THE RIGHT OF TITHES RE-ASSERTED : WHEREIN The Proofs from Divine Institution , Primitive Practice , Voluntary Donation , and Positive Laws are further Strengthened and Vindicated ; Especially from the Objections taken out of Mr. Selden's History of Tithes .

By the Author of The Right of Tithes Asserted , &c.

LONDON , Printed for H. Brome at the Gun at the West-end of St. Paul's , and R. Clavel at the Peacock in St. Paul's Church-yard . 1680.

§ . 1. THE reading T. E's defence of his former mistakes , recalled to my mind the old Apologue , of the Passenger , who came to a certain Bridge where every one was to pay a Penny for each disease he had , before he might pass over , and refusing to pay his Fine for an apparent disease , he struggled so long till two more were discovered that were unsuspected before ; so that at last he was forced to pay for three instead of one , and his infirmities which might have been concealed , were only made more publick by this unreasonable opposition . Caussin . Parab . Hist . l. 3. 71. And truly my Adversary hath cleansed his blots with blurred Fingers , and made all his faults worse , while he attempted to mend them , for he hath vindicated himself from that ignorance and dishonesty I charged him with before , by so many fresh instances , that his very Apology proves his Crimes , and confirms the justice of my Accusation : And that the Argument may not be too much interrupted by the frequent demonstrations hereof , which his Book every where affords , I shall sum up a few of the principal evidences of that nature in this Introduction ; and because his own words do best describe his qualifications and manner of writing , I will venture to present him with his own Picture drawn by his own hand , though perhaps it may have the same effect upon him , that a Looking-glass had upon Old Lais , when she saw her wrinkles there , who fell into a rage at the sight of her own deformity , and broke the Glass , because it shewed her such a face ( not as she wished , but ) as she really had Julian . Anthol . l. 6. c . 8. Sed cùm faedus accesseris & faedum ibi te videris , noli speculum accusare , non te fallit speculum , tu te noli fallere . Aug. de Temp . 235. The People did not like the Picture which the Graecian Lymner had drawn by their own direction , however he writ upon it , This was the Peoples Draught ; and so may I upon these Characters , T. E. Fecit .

§ . 2. ANd First let it be observed , that he seldom accuses me for any pretended fault , of which himself is not really guilty , and which he doth not commit in this very Book in which my Charge is contained . He taxes me for Pride , pag . 4 , &c. and my describing the English Clergy as more Learned than the Quakers , is reckoned among my Brags , Insults , and Vaunts , but sure ( as the Comoedian speaks ) If I were worthy of this reproach , yet is he , of all others , the least fit to charge me ; since his own Pride and Self-conceit is sufficiently visible in all those Pages of his Book , where he tires his Reader , while he pleases himself with large repetitions of what he hath proved , and with great Characters of his mighty performance , and he seldom goes on twenty Leaves together , without standing still a while to admire himself , pag . 57. pag . 96 , 145 , 173 , 194 , 210 , 248 , 251 , &c. But his Pride is written in Capital Letters on his Title Page , and since the Quakers name their own Brats , we may be sure the name was of his own giving . His former heap of Self-baffling falshoods , was humbly stiled , Truth Prevailing : and this feeble Effort is with equal modesty called , The Foundation of Tithes shaken ; That a Quaker should shake , is no marvel , and that in his shaking fit he should think all about him trembled too , is not very strange , that men of no Principles should endeavour to shake Foundations , is probable enough . But that those Foundations which have stood so many Ages , and endured so many stronger Batteries without the least harm , should be shaken by this Pot-Gun , is incredible ; the poor blind Mole may as soon be believed to have shaken the Foundations of a well built Castle , when she hath cast up a little heap of dirt beside the Wall , as T. E. be thought to have shaken the Foundation of Tithes by a Book , wherein he hath only shaken his own credit : But if you will take his own Testimony of his own Exploits , he hath both shaken the Foundation of Tithes , and ( done far more ) removed the four principal Posts on which a nameless Author set his pretended Right to them . 't is well for the Author he was nameless , and out of the way , or else 't is to be feared his Name had been buried in the ruins of his own Building , which T. E. hath levelled at one blow . But I pray , what were these Posts which this mighty man hath removed ? Truly , no less than Divine Institution , Primitive Practice , Voluntary Donation , and Positive Laws . And , First , This is not the only Divine Institution , which Quakers have attempted to remove , even Baptism and the Lord's Supper , which all Christians in the World own as the Institutions of Jesus , this sort of men ( with Jews , Turks , and Pagans ) do quite remove from their whole Party , and would ( were it in their power ) banish them out of the World ; but when He that Instituted them comes to enquire how His Ordinances were observed , they that break these Commandments , and teach men so , will know what they and their Champion T. E. deserve , for removing Divine Institutions .

Secondly , Primitive Practice also the Quakers must remove as far out of sight as they can , lest it upbraid their new devices as perfect contradiction to the purest Ages ; and truly , if they could remove the notice of Primitive Practice from our Observation , as far as they have done their own waies from the imitation of it , they would have good cause to glory in that impious action , as the security of their ridiculous innovations .

