Concerning the English Liturgy, Preface – Errata
THE PREFACE TO THE Prudent and Impartiall READER; Shewing the Cauſes of Penning and Publiſhing the Engliſh and Latine Letters following, reciprocally written betwixt Dr E. H. and my Self.
TO the Reader, who is ſo prudent, as not to judge before he well underſtand the cauſe before him, and when he doth underſtand it, will be ſo juſt, as not partially to ſway his ſentence on the wrong ſide, I ſhall give an account both of the writing, and of the publication of theſe Papers, betwixt Dr H. and me: And my account is this;
When I received his calumniatory*Of that Letter ſee the end of the Preface. Letter, bearing date Novemb. 14. 1649. I preſently penned an Anſwer to it; not reſolved (at firſt) to make any other uſe of it, then to eaſe my minde, and to ſpread his accuſation, and my clearing before the Lord, with my prayers to him, to take my Innocency into his protection, and to rebuke my adverſary, that the ſenſe of his ſinne might ſo affect him with ſorrow and ſhame, as to move his heart to heal me, with the ſame hand wherewith he had wounded me. But when I perceived he was rather animated by my forbearance of a refutation of him, to continue his contumelies againſt me, (as I was informed by ſuch as well knew it) than any whit mollified towards any hope of amendment, (for which I had waited a competent time) I thought it requiſite to make him ſuch a return, (though but private) as might tend to the conviction of him, in his unchriſtian dealing towards me, though I had little hope of his converſion to any Chriſtian accommodation with me.
Yet, having other buſineſs in mine hands, of greater moment than a monomachy betwixt the Doctor and me, I found my ſelf not at leaſure to review, (with due adviſedneſs) what I had written, and to tranſcribe a corrected Copy for his reading, untill I ſaw my ſilence brought upon me ſuch prejudices as were too many, too weighty, too publique to be remedied by a private Apology: For
Firſt, I was told, by a man of note, (an immediate ear witneſs of his words) that at W. (in the preſence of himſelf, and ſome other*Mr. B. Mr. V. Learned men) the Doctor bragged that he had publiquely offered me Diſputation, and I durſt not undertake it, and that he had written a Latine Letter to me, and I anſwered him not, at which time yet he confeſſed, that I read a Paper to him in Latine, but he heard no more of it.
Secondly, That both waies, by his Tongue and Pen he had provoked me to a Scholaſticall encounter (though I could not hear about what) and that I durſt not undertake him, whereas the truth is,
1. That though he put forth now and then, ſome paſſionate flaſhes, ſhewing his diſlike of the Directory, and his deſire that the Service Book might be reſtored to the honour it formerly had in the Service of God throughout the Churches of England, yet in a deliberate and regular way of debate, I began with him, not he with me, as my Letter to him, and his Letter to me will manifeſt, which I have ſet down word for word at the end of this Preface, and upon his Letter I have made ſuch and ſo many Animadverſions as it requireth.
2. That he never made me any ſuch offer of Diſpute in Latine, nor do I think the Gent. that heard him, and knew my daily Office in the Aſſembly for examination of Miniſters in that Tongue, did either beleeve that he was ſo indiſcreet as to dare me in that ſort, or if he were, that I was ſo faint hearted, that I durſt not anſwer his challenge with the weapon he had choſen.
3. When having heard of this Thraſonicall Bravado, I told him of it, he utterly denied it, yet I feared, though he belied me but once (for that particular) he belied himſelf twice: firſt in ſaying of me what he ſaid not, and then in unſaying that to me, which he ſaid to others before: for I rather think he would vent a vain brag of himſelf againſt me, ſo far out of my hearing, then that he who related it would miſ-inform me of him, having no temptation at all thereunto: and therefore I conceive this ſelf contradiction came from hence, he was ſo immodeſt as to fain a challenge (where there was none to gainſay him) but not ſo impudent, as with an iron ſinew, or brow of braſs (as the Prophet Iſaiah ſaith of ſome, Iſa. 48. 4.) to ſtand to a falſhood before his face, that was able to confute him.
