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. Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A86877 of text R207387 in the English Short Title Catalog (Thomason E818_2). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 12 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 7 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A86877 Wing H364 Thomason E818_2 ESTC R207387 99866441 99866441 167993 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A86877) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 167993) Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 124:E818[2]) 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. Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656. H. S. [6], 7, [1] p. Printed for N.B. and are to be sold at the Marigold in S. Pauls Churchyard, London, : 1655 [i.e. 1654] "To the Right Reverend Father in God, Dr J. Hall" is signed: H.S. Annotation on Thomason copy: "Nou: 25"; the 5 in the date has been crossed out and replaced with a 4. Reproduction of the original in the British Library. eng Sadler, Anthony, b. 1610. -- Inquisitio Anglicana. Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656. Libel and slander -- Early works to 1800. A86877 R207387 (Thomason E818_2). civilwar no An apologeticall letter to a person of quality,: concerning a scandalous and malicious passage, in a conference lately held betwixt an inqu Hall, Joseph 1654 2026 2 0 0 0 0 0 10 C The rate of 10 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the C category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2007-12 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2007-12 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-01 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2008-01 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion AN Apologeticall LETTER TO A Person of QVALITY , 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 . printer's device " Alma Mater HINC LVCEM ET POCVLA SACRA LONDON , Printed for N. B. and are to be sold at the Marigold in S. Pauls Churchyard . 1655 To the Right Reverend Father in God , Dr J. HALL , Bishop of Norwich . R. R. Sir , WIth my respective remembrance : I cannot blame you , if you were much moved with that wrong which was so publickly done to your name , in that mentioned Pamphlet ; whereof we that are your friends are so sensible , as that I have been advised by divers of them to publish that Letter of Vindication , which you were pleased to addresse privately to me : whereunto I have been easily induced to consent . For though I had at the first receipt of it , purposed to conceal it , as supposing it not needfull to take notice of that aspersion , which was thus cast upon you by a namelesse Authour , well knowing that all wise men were satisfied long ago , with that full Defence that you made for your self , and which was so effectually seconded by those Reverend Bishops , and Learned Doctours , who were in the height of reputation for their profound judgement , and out of all danger of suspicion of any Popish inclination : Yet now , perceiving that the lesse judicious , and common sort of people are apt to take offence at this imputation , which is so confidently laid upon you by some person that would seem to carry authority in his publick employment ; I have thought it requisite to let this your short vindication to flie abroad ( although thus late ) for the satisfaction of those , who either have not seen the resolutions and Apologeticall answers of those Learned Bishops and Doctours , or who are not able to judge of the state of this question , raised ( as you have truly said , and Bishop Davenant before you ) out of a mere misconstruction of words , and not any reall difference in matter . Sir , I hope I have done nothing herein that may be displeasing to you ; since what I have done hath been out of a zealous respect to your dear reputation , which herein suffers too much in the weak opinion of vulgar readers . Commending all your studies and holy endeavours to the blessing of the Almighty , I take leave , and am Nov. 20. 1654. Your much obliged friend to serve you H. S. A Brief LETTER OF APOLOGIE sent by the R. Dr HALL B. N. to a private friend . Worthy SIR , IN that strange Pamphlet which I received from you yesterday , you cannot marvell if I startled to meet so inexpectly 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 shamefully 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 Caesar . ] 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 already , about 28 yeares ago , clearly vindicated my self from this grosse misconstruction , and shewed that , in my sense , there is no knowing Protestant 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 , Mr Burton and some others boggled at that expression ; namely , that the Church of Rome is yet a true visible Church , though extremely corrupted ; and that the quarrell began to wax warm , and the Presse to complain of being 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 appealed 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 Prideaux , 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 answers declared this to be an undoubted truth , in the sense proposed , proving it by sound and convincing 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 exposednesse to the danger of self-wronging consequences , without our intimation . The grave and solid determination of those godly and judicious Divines is still extant in a thousand hands : upon the publication whereof , the world then rested satisfied , 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 inconsiderate mistake is guilty of this quarrell : The homonymy 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 Universall : 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 outward Church-ship . It were a strange uncharitablenesse to say that a Romanist is no Christian ▪ though too many of their Tenets are justly branded for Antichristian . And where there is a society of Christians , not directly and obstinately destroying the Foundation , ( though otherwise foul , and erroneous in opinion , ) there cannot be denied a visible 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 judiciously , & amply declared by those learned & worthy Contests , whom I formerly mentioned , in their publick discourses of this point , that I am confident , if Mr Sadler had had leisure to have considered , 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 opinion of either ignorance , or uncharitablenesse , 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 pretend 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 opinions , ( although indivisibly theirs , in the brotherhood of the same most holy faith , and meekly affecting 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 contention , as arguing mere carnality , and utterly inconsistent 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 imployment so universally rife amongst us , on all hands , as quarrels and brawlings , both verball and reall , arising commonly from false surmises and misconstructions ; 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 the 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 : wherein you shall do an office worthy of the thankfull acknowledgement of Higham Nov. 5. 1654. Your unfeignedly devoted in all Christian affection Jos. Hall ▪ B. N.