Thirdly , Voluntary Donation : which ( especially if it be to God ) cannot be revoked by him that made it , and yet T. E. hath removed this also : What Ananias got by such removing , Acts 5. we all know . But this remover can disanul the Will of the Dead , and blow away the Practices of past Ages , and Cancel the Laws of this , and boast of it when he hath done ; for his Last remove is , the removing Positive Laws , which the Supreme Authority had fixed . 't is well for the Quakers that they have such a Friend , who hath quite removed those severe Laws under which they so often smarted for their obstinacy , let them never complain hereafter of their sufferings by these Laws , for T. E. hath removed them or belyed himself , for he saith the Positive Laws ( for Tithes ) are removed , if you ask , Where ? he tells you , In a Reply to my Book ; if you enquire , By whom ? he saith , by Thomas Elwood ; so that he hath Indicted himself by Name for removing , that is , subverting the Laws , and what he deserves for that , our Statutes will acquaint him ; and doubtless , if he had as really done this Fact , as he vainly boasts of it , he might guess whether his next remove might be : For since our Magistrates who are the Custodes Legum , punish such as only break the Laws once , surely they would not let him escape , if they believed he had removed them . But — Non compos will save him , for he only in a boasting Freak of Enthusiastick Frenzy , hath accused himself to have killed a man that is still alive , and to have removed those Laws , which stand yet , and are like to do ( I hope ) so long as the Nation endures . And ( what ever swelling words are in his vain Title ) who ever judiciously reads his Book , will acquit him from the guilt of having actually removed any one of these , so that he is only to account for the malice of intending it , and the pride of bragging of it ; his weakness sufficiently securing him against all possibility of further mischief , and therefore I reckon it among the instances of his extraordinary self-conceit . As I do also his comparing himself to the famous Luther in the next Page ; nay , to St. Paul , Introduct . p. 1. as if his writing against Tithes had the same effects that the Preaching of the Apostle had against Paganism , or of the great Reformer against Popery . But though it was witty enough in Erasmus by that fancy to commend Luther , yet it is very foolish in T. E. to apply it so grosly in his own praise , and to tell us how he had pincht the Priests as severely as as ever Luther did the Monks , for the Wise man saith , Let another man praise thee , and not thy own mouth , Prov. xxvii . 2. But he cannot forbear bragging , That I found my Diana totter by a Stroke from the last Chapter of his former Book , and was apprehensive of greater danger , if timely course were not taken , pag . 2. when yet he confesses , that I look upon him with all the contempt imaginable , pag . 4. 't is strange he should expect to be revered for audaciously undertaking a thing so much above his capacity , and 't is as unlikely I should fear the attempt of one whom I knew to be so despicable . This tottering therefore was the effect of a Quaking in his own head , and the danger a Vaunt of his own inventing : But how large Epithetes soever he bestows on his own pains , I and my Brother Priest , with our Arguments , are by this humble man thus modestly treated , of him he cries out , Poor weak man ! pag . 6. and of me ironically , This wise man , pag . 211. yea , looking down on me with great pity ( for I am little David now , and he great Goliah ) How hard ( saith he ) is this poor man put to it to piece up something that might look a little like a proof , pag . 128. and no marvel , for pag . 373. he ( with great scorn ) saith , I talk idly , and that my Position is enough to render me suspected for a Natural , pag . 473. and that I may return to my A , B , C. pag . 422. Again , he questions Whether I understand the nature of a Gospel Ministry ? p. 301. And well he might , if it be true which he saies , That I abound with Confusion , and have little strength of sound Argument , or force of solid Reasoning , p. 2. and that in one whole Section , There is not one solid Stone of Truth , or firm Pillar of Reason , p. 58. And my Friend's Book he saith , Is all of it either unguarded , or ill guarded , p. 13. a Censure that none would pass but T. E. who is so full of his own praises , that he hath no room for a good thought of any other man or his work . Nor can we much admire at this Treatment , since he deals no better with the Fathers , when they oppose his conceits ; thus the Learned Origen is rejected with reproach , p. 69. though he be a good witness when he speaks T. E's sense , p. 274. Et sapit & mecum facit . St. Augustine's opinion is rejected with scorn , p. 437. yea , and all that think as he thinks , Are in danger ( he saith ) to be begged , that is , for fools , p. 438. and yet what St. Augustine thinks and saies there , is cited with approbation by his often commended Dr. Willet , and by a whole Council together in which Arnulphus the Emperour presided , and it consisted of the three great Archbishops of Germany , nineteen Bishops , with innumerable Priests and Deacons , and many of the Lay-Nobility , Concil . Tribur . c . 13. ap . Bin . Tom . 3. p. 2. Had T. E. been then alive , it had been a better Trade than Speaking to the Quakers , to have begged all these mens Estates , especially if he could as easily have proved as called them , Fools . However he goes not much further before he undertakes to prove there is neither Truth nor Reason in a Position of St. Augustine , which is in effect , to prove him in that Particular a Lyar and a Fool , p. 492. But I cannot reckon up all the Demonstrations of his insolent pride , and these may suffice to shew what Spirit he is of .

