virtuous, accusing or excusing according to the tenor of that Law; hence called by Gregory Nazianzen, the Souls-paedagogess (which would you become tractable disciple to, I should not yet despair of you, for none such ever died Atheist or Infidel) and by Basile the Great, a natural Judicatory, most certainly authorised from a supreme Law, and Lawgiver, who can be no other than the true God, whose authentic and righteous Will is therein exemplified: Partly again, by rational collection, or conclusion of one absolute first Cause and Principle from obvious effects; that being the production of the Creatures, can neither be infinite, that is, of one by another, the present by a former, those again by a former, and so still on, (far beyond Adam, and the Praeadamites) even in infinitum, by way of a direct unbounded procession: nor yet Circular; that is, of a second, by a first; a third, by a second; another, by that; and so round to the first again, producing and reproducing each other, by way of continual circulation; (both those ways being palpably inconsistent, absurd, and irrational) it must of necessity be Original, proceeding from one only universal, supreme, absolute, and independent Being, the Original Author of all things, which is no other than Jehovah, the only true God. Deny this, Sir, and unman your self.  
Again, that of Religious Worship, is evicted from the former; the very same principle convincing of the truth of a Godhead, and of Religious Worship due from Man, as natural Tribute and Homage to this God, as being not only a superexcellent nature in Himself; but absolute, & sovereign Proprietary in, & Benefactor to his Creature, more especially Man, his usufructuary for life and being: Himself independent upon any thing; all things necessary dependants upon him! Insomuch, that there was never person or people in the world, who did not always Join with their sense and conscience of a Deity, Religious and devotional acknowledgements; witness sacred Rituals, Temples, Altars, Sacrifices, Festivals, etc. amongst the most Barbarous of Nations; and thus it is observable, that the Gentiles are not taxed by their Doctor in his Letter to the Old Romans, with a total neglect of Worship, but with defect in the manner of it; as being unsuitable and incongruous to the Divine Nature and Will. Lastly, that of a certain Reward and Happiness attending upon the due performance of this Worship, (as opposite misery upon the neglect of it) is no less congruous to the Principles of Natural Reason, than either of the former; as being convincingly manifest, partly from the infinite goodness and righteousness of God, being equally disposed to reward Virtue, and punish Vice; partly from the intrinseck Equity and Justice of the thing itself.   

In fine then, Sir,  
The truth of a Godhead, Religious Worship due to this God; true Happiness and Reward depending upon this Worship, are all Articles of a very Heathen's Creed, as well as of that of a Christian; as being the dictates of Nature, as well as of Scripture; (Read by the Light of Sun, Moon, and Stars;) common principles of Reason, as well as Articles of Faith; perspicuous to the World in general, in common with that impropriated part of it, the Church; and therefore in the business of Religion, supposed as general Preliminaries, and (as it is in all other Arts and Sciences) confessed Principles; for he that cometh unto God, (as Candidate in this Sacred Profession) must believe that God is, and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him: A Godhead! Religion! Concomitant Reward and Happiness! Common-Creed! wherein all Heathens, and Pagans, Jews, Mahometans, etc. (whose several Testimonies I must not here insert) as well as Christians, universally throughout the world, are Joint Confessors, save here and there a Protagoras, Diagoras, Lucian, the Author of the Contempt of the Clergy, etc. and such like Desperadoes, who yet never durst, out of a Fever, expressly deny any of all the Three, a GOD, his WORSHIP, or a FUTURE STATE: or suppose they live the Pope's Life, questioning what they dare not, cannot deny; (Clement the Seventh is the Man I mean) his Three Dying-Resolves, will be their certain, though too late Conviction, viz. Whether there be a God? Whether the Soul be Immortal? Whether there be a Heaven and Hell?   

Again, Sir,  
That in order to the due knowledge of this God, the right and acceptable performance of this worship, and the discovery and attainment of this happiness, a special Revelation of the Divine Mind & Will, and Rule of Faith & Life, is to the creature absolutely necessary; that a scriptural Rule and Revelation, is most convenient; and that to afford the creature such a Rule is most congruous to the sacred nature & honour of God;;; are all rational truths aswell as the former: For, Sir, as touching the necessity of such a Rule and Revelation; although a person might by the conduct of the Light and Law of Nature, emproved by the accessary help of the works of Nature, discover and learn, That there is a God, yea, and in some degree, what He is both in his negative Attributes, independency, infinity, immutability, etc. and in his affirmative-goodness, wisdom, power, etc. yea, and those in their very eminencies,— omnisciency, omnipotency, etc. and the like, as the necessary and essential properties of the first Cause: Likewise, that there is religious worship due to this God; yea, and that he ought to be worshipped, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in a way and manner most acceptable to himself: Lastly, that reward and happiness attends and depends upon that Worship; yea and in some respect, what objective happiness & chief good is, viz. God himself, (qui omnis beatitudinis, fastigium, meta, finis, as said the Divine Plato, like as his Master Socrates, the former) the very sum, adequate measure and boundary of all real blessedness: yet notwithstanding all this; What Unity of Essence in Trinity of Persons is; One, in Three, without division! Three, in One, without confusion! God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, all one individual Spirit; the proper object of divine Worship: What the right and acceptable manner of performing that Worship: Wherein that true formal happiness consists, which attends thereupon; and by what means, attainble, etc. Those, Sir, believe it, are not at all discoverable by that common Light, by reason of that infinite disproportion which is between such a defective medium and the object; and hence, in the Academy, the Lyceum, the Stoa, and other Athenian Phrontisteries, would have found no more credit, than the doctrine usually preached for a hundred year's last passed in the Church of England hath in your books— Follies! 
Lett. 1. pag. 59  else what meant the Heathenish polytheisme, and great Armado of mock-Deities (alias Mortals bewrayed by the Tombs they had, aswell as Temples) thirty thousand strong! as it is in Hesiod's musterroll copied by St. Augustine; of whom three thousand amongst the very Grecians as it is in Homer's (whose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, if with you as Canonical, as belike his Iliads and Odysseys are, than we know at once, what is your Creed, your Bible, and Practice of Piety) six thousand amongst the Romans, as it is in Varro's, more Gods than there are of Contemned Clergy all England over; what meant their monstrous Idolatries? their two hundred eighty eight Beatitudes (recounted by the learned Roman now mentioned)? and such like stuff (of which to speak with the Father, me piget quod illos non puduit) and that not amongst the ruder Plebeians only, but even persons of more defecated intellectuals, their polished Sophies, Ingeniosoes, Vertuosoes, and the most refined of all Nations and professions; the Egyptian Priests, the Persian Magis, the wisest Grecian Philosophers, Stoics, Peripatetics, Platonics, etc. the most inquisitive Roman Naturalists, the Grecian and Roman both Orators and Poets, even the very Princes in either Faculty; Demosthenes and Tully in the one, and in the other (which your Reader may chance to wonder at) Protestant-Homer, 
Let. 2. pag. 43 45, 46.  and (which is yet stranger) Virgil thee (undoubted) Nonconformist, had he but held out to Bartholomew the Famous; the only persons of either Persuasion, I assure you, that I ever read or dreamed of, to have come from Rome or Athens: What (I say) can the Pagan Mock-deities, Idolatries, and imaginary Beatitudes in the very judgement of the most strenuous Advocates of pure Naturals, portend other, than an utter Insufficiency of natural light, for the ends and purposes above specified; namely, the administering of the due Knowledge of the True God, True Worship, and True Happiness? Therefore a New Light, or supernatural Rule and Revelation, is absolutely necessary: Again, Sir, the expediency of a scriptural or written Rule, may appear from a threefold danger and inconveniency which an unwritten one is liable to; namely, that of oblivion and forgetfulness; that of depravation and corruption, by unjust additions, detractions, falsifications, and forgery; and lastly, that of utter destruction and suppression; the first, through the treachery of Humane memory; the two last, through the implacable enmity of Satan, and his Accomplices against God, his Truth and Church: From all which, a written Rule and Revelation is more secure, as being a public Record and Repertory, whereunto recourse may be had upon all occasions, as well for relief to Memory, as for trial, or redress of questioned and impeached Truth; hence called by St. Peter, a surer word of Prophecy, than Vocal or Unwritten; to wit, not by a certainty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of veracity, for all Divine Revelation is equally sure in this sense, because equally true, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of security, upon the accounts mentioned: True it is, God was pleased to instruct his Church for the first Two thousand years, and upwards, only viva voce, by a vocal Revelation of his Mind and Will (for aught certainly known to the contrary;) but then, Sir, the constitution of the Church, was, during that long Aera, only domestical, confined within the Line and Limits of particular Families, which compared with the longaevity, and great age of the Aborigines of the World, gives us plainly to understand, that Sacred Truth might have been easily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by tradition from father to son, conveyed & preserved all that time, pure, entire, and incorrupt, free from the  Inconveniencies; yea, one single Trinmvirate might have performed this, for the whole Two thousand years mentioned; namely, Adam, Methuselah, and Shem, Methuselah living above Two hundred years with Adam; and Shem, (who lived to the Fiftieth of Isaack's Age, which was about the Two thousandth, one hundredth, and Fiftieth of the Age of the World) about a hundred with Methuselah: But now, being that the Church-Line hath been since far extended, her constitution advancing from Domestical, to National; and from That, to Oecumenick, and Universal, (Japhet persuaded to co-tabernacle with Shem;) and moreover the Life of Man very much since curtailed, being contracted by Sacred Horoscope, to seventy, or at most, eighty years; yea, very rarely protracted to that; insomuch, that many successive Sages of the Church, would not suffice to perform that now, which that one single ternion did before; and thus the case infinitely altered: It followeth, that for a preventive expedient against the  Inconveniency above-specified; namely, oblivion, corruption, and suppression; a scriptural and written Rule is most Convenient. And lastly, that it is most congruous to the Nature and Honour of GOD, to indulge his Creatures, such a Revelation, Rule, and Directory; is most convincingly manifest from his own infinite Perfections partly, and partly from the concerns of his Glory and Honour in his own Worship being rightly performed, and his Creature's Happiness being fully secured; for, to urge but one argument in this one piece of Sacred Oeconomy (which is Nemesius' concerning a Divine Providence in general) should not God, in condescension to his Creatures necessity and conveniency mentioned, as well as in compliance with the Interest of his own Honour therein concerned, afford him such a Revelation of his Mind, and Will, and Rule of Faith and Life; this non-indulgence, or refusal, must necessarily proceed, either from want of Wisdom, or of will, or of power and sufficiency in God; as if either he were not Wise enough, to understand how to gratify his Creature, or indeed consult his own interest herein; or not Good, Gracious, and Kind enough to his Creature, or Faithful enough to his own interest, to do it; or else in case of both Skill and Will, yet not Able or Sufficient enough hereunto: But now being that God (as is evident by the very light of Nature) is infinitely Wise, infinitely Good, and All-sufficient, it were desperate treasonable Blaspemy committed against Heaven, to assert any of those Defects; and therefore in fine, by the best of consequence, as a special supernatural Revelation of the divine Mind and Will, and Rule of Faith and Life, is to the Creature absolutely Necessary; and a Scriptural and Written one, most Convenient; So it is most congruous and suitable to the Divine both nature and honour, to afford and indulge his Creature, this most needful useful, Scriptural Rule and Revelation.   

