CHAP. I. An Anatomy of Mr. I. S. his Genius and drifts, appearing in his dedicatory Epistle to my Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
THE dissections of Anatomy discover imperfections and diseases in the vitals, and other exterior parts of the body, which a fair skin or cunning dress hides from the eies of a common beholder. In like man∣ner, a Scholastic examen will lay open the faults and corruptions both in the essential and ornamental parts of a discourse, which upon a tran∣sient view appear plausible and commendable. Unto a mind clouded with passion and prejudice, and the favour of an espoused, or the dislikes of an adverse party, the writing of Mr. I. S.Page 2may appear without blemish or fault; but an incision being made, the flesh and the skin be∣ing cut off, it will be found void of truth in the proposal, of force and form in the argumentati∣on, sincerity in the design, and lastly modesty and ingenuity in the style and terms, which are the several requisites that can make a writing in a∣ny degree worth the reading.
This kind of Anatomy I will now take in hand, and by no other art then plain incision, shall with truth and perspicuity discover the fallacies and gross errors of the before mentioned Author, who delivers boldly his judgment upon what he do's not understand; or if he were not really ignorant, yet delivers unsincerely, and misrepresents those things of which he treats: all which I shall demonstrate in the following Chapters.
After several attacks made by I. E. N. N. and others upon my small Book, upon my self, and the Church of England, comes up confident∣ly to complete the victory Mr. I. S. as Scipio Africanus to the Seige of Numantia, to amend the errors of the preceding warriors. And to appear a Scipio indeed in his present adventure, he promises himself so to beset and straighten us, as to make us burn our selves, as the Nu∣mantines did, to prevent their falling into the hands of the Roman Conqueror.
To compass this magnificent design, he pro∣poseth to the Earl of Essex Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, my good Lord and Patron, in the dedicatory Epistle of his book to his Excellency, that I should be burned for a crime he calls a Page 3Blasphemy, wherein all the learned men of the Church of England are involved with me, viz. to say, that the Roman Church, as now it stands, is not a secure way to Salvation. And the executioner of this severe sentence passed upon us by Mr. I. S. must not be the Inquisi∣tor of Rome or Spain, but our own Kings Prime Minister and Lieutenant in the Kingdom of Ireland.
He allow's me so much wit, as to know that I could not justifie my separation from the Church of Rome, if I did hope to be saved in it, whereas believing I may, to forsake it, were a formal schism: thus much of wit he doth ve∣ry injuriously deny to all other learned Prote∣stants, saying, that all allow the Roman Church to be a secure way to Salvation, which is to say, they are all confessedly Schismatics.
The inference is but too clear from his Posi∣tions, confusedly delivered, if thus ordered, All men that separate from the Roman Church, knowing and allowing it to be a safe way to Salvation, are formally and confessedly Schis∣matics; all Learned men of the Church of Eng∣land do acknowledg and allow the Church of Rome to be a safe way to Salvation: Therefore all of them are confessedly and formally Schis∣matics. This Thesis Mr. I. S. presents to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to win his favor.
To clear the ground of all this discourse, and see how bold and blind was the attemt of Mr. I. S. his charging me with Blasphemy, see the occasion given to him for it, that in the page 226 of my book (according to the first Edi∣tion Page 4of it at Dublin) rebuking their ordinary vaunt wherewith they delude the simple, say∣ing that Protestants do allow Papists may be saved, but Papists do not allow that Protestants may be saved, &c. I delivered these words following, but in neither do they say truth, for no Learned Protestant do's allow the Popish Re∣ligion in general and absolutely speaking to be a se∣cure way to Salvation, for all do agree in affirm∣ing that many of their Tenets and practises are inconsistent with Salvation, tho ignorance may hap∣p•ly excuse many of the simple sort, but not such as know their error, or with due care and inquiry may know it. On the other side, &c.
This has netled the poor man to rage. Happi∣ly he found himself to be of those who know, or with due enquiry may know the damnable errors of the Roman Church. Now I desire the judicious Reader to consider, with what pro∣priety of terms Mr. I. S. calls it a Blasphe∣my in me, to relate this sentiment of Learn∣ed Protestants. Tho I were mistaken, to call such a mistake Blasphemy, is extravagant language.
Three kinds of Blasphemy I find mention∣ed by Aquinas and other Schole-men,
1. To appropriate to God something unbe∣seeming,
2. To deprive him of a perfection due to him,
3. To attribute to a creature any of Gods properties. To which of these classes will Mr. I. S. reduce my mistake, if it be not so what I relate of learned Protestants? That one of those who sit in the Market-places selling roots, should call it a Blasphemy in another of her trade, Page 5to say, that her Turnips came out of Flanders, not being so, may be a cause of laughing; but that one pretending to learning, and a disputant in divinity should ramble at this rate, I confess plainly it seems to me intolerable, and a sad task to dispute with a person of so irregular a style.
But if what I related of learned Protestants be so indeed, which way comes it to be a Blas∣phemy to tell truth? Now to know whether it be so, let any that ever heard learned Pro∣testants deliver their opinion upon that sub∣ject, or did read their writings, tell whether he knew any of them say, that the Popish Reli∣gion in general, and absolutely speaking, is a sure way to Salvation, or whether they could say it in consequence to their assertions, ever accusing the Church of Rome of Idolatry, su∣perstition, impiety, &c. crimes certainly in∣consistent with Salvation, if Ignorance did not excuse, or penitence heal the malady. The Testimony of Learned †Chillingworth, well versed in the Doctrine of both parties, may serve for many to this purpose, who relating, that Fran∣ciscus à sancta Clara, and the Jesuit his An∣tagonist, among other Learned Romanists, do assure that ignorance and repentance may excuse a Protestant from Damnation he dying in his error; adds these words, and this is all the charity which by your own confession also the most favorable Protestants allow to Papists. Here we have witnesses of both sides affirming, that Protestants do not allow Salvation to Papists, Page 6if ignorance or repentance will not protect them: how then comes it to be so great a Para∣dox in me to tell they say so; a greater Para∣dox certainly to say it should be blasphemy to tell it.