§ . 3. THE next piece of his Character shall describe his Meekness and Patience , to which the whole Sect makes more than ordinary pretences , and T. E. hath greater obligations than any of his Party , to take heed he be not found destitute of these good Qualities here , where he so highly accuses me of the contrary : For , What Authority can that censure have ( saith Seneca ) where he that is to be condemned , doth condemn ? And surely ( saith St. Ambrose ) he more sadly condemns himself , who condemns that in another which he himself commits , Ep. 76. He accuses me for endeavouring to besmear his name with all the ignominy , reproach , and obloquy I could , and brings in a large Bill of my ill language , p. 3. and yet in the same breath tells me of my evil Nature , and worse Education . Another complaint of my railing , and an additional collection of particulars he hath , p. 503. But if the Reader please to consult the places cited , he will easily discern what just occasion I had for every one of these expressions . And his Second Book hath so fully justified all those Epithetes , that I am saved the labour of proving them , by his making out his own claim to them . And unless T. E. have a Monopoly for harsh language , 't is somewhat strange why others may not speak sharply where it is deserved , with as little crime as he may where it is not ; but if it be a fault simply to give harsh words , let these testifie for his gifts in that Science . The Rhodomantado's of this Polemical Priest , p. 4. This is an Art this Priest is expert at , but — 't is a black one , p. 25. I have cause to think him more bold than honest , ibid . He seems to have abandoned all regard to truth and modesty , p. 83. Having prostituted his reason and his conscience to the libidinous desires of advantage , p. 242. This unjust man , p. 104. Shameless man , p. 273. Bold slanderer , p. 360. False man , and most unworthy , p. 338. Yea , he likens me to Judas , and by a — hides a Name which would have been Actionable , p. 408. And that his Charity may keep proportion with his Meekness , he judges me to be an Intruder for a corrupt interest , p. 371. A time server , p. 77. A temporizing Priest , p. 466. And a right Romanist , p. 493. with such like Billingsgate Complements , so familiar with Quaking Speakers , when they discourse of men of my Profession , that they drop from him with great facility . Nor is his filth disgorged upon me alone , but the whole Reverend Order of the Protestant Ministry of the Church of England are most falsly and maliciously slandered by him , as being Ten-fold forwarder to curse than to bless , — ruining Families by frequent rapine ; and like to blind Watchmen and false Prophets , p. 56. So far from being better than the Levitical Priesthood , that they are not a little worse , p. 78. He accuses them of spending more time and Money in Taverns and Ale-houses than upon acts of piety and mercy , — of making many sad by their exactions and extortions — of encouraging more Sinners by their Example , than they reprove by words , p. 376. — of scraping , scratching , rending , and tearing , never thinking they have enough , p. 476. yea , he calls them , The lazy Clergy , p. 435. Fat Priests ; Confident Priests , p. 441 , and 449. And like a right Member of that Family where he dwelt , he saith the Loyal Clergy which suffered in the Cause of God and King Charles the Martyr , need all the Odours I have provided to sweeten their Names , p. 477. whereas no doubt their memory among all good Subjects shall be blessed , when the names of that blessed King's Judges and Murderers shall rot : But what , or who will not this Quaker vilifie ? The Sacred Ordinance of Baptism is with him scornfully called Sprinkling , p. 56. and is reckoned among Gossipping Bouts , p. 446. The other venerable and Divine Mystery is jeeringly stiled , Bringing out our Bread and Wine , p. 55. The Reformation is censured as too short in not laying the Office of Priesthood aside , p. 396. Yea , he asperses the most learned Age of the Primitive Church with Ignorance and Superstition , p. 167. and some of the purest times , with Popery , 174. yet this is our mirror of Meekness and Patience , this the Charity and sweet language of our Quaker to all sorts of Persons and things that stand in his way , this is he that complains so sadly of injury to his Name , yet makes so bold with theirs who are every way his betters . Now what he deserves for that which relates to others , I am content the Reader should judge . As for what concerns my self , I do heartily , and can easily forgive him , as being never likely to be worse thought of by any wise or good man for T. E's reproaches and censures . Synesius reckons it among the greatest of his Praises , that Julius ( a very ill man ) publickly defumed him , Epist. 62. And Padre Paulo was glad to hear that the Pope said he was a wicked man , For I know ( saith he ) that he takes himself to be good , and then he can call me no otherwise , who profess my self to be most unlike him . His deep sentments of my just Characters of him , are only Arguments that he did deserve them , but I can safely say his evil language did never work upon me beyond the occasioning a smile : And it may be , he knows who they two were , who being both abused by the Stage , One of them was very merry at the affront , and the other went and hanged himself . Ael . var. hist . l. 5.

