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Phenix 10. The Answer of the States General of the United Provin-
ces of the Low Countries, to the Declaration of War

of the King of Great Britain, Printed in 1674. Pub

lifb'd by their Lordships Order.
271.

11. The Peoples Antient and Fuft Liberties afferted, in the

Tryal of William Penn and William Mead, at the

Seffions held at the Old Baily in London, the firft,

third, fourth and fifth of Sept. 1670. against the most

Arbitrary Procedure of that Court. To which is added,

An Appendix, by way of Defence for the Prisoners. 304-

12. The fecond Part of the Peoples Antient and Just Liber

ties afferted, in the Proceedings against, and Tryals of

Thomas Rudyard, Francis Moor, Richard Mew,

Richard Mayfield, Richard Knowlman, Gilbert

Hutton, Job Boulton, Richard Thornton, Charles

Banifter, John Boulton, and William Bayly. At

the Seffions begun and held at the Old Baily in London,

the last Day of the 6th Month, and there continued till

the 7th Day of the 7th Month next following, in the Year

1670. against the Arbitrary Procedure of that Court, and

Juftices there. 350. To which is added, an Appendix,

by way of Dialogue, in a Plain and Friendly Difcourfe be-

tween a Student in the Laws and Liberties of England,

and a true Citizen of London. 387. And allo, The

Lord Chief Justice Vaughan's Report of Mr. Buthel's

Cafe.

13. An Apology or Defence of William the Firft, of Naffau,

Prince of Orange, &c. in answer to the Proclamation

against, and Profcription of him by the King of Spain.

To which is prefix'd the faid Profcription at length, with

feveral Letters and Declarations of the Prince of Orange,

&c. relating thereunto.

14. A Narrative of the Proceedings of a Great Council of

Jews, affembled in the Plain of Ageda in Hungary,
about thirty Leagues from Buda, to examine the Scrip

tures concerning Chrift, on the Twelfth of October 1650.

By Samuel Brett, there prefent. Afo a Relation of

fome other Obfervations in his Travels beyond the Seas.543.

15. Certain Leters evidencing K. Charles II's Stedfaftness
in the Proteftant Religion; Sent from the Princess of Tu-

renne, and the Ministers of Charenton, to fome Per-
fons of Quality in London.
554.

16. A True Relation of the late King's Death. To which are

added Copies of two Papers written by the late K. Charles

11. of Blefjed Memory, found in the Strong Box. 566.

(1)

I.

Phenir 1.

A Letter of Refolution concerning ORIGEN and the chief of his Opinions.

Written to the Learned and moft Ingenious
C. L. Efq; and by him publish'd.

To the REA DE R.

"N conformity to Cuftom, which fends few Books into the World, be they never fo mean, without fome fair befpeaking of the Reader, or giving him an account of the Author or his Work,

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it was thought convenient that fome little thing in that kind fhou'd be prefix'd to these few Sheets, and that I fhou'd do it, who may reafonably be prefum'd to have a greater Knowledg and Interest in this Affair than any other. Know therefore, Reader, that fome while ago, upon a certain Occafion, which would be to no purpose here to mention, there was begot in me a Curiofity to know the Opinions of that pious Father of the Church, the learned Origen: and being neither by natural Temper, nor the way of my Studies, nor condition of Life, either fo punctually inform'd what was in general Efteem accounted Orthodox, or much aw'd by the word; I fuffer'd that Curiofity to grow fo great in me, that I was even afflicted till it was fatisfy'd.

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But having neither Time enough to spare from my own fecular Imployments, nor Philofophy enough to pierce into thofe recondite Myfteries, I quickly perceiv'd I could not by my own Industry and Meditation come to the end of my Defires. I therefore wrote unto a Friend of mine, competently well enabled with thofe Advantages of Leifure and metaphyfical Knowledg, conjuring him, by our long Acquaintance and Friendhip, to give himself the Trouble of fending me an account of fome Queries I there put to him, tending to my Contentment and Satisfaction in this Particular. He, by good hap, having just before finish'd a Treatife, which may one day fee the Light to the benefit of the Church, and having nothing new in the Forge, pity'd my Anxiety, and promis'd to do fomething for the Eafe of my Mind, and accordingly Shortly after did me the Honour to fend me the following Papers. Thou may'ft easily imagine I receiv'd fo obliging a Prefent with all due Refentment, and entertain'd the fair Conceptions in it with extraordinary Emotion of Spirit: For really feveral Things before lay fo cros and fcurvily in my Soul, that I took no pleasure to look into it, nay I was fenfibly pain'd and prick'd when I had the Hardiness fo to do s But I quickly felt all thofe Unevenneffes begin to wear away, and every thing to range it felf in its right Place and Order, Principles and Conclufions fairly accorded, and a lafting Peace and Calm (for fo 1 boldly prefag'd) poffefs'd me throughout. Having receiv'd fo great a Benefit my felf, and conjecturing that in this inquifitive Age, the Minds of other Men, as well as mine, might need, and would joyfully receive Relief by the fame means which miniftred to my Tranquillity, and having by Trial aloof off, upon fome capable Perfons, found that my Conjecture was real, I thought I should be envious if I did not endeavour to obtain leave of my Friend to make his Papers publick. Whereupon, after fome time, I refolv'd to give him a Vifit at his Hermitage (as he is wont to call the Place of his Retirement) for the effecting of my purpose. Where amongst many learned and pleasant Entertainments, the clear Witneffes of a benign Nature, an innocent Confcience, and fatisfy'd Understanding, I mov'd my Design unto him. He with an amaz'd Look, ask'd me what I meant? I plainly told him that I meant to do what was in me, that others might receive that Eafe and Benefit which I my felf had felt by his Labour; for others there were in the World, Idoubted not, in the fame Condition I was then in, when I requested his Affiftance; and in exchange for his Queftion, 1 ask'd him, why he fou'd be fo unwilling to it as his Looks fhew'd him to be? To which, after fome little Recollection, The Questions discuss'd in thofe inconfiderable Papers you talk of (reply'd he) are great and bold, and you mistake the World if you imagine they will find an equal Hearing; but are certainly much out in your account, if you think Men will be convinc'd of their Truth by fo mean an handling as mine is. For tho I thought that wou'd be enough to entertain your Curiosity a little till the Fit was over, and to offer fome Hints to your more deliberate Meditations;