Lastly, Sir,  
That this necessary-expedient Revelation of God and his Will, this Canon Rule and Directory of Divine Doctrine, and Worship, and Christian Faith and Life, etc. is no other than what is contained in that System. of Sacred Truth, the Volume of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, as approved and received throughout the Reformed Churches; is as rationally demonstrable as either of the former; This being that only Revelation to which the necessary properties and conditions of such a Canon do appertain; which are summarily these two, namely, Divine Authority in respect of the Original, and universal sufficiency in respect of the end; it being absolutely requisite that such a Rule, should both proceed from (not Man, Church or Angel, but) God himself, as its Author; and also by due proportion correspond to the ends and intendments specified, as a plain and plenary description of, and direction to, the true God, true Worship, true Happiness, and the appropriated means of the acceptable performance of that Worship, and infallible attainment of that Happiness; what more Rational? and may that Instrument, Method and Model of Revelation, be for ever exploded the Church of God as apocryphal, which is devoid of either property; The one is a compound of infallible Veracity and authoritative Power, expressed in the Revelation; as being by its Sacred Author, whose essential properties those are, both inspired and instituted for the only authentic and unalterable Canon of his Church; the former requiring our Faith, the latter our Obedience; Both in their respective analysis, ultimately resolvable into the same as their very formal and Fundamental Reason, a principle of natural Conscience as well as that of the Author's eternal Power and God Head. So that, the Christian Religion framed by this Canon, is of all others, the most rational, as being founded, partly upon the Veracity of that God who can neither deceive, nor be deceived; partly upon his Supremacy or potestative Right by virtue whereof quicquid libet licet, he may, as the Creature's Sovereign Proprietary, enjoin and exact of him, whatsoever Worship or Service his own absolute, but righteous Will, shall dictate or direct: and if any of the English Clergy offer to court your assent or obedience hereunto as other, let them for ever inherit your Contempt: The other property again, (by me considered as relating to both matter and manner of Revelation) is the absolute perfection of the Canon, whereby it is conceived, as a Sacred Pandect or Ecyclopoedy, expressly or implicitly, directly or consequentially, to comprehend the whole Counsel of God concerning all things necessary to be either known and believed, or observed and practised, in order to God's Glory and Man's happiness, with so much clearness and perspicuity, as that all both literate and illiterate, may in a due and diligent perusal of the same, attain to a competent skill and knowledge therein: So that, that only Revelation must necessarily be the authentic Organ and Instrument, Canon and Rule of Divine Doctrine and Worship, Christian Faith and Obedience, to which those two Canonical properties and conditions agree, viz. that authority in respect both of inspiration and institution; and that all-sufficiency in respect both of matter and manner of discovery; so as that all Faith and Obedience yielded to the Revelation, must be resolved into the veracity and supremacy of its Author, expressed therein as the formal object or objective Reason of both (aswell as into the universally perfect and all-sufficient Testimony itself as the material one); and not into the testimony either of Church with the Papist, or of Spirit with the Enthysiast, both committing a most absurd and putrid Circle in giving the reason of their hope; asserting the truth and authority of the Canon, by those respective testimonies; and again in a reversed method, the truth of those testimonies, (as being no other way known to be true) by the Canon; therefore to be equally declined: Now that the Revelation of God and his Will contained in the Books of the Old and New Testament, as they are approved and received throughout the Reformed Churches, is that one only Revelation which is thus both inspired, and also by eternal sanction, instituted and appointed of God for the all-sufficient and absolutely perfect Canon of his Church, and that both as touching the Doctrine therein contained, and its accessary mode of scription; it being wholly committed to writing by God's Holy Prophets, Apostles, and Evangelists, being all by the Holy Ghost, as his immediate Actuaries, extraordinarily qualified for, irresistibly incited to, and infallibly guided and actéd in the work; commenced by Moses the first, and finally concluded and perfected by St. John the last of Canonical Writers; may be very rationally evicted; (and that to an utter exclusion not only of the Jewish Talmud, the Turkish Koran, Popish Traditions, Enthsiastick Fancies, etc. from having part or lot in the Sacred Canon; but of matters of a higher predicament, namely, all vocal Revelation, such as was that whereby God instructed his Church for the first two thousand Years and upwards, and the many Sermons of Christ and his Apostles not recorded, though equally inspired of God, with the Scriptural; as also several Prophecies, as those of Gad, Nathan, Iddo, and others, which were not only equally inspired, but likewise recorded, yet irrecoverably lost, as being only accommodated pro tunc to some particular state, condition, & exigency of the Church, which once satisfied, they were judged unnecessary to be incorporated into the universal Canon.) Where I advertise the Reader, that the sufficiency of the Scriptures, is evicted in their authority; for it being once agreed upon, that the Revelation contained therein, is of a truth the Word of God, we cannot more question its sufficiency than its testimony, whereof this is a signal part, namely that, It is as inspired of God, so as his Sacred Institutes, profitable for Doctrine, for Reproof, for Correction, for Instruction, etc. sufficient to perfect every individual Man and the whole Church of God; That whatsoever things were written, were written for our Learning, etc. That this word must be indeclinably observed without turning to the right hand or to the left; That nothing must be added to this Word, or diminished from it, upon peril of accumulative misery, denounced by St. John the last and longest liver of Canonical Writers, (as hath been said) in the very last of his writings, namely the very close of the Canon, by way of penal sanction, and ratification of the whole; So that the very crisis of this weighty concern of stating and settling our Faith & obedience in and to the Holy Scriptures, lieth in the evidence of the Divine Authority thereof, after this discursive method; That which is the Word of God, ought necessarily to be believed and obeyed; But the Revelation contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New-Testament, is the Word of God; Therefore this Revelation ought necessarily to be believed and obeyed:;; The major or first proposition, is a conclusion of natural Reason, founded and following upon God's essential veracity and supremacy (as hath been said) the dictates of the very Light and Law of Nature, as well as that of a Deity itself: The minor or assumption, namely, that the Revelation contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, is the very Word of God; is apparent upon a threefold testimony, namely, that of the Church, that of the Scriptures themselves, and that of the Holy Ghost; of which the two former only are argumentative, the one as Humane and Ministerial; the other, as Divine and Canonical: as for that of the Holy Ghost, He being the efficient cause of our Faith and obedience, his testimony indeed is most certainly persuasive to a person's own Conscience; but this testimony, being private and internal, (like the Hidden Manna which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it) and the truth or divinity hereof being with all opponents equally questionable with that of the Word itself; it can be no ways convictive to others: Well then, to urge only the two former, and that very briefly; As touching the first of those, namely, the testimony of the Church, which I here consider (and observe it, Sir,) not under the notion of a Church, (for as such it is only knowable by the Scriptures, not they by it;) but as a collective Body or society of prudent and honest faithful Witnesses, professing and attesting the Holy Scriptures, and the Religion therein prescribed; so that the Argument standeth thus; That Revelation which is by a society of prudent honest and faithful Witnesses, who are neither deceived themselves, nor deceivers of others, professed and attested to be the Word of God, in all rational construction and evidence, is such; But the Revelation contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, is by such a society of prudent honest and faithful Witnesses, etc. professed and attested to be the Word of God; Ergo, etc. The major or first proposition Sir, I reckon unquestionable with all Atheists and Infidels throughout the world; for certainly, as essential infallibility in God by virtue whereof in genere entis, he can neither deceive, nor be deceived, is the ground of an infallible assurance in matters of Divine testimony; so a rational infallibility in a society of prudent honest and faithful men, who therefore cannot be suspected to be in genere moris, either deceived in themselves, or deceivers of others, is a sufficient ground of rational assurance, in matter of humane testimony, (as is that in question, viz, a humane testimony of a divine Revelation); for what more can be required in the case? As for the roof of the minor or assumption, all that is required hereunto, is the eviction of the prudence, honesty and faithfulness, of those Witnesses, or the rational infallibility of themselves and and their testimony, namely, that they are such as can neither be suspected of being deceived in themselves, nor yet of any imposture or intent of deceiving others; where I understand as to our immediate concern in the case, the present Testifiers especially, without a perplexing recourse had to the first; being that the credit of the preceding is still successively secured in the subsequent Churches; thus being once persuaded of the prudence and honesty of the present Church, namely, that she is so wise and prudent as not to have been deceived by the next preceding from whom she received the Scriptures; and so honest and ingenuous as not to deceive the Reader, or myself, or the next ensuing; we are accordingly assured of the same both prudence and honesty, and consequently rational infallibility in the former; and so in the next to that, and so on to the very Apostles and first witnesses: Now then, Let the intellectuals and morals; the wisdom, prudence, and discretion; the honesty, fidelity, and integrity of the present Witnesses of the Divinity of the Scriptures be impartially scanned; and all compared with the multitude of the Testifiers (a wise man may sometimes both be deceived and deceive, but a multitude can hardly, if ever; in regard of choice of direction in case of error, or detection in case of forgery) the publicity and openness of the testimony, and consequently, its lyableness to conviction, if false or fraudulent; the hazard of loss of peace, ease, and quiet; honour, credit, and reputation; profits, pleasures and worldly delights; means of subsistence, liberty; yea, life itself, which that Testimony and Profession exposeth to: a practice quite contrary to the Law of Nature, which obligeth to self-preservation, but that it is warranted by those higher severe laws of Mortification and Self-denial, etc. as to all those endearments, prescribed in the Scriptures, by them attested; which whether observed, or not observed, is a certain conviction of a faithful testimony, the observance being matter of credit thereunto; nonobservance of disgrace, which by foregoing the profession, might be avoided; and lastly, the vigilancy, subtlety, and potency of Enemies and opponents, past and present; for whom it was, and is easy in case of imposture, at once both to detect and to destroy; who yet either have been wholly silent under the public attestations of Sacred Truth, or have added thereunto their own acknowledgements, (instances whereof, History abounds withal); or lastly, have disputed the same with the sword, rather than with argument, though the Gates of Hell never could nor shall prevail herein: Let those I say, and the like, be all duly scanned and compared together; and then undoubtedly, the conclusion can be no other, then that the Testifiers and Witnesses of the Revelation (or Doctrine confirmed by Miracles,) contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, are and have been a prudent, honest, and faithful Society, which can, or could neither be suspected of Error, or of being deceived in themselves; nor yet of imposture, or intent of deceiving others; and consequently, that this same Word or Revelation by them thus attested and professed, is of a truth the Word of God: At leastwise the whole may be of such virtue and influence as to beget in us that veneration and reverend esteem for those Testifiers, and the Scriptures by them testified, together with the Religion which according to the prescript thereof they profess, as to bring us to the Bible, and to persuade us to a research of the Scriptures with the applauded Bereans, whether things be so as is reported; (without which, take notice, my testimony for the Scriptures, aught to be of more force with you, than yours against them, can be expected to be with me, mine being with you only of suspected partiality; yours with me, of manifest prejudice;) and then are we half-Proselytes already; for, Sir, the Divine Authority of the Scriptures may convincingly appear to one thus prepared by the subordinate and introductory attestation of the Church, from the superior Testimony of the Scriptures themselves (the second thing propounded to be spoken to) namely that evidence which may be collected from the intrinseck characters and cognisances of Divinity as so many dignifying prerogatives, enstamped upon the Word itself, as that which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (as saith Athanasius) as in a manner self-manifestative; and hence (which is remarkable) frequently likened to the objects or mediums of our natural senses, as light, voice and sound, smell, savour and taste, fire and heat, etc. whence any that hath his senses exercised to the discerning hereof, may gather, that as the things mentioned do indemonstrably discover themselves to be what they are, so the Holy Scriptures whereof those are figurative resemblances, do infallibly prove themselves to be Divine: Now these three or four Characters of the Scriptures seem of all others to be more especially argumentative and convictive of their Divinity to natural Conscience; namely, 1. the majesty of their stile, witness those many majestic Titles of Divinity, which the Author doth therein assume to himself, (which I must not hear recount) importing either independency of being, or universality of perfection, or absolute power and authority, or excellency of operation, etc. but all no less than Divinity; and amongst other particulars, that magisterial affidavit— Thus saith the Lord, familiar to the Holy Scriptures, and pretended to in no writings in the world besides: 2. The transcendency, spirituality, and sanctity of the matter and contents, both in doctrines and duties; the great mysteries of the Godhead and godliness; three distinct persons, in one nature, in the one; two distinct natures, in one person, in the other: the mystery of divers, yea adverse, both natures and persons united in one Covenant; the mystery of Regeneration; the mystery of the Resurrection, etc. and other Doctrines & Duties as opposite to man's corrupt Will, as these are to his Reason, as the doctrines of original sin; the impotency of pure naturals, in spirituals; the servitude and Bondage of , etc. the duties of mortification of the Flesh, self-denial, and that strange retaliation of evil with good, and hatred with returns of Love, etc. infallible marks of Sanctity; as is also finally the universal tendency and intendment of the whole contexture; namely, the exaltation and advancement of God, and debasement of the Creature, peculiar to Holy Writ, beyond all other whatsoever: 3. The sincerity and impartiality of the Writers and Compilers, who appear to be so far from concealing, that on the contrary, they have faithfully divulged upon Record, each other's, nay, almost each his own defaults and infirmities; Moses, his Grandfather Levi's iniquity; his Brother Aaron's Idolatry; his and his sister Miriams' sedition, and his own faulty precipitancy: David, Mose's rashness and inconsideracy, and his own Murder and Uncleanness: the Evangelists, their very Master's humane infirmities, as hunger, thirst, weariness, fear, etc. and their own dulness of understanding; impertinent Queries; St. John's and Jame's ambition; Thomas' incredulity; Peter's triple denial of his Lord and Master, recorded by St. Mark, his own Disciple: Paul's dissension with Barnabas, and accessary guilt of Stephen's Death, recorded by St. Luke his own Follower: St. Paul, Peter's Judaizing, and his own Blasphemy and Persecution, etc. an unquestionable conviction of the faithfulness and truth of their Testimony, not to be matched by any Writers whatsoever besides, 4. And lastly, the jnfallibility and veracity of their predictions; the predictions themselves are recorded in the Holy Scriptures, the accomplishment of them is sufficiently attested, partly by Humane History, partly by experience; and (to argue with Bellarmine) if Scriptural predictions of things to come, be true, as is approved by the event, why not scriptural attestations of things present? All which duly considered what peruser of those Sacred Digests, will not assent to and conclude upon the Divine Authority of the same? till this same assent introduced by the Testimony of the Church, as the preparative medium by which (per non propter) our Faith and obedience in and to the Holy Scriptures is first in order of time, though not of Dignity, pre-engaged, be perfected and ripened into a firm persuasion, by the concurrent certificative Testimony of the Holy Ghost, as the efficient cause thereof (exerted in, if distinct from, the admirable efficacy of the Doctrine itself, upon the mind and judgement, the heart, will, and affections, etc.) namely, that the Revelation, (that is the doctrine confirmed by miracles, both co-attested canonically in the Scriptures, and ministerially by the Church) contained in the Books of the Old and New Testament, (as they are approved and received throughout the Reformed Churches) is of a truth the Word of God, etc.  
There be several other Secondary and Collateral arguments of the Divinity of of the Scriptures, as the cessation of Gentile-Oracles; the subversion of Pagan-Idols by virtue hereof, like the fall of Dagon before the Ark; the implacable Malice, rage and fury of Satan and his accomplices against them; the Divine Judgements upon their inveterate Opponents; the invincible courage, constancy, and resolution of their Confessors and Martyrs; the quality of the Prophets, Apostles, and Evangelists, their first Publishers and Writers; the admirable preservation of them against all opposition; the confession of Adversaries, Jews, Gentiles, Sibylls, Philosophers, Heathens and Heretics, etc. touching the divine truth thereof; And also several other Internal marks and cognisances of Divinity, as antiquity, consent of parts, efficacy of doctrine, and the like: But the former being only known to us by humane Testimony, it is plain, that the prudence, and discretion, the honesty and integrity of the present Witnesses of the Divinity of the scriptures, as persons Rationally Infallible, or such as cannot in reason be suspected of any, either active or passive deceit & imposture in the case; is & must to any considerate person appear to be equivalent to all the rest, and a more sure and compendious argument for fixing and settling of our belief in the particular; The latter I have omitted, as not so argumentative or convictive to natural-Conscience, (which I have here more especially addressed my endeavour to) as the others above urged. But that none may wonder why I urge not here the argument of miracles, which others of the greatest Fame lay such a main stress upon, I will give you and the world this brief account of it: Miracles are considerable in reference to the case in hand, but two ways, namely, as either matter of Divine testimony, co-attested together with the doctrine by them confirmed, canonically in the Scriptures; or else as matter of humane testimony, co-attested together with the said doctrine, ministerially in & by the Church; (as hath been preasserted): Now in short, Sir, under neither consideration, are Miracles, or can they rationally be supposed to be, the argument of our Faith, but only the partial Object thereof, as matter of Divine testimony (as hath been said) in the Scriptures, and matter of Humane testimony in the Church; and therefore requiring a correspondent assent to both: Where, for a further account of myself, I crave leave to Remonstrate against a very Eminent and worthy Divine of the quorum of the Clergy by you contemned, now living, who in a Book as noted as himself, holds this of Miracles for the main convictive Argument of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures as though best now, because such of old; which is a mere fallacy, a non causa pro causa, partly, and partly, ab accident; for First, to argue ab absurdo from his own Hypothesis, namely this, That which Christ himself in his time used as the best argument to prove the Divine Authority of his doctrine, is the best still; to which I subsume; But so it is, that that of visible miracles, was the best argument which Christ used to prove the Divine authority of his doctrine; making the Ear-witnesses of the one, Eye-witnesses of the other, as infallibly demonstrative signs and seals of Divinity; and then the conclusion followeth full of absurdity, viz. that that of visible miracles (obvious to our Eyes, as those were which he wrought in the days of his flesh, to his, then-proselytes) is the best argument that can be used still to prove the Divinity of his doctrine, (the scriptures); or, (which is all one) Christ must re-descend into the world, and work New miracles (visible as his first) before he can have New converts; Absurd! Again, If that which Christ himself used as the best Argument to prove the Divinity of his Doctrine, (which is known to have been visible miracles) be the best still, then are we under an unavoidable necessity of incurring the same guilt, to wit, non-conviction and positive unbelief, (or, in the same Author's opinion, (which I do not here dispute) the sin against the Holy Ghost) with those reprobated Infidels in the days of Christ, through our being destitute of the same provisions against it, namely, visible miracles; Nay more, we are under a necessity of incurring sin, without possibility of remedy,— a necessity of sinning, through want of the preventive, visible miracles,— without possibility of remedy, because the positive unbelief mentioned, and sin against the Holy Ghost (if those be distinct) are known by scripture-verdict to be unpardonable, this gross absurdity followeth by necessary consequence, & how injurious, nay, blasphemous, against the Wisdom, Goodness, Holiness, and Justice of God, the asserting of such a thing were, is easy to determine: Thirdly Dilemmatically, that Reverend Author must necessarily consider miracles either as Recorded in the Scriptures, or, as Reported by the Church; (for as visible they were peculiar to Christ's Contemporaries and Eye-witnesses) If as Recorded in the Scriptures; as such they being part of the Divine testimony, which is this complex, the Doctrine of Christ confirmed by Miracles, they are not the Argument, but the Object of our Faith; and we believe not the Scriptures for the Miracles, but the Miracles for the Scriptures, as part of the sacred narrative, and together with the Doctrine by them confirmed, and jointly with them therein Recorded, the Collateral Object of our belief: If again as Reported by the Church; then by my Author's Divinity, the testimony of the Church, is the main, or best Argument that can be used, to prove the Divine Authority of the Scriptures; A train of Absurdities! and if we abstract from the testimony of both Scriptures and Church; let any tell me what significancy Miracles are of in the case: The Author (I assure you) is a person approved for Eminent, both Learning and Piety, and indemnified from your two extenuative Characters, of which in their due place; but personal respects must veil to the interest of the truth; I can easily declare with him, that I believe that Doctrine to be of God, which is confirmed by undeniable Miracles; I can as easily declare, that I believe all true Miracles to be of God, because they exceed all created power; but the critical Query in the case, (by him omitted) is, how shall one be assured, that such Miracles were ever wrought (as Christ's turning of Water into Wine; for instance, his Raising of Lazarus from the Dead, and his Curing of all manner of Diseases, etc.) for confirmation of his Doctrine? the two former, one may, by the very light of nature, be assured of, and yet question the last: This certainly is no otherwise attested, than first in a secondary and subservient order by the Church, as a Ministerial mean of conveying to us, the truth of matter of Fact; and next, in a superior order by the Scriptures themselves, as the the Canonical Records of the same; and in both, in conjunction with the Doctrine by them confirmed; and both Doctrine and Miracles, as the complex and conjunct object of our Faith, equally credible upon Testimony; which Faith is (as hath been said) by the concurrent testimony, and inward illumination and motion of the public spirit of the Holy Scriptures, viz. the Holy, Ghost, ripened into this firm persuasion, that the Revelation contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, that is, both the Doctrine itself, and the narrative of the Miracles, by which it was confirmed, as collateral parts and contents thereof, is of a truth the Word, not of Man, nor Angel, but of GOD himself; and the only authentic Canon, and Rule, of Divine faith, worship, and obedience; which, I thank God, I am as much confirmed in the belief of, not only to speak, with Campian in another persuasion, quam me vivere, as that I live, but as surely as that there is a God by whom I live; else had long ere now become a miserable prey to subtle Adversaries, who are ever observed primarily (as you do) to attact their Opponents, in the scriptural foundation, and that especially in its very fundamentality; namely, the Divine Authority thereof, here Asserted, and I hope, Evicted. Thus, Sir, I have gone a great way about, to bring you by the nearest way home; at leastwise, if not to gain upon you, as a Proselyte, yet to guard your Reader against you, as an Enemy: And now I Challenge you to do your Worst; the hurt will be your own, none of mine, nor, I hope, of his, being that I have armed him with an Antidote, he shall not need to fear (what I promised to produce in the next place, viz.) your infective example: And indeed, Sir, your whole Rhapsody seems to be nothing else but a continued exemplification of your Atheism, and Blaspemy, expressed in depreciating, extenuating, debasing, and what in you lies, nullifying the Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures, and that in the most material Promises, Invitations, Precepts, Narratives, etc. therein contained; which, could you, by your foul index expurgatorius, expunge them the sacred Canon, as belike you have them your Creed, let the remainder be branded for Apocryphal for me; for (to instance in a few) what greater Promise is there recorded in the whole Book of God, then that in Malachi:— Unto you that fear my Name, shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his Wings? Or Invitation, then that of Isaiah:— Ho, every one that thirsteth— come ye, buy and eat; yea, come buy Wine and Milk without money, and without price? Or Precept, than that early summons in our Saviour's triennial Preaching:— Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand? Or Narrative, then that of St. John:— God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have Everlasting Life? Or its Parallel, that of St. Paul,— This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all Acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the World to Save Sinners? etc. And what a poor jejune, dilute, empty History were the Volume of Holy Scripture, (and consequently how helpless and hopeless your case and mine, and that of all Sinners universally) if depauperated of those, and their parallel Evangelical contents, being that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the very quintessence, the life and spirit, the very soul and substance of that Blessed Revelation consisteth therein; and yet most Blasphemously debased and profaned by yourself, and prostituted to Contempt in others, (for which you must be accountable); witness those facetious, but blasphemous laconics, with which you Criticise thereupon, viz. that of The Moon of Righteousness upon the first; A spiritual Sack-posset upon the next, The Soap of Sorrow, and Fullers-earth of Contrition, upon the third; That of the Daughter of God, and Dauphin of Heaven, upon the fourth; and that of a Christmas-Feast, consisting of Three Dishes, etc. upon the last, and the like; which, who but yourself can either read, or relate, without Horror? I guess what your Reply might be here, namely, that you have only transcribed the Blasphemies of others, to wit, those of the Clergy, etc. But then remember, Sir, what the doctrine of the Civil Law is (approved with all civil men) above alleged, namely, that Publication without Vindication, is implicit Accusation, especially in a case of of such an universal concern as are the Holy Scriptures, which your own interest therein had obliged you to vindicate, but that (it is plain) you have renounced it. In short then, supposing matter of fact to be matter of sad truth, namely, that some unhappy Clergymen have, to the disgrace of their function, Religion, and Scriptures, committed such horrid Blasphemies, (which as yet I do not inquire into, but methinks if any such be, you should have by name, singled them out of the society, to their deserved contempt) this will not justify you in what I charge you withal; It being manifest, that you have not only divulged those Blasphemies, but divulged them without the least vindication of the Holy Scriptures, Religion, etc. thereby so greatly damnifyed and disparaged, which (as hath been said) is an implicit joining of issues with the first Aggressors; nay, that you do industriously throughout your Letters, betray and prostitute the same to accumulative contempt in the Laity, and that with all imaginable artifice and advantage of an extemporary and occasional wit (to use your own idiom in your own praise) that cursed Volupia to whose unhallowed Shrines you have presumed to devote and sacrifice God's own Word and Oracles, (though you might easily have made experiment thereof upon another Theme at a much cheaper rate than that is like to prove, of adventurous jesting with a two-edged tool) and what plainer instance or argument of A. theism? But for a further and fuller exemplification and conviction hereof, I will first prompt your Reader with this rule, that as in the sacred Decade or Ten commandments in particular, so in the sacred Scriptures in general, he that offends in any one point, is by Divine verdict guilty of all, to wit, intensively, in regard the Divine authority of the whole is violated in any one particular. And now or instance in particulars of Scripture, not by the Clergy, but by you, (and the whole consequentially in those) abused, depreciated, and what in you lieth, exauctorated; I do in the next place, recommend to your Readers perusal, a few pages of your second Letter noted in my Margin, where he shall find such a Scheam of facetious Atheism; as I believe, he never read the like of, all his life-time; and this exemplified in a supposed Gentleman (personating yourself in showing extemporary and occasional wit, 