§ . 4. I Made indeed some sharp reflections before upon his gross ignorance , but it was upon sure and just grounds ; and had I stiled him , Learned , I had abused him indeed , as will appear when we have shewed his Reading and Skill in Authors ; his knowledge of History , Chronology , Antiquity , and the like : Some little Learning the Quakers thought he had before , and ( I hear ) they brag he hath shewed much more now , which ignorant Vaunt sufficiently proves them an illiterate Sect ; for , as Suidas observes , Acamathius passed for a Philosopher , though destitute of all Learning ; but it was only in his own Town of Heliopolis , where scarce any man could read . Verb . Acamath . p. 42. But whatever they think , T. E. hath now fully satisfied all the learned part of the Nation , that he is a poor Retailer indeed , citing Authors he never saw , and bringing in Witnesses whose right Names he doth not know ; Censuring the Fathers without ever having read them , or knowing so much as the names of their Works when he sees them cited to his hand : Had he sitten down and confessed his mistake about St. Basil and Fimicus , that modesty would have made his ignorance very pardonable ; but since he will not only vindicate those , but fly higher than his Waxen Wings will carry him , no wonder if he falls into worse errors , and loses the repute of that little knowledge he was thought to have before : The Camel would needs have Horns ( saith the Proverb ) but for that vanity she lost her ears . It will be no unpleasant Scene to those that are acquainted with good Authors , to observe what childish and ridiculous mistakes T. E. is every where guilty of : And First , whereas every young Student knows Sixtus Senensis his Bibliotheca , a Book as commonly read and cited by all Protestants , that would judge of the Fathers , as any of that kind : T. E. finding in Perkins his Problem , p. 24. these words , Ex Sixto Senen . Biblioth . l. 4. learnedly translates them , Out of Sixtus Senensis the Library Keeper , p. 166 Risum teneatis — Had T. E. been a Library Keeper himself while he was following E. B. and the rest of his inspired Guides , his time had been much better spent , and he had not exposed himself thus miserably to the laughter of the lowest sort of Schollars , for he would at least have known the names of Books better than to have made the very Book-sellers Apprentices merry : But we see the Quakers Inspiration doth not secure them from taking Bushes for Bears , nor learn them to distinguish between a Books name and a mans employment : A rare infallible Guide this ! A fit man to censure my Quotations ! This Perkins Demonstrat . Problem , is the chief Latin Book he meddles with , and yet , alas ! he was not able to use this neither , for when I had cited Hieron . in Matth . 22. that is , St. Hierom's large Commentary upon the whole Gospel of St. Matth . a Work that takes up a great part of one Folio , and known to all that ever saw St. Hierom's Tomes ; yea , and so certainly genuine that neither Perkins , nor any other Protestant or Papist ever doubted of it : T. E. ( who doubtless is a perfect stranger to this Father ) goes groping into Perkins , and there , p. 23. among the spurious Works of St. Hierom , very luckily finding these words [ Homilia super Evangel . Matthaei ] away he runs , thinking he had sufficiently answered my Quotation , by saying , p. 168. That Homily upon Matthew is rejected by Perkins , &c. Very pleasant ! Perkins rejects a little short Homily of two Pages only ( falsly titled in him too , on Matth . ; for it is a Homily on Luke xi . 5 , 6 , 7 , 8. about the importunate Friend : ) Ergo , that which I quoted out of no Homily , but a large genuine Commentary , is rejected too ; and this serves his Quakers for an Answer , but it only shews wiser men , that he meddles with matters he understands not — Tractent fabrilia Fabri . He goes not much further in this unknown Path , but he gets another foul fall , for when I had been speaking of a gift of Constantine to the Clergy in the Cities of his Empire , mentioned by Theodoret and Eusebius , and owned by all for an Authentick History , T. E. finding in Perkins again , p. 15. Donatio Constantini , mentioned as a Forgery , ridiculously applies it to this gift of a certain Tribute of Corn , and tells us the truth of the Donation is questioned by Cusanus , and disproved by Perkins , &c. p. 190. ignorantly thinking , that the most infamous Forgery that ever the World saw , wherein Constantine is pretended to give all the Western Empire , and all Imperial Ensigns and Power to the Pope of Rome , which Cusanus and Perkins and every body else explode , was the very same with a pious and real gift of Constantine to all his Clergy in the Cities of his Empire , which gift none ever doubted of : and doth T. E's Inspiration so shamefully desert him , while he is defending that which he thinks so good a cause ? With like gravity and judgement he wisely brings a Decretal Epistle of Pope Syricius to prove it self to be genuine , pag . 