The Disarmers Dexterities Examined, Chapter 1

The Disarmers Dexterities Examined · Chapter 1

THE Disarmers Dexterities EXAMINED.

In a Second DEFENCE Of the Treatise of Schisme.

By H. Hammond, D. D.

foreign. Iren.

LONDON, Printed by J. Flesher, for Richard Royston at the Angel in Ivy lane, 1656.

The CONTENTS of the Chapters.

CHAP. I. AN Introduction and answer to S. W. his Epistle to the Reader. pag. 1

CHAP. II. A Reply to his Introduction 10

CHAP. III. A view of the first part of Schisme disarmed. 17

CHAP IV. A Survey of the Second Part of Schisme Disarm'd. 81

CHAP. V. A Defence of the sixth Chapter of the Tract of Schisme. 132

CHAP. VI. A Defence of the seventh Chapter of Schisme. 217

CHAP. VII. A Survey of the third part of Schisme Disarmed. 233

The Errata.

p. 1THE Disarmers Dexterities EXAMINED.

CHAP. I.

An Introduction and answer to S. W. his Epistle to the Reader.

Sect. 1.

Of the Disarmers style and contumelies. The Scriptures judgement and sentence on foreign. Other parts of the Character belonging thereto.

SOme months have now past, since I made my joynt Reply both to the Catholick Gentleman his Answer to the tract of Schism and to M^r H.T. his Appendix to his Manuall of controversies, and thereon I had grounded some just hope, that either I should receive a fair Christian Rejoynder to that Reply, or else being permitted to retire from these agones, be allowed some respite for thoughts and offerings of peace; But before some other importunities had permitted me to enter on the least injoyment of this calme, this foreign (to me I am sure) most naturall habitude, **Nonnus foreign. p. 137.as Epicurus call'd his foreign, I finde my p. 2self again ingaged (by one who hath chosen to be so reserved, as to give me but two Letters, S. W. to know him by, and so little to take notice of these lower transactions, as not to own the having heard of that Reply) and there under the title of Disarmed Schisme, I meet with as copious a collection of scoffes, and contumelies, as I ever remember to have seen contrived within so narrow a compasse. To these the Romish Factor hath, in the name of the Stationer, pleased to give the stile of Drolery, and Piquant sauce, but the Author himself, who was fittest to have the naming of his own births, hath in his Epistle to the Reader, allowed them the plainer titles of Rude blowes, and twitchings by the beard: now because the one businesse of that Epistle is not to excuse but to justifie this dealing, to avow and defend the Authors just title to the scorners chaire, and profestly to plead to it, producing such evidences, as he is confident may secure his possession, and agreeably the Publishers care, and wit hath so particularly conformed, that to the syllabus of the Chapters, he hath solemnly annext a list of the contumelies, three and thirty pickt out by specialty out of the farre greater number, (as if Goliah's cursing of David had been the disarming and discomfiting him; as if the language that the King of Moab would have bribed Balaam to use, had been a certain inchantment against Israel, as if every reproach wherewith Rabshakeh adorned his challenge to Hezekiah were indeed a severall victory over him) It is therefore reasonable that I should thus far comply with my disarmers method, as to begin with an examination of that spirit which hath suggested, of those reasons, which are thought competent to defend this manner of managing controversies in Religion.

And herein the matter under examination being already as notorious, and confest, as the flagrant fact, and the Authors justifying thereof can render it, the sentence is long ago pronounced by the Apostle, 1 Cor. 5.11. and 6.10. I shall need onelyonly to recite it, In the former place, foreign. If any that is called a brother, by name or profession a Christian, be a railer or reviler, foreign, with such an one no not to eat, the Christians of Corinth must have no society with him, foreign p. 3foreign, saith the scholiast. He hath onelyonly the name, not the reality of a Christian, and foreign, he is for this fault a detestable person, and as such fals under the censures of the Church, v. 12. and he that is thus ipso jure excommunicate, is no very competent Juror or witness in a question of Schisme, such as that which we have now before us. In the latter the foreign, railers, revilers, contumelious persons again, are reckoned as a speciall sort of foreign unrighteous, which continuing such unreformed, shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven, and do but flatter, and deceive themselves, if they hope they may; and such sure are not qualified to condemn others, and exclude them from heaven, being none of those Saints, who clave non errante shall judge the world.

