HAving perused the Book by You newly publish­ed, under this Title, The Reasons presented by the Dissenting Brethren against certain Propositions con­cerning Presbyteriall Government, And the Proofs of them voted by the Assembly of Divines sitting by Autho­rity of Parliament at Westminster, Together with the Answer of the Assembly of Divines to those Reasons of Dissent; I congratulate your happinesse in being Midwife to such a Work.

Howbeit I am bold to desire satisfaction in some particu­lars in your Title page, as also in that later peece touching Accommodation, upon which all mens eyes (you know) will, in this juncture of time, be most intent, and in which more care and faithfulnesse would well become such an eminent Scribe: hoping your candor and ingenuity will be my shelter against all impotent passions that might raise a storm against me in your breast.

The Title-page seems to hold out the Trophees of the Dis­senters over the Assembly (not unlike that of Aeneas over Me­zentius in his triumphant addresse to Mars) in large Capitals, THE REASONS presented by the Dissenting BRETHREN against CERTAIN PROPOSITIONS concerning PRES­BYTERIALL GOVERNMENT, &c. Scilicet.

But the Answer of the Assembly comes after in a lesser Cha­racter, and lower rank, having but two lines allowed it at the bottom, where it sits at the foot of that gorgeous Title, upon a little tripod not half an inch broad, like a petty in the School, that needs a Fescue.

Now verily, I should have thought it more honour for the Assembly to have led the round, and that the Title-page should have ran thus, THE ANSWER of the ASSEMBLY of [Page 4] DIVINES to the REASONS of the DISSENTING BRE­THREN, &c. who being but 7. might better have been thrust into the Trundle-bed of the two last lines; then 50. or 60. men. This, in my poore conceit, (at which perhaps your Beard will smile, to the hazard of a drie exhalation from beneath) had better preserved the reputation of the Assembly, if that had been your care.

Men speak it out aloud, that Mr. Byfeild is become, if not a down-right Independant, yet, a strenuous Agitator for that Fa­ction; and that he had not kept such an Antichristian thing as a Vicaredge thus long, after his illumination, but for the accession procured for him, while he was Probationer, by the Grandees of the Time. So that I much fear, the world will, by this Title page (which doth so extreamly cast the scale for the Independents,) be much confirmed in that opinion of you.

If you say, It is meet that their Reasons which were first offered to the ASSEMBLY, should be first set down: True, in the body of the Book, but this is no reason why the Assembly should not have the upper side, in the Title-page. No man, publishing an Answer to Another, but in the Frontispice he first gives no­tice of his Answer, if he think it hath the better of his Anta­gonist; as I think you once thought of the Answers of the As­sembly to those Troublers of it.

If you tell me, The Printer or Stationer had the ordering of that Title, I think you dare not adventure to say so in the light, lest it should bring up so much blood into your face as would proclaim the falshood of such a poore excuse. What Publisher of a book is so long in travail with any page of it, as with the Title?

If you plead the Order of the Lords, which directs to that method: I say, 1. That if your fellow Convert John Brown, and you had so pleased, the sense of the Lords might have been so drawn up, as the honour of the Assembly might have been better consulted or provided for. 2. I do not find you, in ought else, so punctuall in keeping to their order. They say, The Reasons against the third Proposition, &c. You say, against certain Proposi­tions. They say, (in reference to that third Proposition, as you [Page 5] were (say some of credit) told openly in the Assembly) as well those formerly printed for the use of the Houses, as any other▪ Reasons and Answers never formerly printed. But you say in effect, Reasons against other Propositions, as well as against that third: for, you do accordingly publish them. And although you have been observed lately to solicite some Lords for an inlarge­ment, or at least for an explanation of that their Order, where­in you could not prevail: yet have you printed all the rest; for which, I thank you: onely this I say, that it is not for you to answer me in the point now between us, that you so draw up the Title, because you would be punctuall in keeping close to the Lords Order; for you have transgressed it in a far greater matter. Shall I tell you what some conjecture to be the cause of such a transgression? They say, you cannot forget how much time those 7. men (especially that brazen fac'd peece of impudence, that Protestant Jesuite, that Antilogorum P [...]tifex maximus, your dear Brother Philip) took up in the Assembly; and that had it not been for that passionate and inflexible D. B. his endeavours to put a period to those debates, tis verily beleeved those 7. Apocryphal Brethren would have held the Assembly till this time, in going over and over, and a 1000. times over, the same things again. Therefore you thought fit to give them so much roome in your forebox, in regard they took up so much time, and would willingly have taken more, in your Assembly.

I hope it may be pardoned, if some other man beside T. R. and E. M. shall print some peece thereof better then they have done, although not authorized by M^ris Harwards Husband, who received no power from you to impower T. R. and E. M. to do what they have done herein already. And how comes it to passe, that you have agreed to wipe the noses of the other two Scribes of the Assembly with one single Book apeece? I have been told, that they took ten times more pains in wri­ting Copies for the Parliament, in entring the Originals into your Books, &c. then you have done. But if they be your Ser­vants (as men say they be) 'tis not unfit the Master should take the benefit of their work, till they be out of their time.