274. as if Syricius his Decree ( which is contained only in that Epistle to Hymerius Bishop of Tarracon ) had been something made by that Pope at some other time , and might have been proved to have been the Act of Syricius , by the same Epistle in which he is pretended to have written this Decree ; but he betrays his ignorance in thinking these were two several things ( finding perhaps that Perkins did first cite a Decree of that Pope , p. 192. and then an Epistle , p. 200. ) and yet manifests his dishonesty also in bringing that Epistle for an Authentick proof out of Perkins , who expresly condemns it for a forgery , p. 33. But , alas ! it helps his Cause but little that a feigned Decree , and the forged Epistle containing it , do both declare the same Doctrine , for though he calls them by two names , they are but one falshood , and he hath only brought a man , when his Cloathes are changed , for his own Voucher . But we must not enlarge upon all his Follies , let it suffice to note briefly ; That p. 181. he reckons a silly , shameless , and known forgery of a pretended Council at Sinuessa , among the Authentick Councils of the Primitive Church : That p 191. he knows not where to look for a known Story , that all who have skill in the Councils can go directly to : nor did he know what to make of two Quotations out of the Civil Law in the Page before : And does he expect I should reach him who knows all things ? He quarrels at my Translating , p. 179. and yet he ( though Grammar seem his only Science ) ridiculously Englishes these words , In Synodo Meldensi , In the Synod of Meldensis , instead of the Synod of Melda , or Meaux ( as 't is now called . ) What Master would not whip a School-boy for translating , Civis Londinensis , A Citizen of Londinensis ? Nor is his skill greater in Chronology , wherein he is so pert , as out of Burdegalensis , and Fasciculus Temporum to correct my Dates of Councils , taken out of the most exact ancient and modern Computations , blaming me sometimes for a difference of four years only , p. 179. And yet he himself misses above two hundred years at once in the date of Theophylact's death , p. 50. and computes Prosper's time to be fifty years after St. Augustine , when they lived the greatest part of their time together , and Prosper out-lived St. Augustine but twenty five years ; for St. Augustine died An. 430. and Prosper 455. pag . 172. Again , pag . 235. he mentions a Charter of Ethelbald's , and saith it is above fifty years older than Ethelwolf's , and so indeed it is , and he is an exact Computer too , for Ethelbald's Charter was made in the year 749. and Ethelwolfe's , An. 855. that is , above an hundred years older than Ethelwolse's . The truth is , he deals only in Modern Authors , and confutes Eusebius by Fox his Martyrology : St. Augustine , and St. Hierom , or Origen by Brute and Thorp ; or at best by Fulk and Willet , or Perkins , and these often wilfully perverted too , where-ever these Authors misled him , he is incapable of discerning it : and where they leave him , he can say nothing to the purpose . p. 169. how miserably he gropes about a place in St. Augustine , which Selden saith nothing against ; so again , p. 190 , 191. 192. where Selden is silent , his Inspiration fails him . He presumes also , p. 161. to give the sense of St. Cyprian , whose Book he never saw , for though he tells us , They that fairly consult the place will easily see I mist his meaning . 't is evident T. E. could not see this himself , for observe how fairly he had consulted the place , His words ( saith he ) as I find them in Selden's Review , &c. So that he fairly consults them at second-hand , and though he never read the whole Discourse , presumes to correct me that had ; which was very modestly done . He flourishes sometimes , as if he cited the Ancients , but can go no further than some modern Authors lead him ; nor can he cite any more of St. Augustine's Sermon than Selden had collected to his hand , p. 171. He brings in Origen , Syricius , and Leo the First , p. 274. but all out of Perkins by meer Retail , and yet , p. 6. because he cited Gauden for Fimicus , He is angry we will not believe he did read that passage in Gauden , as if he never quoted any Author which he had not seen , or as if Fisher had not enabled him to quote Gauden . But all this will not hide his gross ignorance , for if both Fisher and Gauden's Printer had read it Fimicus , a very ordinary Schollar would have corrected it Firmicus in Transcribing , any Library-Keeper , or Auctioner could have done that . He saies , it cannot be doubted ( by any that understands Books ) that many men of note in several Ages have accounted Tithes Ceremonial , p. 87. An Assertion that convinces all Schollars that T. E. doth not understand Books at all , so that he may reasonably enough doubt of that which he so falsly and boldly affirms . Some lesser Evidences there are of his weakness which need not have been produced , if he that charges me with Soloecisms had not given us such grounds to believe , that nothing is too absurd to fall from his Pen . His calling the silence of a prophane Author , p. 34. Scripture silence , is somewhat odd , and shews how little difference Quakers make between holy Scripture and Pagan Books , his putting the vulgar Translation for the usual English Version , p. 67. is somewhat strange . His making a doubt whether Christian Princes be Christian Princes , p. 233. and his saying that the Christians of old ( whom I supposed Christians already and inspired too ) needed a Gospel Ministry to make them Christians , pag . 110 , 111. may be coupled . And p. 241. he tells of some who were corrupt in Doctrine , corrupt in Practice , corrupt in Life , corrupt in Manners ; and yet Practice , Life and Manners in this sense are all one , and he makes a distinction where there is no difference . These with many more of of this kind we will pass by , and now submit it to any competent judgment whether T. E. have any Learning at all . It may be some will say what is it to the Question whether he have any or not ? I answer , doubtless 't is very much to the Question to know whether he that writes upon it be fit to do it or no . As for the Divine Institution , Mr. Selden was so modest as to protest , p. 2. He did not write his Book to prove that Tithes are not due by the Law of God . And pag . 