4. For his writing to me in Latine it is true he did ſo twice; but it was in ſuch ſort, that no man of judgement (who had read both his Papers) would think either of them in themſelves worthy of an anſwer, eſpecially the later, it being a meer extravagant excurſion from the matter of debate betwixt us: and for the former, becauſe it contained ſomewhat concerning the Queſtion wherein we were oppoſite▪ though but little, for moſt part of it was taken up with bitter invectives (wherein I had my ſhare of ſuffering with my Letters) I made an Anſwer to it for their Apology, as well as for mine own, in the ſame Language wherein it was penned, and brought it with me to Wall where we met, and read a good part of it unto him, to which he ſaid nothing but this; I ſee you can write in Latine: and I had left the Copy with him (at that time) but diſcovering divers groſs errours of the tranſcriber, in that I read, and fearing there might be many more in that I read not, I took it back with me to have it corrected by the ſame hand that wrote it, but mine Amanuenſis leaving me …er then I looked for, I laid it aſide, having no purpoſe to proceed any further in it, unleſ… ſome new occaſion invited me to it, as of late it did, when divers of my Religious and Lear…ed friends preſſed me (with much importunity) to publiſh what I had penned, as a neceſſary remedy againſt the Doctors reproaches of me, which they conceived were moſt current among them which knew me leaſt, yet ſome alſo, who were well acquainted with me, and profeſſed much reſpect unto me, (before theſe unhappy times of great defection of friends and exaſperation of adverſaries) eſtranged themſelves from me, and ſided with him in miſapprehenſions of me, becauſe he was ſo obſtreperous and I ſo ſilent. Notwithſtanding, had he confined his defamations to an Exotick tongue, as moſt would have taken the leſs notice of them, ſo I ſhould have taken the leſs offence at them, nor ſhould I have had ſo urgent an inducement (as now I have) in this manner to make mine Apology againſt them; or could he have ſeen any time to take up and give over his malevolent miſ-repreſentations of me, I ſhould have exerciſed the patience of mine ear, towards the petulancy of his tongue for a longer time; but as David complained of ſome ſuch adverſaries, Pſal. 35. 15. He ceaſeth not to tear me, with ſuch traducements as he conceiveth may render me moſt odious to good and ingenuous men, as I have been informed by divers, who had no ill minde or end towards him, and were doubtfull what to do concerning what they had heard (fearing concealment of the truth might further wrong me, and the telling of it would not a little grieve me) and I had the more cauſe to beleeve them, becauſe a very little while ago he ſet upon me with that ſtale unſavoury calumny, T… I ſnatched his Living from him before he was outed, though as oft as I heard it (which was too oft for a good man to have ſpoken, had it been but once, becauſe it was notoriouſly falſe, too oft for a wiſe man to have uttered, had it been true.)
And it is not to be doubted but he was more forward, and more frequent in his falſe accuſations of me behind my back, than in my preſence, eſpecially in places where he had a deſign to promote his own profit, (as at the Committee of the County of B. ſitting at R. he had) where by his miſreport of me to a Gent. of the Committee, he ſo farre incenſed him againſt me, that in ſtead of underſtanding my cauſe, and doing me Right, he would not vouchſafe to hear it, but dealt with me rather as a profeſſed enemy, than an equitable Judge, loading me with reproaches, which if they had been true, did not put me out of a capacity of an upright hearing of what I had to ſay for my ſelf, nor of receiving an award (as the merit of it did require) from him as well as from others, who as joynt Commiſſioners, were authorized to hear and determine the difference betwixt the Doctor and me. To that paſſionate and partiall man I made ſuch a reply (when he was in Office) as mine innocence needed, and his injuſtice deſerved.
This was it which (together with the forementioned perſwaſion of my prudent and well-affected friends) turned the ſcale of my doubtfull deliberations, for what I was to do in mine own defence; which put me upon a firm reſolution, to publiſh a true and juſt Vindication of my ſelf, both againſt the Doctor and the Gent. (whom he miſguided, to ſuch harſh and injurious dealing with me) though principally againſt the Doctor (as the Authour and mover of ſuch miſconceipts and reproaches as the Gent. poured out upon me, both in publique and private: And ſo I ſhall firſt take the Doctor to task for his traducements of me, eſpecially ſuch as he cannot deny, ſince I have them under his own hand in the Letter forementioned, which I have reſolved into the ſeverall parts thereof, and refuted them particularly; that done I endeavoured ſo to undeceive the Gent. ſo farre, as to make the Doctor and my ſelf better known unto him, then yet either of us are, and I hope (upon the rectifying his judgement) he will take more offence at his own credulity towards him, and contumely againſt me, than at my Apology for my ſelf againſt them both, whereto I am neceſſitated, unleſs I will betray my Innocence by the implicit guilt of conſenting ſilence, and ſo lie patiently under an open ſcandall, from which my conſcience, my Calling, and my engagement to the publique ſervice of the Church and State, do joyntly both allow me and oblige me, to acquit my ſelf, which now is the buſineſs I have in hand, and I ſhall begin it with my firſt Letter to the Doctor, and his anſwer thereto, upon which I have made Animadverſions, and ſubjoyned them to it: But for the Refutation of his calumniatory Letter, dated Novemb. 14. 1649. and noted at the beginning of this Preface, and for mine Apology againſt the reproaches of the cholerick Committee-man forementioned (though they be both ready for the Preſs) I ſhall upon an eſpeciall reaſon ſuſpend their publication untill another opportunity.
The Contents of the Book.
THe Preface, ſhewing the Cauſes of Penning and Publiſhing the Engliſh and Latine Letters following, reciprocally written betwixt Dr E. H. and my ſelf.
My firſt Letter to Dr H. concerning his immoderate Zeal for the Service-Book, with a motion to debate our difference about it.
Dr H. his Anſwer to that, declining the Debate, with Cautions and Conceſsions.
Neceſſary Animadverſions upon his Letter, divided into ſeverall Sections.