Lett. 2. p. 187, 188, 189, 190.  in abusing the Holy Scriptures, in your own words, as is plain) much resembling some a la mode Spark, or one of your highbred Hects, dextrous in the gentile strain, in a breath to damn himself, and humble-servant others; a Bartholomew-Gentleman, I dare say, least of all, as being known to be no affecter of ceremonies of State (which this Generoso abounds in) more than of Church; his education not serving him for the one, more than his judgement for the other's Well, this same Gentleman, alias the Author of the contempt of Religion, is supposed to be intended for dinner, (probably a feast of luxurious barrioadoes and esculadoes) in some good house or other; and how ingenious (to give him your own epithet) he acquits himself both in going and returning, and his demeanour there; quoting Canon for all his addresses, with suddenness of apprehension, and experienental skill (as you there call it) in the application of Scripture; the Reader, after perusal of your narrative, be judge. Strait is the Gate, and narrow is the way, and few there be that find it, said our Saviour; profanely applied and prostituted to your narrow Alley, (a bad omen, I assure you, of the broad way) The Psalmists, Lift up your heads O ye Gates, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors, to knocking at the Gate in the Porter's absence; The Prophet's Bosom of destruction, and desolation of Babylon, to a servants sweeping away a little dirt out of a Court-yard; Our Saviour's, the first shall be last, and the last shall be first; to the straining of a compliment of precedency, with shrugging, and beg-pardons;— If ye have faith like a grain of mustardseed, ye shall remove Mountains; to the removing of a little of the mountain of mustard upon the Table: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the Prophets— how often would I have gathered thee as a Hen gathereth her Chickens, etc. (an instance whereupon one would have thought you should rather have spent tears, as Himself did, then costly jests) to a dish of Chickens, commended for a dish of fat Jerusalem's, &c. The Apostle's Tabytha, arise, to every child, Boy, or Girl, that drops in the street: Our Saviour's invitation of relief, Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; to every Porter easing himself of his burden: The Apostles, Paul may plant, and Apollo's may water, but it is God who gives the encroase; to every water-bearer, etc. I am resolved to add one more, but what is enough to turn my Gentleman's dinner into Belshazzars feast, (celebrated with sacred utensils, as this is, with greater cost, sacred texts,) and the whole into a Tragedy; you can by no means endure that the Minister should preface from Belshazzar; and you term your Parson-Antagonist, inviting you to hear him preach, and promising you the best sermon in his budget, that he forbear the name of Belshazzar; but how will you like to end with him, whom you can so little endure the Minister should begin with? though you have not a Kingdom to lose, yet you have that which is, or aught to be equally or more dear to you; therefore capable of as fatal a Peres;— O full of all subtlety and mischief, thou Child of the Devil, thou Enemy of all Righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? most justly applicable, to all Scripture-vilifiers; and what son of Belial, or Bartesus himself? What Celsus or Julian? What Faustus or Manes himself? What invidious Jew, Papist, or Pagan, doth more deserve to be ranked into that predicament, than doth the Author of the contempt of the Clergy, and Religion, personated by that parabolical Gentleman? What more abusive, ignominious, blasphemous predicates, did ever the Father of Lies, or Child of that Father, stigmatize the word of truth withal, than he hath? Aven-Gilion● Lesbian Rule! Livius' Decades! Aesop's Fables! Nose of wax! Inky Divinity! mute Doctress! Dumb, dead, killing Letter! and a thousand such reproachful epithets, have not reflected a greater affront, ignominy, and disparagement upon the Holy-Scriptures, to the infringing and nullifiing, what Man or Devil can, their sacred authority, then hath your debasing prostitution thereof; and again, what greater instance or argument of Atheism? For opposition and exaltation, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, against Religion and against God (or a Deity itself,) is a matter individual and inseparable in itself, as well as in Antichrist's character; so that you may upon equal terms commence a process or enquiry of contempt against both; I leave the application to the Reader: But, I had almost forgot that you may probably be one of those that hold no other canon than Homer's Iliads and Odysseys, 
Let. 1. pag. 9  or Virgil's Evangelical and Prophetical writings; the former, as containing mystically both Law and Gospel; as his works are owned by you in general, for a practice of piety, 
Lett. 2. pag. 43.  wherein you tell your Correspondent, he may find all practical Divinity summed up, cases of Conscience resolved, controversies decided, etc. (not wonder, you term him Christian and Protestant) the other, as comprehending a body of Divinity exactly agreeing with the primitive Doctrine and intentions of our Saviour, 
Lett. 2. p. 45.46  fathered upon a Nonc. (alias your Hec or self; for I dare say, there is an agreement in unitertio); indeed I have read of one converted by Virgil's fourth Eclogue, but have suspended my belief of it hitherto; it may be you are the man; and from such a Bible, such a practice of piety, such a body of Divinity, such a Convert, what can the world expect?— 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. I proceed.  
Another assault of yours, Sir, is made upon the Ministerial foundation; (as the former was upon the Doctrinal) namely, your Gorah-like Rebellion against the Clergy of the Church of England, and those both in person and function.  
As touching the person's of the Clergy, two things you except against, viz. number and qualification: their qualification is reserved for an enquiry, under the second general propounded: As to their number; your exception is, that they are supernumerary, whereof you betray deep sense and sorrow; the Nation (say you) is perfectly over-stock'd with professors of Divinity; 
Lett. 1.115.  thus Aaron's fruitful Rod, is Corah's grudge: and for a remedy to this prevailing spirituality, that you may lop what you cannot fallen, you propound a double expedient; One is, an anniversary vent, namely, a yearly Transport beyond the Seas of so many Tunn of Divines; as well as of other commodities, with which the Nation is over-stock'd; 
Lett. 1. p. 119.  the other is a spiritual press upon Professors and Pulpiteers (as you are sometimes pleased to style them) an Expedition to another holy-war; the key exchanged for the Crusade; but this I wonder, that you of all men should advise, for you know Sir, that the holy Warriors vouch to fight not Turk's only, but Infidels; how beit, strange it is, if both ways of vent, namely, either to a slavery in Turkey, the Barbadoss, or Indies; or to an honourable adventure into the Holy Land, may not suffice to reduce the number; but sink or swim, stand or fall, it is all one to you, what becomes of either Cargo or Armado; so there be but a good riddance to the Nation of such cumber-ground-Inmates; that is, of our Guides, Lights, Pastors, Seers and Overseers! (We are beholden to you Sir,) and what the sequel hereof might be, or your design in it, your Reader be Judge; I do but think how great your grudge had been, had the whole English Clergy matched in number one single order of another See, namely, that of St. Bennet of which it is bragged, that it hath been the fruitful Nursery of no less than Fifty-two Popes, Two hundred Cardinals, sixteen hundred Arch-Bishops, Four thousand Bishops, and Five thousand Saints approved by the Church; or that of the Cordeliers or Minims, computed by Sabbellicus in his Enneads, to be in Europe (besides the multitudes in Asia, Africa, etc.) above Five hundred thousand, (a thing almost incredible) out of whom, the General of the Order of St. Francis their Patron, hath upon all occasions offered to advance the Pope an Army Thirty thousand strong; and all very well spared, besides a great many Tunns for Transport; whether the commodity be good or nor, I leave to others to determine; Invidious grudge against England's Clergy, though the sum total amounts not to so many hundreds, as there are of thousands in one single Romish order; this, I dare say, is rancide and inveterate, though the spiritual press and tonnage may seem to be spoken by a Jocoso; your Inquisition herein, in the case of our Clergy, somewhat resembling that of the Roman Tyrants of old, in the case of Christians, whom they tormented for a diversion: But this is not all; I suppose that the English Clergy being divided into three parts, and a thousand in each tertia; that one of those is dispatched away under their sacred Labarum for the Holy-Land, unanimously resolved to be either absolute Masters or Martyrs upon the spot; a second shipped off amongst other domestic commodities with which the Nation is over-stock'd, at so much par teste or per tunn, for the Barbadoss or the Indies, etc. to get their living as Adam got his by digging in grounds, or mines under ground, as not worthy to live upon it; and all this jure exterminij, by Act of Parliament too, prompted by your judicious motion; this supposed, I say, the Ghostly Armado, the sacred Cargo, all shipped and gone, and the Nation well rid of them; is all your spire, malice, and contempt, quite spent and evaporated now! I doubt not; there is a tertia behind still, and (the mischief of all) the office in and with them; the number of persons retrieved, but the function still continues in the remainder; and whilst there is a preaching Timothy, or a praying Joshua in England, to be sure, Amaleck cannot prevail.  
Therefore,  
Your next attempt, Sir, is made upon the Ministerial Office and Function itself, especially in those two grand Ministerial exercises, Preaching and Prayer (both Manna and Incense) and that with such a strain of dialect, as deserves the severest anathema in my Budgett; but I refer that piece of Justice to your Reader: To begin with the latter; You severely criminate, and highly disparage the Spirit and gift of Prayer, 
Lett. 2. p. 155.  and (which yet is usual with both sorts of the English Clergy, Conformists and Nonconformists) all conceived Prayer: Now what the Gift and Spirit of Prayer is, a Learned, ingenious and worthy Prelate of our Church shall determine (who knows but Episcopal Reverence may awe you into a submission?) whose Judgement in the particular I persuade myself, is of general authority with all that are sober and discerning; namely Bishop Wilkins, whose assertions in the case, are these in his Discourse of Prayer, viz. the Gift of Prayer may be thus described; It is such a readiness and faculty proceeding from the Spirit of God, whereby a man is enabled upon all occasions, in a fit manner, to express and enlarge the desires of his heart in this Duty: Unto the attaining of this Gift in its true latitude and fullness, there are three sorts of Ingredients required; viz. 1. Something to be infused by the Spirit of God, who must sanctify and and spiritualise the judgement and affections, before we can either apprehend or desire any thing as we should: 2. Some natural endowments and abilities disposing us for this Gift, as readiness of apprehension, copiousness of fancy, tenderness of affection, confidence and volubility of speech, which are very great advantages to this purpose, being naturally much more eminent in some then others. 3. Something to be acquired and gotten by our own industry, namely, such a particular and distinct apprehension, both of our sins and wants, and the Mercies bestowed upon us, that we may be able to express the thoughts and dispositions of our minds concerning them, in such a decent form, as may excite both in ourselves and others, suitable affections: The first of these is by some, styled the Spirit of Prayer, the two latter, the Gift of Prayer, etc. This, Sir, is Diocesan Doctrine; and let that Clergyman undergo your Contempt that pretends to other Gift or Spirit then what is here described: But now, what do you think, will the World Judge of you, who advance an all-Damning and illiterate Hector into a competition herein, 
Lett. 1. p. 36.  with a Learned and Reverend Prelate? for you undertake, Sir, (to recriminate you from your own censure) sub nomine penae, to procure one of the rankest Hectors about Town, 
Lett. 2. p. 157,  that shares his time between Swearing and Cursing (and something else) who supposing he does, not put in sometimes an Oath, in stead of, O Lord, (and a God damn him, by the common Law of autocatacrisy, in stead of God bless him,) shall make a long well-worded, and affectionate Prayer, with confession of all the Villainies committed since the Flood (Contempt of the Clergy, I hope, amongst the rest) which shall draw forth as many Tears, and as deep Groans, as any of the greatest pretenders to that Gift, or Spirit; that is to say, as any Prayer of the Bishop himself, now mentioned, he being of the number of those pretenders, as you are pleased to entitle them: And if this be not test sufficient to the World, of what Spirit you are of, I will for ever abjure all Spirit-discerning faculty; and I doubt not but this one signature of it, will serve to debase your credit for ever with any impartial Reader, in order to whose just verdict touching your project and principle of Atheism it is, that I single out such matchless instances of your extemporal and occasional Wit; which, let me tell you, none but some unsanctified Humster for your Hector, will ever afford an Amen to, or reckon other then facetious villainy; & remember for a check to it, though Noah's Flood, (mentioned in your Hector's Litany) be passed; yet St. Peter's Fire is still to come, which all your holy Water cannot quench: Ignorant-Poor Clergy indeed: if a profligate Hector-Rampant shall outvie them in their faculty, being no further hallowed then with your outside consecration of a double Cap, Cassock and Girdle!  
Again,  
As touching the other grand part of the Ministerial Office, namely Preaching; It is your peremptory assertion, Sir, in the Words of some great Patron, (an Intimado, possibly, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) whom you adopt for your mouth, that such Preaching as is usual (in the Church of England) is a hindrance of Salvation, 
Lett. 1. p. 81.  rather than the means to it; and the explication of what you intent by the epithet, usual, you reserve to the good time, etc. but what I will give the World to understand presently, and yet plough with no other than your own Heiffer: That Preaching of the Word of God, by persons of Holy Order duly authorised and qualified hereunto, is a Divine Institution: that such Preaching is the ordinary means of Salvation; and that the Preaching usual in the Church of England (of which a fuller vindication hereafter) is such; She (and I in her) is obliged to believe till She see better Authority for altering of her Creed or Clergy than you or your Masters are like to produce in haste: But the emphasis of your assertion lieth in the adjunct, viz. usual, with which you epithet the Preaching by you taxed; and what you intent by usual Preaching in the Church of England, must be traced by its extremes or opposites; Now then, the extreme or opposite of usual Preaching must either be, 1. Extraordinary high, performed in the Holy Tongues, Hebrew and Greek, through an immediate illapse and inspiration of an infallible Spirit; and if so,— Christus corpore! Paulus over! nothing less will serve your turn then, then (St. Augustine's wish) the audible Preaching of Christ or an Apostle in person, visibly re-incorporated into the Church: or else, 2. Extraordinary low and mean, possibly by way, of prescribed Homily (the Church speaking in this, as the Spirit, in the former) but this you know is performable by the meanest Desk-Man (one of your Contemptibles) though never Master of other Language or Literature then what he may owe to a Mothers, Nurses, or School-Dames discipline: or 3. Extraordinary in respect of Church Office, order and degree, as being performed only by Primates, or Prelates, etc. but neither do I take this to be the meaning of your unusual Preaching; for besides the great breach of charity implied in it, (as if all the Preachers in the Church of England were Hinderers of Salvation, except only two saving Graces, and twenty four Dominical Virtues) if once the inferior order and Body of the Clergy be brought into Contempt, I am sure the Most and Right Reverend— must look to share in the Destiny: Or else lastly,— but of that anon.  
It is not a little observable, Sir, (& I hope your Reader will sense you accordingly) that while you expose our Preachers to the contempt of the Laity, you amuse them with dark Reserves, touching their Preaching: The Clergy and Religion is the very Theme, Argument and subject-matter of your Letters; those you presuppose a contempt of; the Grounds and Occasions of this Contempt, you have engaged in an Enquiry into, with pretence of friendly redress; those grounds and occasions you summarily reduce to two, viz, the ignorance and Poverty of the Clergy (of which anon); in the explication and demonstration of those two characters, the Preachers are plainly described, whose Preaching you aver to be a hindrance of Salvation: Now than the usual Preachers of the Church of England, are plainly described by you, and in them, the usual Preaching: what then can be the meaning or Mystery of your Reserve? that the usual preaching that hinders Salvation, which one would think you have sufficiently explained, yet you will not here go about to explain! 
Lett. 1. p. 81. Lett. 2. p. 101.  and that the reasons of your scribble, might be further explained when occasion should require! undoubtedly profound, all naught! and that I may unmask and detect you (according to my promise) I will spell out the Original by your own Copy (for therein, as God would have it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, your speech bewrayeth you;) and by good consequence draw a summary conclusion touching the design charged upon you, from your own premises, and that in  
A third assault made by you upon both Doctrinal and Ministerial foundation jointly, the Reformed Religion, and Clergy, more expressly. Ad hominem then,  
All such preaching as is at present usual in the Church of England, is a hindrance of Salvation, rather than the means to it;  
But the Preaching used in the Church of England for an hundred Years last passed, is such as is at present usual therein;  
Therefore the Preaching used in the Church of England for an hundred Years last passed, is a hindrance of Salvation, etc.  
Sir, of this Categorick Syllogism (for form unexceptionable, as you must needs know, if your Logicks match your Ethics;) the premises are your own; and I hope you will not deny the conclusion, which is a compendious gloss and Comment upon the pestilent design of your Letters of Enquiry.  
The Major proposition Consists of your own express words, above scanned; only your indefinite is by me turned into an universal, which you know the Rules of School will justify me in; as well as the matter in debate: such preaching, and all such Preaching; are equivalent.  
The minor proposition or assumption is your own too, as appears partly by express words, partly by the scope, series, tenor and contexture of your Discourse; disown it if you can.— 
Lett. 1. p. 58, 59  It would be an endless thing, Sir, (say you to your Correspondent) to count up all the Follies that have been for an hundred Years last passed Preached and Printed of this kind: Now what kind of Follies you mean, is plain from your foregoing Narrative concerning ridiculous Preaching, by way of impertinent, nay, 
Lett. 1. p. 32, 38 45, etc.  sometimes Blasphemous Metaphor, Similitude, Tales, or such as is apt to bring Contempt upon the Preacher, and that Religion which he professeth (of which afterwards, when I come to inquire into matter of Fact) so that the argument standeth thus: That Preaching which is full of Follies, or such useless and ridiculous things, as are apt to bring Contempt upon the Preacher and the Religion by him professed, is such as is at present usual in the Church of England, (and therefore by you supposing it such, exposed to Contempt); But the Preaching usual in the Church of England, for an Hundred Years last passed, is full of such Follies, etc. Then the conclusion followeth by clear consequence, viz. that therefore the Preaching usual in the Church of England for an Hundred Years last passed, is such as is at present usual therein; and consequently by your own position, a hindrance of Salvation, rather than the means to it; the Preachers Fools! and the Preaching Murder! That is to say, the Faith and Doctrine usually Preached, yea, and Printed too (for both Press & Pulpit, Writings as well as Sermons, are by you charged) contended for, lived and died in, (yea, and by many of them sealing with their Blood, what they professed by Tongue or Pen, died for) by our first Reformadoes, Protestant-Champions and Church-Worthies, our Marian Martyrs, all our Orthodox Learned, Pious, Painful, Preachers under the Reign of Q. Elizab. K. James, & Charles the first, in times past; and what hath been & still is under our present Sovereign King Charles the II. usually Preached & published, is— a hindrance of Salvation, rather than the means to it! & consequently the Church of England since the Sun of Righteousness arose in it, with his healing wing of Reformation, no true Church; for as extra Ecclesiam nulla salus, there is no ordinary Salvation without the Line of Church-Communion; so there is no true Church without the appropriated means of Salvation;— and then according to your Divinity— Ichabod! farewell Church of England! And now, Sir, what do you think of yourself upon recollection? or what will your Reader think of you? have I not here convincingly made out against you, from your own Principles and positions, a base unworthy pestilent design upon the Reformed Religion, and Clergy, and in them, upon our Church, to (what in you lies) the utter subverting and nullifying of the whole. And what you mean by your mysterious reserves, namely, that what you intent by usual Preaching, 
Lett. 1. p. 81. Lett. 2. p. 101.  you will not here go about to explain; and the reasons of your Letters might be further explained when occasion should require, (but I have done it to your hand in a paraphrase very congruous to the original) what you mean, I say by such Reserves and shrewd hints as those are, we may by this time very plainly perceive, especially with the additional help of a short Gloss of your own, dropped from you it seems unawares a great way off from the Text, where you explain the good time— by those (despaired of) days of virtue, 
Lett. 1. p. 124.  of having the Tithes restored to the Church most unjustly robbed of them by the Sacrilegious Church-Publican, Henry the Eight; to wit, when like a wise Man, he rejected the Yoke of Papal Supremacy,— Anglia non patitur duos Caesares (which other Christian Princes, Issachar like, couch and crouch under) and foraged (its Antichristian supports,) Monkish Nests and Nurseries, with which the Nation was at that time much more over-stock'd, then now it is with an Orthodox Clergy; though in so doing he only killed the Pope's Body, (as Luther said of him) in the mean time saving his Soul, etc.— Increase of Church-Patrimony, Sir, I do as hearty wish and pray for, as yourself, but I'll be sure, that it be a Reformed Church, which upon any such score I enter into my Litany; but this you aim to subvert: But, good Sir, pray tell me, how comes it to pass, that you adventure to explain the good time in the plausible circumstance of Church-Tyth, which you do so mysteriously conceal in the concern of usual-Church Preaching? 'Tis very odd! here you are express; but in the case of Preaching, you treat your Reader with Morose Reserves— what I intent by usual Preaching, I shall not here go about to explain,— the reasons of my Writing may be further explained when occasion shall require: Sir, I do not like these odd hints of your hic & nunc; I understood by your last, 
Lett. 2. p. 200.  that you was gone into Devonshire, to secure the World from your being ever troublesome in this kind any more, (Amen, said I, a good riddance,) and what other kind of trouble, you design, for it, the God of Heaven knows;— your reticentiae's of time, place, and occasion, when, where, and upon what account you intent, (it may be by Letters of Credence to be produced in a good time) further to explain to us, the reasons of your Enquiry, and what you understand by usual Preaching in the Church of England, I must tell you, are very suspicious: what? do you mean to comment upon it with the sensible gloss of Fire, and Faggott? or a second dose of the Jesuite's Powder? or the new game of Trapp-Law? or tother Coal from the Altar, (because the first did not the business)? and thus of Inquisitor, turn Executioner? In the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, we defy the Devil and all his Works!  
Being that your Charge, Sir, is commenced from, and coextended with England's Evangelic Century and blessed Aera of Reformation (the hundred Years last passed) whereas had it been limited to the last twenty or thirty, we had less suspected your morals) and consequently, Vulpes Bovem agit, the Reformed Religion, and Clergy, therein attacted, and what in you lies, subverted; insomuch, that it is plainly manifest, that the Christian Religion founded and fixed in the Nation, is with you the Apple of contention, who therefore criminates Ministers being two bend upon Preaching of it, 
Lett. 2. p. 72.  (index sufficient of yours) It highly concerns the Church of England to stand in Justification of her first Reformation; her original Protestancy and remonstrance against, and separation from the Church of Rome; the Religion by her professed; her Clergy, the official Preachers and Publishers of that Religion; and the usual Preaching of that Clergy; which in her name, as her Advocate, I have vouched to do. Well then,  
The Essentials constitutive of a true Church, Sir, (of. the Mystical, aswell as of the natural Body,) being these three, namely, the Head, the Body, and intimate Union and Communion between both; the only Head of the Christian Church, being Jesus Christ, God and Man in one Person, appointed and anointed by God the Father, King, Priest, and Prophet, thereof; the only mystical Ligament, and bond of Community in this holy Corporation, being the Divine Spirit, (originally derived from the Head, through the whole Body, the Church as Heiress thereof, being the common foundation of that Sacred patronymick Christian, under the New Testament, as well as of that other Meschiahim (as Eusebius notes) under the Old) or, the Catholic Faith, the product of that Spirit, or both; whence it comes to pass, that the Founder, Foundation, Superstructure, and medium or instrument of conjunction, are all, in Holy Scripture, propounded as so many Unites, admitting of no consort or collateral,— One God, and Father of all; One only Lord, Mediator, Saviour, Foundation, Name, Way, etc. One Body, One Spirit, Faith, Hope and Religion: And being that the Religion professed and practised in and by the Church of Rome, especially since Trent-Council, (assembled and ended above your hundred years ago) is inconsistent with, and destructive of this individual Headship, true Faith, and Church-constitution; being nothing else but an Anti-christian miscellany and compound (oppositum in apposito) of God and the Creature, God-man and meerman, in the most material points and principles of Christianity; the Persons of both, in point of Worship; the Power and Authority of both, in matters of Faith; the Righteousness and Merit of both, in point of Satisfaction and Justification; the Wills of both, in the act of Conversion; the Intercession of both, in the great office of Mediation; yea, an universal co-equivalency, or equal concurrence of Worth, Virtue, and Efficacy from both, throughout the whole business of Redemption and Salvation; especially from Christ, and the Virgin Mary, constituted therein Corredemptress with her Son, and Saviouress a latere, as if her Breasts, as well as his Sides, had been no less than sacramental; and the Mother's Milk, and the Son's Blood equally saving: Moreover (to prosecute this Religious medley) God and the Creature, in the Decalogue; Christ and the Church, in the Creed; Scripture and Tradition, in the Canon; Paternoster and Ave-Maria, in the Litany; Sacrament and Sacrifice, in the Supper, etc. all so many Riddles in the Mystery of Iniquity! A Religion consisting of such Trent-Forge-Principles and Practices as these, viz. In point of Doctrine, Papal Supremacy and Authotity, Church Infallibility, unwritten Traditions equalled in authority, with the Holy Scriptures; the doctrine of Man's  in opposition to God's Freegrace; the Doctrine of Perfection, of Merits, Pardons, and Indulgences, redounding from a surplusage of Works of super-erogation, and satisfaction (as they are termed) as if any mere Man could fulfil, in obedience beyond what the Law requires, and satisfy in penance beyond what Sin deserves! a rare Religion! the doctrine of Purgatory; and Souls Departed; the doctrine of Mass-service and Transubstantiation, the Consecrating Priestling turning a petty- Creator (as is supposed) converting sacramental Forms, into real Substance, and Commemoration into Expiation, celebrating Christ's Death with his death, as well as with his own, in destroying, instead of discerning the Lord's Body, yea, both Saviour and Sacrament at once! the doctrine of Ministration in an unknown Tongue, by means whereof they do most sacrilegiously rob the Children of their Bread in the Scriptures, as they do, of the Cup in the Supper; and many more such like Doctrines not of men only, but of Devils, which I list not to dwell upon, the Subject being so Frightful: In point of Worship, Idolatry and Imagery, Superstition, Saint-Worship, etc. In point of Polity, absolute Tyranny, (the Keys, turned into a Sword) sufficiently exercised and dearly experienced throughout the World, upon Princes-Crowns, their Subjects-Consciences, and Protestant-Blood, in sanguinary Laws, a bloody Inquisition, direful Anathemaes, execrable Massacres, raging Persecutions, etc. the violent Calentures of that Torrid Zone: The Religion, in fine, of that Church which is in Doctrine, damnably Heretical; in Worship, grossly Idolatrous; in Polity, and Government, intolerably Tyrannical; in all palpably Antichristian; opposite to and virtually destructive of Christ's fundamentality and headship, in his Person or Natures; in his Offices, in all their parts; in his States; in his virtues, merits & graces, privileges, Institutions and ordinances, etc. in one or more, or all of those; and consequently, destruction of the Catholic Faith and Religion, by Himself and his Apostles, and the whole successive series of Christians throughout the World, professed, and practised; and finally of the truth of a Christian Church, his Body; all in effect nullified thereby; yea, and a false head, other foundation, and another name, being substituted in opposition to the true; the Religion I say, professed and practised in the Church of Rome, and that Church herself, especially since Trent-Council, being such, as is here, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, described; it followeth by necessary consequence, that the separation of the Church of England, both primitive in her first Reformers, and present in their Successors persisting in that happy divorce from her, and embodied into a contradistinct, but true Church, under Christ, the only true Head, in a Joint profession of his Faith, the true Religion, is so far from being Schismatical (this being ever a causeless and groundless separation, in or from matter of true Religion, in a true Church,) that on the contrary, it is righteous and Justifyable, yea, absolutely necessary by the authority of that Law, whereby we are strictly commanded to renounce and abjure her society upon peril of sharing in her Plagues; from which, Good Lord deliver us! Sir, if in this short defence of our Reformation (which, it is like, may seem a kind of morose Tragedy, to an airy Mercurius, but that I aim at a further goal) you think I have falsified or misrepresented any principle of the Romish Church, charge me with it, and spare not; and if I do not Justify what I have asserted, brand me for as great a slanderer as yourself.   

