The Appeal of Injured Innocence, Part 1 · Chapter 1 – Chapter 2
THE APPEAL OF Iniured Innocence: UNTO The RELIGIOUS LEARNED and INGENUOUS READER. In a CONTROVERSIE betwixt the Animadvertor Dr. PETER HEYLYN AND The Author THOMAS FULLER.
1 King. 5.7.
See how he seeketh a Quarrel against me.
Terent. in Eunucho.
Responsum non dictum est, quia laesit prior.
LONDON, Printed by W. Godbid, and are to be sold by Iohn Williams at the Crowne in St. Paul's Church-yard. M. DC. LIX.
To the Right Honorable GEORGE BERKELEY, L. Berkeley, Moubray, Segrave and Bruce, my most Bountiful and most Exemplary Patron.
SIR,
MY Church-History was so far from prostituting her Self to Mercenary Embraces, She did not at all Espouse any Particular Interest, but kept her self a Virgin.
However, a Dragon is risen up, with much Fiercenesse and fury, threatning this my Virgins destruction.
Your Name is GEORGE, and for you it is as easie as Honourable to protect Her from violence.
If any Material Falshood or Forgery be found in my Book, let LIAR be branded in my face: But oh! suffer not my Injured Innocence to be over-born in such things, which I have truly, clearly, and warily written.
Thus shall you encourage Me (leaving off such Controversal deviations from my Calling) to PREACH and to perform in my Ministerial function somewhat worthy of the Honour to be
Your Lordships most oblieged Servant and Chaplain THOMAS FULLER. Cranford Moat-house March the 21th.
THE APPEAL OF INJUR'D INNOCENCE.
CHAP. I. That it is impossible for the Pen of any Historians writing in (as our's) a divided Age, to please all Parties, and how easie it is to Cavil at any Author.
SUch as lived after the Flood, and before the Confusion of Tongues, were happy in this particular, that they did Hear to Understand, and Speak to be Understood with all persons in their Generation. Not such their Felicity who lived after the Confusion of Languages at the Tower of Babel, when the Eloquence of the Best was but Barbarisme to all, save a few Folk of his owne Familie.
Happy those English Historians who wrote some Sixty years since, before our Civil Distempers were born or conceived; at leastwise, before there were House-burnings (though some Heart-burnings) amongst us: I mean, before Mens latent Animosities broke out into open Hostility; seeing then there was a generall right understanding betwixt all of the Nation.
But alass! Such as wrote in or since our Civil Wars, are seldome apprehended truely and candidly, save of such of their owne perswasion, whilest others doe not (or what is worse will not) understand them aright: And no wonder if Speeches be not rendred according to the true intent of the Speaker, ☜when Prejudice is the Interpreter thereof.
This I foresaw when I entred upon my Church-History, but comforted my self with the counsel of Erasmus; Si non possis placere Omnibus, place to Optimis; If thou canst not please all, please the best. In order whereunto I took up to my self this Resolution, to Stere my course betwixt the two Rocks of Adulation and Irritation; though it seems I have run upon both, if the Animadvertor may be beleeved; whereof hereafter.
As it is impossible in distracted Times to please all, so is it easie for any at any time to Cavil at the best Performance. A Pigmey is Giant enough for this purpose. Now Cavils may be reduced to these two heads:
Cavils
Without Cause.
Without Measure.
Causeless Cavils are such as the Caviller himself doth create, without any Ground for the same; such find a Knot in a Bulrush, because they themselves before had ty'd it therein; and may be compared to Beggers, who breed Vermine in their owne bodies, and then blow them on the cloaths of others.
Cavils without measure, are, when the anger and bitterness of the Caviller exceedeth due proportion, and the demerit of the Fault; as when he maketh Memorie to be Iudgement-mistakes; Casual, to be Voluntary Errors; the Printers, to be the Authors faults: And then brags every Foil to be a Fall, and Triumpheth at the Rout of a small Party, as at the Defeat of the whole Army. This Distinction is here premised, whereof hereafter we shall make use as we see just occasion.
CHAP. II. Why the Author desired and hoped never to come under the Pen of the Animadvertor in a Controversal Difference.
IT was ever my Desire …nd Care, if it were possible, not to fall under the Pen of the Animadvertor; having several reasons thereof to my self, which now I publickly profess:
1. I knew him a Man of able Parts, and Learning; God sanctifie both to his Glory, and the Churches Good.
2. Of an Eager spirit, with him of whom it was said, Quicquid voluit valde voluit.
3. Of a Tart and Smart Style, endevouring to down with all which stood betwixt him and his Opinion.
4. Not over Dutiful in his Language to the Fathers of the Church, (what then may Children expect from him?) if contrary in Judgment to him.
Lastly and chiefly, One, the Edge of whose keenness is not taken off by the Death of his Adversary; witness his writing against the Archbishops of York and Armagh.
The Fable tells us that the Tanner was the Worst of all Masters to his Cattle, as who would not onelyonly load them soundly whilest living, but Tan their Hides when dead; and none could blame one if unwilling to exasperate such a Pen, which, if surviving, would prosecute his Adversary into his Grave. The premises made me, though not servilely fearful, (which I praise God I am not of any Writer) yet generally cautious not to give him any Personal provocation, knowing that though Both our Pens were Long, the World was Wide enough for them without Crossing each other.
As I desired, so I partly hoped that my Church-History would escape the Animadvertor: First, because a Gentleman came to me (sent from him, as I supposed) informing me, That had not Dr. Heylin been visited with blindness, he had been upon my bones before. Then I desired him to return this Answer; That, as I was sorry for the Sad Cause, the Doctors Blindness; I was glad of the Ioyful Effect, my owne Quiet. Nor hearing any more for many moneths after, I conceived my self secure from any wind in that corner.
It increased my Confidence, because I conceived Dr. Heylin neither out of Charity or Policy, would write against one who had been his Fellow-Servant to▪ and Sufferer for, the same Lord and Master, King Charles; for whose Cause I lost none of the worst Livings, and one of the best Prebends in England: OnelyOnly thus happy I was in my very unhappiness, to leave what was taken away from the rest of my Brethren.
In a word, seeing no Birds or Beasts of Prey (except Sharp-set indeed) will feed on his own Kind, I concluded Dr. Heylin would not write against me, who conceived my self to be One of his owne Party.
But it seems I reckoned without my Host, and now am call'd to a Rear-account; I cannot say with Iob, The thing that I feared; but, The thing that I feared not, is faln upon me.
Psal. 34 14.However, I conceived my self bound in Duty to David's Command, Not onelyonly to seek peace, but to pursue it; though in some sort it fled away from me, being now informed that the Doctor was writing against me; wherefore, finding him in Fleetstreet, and following him at his heels to his Chamber, (at a Stationers house over again St. Dunstan's Church) I sent up my Name to him by a Servant of the House, desiring to speak a few Words with him; the Messenger went to him, and return'd me this Answer; That the Doctor was very busie, and could not be spoken with. Thus my Treaty for Peace taking no effect, I armed my self with Patience, and quietly expected the coming forth of his Book against me.