14 he saith , Divines must determine that point whether they be due Jure Divino or not ; yet here is one who is neither Divine , Lawyer , nor so much as a Schollar , who presumes he is able to determine it in the Negative . As for the other three Branches , Primitive Practice , Voluntary Donation , and Positive Laws , no man can write of them to purpose without the knowledge of Fathers , Councils , Histories , and Laws ; and a practicing Mountebanks Zany , who never read a Physick Book , may as well dispute a Medic Question with a Studyed Physician ; or he that never saw a piece of Common Law , plead with a Studied and Practised Lawyer ; as T. E. Dispute with the Priests on this Question ; his Arguments must needs be weak , his proofs impertinent , his Inferences uncertain , his Conclusions false and grounded on mistakes ; such an one is likely to be deceived , and to deceive those that trust him , and 't is but by chance if he speak Reason or Truth : Wherefore if T. E. had not been strangely confident , as well as miserably ignorant , he would not have undertaken a thing so much above his reach {αβγδ} . Synes . Epist. 142. , and his venturing into the Field with so little furniture shews he may justly claim that Cap which his Friend Scaliger fitted for P. Diaconus's Head , p. 34. viz. that he is Homo confidentissimus ac ineptissimus : and were Mr. Selden alive , he would say , T. E. was one of those many Ignorants , that ( while they write ) rather instruct us in their own wants of ability , than direct to any thing that may satisfie ; Seld . Pref . p. 12. Yet this is the Shaker of Foundations , and Remover of Principal Posts , the Man that passes for a Man of Learning among the Quakers , doubtless for the reason given in S. Hierom's Proverb , Balbus melius balbi verba cognoscit ; Hier . Apol . ad Dom . T. 2. p. 148.

§ . 5. THe next enquiry shall be concerning his honesty and truth in things that he did or might have understood : And in this also he is like his Progenitors ( whose Character S. Jude gives us , verse 10. ) not only speaking evil of things he knows not , but corrupting himself in what he knew . His want of Learning may look like misfortune ; but to be wilfully unjust must needs be a crime , and an inexcusable one , in him who puts on the fair outside of a Yea and Nay Man ; for such by pretending to be more tender , and more affraid of a dishonest act or unjust word than others , find easier belief among the simple Totius injustitiae nulla capitalior est quàm eorum qui tum cùm maximè fallunt id agunt ut viri boni esse videantur . Cic . . This specious pretence strips men of their usual caution , and prepares them to swallow the gilded Pills of such Hypocrisie without suspicion or examination ; and as Plutarch illustrates this matter , The Falshhoods of a seeming honest man are like Poison mingled with strong wine : The wine ( which of it self is cordial ) by its heat makes way for the Poison to penetrate the heart immediately , and makes the fatal draught to become presently destructive , and without remedy ; Plut. de adul . p. 61. And yet we have so plain and so various instances of his dishonesty in this Book , that I must content my self with a few of the most material . First , He that strains at a Gnat , and can spend a great part of a Page in railing at me for the smallest alteration in his words , without any design , or detriment to his sense , p. 25. He ( I say ) can swallow a Camel , and leave out , alter , or put in words to what he cites from me without any scruple . Pag . 1 , 2. He cites the same words as mine about the Oyl and the Pay in two several forms , one of which must needs be false : What outcries doth he make about my putting in the word only , though his sense implies as much , p. 116. yet he puts in the word singly , p. 10. and lays great stress upon it . Again , p. 21. he leaves out these material words in the middle of a sentence cited from me — for he needs not our goods himself , Psal . 16. ver . 2. which words are the reason and proof of my assertion . And indeed 't is one of his black Arts , to hide my Reasonings and my Proofs , by mangling my sentences ( as he doth notoriously pag . 80. ) and then cries out I beg the Question . So p. 263. he pretends to cite me , but with a cunning line — hides the main strength of my Discourse . Nor is he one jot honester as to his own words when they pinch him , or stand in his way , for he denies or conceals them to serve a present turn : How fiercely he quarrels at me for charging him with saying , Abraham paid Tithes ; whereas in one Page of his first Book , p. 280. he uses that very word [ paid and pay ] three times : so for all his railing fits at me for putting in the word [ particular ] p. 116. these are his own words , pag . 319. of his first Book , He that appointed a maintenance in general , describes also that maintenance in particular . Again , when he would cover his flattering the Impropriators , and exasperating them against us ; in citing his words , p. 262. he leaves out these , I need not ( I suppose ) tell the Impropriators that this concerns them . Doubtless he is baffled sufficiently , who is thus driven to eat his own words , both in these and other instances I could give : But it may be thought he takes greater liberty with my words and his own than he will do with others , there we may expect strict honesty from him that taxes me with the least accidental alteration ; yet even there also he takes so wicked a freedom , as not to value how he alters either the words or sense of any Authors , or what he adds or omits to serve his ends of Deceit , wherein his Knavery is much aggravated with strange impudence , to quote Authors falsly against the Priests , who have both books and skill to discover him , however he may impose upon his blind Quakers . To come to particulars , pag . 