Meditations; yet I did not then while I was feribling of them, much lefs now in my cooler Thoughts, conceive them convictive to any who were not in a very forward Preparation to the Belief of them already. For neither are the Foundations of my Reafonings laid low enough, nor firm by fettled (being I was to follow Origen rather than my own Invention nor is the Order of my Conceptions upon any of the Opinions Juch as it ought to be: for I remember very well upon my reading the Papers over after I had finifl'd them, I difcern'd fome things in the entrance of a Queftion or an Argument, which by the right Laws of Difcourfe ought to have come behind; and others I saw were caft into the close of it, which wou'd have done better service more forwardly plac'd. To tell you the Truth, I did not fcrupulously fet my self any method, but took all Thoughts that came, and as they came (if bo mogeneous to the whole and there upon the Spot fetter'd them in Words, left they might not have been at hand when i needed them; nor I been able to recal fuch fugitive Things when their Turn came. My Answers to Objections have the fame Carelefnefs in them, no applying this or that to fuch or fuch a Propofition, but a diffuse Speaking to the whole; being loth, as it shou'd feem, to lose any good Words that came in my Mind, which must needs render my Anfwer weak and obScure to frill Logical Readers. Many of my Interpretations of Scrip ture are rather extravagant or pleasant, than the ferious Confirmations of a weighty Caufe, and which affect to make the Holy Penmen of Sacred Writ Speak Notions where in all likelihood they never meant it. I am alfo much too short in most of the Points debated: Which Faults; tho they be pardonable in a private Letter to a familiar Friend, will be fottifh and ridiculous in a publish'd Piece. Do you then impartially judg whether fo fhort a Difcourfe, full of fo many and fuch monstrous Defects, pretending the Defence of high and raw'd Mysteries against Strong inveterate Prejudices, be not a thing rather to be laugh'd at, than receiv'd as useful to any better Purpose. To this I smilingly reply'd, that he might be as bold as he pleas'd with his own; yet if he wou'd that I fhou'd be of his Mind for the prefent; and acknowledg with him thefe Faults (as be call'd them) I was content, upon condition that he wou'd take his Papers back, and mend them in all the Particulars he was pleas'd to say they were defective in, and then give me that leave which I then came to beg. This I prefs'd him to with all earnestnefs poffible, hoping that either he wou'd do it, and so I might receive bis fecond and as the Proverb fays) better Cogitations, whofe first pleas'd me fo much; or else that he wou'd be forc'd out of Civility to grant my firft Request, if he was refolu'd to deny the fecond. And it fell out according to my Hope; for being obftinately fet against all Review, partly because he was now more seriously im ploy'd, partly because that wou'd look like an Approbation of Origen's Opinions, he at last unwillingly permitted me to do what I wou'd with that I had. Which I here offer to thy candid Acceptance, being confl

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dent thou wilt not be offended with any thing in it, if thou best of my Humour, to think no Opinion formidable which does Honour to God, renders him most amiable to Men, and a fure Object of our Faith and Hope, which juftifies the Ways of his Providence, and reconciles them with his moft precious Attributes, Equity and Benignity. Farewel. C. L.

A Letter of Refolution concerning ORIGEN and the chief of his Opinions.

S1 R,

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F the partial Judgment which your Friendship makes of me, and the heat of your commendable Curiofity would fuffer you equally and coolly to confider the Undertaker and his Work; you would, out of Pity to me, and Honour to the great Perfonage you enquire of, expect no other Letter from me at this time than one of humble Thanks, for releafing me from the Burden your Commands had laid upon me: For verily I much need your Pity and Relief, who am combated with two mighty contrary Paffions; the one an infinite Defire to do the Father Right, the other as great a Despair of doing it, from the moft certain Consciousness of my own Inability. And tho by my undertaking of it I fhall reap this Fruit of having given you an evidence of what Authority your Commands are with me, and how ready I am in the greateft Difadvantages to obey them; yet I fhall neither fatisfy you nor my felf in the Performance, and poffibly be injurious to his venerable Name, in adding more Envy to his Opinions thro my unskilful Reprefentation of them. But to be bold with you upon the warrant of our Friendship, I think you are not at prefent capable of any equitable confideration as to this Particular; and therefore I do refolve to bear the Neceffity, as well as I may, hoping it will prove a Benefit to me, and Security for the future: for certainly you will not be very forward to impofe a fecond Task of this nature upon me, who have fo ill acquitted my felf in the firft. And to fhew you how little Power I have over my own Inclinations and Actions, where you are pleas'd to direct them, I fhall, even contrary to my own Judgment, omit nothing of the Method you have fet me; but give you an Account, fuch as it will be, of all the Particulars you defire to know, and according to the Order they are in in your Letter; tho otherwife, being left free, I fhould certainly have wav'd the firft

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