Concerning the English Liturgy, Discourse · Section 10 – Section 11
SECT. X.
The Doctors pretended moderation and modeſty (concerning the Service-book, and his ſeeking to defraud me of the peoples favour,) Confuted.
THeſe (I might ſay) would then have been my Conſiderations, Sect. 10. Dr H.but I do not ſay they are now my Objections; yet haply they may be ſo to your ſelf in private hereafter, if you will faithfully promiſe me firſt your privacy, then your ſatisfaction.
Your choice of Conſiderations,Animadv. 8. before Objections, is prudent and methodicall; I would it had been your manner to keep your ſelf in that good order, I ſhould not then have had ſo much to object againſt your inconſiderateneſs both of ſpeech and writing as now I have, nor ſhould you have need to capitulate with me for a promiſe of privacy, your own diſcretion would have been your protection, if I had either not promiſed (as I never did, though in your*Both in this, and one in Latine. Letters you impoſe a promiſe upon me) or had not kept your counſell, which upon a lawfull promiſe no provocation ſhould have made me violate, but you were commonly ſo confident in your high conceipt of the Service-book*See Sect. 3., that (notwithſtanding all that was ſaid or done by the ſuperiour powers againſt it) you were willing to have appeared a publique Champion for it in the Pulpit, ſo far were you from any need of my ſecrecy for your ſecurity in that matter, unleſs you counterfeited a courage then, as it may be you do a fear now: Howſoever to require me to give you ſatisfaction in what you ſhall object, is as unreaſonable, as if I ſhould condition with you to reſt ſatisfied with whatſoever anſwer I ſhould make to what you objected.
I ſhall deſire to have no gall in my ink,Dr H. and I hope to finde none in yours, yet muſt crave leave to ſay that your making me a candidate of the peoples applauſe, by endeavours to expoſe you and your performance to their diſlike, ſavours of too much bitterneſs, if you do not believe it, and of too much credulity, if you do.
In this paſſage you deliver your own deſire for your ſelf,Animadv. 9. and your hope of me, with a Dilemma againſt me; your deſire you ſay, is to have no gall in your ink, and you hope to finde none in mine; (that is a figure, for I know you would not be underſtood according to the letter.) Your minde is, that our writings might not be imbittered with uncharitable expreſſions, if you had ſtopped there, I might have thought that you had a better conceipt of me than of your ſelf, becauſe of your ſelf you ſay, but that it is your deſire, and we may deſire the Reformation of the lewdeſt, of whom there is leaſt hope; but of me you ſay you hope, and hope is not without ſome appearance or ground of good, yet ſure your deſire of ſuch a Chriſtian temper is very faint, or comes upon you very ſeldom, ſince a very ſmall occaſion eaſily puts you into a paſſion, and your paſſion uſually vents it ſelf with much virulence, whether you write or ſpeak, and your hope of me ſeems very light, ſince your Dilemma in the next words, tends to convince me of too much bitterneſs, if I believe not that you deſire the applauſe of the people, to the prejudice of mine acceptation of too much credulity if I do.
To the firſt part of it I anſwer, 1. That if I ſhould ſay you deſired to be the peoples Canditate, &c. and not believe it, this were hypocriſie, rather than bitterneſs, for if I were diſpoſed to ſpeak bitterly againſt you, I would not deal ſo mildly with you, as to lay ſo ſmall a matter to your charge, as that you deſire to be gracious in the peoples eyes, whoſe Paſtor you were, and that therein I may not be your Jacob to ſupplant you, which if you confeſs, more will be ready to excuſe you, than to condemn you for it. To the other part, that it is too much credulity, if I do believe it, I ſay it were groſs ſtupidity in me, if I did not believe it, having had abundant evidence of it, of ſeverall ſorts ever ſince I firſt ſaw you.
SECT. XI.
The Doctor deſires no entercourſe by Letter with me, untill he be removed out of the County, upon pretences falſe and frivolous.
FOr which cauſe I ſhall not deſire any ſuch entercourſe of Letters whiles you are among thoſe who have ſworn themſelves into an Antipathy againſt me,Sect. 11. or I among them who ſeem to have a Sympathy with my Religion.Dr H.
Of this paſſage I have obſerved ſomewhat,Animad. 10. but that was only as a ſuperſedeas to our enterchange of Letters for a time, and that time muſt be (ſay you) 1. While I am among thoſe who have ſworn themſelves into an Antipathy againſt you, &c. Have you ſo ſoon forgotten your caution of bitterneſs, as to write thus bitterly of them (who upon their Oaths) did but diſcharge their conſciences in matters criminall againſt you? and how can you ſay they ſwore themſelves into an Antipathy againſt you? Was not their Antipathy as you tearm it, of an Ante-date (of three or four years time) before their ſwearing? Truly, Sir, for thoſe whom you chiefly mean in this hainous charge (ſo far as I can judge of them, and I have had opportunity to know them better then you) they are ſo farre from being too forward to ſwear falſly that in a cauſe of mine, they were very loth to take a true Oath, if otherwiſe they might be freed from it. 2. While you are among them who ſeem to have a Sympathy with your Religion. Your Religion Sir? I had thought you and your friends, and I and my friends had been all of us of one Religion; but if we be not, we differ (ſure) chiefly in this, that we hold the Bible the beſt furniture of our houſes and cloſets, and you the Service-book: If ſo Sir, we would not change our ſpirituall Birthright, or double Legacy in our Lords Will and Teſtament, Old and New, for your Meſs of red Pottage, your Rubrick and Service-book, if we might have a world to boot.
For the firſt may increaſe more jealouſie in you,Dr H. the latter may raiſe more imputations on me.
However your Dichotomy of reaſon,Animad. 12. for our not writing to each other, be made; I am ſure it is miſapplied, for imputations are the effects of the former, viz. ſwearing Antipathy, which you apply to the latter; and jealouſie proceeds from the latter, viz. the Sympathy of your friends, which you apply to the former: And ſo you place them as improperly and impertinently, as if you ſhould put a glove on the face, and a mask on the hand.