Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n
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A34967
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An epistle apologetical of S.C. to a person of honour touching his vindication of Dr. Stillingfleet.
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Cressy, Serenus, 1605-1674.
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1674
(1674)
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Wing C6893; ESTC R26649
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61,364
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165
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without prejudice to Charity yea that Charity it self oâ—t requires them we must likewise acknowledge especially when those who are enemies to Truth or Piety are high in popular esteem for zeal and learning as the Pharisees were among the Iews and thereby give credit and authority to errors and suggestions of cruelty Otherwise we must condemn Moses and the Prophets under the Old Law and S. Iohn Baptist the Apostles and several among the Holy Fathers of God's Church under the New yea we must not except our Blessed Saviour who is Charity it self from our Censure whose sharp reprehensions neither the High Priests Scribes and Pharisees nor King Herod himself no not his own beloved Apostle escaped 10. Therefore before we can give an equal judgment whether and how far reprehensions deserve to be reprehended we ought impartially to consider the motives and grounds of them And to this tryal I most willingly submit my self before all indifferent judges and particularly the genuine learned Protestant Clergy of the English Church insomuch as if they shall determine that in my late to me unusual manner of treating with Dr. Stillingfleet I have offended against Christian Charity or purposely intended to fix any dishonourable brand on the English Protestant Church and the Doctrine or Discipline of it established by Law I will be ready without any reply to suffer whatsoever censure or punishment they shall think fit to inflict on me 11. And noble Sir if now after Sentence pronounc'd by you against me it may be permitted me to petition for a Revision of Iudgment I do not know the proper Law Term I do confidently perswade my self that you will in your own thoughts a little qualifie the rigour of your sentence and not look on me as a person who for one fault against a Doctor almost â— strâ—nger to you has deserved not only to be depriv'd of the happiness of fifty yâ—ars continued favour but moreover to be exposâ—d to the world as a virulent Calumniator of the English Church and to his Sacred Majesties Indignation as a defamer of one of his Royal Ancestours King Henry the Eighth and to the Honourable Parliament and Tribunals of the Kingdoms Iustice as a delinquent beyond all others deserving the utmost severity of the Law and lastly to the haâ—â—ed of all persons of Honour or Vâ—rtue as a most ungrateful infamous detracter from the fame and reputation of the most obliging generous friend that ever was my most dear Lord and Benefactor Lucius Viscount Falkland 12. Now honoured Sir my hope is it will not encrease your anger if I endeavour to clear my self the best I can of these dangerous imputations Yea moreover I am willing to comfort my self in a perswasion if I had had the happiness of a fit opportunity to have evidently demonstrated to you that had you not been wronged by a malicious Informer you would have spared most of these criminal accusations against me and have been a little more tender of my reputation and of the safety of my life My humble suit to you therefore is that at least you would be pleased your self to read this short Apology which I am forced to publish since your concealing your self disenables me to present it to you in writing ¶ 2. The first Motive of the Sharpness against Dr. Stillingfleet was his unusual odious way of managing Controversie 13. BUT I must apply my self first to what concerns Dr. Stillingfleet which occasioned your adding other far more criminal accusationsâ— and of greater danger against me And truly Sir I am sorry that being in conscience obliged once for all to endeavour to clear my self in this point also I cannot possibly do it without danger of renewing the Doctâ—rs personal resentments and yours also against me in case what I shall say touching the Motives inducing me to write in a stile which would have been unpardonable in a Book of Controversie wherein only Catholick Doctrines were to be defended shall give you no satisfaction But you will be pleased to consider that now I only declare what I then thought when that Book against the Doctor was written not what I now at present