For my part, I could not, for a while, satisfie my self, why [Page 6] you should thus deal with your fellow Scribes, till I was bet­ter informed of the Reasons, which, if true, are of some weight. If they be false, I pray undeceive me, because I had them from such hands, as I am apt, at present, to beleeve them.

It is said, that Mr. Byfeild hath a lean Vicaredge (the very house whereof cost him more, then the whole is worth) and he was to make use of such friends to procure an Augmenta­tion, as were likely to carry it. Hereupon he had the wit to ap­ply himself to Mr. Solicitor, who by good hap had a Mayd­servant to put off to a young Stationer, who had as little to begin with as the Mayd, perhaps lesse. The Sollicitor was willing to gratifie Mr. Byfeild in his suit, if Mr. Byfeild could finde out any thing in the Assembly, that might be beneficiall to Harward. Mr. Byfeild told him, there was nothing in the Assembly, unlesse those Reasons, and Answers, and Papers, since by him published. Hereupon, the Solicitor seconded Mr. By­feilds Petition which was preferred in the House of Commons by the new German Bishop of Foolham; whereby an 100 li. per annum was setled on Mr. Byfeld: and the other businesse was so discreetly managed, that the Lords made an Order for printing of these things now made publick. And there went the Hare away from the other two Scribes. Howbeit, Mr. By­feild can plead that he received not one penny from the Sta­tioner. And Mr. Harward, they say, can make it out, that he received somewhat else with his wife, beside this Copy: and so I see not why all parties should not be well pleased: for, they must be.

But truly, truly, Sir, your faith is much questioned in the businesse of the Accommodation Papers. For my part, this satis­fies me, that you do not attest them as you do the rest, with a Concordat cum Originali: nor indeed could you do otherwise, you being no Scribe to that Committee, nor alwayes present at the Debates and Orders made therein: nor Honest Jeremy neither, who had little skill what was rightly reported, and what not, he being no Member of that Committee, if your enumeration of the Divines at pag. the 13th. be full.

Nor could you get any authentick originall, but were fain to run up and down among your new friends to get here a [Page 7] paper and there a paper to patch up something, as it please the friends to the Dissenters Cause to furnish you; by means whereof divers things are wholly omitted, and others man­gled, which makes the whole very imperfect, and unsatis­factory to such as have had the happinesse to be acquainted with all the passages of that transaction.

That I may give you a taste, turn to page 17. of those Pa­pers, where you shall find these two grosse slips, viz.

1. Your Copy runs thus, This Paper being read, and the day (you would have said, a good part of the night) spent in ex­plaining of it. And so you passe on to the Order made in the close of that meeting, passing over all those explanations about which so much time was spent. But Sir, the Dissenters did themselves at last explain sundrie ambiguous termes of their Paper then given in, which explanations were taken sillabice in writing, at that time, and after they had been read to them, and owned by them, were to be kept by the Chairman, and are still extant. But the Independents had no reason to desire the publishing of those explanations They exclude all but their own gang which would, if known, make them a lean company.: therefore, herein you had reason to suppresse them, in case you had them by you. But, we hope, one day to see them.

2. You set down that Order of the Committee, Decemb: 4▪ 1945. thus.

It was Ordered that the rest of the Divines, Members of the Com­mittee, be made a Sub-committee to consider of the Paper of the Dis­senting Brethren, given in, and to meet first between themselves, then with the Dissenting Brethren, and to prepare somewhat against the next meeting of this Committee, &c. But here you grosly mutulate. For, in the originall, after those words [then, with the Dissent­ing Brethren] this clause is added [if there shall be cause,] which you omit; for what cause, your self best know.

Sure I am, there was a noise all over the Town at that time, that when the Sub-Committee of Divines that were to draw an Answer to that Paper, presented their thoughts of it to the Committee, at their next sitting, Dec: 15. (as you quote the time) the Dissenters fell a cavilling at the Sub-Committee for bringing in an Answer, before they had met with them▪ accor­ding to the Order as you are please to give it us: but it was [Page 8] answered out of the Originall Order, that the Sub-Commit­tee were not necessarily to give them a meeting, because the Order saith it was onely thus [if there shall be cause] of which the Sub-Committee were best able to judge, in reference to themselves. This was thought by the Committee, to be a good defence of the Sub-Committee; And the Dissenters were thereupon ordered to give a R [...]ply thereunto by the Tuesday senight following.

Sir, these are no small slips in a man so deeply trusted, and pretending to so much integrity. I could tell you of many more in that last peece, which had you faithfully and fully related, would have discovered much more to the world of those proceedings, then your Dissenting Brethren would be willing that all men should know. But, if I should here adde any more, I should exceed the bounds of a private Letter. I am assured, that not onely the Scots Commissioners, but some of your Assembly were very exact and diligent in taking the whole proceed of that Committee, which since (as I am in­formed) is faithfully printed in Scotland. May I have the happinesse to get any perfect Copy, I hope it shall be no Fe­lony nor Treason (unlesse such as may be made so by Inde­pendent-club▪law) to disabuse the world, by making the whole truth to appear to all.

So, wishing you as much faithfulnesse as you need, my next wishes shall be, that you may be again the same man you were when old Alexander of Scotland was alive; and then that you may have as much happinesse as you can desire, while you continue in the truth. This, Sir, is the prayer of