To which I had the following Answer from his Grace's Chaplain, Mr. Benjamin Ibbot, a Friend of mine. SIR, Lambeth-Houfe, Jan. 15, 1711-12. HE Letter you lately fent inclos'd to me, I delivered to his Grace, and he has order'd me to acquaint you with two Things. First, that the Reason why he formerly abftain'd from writing to you, was his Obfervation of the Manner of your Dealing with others, in publishing, without leave, what they wrote to you. Secondly, that the Reason why he does now forbear to correspond with you, is the unfitness of it from the Nature of your Cafe, which forbids him to intermeddle otherwise than in a publick Capacity. He is forry that you have written in this Letter what is falfe, concerning the last you sent to him at Lambeth, and which upon the least Enquiry you might have found to be fo, viz. That he neglected the publick Communication of a Letter intended for the Convocation. I know it was fent over to his Grace's Substitute, as foon as he had receiv'd and read it. It is true, it came to him juft after the Bishops were rifen; but that happen'd from your own flowness in sending of it; and it was not judg'd of Moment enough to be laid before the Synod on the following fynodical Day. My My Lord affures you, that he Wishes you no ill; but cannot do unfitting Things for your Sake, and should rejoice more at your Conversion, than your Ruin. I am, Your affectionate Friend, To which I replyed the next Day SIR, BEN. IBBOT. January 16, 1711-12. Received yours; and find thereby that the anfwering the main Design of my Letter is intirely avoided. I perceive also that his Grace, as well as the reft of the Learned, are not willing their proper unbiafs'd Thoughts fhould be known to me and to the World: So I fhall no longer expect what his Grace fo freely promis'd me on that Head; tho' he may be affured that the leaft Hint of his Defire against a Publication would certainly have prevented any fuch Thing; had those his Thoughts been never fo freely communicated to me. As to the Falfebood of what I faid, that his Grace neglected the publick Communication of my Letter, intended for the Convocation, that very Account of the Matter which you give me proves that it was not Falfe: Since I meant by the Neglect of that publick Communication, that Letter was not communicated to the Convocation publickly, as it was defigned to have been, in Distinction from any Communication to any other Persons. Nor am I any way relieved by saying his Grace's Subftitute dropt it for private Reasons ; Reasons; fince he could not have done fo had he had it in Charge to do otherwife: Nor do I know who was then his Grace's Substitute, to make my Complaint to him. And if it came too late the firft Day, certainly that was no Reason why it might not have been communicated the next, or fome of those that followed: If his Grace wishes me no ill, I hope he will please to fhew it by stopping all Reports against my Integrity, till that Hearing is allow'd me which I infifted on in my laft. And if his Grace should rejoice more at my Converfion than my Ruin, I hope he will fhew it in reality hereafter, and put my Matters into that Way of fair Examination, which is the only Method for my Conviction and Converfion; and not that of legal Profecution, which is the only Way to my Ruin, either in this World or the next; fince his Grace knows that fuch a legal Profecution, can have no other Effect than either to expofe me to Excommunication and Imprifonment, fo as to Ruin me and my Family in this World; or, in order to the avoiding these temporal Penalties, lay me under Temptations of Prevarication and Hypocrify; and fo can only tend to my utter Ruin for ever in the World to come, I do not know that I ever defired his Grace to do unfitting Things on my Account, unless it be unfit for a Judge to hear before Sentence, and for a Chriftian to examine what comes recommended to him under the facred Authority of Chrift and his Apoftles. I am, Sir, (with humble Duty to his Grace.) Your Affectionate Brother and Servant, WILL. WHISTON To which I never received any Answer; but only the Archbishop cpomplained to my old Patron, Bishop Moor, how hard my Letters were upon him: The Reason of which is very obvious. In February 17, I published, in a half Sheet, the Suppofal, or a New Scheme of Government; humbly offered to a publick Confideration, by a Lover of Truth and Peace; which I afterward reprinted, and owned it for mine. It is republished at the End of my Scripture Politicks; of which hereafter. In the fame Year, 17, that great General, Prince Eugene of Savoy was in England: And because I did then as I do now, interpret the End of the Hour, and Day, and Month, and Year, for the Ottoman Devastations, Apoc. ix. 15. to have been put by his glotious Victory over the Turks, September 1, 1697, O. S. or the fucceeding Peace of Carlowitz 1698. I printed a fhort Dedication of my first imperfect Essay on the Revelation of St. John, and fixed it to the Cover of a Copy of that Effay, and prefented it to the Prince: Upon which he fent me a Present of fifteen Guineas. The Dedication was thus ; Illuftriffimo Principi Eugenio Sabaudienfi, Vaticiniorum Apocalypticorum Unum, Turcarum Vaftationibus finiendis deftinatum, dudum adimplenti ; Alterum etiam, de Gallorum imperio fubvertendo, magnâ exparte, utifpes eft, mox adimpleturo, bunc Libellum fummâ quâ decet reverentia, dat, dicat, confecrat. 8 id. Mart. 1711-12 GULIELMUS WHISTON. In April 1712, I published what had been in Part discovered by Dr. Robert Cannon, and still farther improved by my great and learned Friend Mr. Ric. Allin, a Pamphlet ftiled Athanafius Convicted of Forgery. In a Letter to Mr. Thirlby of Jefus College in Cambridge, in two Sheets. But because it was afterward twice improv'd, and reprinted; once in the three Effays, Page 196-203, and again, more Compleatly, in the second Appendix to my Argument; where was added withal, A Reply to Mr. Thirlby's fecond Defence of Athanafius; I refer the Reader to this laft Edition for his Satisfaction. In the fame Year, 1712, I published Primitive Christianity Reviv'd, Volume V. containing the Recognitions of Clement: Or, the Travels of Peter; in ten Books; done into English. As alfo two Appendixes, the one containing fome Obfervations on Dr. Clarke's Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity; and the other, a farther Account of the Convocations and other Proceedings with Relation to me. 8vo Price 5 s. But with the four Volumes 17. 135. As to the Ebionite Edition, and Interpolations of the Catholick Edition of thefe Recognitions, fee the Collection of Authentick Records. Appendix VIII. Page 949-961.] In the fame Year, 1712, I published a small Pamphlet, intituled, Primitive Infant-Baptifm Reviv'd: Or, an Account of the Doctrine and Practice of the two first Centuries, concerning the Baptifm of Infants, in the Words of the facred and primitive Writers themselves, 8vo. to which is to be added, the Memorial for fetting up Charity-Schools in Eng |