Against a Late Pamphlet, Text
THE FALSITIES AND FORGERIES OF THE ANONYMOUS AUthor of a late Pamphlet, (ſuppoſed to be Printed at Oxford but in truth at London) 1644. INTITULED The Fallacies of Mr. William Prynne, diſcovered and confuted, in a ſhort View of his Books intituled; The Soveraignty of Parliaments, the Opening of the great Seale. &c. Wherein the Calumnies, and Forgeries of this unknowne Author in charging Mr. Prynne with falſe Quotations, Calumniating Falſhoods, wreſting of the Scriptures, points of Popery, groſſe abſurdityes, meere contradictions hainous Treaſons & plain betraying of the Cauſe, (not one of which is in the leaſt degree made good by the Calumniator) are ſuccinctly anſwered, refuted. By William Prynne of Lincolnes Inne, Eſquire.
PROVERBS, 12. 19.
The Lip of truth ſhall be eſtabliſhed for ever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Printed at LONDON, for Michael Sparke, Senior. 1644.
THE FALSITYES AND FORGERIES OF AN Anonymus Author.
IT is an eaſy matter for any perſon of a brazen face, and ſeared Conſcience to be a ſlanderer, and by a fallacious miſreciteing, perverting, diſmembring, other mens works, to become a ſeeming Refuter of them. The faireſt natural or artificiall Bodies, may ſoon be metamorphozed into the moſt miſſhapen Monſters, if torne into confuſed fragments, and then patched up together into a diſorderly Chaos, where all the parts and members ſhall be diſlocated, diſunited, confounded and put into Hotch-Potch. This cobling kinde of Artifice hath that Botcher uſed, who compoſed the Pamphlet intituled, The Fallacies of Mr. William Prynne diſcovered and refuted: who inſtead of diſcovering and refuting any Fallacies, or Falſities of Mr. Prynnes, in an orderly or Scolaſticall manner, hath taken much unneceſſary paines, to cull out here and there a word or line, out of his wrightings on ſeverall ſubjects, and then patched them up together into inferences and arguments of his owne forging; fighting onelyonly with his owne ſhaddow, and mangling, miſreporting, perverting all the paſſages he recites, (as the Reader may at firſt view diſcerne) inſtead of anſwering, or refuting any thing which he hath written.
Wherefore I ſhall deſire the ingenious Reader, only ſeriouſly to peruſe the ſeverall Quotations this Cobler hath botched together, in my Bookes themſelves, as they are there urged, applyed, connected with the precedent and ſubſequent diſcourſes to which they have relation, and then the Fallacies, Falſities, and Calumnies of this Anonymous Patcher, (who is ſo penurious of matter, ſubſtance, that he produceth not one text or Author of his owne) will be ſo apparently diſcovered, as they will need no further Refutation.
This is not mine owne ſolitary opinion, but the judgement of other intelligent men, who have read this Pamphlet, to which I was minded to give no anſwer, as unworthy anything but contempt. Yet being deſired by ſome friends to reply ſome-what to it, leaſt this Champion ſhould deeme his Patched Fardle irrefragable, and overmuch abuſe the Reader and my ſelfe with his ſlanderous falſhoods, I ſhall returne no other anſwer to his charge of Calumniating falſhoods, wreſting of the ſcriptures, Points of Popery, groſſe abſurdities, meere contradictions, hainous Treaſons, and plaine betraying of the Cauſe, but onelyonly this, that the Pamphletter is moſt groſly miſtaken, and hath moſt falſly aſperſed me in all theſe particulers, as the mangled pages of my books, which he recites by fragments, will manifeſt to all who ſhall doe me ſo much juſtice as to appeale unto, and ſeriouſly peruſe them, without diminution or prejudice.
There are onelyonly two or three more conſiderable Calumnies he would fix upon me, that need ſome anſwer, and in anſwering them alone, you may clearely diſcover, both the palpable Falſities, Forgeries, Fallacies of this Slanderer, who is aſhamed to ſet his name to his ſhamefull worke.
The firſt and principall charge againſt me is, falſe Quotations, witneſſe the title page; Wherein is laid open his falſe quotations, &c. & p. 2. to 9. he doth deliver in an heavy imputation in the plurall nūber; of falſe quotations. Yet when he brings in his Catalogue of them, among thoſe thouſand quotatiōs I have produced in my wrightings, he can charge me but with one, no more p. 3. I will not (ſaith he) undertake to examine his falſe Quotations, being deterred by their magnitude and multitude. I will produce but One Quotation. A ſtrange kind of Calumny, to charge me in the Title and Book with a magnitude and multitude of falſe quotations, and yet to be able to inſtance but in one alone.
