AN ANSWER TO THE LETTER OF THE Roman Catholick Souldier, [As he calls Himself.] In a LETTER from C. D. to A. B. The EXAMINER of his SPECULUM.

The Souldiers Letter is added at the End.

Imprimatur, [An Answer to the Letter of the Catholick Souldier, &c. in a Letter to A. B.]

H. MAURICE.

LONDON, Printed for Richard Chiswell, at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard, MDCLXXXVIII.

AN ANSWER to the LETTER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC SOLDIER, (As he calls himself.) In a LETTER from C. D. to A. B. the Exa­miner of his Speculum.

SIR,

THis is an Age of Wonders. Just before you left me, Mr. Pulton's Half-sheet Friend found out the Substance of an Author un­der the Species of a Publisher; and, more than that, he crouded Six Conferences (and those no very loose ones) into his own Nutshell. Now, in your Absence, the Author of the Ecclesiastical Prospective-glass has wrapt up your Speculum Examin'd in a little bit of course Paper; and, then, another Compen­dious Gentleman, (who advises Pulpits in Matters where his Own Party transgress) has, in a few Lines, [Page 2] confuted D. T's printed Sermon of Discretion in giving Alms, without regard to the First part of that Title. In your absence, I take upon me to wait on these Gen­tlemen; and my first Visit shall be to the Catho­lick Soldier. But why the Catholick Soldier? as if any Christian Soldier, as such, was not Catholic. For every Christian is, as Christian, Catholic, or Or­thodox, and a Member of that Church, which is there­fore called Catholic, or Universal, not because, in every Age, 'tis all over the World, (for some Roman Doctors say it may subsist in one Woman) but because it is not limited, as the Jewish Synagogue, to One People, but admits Men of all Nations and Conditions, upon the Terms of Baptism, into its Communion. And that is true Catholic Communion.

This Gentleman has (I perceive) a Talent in giving Names, he is Mr. Pulton's Common-place-Man, and he gives his Book the pretty Name of Prospective-glass; and that you may purchase it, as of the choicer kind, he calls it Ecclesiastical. Nay, that he may shew himself an Extraordinary Man in this way of giving Names, he has Christened his own Father, and his Christian Name is Calvinist, and his Sire-name Presbyterian. His first is a little unlucky; for whilst he throws at his Fa­ther about the black Decree, some imagine, that he hits S. Austin.

Seing now he is so very bold with his Father, D. T. (they say) do's not take it amiss that he is bold with him. Yet, as Familiar as he is, 'tis well he speaks not in commendation of him; for some must be ill Men, before others will praise them. But let us see what [Page 3] Name he gives D. T. and how well he has hit the Mat­ter. Why, as Mr. Pulton borrowed from his Speculum, so now he borrows from Mr. Pulton's Remarks, and D. T. is Titus, and a Bar or two beyond him; For what Reason I pray? For these Evidencing Words, [The Au­thor (they say) was in the way of being bred a Scholar in Cambridge, but he is now a Military Man.] Now this (he thinks) is a scandalous Untruth, and he thus confutes it.

1. He turns D. T's Words into other Words, and then makes his own Sense out of them. ‘[You write an Epistle to your A. B. in which you tell him and the World, That I was a Cambridge-Scholar.]’

But to say, It is a Report, is not to say, The thing is so; and, to be in the way of being so, is not actually to be so: And many a Boy, that is in the way at Sedburgh, or elsewhere, is dropped before ever he gets to S. John's.

He is a notable Turner already; what would he be, if, in stead of a Catholic Soldier, he should one day become a Catholic Priest? He that can already turn a Looking-glass into a Prospective-glass, would then turn a late Author into S. Cyprian: For he has still a mighty mind to put the Book de Coenâ Domini upon S. Cyprian, and to make the Men of the Third Centu­ry to live with those after the Twelfth: All this for the due joining.

Oh but, secondly, 'tis plainly said, not only that he was not in the way os being bred a Scholar, but that he was turn'd from Black to Red. He has consulted some infallible Interpreter, and these Words must needs sig­nifie, [Page 4] he who now wears a Soldier's Coat, wore a Cler­gy-man's black Coat before. Here is Wonder again. D. T. has admitted him, and put him into Orders by virtue of a Phrase. But has not Mr. Ward heard a Roman call'd a Red-letter'd Man, as well as a Catho­lic? And is it not proper to say of such a one who leaves either Common-Prayer or Directory, That he is turn'd from Black to Red, without converting the Colour of a Calendar into that of a Coat? If it be, let him that observes such Decency in his Words, be a Censor of Phrases. Tho' the Doctor meant as I have said, (for that was the Account he gave of the Expressi­on before the Soldier oblig'd him with his Letter) yet there is another Account which may be given out of the Sage Author of Hudibras, which I produce without the least Reflexion upon either of the Professions, for I heartily honour them. Now their Honour being left untouch'd, let this little Author make what Application he pleaseth.