3Beside these, which alone might have discouraged any sober Christian from this adventure, many other unhappy characters are ready to fall upon it. 1. That it is by our Saviour noted to be the very Dialect, which the obstinate Jews used toward the true Prophets of God, foreign, and foreign, reproachings and every evill word, Mat. 5.11. and such withall as will to the sufferer be matter of triumph (foreign and foreign v. 12. amounts to that) in case it shall finally prove that causelesly or falsely, and for defence of the truth it hath fallen upon him.

42^dly That in case it should not in fine prove thus, yet it is that, which an Angel, the most highly dignified and most importunely provoked (so was Michael Jude 9.) would not make use of against the Devill himself, when ingaged in the most malicious dispute against the true Church of God (for such I suppose I have elsewhere shewed was meant, in that place, by the body of Moses) And that it should now adayes against all lawes of Religion be admitted to an office (such I think should be a dispute) of Religion, what is it but the imitation of Hercules's sacrifices at Lyndus, which were celebrated by execrations and maledictions, any foreign or word of civility, though unwarily let fall, being deemed the violation of the festivall.

53^dly. That as nothing hath a more direct and particular opposition, and unreconcileablenesse to that spirit of meeknesse wherein we are commanded by Saint Paul, to**2 Tim. 2.25.2 Tim 2:25 instruct, to p. 4**1 Cor. 4.21.1 Cor 4:21chastise, to**Gal. 6.1.Gal 6:1 reduce opposers to that supernall wisedom in S^t. James, which being first pure, is next peaceable, then gentle and foreign, so it cannot proceed from that divine Spirit, whose fruits among others are reckoned to be love, peace, long-suffering, gentlenesse, meeknesse, in opposition to hatred, variance, …mulations, wrath, strife, envyings, and such like, Gal. 5. and the biting one another, v. 16. all characters of the Gnostick heresie at that time.

6Lastly, that as this is a most unskilful diviation from all rules of art, aswell as civility, and S^t. Hierome notes it as a great errour in Helvidius that he took railing for eloquence, so it is not imaginable how so much learning and abilities, as this Disarmer is believed to have, should admit so great a mixture of rudenesse and scurrility, had it not appeared necessary to assist in the counterpoise, to supply some other defects, and been usefull, as Hierocles saith of oaths, foreign, to fill up the chasmes or vacuities in the discourse, that same prudent Philosopher having given us this Aphorisme, that confidence of skill conduces much to the infusing meeknesse into our debates: Thus**Nat. Hist. l. 29. c. 4. Pliny and**Tetrab. 4. sec. 1. c. 34. Aetius tell us of the Graecian serpents, that have no killing facultie of their own, born with them, they are fain to feed on noxious herbs (foreign) or else they are able to hurt no body. And thus is S. W. put to it, to highten his confuting powers; he submits to a sad diet, and then**Aelian. l. 6. c. 4. foreign, having armed himself with these strengthening plants, he becomes,**Hom. Iliad. foreign. v. 93. foreign, very triumphant at least, if not victorious over his adversary.

This therefore is no excellent indication of S. W. his perswasions of his own performances in this combat, that he deemed it necessary **Claud. paneg. 1.— geminare venenis vulnera, thus to anoint his shafts, as the Ethiopians do their * little arrowes, which having thus imbibed high vertues,foreign. Heliod. Aethiop. foreign, make very quick work, are very killing, or in my Disarmers phrase, beyond all possible confute; For (besides this conscience of his own wants) what rational account can be assigned, that such a last reserve should be drawn out so soon, that foreign which the Orator makes the effect of the disputants being nonplust, and cannot be more commodiously p. 5rendred then in the Authors style, of rude blowes, should be the refuge so early, and so constantly, that this ultimus conatus, last plunge of a gasping cause (as when art is at an end, Hippocrates puts off his desperate patient to the foreign) should so long forestal the foreign, and dishearten his friends and servants (in which number, if but upon that one score of having received injuries from him, I am by Christs Law obliged to include my self) and shut out all hope of receiving benefit from any future applications, The Divine being allowed to have that skill in symptomes, which Irenaeus, as well as Gallen hath taught us, that the profusest laughter is the worst indication in the affections of the spleen, foreign.

Sect. 2.

An Answer to his two Questions concerning contumelies. The Christian method of answering such.

