An answer to some considerations on the spirit of Martin Luther and the original of the Reformation lately printed at Oxford.

The PREFACE.

WHEN I first happ'ned upon this Pamphlet, and by some peculiar beautys in the style, easily discover'd it's Owner, I was, I must confess, not a little surpriz'd: I could not have imagin'd that a Man of so bigg a reputa∣tion as the Author of the Guide in Controversy; One, whose thoughts had for some years convers'd with nothing less then Oecumenical Councels, Popes and Patriarchs, should quitt all those fine amuse∣ments for the humble task of Life-writing, and drawing of Chara∣cters. 'Twas mean prey, I thought, for a Bird of his Pounces: and the Design he did it with, made it ten times more a Riddle. The Doctrines of the Reformation have, for near two Centuries, kept the field, against all Encounterers: and do's He think they may be foil'd at last by two or three little Remarks upon the Life and Actions of a single Reformer? But it look's like a Jest, when the Irregularities committed by Luther in Germany, are turn'd upon Us here in England: as if any thing that He said, or did, could affect a Church establish'd upon it's own bot∣tom, and as independent on any forreign authorities, as the Crown, Her Defender wears. Luther's Voice is indeed to Us, what oura Author term's it, the Voice of the Stranger; and tho' we are allwaies ready to wipe off the unjust aspersions cast upon him by his Enemies, yet this is what we are oblig'd to, not as Sons, but as Friends. Whenever injur'd Virtue is set upon, every Honest man is concern'd in the Quarrel. But these last Attacqu's have been so very feeble, that had we for once trusted the Cause to it's own strength, 'twould have suffer'd but little Damage. And I for my part should have done so, did I not know there were a sort of Men in the World, who have the vanity to think every thing on their side unanswerable, that do's not receive a sett Reply; tho' at the same time they are pleas'd to answer nothing themselves. They fight indeed all of 'em, like Tartars; make a bold and furious onset, and if that does not doe, they retreat in disorder, and you never hear of 'em afterwards. And this, I expect, will be the present case. The Editor of these Consi∣derations won't much care for replying, I believe; because that must be de proprio, and can't be drawn from the old store of provisions laid in by the Fraternity. But whether the Poysons were of an earlyer mixture,

and design'd, like Italian Preparations, to work now at a distance, or whether later temper'd, is a thing we may safely be ignorant of; as long as we are secure of the Antidote, before they take their effect. And this the Theatre-Press thinks her self engag'd to promise: considering from Whose Munificence she had her Birth, and especially to Whom she ows her Lustre; a late Prelate, of a remarkable zeal for the establish'd Church; and who, were Religions to be try'd by Lives, would have liv'd down the Pope, and the whole Consistory. If the Services she do's now are not of the most deserving Character, 'tis what the Meanness of the Opposer, and a worn-out Cause will bear: she has already produc'd the strongest arguments against Popery, Fathers, and Bibles. The pre∣sent Attempt is confin'd perfectly within the bounds of an Answer; and pretend's to nothing more then a bare pursuit of the Author step by step; and the laying open his Blunders, for the Reader's ease, just in the same order they ly. There was nothing frightful in this Task, but the toil of being forc'd to think so long upon so very thoughtless a Writer: in all other respects 'twas as easy as one would wish. The History-part lay within a little room; and the Reasonings upon it were so thin, that they needed only setting in the light, to be look'd thro'. In both, my great∣est helps have been drawn from one single Author, the Considerer him∣self: who in every Book of his has made it appear, that he can write Contradictions, as well as believe 'em. This small performance had seen the light much sooner, but that it waited the Edition of another Piece which should regularly have prevented it. But the Gentleman employ'd on that occasion having not yet had all the leisure he expected, 'twas thought fit rather to send this abroad, out of it's due place, then stay till every body had forgotten the Book it answer's: a misfortune, which I fear it has already in a great measure undergone. In the Defence of Our Reformation, to come, 'twill be found, that the Considerer is no good Historian; the Replyer, has prov'd him no good Catholic; the Ani∣madverter no good Subject; and all together no good Disputant: so that I have now no new side of him left, to entertain the Reader with. What he is, after all this, no body know's; 'tis much easyer to guess, what, under another Revolution, he will be.

Notes

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  Pag. 2. of Consid.