A censure upon certain passages contained in the History of the Royal Society [by Thomas Sprat] as being destructive to the established religion and Church of England / [Henry Stubbe].

Stubbe, Henry, 1632-1676.

Date:: 1671

Credit: A censure upon certain passages contained in the History of the Royal Society [by Thomas Sprat] as being destructive to the established religion and Church of England / [Henry Stubbe]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$1 J J 7 J Bible not your Rjle , but Pretence: and what you have ajfertedand confented unto in the Churchy you regard not in comparison of the Tythagorical Tenets. Give me leave to tell yon, that where the Foundations of Government are diffolved, there can be no ‘piety. Our Laws oblige you to the 39 Articles; and Theyto the Scripture : if fuch Gloffes be put upon them, 'tis in vain to expeCt that any thing can blnde, or that the Att of Vniformit] can take place : It is mueh better that fuch as you were call out of the Church, then continued in ; and an open enemy were better then fuch a friend. It concerns the Par/ament to look after fuch LatitudinOf rians; and if what your Apologift faith, may take place, That further, then not to contradittthe Articles of Reli gion * all England will foon be Diftradied with variety of Opi¬ nions, fome not crediting half fo much as others; and an Expla¬ nation mull be made of the Words Affent and Confent. Sir, Thefe Confiderations do allay very much the efteem I had for your Piety; arid I afeertain j-a#, that if you will pardon me this time, I will not give you a/econd caufe of that nature for Exce¬ ptions. And I am the more refolute herein , becaufe I finde you thus interpofing in the behalf of Men whom no Propofals or Sup¬ plications of mine have been able to reduce unto a Declaration, concerning thofe controverted Points in the Hiflory .*■ and you are pleafed fo to intereft your felf, as to maintain Untruths concerning themy and to inodiate me moft maliciaujly, who threw my felf upon the adiion without any other expectation then that of Certain Ru- ine. Had you had any fenfe of piety; had the Divine life fixed in a ^Divine body (and tranfcending dry%eafony in the guidance where¬ of, a Man fhould either immediatly feel and fmell out by an holy fagacity, what is right and truey and what falfe and perverfe ; or at leaft, he fhall ufe his reafon aright to difcover it:) had this fwayed in jouy CMy Undertaking had became Dr. CMore: But fince your Adlions are a greater evidence againft you, then any fpeciotts Words can be for you\ fince Mr. Glanvills honour is dearer unto you then Truth, and the Church of England, I do conclude with this advife, that inftead of a new Enchiridion Metaphyficumy you would write a retrattion of your Printed Works, and leave off to play, as it were, at Roe-peep with Atheifm, by defending Chriftianity with ridiculous Arguments. When the Manicheesy 'thofe Pythagorick, and cabbalifli- cal$