35. he quotes his great Master Selden to prove the Gentiles had the opinion of Tithes from the later Jews , and not from Abraham or the ancient Patriarchs ; whenas the next words to those he cites , are , Neither is it unlikely that the ancient and most known example of Abraham gave the first ground both to them and the Europaeans , so sometimes to dispose the Tenth of their Spoils of War to holy uses ; Seld . cap . 3. p. 34. which the Quaker designedly omitted to abuse his Reader . Indeed no Author can escape his fingers ; poor Willet's mouth is stopt in the middle of a sentence , p. 91. This provision for the Church maintenance by paying of Tithes is the most safe — [ here T. E. gags him , but the Doctor being set at liberty goes on ] indifferent , and surest way , and no better can come in the place thereof : which he proves by three Arguments , 1. It is most equal to have every thing in kind , according to the Apostle's Rule Gal. 6. ver . 6. &c. 2. It enables them to be hospitable , 1 Tim . 3.2 . 3. It is more or less as God giveth increase to the fruits of the earth , which is the most equal and indifferent way . But the Quakers were not to see this , Elwood hath his Index Expurgatorius , as well as the Papists , and gelds Authors as well as they . Pag . 92. He puts another falshood on the good Doctor , saying , He shews he understood the Moguntine Synod so ; that is , That Tithes depended on Positive Laws : which is evidently false ; for Willet only cites that Council thus , Synod . Mogunt . c . 7. Statuimus ut decimae quae jure debentur divino , solvantur sine fraude : ( And then adds ) This Council doubteth not to affirm Tithes to be due by the Word of God . But as he cites Perkins the oftnest , so he abuses him the most ; and the Reader will easily believe he doth so , if he consider that T. E. cites his Demonstration of the Problem , to prove that Popery was ancienter in the Church than either the Opinion or Donation of Tithes : Now the Problem which Perkins writes that Book to demonstrate , is this , It is impossible for any Popish Divine in the World to shew out of the genuine Monuments of Councils and Fathers , and out of their genuine sense , that the Faith of the present Roman Church , where it differs from the Reformed Churches , is truly Catholick . And by Catholick he understands believed every where , always , and by all , as Lirinensis doth . And indeed the whole design of the Book is to prove Popery is not ancient , nor was not universal ; and his final conclusion , p 244. is , No Apostle , no holy Father , nor Orthodox Person , for 1200 years after Christ , did ever so think or teach as to all the Principles and Fundamentals of Religion , as the Church of Rome in the Trent Council now Thinks and Teacheth . And is it not very unlikely that T. E. could honestly bring matter out of this Book to prove Popery received in the Church within 200 years after Christ ? Unless Perkins were as vain as T. E. and writ on purpose to confute the Question he was to prove , it cannot be but he is basely abused , to be brought in , as building that which he destroys ; and I do affirm T. E. hath shamefully perverted his words and sense , and dishonestly concealed that which is Perkins his meaning . Nay , I dare undertake to prove out of the same Chapters ( whence T. E. picks up sentences to make Popery seem received so early in the Church ) that Perkins flatly denies it was then received ; but at present a few plain instances shall confirm this , Pag . 174. He cites Perkins to prove that the opinion of Purgatory was received and believed in the Church about 200 years after Christ ; and saith Perkins confesses both Tertullian and Origen held it , Problem . p. 175. But note Perkins's words are , Purgatory in the Church was first received by Tertullian the Montanist ( that is the Quaker ) and Origen , but this last would have it in this life . Whence we see the whole Church did not believe it , nor any but these two in the Church , and one of these was an Enthusiastick Heretick when he did speak of it , and the others Purgatory was no Popish Purgatory , which pag . 180. the same Perkins saith , was not received by the Ancients , unless perhaps after 600 years , and that the foundation of Popish Purgatory was not received of the Learned in the Church for 1100 years after Christ . And now doth Perkins prove that Popish Purgatory was believed in the Church in Origen's time ? Or is he a fit witness for this bold man to bring in to prove a Church corrupted with Popery 200 years after Christ ? And that he uses him thus in all those citations , p. 174 and 175. I well shew in its proper place , noting only that in his last instance , p. 175. he gives us as Perkins's words , The single life of Priests began to be preacht up by , or before the year 300 : whereas his words are quite different , viz. The marriage of Priests for 300 years after Christ was every where free , without any interdict or vow of perpetual Continence . And in that very Chapter Perkins brings a sentence out of Origen to prove , that the Testimonies of the Ancients about the single life of Priests , were private opinions and conjectures : It seems to me , saith Origen , &c. — p. 198. T. E. stole the rest of this sentence out of Perkins , p. 274. and left out the words that introduce it ( which would have discovered the cheat ) citing it for an evidence , that this was the common opinion of those times : Thus Cacus-like he draws his stollen goods backwards into his Den , that we might not discern whence he had taken them , but his thievery and injustice cannot be concealed . Yet he will venture again , and custome is hard to cure , wherefore when he is blaming me for mis-citing Polydore Virgil ( whose words I did not pretend to quote , only set his Name in the Margin ) He ( though he says he gives us Polydore's own words , p. 270. ) omits two sentences ; One in the bottom of p. 270. which signifies , Pelagius his decree was one of the most unreasonable things that ever the World had seen . Another in p. 271. he covers with a line — viz. shewing that S. Gregory thought that decree contrary to the Gospel , which commands to put away the Wife only for Fornication : both which T. E. thought made against his interest , and therefore shuts them under hatches . As he doth also the Bishop of Rochester's words , p. 276. which make Indulgences much later than Purgatory , and which Polydore there cites at large . Equally just we shall find him to be toward his great Historian Wernerus , the Author of Fasciculus temporum , for what he speaks of 8 Popes ( that sate not ten years in all ) viz. that nothing but what is scandalous can be found of them , T. E. applies to all the Popes after Pope Jone , pag . 