I heartyly thank you for your loving payns in resolving my obiections, which were, some of them I see, ouer curious and needless: I am clearly satisfied in that which was the main occasion of my trouble, and your laying open the grounds and reasons of the particular parts of your Answer makes it clear to me, that your intentions were sincere, without partiallity, and your main ayme, truth and peace for which I bless the Lorde, and crave pardon for my illegible iealousyes; and though I cannot concur with you in every thing yet being satisfied in the main, I can well be silent in the rest. the Lord will clear his own truth in his own tyme. For matter of Temptation, it may be as you suspect, but truly I cannot find wherein the strength of it should lye, for as for the gentleman himself he hath euer been, and still is deare to me, and many friendly affairs have passed between vs, both former and later and so we are like to continue (for aught I know.) For the Office of Councillor I am no more in love with the honor, or power of it, then with an olde friese Coat in a summers daye: therefore, when it was propounded to have the power taken away, I never opposed, but presently drew vp the order for it, and shalbe as ready to doe the like for the abrogation of it, if it be so dissolved. Neither will those speeches I vsed in the Court about the book or the author (if I might be iustly dealt with to be heard before I were censured) argue any indulgent affection in me towards the Office, or disaffection to the Author for I professed my concurrance with those that cleared him; only I differed in this that I would have had it doone in an orderly way. I would have had the book first read and the Court to have determined of the matter of it, before they had medled with the Author but finding the Court to be bent the contrary way I drew vp an order for his clearing as full and safe for him as himself could have drawn. As for any conspiracy against his life or etc. I never heard it (to my best remembrance) so much as propounded by any of the magistrates for that or any other Censure 348but only that he might be questioned for it. The Lord knowes, that that which I write is the truth, whatsoever you have heard to the Contrary: If you discern any Temptation to lye elswhere, I shall take it as one fruit of your love to discover it and help to heal me. So desiring still to enioy your faithfull Counsell and prayers, I heartyly salute you and rest

On the Verso

1: I conceived that verum et sanum were not convertible.

2: That lawfull ordinary power could not be said to be transcendent, only in respect of the Officer to whom the dispensation of it is committed.

3: That though the matter of the scripture be always a Rule to vs, yet not the phrase, for I should not say, that a man who should sleep 40 hours did sleep 3 days and 3 nights; or that he who breakes on of the kings laws breakes all etc.

4: I supposed that an example or similitude if it agreed in the thing intended, was proper, though it agreed not in all parts.

5: That infirmity maintayned with obstinacy may prove wickedness, therefore principiis obstare might be according to prudence in such a Case.

6: That such a dispensation of power as in the Aduice is presented could not be adequate to all the ordinary occasions of the commonwealth.

7: I could finde nothing omitted that might save the authors reputation (being but one and the youngest in authority amongst us) and nothing inserted (more then one worde of ordinary complement) that might vindicate the Credit of that Standing Councell though they be 3 to one, and ancientest in practice of government.

8: I did not conceive that liberty for Advice would have been taken so largely as to be a shelter to all that is in that book, so far as it is applied.

That whatsoever is transcendent is above all Rules, and so torn Transcendent power must be above all Laws and that can be no other but Tiranny.

That such an observation of all the Elders, in so solemn a way would make vs more obnoxious to the peoples Censure, then all that the book can fix upon vs.

That though the Answer should prove so exact, as it might be written vpon (as now it is reformed) in nullo erratum, yet it might have been of vse to have added some such Apologie as might haue prevented the misapprehensions of weaker Judgments.