Again, Sir,  
True Religion being that, only of which the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth, is the Author; the Holy Scriptures, the Word of Truth, is the Rule; and the Holy Church, (whereof our Church of England is part,) the Pillar and Ground of Truth, is the public Trustee, Keeper, and Conservatory, (as Pillars or Tables are, of affixed Papers and Proclamations) to wit, modo forensi, non architectonico) derived and delivered (as is abovesaid) to her from the Apostles, and to them by Christ, from God himself: And the Reformed Religion, Faith, Doctrine and substantial Worship professed and practised in and by the Church of England, being such; as may appear from her public tests and monuments, especially, the three Creeds, Apostolic, Nicene, and Athanasian; and her doctrinal Articles, unanimously agreed upon, in two several Convocations, viz, An. Dom. 1562 and 1604, etc. compared with the Sacred Canon; whose test and trial in the Case she is willing to undergo; It follows, that the Reform (and only reforming) Religion, professed, and practised in and by the Church of England, is the only true Religion; which when you assault with Argument, as now you undermine by Stratagem, you shall be dealt withal.   

Moreover, Sir,  
The Church of England is no less satisfied in her Clergy then in her Religion, that as God hath by a Law of as long duration as that of Sun and Moon in the ordinary course of his Providence, appointed to publish and propagate his Truth, and instruct his Church, by a constant series and succession of persons of holy Order and Office authorised and qualified thereunto; so her Clergy is such, having derived their orders together with their Religion ex traduce Apostolica, from the original Seminary Founders of Christianity in England, who are recorded in History the monumental Memory, and best Intelligencer in such cases, to have been Apostles or Men Apostolical; whether Philip, or Joseph of Arimathea sent by him, as Tertullian witnesseth, lib. verse. Jud. or Simon Zelotes, as Nicephorus; or St. Peter, as Baronius seems some times to incline; or the great Doctor of the Gentiles himself, St. Paul, as Theodoret, etc. (not Monk Austin, as your friends would have it) I here dispute not; being 'tis generally agreed amongst ancient Writers, as Origen, and the above named Tertullian and Theodoret, and others, that England's first Conversion, and (consequently) Ministerial constitution, was contemporary with the very primitive Church; and though both Religion and Clergy thus founded, was under a long and dark Eclipse of interposed Popery in the Nation, much obscured and suppressed, yet out of the sacred Seedplot of those who in that interval, would afford nor heart, nor tongue, nor knee to Baal, both were happily afterwards Phenix-like revived, rescued out of the Antichristian rubbish, and successively hitherto propagated: And supposing, Sir, (2.) That the ordination and deputation of the English Clergy to the sacred Function had its rise not from Jerusalem, immediately, but from or rather through Rome, Jure devoluto; where is the inconveniency? or what prejudice accrueth to the Protestant interest? or particularly to that of the English Clergy, by receiving ordination from Rome, more than by receiving Baptism from her, (which is as well as order, interchangeably esteemed valid between Papists and Protestants)? order! then ordinances? a lineal, than a doctrinal succession? Moreover, being that Ministerial Ordination, is only matter of Polity, unconcerned with morals; how corrupt soever the Church, person, or medium of conveyance be; yet notwithstanding, it can be nothing derogatory to succession, etc. more than the lineal descent and extraction of our Saviour's Humanity from Adam, through the intervention of an impure Thamar, Rachab, Bathsheba, etc. (Harlots); or the reception of the doctrine of the New Testament from a treacherous Judas who betrayed our Saviour, or a Judaizing Peter who denied him (the dark-side of that Pillar) or of that of the Old, from malicious Jews, that crucified him; or the successive transmition of Priestly orders from the Calf to the Martyr, from Idolatrous Aaron, through a profane Hophni, and Phinehas, etc. & Law-nullifying Superstitionaries, Scribes & Pharisees, etc. (who yet, you know sat in Moses' Chair, as sure as you do in that of the scornful) to Caiaphas himself, who had a negative vote in our Saviours' death (yet owned for High Priest after it) more, I say, than such mediums and methods of reception, are defamatory to that Sacred Humanity, that doctrine, those Orders, etc. this then considered, I cannot reckon the succession or transmission of Orders by means of, & through the polluted and adulterated Church of Rome, more disparagement to the Protestant interest, than the derivation of Order and Religion (as is pretended) from St. Peter, (who, you know, Sir, denied and renounced the Head, and in that, the Body), is to the Popish. Yea, Sir, supposing (3) last, (which yet I will not yield you more than the other) that the Case of our first Reformers had been punctum indivisibile, one of that extraordinary nature and necessity, that they must either by way of mutual consent, (the major part with some Sacred Solemnity selecting one or more for that purpose) mutually ordain each other, or else preach and prosecute the work unordained; either opportunity of ordination from others not offering, or else Violence obstructing; etc. doubtless, Sir, God who is so provident a Guardian to his Church, hath not left her destitute of a lawful warrantable expedient under such an extraordinary case, and extremity as that; which can be no other than one of those two now mentioned; and justifyable by the like practices in the like emergent Cases, by a dispensation from above; that of Aedesius and Frumentius, though private persons, yet instigated and iufluënced by the same Spirit amongst the Indians (of whom they are said by Preaching of the Gospel to have converted a great Nation,) as Eldad and Medad amongst the Jews, is by Ruffinus and Theodoret famed throughout the World; and were it not but that I fear a Church-Dame and a School-Dame may be treated with the like civility by you, I would instance in one who you must needs confess employed her ferula to good purpose, namely, a poor Captive Woman whom Nicephorus affirms to have converted the Nation of the Iberians, and amongst the rest, their King and Queen, the Sceptre yielding to the Distaff, who became (too Royal Ecclesiastes) Preachers to their Subjects; this is a case the more extraordinary, because the sex is such: there are more examples of this kind, which I forbear; for, 'tis a generally confessed matter, that in such cases both Preaching is warrantable in persons unordained, and also mutual ordination by joint-consent amongst Preachers, other opportunity, or remedy failing. And now, Sir, for Scory's consecration— but I shall commit a mortal solecism by and by, and deserve, at least to be excommunicated, though I should not in all my Letter besides— but tush, I am a great way off— a Jove, a Fulmine! The story makes such notorious May-game amongst our Neighbours, especially arrayed in its formalities, that I think they would go near (as you do) to scorn and jeer us down, ex cathedra, but that (and 'tis well as it luck's) we can confront our Scory with their Joanne! consecration with procession; and if we add— succession too, we are absolute Victors in the breeze: but laugh, or frown, Sir, in hypothesi in such an exigency as that mentioned, ordination and consecration in the manner above specified equally justifyable in India, and in Jury, or (to come a little nearer) in London, and in Rome, though bearing no truer mark of the Beast, than that of the sign of a Nagg's- head, etc. and now 'tis out, do your worst: In a word, in all cases extraordinary (as this, which I speak of, is supposed to be), all Law in the world, of Nature, Nations, Canonical, Civil, yea, that of God himself, alloweth a warrantable latitude.— scope sufficient for justification of the Orders both of our first and succeeding Clergy; England's usual Preachers;— Now (once more) of their usual preaching, by you charged both with folly and cruelty, (as hereafter their persons, with ignorance and poverty) as though both ridiculous-full of follies, and a hindrance of salvation; (Insomuch, that I cannot but wonder, that instead of terming yourself (or your Parson, making Herculeses twelve labours of his yearly preachments) to such a Sermon once a month, 
Lett. 1. pag. 107  you did not rather resolve never to hear, one all your life time) a severe censure!  
Sir, Being that [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] Salvation (according to its universally received notion in the Church) is a recovery of mankind out of a condition of sin and misery, into a state of grace and glory; it followeth, that those Preachers and Publishers of the Divine Will concerning it; who preach, publish, and declare to the Church; the nature, the Author and Procurer; the terms and conditions; and the proper means, methods, helps, etc. conducing hereunto; with due explication and application of the same, acco●●●ng to the acroamatic rules of that Divine art; must needs be in foro Ecclesiae, saving Preachers, at leastwise, no Hinderers of Salvation; As, That the condition of all mankind by nature, is a state of sin and misery, consisting in the loss of beatific friendly union and communion with God, (the sum of all created happiness) and the incursion of his wrath, curse, and all the accumulative misery attending his violated Law, both in this world, and that which is to come: That there is no possible way of escape, or recovery, out of this condition, without a Mediator or Redeemer, interposing as a third person, between God and the Delinquent; partly, by reason of that infinite (both) disproportion, and opposition, distance and repugnance between the two parties; and partly, by reason of the Sinners own invincible insufficiency hereunto. That this only Mediator, Redeemer and Saviour, is the Christian's Messiah and Immanuel, the Son of God incarnate in a true Humane Nature, assumed into personal subsistence with the Godhead; as being of all persons in Heaven and Earth, (and indeed a kind of compend of both) alone qualified for such a negotiation; his twofold-Nature, Divine and Humane; his threefold Office, Kingly, Priestly, and Prophetical; his twofold state of Humiliation, and Exaltation; his manifold Virtues, especially his Spirit and Merit; his Laws, Ordinances and Institutions, etc. all co-effectual herein: That true Faith namely, that sacred principle and habit whereby we not only assent to Christ's Revelation of himself, but receive and embrace his Person upon his own terms, as therein offered and revealed; together with true Repentance, (another pious qualification) in turning from sin to God, out of a due sense of the heinousness, as well as danger, of the Offence, and Mercy through Christ in the Offended, with firm resolutions and endeavours of amendment; are the conditions necessarily required in, and of all, that partake of this Saviour, and Salvation: That Good Works, or the acts of sincere and conscionable Obedience, performed to the Moral Law, are the necessary and inseparable testificats, proofs and evidences of that Faith and Repentance; the Decalogue being ever the best justification of the Creed: That the Word, Sacraments, Prayer, (but your Heathen's touch of Devotion will not serve turn) and the like; are to be pursued as the ordinary means and methods instituted and appointed of God, for the producing of that Faith, Repentance, and Obedience:;;;;;; And, Methinks, I have waded through great Mysteries in a little time; and if I gain a Proselyte by the means, my labour is well bestowed; Amen say I; 'tis pity Wit should perish: The Publican two I say, of such fundamental truths as these represented in this Scheam, with due explication and application of the same, must needs, I think, if there be any such in the world, be an edifying and saving way of preaching; not a hindrance, but furtherance of Salvation. And, (to apply) That the usual preaching in the Church of England, is such saving preaching, as well as her Preachers, both her first Refromers and their Successors (infinitely emproved, 
Answ. pag. 25.  since the High-Sheriff's Sermon in St. Mary's Pulpit at Oxford) in point of Order and Office, sufficiently authorised; and the Religion by them purged and preached, and in community with the People, jointly professed and practised, truly Catholick-Apostolick; She, Sir, is very well satisfied, and like to be daily more and more confirmed in it (I hope) unless better Authority be offered for an innovation in either Creed or Clergy, than what hath ever as yet appeared on this side the Sea, or to some of us beyond it, from the Learned'st, either Men or Books: (But I'll assure you, for your comfort, you have little reason to hope ever to see— such days of virtue)— What! and yet our usual Preaching Folly, and a hindrance of Salvation! God forbidden:— Sir, If I have failed in the premises, disprove them; if not, pray deny not the conclusion; but this is antiquated game; 'tis ordinary with the Old Serpent to act the Diabolus, where he cannot be Apolyon, accuse what he cannot destroy; when as after a great expense of Venom and Subtlety, he cannot (thanks be to God) either Vnminister our Clergy, nor Vnchurch our Laity, to the ruin of the whole; he cunningly plays his aftergame, in traducing all; our Church, as Apostate; our Religion, as Heresy; our Discipline, as Schism; our usual Preaching, as Folly, and a hindrance of Salvation: and Sir, supposing I grant part of your charge, that the Preaching of the first Reformers of our Church, and what is usual in it at present, was, is— the foolishness of preaching; what then? such was that of the very Apostles, yet— saving to them that believed; and why not ours? theirs, notwithstanding the Folly charged upon it by the Greeks— saving! and ours, because of the same charge from a Grecizer— damning! destructive, a hindrance of Salvation! Signior no; but to read your destiny in theirs, by the same Oracle; if the usual preaching in our Church be Foolishness, it is— to them that perish, Foolishness; and between Convert and Castaway, I know, and you will find no middle Limbo— 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉! then who fool twice? or worse! Your own dear Minion (with whom I will conclude this particular) hath told you the same upon the matter, in a more intelligible language, (plain English instead of Greek) and that in a cornute, and thereby indeed he pusheth you, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but foolhardy takes no warning; 
Answ. pag. 80.  either you expect (saith he) that your Reader should believe nothing of what you say (throughout your Letters) and then you play the Fool, and write to no purpose; or you would have him believe all, and then you do little better than ('twere almost actionable, had I not a precedent for it) play the— Knave! And now, Sir, By way of reflection upon the whole, in order to a conclusion of this general, What Reader, that is not either prepossessed with your poisonous Principles, and prejudiced, or else wholly stupefied and insatuated, when he shall recollect within himself, and duly weigh the premises: What Reader I say, thus qualified and considerate, will not readily Join issues with me in this conclusion, viz. that the scope, project and design of your Letters of Enquity, can be no other than instead of the pretended redress of the Contempt of the Reformed Religion and Clergy, to expose, and betray both to it, and by means thereof propagate (what your Rhapsody abounds withal) most pestilent and licentious Principles and Practices, Atheism, Libertinism, preparatives to Popery, Sensuality, and what not, to the utter subversion of both; though you have Politician-like for cautelous Guards to the design observable throughout your Epistles, (which I here note once for all) cunningly interwoven Sly insinuations, with dextrous retrieves; prologues from Pilate, and Epilogues from the Harlot, washing your Hands with— the one, as if you meant no hurt, and wipeing your Mouth with the other, as if you had done none; but— praemonitus, praemunitus! And this may suffice for the first part of my undertaking, viz. the detecting of the Stratagem and design of your Enquiry, etc. in order to the prepossessing or dispossessing of your Reader.    

As touching the Second General, viz.  
An Answer to your Process form against the Clergy and Religion, (the Clergy expressly, Religion more implicitly.) What that is, Sir, will best appear from your own Summary. 
Let. 1. pag. 3. — Whatever hath heretofore (say you) or doth at present, lessen the value of our Clergy, or render it in any degree less serviceable to the world, than might be reasonably hoped, may be easily referred to two very plain things; the Ignorance of some, and Poverty of others of the Clergy. Where there be three Observables. The First is, That the Articles of your Charge drawn up against the English Clergy, as the Grounds and Occasions of their Contempt in the Laity; and whatever renders them less valuable in the world, and (what inseparably attends that) less serviceable to it, are summarily these two, Ignorance and Poverty: The one an Intellectual Defect, the other a Civil; (an Assault upon both Head and Heel at once; exceeding the Limits of Satan's Precinct, confined, you know, to the latter, though for Method, you exactly match his upon the whole kind, in this of yours upon the Sacred Order of it; Bold Assassinate! who dares to attact his head, whose eternal right it is to break thine! But to prosecute the Remark;) So that Corruptions in Judgement, and erroneous Principles, that Head-Leprosie (which in another kind did of all others, render a Jew unclean and excommunicable) the faulty Morals of Hophni's and Phinhass', the Bell without the Pomegranate; Canonieal Doctrine attended with Apocryphal Manners; Precisian Censoriousness, as though each would rob other of the benefit of Aetius' Ladder, and climb up to heaven without company (Constantine's Sarcasme to the Novatian Bishop) mutual Contempt, Animosities, Rancours, Inveteracies, bitter and railing Invectives towards each other (which I am sorry that I am enforced to recount) more becoming a Shimei (be Judge) than a Levite: and tell me if ever the dissenting Sects of Athen's Philosophers did more fiercely impugn each other; the Stoic, the Epicurean; the Peripatetic the Stoic; the more refined Platonic, all of them; than have English Pulpit-sects and Sub-sects one another? Ephraim against Manasseh, and Manasseh against Ephraim; as you possibly against me, for using the Simile: Moreover the give-give- Corban of others more studious (to their shame) for Mammon to themselves, than for Mannah for their Flock; as if the Offices of the Fourth Commandment, for one day, might expiate their breach of the Tenth all the week long; whom, it is marvel that Solomon the wise, did not list into his Quaternion of Insatiables: the nonresidence of others, Ubiquitaries, (wandring-Stars) but possibly you reckon Abraham's begetting of Isaac, conviction enough for such: The Laodicean Neutrality, and Lukewarmness of others (Clergy-Gallio's) negligence and idleness, or remissness in the Sacred Function; these (I say) and many more of such little-little- Venials (by you, for Reasons best known to yourself, overpassed in silence, as is also, a most certain ground of Clergy-Contempt, the Vntowardness, Peevishness and Prejudices of the Vulgar, noted by your Answerer) must either be construed none, or insufficient Grounds and Occasions of the Contempt of the Clergy; or else by a necessary Aposiopesis, or such a Mysterious Reserve as you were chastised for above, understood as included under your Universal Diminutive— Whatever lessens the value or serviceableness of the Clergy, etc. that is, according to your Oracular Tripus, Ignorance and Poverty.  
The Second Observable is, that the two Grounds and Occasions of Contempt charged upon the Clergy, viz. Ignorance and Poverty, are here limited to a Particularity or small number of persons; The Ignorance of some (say you) and the Poverty of others; whereas, Sir, both in your Title, and throughout the whole contexture of your Inquest, not Particulars, but the Clergy indefinitely, that is (by all usual and allowed Construction, an Indefinite being equivalent to a General or an Universal) at least the ma●or part and main body of the Clergy is charged with Contempt; persons of all persuasions, Conformists and Nonconformists promiscuously, joint-Professors and Propagators of the same Reformed Religion, (and to my knowledge, several of those, both learned and rich; and yet contemptible!) now what an Inconsistency is this, which you confront us with at the very first? The Contempt charged, general; and yet the Grounds of this Contempt, particular! So that your Argument, if any, must stand thus; Of the English Clergy, some are ignorant, others poor, and consequently some or other contemptible; ergo, the English Clergy is indefinitely contemptible! Now one single Ternion would salve the Antecedent; but the Generality must make good the Consequent; where then is the Consequence of your Argument? Of the Laity of England, the Author of the Contempt of the Clergy, the Friendly Debater, and the little Politist, (all supposed to be Laymen) are Atheists and Religion-Mockers: Ergo, The Laity of England is such! What State, Order, Degree, or Profession of men can be secure from your Lash, after this Illogical licentious rate of Reasoning? The Gentry & Nobility not exempted; no nor the Heptarchy itself, if you had lived in the days of the seven Kings; (which had been our better security for your ever being troublesome to us, than I doubt Devonshire is like to prove.) Of our Nobles, some are as ignorant in their Sphere, as the Clergy is in theirs; as unfit for Council (with submission be it spoken) as these are for the Pulpit; others poor enough, their Quality considered; Ergo, the English Nobility and Gentry are contemptible! If timely check be not by Authority, or otherwise, given to such daring Insolency, your Inquisition of Contempt, may, for aught I know, become ambulatory, and in its Circuit, reach the Gentry, Nobility, Magistracy, yea, at length the Tribe of Judah itself, as at present, that of Levi; for your strain of Argument here offered, suits to all those States indifferently; as the bolder exemplification of it, would to the Original Precedent which you act by; wherein, you know, Moses as well as Aaron was a Sharer: Sir, I hope better things of you, than that you have prologued any such Design with your Sarcasme spent in the case of the Rhetorical Mayor (as you are pleased to Epithet him) when he welcomed His present Majesty to his Corporation (the next greatest defence to the Reformed Religion in the world) with a Compliment derived from Adam, 
Let. 2. pag. 58.  as you say the Ministers Preface is; from whom, it may be, the Mayor learned to date his Compliment: I hope (I say) better things of you; (though I must tell you, Magistrate here flouted, and Magistracy, as well as Minister and Ministry, Person and Office, are near Correlates) having a Charity for all, whom I see to have any for themselves. But to return thither from whence I have digressed: Must not then your inquisitive Method needs appear to any discerning Reader, very wild and irrational? For if only some or other of the Clergy be ignorant or poor, how comes it to pass that the only some or other of the Clergy, instead of the Generality, is not by you indicted and enquired into as contemptible? Or if upon the slender foundation of such Premises, the Ignorance of some, and the Poverty of others, you must needs erect an Inquisition of Contempt; why of all other Orders and Professions, is the Clergy singled out for the subject matter hereof? why not, for instance, Lawyers and Physicians? Especially, since you confess, that in both those Professions, there be not some or other, but many a Contemptible Creature (and it is true; 
Let. 1. p. 80, 81.  and for ought you know, I am one of those Contemptibles) but if so, how comes it to pass that they luck to escape your Inquest? Is it because you are afraid of theirs, if occasion should be? as in case of Over-intimacy with your Hects in the one, or Cousin Abigail in the other? For he must be an Ignoramus himself, that knows not, that what you charge upon the Clergy, reigns in both Faculties: Nor can you be insensible, that in Physic in particular, a Plush Jacquet is of that authority to Dubb with a Doctorato; as never was Black-Coat in the Spiritualship (though you cannot be a greater stranger to the Mysteries of Grace, than this Master Doctor is to those of Nature, devoid of all the Magisterial Accomplishmenns of that Noble Profession) especially if our man in Plush do but luck upon as good a Knack of unriddling the Neapolitan Mystery (one of greater iniquity than that of Chestnuts) as your Gentlemen of the Inns of Court (those Nurseries of Law and Lawyers) have of knowing the four Terms, the Porter's Name, and eating without a Trencher; yet is your Contempt poured wholly upon the Clergy!  
But, Sir, (to proceed) That notwithstanding your Particularities here, of some or others Ignorant and Poor, etc. the very Body and Generality of the Clergy is to be understood as co-involved— crimine in uno: Besides what hath been already said, it will appear to your Reader from the third and last Observable, viz. That your Charge is co-extended to Times (both) Past and Present. Whatever (say you) hath heretofore, or doth at present lessen the valuableness or serviceableness of the Clergy, may be referred to Ignorance and Poverty. Now, Sir, the Extent of Time best proves the Extent of Persons charged; and what this Extent of Time past and present is, doth best appear from your own Comment (which hath been sufficiently scanned) namely, that it is not a Decade or two, ten, twenty, or thirty years; but a whole Century, the age of our Reformation, (though not of our Religion, which is as ancient as God himself) viz. the hundred years' last passed; 
Let. 1. p. 59  the usual Doctrine Preached, yea, and Printed, during which time (and consequently, the Reformed Religion itself) is by you charged with Folly, 
Let. 1. p. 38.  and such ridiculous and impertinent Matter, as is apt to bring Contempt upon the Preacher, and the Religion by him professed; and therefore doomed by you as a hindrance of Salvation, 
Let. 1. p. 81.  rather than a Means conducing to it: From all which, Sir, it is abundantly manifest (your Reader be Judge) that the very first Reformers of the Church of England, and their Successors, to, and at this day, as touching the Generality of them, are understood in and by the Clergy in your Letters of Enquiry, which is charged (how justly, is to be tried) with Ignorance and Poverty.  
Which Charge being a kind of complex Theme (but what, doth like your Minister's Text, untwist itself) containing two Articles, Ignorance and Poverty, shall in my Answer thereunto be distinctly considered.  

