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 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 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, 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.