AN ANSWER TO THE LETTER OF THE Roman Catholic Soldier, [As he calls Himself.] In a LETTER from C. D. to A. B. The EXAMINER of his SPECULUM.  
The Soldier's Letter is added at the End.  
Imprimatur, [An Answer to the Letter of the Catholic Soldier, etc. in a Letter to A. B.]  
H. MAURICE.  
LONDON, Printed for Richard Chiswell, at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Churchyard, MDCLXXXVIII.   

AN ANSWER to the LETTER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC SOLDIER, (As he calls himself.) In a LETTER from C. D. to A. B. the Examiner of his Speculum.  
SIR,  
THis is an Age of Wonders. Just before you left me, Mr. Pulton's Half-sheet Friend found out the Substance of an Author under the Species of a Publisher; and, more than that, he crowded Six Conferences (and those no very loose ones) into his own Nutshell. Now, in your Absence, the Author of the Ecclesiastical Prospective-glass has wrapped up your Speculum Examined in a little bit of course Paper; and, then, another Compendious Gentleman, (who advises Pulpits in Matters where his Own Party transgress) has, in a few Lines, confuted D. 't's printed Sermon of Discretion in giving Alms, without regard to the First part of that Title. In your absence, I take upon me to wait on these Gentlemen; and my first Visit shall be to the Catholic Soldier. But why the Catholic Soldier? as if any Christian Soldier, as such, was not Catholic. For every Christian is, as Christian, Catholic, or Orthodox, and a Member of that Church, which is therefore called Catholic, or Universal, not because, in every Age, 'tis all over the World, (for some Roman Doctors say it may subsist in one Woman) but because it is not limited, as the Jewish Synagogue, to One People, but admits Men of all Nations and Conditions, upon the Terms of Baptism, into its Communion. And that is true Catholic Communion.  
This Gentleman has (I perceive) a Talon in giving Names, he is Mr. Pulton's Common-place-Man, and he gives his Book the pretty Name of Prospective-glass; and that you may purchase it, as of the choicer kind, he calls it Ecclesiastical. Nay, that he may show himself an Extraordinary Man in this way of giving Names, he has Christened his own Father, and his Christian Name is Calvinist, and his Sire-name Presbyterian. His first is a little unlucky; for whilst he throws at his Father about the black Decree, some imagine, that he hits S. Austin.  
Seeing now he is so very bold with his Father, D. T. (they say) does not take it amiss that he is bold with him. Yet, as Familiar as he is, 'tis well he speaks not in commendation of him; for some must be ill Men, before others will praise them. But let us see what Name he gives D. T. and how well he has hit the Matter. Why, as Mr. Pulton borrowed from his Speculum, so now he borrows from Mr. Pulton's Remarks, and D. T. is Titus, and a Bar or two beyond him; For what Reason I pray? For these Evidencing Words, [The Author (they say) was in the way of being bred a Scholar in Cambridge, but he is now a Military Man.] Now this (he thinks) is a scandalous Untruth, and he thus confutes it.  
1. He turns D. 't's Words into other Words, and then makes his own Sense out of them. [You write an Epistle to your A. B. in which you tell him and the World, That I was a Cambridge-Scholar.]  
But to say, It is a Report, is not to say, The thing is so; and, to be in the way of being so, is not actually to be so: And many a Boy, that is in the way at Sedburgh, or elsewhere, is dropped before ever he gets to S. John's.  
He is a notable Turner already; what would he be, if, in stead of a Catholic Soldier, he should one day become a Catholic Priest? He that can already turn a Looking-glass into a Prospective-glass, would then turn a late Author into S. Cyprian: For he has still a mighty mind to put the Book de Coenâ Domini upon S. Cyprian, and to make the Men of the Third Century to live with those after the Twelfth: All this for the due joining.  
Oh but, secondly, 'tis plainly said, not only that he was not in the way os being bred a Scholar, but that he was turned from Black to Red. He has consulted some infallible Interpreter, and these Words must needs signify, he who now wears a Soldier's Coat, wore a Clergy-man's black Coat before. Here is Wonder again. D. T. has admitted him, and put him into Orders by virtue of a Phrase. But has not Mr. Ward heard a Roman called a Red-lettered Man, as well as a Catholic? And is it not proper to say of such a one who leaves either Common-Prayer or Directory, That he is turned from Black to Red, without converting the Colour of a Calendar into that of a Coat? If it be, let him that observes such Decency in his Words, be a Censor of Phrases. Tho' the Doctor meant as I have said, (for that was the Account he gave of the Expression before the Soldier obliged him with his Letter) yet there is another Account which may be given out of the Sage Author of Hudibras, which I produce without the least Reflection upon either of the Professions, for I heartily honour them. Now their Honour being left untouched, let this little Author make what Application he pleaseth.  