As touching the Ignorance of the Clergy, I will briefly inquire into these Particulars, viz.  
1. What particular kind of Knowledge is requisite in the Clergy, so as to free them from the (just) imputation of (its opposite) Ignorance.  
2. Whether the Clergy of the Church of England be justly chargeable with the want of that Knowledge? And lastly,  
3. I will give a Formal Answer to your Charge and Allegations in the Particular; for I have vouched it, though it cost me more Pen, Ink and Paper than both the other two.  

As touching the first:  
Knowledge, Sir, is a matter of very large extent, indeed, an Encyclopoedy, comprehensive of Divine, Angelical, and Humane (Diabolical we excommunicate, and yours, if such) Humane again, first, Natural-Moral; the Original Habits of first Principles, and connate Notions; that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or universal Seminary, which Anaxagoras dreamed of, but what every Son of Adam is more or less possessed of.  
Secondly, Artificial and acquired; both Mechanic, as inferior Arts, Mysteries and Manufacture; and Magistral, Mental and Principal; namely, Natural-Moral parts and principles, advanced, polished and improved by all the Accessary and Artificial helps and advantages of Education, Experience, Discourse, Converse with Men or Books, etc. but especially that of Literature, (or all concurring) famed throughout the world (in case of considerable proficiency in it) under the notion of Learning, the Lucriferous Profession of many, the distinguishing Accomplishment of all that are ennobled herewith; justly valuable amongst men, partly by the excellency of its Ob●ect; partly by its necessity in point of use and humane exigency; comprehensive of all the several Acquists of Knowledge, Natural, Moral, Civil, Divine, etc. both of Philosophy in all its parts, the Liberal Arts and Sciences, Logic, Rhetoric, Physics, Metaphysics, Mathematics, (Astronomy, Geometry, Optics, etc.) Ethics, Politics, Economics, etc. and of the Learned Languages, the Deferents and V●h●cles of Knowledge, both Western and Oriental, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Syriack, Arabic, etc. And of the noble Professions, whereunto all these are subservient; particularly, Law, Physic and Divinity; Theology or Divinity again (the only Profession concern d in your Enquiry) Dogmatical, Polemical, Acroamatical or Concional, Casuistical, etc. that the Man of God may be an accomplished Artist in Positives, and Raiser of Doctrine, Confounder of Heresies, Interpreter of Scripture, Resolver of Cases of Conscience, etc. (to use your own Idiom, as that which happily will like you best.) And what is an Appendent hereupon, Skill in Jewish Learning, Ecclesiastical History, Chronology, Heresiology, Martyrology, Practicals, and the like. And Thirdly and lastly, Knowledge supernatural, immediately infused by God, whether extraordinary or ordinary, common or special, etc.  
Now, Sir, I hope it is not required of the Clergy, that they all, or the generality of them, by you arraigned, be upon peril of imputation of Ignorance from you, or Contempt from the Laity, Masters of Solomon's Encyclopoedy (noted by a little acquaintance of yours, Pineda;) or Justinian's Pandects; or yet (which hath a nearer relation to their Faculty) of Origen's Hexapla, or the Polyglot Bible (otherwise than to be possessors of them in the little Hole over the Oven, provided it be large enough to hold it) or that they be able to preach with Cloven Tongues; or to offer good Hypotheses about the Longitude, the Quadrature of the Circle, a perpetuum mobile; besides non-resident, a Vacuum in Nature, besides what you allege to be in themselves: or that they be skilled in the Circulation, Fermentation, and all the various Phaenomena of the Blood, and in reading of Lectures of Anatomy, besides that of the Heart; and least of all, that they skill in the Mysteries of your approved-of Cobbler and Tinker; nor yet, (which comes nearer to Primitive example) in the employ of a Customehouse-man, or Fisherman, or the like. In a word, that they be absolute Linguists, Orators, Philosophers, Naturalists, Mathematicians, Astronomers, Civilians, Canonists, Politicians, etc. qualified for the Academy as well as for the Church; the Chair, as the Pulpit; and the Bench or Cabal, as for either; and all this (I say) upon peril of the censure of Ignorance from you, or of Contempt from the Laity; else, Sir, you might as well have extended your charge to the whole sixteen hundreds of years last passed, as to the last single Century; and have quarrelled the Apostles themselves, for their little skill in Politics, or Mathematics, and other Parts of Philosophy; and that they were not as dexterous in Squaring of the Circle, as many of them were in casting of a Net; & that they have not left us as exact a Description of the World in the Moon, as of that beyond it; and especially the Fathers of the Church, both Eastern and Western, in that of the whole Paternity, only one single Duumvirate, one for each Climate, Origen and Jerome, (those Christian Masorites) were Masters of the Holy Tongue (the Hebrew) the knowledge whereof is so necessary to that Holy Profession.  
Well then, there is a singular sort of Knowledge requisite in the Clergy, as such; and what that is, must (as I conceive) be determined, partly by the respective Exigencies of the Church, whose Lights and Guides, the Clergy are, or aught to be; partly by those particular Services which the Alwise Founder of the Society, hath appointed and apportioned to each of them therein; and both the one and the other again, partly, by the respective Constitutions of the Church, and partly, by the Successive Revolutions and Interchanges, as corruptions in Doctrine or Life, or both; Apostasy, Captivity, and Persecution, etc. incident thereunto; though the Quotient, or particular Dimensum, and definite proportion of Knowledge res ectively necessary in each Minister, for each piece of Service incumbent upon him; under each Constitution or Condition of the Church, or each emergent exigency thereof, is hardly, I think, determinable by any ordinary Mortal, unless he had been with S. Paul in the third Heavens, or could see beyond the Firmament, and read by that Light, which I understand, is in accessible.  
Now then, the Constitution of the Church being (as hath been declared above) first Domestical, impropriated within the Confines of one Family; (as from Adam downwards during the Patriarchy;) from thence advanced to National; and at last, to Oecumenick or Universal (as may appear, if you turn your Bible backward to the First Adam, and then in a reversed order downward again to the Second) the great Continent of both Jew and Gentile, founded by Christ and his Apostles: This Christian Church again, being considerable, both as originally founded, and as successively propagated; and both the Jewish and Christian Church being subject to, yea, frequently the Subjects of Heresy, Idolatry, Captivity, Persecution, Contempt, etc. It is rational to believe, that the wise God hath all along appropriated and apportioned persons furnished with suitable Knowledge, and necessary Qualifications, to all those respective Constitutions, Revolutions, and emergent Exigencies of his Church: Yea, in matter of Fact, it is certain from History, both Sacred and Profane; and very observable amongst other provisions, was both the Confusion of Languages, preparatory to a National extent, in the Jewish Church; and the sacred Effusion of them, in order to an Oecumenick and Universal one, in the Christian, the chief Subject of this Enquiry. The Architect and chief Founder of the Christian Church, is Jesus Christ, in whom is the fullness both of the Godhead, and of Godliness, Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge, accumulative measures of the Divine Spirit: the Apostles, his Associates, and Ministerial Co-operaries with him in the Plantation, were furnished with an extraordinary share in the same Spirit; jointly demonstrating the Divinity of the Word in their mouths, by infallible Signs and Seals of it in their hands; Oracles with Miracles. Again, the Church being founded, and the chief Founder removed from his Colony, and the rest ready to follow; the same God who appointed Prophets, Apostles and Evangelists for the Original Foundation and Gathering of his Church, provides Pastors and Teachers (a constant and inviolable Order and Series of Ecclesiastical persons) for the successive edification and perfecting thereof, in propagating and preserving the received Religion; all Copartners in the same hereditary Spirit; though with the difference of ordinary and extraordinary, between them and their Predecessors; and also some considerable diversification amongst themselves, as touching particular Gifts, or particular set Forms and Degrees of those Gifts, or their usefulness and serviceableness in the Church; being all universally suited to her particular emergent States, Conditions and Exigencies: thus in case of carnal Security, there is a Boanerges; in case of Persecution and Calamity, a Barnabas; in case of Neutrality and Lukewarmness, a Zelotes; in case of Heresy or Corruption in Doctrine, Champion-Defenders of the Faith; Origen against a Celsus; Jerome against a Helvidius, Jovinian, Vigilantius, etc. Augustine against an Arrius (as also Athanasius) a Donatus, a Manichean, a Pelagius, etc. Basil against an Eunomius; Cyprian against a Novatus; Hilary against a Constantius; Arnobius and Lactantius against obstinate Gentiles; nay whole Councils and Consistories of Orthodox Fathers against the prevailing Heresies of their Times successively; the Nicene, Constantinopolitan, Ep●esine, and Chalcedonian, against the same number of Arch-heretics, Arrius, Macedonius, Nestorius, and Eutyches; so that the Church is never left without a witness of God's Truth, more than the World is, of his Power; Moreover, in case of Defamation, Reproach, or Contempt of Religion or Clergy, still some or other strenuous Apologist; for a Tertullus, a Tertullian, etc. Briefly, Sir, in this Mystical Body, (like as it is in the Natural; S. Paul's Simile, else I durst not use it) some of her Official Members are eminent for one gift, others for another; some for Tongues, others for Interpretation of Scripture; others for Prophecy or Preaching; some for Positives; others for Controversy; others for a dexterous resolution of Cases of Conscience; others again, not all, (for you know, Sir, a double Cap may fit a Head, which a Mitre will not) for Ecclesiastic Polity and Government, etc. But the whole (as I said before) universally accommodated to all the respective, States, Conditions, and emergent Exigencies of the Church, whose Pastors, Teachers, Guides and Overseers they are by eternal sanction constituted and established.  
In fine, Sir, There be two grand Official Acts necessarily incumbent upon the Clergy, as the public Guides, Teachers and Instructors of the Church; namely, the propagation, & the preservation, the delivery, and the security of Divine Truth and Religion; the revelation of it to the Church, and the defence of it being revealed, against its and her Enemies. Now in order to a laudable performance of these Offices, there is 1. absolutely pre-required in point of privilege, the derivation and reception of that Religion from God himself, the Author of all Truth, as well as being: and 2. ordinarily by way of necessary antecedent and preparative to all, a competent knowledge of, and skill in the Latin, Greek and Hebrew Tongues (those, at least, the first being of general use, as in the pursuit of all manner of knowledge in general, so of Divine in particular; both the other two being the Original Languages of that only Authentic Revelation of God and his Will, the Holy Scriptures, co-inspired of God, together with the Doctrine therein contained, and thereby conveyed, and the last Test of Sacred Truth in all Appeals;) in Logical Methods of Ratiocination and Discourse; in Natural and Moral Philosophy; in Metaphysics, and the other more useful parts of Humane Literature, that Naturals being polished and somewhat refined by these (the Divine being founded in the Man) our Ecclesiastic Candidate may be the better prepared for his sacred Province and Mystery, for Theology in all its parts, Dogmatical, Polemical, Acroamatical and Concional, etc. for the reception of Sacred Truth from God, ordinarily conveyed in the use of Means, namely, (as to Ministerial accomplishment) Learning and Learned Languages, the great deferents of knowledge; (whence is observable the Divine Providence in the successive circulation of Learning and Religion together in the world, viz. from its very Aborigines and the Chaldeans, to the Egyptians; from them, to the Grecians; from them, to the Romans; till at last arrived in this Island, to the rescuing of it from its Original Darkness) for the propagating of this Truth being received, whether by way of sacred Orthotomy in a due explication and application thereof, or a dextrous resolution of cases of Conscience, or writing, or otherwise; and lastly for the preserving and securing of it, when published or propagated, partly by a polemic defence of, and contending for the Faith; partly by a due regular Pastoral conduct and Church-Discipline, etc. Now, Sir, as imperitia culpae adnumeratur, (as saith the Aquilian Law) Ignorance by you charged, is a great crime in the Clergy, and no less plague to the Laity; for if their very Light be Darkness, how great must be that Darkness? So on the contrary; the Qualifications mentioned, concurring with other Supernatural Gifts and Ecclesiastic Order, and managed with competent wisdom, prudence, and discretion, I conceive sufficient in foro Ecclesiae, to denominate a person, an able Minister of the New Testament; and then Ambasciator non protapena; 
Let. 1. p. 123.  which very thing is happily confirmed by your own little authority; for though it be not necessary (say you) for every Guide of a Parish, to understand all the Oriental Languages, or to make exactly elegant, or profound Discourses for the Pulpit, (both which, 
ib. p. 38.  by your own confession, our Clergy do, and therefore instead of defect, super-erogate) yet most certainly, it is very requisite that he should be so far learned and udicious, as prudently to advise, direct, inform and satisfy the people in holy matters. etc. And if the Author of the Contempt of our Clergy, once prove their incompetency of Qualification, and insufficiency to these Ministerial Act sand Offices, he is (I must needs say) a most dextrous Ingenioso! else (which had not his own Minion said, 
Ans. p. 80  I durst not) Fool or Knave!   

As touching the Second Particular.  
That the Clergy of the Church of England, Sir, is justly chargeable with the want of that Ministerial Knowledge, as explained, or with Ignorance and Insufficiency; I do in their name and behalf, peremptorily deny. That in the Twilight indeed, and early days of the Reformation, Preaching like the constitution of the Church itself, was rude and impolite; is confessed: Yea, nor is it denied, but that there be here and there— coecus coeco dux, such as your Booty-Antagonist may be, or some others of his Brother-Levites, whose only Manna is a Homily, and Incense, Liturgy! Dutiful Sons of the Church, who can speak as an indulgent Mother hath taught them! and here and there a Sixth-Rate-Non-conformist, a choice Vessel (possibly) but poorly fraughted! Such, I deny not, but there be, of both Predicaments; who to their own shame and ignominy (but that is the least) and to the disparagement in tantum of their Function, Doctrine, and Church wherein they live, are devoid not only of the Ornamental part of Learning, (we could abate them that) but even of what is absolutely requisite to render them apt to teach, or workmen that need not to be ashamed, who may therefore be most justly contemned; for Logic, Rhetoric, and other necessary parts of Philosophy, those they left behind them in the University (if they were ever there) from whence they came— ut canis e Nilo: For Languages, a little Latin serves turn, (and it were well for Priscian, that there were none at all) less Greek; and as to the Hebrew,— that is a Holy of Holies, unapproachable by ordinary Priests; a Disgrace to themselves, to the Church, to the Ministry, and Religion! May Authority for ever doom such to the Desk; but that I bethink myself, it is too near to the Pulpit, etc. You see, Sir, you cannot be more severe than myself, where there is occasion for it. But now, Sir, will you draw your Argument from the Daystar to the Meridian? or because only here and there a dim Light in it, disparage our Candlestick? What is the rude impolite, yea, impertinent, Ministrations and Insufficiency of a few, to a polished generality? or indeed, Plurality? Nay rather, will not the accomplishment and renown of the generality, make abundant recompense for the defects and disgrace of a few? So that there is greater reason for publishing the Credit, than the Contempt of the English Clergy:— a Clergy that deserves more a Panegyric, than needs my Apology, or fears your Inquest. Two things I will be bold to assert here:  
1. There is no Profession in the world, wherein there have been so many persons eminent for all the several parts in the whole Encyclopoedy of Learning as the Clergy, especially the English.  
Again, 2. There is no Hierarchy or Clergy in the world, wherein there have been so many persons eminent for Theological accomplishments, as the Clergy of the Church of England. What! and yet ignorant? yet contemptible? History may to all, Memory to many, and impartial observation at present, save the labour of a List or Catalogue of such Worthies in the British Church, as might have rivalled it in competitorship with any Clergy in the world since the Apostolical itself: But frustra Herculem! For Orthodoxy and practical Divinity, for a solid and clear Exposition of Scripture, for acute decision of Controversy, for admirable dexterity in resolving of Cases of Conscience, for an incomparable faculty in preaching and praying, even to an emulation in Transmarine Divines (all attended with) a correspondent course of Life, the Vrim with the Thummim; for these (I say) the British Ministry hath been, even to a wonder, renowned all the world over.— Stupor mundi Clerus Britannicus! But to Matter of Fact.   

As touching the Third and last Particular, relating to the Ignorance of the Clergy, viz. your Charge and Allegations in the Case, which I have vouched to give answer to;  
Your Inquisition, Sir, I find to be like a Country-Assize, circular; nimbly pursued by several Stages; (as if your self in riding the Circuit (not your Votive Parson) had rid Sun and Moon, both down and up again;) viz. inferior Schools, the Academy, the Pulpit; for that you may convict the Clergy in the last, you criminate both the former; undermining (as is plain) the Church in the School, Religion (in its great defence) Learning. Bold Pursuivant! whom neither an ungovernable School-Fry, nor Academical Splendour, nor the dread of an Ecclesiastic Key, no nor the reverence of a Mitre, hath deterred from the Attempt: But I prepare to follow you, Sir, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in vindicating the Schools, the Universities, and the Clergy of England, all by you criminated; submitting all to the Readers umpirage.  

