Canterburys Doom, Branch 1 · Evidence 2 · Floating text 3
Becauſe it is an offence highly to be puniſhed to abuſe your Honours pious and moſt juſt eares with untruths; I have therefore preſumed to preſent to your Honours view the heads and particular groſſe abuſes which my poore Book hath ſuffered by the Licenſer's too numerous obliterations: whereby it will appeare as cleere as the Sunne, that our Licenſers liberty in the licenſing of bookes is moſt licencious, and that Popery and Pelaganiſme were too much favoured and befriended by them; wholly leaving it to your grave, pious and prudent conſideration, how theſe and the like abuſes may be beſt redreſſed for the time to come.
Firſt, the Licenſer by his deleaturs, hath made ſome places and paſſages of my book ridiculous and non-ſenſe, E. G. in my written copy ſol. 338. the firſt line, the Reader is referred for more full ſatisfaction to the foregoing Objection; which Objection is wholly obliterated becauſe it ſnited not with the Licenſers opinion; and thus the Reader of my book is referred to that which is not in my booke, but expunged out of it: What the Objections were which were obliterated, your Honours may ſee in the greater of theſe two books, which I preſent to this honourable Court, page 138. 139. Againe, in my written copy, ſol. 339. I have theſe words; Our Saviour ſeems here to imply that many Antichriſts under the name of Chriſt, ſhall deceive many, whence theſe Queſtions following may be demanded, namely, &c. Theſe words are printed, but all the Queſtions promiſed were wholy expunged, ſave onelyonly one which concernes not Antichriſt at all; here my Reader is promiſed ſome Queſtions in the plurall number concerning Antichriſt, but he finds but one onelyonly in the ſigular number concerning the true Chriſt: What theſe expunged Queſtions were, your Honours may ſee in the greater book, page 65.
Againe, in my written copy, fol. 366. I have theſe words; Here therefore I lay downe theſe three things, viz. &c. and this is printed, but the Reader finds but two: for the ſecond is expunged; and what it was your honours may read in the leſſer of theſe two books page 51. a. and another parallel'd place, page 37. e.
Secondly, the Licenſer by his obliterations, hath in ſome places quite altered and perverted the ſenſe; E. G. In my written copy, fol. 18. I propound a Queſtion concerning the excellency of Baptiſme above Circumciſion, and firſt ſhew what Pereius the Jeſuite anſwers thereunto; and then what I juſtly except againſt his anſwer, and upon what grounds: Now the Licenſer here lets the Jeſuits anſwer ſtand, and expunges wholy what I ſay againſt it, making me thus by my ſilence to ſeem to my Reader to ſubſcribe to what the Jeſuit affirmes: Your honours may ſee both Pererius and my owne words in the greateſt of theſe two books, page 3. and another parallel'd place in the leſſer of theſe books, page 48. l.
Thirdly, ſome places and paſſages by the Licenſers deleaturs are maimed, lamed and left altogether unſatisfactory to the intelligent and quick ſighted Reader; examples whereof your Honours have in the leſſer book, pag. 9. f. and pag. 18. d. and pag. 51. b. and pag. 58. a. great book pag. 49. line 2.
Fourthly, ſome words and ſentences are by him changed and altered; as your Honours may perceive by this leſſer book, pag. 4. l. and pag. 21. b. and pag. 41. h. and pag. 42. b.
Fifthly and laſtly, ſome places and paſſages are by the licenſer ſo wholy obliterated and expunged, that no prints or foot-ſteps at all remaine of what was there; as will evedently appeare to your Honours by the greater of theſe books which I preſent to to your peruſall, and by the Index expurgatorius thereof, which I have here ſubjoyned.
Becauſe the imployments of this grave Senate and religious Aſſembly are ſo many and weighty, that it wants leaſure to read and peruſe all which was expunged out of my book, and which is contained in theſe two ſeverall Manuſcripts; I have therefore reduced all things contained in them both to ſome few heads, and a moſt compendious Index; by which, as in a glaſſe, your honours may quickly take a view of them all, and readily turne to any thing you pleaſe to peruſe; If you ſhould deſire that I ſhould referre your Honours to ſome particular places and paſſages, then I humbly beſeech yea to be pleaſed to caſt your eyes upon theſe which follow, wherein you ſhall find notable things expunged, and things not altogether unworthy of your pious paines and conſideration, viz.
In the greater of theſe two Manuſcripts, theſe; page 5. 11. 25. 27. 28. 65. 91. 93. 99. 102. 105. 109. 115. 125. 134. 137. 138. &c. that the fulfilling of the Law is impoſſible, pag. 43. Queſt. 1. and 57. Queſt. 1. and 58. Queſt. 2. and 59. Object. and 128. that Election is not from a fore-ſight of works, pag. 75. 81. 83.