HAving from that Obligation of Charity, which is most particularly required of me by Christ to the despightfullest enemy, Mat. 5.44. said thus much to my unknown Disarmer, It is a second necessary method of the same Charity, to endeavour his conviction, by examining that one account, which he gives of the rudenesse of his blowes, by exacting an answer from his Reader to this question, How he would take it if one should spit in his face, and justifie the affront because his breath is sweet, or what he would say to him that ruins his estate by perjury, & defends himself, that he held up his eyes to heaven, and swore demurely] adding, that whatsoever answer he gives, it will perfectly clear S. W. his behaviour towards the Doctor.]

2Herein all the Reply that can be expected from me, is to answer his double Question, and to do it according to the certain rules of Christs Divine Precepts, and not the uncertain, mutable practices, or humors of the passionate world. To the first, which mentions spitting in the face, be the breath that accompanies it either sweet, or otherwise, my answer is, That this I should look on as a contumelie of the nature of that which Christ mentions, p. 6Mat. 5.39. foreign, Whosoever shal strike thee on the right cheek, which, supposing no wound, or permanent pain to the body, was a fit instance to express reproaches, and contumelies and such like supportable injuries of all sorts, parallel to which are all the scoffings and revilings, which were thought necessary by S.W. for the Disarming of Schisme; And if the Tract to which he replies had any such in it, either toward the Church of Rome, or any particular member of it (as I know there is not one in the whole Book, and the very confession of the sweet breath, the courteous style, the civil adversary makes it needlesse to contest it) the duty in respect of the sufferer is evident in Christs Sermon, foreign, turn to him the other also, rather adventure more of the like injuries than ever think of acting revenge on that. There is but one farther care beyond this, which can be seasonable, foreign, To pray for them that thus despightfully use you, and that it may not be foreign, a sluggish unactive, and so uneffectual sacrifice, (that foreign, in Hierocles) the assistant endeavour, and diligence of fraternall admonition, and reproof is to go along with our Prayer, Mat. 18.15. and this is all the revenge that is allowed to any private Christian in this case. And so that must serve for answer to his first question; Let him now consider what arts wil avail to make up the parallel betwixt this duty, and his practice, when he that gave the Law, shall come to exact account of the performance of it.

The other Question founded in the more unsupportable injurie 3of ruining the estate by perjury, must have another answer, that in that case, it is very lawfull to use all lawfull means to discover the perjury, and to defend the estate: What those lawfull means are I shall not need to enumerate, but onelyonly assure him, that rude blowes which avail nothing to either of these ends, twitchings by the beard, declamation and satyre, (before any attempt of proof) are none of these justifiable lawful means, but are on the contrary that most unjust, unskilful, as wel as unchristian revenge, the foreign in the Stoick, the doing the most we can to be like him, whom we most dislike. Mean while, to bring this home to the case before us, 'tis certain and visible, that as the defending the Church of England from Schisme, bears no proportion to the ruining p. 7S. W. his estate (if he hath no other tenure in his earthly, or heavenly possessions, but the worlds believing, that we are Schismaticks, he hath been very negligent of his deeds, and a little charity were his much better way to mend his assurances) so surely, neither is there any oath incumbent on us, which can be pretended to be violated by casting off the Romish yoke, neither hath there been any the least perjurious tampering discoverable in any part of my defence, he might as truly have said, that I offered sacrifice to Idols, that I consulted with Necromancers, to rob him of his Christian patience) and if he mark, his style, which was robust in the mention of perjury, is grown much fainter, when he comes to the foreign, pretends to no more than perverse meaning and abusive treating matters of religion; But I trust it shall appear that this was but the language of interest, or passion also, and that there is not one single falsity in that whole Tract of Schisme; If there be, I shall, when it appeares, be content to deliver it up to the force of his proofes, but not till then, to the charme of his scoffes. If I must be humbled for my misfortune, as he styleth it, in handling controversies so meanly, 'tis not yet, I suppose, the season for it, till I have lost my own, or …elt the keennesse of his weapons, in whom it is (in the interim) a transgression of the rules of Art, as well as Justice, no other than the meanest begging the question, to suppose that guilt, which he was to prove, to assume so early, in the Epistle to the Reader, what he must (but hath not yet so much as attempted to) demonstrate.