Your Process then is commenced and prosecuted ab ovo ad mala; from the very first Initials and Rudiments of Literature;— the beginnings of Education, 
Let. 1. p. 3, 4.  (in your own phrase) in the first Trivial Schools (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) and the first thing you criminate herein, is the old fashioned Methods and Discipline of Schooling itself, as undoubtedly chargeable with a great part of our Misfortunes, alleging very remarkable and mischievous loss of time, and abuse of Youth, by means thereof: A great Charge! especially if we consider that the loss or abuse of our tender and more disciplinable time, the Morning of our Age, wherein knowledge is aptest to incorporate with our very Constitution, is like an Error in the first concoction, hardly, if ever, rectifiable. But to proof, Sir, Generalia non pungunt; for my part; I perceive none, but a Magisterial Adviso of some cheering Alleviative to Lads kept to sixteen or sevemeen years of age, 
Let. 1. ib.  in pure slavery to a few Latin and Greek words. Sir, I wonder not, that he who is an enemy to our Clergy, and Religion, is such to our Literature and Knowledge likewise; or that he who is an enemy to Knowledge, is such to those Learned and universally useful Languages; its great Vehicles and means of Conveyance; which the English Nation, especially the Church (stocked and stored out of the younger Nurseries, the Schools) is become beyond any in the world, the greatest Mistress of; and that not out of veneration to Rome or Athens neither, but from a sense of their universal usefulness and subserviency to higher Professions in Church and State; to a great emulation and grudge in the Romish Church, wherein an Vrban-Professor, and here and there a Padro-Latino (for whom yet a Westminster-Lad, who never saw a second Climacterical, would serve for a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) are believed to influence much further than Newcastle. And of this your grudge and enmity against those Languages, your scornful Diminutive, is test sufficient;— a few Latin and Greek words! say you; and those ushered in with your debasing term of Vassalage and Drudgery, pure Slavery! (and followed with usual Sarcasmes;) which yet Scholars usually upon reflection, account delectable. But it is evident throughout your Letters (which I advertise the Reader of once for all) that by frightful Mormoes, and vilifying representations, you study to deter and discourage both Parents from sending, and Youth from going to either School or University; but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
As touching the Latin and Greek, and those other Learned Languages, I assert; that both in regard those are the Parascevastick part of Learning, and the general preparatives to Knowledge; and also that the Acquist of them, in their respective Orthography, Prosody, Etymology, Syntax, various Idioms, copious Significancy, due use and Elegancy, etc. is a purchase of long time; it being so, I say, they must therefore be early attempted, closely pursued, or (believe it) never perfected.  
But to go on; And good Sir, I pray what is that new-Model your Wisdom offers, instead of the antiquated one, as an alleviative or expedient, under this same Grammatical Drudgery?— 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉! You propound it disjunctively, for the greater choice; one is— Reading of some innocent English Authors for some part of the time; English Authors by Latin and Greek Scholars till they can write themselves sixteen or seventeen! Howbeit your Reader may the less wonder at this, whenas you do afterwards advise the very same to the flourishing Vniversity-Youth: But remember, Sir, that all this while you are processing of the Clergy; those you condemn and contemn as ignorant; that you may prove them such in the Church, you criminate their Education in School and University; in both those, you reprehend not Want, but Excess of Learning, for aught I see: Latin and Greek too much; and for English, not enough. Strange Argument! The Clergy is too much knowing and learned in the School and University; ergo, too little knowing, and ignorant in the Pulpit:— Risum tencatis amici!  
But what English, what innocent Authors do you mean? Prophets, Apostles and Evangelists? The Bible is used by them; but that I dare say and swear is not your Meaning. What then? Historians? Leave that Province to the History-Readers in the Universities: Besides, the Remedy would prove worse than any Disease you can apprehend in the case, it being sufficiently known that such Youths as have bended their early Genius's to charming History; have forestalled all their future hopes, and perfectly lost the Scholar in the Historian. Moreover, if English must be the Study, such an emasculated Muse were fit for your School-Dames Ferula, than for that of your little mighty Governors of Paul's School, or Westminster, etc.  
You had done well, Sir, to have specified your innocent English Authors, that we might have known your Meaning, as now we suspect it.  
Another Expedient (in case the former do not take) is the teaching Lads, 
Let. 1. pag. 5.  the Principles of Arithmetic and Geometry, and such like parts of Learning, as what they might be much more easily taught (say you) than what is commonly offered to them.— A necessary Qualification for a Clergyman, pre-required of him in the Low-Form-Schools, upon peril of the imputation of Ignorance, and Contempt to boot, in the Pulpit! (as the latter of them, Geometry, was by Pythagoras in his Scholars, who lost Justin Martyr by the means.) The Rule of Three, a special Directory in the Mystery of the Sacred Trinity! and the Terrestrial Globe, to the Celestial! Though I deny not, but that those are Ornamental parts of Literature, but what must be learned in their due order, so as not to interfere with the more useful and necessary. And do you reckon and recommend the difficult Hypotheses in Mathematics, and no less difficult terms of a Quantitas continua, Points, Lines, Superfice, Rectilineal, Curvilineal, Parallel, Perpendicular, and (what are more likely to bring down the Pin of the Mouth than a Triangle,) Rectangular, Obliquangular, Obtusangular, acutangular, Parallellograms, Parallelepipeds, and such Broadsides as these (than which (say what you will) Homer himself never discharged larger) do you (I say) reckon or recommend these as more easily taught and learned than the early Rudiments usually offered Lads by their School-Guides, as the introductory and preparative part of Learning? Are Euclid's Elements the easiest?  
Another Expedient in your new Model (choice enough) is the more insensible and advantageous instilling and infusing of Languages into Youth, 
Let. 1. p. 8.  by reading of Philosophical Authors, etc. A likely matter, that a Schoolboy will prove considerable Proficient in reading Philosophers, which the most sagacious can hardly master ante annum Sacerdotalem, before that age wherein a Jew was licenced to read Ezeckiel. And why Philosophical Lectures? For the Language only? Can such a Wiseling as you be ignorant that there is infinitely better both Greek and Latin, than ever Philosophy was dressd in? For the Matter only? that every Boy may become a Sophi! then adieu to the Languages. For both Language and Doctrine? that I doubt me will prove a more difficult Province to a Novice, than what is usually offered to them. What your universal Character should be, which you say would be the happiest thing that the world could wish for (but you have forgot, 'tis indeed at the further end of the Book, the virtuous days of refounding King Henry 's Toll, 
Let. 1. p. 124.  but it may be they are co-incident) what this (I say) should be, I cannot guests, unless you mean the Language of the Beast, the Romish Sh●bboleth; and very ordinary Latin, you know, will serve for that. But in fine, Sir, if in your little House by the Churchyard, Youth may be sufficiently Schooled in Mathematics, and the other parts of Philosophy, then farewel Universities for ever!  
The second thing you reprehend in common Schools, 
Let. 1. pag. 13.  is the promiscuous inconsiderate sending of all kind of Lads to the University, whatever their Parts, or Purses, or Instructions be, etc. Where first I remark, that you grudge our Universities their Youth, as you do our Church their Clergy; well knowing, that it is the Nursery that feeds and furnisheth the Vineyard. Again, the Reader cannot be ignorant how many choice and worthy Instruments both in Church and State, have been; whom neither of them had ever enjoyed, had Infantparts (afterwards ripened into a Pregnancy) and a shortness of Purse (which yet Friends, Founders and Benefactors administer relief under) barred their admittance into Universities; as unskilfulness in Geometry did Justine Martyr's into Pythagoras' School: and yet I am as apprehensive as yourself, what Provisions and Preparations are requisite to the undertaking of the Ministry. As for the Letters commendatory of the lamentable pitiful construing-Master, as you entitle him, and the short Instructions given his Pupil, I leave you to the Lash of his own severer Ferula; though I am as little insensible of the great charge and trust of School-Guides, as of the concern of the Ministry now mentioned.  
As for that great Qualification in Academics and Churchmen, 
Let. 1. p. 22, 23.  by very few minded (as you regret) besides yourself, namely, a good constitution and health of Body, an Athletic Crasis, I know none so eminent for it as your all-damning and illiterate Gentlemen (which we have had occasion to speak of) for you know, Sir, Hector was the strongest of all the Troyans'; and by this rule, the best Pastoral Staff were Herculeses Club: But if the Hellish project of resolving all into a Catastrophe of Atheism and Debauchery prevail, how rare a qualification this may be in the next Pygmaean age, is easy to foresee. But Sir, why not Sex determined by your inquisitive Wit as well as Constitution! why a consult of Physicians about the one, more than of Mother-midnights' about the other? For you know that Prophecy is not permitted the Feminine; nor are you ignorant that once a Joanne possessed the Chair; and what cautelous proof, even to a- habet, habet, of Papal-Virility, is made by your Friends, ever since the days of her Groaning Holiness;— sero sapiunt Phryges'.  
And now I speak of the Female, a word of Cousin Abigail too, and no more of her for this year: Was it not enough, Sir, that you rebelled against Aaron, but must you have a fling at Sister Miriam too? Poor Triumph! I would be at expense of an Apology for her, out of reverence to her Sex, were it not for that regard I have to the Modesty of a Divinity-man (a Brother of your Cabal, who, I know, will peruse my Letter) as suspecting how such a tickling Subject might happily influence a stolen Bachelor in the Faculty; whom the Emblem of your salacious Sparrow would of all others best become: But I am weary of this Pedantry. So much for common Grammar-Schools; the primus Lapis, and first Stage.   

Your next Attempt, Sir, is made upon England's grand Phrontisteries, Seminaries and Seed-plots of Learning, the two famous flourishing Universities, Oxford and Cambridge; with whom (not to mention the Palestin Kirjath-sepher, Persian Forum, etc.) the Grecian Athens itself was no fit Competitress; yet by you criminated! Sus Minervam! And in them you reprehend two things, as what more peculiarly concerns the Improvements of the Clergy therein, where, (in the Talmudical phrase) discendum propter docendum,— namely, Academic Exercises, and Academic Wit; two great sins, one of Omission, another of Commission; viz. The omission of English Exercises, which you offer to consideration, 
Let. 1. p. 27. L. 1.33.  as highly useful, especially for the English Clergy, etc. The commission of Delicacies of Wit, as pruning, quibbling, Joquing, etc. highly admired in some of those Exercises: both may be reduced into one; and what a heinous Crime is that? (yet committed against no more Holies than one) namely, want of English Language, and abundance of Wit in Academic Exercises. Where first of all— ad cribrum dicta! Matter of Fact is confessed, Sir, that is to say, there is in the Universities, instead of vernacular English, that which better becomes them, viz. Latin, Greek, etc. Philosophical Exercises: and instead of Aes Dodonaeum, Asinine Stupidity, or dull, obtuse, emasculate, etc. quick, Mercurial, brisk, acute, witty, pregnant Spirits, and all Specimens of Ingenuity and Sagacity, to the honour of the Academy, the Church, the Nation, and emulation of Foreigners; and I believe the prudent Governors of either University, will hardly be persuaded by all your flexanimous Rhetoric, (as your dear Amasio accosts you) or Logic either, to alter their Method in the former, or not to cherish the latter. But (to render you more ridiculous, Sir, than you can the Clergy contemptible) English Exercises in an Academic. Diatribe!— pudeat haec opprobria nobis! What though the Clergy preach in English to their people? Must therefore that choice time, or any considerable part of it, which should be to the greatest advantage husbanded and improved in the acquiry of their due Ministerial preparatives and provisions of Literature, be spent upon their Mother-Tongue? Impertinent! The Rules and Methods of Oratory, the Arts and Arguments of persuasion, are by you confessed to be the same in all Languages; And surely he hath but a very incompetent Dose and use of Reason, who cannot accommodate the same, to any Scope, Theme or purpose pro re nata, upon all emergent occasions, in any Language whatsoever he is once Master of: And as for those Strains, and Delicacies of Wit you speak of, they are 1. Juvenile Elaes', the laudable products of a Youthful Fancy. 2. The frequent Preludes of more than ordinary sagacity and pregnancy of Spirit in the years of maturer consistency; and 3. In case at any time over-luxuriant beyond the bounds of Modesty, and a Trespass in Ethics; yet easily corrigible by a riper discretion; and all to the greater experienced advantage in the whole Trinity of Professions, Law, Physic and Divinity: and what expense and exhaustion of Academic Spirit must needs ensue upon the draining of this Cephalick Vein, is easily discernible. For that Axion of yours, that Rope-Dancers in the Schools, 
Let. 2. p. 104.  ofttimes prove Jack-puddings in the Pulpit; I suspend a Reply, till I be better informed from the Doctor of the Stage (to whom you do so often refer me) and his Puppet: But to go on; what a strange hysteron-proteron, like the rest of your ribble-rabble, have you committed, in recommending the teaching and learning of Mathematics and Philosophical Lectures, the prime Delicacies of Wit, to the lower-Form- Grammar-Schools; and English Exercises (nay a Caput mortuum and dispirited Muse) to the Universities! Yea, and a Solecism in Morals to boot, in a petulant criminating of the want of both; ridiculous! Again, what more obvious than a wicked project of destroying those grand Seminaries of Learning, and consequentially Religion? the Clergy in the Academy! the Mother in the Nurse! the Church of England in her Universities! etc. A compendious way, I confess: For to what purpose (as to the Concern of the Clergy) are Universities either founded, or resorted to, if English Exercise must be their great Academic Discipline? and improvement in their Native tongue, the highest Acquist? which, the world be Judge, doth nothing so well beseem an Alma Mater Academia, as your little house by the Churchyard! or the Ferula of your pitiful construing Master! (I am ashamed to say) Nurse, Mother, or School-dame! So that your Ironic Conjugates, Vniversity-Scholar, university-learning! Academic Youngster, etc. I take to be but verbal tests of your Weigelian project; whereby you study to drain and exhaust those Fountains, which your Masters tell you upon experience, you cannot so immediately poison; till at last, like bemudded low-water-Nilus, they produce nothing but Monsters, like yourself; and Enemies to Learning, Religion, Church and State; who I hope may be by Sword or Key in due time animadverted upon accordingly; if the School-Fry, or the Academic Youngsters (as you call them) prevent not that piece of Justice; and then— Asinus inter Apes!  
Lastly, Sir, ad hominem, as before, one ground of the Contempt of the Clergy, you allege to be their Ignorance; that you may demonstrate their Ignorance in the Church, you quarrel their Education in the University; here all that you criminate, is, want of English Exercises, and Delicacies of Wit; or (which is all one) too much Wit, Latin and Greek, etc. in Academic Exercises: now your Argument then; the Clergy is both too much exercised and expert in Latin and Greek, etc. (or too little in the English;) and also too witty in the University; ergo, ignorant in the Pulpit! Rare Consequence! There they are Sophies, but here very Morio's! I promise you, Sir, if by your Logic you can prove Ignorance, by its opposite, Wit and Learning: I would advise you to Hackney out your Cerebellum to better advantage, than here you have done; and so I have passed your second Stage.   

We are now arrived at your ultima Thule, Master Inquisitor, the very last and chief Stage in your whole Circuit; namely, the Pulpit; where I find the poor Clergy empanelled in Wainscot, and their supposed Ignorance charged from Effects, as before from its Causes; especially in the prime Ministerial Act and Exercise of Preaching, which though (together with that of Prayer) I have before sufficiently vindicated, yet I will now give brief Answer to your chief Allegations in matter of Fact.  

Your First Exception. Sir is form against such Preaching as is either mountingly eloquent, 
Let. 1. p. 38, etc.  or profoundly learned; where, ad hominem, I must be your Monitor at the very first,— Oportet Mendacemesse memorem, Remind yourself, Sir. that the grand design of your Inquest is to detect the Ground, and Occasions of the Contempt of the Clergy; alias, to betray them to it; the chief ground hereof by you alleged, is their Ignorance; and thus you attaint them de capite, especially in the chief Official Act of Preaching; as that which is chief apt to bring Contempt upon the Preacher, and the Religion by him professed: And yet is your first Exception this does unctive, — Preaching either mountingly eloquent, or profoundly learned! What! the Preaching both eloquent and learned; nay, in both, superlative; and yet the Preacher ignorant! How inconsistent are you with yourself? Unless you understand St. Paul's Antiperistasis in the case, as if much Learning and Eloquence had caused a Dotage in the Clergy: but as I said above, Tongue-trip is God's Will, your own Speech all along bewraying of you; as the Ass you know, as well as his Master, spoke against his own Genius: But now what Reader can so far prostitute or debauch his Reason, as to reckon your Ishmael-like Tongue any Slander in another's Credit, since you all along do so foully betray your own?  
Under this Head you criminate the checkering and besprinkling of Sermons with Greek Latin and Hebrew; which yet, provided the Citations be pertinent, not over-numerous, and pro hic & nunc, conducive to the magnifying of the Office more than of the Person, is justifiable by the same Authority that the Apostle Paul quoted Heathen-Greek out of Aratus to the Athenians; out of Menander to the Corinthians; out of Epimenides, to Titus, etc. But I marvel not that you envy our Clergy Learned Languages in the Pulpit, as well as in the Schools; though in the mean time you tax them with Ignorance: Thanks be to God, the world is well amended with us, over what it was in those days, when (as your Answerer notes) Graece nosse suspectum erat, Hebraice prope Haereticum; the Holy Languages, more than Holy men escape not the Inquisition elsewhere; I do the less wonder, that they do not yours at home; as hardly do the very Masorites and Guardians of it themselves, Ben-Israel, Ben-Manasseh, Ben-Maimon, etc. though Jewish Learnning be no mean Minisecrial accomplishment; but possibly the Father may please your better than the Son; Abba Dominicus, Abba Franciscus, Abba Ignatius, etc. and others of the Paternity, whose Worth and Merit, may influence to the lower jambo; else I doubt Jew and Gentile were both alike with you; for I do very much suspect you, and the rather, because of your inveteracy expressed against the Sacred Languages, Hebrew and Greek; the Universal, at leastwise, general Ignorance, whereof in the very Fathers of the Popish Councils is alleged by Bellarmine himself, 
Let. 1. p. 42.  as his reason for the Canonization of the Vulgar Latin. What more intelligible (say you) to all Mankind, than Christ's Sermon upon the Mount? And what less intelligible (say I) to any man, than his Sermon in the Valley, i. e. by the Seaside? without (what the Apostles themselves were fain to court him for) his own Exegetick: And was not the generality of his Sermocinations (for holy and good Reasons, best known to himself) Mystical, Allegorical, Parabolical, Similitudinary, & c? which brings me to your next Censure.   

Your next Exception, Sir, against Preaching, 
Let. 1. p. 44, 45. etc.  is form against the ridiculous, impertinent Materials of the Sermon, as that which doth more immediately cause the Preacher to be scorned and undervalved: And under this Predicament, you sum up a confused Miscellany, and Ribble-Rabble,— Prefaces-Textual Divisions, Method of Doctrine, Intermixture of harsh Metaphors, Childish Similitudes, misapplied Tales, etc. Where you must excuse me, if I attend you not in your own preposterous order: It shall suffice that I defeat, or answer to your chief Cavils and Allegations, under one or more of these ensuing Paragraphs; very briefly.  

First of all then:  
As Preaching of the Word of God by persons Called and Qualified thereunto, is a Divine Institution; so there seems not to be a more exact Art of Ortho●o●ny, or Method of Preaching more congruous and suited to an Auditory, as Men or as Christians, than That by way of Doctrine, Reason and Use; Textual Explication, Rational-Scriptural Demonstration, and Practical Improvement: This is plain, Sir, for by the first; Scriptural Words and Phrases, Idioms and Sense is explicated and understood; by the second, from Principles of common Reason, (your own persuasive Reason) or plain Scriptural Texts, and Collection (and therefore usefully intermixed with Sermons, whatever you allege from S. Basil or chrysostom whose ordinary Sermons were but short Homilies preached as so many Sacred Journals, every day) the Judgement is convicted; and by the last, enforced by the former, and closely insinuated with suitable, pertinent, pithy, lively, zealous, but withal sober and prudent expressions, the Affections are engaged; and what more can be required or expected from this one Ministerial Exercise? Which yet thus Methodised, is in your Dialect, idle, 
Let. 2. p. 131.  empty and insignificant; but— Asinus in Paleas! It may be a Lecture out of your Protestant-Homer, or Evangelist-Virgil, or Plutarch or Seneca (as Scultetus observes of some carousing Germans, near a kin to your Friend Hect.) might please you much better than a Sermon from one that is— Dionysius Corinthi. But as touching what hath been for an hundred years last passed, and at present is the usual Preaching in the Church of England, by you daringly and wickedly censured, as Folly, and a hindrance of Salvation, rather than the Means to it; I have sufficiently defeated you before, which will save me a great deal of Labour here.   

Secondly, Sir,  
The intermixture of Allegories, Parables, Metaphors and Similitudes, in Preaching, provided they have a Foundation in Nature, or Scripture, or no way interfere with either; be apposite and pertinent to the purpose; not over-numerous; used with due reverence, and managed with prudence as to Use and Application, are very justifiable, both by the practice of Christ and his Apostles; and by the Official Scopes and Ends of Preaching: (I might add the Scriptural Representations of the Divine Excellencies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which would do more authentic execution, than the largest Broadsides that ever you discharged from Homer) As for the former, the practice of Christ and his Apostles, in this Allegorical, Parabolical, Similitudinary, etc. way, is unquestionable, the admirable Reasons whereof, you tell us you'll not insist upon- ne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quidem though I must tell you, this had been the way by your arguing, to have reproved; but you are wise, Sir,— Ne Sutor ultra Crepidam? Now this is a Maxim with me till otherwise informed, that whatever Christ or his Apostles did as public Doctors of the Church, wherein they are imitable by their Successors, Pastors and Teachers, etc. therein they may lawfully, nay in some cases ought necessarily to be imitated. As for the official scope and end of Preaching, it is the edification of a promiscuous Auditory, which by Metaphorical and Similitudinary insinuations, (with the Cautions specified) intermixed with Doctrinals, no despicable knack in the foolishness of Preaching, is very generally gained upon, and most lastingly influenced; insomuch that a part Metaphor or Simile, hath often proved a Memorial Topick of such a durable impress upon the Mind and Memory, as that by means thereof the chief scope, series, and contexture of the whole Discourse, hath been remembered, which else had been irrecoverably lost: Sir, I could tell you of the chief Fathers of the Church, as chrysostom, Gregory Nazianzen, and others, nay (which may be of more authority with you) the best Orators, both Greek and Latin, that have used this Metaphorical, etc. way, as highly Rhetorical; yea, and of a Painter and an Orator converted by means of one Simile in a Sermon; but I forbear till better Acquaintance with you; concluding, that Parabolical Divinity, though it be not Argumentative, yet proves often Edificative. Sir, I cannot dismiss this Head, till I have a little rectified yours: You say, that in Similitudes there ought to be an exact agreement with that which is compared. 
Let. 1. p. 48, 49.  This is as good as all the rest; an exact agreement is next degree to Identity, and yet in omni simili est dissimile, is a Maxim not less notorious for truth, than you are for Forgery: Let us but instance in one of our Saviour's, by you quoted; 
Ib. p. 57  Be wise as Serpents, said he to his Disciples, and harmless as Doves; where he doth equally recommend to them a qualitative resemblance and imitation, both of Serpent and Dove; now if there be as exact an agreement between the Apostles and the Serpent, as between your Gang and it, where is the Dove? if between them and the Dove, where is the Serpent?   

