THE SECOND PART

OF THE

DISSUASIVE FROM POPERY:

IN VINDICATION OF THE

FIRST PART,

AND FURTHER REPROOF AND CONVICTION

OF THE

ROMAN ERRORS.

THE

INTRODUCTION:

BEING

AN ANSWER TO THE FOURTH APPENDIX TO J. S.'S "SURE FOOTING;" INTENDED AGAINST THE GENERAL WAY OF

PROCEDURE IN THE "DISSUASIVE FROM POPERY."

WHEN our blessed Saviour was casting out the evil spirit from the poor demoniac in the Gospel, he asked his name; and he answered, "My name is Legion, for we are many." 'Legion' is a Roman word, and signifies an army,' as 'Roman' signifies Catholic;' that is, a great body of men, which though in true speaking they are but a part of an imperial army, yet when they march alone, they can do mischief enough, and call themselves an army royal. A squadron of this legion hath attempted to break a little fort or out-work of mine; they came in the dark, their names concealed, their qualities unknown, whether clergy or laity not to me discovered, only there is one pert man amongst them, one that is discovered by his "Sure Footing." The others I know not; but this man is a man famous in the new science of controversy' (as he is pleased to call it); I mean in the most beauteous and amiable part of it, railing and calumny; the man I mean is the aubáns, the confident,' the man of principles, and the son of demonstration; and though he had so reviled the great champion in the "Armies of the living God," that it was reasonable to think he had cast forth πάντα τὰ βέλη τοῦ πονηροῦ τὰ πεπυρωμένα, σε 211 the fiery darts of the wicked one;" yet I find, that an evil fountain is not soon drawn dry, and he hath indignation

* Dr. H. H.

enough and reviling left for others, amongst whom I have the honour not to be the least sufferer and sharer in the persecution. He thought not fit to take any further notice of me but in an appendix'; the viper is but little; but it is a viper still, though it hath more tongue than teeth. I am the more willing to quit myself of it, by way of introduction, because he intends it as an organum catholicum' against the general way of the procedure which I have used in the Dissuasive;' and therefore I suppose the removing this, might étoiμáGeiv tùv ödòv, make my way smoother' in the following discourses.

I will take no other notice of his evil language, his scorn and reproach, his undervaluing and slighting the person and book of the 'Dissuader' (as he is pleased sometimes to call me); but I shall answer to these things as St. Bernard did to the temptation of the devil, endeavouring to hinder his preaching by tempting to vanity: "I neither began for you, nor for you will I make an end:" but I shall look on those rhetorical flowers of his own but as a fermentum, his spirit was troubled, and he breathed forth the froth as of an enraged sea;' and when he hath done, it may be he will be quiet; if not, let him know God will observe that which is to come, and require that which is past.'

But I will search and see what I can find of matter that is to be considered, and give such accounts of them as is. necessary, and may be useful for the defence of my book, and the justification of myself against all ruder charges. And after I have done so, I shall proceed to other things which I shall esteem more useful.

The first thing I shall take notice of, is his scornful and slight speaking of Scripture, affirming that he is soonest beaten at this weapon,' that 'it is Sampson's hair;' it is the weakest part in the man: and yet if it be the weakest, it is that which St. Paul calls the weakness and foolishness of preaching,' more strong and more wise than all the wisdom of man. When the devil tempted our blessed Saviour, he used Scripture; but Christ did not reprove his way of arguing, but in the same way discovered his fraud. Scriptum est,' said the tempter; yea, but 'scriptum est,' said Christ,

The fourth Appendix to 'Sure Footing.'

to other purposes than you intend; and so would J. S. have proceeded, if he had been at all in love with the way. But he thinks he hath a better; and the wonder is the less that the gentleman does not love the Scriptures, or at least gives too much suspicion that he does not; for he hath not yet. proved himself by his writings to be so good a Christian as to love his enemies, or his reprovers: but, however he is pleased to put a scorn on Scripture expressions, it were much better, if he and his church too would use them more, and express their articles they contend for, and impose them on the Christian world, in the words and expressions of Scripture, which, we are sure, express the mind of God with more truth and simplicity, than is done by their words of art and expressions of the schools. If this had been observed, Christendom at this day had had fewer controversies, and more truth, and more charity; we should not have been puzzled to unriddle the words of 'transubstantiation,' and "hyperdulia,' and 'infallibility,' and 'doctrines ex cathedra,' and 'fere de fide,' and 'next to heresy,' and 'temerarious,' and ordo ad spiritualia,' and 'St. Peter's chair,' and 'supremacy in spirituals,' and 'implicit faith,' and very many more profane or unhallowed novelties of speech, which have made Christianity quite another thing than it is in itself, or than it was represented by the apostles and apostolic men at first, as the plain way of salvation to all succeeding ages of the church for ever.

But be it as it will; for he will neither approve of Scripture language, nor is he pleased that I use any handsome expressions,' for that is charged upon me as a part of my fault; only to countenance all this, he is pleased to say that all these are 'but division upon no grounds;' and therefore to 'grounds and first principles' I must be brought, and by this way he is sure to blow up my errors from the foundation;' that is his expression, being a metaphor, I suppose, taken from the gunpowder treason, in which indeed, going upon popish grounds they intended to blow up something or other that was very considerable, from its very foundations.

To perform this effect, J. S. hath eight several mines, all which I hope to discover without Guy Faux's lantern.