Thus, then, that Sage Author, somewhere in his Poem:

And like to Lobster boil'd the Morn,
From Black to Red began to turn.

Now, according to Mr. Ward's no-Protestant Logic, the Inference should be this; The Morning was a Di­vine, and wore a black Coat; and by and by turn'd Soldier, and wore a Red one.

His second Argument is as convincing. He could not be a Scholar, because he turn'd Roman before he was Nineteen Years old. As if they could not be design'd in the least thought of their Father for Scholars, before the Clock struck the third Quarter before Nineteen. [Page 5] Ay, but in his third Argument, he says, his Father had never the least thought of sending him to Cambridge, or any other Protestant University; and here's your Catholic indeed. He is already like a Saint, or an Angel; for he can know his Fathers thoughts, his least thoughts, tho' as little as F. D's Mustard seed.

If it was not in his Fathers thoughts, I wish it had; for then he might have learn'd better Divinity, than in his Speculum, and better Manners, than in his Duel and Letter. He would have been taught not to have re­proach'd his Father publickly, for withdrawing his kindness, because he embrac'd the Catholic Faith. Nor revil'd him as a Calvinist or Presbyterian, which Names, whatsoever they signisy, are us'd by him as terms of dishonour.

But his last Argument will do the business effectually; he is musing about Mr. Pulton's way of Certificates, as Mr. Pulton took his way of Quotations. If he had (he says) but time to write into Yorkshire [to send Let­ters into the North, as Mr. P. says, Dr. T's Party did] he could prove by hundreds of Witnesses, that he was a Catholic before he was Nineteen Years of Age, and has remain'd a Catholic other Nineteen Years. He has here obliged us with an Account of his Age, and we had ra­ther believe him than trouble him to send into Yorkshire for a Certificate out of the Register. But for his hun­dreds there, how can they certifie, what he has always been in their absence? for Men are given to change. They must have had some better Prospective-glass than he has made, to discern him always so clearly at such a distance. And, for his Certificates, if he be not bet­ter at them than Mr. P. whose 22, or 23 Witnesses, [Page 6] prove him to have come but with One to the Conference (whilst that One, and He came in with many) he may save the charge of the Postage. There is (they say) a Book in the Press, in which 'tis shown, that Mr. P's Certificates stand in need of being Certified them­selves.

But why is all this stir made by Mr. Ward, to prove he was not in the way of being bred a Scholar? Let a Man but read his Letter, his Duel, his Speculum, and he will need no further proof: Nay, let him read but the first half line ‘[You and your A. B. ha's]’ and he will be convinc'd, that he is no better at English than at turn­ing Latin into English, as in his Title?

Yet, it seems, he is a Man of Note, and great en­quiry has been made after him. There came no less than Two at one time, who ask'd, What he did? What he writ? Whether he had been an Oxford Scholar or no? A most material Man; there is mighty seeking after Him and his Works. Where dwells the Maker of Look­ing-glasses? Ecclesiastical Looking glasses? otherwise cal­led Prospective-glasses? The Man who can furnish a Material Jesuit with Accoutrements for a Conference? 'Tis now most certain, they were of D. T's sending, because they ask'd, whether he were not of Oxford, be­cause D. T. had heard a report, that his Father had a design to prepare him for Cambridge. To that Univer­sity, as likewise to that of Oxford, Calvinists and Pres­byterians, have sent their Children, before and since the Kings Return; and they have proved very eminent Men both for Learning and Piety in the Church of England.

[Page 7]That which remains, concerns your Writing, of which he will make D. T. to be the Author, tho he wrote only a Letter to you. These Prospective glass-men have a marvellous Art; They can see one person, and make him another: He loves you dearly because you write your self A. B. which puts him in mind of the Oath of Allegiance; as A. P. of the Savoy, puts men in mind of A. P. of Peterhouse. He quarrels with you, because you will not call Apostrophes, Prayers; he is angry again, because you quote not the places of your Authors, al­tho' you do it; for Example sake, to go no further than Councils, [Speculum Ecclesiasticum Considered,] pag. 11. Concil. Tom. 1. pag. 519. pag. 16. Concil. Tom. 11. p. 58. pag. 17. Hist. Conc. Nic. Concil. Tom. 11. p. 3. pag. 18. Conc. Tom. 4. p. 560. pag. 19. Concil. Tom. 5. p. 424 pag. 56. Concil. Tom. 11. p. 844. pag. 60. Hist. Con. Nic. l. 2. c. 30. The denyal of this is so palpable a falshood, that if he persists in it, he wants two Virtues, which I wish him.