Thirdly, Sir;  
Your Inquest is extralegal, contrary to all the Rules of Process (which I could prove both from Civilians and Canonists) The world is plagued with a pestilent Pamphlet or Libel, fronted with the Specious Title of The Grounds and Occasions of the Contempt of the Clergy, etc. The Generality of the Clergy is by you therein accused; but all this while, none de nomine, neither by name, nor yet with the least offer of proof, though you have the boldness to tell us, that if there had been need (and was there not need? a Reverend, Pious, Learned Clergy being impeached by you in their Ministerial Credit and Reputation, dearer to them than their Lives; that so they might have answered for themselves, justifying or excusing, etc. Cruel Mockings!) If there had been need, say you, Boldface, you could have quoted Book, Page, Persons and Circumstances of time and place (when, where, and by whom, etc.) of all that you have alleged; yea but you have not, Sir; your Allegations are throughout your Libel, levied and levelled against some or other Individuum Vagum, and Indefinites, which may be all as well as some, and none as well as any; and all this without proof. I instanced in several above, of the prophaner sort, of your own forging there may be more; and I dare say, are: the Latitude you take is great; non liquet, then; and therefore you must give me leave to read you with Epicharmus' guard, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; and for an utter spoiling of your Design, let the Reader recall to mind that Hellish-Romish Principle above mentioned, (whereby you are in all probability acted) namely, that the End doth specify (and therefore justify) the Means; as for example, if the End propounded and resolved upon in the Conclave or Cabal, be that great and sacred one de propaganda fide, let the Means conducive to the accomplishing of this design be never so execrable, base, black or bloody, as Contempt of the Clergy, slandering, maligning, reviling, of the adverse party, lying and dissembling, Perjuries, Equiuccating, and Mental Reserves; nay, Sword, Fire and Faggot, Clandestine Murders, Open Massacres, Deposition of Kings and Princes, yea, Regicide and King-killing itself, the embruing of Hallowed hands in Sacred Blood, as their Patron- Judge Pilate before them, did his washen ones in that of our Saviour, etc. All this, as horrid as it is, is upon its congruity, tendency, and correspondence to the propounded End, ipso facto, Canonised for good and lawful; yea, and meritorious too! And who cannot (Reader be Judge) who cannot but abhor the Authors and Abettors of that Religion, which can render such Facts as those are Canonical? whereof your Contempt of the Clergy, Sir, I have reckoned one.   

Fourthly and lastly, Sir,  
What though I suppose (which yet till you prove it, I am not obliged to yield) that all your Allegations were true in matter of Fact; yet shall you never be able by all this to prove what you have undertaken; namely, that the Generality, no Sir, nor yet that the Plurality of the English Clergy is ignorant, or insufficient, and therefore contemptible. Do your worst. Therefore for a clear issue of the matter; after enquiry made into your Enquiry, and examination of your Charge form against the Clergy, I find the Particulars therein alleged, to be all reducible to these three Predicaments, viz. Some of them are, I confess, indiscreet, irreverent, impertinent, ridiculous, nay, blasphemous; and consequently just ground and occasion of Contempt: Others again, justifiable; others, lastly, not only justifiable, but laudable; grounds not of Contempt, but of Applause: again, those very matters which are condemnationworthy, are not the constant Practices, but only accidental Lapses of their respective Authors; and but, I doubt not, few in comparison of their Virtues; though you cannot more severely doom Irreverence and Impertinencies, but especially Blasphemies in the Clergy, than myself; and therefore I do with all humility advise two things: First, That whoever are guilty in the Particulars mentioned, they may upon recognition take and bear their condign shame for it. Next, That turning your Accusation into advantage, and being taught caution and circumspection, by the vigilancy of such an Argus as you, who watch for their halting (as you know who doth for devouring) ready upon the least trip or occasion, Cham-like, to discover a Reverend Father's Nakedness; they may for the future, declare their Message to their people in none but proper (though Metaphorical) pertinent, significant, duly coherent Expressions, with that reverence which may become the Divine Majesty whom they personate, that gravity which may become their Sacred Office and Embassy, and after a way and manner universally condecent to the Ministerial Profession and publication of Holy Scriptures, and those sacred Mysteries therein contained, whereof they are the Stewards; taking your last Salvo and Retreat (for as I preadvertised your Reader, you begin with Pilate, and end with the Harlot, he may remember in what sense) for a Warning-piece for ever, viz. that when the Gallants of the world do observe how the Ministers themselves do jingle, 
Let. 1. p. 130, 131  quibble and playthe fools with their Texts, no wonder if they who are so inclinable to Athcism, do not only deride and despise the Priests, but (as you do) droll upon the Bible, and make a mock of all that is Sober and Sacred.  
But now, Sir, to return to yourself again, If of three parts of the Clergy, (by proportion) by you accused, only one part be guilty, (and surely the Innocency of two parts must in all reason do the Clergy more honour, than the Gild of one single Tertia can cause Contempt) again of this one guilty part; the faults not customary, but few in number, in comparison of Virtues (Criminals and Crimes both few) and many of those such as are incident to the best, whilst on this side the Moon, (though I doubt not but you have turn ' your Magnifying-Glass towards thed Crimes, as well as your Multiplying one towards both them and the Criminals;) If (I say) it be so, of three parts of the Clergy, only one faulty; and in this faulty part, more Virtues than Faults! more of what is honourable, than of what is contemptible! with what colour of Morals or Judicials, of good Manners, or Equity, can you charge Ignorance, and consequently Contempt, upon the Clergy indefinitely; upon the Generality, or indeed upon the plurality by you accused? The impartial Reader be Judge. Now for a Criticising exemplification of what I have asserted, namely, that of the three parts of your Allegations levied and levelled against the Clergy, only one part condemnable, the other two justifiable, nay one of them highly commendation-worthy and laudable: and then at last a summary recapitulation of the whole.  
First then I reckon the Oyster-Litany and the Flounder-Creed; 
Let. 1. p. 52. Let. 2. p. 128. Let. 2. p. 59, 60. ib. p. 64.  the likening of of Isaiah's Wine and Milk to a Spiritual Sack-Posset; Christ's coming into the world to save Sinners, to a Christmass-Feast of three Dishes: the Son of God, to the Dauphin of Heaven; the Son of God, not the Daughter of God, etc. (as by you represented, though I am much persuaded that your own endeared Volupia; is the Authoress of all) abominable Blasphemy! 
Let. 1. p. 57, 58.  Parson Slip-Stocking, and the spiritual Shopkeeper (such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Athanasius complained of in his time) both grossly ridiculous! 
Let. 1. p. 55, 56.  Your Chemical Divinity of Aquafortis, Sal-armoniack, and Aqua Regia, as also the Soap of Sorrow, and the Fuller's Earth of Contrition; 
Let. 1. p. 63, 68  your chiming Divinity of Reason and Revelation; as also of ingress, egress and regress, number and name, manner and measure, 
Let. 1. p. 62. Let. 1.66  etc. your harmonious Divinity of the Spheres, and Peal of Faith, Hope, and Charity; your Mechanic Divinity of the straddling Compasses; 
ib. p. 67.  your Meteorological Divinity of the Text dropping and melting asunder; 
ib. p. 69.  your Horological Divinity of Spiritual Dialling, etc. All Folly and Impertinency! 
Let. 2. p. 72, etc.  The Wedding Ring fit for the Finger, will not, I assure you, fit mine, who by no means likes— arctum annulum gestare! a ridiculous, immodest, lascivious Epithalamium inspired from Hymen, more like than from the Innonocent Dove, and becoming a Wanton, 
Let. 2. p. 123. ib. p. 124.  rather than a Pulpiteer! The Butt of spiritual Wine will hold no common Water; I would it had never been broached. The Chest and Cupboard of Truth, is as empty as the Butt, unless the Author mean the Ark of the Testimony. Faith likened to a Foot, a Leg, a Hose, etc. 
L. 1. p. 59 L. 2. p. 63 L. 1. p, 60 ib. p. 71. ib. p. 68 Let. 2. p. 124.  The adulterating of the Apostolical Coin; the Milky way to Jupiter's Palace; the threshing worm Jacob; the Doctors weeping 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; the note of great Sacks, and many Sacks, etc. sweeping the Walks of the Heart, spiritual Leech, Angle of Prayer, Fishing for Mercy, 
L. 1. p. 75 ib. 72, 73.  laying the Soul a whitening, holy girding and trussing up for Heaven, and the like Discoveries and Expressions, like your Salt-water-Language of Starboard and Lar-board, etc. all affected Strains of Irreverence, Folly and Impertinency. Again, Sir, 
L. 2. p. 64 L. 1. p. 53 ib. p. 56. ib. p. 72. ib. p. 74.  the Sun of Righteousness, not Moon of Righteousness; this Sun passing the Signs of the Zodiac, etc. your Omnipotent All, etc. the Bulrush-repentance; Christ's taking the Disciples a Cubit lower, while they were taking thought for a Cubit; the Scribes following of a Thou rather than a That (that is, 
ib. p. 75.  Person rather than Mercenary Advantage) Mercy turning Justice into a Rainbow; 
Let. 2. p. ●24.  the Rainbow a Bow indeed, but what hath no Arrow in it, and the like; though not like the more solid Divinity, yet very excusable, yea, (being prudentially managed as to use) justifiable too, as being frequent quickners of Fancy, as this is of Attention in sacred performances! 
Let. 1. p. 67.  Moreover, Accusatio vera, Comminatio severa, englished a Charge full of Verity, and a Discharge as full of Severity; the Textual Dividends by you criminated; as also miraculum in modo, and miraculum in nodo, and the like, are all brisk, laudable Notions; much like that strain which is known to have been very familiar to S. Augustine, Bernard, and other Fathers of the Church (witness their Works) whom therefore you might as justly in this respect, traduce and expose to Contempt, as English Clergymen: Of this nature was that which myself heard but very lately from an eminent Pulpiteer, citing those words of the Psalmist, I am wonderfully made; his Gloss was, Acupictus sun (Englishing it) I am a curious piece of Embroidery or Needlework! and very laudable; favoured I believe (as those who understand the Hebrew better than your Countrey-Parson or I do, can inform you) by the Original: And certainly intermixtures of such innocent brisk strictures, and acquaint Notions as these are, do much add to the life of a Discourse. You shall be my debtor for another, (and then I return to yours) which you will say, is as acute a remark from the Pulpit, and delicacy of wit, as any that occurrs throughout all your Narrative; namely this, that S. Paul is a spiritual Hermaphrodite; a rare one indeed, if true; but how is that proved? By his own testimony, else we had never known it; thus, he begot the Corinthians, and travailed in birth of the Galatians; and all this mystically; is he not then a spiritual Hermaphrodite? A acquaint notion indeed; which with many more witty and very laudable Attra●bives of Fancy and Attention, we should never enjoy from the Pulpit, should you exhaust that delicate Vein in the University, or render it contemptible to the Laity. The proving of Monarchy or Kingly Government from Christ's advice, Seek first the Kingdom of God, etc. and of Episcopacy, yea of Peerage too; from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Jailor's question (as if no better Gentleman had ushered the Bishops into the House of Lords) and arguing from Abraham's begetting of Isaac, 
Let. 1. p. 76, 77, 78.  against Nonresidence; I take to be amongst many more, witty Calumnies of your own contrivance, wherein there is more of Mercury, than of Saturn; and less of Divinity, than of either: In the mean time, you remind me of one more, which I can furnish you withal, and no more for me till your first Doomsday (which is hard by) One Criticising upon that place of S. Paul, Evil Conversations corrupt good Manners, because forsooth, there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Original, did read, instead of evil conversations, wretched Homilies! a Fanatic, I warrant him; but whom shall we blame here? Since the Greek will bear this Translation? him, or S. Paul? or Heathen-Menander, from whom the Apostle adopted it into the Sacred Canon? I leave it in medio, and proceed.  
Again, Sir, amongst Laudables in the Foolishness of Preaching, & what is sufficiently pertinent, significant, and commendation-worthy in the Sermons or Books of those whom you condemn, 
Let. 1. pag. 52.  I reckon the likening of the Apple of that Tree which grows upon the Banks of the River Euphrates, which is to the Eye fair and tempting, but inwardly dust and rottenness, to the frail corruptible state of man. 
ib. p. 60.  The likening of Scripture-Doctrines, Precepts, Promises, Threaten and Histories, to the five smooth stones, etc. and should highly applaud it, were the fourth but as smooth as the rest, 
Ib. p, 65.66.  The likening of Texts to a Picture, Moses' Rod, Eli●ah's Mantle, Solomon's Throne, Noah's Dove, etc. and the like proemial insinuations, conciliative of attention in the Hearers, all justifiable by the Rules of Oratory: The likening of wholesome Instructions for young men and young women, to Apples of Gold, 
Let. 2. p. 132, &c  as being warranted by Canonical Parable; though you belike disrelish the Works of the Author, because there is so much of that in them, whereof S. Augustine found so little, that is, nothing at all, in those of Tully, namely of Jesus or Christ: 
ib. p. 134, 135.  The likening of strength, time, parts, gifts, etc. to Males in the Flock, by the same authority, etc. But it is plain, Sir, whatever you pretend, that not this Author's Apples of Gold, are the Apples of Strife; not Metaphors in Preaching, but the very Ordinance of Preaching itself: Now for my part, I think these very good, sound, savoury and practical Instructions, Young men and young women, lean upon the Lord Jesus Christ, lean upon Christ's Wisdom, Power, Righteousness, Merit, etc.— Your strength, time, parts and gifts are all Males in the Flock, 
ib. p. 135, &c,  etc.— Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven; it is not, blessed is the Honourable man, the Rich, the Learned, the Politic, the Victorious; 
ib. p. 137.  but blessed is the Pardoned man! etc.— O the Experiences that an old Disciple, or old Christian hath of the Ways, Workings, Word and Love of God, 
ib. p. 145.  etc.— Ah! None but Christ! none but Christ! (the dying Bellarmine's Note! and what will be yours too, unless your case be desperate) Nonc to Christ; no Works, Services, Prayers, Tears, Righteousness, or Holiness to Christ; lay out for, make sure of, close with, cleave to, rest, lean and rely upon Christ, etc. Now, Sir, upon recollection, what do you say to it? where is the impropriety? What ground of Contempt here? To me, to the Reader, to all Friends to the Ordinace itself, this doth, and must needs appear to be the close, lively, pertinent, practical Preaching of some Zelotes, a Workman that needs not to be ashamed, nor ought (upon peril) to be contemned; amplified in the Author by some affectionate ingeminations, justifiable in popular Sermons.  
Once more, Sir, (I am weary of the Theme) your chief assault relating to Likenesses, which I would call your Achillean one, but that you are such a Friend to Hector, whom Achilles slew, is made upon the Christian (as Satan's last was upon Christ himself) in the Mount; 
Let. 2. p. 124, 125, etc.  where you contrast two Ordinances at once, Meditation and or (rather) in Preaching; the Reader may peruse your own words at his leisure: The great business which you with your witty Sarcasticks criminate and calumniate, is the Likenesses whereby the Author of the Treatise mentioned, hath used in the matter of Meditation; how justly, I will quickly determine: Meditation, saith the Author, is like a withdrawing-Room; like chewing of the Cud; like climbing up into a Tree; like a Mount or a Tower; like going into a Bath; like the  by which we feed; like Israel's eating of Manna; like a Cordial to be drunk down, etc. And all the several Likenesses by you represented with all the advantages of Wit that may be, to the Author's discredit; and in fine summed up in an Anacephalaiosis; so that in a very little compass, say you, Meditation is climbing, bathing, tasting, eating, drinking, & chewing the Cud— Ilias in Nuc●! Compendious Wit! Again (Meditation is like a Loadstone; like a Cork to a Net: and soon after, say you) like distilling of Waters, and beating of Incense; But now we go far & deep; Meditation is like digging of spiritual Gold out of the Mine of the Promises. But we soon come above ground again for a little while; and Meditation is like digging about the roots of a Tree; but down again presently; for Meditation is like digging in th● Mine of Ordinances, etc. I am quite tired with your Likenesses! Now I doubt not of your own at mihi plaudo here, nor yet of your Humsters Amen! And matter of Fact I have supposed; the Justice of your Charge is the thing in dispute; where I will use no such faint Apology as credendum est artifici in sua arte, you being an Invader of another's Mystery; nor yet a greater one than that, sometimes mentioned; namely, that all, even the meanest of such Likenesses, and other strains (canting Elaes') in a Paroxysm of pious Zeal, are justifiable in the foolishness of Preaching (for so the Scripture hath termed it before me) by the Official Scopes and Ends of it, in popular edification; Signior no! I have you upon the hip again, as I have had you all along, to the rendering of you more ridiculous and despicable to any discerning,  Reader, than you, your Minions, your Masters, or Hell itself (do your worst) can the Clergy: So that Novacula in cotem! Therefore ad hominem (briefly) Sir, You yourself propound and require that the Clergy would be guided and persuaded by what our Saviour preached himself, and those Directions which he gave to his Disciples for so doing: Good! But now (to subsume to your own Proposition, 
Let. 2. p. 141, 142  Sir) our Saviour himself preached and gave directions for such Preaching, as is here by you so critically traduced, namely, by way of Metaphor and Simile, or (in your own taking Idiom) Likenesses; (and a happiness it is that a wise and ever-blessed Mester hath left such a Precedent behind him for the vindication of his calumniated and contemned Servants) Do you see then what a Dilemma, alias, an Oxford-Noose or Bocardo, I am like, nill you, will you, to entangle you in? namely, that either the Servant must necessarily share in the Master's (Ministerial) honour; or else the Master himself, in the Servant's Contempt! Choose you which you will, and stand and fall to your own Master; I, the Clergy, Preaching, are all secure: Now for proof of my Assumption concerning Christ's own Preaching, etc. Compare we with the Christian on the Mount, Christ in the Plain, viz. by the Seaside; that is, Christ's own Preaching, with that of his derided Minister: In a word, Sir. consult and peruse the Thirteenth Chapter of S. Matthews Gospel; there you shall find in one Sermon of our Saviour's, just as many Similes of the Kingdom of Heaven, (and as strange, if an Atheist be Censor) as you reckon up of Likenesses of Meditation, 
Let. 2. p. 125.  in a very little compass of the Minister's: First of all, The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man which sowed good Seed in his seld; a little after, The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a grain of Mustardseed; as much unlike to a Man, as the N●t is to the Lordstone: By and by, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto Leaven, very unlike unto the former: After that, The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Treasure h d in a Field; which you would call a going far and deep, and add possibly, but we soon come above 〈◊〉 again; for the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Merchantman, etc. And again (which hath very little or no resemblance of the former Likenesses) the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Net, etc. So that if a Mortal might dare to presume upon facetious disporting with Sacred Scripture; it were easy to recapitulate, viz. that in a very little compass, namely, that of one short Sermon, the Kingdom of Heaven is a Sour, a Grain of Mustardseed, Leaven, a Treasure, a Merchantman, a Net! Now, Sir, if you reckon this matter of Contempt in our Saviour, declare yourself straight; be no longer Atheist in disguise; If not, than neither is it such in his Ministers conforming to such a Pattern, or (in your own Language) guided by his Preaching and Directions; therefore ab absurdo, if my reason may not convince you, let your own upon recollection; but if you be neither convicted by argument, nor confounded otherwise, for my own part, I expect no other, but that the world, at leastwise, this part of it, England, will experience your Enquiry into the grounds and occasions of the contempt of Religion, and Clergy (alias, an exposal of both to it) to have been but a prologue to a higher or further Province. There are two Books Sir, which in laboris compendium, you refer your Reader to; the one entitled a Friendly Debate; the other Flames and Discoveries; your Oracles possibly; but 'tis all one; what your other Readers may do herein, I know not; but for myself, I think I shall hardly dare to meddle with them, I have so much of you: As for the former; I understand there is a Cerberus in the case, and I list not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. As for the latter, Flamma fumo proxima; and sire and smoke are terrible things, especially when more from the Pit, then from the middle Region; more plague, than meteor. But Sir, if your ignis fatuus must have sacred fuel to feed it withal; why is it the English Clergy and their Preaching, rather than the Romish, which is known to abound with all manner of blasphemy, folly and impertinencies? witness their own Innocent the third his mysteries of the Mass; Durand's Rational; Tolet and Titleman, &c: Did ever English or Resormed Divine commit such a ridiculous, impertinent, blasphemous gloss upon Holy Scripture, as is that (to instance but in one, for I long to be rid of them and you both) of one of their very Cardinals, Barronius by name, upon those verses in the eight 〈◊〉, relating to the Messiah, Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thine hands, thou hast put all things under his feet, all Sheep and Oxon, y a and the Beasts of the Field, the Fowls of the Air, and the Fish of the Sea, etc. Now observe Reader Cardinal Points!— Thou hast put all things under his feet, that is, under the feet of the Pope of Rome; Sheep, that is, Christians; Oxen, that is, Jews, and Heretics; Beasts of the Field, that is, Pagaus; Fowls of the Air, that is, Angels; Fishes of the Sea, that is, Souls in purgatory; Do more artificial, and ingenious 〈◊〉 occur in all your Rhapsody then these? but I am weary of them and you both.  
Therefore Sir, by way of recapitulation (which is the other thing that I propounded) to sum up the whole; The Clergy of the Church of England, hath been by you charged with Ignorance, as the just ground of Contempt; that you might prove them ignorant you criminate something in the Grammar Schools; something in the Universities; something in the Pulpits; in Grammar-Schools, the not reading of English Authors, and the not reading of Philosophical Authors and Mathematics etc. the former whereof is fit for a Domestic nursery, the latter fit for an Academy: In Universities, want of English, that is, nothing but Latin Greek, etc. exercises; and the delicacies of Academic Wit: In the Pulpit, and Minister's last Edition, either superlatively cloquent, or profoundly learned Preaching, partly, & partly Preaching by way of ridiculous impertinent Metaphor, Similes, and such like things as might procure Contempt to the Preacher, and the Religion by him professed: Of the allegations produced in matter of fact two parts of three are acquitted, as either at least justifiable, or highly laudable, and matter of applause rather than of Contempt; yea and the tertia, third or only one part, that is confessed peccant and faulty, not customary neither; and besides attended with virtues which may procure more credit and honour, than the defects can possibly, disparagement or contempt; all which duly considered, your Reader be judge, what do all your arguings reprove?  
The other part of my Province I will quickly dispatch.       

