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834 John Hales “Letter to Archbishop Laud upon occasion of theTract concerning schism”1 ca.1638,published 1716 May it please your Grace, Whereas of late an abortive discourse indited by me for the use of a private friend hath, without lawful pass, wandered abroad, and mistaking its way, is arrived at your Grace’s hands, I have taken the boldness to present myself before you in behalf of it, with this either apology or excuse indifferently, being resolved in utramvis aleam2 to beg either your approbation or your pardon. For myself, I have much marveled whence a scribbled paper, dropt from so worthless and inconsiderable a hand as mine, should recover so much strength as to be able to give offence. But I confess it to be most true, that bellum inchoant inertes, fortes finiunt; and a weak hand often kindles that fire which the concourse of the whole vicinity cannot quench. If therefore any fire can arise out of so poor a spark (which I can hardly conceive), I am myself here at hand to pour on water to prevent a further mischief. Whatsoever there is in that schedule3 which may seem apt to give offence consists either in phrase and manner of expression, or in the conceits and things themselves there pressed and insisted upon. For the first. Whosoever hath the misfortune to read it, shall find in it, for style, some things over-familiar and subrustic,4 some things more pleasant5 than needed, some things more sour and satirical. For these, my apology is but this: that your Grace would be pleased to take in consideration, first, what the liberty of a letter might entice me to. Secondly, I am by genius open and uncautelous6 ; and therefore some pardon might be afforded to harmless freedom and gaiety of spirit, utterly devoid of all distemper and malignity. Thirdly, some part of the theme I was to touch upon was (or 1 {First published in 1716 in Several tracts by J. H.} 2 {however the die may fall} 3 {scrap of paper, jottings, brief note} 4 {somewhat clownish or boorish} 5 {facetious, jocular} 6 {“genius” here means temperament; “uncautelous,” unsuspecting} 835 John Hales at least seemed to me) of so small and inconsiderable a moment and yet hath raised that noise and tumult in the Church, that I confess it drew from me that indignation which is there expressed. When Augustus the Emperor was asked what was become of his Ajax (for he made a tragedy upon the life and fortunes of that man), he answered, Incubuit in spongiam.7 For all these things which I have above touched upon, my answer is, Incumbant in spongiam.8 And I could heartily wish (for in the case I am, I have nothing but good wishes to help me) that they into whose hands that paper is unluckily fallen would favor me so much as to sponge them out. Now concerning the things discussed in the pamphlet, I humbly beg leave, before I come to particulars, to speak for myself thus much in general. If they be errors which I have here vented (as perchance they are), yet my will hath no part in them, and they are but the issues of unfortunate inquiry. Galen, that great physician, speaks thus of himself, I know not how, says that worthy person, even from my youth up, in a wonderful manner, whether by divine inspiration, or by fury and possession, or however you may please to style it, I have much contemned the opinion of the many; but truth and knowledge I have above measure affected, verily persuading myself that a fairer, more divine fortune could never befall a man. Some title, some claim I may justly lay to the words of this excellent person, for the pursuit of truth hath been my only care ever since I first understood the meaning of the word. For this I have forsaken all hopes, all friends, all desires which might bias me and hinder me from driving right at what I aimed. For this I have spent my money, my means, my youth, my age, and all I have: that I might remove from myself that censure of Tertullian,—Suo vitio quis quid ignorat?9 If with all this cost and pains, my purchase is but error, I may safely say, to err hath cost me more than it has many to find the truth; and truth itself shall give me this testimony at...

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