Thus, then, that Sage Author, somewhere in his Poem:  

And like to Lobster boiled the Morn,  
From Black to Red began to turn.   
Now, according to Mr. Ward's no-Protestant Logic, the Inference should be this; The Morning was a Divine, and wore a black Coat; and by and by turned Soldier, and wore a Red one.  
His second Argument is as convincing. He could not be a Scholar, because he turned Roman before he was Nineteen Years old. As if they could not be designed in the least thought of their Father for Scholars, before the Clock struck the third Quarter before Nineteen. Ay, but in his third Argument, he says, his Father had never the least thought of sending him to Cambridge, or any other Protestant University; and here's your Catholic indeed. He is already like a Saint, or an Angel; for he can know his Father's thoughts, his least thoughts, tho' as little as F. D's Mustard seed.  
If it was not in his Father's thoughts, I wish it had; for than he might have learned better Divinity, than in his Speculum, and better Manners, than in his Duel and Letter. He would have been taught not to have reproached his Father publicly, for withdrawing his kindness, because he embraced the Catholic Faith. Nor reviled him as a Calvinist or Presbyterian, which Names, whatsoever they signisy, are used by him as terms of dishonour.  
But his last Argument will do the business effectually; he is musing about Mr. Pulton's way of Certificates, as Mr. Pulton took his way of Quotations. If he had (he says) but time to write into Yorkshire [to send Letters into the North, as Mr. P. says, Dr. 't's Party did] he could prove by hundreds of Witnesses, that he was a Catholic before he was Nineteen Years of Age, and has remained a Catholic other Nineteen Years. He has here obliged us with an Account of his Age, and we had rather believe him than trouble him to send into Yorkshire for a Certificate out of the Register. But for his hundreds there, how can they certify, what he has always been in their absence? for Men are given to change. They must have had some better Prospective-glass than he has made, to discern him always so clearly at such a distance. And, for his Certificates, if he be not better at them than Mr. P. whose 22, or 23 Witnesses, prove him to have come but with One to the Conference (whilst that One, and He came in with many) he may save the charge of the Postage. There is (they say) a Book in the Press, in which 'tis shown, that Mr. P's Certificates stand in need of being Certified themselves.  
But why is all this stir made by Mr. Ward, to prove he was not in the way of being bred a Scholar? Let a Man but read his Letter, his Duel, his Speculum, and he will need no further proof: Nay, let him read but the first half line [You and your A. B. has] and he will be convinced, that he is no better at English than at turning Latin into English, as in his Title?  
Yet, it seems, he is a Man of Note, and great enquiry has been made after him. There came no less than Two at one time, who asked, What he did? What he writ? Whether he had been an Oxford Scholar or no? A most material Man; there is mighty seeking after Him and his Works. Where dwells the Maker of Looking-glasses? Ecclesiastical Looking glasses? otherwise called Prospective-glasses? The Man who can furnish a Material Jesuit with Accoutrements for a Conference? 'Tis now most certain, they were of D. 't's sending, because they asked, whether he were not of Oxford, because D. T. had heard a report, that his Father had a design to prepare him for Cambridge. To that University, as likewise to that of Oxford, Calvinists and Presbyterians, have sent their Children, before and since the Kings Return; and they have proved very eminent Men both for Learning and Piety in the Church of England.  
That which remains, concerns your Writing, of which he will make D. T. to be the Author, though he wrote only a Letter to you. These Prospective glass-men have a marvellous Art; They can see one person, and make him another: He loves you dearly because you write yourself A. B. which puts him in mind of the Oath of Allegiance; as A. P. of the Savoy, puts men in mind of A. P. of Peterhouse. He quarrels with you, because you will not call Apostrophes, Prayers; he is angry again, because you quote not the places of your Authors, altho' you do it; for Example sake, to go no further than Councils, [Speculum Ecclesiasticum Considered,] pag. 11. Concil. Tom. 1. pag. 519. pag. 16. Concil. Tom. 11. p. 58. pag. 17. Hist. Conc. Nic. Concil. Tom. 11. p. 3. pag. 18. Conc. Tom. 4. p. 560. pag. 19 Concil. Tom. 5. p. 424 pag. 56. Concil. Tom. 11. p. 844. pag. 60. Hist. Con. Nic. l. 2. c. 30. The denial of this is so palpable a falsehood, that if he persists in it, he wants two Virtues, which I wish him.  