I have done with S. W. his Epistle to the Reader, his very uneffectuall defence of a very great, and evidently the principall part of his Book, that which comprehends all the scoffes and revilings in it, and having said so much in this place, shall not adde one word more on that subject, how oft soever it sollicite me, in the future debates.

p. 8Sect. 3.

The affinity betwixt Schisme Disarmed and the Catholick Gentlemans letter. The design of this Answer.

ANd when I shall have subjoyned two considerations more, I shal have rid my self, and the Reader of a great part of the task, which seemes incumbent on both of us, and so shorten our work, by inlarging our procinctus or entrance to it.

2First then it is manifest, that Schisme Disarmed is in a great part of it nothing else but the inlarging on those briefer animadversions, which had been given by the letter from Bruxels, or the Catholick Gentlemans answer to the most material parts of the Book of Schisme; For which purpose I refer the Reader to p. 24. of Schisme Disarmed: where after some praelusory lighter skirmishes, he thus begins. These grounds laid, it were not amisse to insert here what the Author of that Epistle which was written from Bruxells in Answer to D^r Ha. saith upon this place] adding his judgement of that letter, p. 25.that had it not been strangled in the birth, and miscarried in the Printers hand, it might have saved the labour of this larger confute; and being exactly short might justly be styled D^r Ha. his Iliads in a Nutshel, since the force of it was so united, the reason in it so firmly connected, as might have cost the D^r a full ten years siege, ere he could make a breach into it by his brown Paper bullets.] This passage of kindnesse and reference to that Epistle, with many other characters of affinity betwixt that, and Schisme disarm'd, especially the first of the three parts of it, perswade me that the Author of that Epistle was the Penman of at least the first part of Schisme Disarmed: And agreeably the answers there drawn in little, have here a larger pourtraiture, but remain in substance, the same, with the advantage onelyonly of some growth of limbs and such like accidentall improvements. Now whereas it is certain, that I have punctually made replie to that whole letter, and every period in it, setting it down and attending it foreign, and having first, to the utmost of my skill, rescued it from all the p. 9Printers miscarriages, (which is all the strangling in the birth he speaks of) and then improved every Answer in it, as far as I could foresee it improveable, never taking the least advantage either of the conciseness of its natural frame, or the misadventures it had casually met with; It were now not onelyonly superfluous for me, but unjust, equally impertinent, and unconscionable to make the Reader pay twice for the same Answers, and therefore no other then duty thus far to comply with his ease, and thrift, as to refer him to that Reply for all that is there competently vindicated, without any further repetition, which I therefore here minde him of, once for all, and accordingly design this view of Schisme Disarm'd to be an Appendix onelyonly to that Reply to the Catholick Gentleman, to glean after the rake, to consider onelyonly those Answers in it, which had not been insisted on, in the haste of that briefer letter, but are now taken in by these foreign. Had my Disarmer taken notice of my Reply, (as he had time to have done, and I cannot apprehend his retirement, or imployment so strict that he should not hear of it) he might possibly have given me a sight of some infirmities in it; But as it is, I discern no need of giving it any farther assistance, as far as respects those answers, which it undertook to consider: And so I have no more incumbent on me at this time, but to survey, and muster all the fresh forces, which now first appear in the field, and not to increase the roll with the new names and dresses, that the old stagers appear in, the second time.

3Secondly, there are some parts of the Tract of Schisme, which my Disarmer excepts against, as superfluous to the debate betwixt us, as that intire branch entred on, Ch. 6. of the Romanists plea from the Bishop of Romes having planted Christianity among us. Which being disclaim'd to be any plea of theirs, It is perfectly needless that I should vindicate the arguments, that are framed to refute that plea, any farther, then as he which grants my conclusion, will yet make some specious objections against my way of inferring it.

4Some other things there are of this kind, to all which I shall not need to give any attention especially when I have done it once in the Reply, And then that which remains, my present necessary charge or province, being thus refined, and separated from these three p. 10parts of it, the declamation, the repetition, and what hangs loose, and may by consent be spared from the controversie before us; it will not retain so formidable a bulk, as it first appeared to have, and may by Gods blessing be dispatcht without much labour, and presented to the Readers use with some degree of that compendium, which Philo speaks of, foreign, the largest proportions may be carved in little, and contrived into a signet, and so might, if the hand were fine enough, the portraiture of my Disarmer.