A Second LETTER unto a PERSON of Honour & Quality, Containing some farther ANIMADVERSIONS upon the Bishop of Worcester's LETTER.

Together with a Brief Answer unto all that one L'S— intends to write.

LONDON, Printed in the Year, 1662.

Honourable and Worthy Sir,

YOu much surprized me in your last, wherein you acquainted me, that the Letter I sent you (which was the hasty issue of one or two leasure hours, and therefore very unfit for Publick View) was by your self, to prevent the trouble of transcrib­ing, communicated to the World; and the Result, you tell me, is, that many sober Persons (who thought it very fit that the Bishop should be a little humbled) are much satisfied by it, but the Bishop himself so far concerned, that he hath em­ployed one L'S — to answer it. Truly, Sir, I am so taken with this last part of your News, that, instead of prosecuting my resentments against the Reverend Bishop (which nothing but Publick considerations made me take up (I now begin to pity him; and am heartily sorry he should be driven to so despe­rate a shift, as that, for want of better Champions, he is forced to commit his Cause to the Patronage of such a Pen, whose Defence will more dishonour him than the sharpest Ac­cusation. For who that knows any thing of Civility and Learning, doth not know, that the Character you give of that L'S—is not more sharp than serious, when you call him a Person so lost to all good Breeding, of so forfeited, so undone a Reputation in point of meer Morality, that for a Bishop, so much as to countenance him, is a crime which some Coun­cels have pronounced an Anathema against; but to employ him, and to think, that either he is fit to manage such Nice Points as that Letter glanceth upon; or that such indigested stuff as he must needs disgorge, will not create a Nausea and [Page 2]Loathing in all Sober Readers, is altogether as improper, as if the Bishop should set (to use a Phrase which that Gentle­man understands) a Hog to play upon his Organs; or appoint a Scavenger to wash his Surplice; the very attempting of which would betray, that he loved neither Musick nor Clean­liness.

I must confess Sir, I am very tender of the Bishops Repu­ration, and there is yet a possibility for him to recover his cre­dit again; for though he be a little Angry, yet the World must needs acknowledge, that he is a plain dealing man; since his Dudgeon phrase of this is the Truth, Pag. 5.the whole Truth, and no­thing but the Truth, with such kind of Home-spun, Harmless Elegancies that are scattered in his Letter, Savour very much of the old English Breeding, and call to mind the Trunk-Breeches and Wooden Daggers of our Ancestors; who, I believe, spake all in the same uncounterfeit stile, which it well becomes a Bishop, who loves Antiquity, to imitate: But for him now to grow weary of this Primitive simplici­ty, to suspect his own strength, and to entrust Mounsieur Le Friske the Morice-dancer to undertake his Quarrel; to chuse one for his Champion, who hath been a Fidler in all Governments, and would have been a Fidler to the worst of them (for which end he knows how many pitiful Legs and Faces he made, to scrape acquaintance with the Tyrant Oli­ver) for him now to be suddenly advanced so much beyond his Art, will run the poor man into a dangerous Vertigo; and in the mean while much discredit the Bishops Cause, as if he could get none to maintain it but this common Barreter, this Mercenary Songster, that for two crowns more will change his Note, and rail against his Patron.

Tins, Sir, and, if possible, much more low and mean being my opinion of that Whiffling and Thin souled Adversary you mention, give me leave to tell you, that I am so little [Page 3]concerned in any thing he intends to write, that, since you re­solved to divulge the Letter I sent you, I am sorry you did not likewise publish my Name to the World too; that so, another, whom, as you tell me, he designes to fall upon, might not, upon Mistake, have the Credit of his Calumnies; since every Reproach from him (who hath not let any thing Sa­cred whether Person or Doctrine, escape his venomous Pasquils) I look upon as a Signal Mark of Honour, beyond what any other Epitaph can give me. As when men scatter Dung up­on a Garden, the Flowers grow more Fair and Fragrant ever after; so were I ambitions of a Name, I think I could not more speedily procure it among all good men, then by entreat­ing that L'S—to appear against me.