In the leſſer of theſe two Manuſcripts theſe; pag. 1. a. and 2. a. c. and 4. c. and 5. ll. and 6. d. and 8. a. c. and 10. b. and 12. a. and 14. a. and 16. b. and 18. b. c. and 25. b. c. and 29. f. and 39. c. and 41. g. and 42. c. and 48. d. and 58. b. the things which were wholy expunged by the Licenſer, may be reduced to theſe few heads; namely;
Firſt, things charged upon the Papiſts; in the greater book, pag. 5. and 71. twice, and 109. 110. in the leſser book, pag. 4. c. and 25. b. c. and 40. b.
Secondly, poynts and paſsages tending to the overthrow of ſome Popiſh Tenents; in the greater book, pag. 1. 2. 19. five, and 20. 27. In the leſser book, pag. 1. f. and 2. b. and 5. m. and 6. b. and 10. a. and 12. c. and 14. b. and 15. c. and 17. h. and 18. a. and 36. b. and 40. d. and 52. d. e.
Thirdly, paſſages tending to the blemiſhing of ſeme Popiſh writers, and the diſgrace of Popery, and the unwarrantable practice of Popiſh people, and people Popiſhly affected; in the leſſer book, page 1. a. and 2. a. b. c. and 5. h. i. l. and 6. a. and 8. a. and 9. e. and 17. g. and 44. a.
Fourthly, poyms mainly and Interminis, controverted between us and the Papiſts; in the great book, page 11. 15. 17. 19. 23. 25. 26. 43. his. 57. 58. 59. 62. 63. his. 65. 67. 73. 75. 77. 81. 83. 85. 87. 89. 91. 93. 101. 121. 123. 124. 127. 131.
Fifthly, poynts and paſſages tending to the overthrow of Pelagainiſme and Arminianiſme, or the Remonſtrants tenents; in the greater book page 31. 33. 35. 37. 43. 53. 54. 62. 79. 97. 125. 130. 132. 138. 139. 140. in the leſſer book, page 1. d. and 4. a. b. d. e. and 9. g. and 18. e. f. and 19. g. and 25. a. and 28. c. and 29. d. and 40. a. e. and 51. a.
Sixthly, things not at all in controverſie, viz. in the greater book, page 7. 9, 39. 41. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 99. 105. 115. 123. 134. 135. in the leſſer book, page 5. k. and 6. e. and 8. e. and 9. d. and 10. d. e. and 11. f. g. and 17. c. and 21. a. and 30. b. and 48. b. c. and 53. g. h. and 57. c.
Seventhly, paſſages tending to reprove the vices and evill cuſtomes of ſome great ones; in the greater book, page 50. 51. and in the leſſer, page 4. f. and 42. e. and 43. f.
Eighthly, paſſages and poynts obliterated, tending highly to the honour and glory of God (in the leſſer book, page 7. i. and 8. b. and 19. h. and 28. c.) and of Chriſt (page 57. a.) and Diety of the holy Ghoſt, page 58. d.
Ninthly, the very ſentences of Scripture expunged; in the leſſer book, page 7. b. and 21. b. c. and 23. a. and 27. f. and 58. d.
Thus I have made bold to make this godly and grave Senate acquainted with the intolerable wrong which my weak labours have ſuffered by theſe obliterations, and of the diſgrace and diſcredit which bath reflected upon my ſelfe alſo thereby; for thoſe who are ignorant of the abuſes done by the Licenſer, muſt needs impute all the abſurdities and non ſenſe, and lame and imperfect paſſages either to the ignorance or negligence of the Author, this work being my firſt, and I my ſelfe but little knowne in the world when I put it forth: And therefore I humbly ſue to this honourable Aſſembly, that you would be pleaſed to licenſe for the Preſſe theſe notes contained in theſe two Manuſcripts, which were expunged by the Licenſer, that thereby I may have power to re-print and perfect my now moſt imperfect books: And your humble Petitioner ſhall be alwayes bound to pray to the Lord of glory and fountaine of all grace, for a bleſſing upon your proceedings, perſons, eſtates, lives, ſoules and all than concernes you.
Rich. Ward.
Many ſuch like purgations in other new books might be produced, but we will inſiſt on theſe alone, reducing the ſeverall paſsages purged out of them under diſtinct heads, which will infallibly evidence, and moſt perſpicuouſly demonſtrate his Jeſuiticall intentions, to uſher the whole body of popery into our Church by degrees, without the leaſt publike oppoſition: We ſhall begin with