Again, he is offended, that you have not taken the least notice of the Testimonies of Holy Scripture, and would not confute them; tho you told him (p. 48.) ‘[The proofs of Scripture I shall not consider, because they are either wholly impertinent, or have been often An­swered by the Writers of our Church.]’

But, when a reason is given him, he has the dexte­rity of taking no notice of it, and then of making a great Complaint about it: But his great grievance, and that which he opens first, is, the Confutation of his Mannerly and Learned Pamphlet called the Duell; (for he is all for Metaphors in Titles:) The Confuta­tion of it before he had Published it. He was doing it, and may go on when he pleases; but that it was not done, till an account was given of it to A. B. and confuted [Page 8] by him, was not from his want of will, who had Scor'd it for the Press, and had it Cross'd and Corrected with puttings out and puttings in, and then met with a most unexpected delay. But Sir, if a man has his Sword ready to hurt you, and Malice in his heart, and you break it before he can draw, I am Casuist enough to de­termine, that you are upon just Self-defence.

Thus I have thrown away an hour upon him, and when you have nothing at all to do, you may spend your time this way, if you please, which is next to that in the expedient in Ovid,

—Ne nil ageretur, amavit.

I am,
Sir,
yours, &c. C. D.

THE Roman Catholick Souldier's LETTER TO Dr. THO. TENISON.

You and your A. B. has publish'd a Reply to my Defence of the Speculum, before I either Printed or Published any such thing. This is not to stay till all the Muster­Roll be call'd over before you answer to your Name, as you say Mr. P. would have had you to have done; but 'tis every whit as absurd; for 'tis to cry I am here, I am here, before ever you be call'd. This is a strange and unheard of way of proceeding.

You write an Epistle to your A. B. in which you tell him and the World, that I was a Cambridge Scholar, and has chang'd my Black Coat for a Red one; I am sorry you have gotten no better Information from your Enquiries after me at my Lodging, there having been no less than Two Men at one time, and Four at another (whether sent by you or no, I will not say) making Enquiries of me at my Quarters, what I was? whether I had been an Oxford Scholar or no? was I no more than a Souldier? what I did? what I writ? with such like Queries, to which the good people of the House could give them little or no Answer, (as they told me) other than this, that they told some of them I was writing something concerning your Reverence, but they knew not what. Indeed Dr. your Oracles has deceiv'd you, and you have abus'd me by writing such palpable and false untruths of me. For so far off was my thoughts from ever being either a Cambridge Scholar, or wearing a Clergy-Mans Black Coat, that on the contrary, I was a Catholick before I was 19 years of Age, and (God Almighty be prais'd) have remain'd a Catholick ever since, which is now other 19 years, which if I had but time to write into Yorkshire, I could prove by hundreds of Witnesses; nor had my Father (being a Calvinist or Presbyterian) ever the least [Page 10] thought of sending me to Cambridge, or any other Protestant Uni­versity, but rather of putting me to an Attorney, or some such like Employ, till I lost his kindness by Embracing the Holy Ca­tholick Faith.

So that you have mist the mark exceedingly, by saying I was, or ever was intended for a Cambridge Scholar, or had a Clergy­Mans Black Coat to change for a Military Red one. This story's just like your Jesuits with yellow Peruicks and little Bands, and the sholes of Men that throng'd in with Mr. P. in the Confe­rence, when he has prov'd by 22 or 23 Witnesses, that he brought but one Man with him, and he was neither a Priest, nor came to Dispute, but only to be a Witness of what passed. If you go on at this rate, 'twill be time for Dr. Oates to look about him, you'd darken his lusture quite. What can we expect from the rest of your Pamphlet, (call'd your Considerations on the Spe­culum Ecclesiasticum) when you entertain us with such a Whisker at the first? may we not guess what you have in your Shop, by what you hang out of the Window? If you would have had us given credit to your following Consideration, (as you term it) you should not have begun with so gross an untruth. Therefore whatever we find in your Pamphlet deliver'd from your own word, without sufficient proof, you must excuse us if we do not nor cannot believe it.

I had not time to take much notice of your Pamphlet, only this I observ'd that you have found out a ready way to Confute the Fathers: That is, either by calling their Works Spurious and suppositious, making a great shew with the Names of your Au­thors, but taking care not to Cite the places where any of their words may be found: Or else, reckoning the Fathers words no other than Historical Apostrophes, p. 69. Complements to the Pope, meer Complements, p. 52. meer Rhetorical Flights, Rhetorical Apostro­phes, p. 62. presuming to tell us, that Orators (meaning the Holy Fathers, for of them you are speaking) seldom contains themselves within the severe bounds of Truths, p. 63. [well said Doctor!] nor have you taken the least notice of the Testimonies of Holy Scripture; why did you not Confute them also?

What I have to say more Dr. is to advise you to wrap up your next of this nature a little closer than you have done this, or those against Mr. P.

From him who is always ready to serve you, T. Ward.

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