think And I leave it to the judgment of all men who are able to read his Book and this Epistle whether there was not exceeding great probability and more then sufficient grounds to induce me to suspect him of a design therein in a high degree contrary to Christian Charity and even to humaâ—ity However in some way of compâ—nsation this advantage against me I will freely yiâ—ld him That in case any more such quarrâ—lsom matter from whoâ—e pen soever shall come ouâ— aâ—ainst me I will not defend my self except I be commanded by such as have right to dispose of my Pen or unlâ—ss by false accusation I be arraigned at the Bar of Iuâ—tice and perhaps not then neither in all Points 14. Whereas you say Honâ—ured Sir that my fault was therefore inexcusâ—ble because I had not any provocation tâ— write in such a manner against a person of so dove-like a mildness with the softness gentleness and civility of whose language you say you have been exceedingly delighted c. I beseech you be pleased to consider that no personal provocation or contemptuous reflections were cast by the Doctor on me but only in regard of my Book called Sancta Sophia And I do assure you that though perhaps the reading of them might at first have a little warm'd my blood especially such incivility coming from a person with whom I never had any commerce at all and whose name I had never mentioned yet I should never have judged fit that a resentment of a few phrases of disparagement should be the argument of a Book to be publishâ—d to the world We as Christians must expect to go to heaven per infamiâ—m bonam famam Bâ— pleased therefore to believe that it was not my self that I considered when I wrote my Book but the wrong done to the Catholick Church in his Answer to another particular Adversary and the ruine of all English Catholicks which seemed not to me only but generally to all Catholicks of my acquaintance yea and to many Protestants also to have been the principal Design of his Book That therefore for which very many bâ—sides my self thought Dr. Stillingâ—fleet exceedingly blame-worthy was his unusual unseemly way of managing the Controversie against the Catholick Church Nâ—xt his cruel timing of it 15. First then consider I beseech you Sir impartially the Doctor 's bâ—haviour in the former regard and judge whether he did not renounce all moderation and charity in charging in a most tragical manner the Catholick Church upon three or four accounts with most horribble worse then heathenish Idolatry as also his employing the utmost of his invention all his Logick and Rhetorick to render us upon that account odious and fit to be exterminatedâ— but especially his doing this in quality of an authorized English Protestant as if
in a National Synod renounce an Article of their Religion for many Ages never questioned in England or any other Catholick Kingdom This seemed to me an Act in a high degree both unjust and cruel and no less cruel and unjust I dare say does another Act of his appear to Dr. Stillingfleet's Church I mean not only his beheading but leaving a perpeâ—ual foul stain on the memory of his second-first Wife the now exalted virtuous Lady Anne Bulen Mother of Queen Elizabeth 93. But as touching the so highly displeasing term Tyrant I do so much and indeed â—o entirely defer to your Honourable judgment that though I am unable to give a reason for it yet I am now perswaded that I ought not to have named that word For no doubt such persons of high condition likâ— your self are exâ—ctâ—y skilâ—ul in what terms wâ— ought to speak to and of Great Princes I wish therefore I could bâ—â—t it out and if God afford thâ—â—ife and opportunity to â—nd my Church History after the Conqrest of which as yet the affairs of little more than two hundred and forty years are dispatched and which will have its conclusion in the death of the same King I will 〈◊〉 heed of that unseemly word Tyrant and moreover I will consult with knowing persons how after the most tender manner I ought to relate the actions of some of our Kings which I must not always conceal and I cannot with a good conscience but condemn ¶ 9. Of Archbishop CRANMER 9â— FOrasmuch as concerns Archbishop Cranmer whose memory you say will â—e pâ—eserved as of a most worthy Prelate and glorious Martyr notwithstanding the foul imputations cast by Mr. Crâ—ssy upon him to wit Treason For which Crime you also affirm that unhappy and ill advised Queen Mary rather desired to have hanged him than to have him burnt for his Religion But the Law would not extend to serve her turn that way If it would no man would have blamed her for having prosecuted him with the utmost rigour 95. Honoured Sir the Crime of Treason I confess is foul but the imputation of so â—oul