An apologeticall letter to a person of quality, concerning a scandalous and malicious passage, in a conference lately held betwixt an inquisitor at White-Hall and Mr Anthony Sadler, published in his Inquisitio Anglicana. / Written by Jo. Hall Bishop of Norwich, in vindication of himself.

A Brief LETTER OF APOLOGIE sent by the R. D^r HALL B. N. to a private friend.

Worthy SIR,

IN that strange Pamphlet which I recei∣ved from you yesterday, you cannot marvell if I startled to meet so inex∣pectly with the name of Bishop Hall disgracefully ranked with Priests and Jesuites, and the man that was executed the other day. (for so it hath pleased my unknown Accuser, in his great charity, to range my unworthinesse.) If my pale and wrinkled cheeks could be any whit capable of the tincture of shame, you may well think what change of countenance these words must needs have wrought in me. Lord, (thought I) what so hainous crime is this, for which I am thus shame∣fully arraigned before all the world, now on the brink of my grave! Forsooth, Bishop Hall (as the rest of those meet complices) saith, the Church of Rome is a true Church. [Grave crimen Caie Cae∣sar.]

What an impotent malice is this, to single out my name thus ignominiously, from all the rest of my profession, for an odious Paradox; when I say no more, no other herein, then all the Orthodox Divines of Christendome? How must the reader now needs think, Sure this Bishop Hall is a man of corrupt principles, singular for his dangerous mis∣opinions, a greater friend to Rome then all his fellows? whenas the world knows that I have al∣ready, about 28 yeares ago, clearly vindicated my self from this grosse misconstruction, and shew∣ed that, in my sense, there is no knowing Pro∣testant Divine that agrees not fully with me. You remember that about the time mentioned, when, upon some passages of the Old Religion, then published by me, M^r Burton and some others boggled at that expression; namely, that the Church of Rome is yet a true visible Church, though ex∣tremely corrupted; and that the quarrell began to wax warm, and the Presse to complain of be∣ing pestred with opposite Tractates: in a due care to lay this ill-raised spirit, besides my own full and satisfactorie Apology then set forth, I appeal∣ed to other unquestionable Divines, the Oracles of our Church; writing my publick letters to two famously learned Bishops, Bishop Morton and Bishop Davenant; and to two eminent and

approvedly Orthodox Doctours, Doctor Pride∣aux, and Doctor Primrose Pastor of the French Church; earnestly desiring them to declare their judgements freely and fully concerning this point. All which have not only in their published an∣swers declared this to be an undoubted truth, in the sense proposed, proving it by sound and con∣vincing reasons, and asserting it, not as their own private opinion, but as conceived by them to be the just and common tenet of all Orthodox Divines and Churches: but withall affirming that those men little know what prejudice they do to the Protestant cause, that hold the contrary. The instances whereof it were easy for me to give, were it not that I fear and hate to furnish the adversary with weapons to wound our selves. I wis, those our enemies are quick-eyed enough to espy their own advantages, and our exposed∣nesse to the danger of self-wronging consequences, without our intimation. The grave and solid determination of those godly and judicious Di∣vines is still extant in a thousand hands: upon the publication whereof, the world then rested sa∣tisfied, my self acquitted, the adversary silenced, and the controversie quieted, which is now thus uncharitably and unadvisedly raked up from under the ashes of a wise and just silence.

The truth is, nothing but a grosse and inconside∣rate mistake is guilty of this quarrell: The homo∣nymy of this word True, (as master Blake in his answer to master Tombes) besides the fore-named authours (hath truly observed,) makes all this seeming difference. If we take a True Church for a true believing Church; so the Church of Rome is far from a True Church: If we take a True Church for a Church truly existing in a visible profession of Christianity, so it cannot be denied to be a True visible Church. A thief is no True man, yet he is truly a man. So the Church of Rome, though false in too many of her Doctrines, yet hath a true visible being. Her Clients vainly flatter her with the title of Catholick, or Univer∣sall: we expect no thanks from her to say she is universally corrupted, yet a Church visible still. Those grosse errours wherewith she abounds, have marred her first purity, but do not forfeit her out∣ward Church-ship. It were a strange uncharita∣blenesse to say that a Romanist is no Christian▪ though too many of their Tenets are justly bran∣ded for Antichristian. And where there is a society of Christians, not directly and obstinately destroy∣ing the Foundation, (though otherwise foul, and erroneous in opinion,) there cannot be denied a vi∣sible appearance of a Church. Let the Church of

Rome then go for as erroneous, impure, false in matter of opinion and practice, as she is: she cannot be denyed the face of a Church, how ever rotten at the heart. All which hath been so judici∣ously, & amply declared by those learned & wor∣thy Contests, whom I formerly mentioned, in their publick discourses of this point, that I am confi∣dent, if M^r Sadler had had leisure to have consi∣dered, he would rather have distinguished then denied, and the Questionist (who ever he was) would, upon second thoughts, have thought good to suffer my innocent name to rest in peace; whereas now, he hath both wronged me, and himself more, in drawing upon himself an o∣pinion of either ignorance, or uncharitable∣nesse, or both. God forgive him, I do.

Thus we too well see how apt nature is, even in those who professe an eminence in holinesse, to raise and maintain animosities against those whose calling, or person they pre∣tend to find cause to dislike; and perhaps also to brand with the black note of unjust infamy, those who concenter not with them in some lighter opi∣nions, (although indivisibly theirs, in the brother∣hood of the same most holy faith, and meekly affe∣cting to hold with them the unity of the spirit, in the bonds of peace.)

Truly Sir, (to open my self freely to you) nothing hath more wounded my soul, nor drawn deeper sighs from me in secret, then to see that, whereas our dear and blessed Saviour hath so vehemently encharged all his true disciples with the duty of mutuall Love; and his chosen vessell, with so zealous importunity, cries down strife, and con∣tention, as arguing mere carnality, and utterly in∣consistent with the truth of Christian disposition and practice: yet no Grace is such a stranger to us (for the most part) as Charity; nor no imploy∣ment so universally rife amongst us, on all hands, as quarrels and brawlings, both verball and reall, arising commonly from false surmises and mis∣constructions; and proceeding (too often) not to the scratching of faces, but to the ripping of bowels, and to the stabbing of hearts; to the infinite scandall of the Gospell of peace, and to the sport and triumph of Gath and Ascalon. Now ••he God of peace, whom we all professe to serve, be pleased for his great mercies sake, to pull out of our bosomes all these roots of bitterness, and to compose our mis-alienated hearts to perfect love and concord, to the glory of his great Name, and to the comfort of all those that are faithfull in his Sion.

Sir, you will pardon me, if I have thus passionately

enough unloaded my self (into the bosome of so faithfull a friend) of my justly conceived grief, to be thus scandalously and causelesly traduced. Your love will both put the best construction upon these sudden lines; and where you meet with this blurre undeservedly cast upon my name, wipe it off with a just and friendly vindication: where∣in you shall do an office worthy of the thankfull ac∣knowledgement of

Higham Nov. 5. 1654.

Your unfeignedly devoted in all Christian affection Jos. Hall▪ B. N.