But this one is, at Leonem …a rare one. Ex ungue Leonem. Gueſſe at the Author by this example, It is out of Bodine, that (as he ſtileth him) Learned French Lawyer, Mr. Pryn. Append. p. 18.and Stateſman, De Repub. l. 2. c. 1. p. 222. Bodine ſaith, it alwayes hath and ſhall be lawfull for ſubjects to take wicked Princes out of the way: Can a ſentence be quoted more plaine and full againſt our cauſe, and for their cauſe, then this of Bodine? But if Bodine ſpeakes no ſuch thing, but more plainly and fully for our cauſe, againſt their cauſe, what may wee thinke of Mr. Prynne the quoter, &c. Firſt, In the place quoted l. 2. c. 1. there are no ſuch words, &c. So he p. 3 Here is a great cry indeed, but little wool, for in the very ſame page, we have confitentem reum, in theſe moſt poſitive termes. Secondly, I (writes he) confeſſe the words quoted are in the fifth chapter of the 2 book (and that in page. 222. which I quoted:) where then is the falſe quotation? The words are there; but not in the firſt but fifth Chapter of the ſecond Book: what then? they are in the ſame Booke and Page I quoted, but the Printer printed the firſt chapter inſtead of the fifth in ſome Coppies, Contrary to my Written Coppie, and Quotations in Print in other Coppies, and places. Ergo my Quoquotation is falſe; Grant this, yet it is not falſe, neither in the matter, page, booke, but Chapter onelyonly, which the Printer, not I miſtooke? Surely a very grand offence if reduced into a Logicall Argument. The Printer miſprinted the chapter in ſome coppies; But Mr. Prynne miſquoted not the words, booke, page, nor chapter of Bodine in any kind: Ergo he is guilty of a multitude of falſe quotations, at leaſt of one, at Leonem, but a rare one. So he diſputes.
A rare one indeed, ſuch as was never heard of in the world before, a true Quotation in every particle, yet ſlandered for a falſe one: which gives me juſt occaſion to repay him with his owne coyne. p. 3. Ex ungue Leonem, gueſſe at the (truth of this) Author by this example, the ſole miſquotation he chargeth me with.
Yea but he ſubjoynes p. 3. Note what a faire inference Mr. Prynne here maketh. Theſe Reguli or little Kings of the Cities of the Gaules, might be put to death by the Nobility to which they were ſubject. Appē. p. 17. So Bodine, by whoſe words it is cleare; that the Ancient Kings of France were inferiour in juriſdiction to their whole Kingdomes and Parliaments; yea cenſurable by them to depoſition or death This indeed is my inference, which he neither doth nor can diſprove, ſince the Ancient Gaules had no other Kings but theſe their Reguli; who might be put to death: and no univerſall abſolute Monarches, as Bodine and all French Hiſtorians acknowledge.
Yet his greateſt quarrell with me is behinde. p. 4. for leaving out part of Bodines words with an, &c. Appendix, p. 18. viz. But if the Prince be an abſolute Soveraine, as are the true Monarches of France, &c. Where the Kings themſelves have the Soveraignty, without all doubte or queſtion not devided with their ſubjects. In which &c. I omitted theſe words, of Spaine, England, Scotland, Turkie, Moſcovy, Tartary, Perſia, Aethiopia, India, and of almost all the Kingdomes of Africk and Aſia, which interveene between, where the Kings themſelves have the ſoverainty, and, the true Monarches of France, and for this omiſſion though with an, &c. he cryes out thus, Fye, fye, holy Mr. Prynne, can your ſanctified penne, Volens videnſque, wittingly, and willingly, abuſe ſo perverſly a learned French Lawyer, and ſo pernitiouſly our gracious King of England?
But I pray you Sir, what cauſe is there of ſuch an exclamation for this omiſſion, with an, &c? In that place of my Appendix I had nothing to doe with the Kings of England, Spaine, or any other Kingdomes there named by Bodine, but with the Kings of France alone, whom from p. 17. to 51. I prove by undeniable hiſtories and Authorities, to have been inferiour to their Kingdomes, and Parliaments. To recite all theſe other Kinges there upon this occaſion, whē I diſcourſed of the Fench kings alone, had been an impertinency, a Tautologie, In the 1. 2. 3. 4. part & the Appendix.ſince I diſtinctly handled the ſeverall juriſdictions of the Kings of Englād, Spaine, Scotland, &c. in their proper places & refuted the error of Bodine (though I truly cite his words) that neither the Kings duplicate page duplicate page of Spaine, nor France, nor England, nor Scotland, are ſuch abſolute Soveraignes as he would make them. The omiſſion therefore of Spaine, England, and Scotland, with an &c. which pointed to, not concealed them, can no wayes be charged on me as a falſe quotation, or as a witting or willing abuſe of Bodines words, as will appear by turning this accuſation into arguments.
Maſter Prynne in reciting Bodines words, concerning the Kings of France alone, omits his mentioning of the Kings of Spaine, England, Scotland, &c. with an, &c. (as this very Momus himſelfe in his Cenſure omits Turkie, Moſcovy, Tartary, Perſia, &c. rather to be ranked among abſolute Tyrants than Kings,) Ergo he hath falſly quoted, and wilfully perverted Bodine.