a crime is not foul unless it be groundless or false Now I humbly conceive how false soever that imputation can be proved to be you have no reason to suspect me to be the inventer of it and therefore not answerable for it And so much confidence I have in your justice being a person of Honour that you will absolve mâ— now that I shall produce Vouchers of that imputation men of unquestioned credit even with your self In the first place therefore Fox your voluminous Martyrologist expresly says This is certain that the Archbishop was shortly after cast into the Tower and within a while condemned of Treason Again He appeared before the Lords in the Star-Chamber where bâ—ing accused of Treasâ—n and seditiâ—us Papers they sent him to the Tower The same Fox moreover produces the Letters which Cranmer among others wrote to Queen Mary commanding her to acknowledge Jâ—ne Grey to be lawful Queen and to desist from challenging the Crown In the next place Hollinshead affirms that he was arraigned of Treason not only for giving counsel to disherit Queen Mary but likewise because he had sent Horse and Men to aid the Duke of Northumberland then in manifest Rebellion against Queen Mary My third Voucher is Bishop Gâ—dwin who writes thus At first it was thought fit to proceed against Cranmer by Law as guilty of Treason because he had subscribed to the Decree touching the promoting Jane Grey to be Queen Therefâ—re on the twelfth of November after he had been some time detained in the Tower they accused him of Treason together with the said Jane and some others And they were all condemned as guilty of that crime To these I might adjoyn other witnesses to the same effect as Stow Speed Martin c. Only indeed I must confess his kind frâ—endly Successoâ—r Parker tells us in contradiction to his Iuries and Iudges that he was evinced â—f Treâ—son in a form of Iustice without Truth But you may be pleased to be now one of his Iudges and deterâ—ine Whether a man convicted of dispersâ—ng seditiâ—us Papers of prâ—mâ—tiâ—g an usurping Queen of commanding thâ— lawâ—ul hâ—ir of the Crown to desist from her Claim and of sending Horse and Foot to the General â—f â— Rebellious Army be not legally guilty of Treâ—sâ—n and consâ—qâ—ently whether the Law wâ—uld not have extended to serve Queen Maâ—iâ—s turn to hang yâ—ur mâ—st worthy Prelate and glâ—riâ—us Martyr for thâ—t Crime 95. And whereas you reprehend me for saying that the final judgment both touching Ecclesiastical Government and Doctâ—ine was â—eferred by the same Archbishop to a King of about nine years of aâ—e sâ—nce I cannot but knâ—w that in all Kâ—ngdâ—me â—â—rediâ—ary the Kiâ—g is nâ—t less King for being but 〈◊〉 years of age and that all sentences and judgments are as much râ—ferred to him then as when he is at fâ—â—â— age This 〈◊〉 clause I acknowledge but that which I 〈◊〉 on as a most inâ—amous act in Cranmer wâ—s that he an ancient Archbishop of Canterbury in his old age should shâ—w such a slavish â—oâ—did disposition as to expect insâ—ructâ—â—â—s and a â—â—rections in his belief from a Sâ—â—ular Authâ—rity even a Child and again that having all his life madâ— Profâ—ssion of Cathâ—lick Religion he should in the end b◠〈◊〉 râ—â—diness â—o submit himself anâ— his Church to a Sacrilegious Protector whilst against the express will of K. Hen. who had intrusted him with others in the care of his Sons Education he shamefully abusing the lovely innâ—cent Prince did in his Name and aâ— by his Authority utterly abolish the Religion of the Kingdom professed by all his Ancestors and entirely change the â—â—ame of the Church both in Doctrine and Discipline Wâ—ether by the Laws of the Kingdâ—m â— the Protector had just power during the nonage of a King to act in such a manner the part of an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Destroyer I am nâ—t able to deâ—â—rmine You honoured Sir I believe can easiâ—y do it but withal you cannot deâ—y that your glorious Martyr Archbishâ—p Cranmer forasmuch as concernâ—d his Fâ—ith made himself a Disciple to be Caâ—ecâ—is'd in the Principles of his Religiâ—n by a Child of nine years of Age who by virtue oâ— his Fathers latâ—ly assumed Title was become the Head of a Body wâ—ich had no resemblance with the â—ormâ—r â—ither in Belief or Government And that it was the Chiâ—d himsâ—lâ— in person whom the grave Archbishop desired and thought suffiâ—iâ—ntly enâ—bled to be his Catechiser we have his oâ—n acknowledgment in a Letter writâ—en to â—hâ—â—k thâ— young King's Tutor which Lettâ—r is deservedly for his honour recorded by Fox in which we read this passage Ah Mr. Cheâ—k you may rejoyce all the days of your life thâ—t you have such a Disciple who has more knowledge in Divinity in his little finger