Again, he is offended, that you have not taken the least notice of the Testimonies of Holy Scripture, and would not confute them; though you told him (p. 48.) [The proofs of Scripture I shall not consider, because they are either wholly impertinent, or have been often Answered by the Writers of our Church.]  
But, when a reason is given him, he has the dexterity of taking no notice of it, and then of making a great Complaint about it: But his great grievance, and that which he opens first, is, the Confutation of his Mannerly and Learned Pamphlet called the Duel; (for he is all for Metaphors in Titles:) The Confutation of it before he had Published it. He was doing it, and may go on when he pleases; but that it was not done, till an account was given of it to A. B. and confuted by him, was not from his want of will, who had Scored it for the Press, and had it Crossed and Corrected with puttings out and puttings in, and then met with a most unexpected delay. But Sir, if a man has his Sword ready to hurt you, and Malice in his heart, and you break it before he can draw, I am Casuist enough to determine, that you are upon just Self-defence.  
Thus I have thrown away an hour upon him, and when you have nothing at all to do, you may spend your time this way, if you please, which is next to that in the expedient in Ovid,  
— Ne nil ageretur, amavit.  
I am, Sir, yours, etc. C. D.   

THE Roman Catholic Soldiers LETTER TO Dr. THO. TENISON.  
You and your A. B. has published a Reply to my Defence of the Speculum, before I either Printed or Published any such thing. This is not to stay till all the Musterroll be called over before you answer to your Name, as you say Mr. P. would have had you to have done; but 'tis every whit as absurd; for 'tis to cry I am here, I am here, before ever you be called. This is a strange and unheard of way of proceeding.  
You write an Epistle to your A. B. in which you tell him and the World, that I was a Cambridge Scholar, and has changed my Black Coat for a Red one; I am sorry you have gotten no better Information from your Inquiries after me at my Lodging, there having been no less than Two Men at one time, and Four at another (whether sent by you or no, I will not say) making Inquiries of me at my Quarters, what I was? whether I had been an Oxford Scholar or no? was I no more than a Soldier? what I did? what I writ? with such like Queries, to which the good people of the House could give them little or no Answer, (as they told me) other than this, that they told some of them I was writing something concerning your Reverence, but they knew not what. Indeed Dr. your Oracles has deceived you, and you have abused me by writing such palpable and false untruths of me. For so far off was my thoughts from ever being either a Cambridge Scholar, or wearing a Clergyman's Black Coat, that on the contrary, I was a Catholic before I was 19 years of Age, and (God Almighty be praised) have remained a Catholic ever since, which is now other 19 years, which if I had but time to write into Yorkshire, I could prove by hundreds of Witnesses; nor had my Father (being a Calvinist or Presbyterian) ever the least thought of sending me to Cambridge, or any other Protestant University, but rather of putting me to an Attorney, or some such like Employ, till I lost his kindness by Embracing the Holy Catholic Faith.  
So that you have missed the mark exceedingly, by saying I was, or ever was intended for a Cambridge Scholar, or had a Clergyman's Black Coat to change for a Military Red one. This story's just like your Jesuits with yellow Peruicks and little Bands, and the shoals of Men that thronged in with Mr. P. in the Conference, when he has proved by 22 or 23 Witnesses, that he brought but one Man with him, and he was neither a Priest, nor came to Dispute, but only to be a Witness of what passed. If you go on at this rate, 'twill be time for Dr. Oats to look about him, you'd darken his lustre quite. What can we expect from the rest of your Pamphlet, (called your Considerations on the Speculum Ecclesiasticum) when you entertain us with such a Whisker at the first? may we not guests what you have in your Shop, by what you hang out of the Window? If you would have had us given credit to your following Consideration, (as you term it) you should not have begun with so gross an untruth. Therefore whatever we find in your Pamphlet delivered from your own word, without sufficient proof, you must excuse us if we do not nor cannot believe it.  
I had not time to take much notice of your Pamphlet, only this I observed that you have found out a ready way to Confute the Fathers: That is, either by calling their Works Spurious and suppositious, making a great show with the Names of your Authors, but taking care not to Cite the places where any of their words may be found: Or else, reckoning the Father's words no other than Historical Apostrophes, p. 69. Compliments to the Pope, mere Compliments, p. 52. mere Rhetorical Flights, Rhetorical Apostrophes, p. 62. presuming to tell us, that Orators (meaning the Holy Fathers, for of them you are speaking) seldom contains themselves within the severe bounds of Truths, p. 63. [well said Doctor!] nor have you taken the least notice of the Testimonies of Holy Scripture; why did you not Confute them also?  
What I have to say more Dr. is to advise you to wrap up your next of this nature a little closer than you have done this, or those against Mr. P.  
From him who is always ready to serve you, T. Ward.