Maſter Prynne recites and refutes Bodines opinion, of the abſolute Soveraignty of thoſe Kings, in the objected and other places. Ergo he miſrecites Bodine. If theſe be not moſt abſurd Arguments, and calumniating falſhoods, let the world judge.
In fine, Mr. Prynne hath*Part. 1. p. 39. 50. 93. 104. 105. 106. frequently quoted Bodine, and this very Chapter of his, in ſundry pages of his Bookes, but miſquoted him in no place whatſoever: Ergo this Botcher hath miſquoted, miſreported Mr. Prynne, and muſt cry peccavi for it.Part. 2. p. 9 10. 22. 23. 24. 25. 40. 41. 45. 46. 47. And for his odious ſubinference p. 4. it is his owne alone, not mine.
This Champion having thus manfully played the ſlanderer in this one Quotation, which he in vaine labours to prove falſe, would willingly proceed to others, p. 7. but he there ingeniouſly confeſſeth, he wants his tooles to doe his worke, and I have not (quoth he) the bookes cited by him. Certainely if he wants his Books, and the Books I cite, to examine my quotations by, it muſt needs be an impudent apparent ſlander in him,Apendix. p. 4. 10. 11. 23. 89. 100 to tax me of miſquotations of thoſe Authors he confeſſeth, he never ſaw nor read: the rather, becauſe he writes in the ſame page, that my Quotation out of Speed ſeemeth ſomwhat amiſſe; yet preſently confeſſeth of himſelf in the ſame page; I never ſaw it, nor heard it, till I read it in Mr. Prynnes Book, and that he never read Mr. Speed, How dares he then terme it, a ſeeming Miſquotation?
Is this man (thinke you) likely to refute or convince me of falſe Quotations, who thus confeſſeth, that he neither hath, nor hath read, nor heard of the Books and Paſſages which I cite? *Seneca Medea.Si judicas, cognoſce, was the Ancient rule: I pray therefore get and read my quoted Authors hereafter, before you preſume to charge me with miſquotations, elſe all muſt cenſure you for the groſſeſt ſlanderer that ever put pen to paper.
For the pretended Falſhoods, Paradoxes, Abſurdities and Abſurd opinions he would faſten on me, p. 8. to 14. they are moſt of them his owne miſrecitals, not my aſſertions; and ſo farre as any of them are really mine, my Pages whence they are tranſcribed, will ſufficiently manifeſt them to be neither Falſhods, Paradoxes, Abſurdities, nor abſurd opinions.
The Popery he would aſperſe me with page 14. 15. is eaſily wiped of.
For firſt, both the text and Comment of Roomes-maſter peece, is neither a Fiction, nor pia fraus, unleſſe he will make it ſo in the Arch-Biſhop of Canterbury, Sir William Boſwell, Habernfield, and the King himſelfe, under whoſe hands it is extant, and hath been repreſented to the Parliament. If this ſuffice not, the Preface to the ſecond Edition of Roomes-maſter peece, will either ſatisfie or ſilence this Father of falſhoods.
Secondly, the viſions and Revelations of King Edward the Confeſſor, cited in my Remonſtrance againſt Shipmoney▪ p. 22. & of one of the Monks of Clervaulx, Opening of the great Seale, p, 5. 6. are not recited by Mr. Prynne, as reall verityes, or convincing argumēts againſt Shipmoney, & Lordly Biſhops, but onelyonly, de bene eſſe, to manifeſt what opinion the Monks and Hiſtorians who record them, had of Danegeld and Prelacy. And Mr. Prynnes other Arguments, Authorityes againſt Shipmony cited in that Remonſtrance, and againſt Lordly Prelates and Prelacy, regiſtred in his Vnbiſhoping of Timothy and Titus, his Breviate Catalogue of Authours of all ages, and Antypathy of the Engliſh Lordly Prelacy, to Vnity and Monarchy, are ſo ſollid and Copious, that no man hath hitherto attempted to returne the leaſt anſwer to them, nor indeed can doe it, ſo that he needed not the helpe of Viſions, Revelations, or popiſh pious Frauds, to ſatisfy or delude his Readers in theſe points debated by him.
For the other pretended points of Popery, perverting of the Scripture, of Lawes, Treaſons, and betraying of the Cauſe, they are ſo abundantly anſwered, refuted in my Books at large, in the pages quoted by this Authour, that I ſhall wholly appeale to them, & the indifferent peruſers of them, both for my Purgation and Juſtification, in all particulars; which books having both the ſpeciall licenced & good Approbation of the high Court of Parliament, and of thouſands of all ſorts both at home and beyond the Seas, (who have highly approved them, and recieved good ſatisfaction by them, in the preſent unhappy controverted differences that diſtract us,) need no further Apology againſt this Nameleſſe Slanderer and Depraver, to whom I onelyonly wiſh more verity, honeſty, ingenuity, for the future, then he hath here diſcovered for the preſent.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Prynne, Against a Late Pamphlet (1644)