SECT. I. Three Reaſons referring chiefly to the Doctor, why his Engliſh Letter was not preſently anſwered: His miſtake about the word Seraphicall, the ſenſe, riſe, and uſe of it.
SECT. II. His Errour (in calling Bonaventure a Seraphicall zealot, becauſe he caſtigated the Greek Church) refuted, and the right Reaſon ſhewed, why he was ſo called
SECT. III. The Doctor justly termed a Seraphicall Zealot for the Service book, his abſurd Elogium of it, and Calvins Cenſure upon it.
SECT. IV. The Service-book ſerved not for diſtinction of the Reformed Churches from the unreformed, as the Doctor ſaith: Too much conformity in it to the Romiſh Breviary, yet it paſſed in the firſt Parliament of Q. Elizabeth, and why it did ſo.
SECT. V. The Service-book not caſt out by the Parliament or Aſſembly as a menſtruous cloth, as the Doctor inſinuateth, but laid aſide with honourable remembrance of the compoſers of it, and with approbation of the Book it ſelf in divers reſpects.
SECT. VI. The Doctor alloweth the laying aſide of the Service book, ſo farre as juſtifieth the Parliaments and Aſſemblies removall of it, by the example of Hezekiah's breaking of the Braſen Serpent; yet with ſome miſtake of that ſtory.
SECT. VII. The conſtancy and ingenuity which the Doctor aſſumeth to himſelf (if he had been an Aſſembly man) acted by thoſe who were choſen in that ſervice.
SECT. VIII. The removall of the Service-book, as before ſhewed, is neither Sacriledge, nor just cauſe of Scandall, as the Doctor ſuggesteth.
SECT. IX. A ſet or compoſed form of Prayer, how farre lawfull or needfull: The ridiculous Devotion of a meer Reading Curate.
SECT. X. The Doctors pretended moderation and modeſty concerning the Service-book, and his denied ſeeking to defraud me of the peoples favour, Confuted.
SECT. XI. He deſires no entercourſe by Letter with me, untill he be removed out of the County, upon pretences falſe and frivolous.
SECT. XII. How the Doctor will take me for his Oracle, and have more free approach to me, when he is gotten farther from me: How prepoſterouſly he prefereth temporall intereſts before ſpirituall: Miſtakes velitations for leſs then differences: His Epiphonema flat and feeble like the premiſes.
Additions and Corrections.
I. THe Catalogue of the Authours publiſhed Dictates, b… ing made without his knowledge is defective, in four… Particulars. So that to the
12. forementioned ſhould be added.
13. An after reckoning with Mr Saltmarſh, being an anſwer to his laſt Paper, which he calleth the end of our Controverſies, in 4to.
14. A compariſon of the Oath of the ſixth Cannon of the laſt Synod of Biſhops, and the proteſtation ſet forth by the Parliament, in anſwer to a Letter of Mr Pediett Harlow, in 4to.
15. An atteſtation of the Miniſters of Cheſhire, to the teſtimony of the Miniſters of the Province of London, againſt Errours, Hereſies, and Blaſphemies, in 4to.
16. A compleat account concerning the proceedings of the fourth Claſſis London, with Mr Symonds touching his admiſſion, to a publique Lecture within that Claſſis, in 4to.
All penned by Mr Ley, though Seven of them without Name, or with other Names then his.
II. In the Epiſtle Dedicatory.
p. 2. l. 8. after the word Brother, add in.
III. In the Preface to the Reader.
p. 3. l. 17. for my Letters, read many others.
p. 3. l. 20. for Wall, read Wallinford.
IV. In the firſt Engliſh Letter.
p. 1. l. 10. for Tueſday, read Thurſday.
V. In the Animadverſions.
p. 11. Sect. 3. l. 8. for that, read it, and within 6 lines of the end of the ſame Page, for that, read it.
p. 12. l. 10. after Clemens, blot out the word then.
p. 21. the laſt line, for words, read Prayers.
p. 28. Sect. 11. l. 8. for you, read me.
p. 33. Dr Hydes Latine Letter beginneth.
p. 38. Mr Leys anſwer to it in Latine beginneth. Though neither of them have the Title of the Writer ſet before it.
VI. In Mr Leys Latine anſwer.
p. 40. l. 9. 10 he promiſeth to note with Arithmeticall Figures the lines of the Doctors Letters, when he taketh any thing out of them, (which though he did it in his own Manuſcript it could not be ſo well done in the Printed Copy,) nor was i… very needfull, ſince the Letters cited are ſo ſhort.
p. 40. l. 18. for Putici, read Publici.
p. 44. l. 3. blot out ejuſmodi.
p. 48. l. 6. co, read Eâ.
p. 51. l. 14. ante finem, for hujuſmodi, read Ʋnius modî. & l. 16. for recipis, read recipie.
p. 53. l. 7. for Coiellus, read Cowellus.
p. 55. l. 21. after the word illis, add diabolus. & l. 23. after the word Caucius, add &.
p. 62. to the Superſcription, after the words feciſſe ſcio addes.
JOHANNES LEY.