305. yet of Pope Nicholas , who was but a little after her , that same Author saith , He was so holy that none since S. Gregory was to be compared to him . Again , in the next Page he keeps his hand in , by shifting a sentence of the same Authors , that plainly confutes the Quakers assertion of the Apostacy of the Roman Church before Ethelwolf ; viz. What scandals do we read to have happened about these times even in the holy Apostolick Seat — ( there T. E. stops , but the Author goes on ) — which thou hast kept hitherto with so much zeal , ( and a little after , where T. E. breaks off again ) Yet after these times there were many holy Popes , saith Wernerus , who is a great Bigot for S. Peter's Chair , and doubtless little thought to have been brought in for a Witness against it ; but T. E. can make any man say any thing he hath a mind at this rate of quoting , as might be abundantly made out by many more examples , but one undeniable instance shall suffice : In his 305th Page , the honest Quaker brings a long quotation out of Platina vit . Stephani 3. and impudently tells us that Platina saith all that of the times before Ethelwolf ; nay , that he laments the wickedness of the times ( well nigh an 100 years before Ethelwolf's Donation ) in these words , — But now Devotion and Religion is grown so cold , &c. which is as horrid a falshood as can be spoken : For let any man read the place , and he shall find Platina is highly commending the Devotion of those times , and shewing , how both the Pope himself , and all that were present , made their Supplications in a Procession with bare feet and great devotion from the Lateran Church to S. Peters . But now , saith he ( speaking of his own times , viz. Anno 1471. ) Devotion and Religion is grown so cold — and so on to the end of T. E's long quotation , every word of which concerns Platina's own times , that is , 600 years after Ethelwolf — and then the Historian goes on thus — I return to Stephen that most holy man , Platin . p. 118. What is this but forging evidence , corrupting witness , false dating Records ? For this could be no other but a deliberate and designed cheat , and is a fair demonstration that Quakers , who will not swear , will lye without scruple ; and they that will not confirm the truth with an Oath in a good cause , will bear false-witness to make out a bad one : And T. E. in particular makes no scruple of speaking falsly for his own advantage , an instance or two ( out of many ) shall demonstrate . Pag . 194. he brags he hath proved before , that these Doctrines had prevailed in the Church of Rome , by the unquestionable evidence of Protestant Authors . And yet in the place which he refers to , p. 174. he names no Author but Perkins , whose evidence ( as he hath abused it ) is not only questionable , but easily disproved out of the same Book . So , p. 251. he vaunts he hath proved Ethelwolf's Clergy , Popish , by the testimony of divers approved Authors , when as not one of his Authors ever spake such a word of them . Again , Pag . 302. he saith , The Remains of Christianity were shortly after here extinguished by Austin and his Sectators ; which is as false a slander as can be invented , and which none but an hardened Quaker could have the confidence to affirm . Pag . 338. he saith , Tithes were not counted cognizable by the Civil Magistrate , or subjected to Humane Laws for many hundred years after they were given . And p. 339. they made no provision for the payment of them , save by Ecclesiastical Censures , for some hundred of years , which is a notorious untruth , since in the Saxons time the Kings Laws ordered punishments for the detaining them , and the Civil Magistrate and Ecclesiastical sate together upon such Offenders , yea the King's Officer inflicted a Penalty on them . See King Edgar's Laws , c . 3. An. 967. p. 1445. and William the Conqueror first separated these two Tribunals , which joyntly proceeded against these Criminals before , and after too sometimes : Selden ad Eadmer . not . p. 166. and History of Tythes , p. 412 , 413 , &c. which Book since T. E. had seen , this must needs be a wilful untruth on purpose to abuse his credulous Quakers . The rest of his falshoods are visible at first sight , as pag . 468. That some Quakers have been sentenced to be hanged purely for their Religion . Pag . 500. The Quakers never neglected to crave a blessing upon their Meat : which all the Nation knows to be false . Pag . 480. He impudently saith , That Parish which is able to give most wages may have their choice of Priests , take them upon trial , and hire which they will : Whereas scarce any endowed Parishes in England have any such power to choose their Priests , for every one knows the Patron chooses for them ; and God be praised , 't is not Oliver's days now , when Loyal Patrons were deprived of their Right , and a giddy multitude chose generally the very worst ; here therefore T. E. speaks falsly again .