As therefore, Sir, you love my Credit, manage this Design for me, and promote the Work as much as you can; and by divulging my true Name, let not any Jot of the Com­mendation he designes me, be derived upon that Gentleman you mention, whose Vein, if I mistake not, lies in another way. However, Sir, if there be no Help, but the Innocent must suffer, pray think so Nobly of me, as that I do religi­ously intend to follow your Advice, and not offer to answer one, who would fain be Answered, that he might appear Considerable. I will not, Sir, by taking any notice of him, suffer him to Rail himself into Reputation: But as hitherto, with all his little Witticismes, and Twenty Good morrows (to shew what Trade he drives) he could never gain so much Re­spect from any, as to deserve a Confutation; so shall I let him pass still, like Bessus in the Comedy, secure in his own Want of Worth, and by that, safe from Censure. And thus, Sir, I dismiss that Puny Authour, unto his Learned Labours, of which, you tell me, he is now lying in; and if there be any vertue in Sack (for he drinks and writes in the same mea­sure, only with this Difference, that what goes in Wine, [Page 4]comes out Water) the women of Turnhall-Street shall not long be unfurnished of a Pamphlet.

But, Sir, to conclude with somthing more serious, I can assure you, that I am perfectly reconciled to the Bishop, and will point him out a Fair and Noble way of righting himself. For, setting aside those Merry Passages in my Letter, which his too much Heat gave but too just an Occasion for, I give you free Leave to acquaint both him and the world, that I intend to make him an Acknowledgment as submiss as any Canon enjoynes, if he will either by Writing, or Conference make good any of these Positions, which he asserts in his Book, and against which, I have briefly subjoyned my Rea­sons.

Pos. 1. That Monarchy cannot consist without Episcopacy. Neg. For Monarchy was many 1000 years before Episcopacy, and therefore demonstrably may be without it.

Pos. 2. That the Bishop of Worcester is the Sole and Imme­diate Pastor of all the Congregations in his Diocess. Neg. For it is utterly against Scripture Rule, to extend the Name of Pa­stour, beyond the Flock which one actually feeds.

Pos. 3. That it is unlawful for any, though Ordained, to preach in the Bishop of Worcesters Diocess, without his License. Neg. For Ordination is a sufficient License, which runs as the A­postles Commission did, Go preach the Gospel; without being confined to Place, or needing a new License.

Pos. 4. That it is Lawful in the Worship of God, to enjoyn a small thing under a great Penalty. Neg. For we have no War­rant for such an Imposition in the Word of God, which ought to be the sole Rule of all Religious Worship.

Pos. 5. That the Church hath Power to exact Confession and Recantation, for those Crimes which the State hath pardoned. Neg. For, as to Coercive Power and Jurisdiction, there is no difference at all between the Church and State.

Pos. 6. That the Presbyterians (I suppose, he means, not Imposers of their own Formes, but barely Dissenters from those Imposed by others) are all seditious. Neg. For it is against their publick Confession of Faith; which, as the 39 Articles, and Church-Canons are of the Episcopal, so that ought to be the Test of the Presbyterian Perswasion.

Thus, Sir, You see I am willing to reduce this Controver­sie unto a Rational and Calm way of Debate, and if the Bi­shop, or any sober Person for him, will undertake to maintain, either all, or any of the forementioned Positions, I will ei­ther make good my Negative, or declare my Conversion.

And because, Sir, it is possible you may be asked, Who it is that thus boldly makes a Challenge unto one of our Learned Prelates? Your personal Knowledge of me can abundantly sa­tisfie them, that he is very much for Bishops, more for the King, most of all for the Purity and Peace of Religion; and were he not for all these, in their Due and Just Subordination, he thinks you would not own him for,

SIR,
Your most humble Servant, D. E.

Postscript.

I Have just now received an Elaborate Piece, written by one that stiles himself J. C. M. D. a man very well read in the Modern Fathers, and of so Elegant and Facete a Style, that I am sorry all the places in Gotham-Colledge are taken up, for this man would be an ex­cellent President of it: I hope the Bishop will be so Charitable as to provide a Sine-Cura for him, for his Employment in Physick will never be able to maintain him in Books and clean Linnen else; I wish nei­ther he may ever want such able Champions, nor they befitting Pensi­ons.

Adieu.

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this EEBO-TCP Phase II text, in whole or in part.