As touching the Poverty of the Clergy.  
I will briefly inquire, Sir,  
1. Whether Poverty be a ust ground of the contempt of the Clergy?  
2. Whether Poverty be an actual occasion of this Contempt? And  
3. Whether Poverty and Contempt may admit of any redress?  
As for the former  
That the Clergy is upon the account of poverty therefore the ●ure Contemptible is most justly denied; else Christ himself the Antesignan and Head of the Clergy, and the Apostles his Associates had been de jure contemptible; for the former, though Lord of all, had not where to lay his head; insomuch that when he had occasion to pay a little Tribute e he was fain to be at the expense of a miracle for it; the latter by the very Laws and Terms of Discipleship, nor Silver nor Brass to buy necessaries for themselves, nor yet Scrip to receive the charitable benevolence of others; both (briefly) in extraction, relations, possessions, etc. very poor! What and therefore justly contemptible? nay on the contrary.  
2. It hath ever been matter of sacred veneration towards the Christian Religion, glory to its Author and Promoters, and wonder to a perfect consternation and amazement in its Adversaries, that it hath been founded and propagated, preserved and maintained by the poorer predicament and order of mankind: who would ever have thought that a poor Duo-decemvirate, poor in extraction, relations, possessions, number, power and policy, Twelve inconsiderable Mechanics, within the space of Forty years would have proved such absolute conquerors of the greatest part of the known world, in subduing the same to and by the Christian Faith? Though their opponents were numerous, potent and politic: Verba leguntur piscatorum & colla subduntur Oratorum, said St. Augustine, Fishermen, prove Fishers of men! (a canting quibble, but that it is warranted by a jure Divino) catching Imperial necks in their book; subduing Sceptres to Christ's Standard— the Cross! I shall not need here to mention the succeeding Propagators of the same Faith, Primitive nor Modern, the poor of Lions, Paterius, Humilists, Waldenses, Albigenses, etc. Nor yet our own si●se● Reformers, in whom a Divine power was most honourably eminent, as well as in their Predecessors in that those ●erformed by Miracles, what these (which the above named Father observes to be the greatest of Miracles) performed without them, save that of Conversion. But here a vehement Objection is framed from a Divine Providence; against the Clergy, usual with all Atheists, against Christians in general.  
Though Ministers be called the men of God (say you) yet when it is observed that God seems to take but little care of them in making them tolerable provisions for this life, 
Let. 1. p. 95.  — the people are presently apt to think that they do no more belong to God, &c, But what would you infer from hence Sir? You will bewray yourself again; for you speak yourself in the people: One of two must necessarily be implied, either none or (which is the same) an unjust Providence in God; or else no part or share in that Providence for a poorer Clergy! Improvidence or injustice in God in that he doth not make competent provisions for the Clergy; or else the misery and unhappiness of the poorer Clergy, in that they have no part in his Providence; and consequently, their just ground of Contempt: No God or else, no poor Clergy! or if poor, contemptible! are you there Sir? Nay even off with your Mascarado, profess yourself downright; for the most desperate Atheist, or (which is all one) Anti-providentialist, is one in disguise; therefore I assert (if truth, be you my Proselyte; if not, I promise you upon conviction to own myself yours) First,  
That there is a Divine Providence, by which the whole World, and all its contents, creatures, actions, states, cases and concerns in every kind, order, and degree whether Metaphysical, viz. Generals and particulars, things great and small, or natural, viz. things necessary, free and casual; or moral, viz. actions good and bad; or civil, viz. conditions prosperous and adverse, etc. are all preserved, governed and conducted to the respective ends allotted them by the wise Creator, both particular and peculiar to each, and universal or common in respect of the whole, and in and by all the supreme and ultimate, the Creator's own Glory, (he having no end in working beyond, more than motive to it, without himself);; doth necessarily and naturally flow and follow from the Divine perfections and properties, namely his Goodness, Wisdom and power, so that (to argue with Nemesius above quoted) there is neither will, nor skill, nor sufficiency wanting in him which is any ways requisite hereunto; and hence, as a common connate notion indelibly engrafted upon Rational Spirits, acknowledged by (at least) the generality of very Heathens. Again, That there is a peculiar kind of Oeconomy, or a special Providence whereby God as he upholdeth all things in general by the word of his power (to speak with the Scriptures, and then I am secure) so doth in an especial manner uphold, preserve, govern and administer his Church, more especially the sacred Tribe of his own Ministry; is confessed by all Christians. Thirdly,;  
That God is in all the administrations of his Providence (what he is essentially in himself) glorious, wise, holy, good and righteous (so as that there is nothing of indecency or incongruity to his Majesty in inspecting the least things, more than in the greatest; no blemish to his holiness, in governing the bad and worst of actions, more than of the good; no tyranny or violence offered to the liberty of second causes, from the infallibility of the first, more than to the liberty of the first, from the natural necessity, which is in many of the second; no violation (lastly) of his justice, in the dissimilary and widely different, how seemingly soever unrighteous, administrations of prosperity and adversity to and in the world);;; is (as the first by very Pagans, and the second by all Christians,) acknowledged by all Orthodox, sober, learned; what then to make of you in such an arraignment of this Providence, the Reader be judge. As for the seeming inequality of Divine administrations of adversity to the righteous, and prosperity to the wicked in somuch that it is their canonical definition— these are the ungodly that prosper in the world (to the vehement perplexity of many;) God's very autocrasy or absolute power and prerogative by virtue whereof he being the Omnipotentiary and sovereign Proprietary of the whole world, Jure potest quicquid potest, may do by right, whatever he can do by power, (accountable to none for his actions) may suffice to vindicate his Justice: But (as for you) the very Heathens have offered satisfaction in this case, amongst whom I recommend to you, Socrates, Plato Seneca, but especially Plutarch, sufficient to school you not only in the doctrine of a Divine Providence in general, but ineven that of a holy, just, and righteous one, and that in the very present difficulty: But as for others, in case the Academy fail, I am sure the Sancturry will not; david's Oracle, will afford David's resolution, (in this very case) if consulted with suitable devotion. Besides, one very material consideration in this case is this, namely, that there is a kind of miscellany of good and bad in the best and worst of all, whilst on this side another world; good, natural, moral, or spiritual, as well as evil; now the righteous God, whose pure and holy nature inclines and obligeth him to an equal love to the good and abhorrency of the bad; on the one hand often owns and crowns that natural, moral good in the wicked with a temporary reward as his portion in this life; and on the other, frequently chastiseth the evil that is in the righteous with a temporary punishment; reserving the eternal full and plenary recompense of both, viz. misery in the former, and glory and happiness in the latter, to another world: so that external states and occurrences are but a very sallible Index of that interest in God by you mentioned. I might add several other considerations for satisfaction herein, as that the very afflictions of the righteous, poverty (for instance) in the Clergy, are by a wise God intended, and by themselves improved for real advantages, the Cherem turned into Rachem (as the Jews use to say) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. and others; but I hasten towards a conclusion.  
Lastly, Sir, what is by you insinuated as an argument against a Providence, is a considerable argument for one; namely the Poverty of that Clergy which yet maugre all opposition, slanders, reproaches, prejudice and contempt, is preserved and maintained as the more immediate Eleemosynary Dependants upon Divine Providence, herein most observable; which I conceive to have been one reason why Christ (as I noted before) interdicted his Disciples the Scrip as well as the Purse; but I proceed; having declared enough for the conviction of any sober or rational; namely, that there is a Divine Providence, general in the World, and special in the Church; that this Providence is universally holy, just, and righteous; that it is so far from being inconsistent with, that it is most observable in the support, preservation and maintenance of a poorer Clergy; and that a poor Clergy is no just object of Contempt in the Laity; else Christ himself and his Apostles, and both Primitive and Modern most eminent propagators of the Christian Faith, might pari jure share therein.  
As touching the second, Sir,  
It is soon resolved that the poorer sort of the Reformed Clergy is partly through the corruption of Man's heart, partly through instigation from Satan; and Hell-inspired Atheists, Socinians, Jesuits and Jesuited persons and all such Cinifloes using ostentative brags and insinuations about the full Coffers, spread Tables, costly Apparel, Honorary Titles, Grandeur and Magnificence not only of the Primates and Optimates of Church and State, but of most orders of men (but especially amongst their Simiae in purpura beyond the Channel) over and above what the inferior Clergy hath, de facto (which is matter of grief and condolency) exposed to contempt in the Laity; but quid ad Rhombum Sir? Doth matter of fact prove right, in either Law or Logic? or are they therefore to yours? or suppose they were blessed with the splendour and magnificence here mentioned; would this secure them from yours or a Laics lash? no! phlegm would then ferment into choler; contempt, into grudge, & emulation; and your Inquisition reauthorised for inspection into the grounds and occasions of the envy (as now of the contempt) of the Clergy: there is a remarkable instance of this amongst our Neighbours; where a Franciscan Hackney, (that is, in plain English, Sir, good bare Ten-Toes) was once a Proverb; but now forsooth, the Gentlemen of that order instead of vowed bare footing of it as heretofore, in journeying are mounted upon the best Horses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with attendance better befitting their Nobless than a Monkish Tenebrio, to a most rancide grudge and inveteracy both in the Laity and other Religious orders. But since, you can only understand matter of fact here, not matter of right, that as ignorance is a just ground of Contempt of the Clergy, so poverty is a tempting occasion to it; I proceed,  
As touching the last particular Sir,  
The poverty of the Clergy, and upon this occasion, actual (but wicked and unjust) contempt in the Laity, being both supposed; the next thing to be enquired into is, whether this same Poverty and Contempt (the disease and symptom) be capable of a remedy? now,  
That it is most congruous to the Law of God, Nature, and Nations, that some competent provisions be made for the Ministers of the Gospel, is I think, a generally confessed case; though I will not dispute the mortality of a decimal provision, or tithe; yet I assert the natural equity of a competent one, as the holy Scripture hath before me, in that very natural principle— The Labourer is worthy of his hire: And what ample provisions were made by God for the Priests and Levites of old, is sufficiently attested in holy Writ, and by you well asserted (utinam sic semper errasset Bellarminus!) together with the reasons thereof, which I am sure are moral, however the particular definite way of raising of those provisions, be ceremonial and antiquated; viz. that they might closely and composedly attend the Service of God and his Church, and studies relating thereunto, without distracting cares and solicitude about the urgent concerns of back and belly, and necessary supports of humane life; and you may guests Sir, what a miserable pinching thing that is— res angusta domi— and also that they might be capable of administering to the necessities of others, in charitable offices, (as occasion should offer or require) a great both encouragement and ornament of piety: I add a third reason, peculiarly suited to the Horizon of our Church, namely, that after domestic exigencies, and charitable offices satisfied, some little surplusage might accrue for a petite subsistence to a surviving Consort: Sir, my Muse flags, my heart aches, when I consider, that in England, England a Land of plenty, a poor Ministers Widow, is become a very Proverb, b●● what will no lesssuit Jeremiahs' Lamentations than Solomon's Parables; now what a sad thing is it that he who devotes himself to spend and be spent in the service of God, his Church, and the Souls of others, should be able to entitle the companion of his own life, that ended, to no more than an Ecclesiastic plea for an Alms,— a poor Ministers Widow! and that the survivor of him who serves at the Altar, should be enforced to beg at the Door! a Lamentation! and let it be for a lamentation! Now for a remedy and redress of the whole, the Poverty of the Clergy (male and female) and contempt of them (hereby too truly, though unjustly occasioned) in the Laity; whom can or ought we to make applications to, but our State-Physicians; namely, his Majesty, in conjunction with a wise, prudent, considerate Parliament, all jointly spirited hereunto from a generous zeal for the glory honour and renown (here endangered) of their Clergy and Religion; that Church of whom they own themselves Sons, and that Faith of which they profess themselves Defenders: what the method of redress or expedient in the case should be, must (as reason good) be left to their own prudential contrivance; but I presume I may use the same liberty, so I do the modesty, that yourself. Well then, The Lucrative Arts and Stratagems of the Church of Rome, as the Ghostly authority and infallibility of the Pope (their fundament all cheat) their monopoly of merits and indulgences, miracles, auricular confession, absolutions, pardons, penance, purgatory, canonisation of Saints, the Wafer-God, (for there they can make not only Saints, but a God, 
Let. 1. p. 98, 99 100 etc.  at pleasure) vowed Celibacy, the denial of marriage to their Clergy, and such like artifices, (some whereof are by you recounted) all sacrificed to Mammon or the Money-God; those and the like (I say) are, and I hope will be by both Church and State of England eternally adjudged, antichristian; which if you or any advocate in your behalf will undertake to disprove me in, so it be with more argument and less flashy Theatrical wit, than you use in your Letters, it is like, I may procure some who pro tenui (tate your Academic Youngster's congee) will try it out with you at the two-edged Sword. Again, the method of reducing and levelling Episcopal, and Cathedral, or Collegiate Revenues, and all other Ecclesiastical preferments and possessions to a commonmage, were such a motion as nothing less than the Acts of the Apostles could render unpardonable; besides the danger of an Ignis sacer, in the case, and I am terribly afraid of St Anthony. Once more; your Astraea's return, or restitution, of such Tithes and Church-Rents as former Kings and Parliaments, especially (the great Church-Publican) King Henry the Eight, thought good (upon what prudential considerations, it is not meet that you or I should dispute) to impropriate to the Crown or State; (which might happily prove as offensive to the State, as the former would to the richer Clergy) I should not have the confidence once to offer at, unless you will promise to secure me— Antidotum adversus Caesarem: But Sir, I will presume to offer what (with submission to the wiser, especially my Governors) I am strongly persuaded might be a considerable expedient in the case, estimated by a threefold inconveniency observable in the rich-poor Church of England, namely,  
1. A great inequality of Parochial distributions;  
2. A great disproportion of Pastoral provisions in those Parishes; and  
3. An incommodious way of collecting & receiving of those provisions. Now those inequalities are several ways determinable, as in respect of extent of Parishes, number or quality of Inhabitants, etc. and accordingly the value of Live and Benefices; thus you shall observe, some Live of double and triple the value of what others are of, in Parishes of double and triple the extent of bounds, number and quality of Inhabitants; again nearness to or distance from the Metropolis is considerable; it being certain that an hundred pound per an. will go farther in York shire, Lancashire, etc. (where yet generally the greatest Live are, viz. of 200. 300. 400. 500 etc. l. per annum) then two or three in or about London, where yet one is reckoned a tolerable competency; a great odds! Again the Incumbent's or Beneficiary's own collecting and receiving of the benefits, is greatly inconvenient; for first it involves him in worldly encumbrances and distractions, which we desire to have remedied; next it renders him liable either to be defrauded in his right, or else to litigious Law-suites and contests with the inhabitants, in pursuit of it enkindling of such mutual grudges and animosities between Pastor and People, as will most certainly obstruct all proficiency under, and success of his Ministry: Now Sir, I have a great temptation within myself to believe, that if the Parliament pleased to contrive some more equal and proportionable distributions of those Live and Benefices, (I meddle not here with Collegiacies) both as to extent of parochial bounds and number and quality of Inhabitants; and (which is the chief) of Pastoral provisions therein, with regard had to their respective nearness to, or distance from the City of London; (the greater reduced, the lesser augmented) this might prove some considerable expedient in the case, and remedy to the poverty of the Clergy; a respective competency being all England over by this means and method apportioned to them. But the incorporating of the whole in the State, and the Clergy made State-Pensioners; a certain number being constituted Tribuni cleritatus, Fide-commissaries, Church-Tribunes and trusties for a faithful management of the affair; seems to many to be a very compendious way both for securing of competent provisions to the Clergy, and additional peace, and quiet withal; and possibly besides this some redounding emolument and subsistence to their surviving Consorts, as in other reformed Churches beyond the Seas; which far be it from me to propound as other than motive, not pattern; not for imitation, but generous emulation, worthy of an English Parliament; but I doubt I have been too bold; if I have, my Betters I hope will pardon me; and as for others, the equity of the interest which I plead, may excuse me; and if it do not, I rest unconcerned. Thus Sir, I have showed that though Poverty in the Clergy be partly through inbred corruption, partly through Satan's and your co-instigation, an occasion of contempt in the Laity; yet the same is no just ground of Contempt in itself, and besides that both poverty and contempt are capable of a remedy; which I hope, our prudent State-Physicians may in due time administer; therefore once more, What doth your arguing reprove? But Doomsday is a coming.   

Sir you have here erected an Inquisition, wherein you have charged the Clergy with ignorance and poverty, as the just grounds and occasions of Contempt of them and their Religion in the Laity; but now your Charge and both Articles of indictment have been utterly defeated; the Clergy of the Church of England hath appeared to be a wise, able, learned Clergy as any in the World; and therefore most unjustly and unworthily by you charged and traduced as ignorant, and as such betrayed to Contempt; the same Clergy though supposed to be poor; yet not Contemptible: In fine, the Religion, Clergy, and Church of England, such as that nor Sophister, nor Ingenioso, nor Fashion-monger, nor Hobbist, (a catalogue of your own) nor Hector, nor Clergy-Contemner, no nor the gates of Hell itself shall ever prevail against them. In the mean time what have you done Sir? Read fact and demerit in a Cardinal's own words, Cum Mose pugnant, cum Prophetis, cum Apostolis, cum Christo ipso, ac Deo Patre & Spiritu sancto, qui Sacras Literas & Oracula Divina contemnunt, said Bellarmine himself; I'll English it to you, for I do not know how you should do it yourself, if in Schools and Universities bred up to English only; Contemners of the Holy Scriptures and Divine Oracles (such as you have foully bewrayed yourself to be; the Reader be judge) are Enemies to Moses, to the Prophets, to the Apostles, to Christ himself, and God the Father and the Holy Ghost; what a formidable party have you encountered then? If these be your Enemies, who will be your Friends? I must tell you I have vouched to be your Doomster, as well as the Clergy's Advocate (a small office which I was but very lately overperswaded to execute, wherein I had done my severer Muse some right, had I found you as great a Master of Reason, as of Fancy) and here I will not frighten you with Schoolboys, nor School-Dames, though you know both are unlucky enough in their kind; but methinks a Grammarian-Ferula, an Academick-Expulsion, an Ecclesiastic Key, and Caesar's Sword! etc. should alarm you to purpose, in the sense of your own guilt as being an enemy to Schools! Universities! Clergy! Religion! Church and State! I hope the next Gazette, after publication of my Letter, will inform us of justice done upon you; and Ill be sure to observe what news from Cambridge or Devonshire; and suppose you escape all humane vengeance, do you think you shall Divine too? Sir? be not deceived; the quarrel of a contemned Clergy and Religion attends you: the quarrel of abused Scriptures and Scripture-Institutions &c, and therefore for your Doom I denounce to you St John's anathemamaranatha, that facred Thunderbolt dispatched against all Detractors and depravers of Holy Record; which assure yourself it must be another sort of prayers & tears, than those of your weeping Hector, that can prevent the execution of; but in regard you have patterned a Rebel-Triumvirate, in their daring insurrection against Aaron, yea & (as much as ever you durst) in that against Moses too; I cannot sentence you with a more proportionable talio, or temporal doom, then that of— Corah! whose Grave would be our much better security than Devonshire (unless that prove the place) for your never being troublesome more; and thither do I doom you; and what though you eat his Sepulchre? You shall not your own Fate: Shall Contempt of the Clergy and Religion go unpunished? Surely not: Consider what hath been said already; and remember further, (who knows but that I may rate you into a conviction at last?) we read of Hell opening of her mouth, as well as of the Earth opening of hers; (and Esay's authority I take to be as good as Moses') and I am sure both, you cannot avoid, without a serious— recantation, which as before, so now before we part, I earnestly re-advise to you, as being in charity (almost to a super-erogation) a wellwisher to your better part:   
D. T.   
FINIS.  

ERRATA.  
Which together with some smaller literal faults; and the miss-accenting of some Greek words, the Reader is desired to excute.  
PAge 12. Line 17. Read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. p 38. l. 5 r. Encyclopoe●y. p 67 l. 6. r hear. p. 68 l. 13. r. 〈◊〉. J●sus. p. 81 l. 6. ●●prem●sses. p. 90. l. 8 r. one Fath. p 93 l 20 r. destructive. p. 95. l. ●8 r principle or practice. p. 98. l. ●6. r. transmission. p. 102. l. 3. r. is equally. p. 105. l. 24. r. marry and deep. p. 105. l. 27. r. publication. p. 100 l. 13 r influenced p. 106. l. 9 r. Reformers. p 99 l 4, 5. r. M●●asseh against Ephraim, and Ephraim against Ma●ess●h, and both against Jud. h. p. 99 l. 1●. r. might well serve. p. 101. l 14 r. indefinitely 〈◊〉 p 102. l. 6. r. Noblesse. p. 102. l 23. r. precedent. p. 103. l 22. r. that only some or others. p. 104. l. 1 r. why of all orders. p. 104. l. 4. r. Lawyers or Physicians. p. 146. l. 21. r. For Sir, by the first. p. 15●. l. 28. r. retrieve. p 175. l. 25, 26. r. could within the space of Forty years have proved. p. 176 l 24 25. r. the Clergy by name. p 181 l. 10. r. even in p 181. l 14 r. Sanctuary. p. 186. r. morality p 1●9. l. 18, 19 r. pro●●enuitate p. 189. l. 24. r. commonage.