Concerning the English Liturgy, Discourse · Section 12
SECT. XII.
The Doctors contradicting of himſelf, calling me an Oracle, to whom he will have free approach, not when we are neareſt together, but when we are farther aſunder: How prepoſterouſly he preferres temporall intereſts before ſpirituall, and miſtakes velitations as leſs then differences: His Epiphonema flat and feeble like the premiſes.
BƲt after my removall out of the County (which at this inſtant takes up much of my thoughts and time) I ſhall be glad I may have free approach to ſuch an Oracle,Sect. 12. as your ſelf,Dr H. and will not want good advice for want of asking it.
Of your removall out of the Country,Animad. 12. you give me occaſion to ſpeak in another place, but where-ever you be, I ſhall never look you ſhould, nor do I believe you ever meant to take me for your Oracle, or as you write (before) to depend upon me for ſolution of your doubts, but if ever you had ſo high thoughts of me, ſo humble an eſtimation of your ſelf, by what Circean charm have you changed me from an Oracle of truth into a teacher of Hereſie, by whom the people under my charge may be rather poyſoned then nouriſhed (as in your oft recited and refuted, and ever to be abhorred ſlanderoushOf this Letter, ſee the concluſion of the Preface. Letter you do) for that you ſay, you will not want good counſell for want of asking: I can truly anſwer you, that you have been often offered good counſell, yet were not ſo ready to take it, as to take offence at him, who freely gave it you without asking: But how can you promiſe ſuch free approach to your Oracle, when by removing your ſelf out of the County, you put your ſelf at further diſtance from him? it is not ſo eaſie for you to act contradictions, as to ſpeak them.
Only firſt let temporall intereſts be fully ſetled betwixt us,Dr H. then our ſpirituall velitations (for I will not call them differences, &c.)
Firſt let temporall intereſt be fully ſetled. Animad. 13.What temporall intereſts ſetled, firſt ſetled, fully ſetled, before we meddle with ſpirituall? This is the method not of Chriſtians, but of worldlings, directly contrary to the counſell of our Saviour, Matth. 6. 33. Then ſay you, our ſpirituall velitations (I will not call them differences.) Why ſo Sir, do you think difference imports more oppoſition then velitation doth? If you do, you are much miſtaken for two may differ divers waies, and yet abſtain from all ſtrife and contention, but velitation is a ſtriving or contentious difference, foriVelati v…citati ſunt milites qui veſtiti & inermes exercitum ſequibantur & in mortuorum locum ſubſtitui ſolebant bi poſtea mutatis literis Velites appellati ſunt & velitaris pugna dicta quae fundis ac lapidibus interdum eti…m baſtis fieri ab in…rmibus ſolet. Perot…i cornucop col. 31. nu. 30, &c. Velites (from whom that word is derived) were ſouldiers, who followed the warres, and were ſubſtituted in the room of ſuch as were dead, and they fought with ſlings and ſtones, and ſometimes with ſpears, but without any defenſive armour: Thus a man may ſay (without any cauſe of offence) that you and your wife do differ Grammatically in gender, and Logically in number, as you are a man, ſhe a woman, as individuals do; and morally in qualities, for in mine obſervation you are more paſſionate, ſhe more patient; ſhe more ſilent, you more talkative: but it would be liable to juſt exception, (in a true underſtanding of the word) if he ſhould ſay you had velitations betwixt you, when you live lovingly and peaceably together.
But were the word velitation a weaker word, I ſee no reaſon why you ſhould wave the word difference in our caſe, and make choice of it as more remiſs and moderate, ſince you make no leſs matter than of ſacriledge and ſcandall to take away the Service-book, whereas I deny, and (I think) have already diſproved both, and is not this ground enough to call our diſſenting opinions and conteſtations, differences. But you that now ſeem ſo diſpoſed to peace, as not to admit of a word of difference betwixt us, how is your calmer aequor, rufled up into a boyſterous fretum at other times? How oft for one diminiſhing Meioſis of this kinde, do you take up an aggravating Auxeſis, and therein are ſo rampant, as if you meant to make me ſo afraid of your fury, as tamely to ſacrifice mine innocence, to your tempeſtuous violence.
Then our ſpirituall velitations will begin with more freedom,Dr H. continue with leſs prejudice, and conclude with the leaſt inconvenience, which muſt be a ſpecial proviſo and care of, &c.
Though you ſhould not begin at wrong end (as you do) in giving precedence to matters temporall,Animad. 14. before ſpirituall, the Epiphonema of your Le…ter may not paſs without ſome Animadverſions upon it. 1. Whereas you ſay, Our velitations will begin with more freedom, I ſuppoſe you mean freedom of ſpeech, and that truly is a neceſſary condition of Scholaſticall debate, and cannot in juſtice be denied, while it keeps cloſe to the matter and order of Diſpute, and digreſſeth not from the dictates of reaſon to deviations of paſſion. But ſuch a regulated freedom would be to you as Phocion to Demoſthenes, foreign, an hatchet to cut off the ſuperfluity of his luxuriant Oratory. For I have obſerved, not only in your pleading for the Service-book, but in your ordinary diſcourſe (in which obſervation, ſuch as you know are able to judge, have concurred with me) that you are ſo tongue-free, as that you uſe to ſpeak, as ſouldiers meaſure plunder, by the long Ell, that is, by the Pike, as Phil. Commin. hath it, and will not allow others an inch of room or time to word it with you, though they be able to ſpeak as wiſely, and in their wiſdom do rather chooſe to hold their peace, then to weary others with multiplicity of words, as you uſe to do.
2. For continuing with leſs prejudice that might be expected, if prejudice did not make a great foreſtalment of judgement, and prepare the minde and will for obſtinacy, at the beginning as in your ſelf, (I am confident) it did; ſo that (as I ſaid in mine anſwer to your Latine Letter) to labour to turn you from your pre-conceived opinion, is all one with the labour of the Popiſh Novice, who (at the command of his ſuperiour) watered akIgnatius Epiſt. de obed. joyned with the rules of the ſociety of Jeſus. logge of wood a whole year together, as if it had been ſome lively plant, with hope of fruit.
3. For that you ſay of concluding with leſs inconvenience, it is like a feeble concluſion of a Syllogiſm from infirm premiſes, for there is no vigour in either of the precedent particulars, to invite to a ſpirituall velitation, after the ſetling of temporall intereſts, much leſs in this laſt; for who will undertake a matter of this moment, (upon ſuch a poor and dull inducement) as the avoiding of ſome inconveniences, or abating them from a higher to a lower degree, when by a totall forbearance he may totally ſhun them: Wiſe men will expect, that the managing of ſuch a controverſie ſhould produce ſome good ſucceſs or benefit, anſwerable to the pains beſtowed upon it: and in your concluding Conſideration, you ſhould have ſharpened your motive, that it might have been, as a goad and nail faſtened by a Maſter of the Aſſembly, Eccl. 12. 11. but it fals flat like a bolt, or an arrow ſhot without an head, and ſo this Letter ends, and a worſe ſhould follow, with the refutation of it, but I hope to reſerve them both to be divulged at a fitter ſeaſon.