Truth and innocence vindicated in a survey of a discourse concerning ecclesiastical polity, and…

The Reader may see the whole story exactly related in Aelian. lib. 2. Var. Histor. cap. 13. Much of it also may be collected from the Apologies of Xenophon and Plato in behalf of Socrates, as also Plutarch's Discourse concerning his Genius. To this purpose have Dialogues very artificially written been used and are absolutely the most accommodate of all sorts of writing unto such a design. Hence Lucian who aimed particularly to render the things which he disliked Ridiculous and Contemptible, used no other kind of writing; and I think his Dialogues will be allowed to be Artificial, though sundry of them have no other design but to cast contempt on persons and Opinions better than himself and his own. And his way of dealing with Adversaries in points of Faith, Opinion and Judgement, hath hitherto been esteemed fitter for the Stage, than a serious disquisition after Truth, or Confutation of Error: Did those who admire their own Achievements in this way of Process, but consider how easy a thing it ⟨p. 51⟩is for any one, deposing that respect to Truth, Modesty, Sobriety, and Christianity which ought to accompany us in all that we do, to expose the persons and opinions of men by false, partial, undue Representations to scorn and contempt, they would perhaps cease to glory in their fancied success. It is a facile thing to take the wisest man living, and after he is limetwigg'd with Ink and Paper, and gagged with a Quill, so that he can neither move nor speak, to clap a Fools Coat on his back, and turn him out to be laughed at in the Streets. The Stoics were not the most contemptible sort of Philosophers of old, nor will not be thought so by those, who profess their Religion to consist in Morality only. And yet the Roman Orator in his pleading for Muraena, finding it his present Interest to cast some disreputation upon Cato his Adversary in that cause, who was addicted to that Sect, so represented their Dogmes, that he put the whole Assembly into a fit of laughter; whereunto Cato only replied, That he made others laugh, but was himself Ridiculous; and it may be some will find it to fall out not much otherwise with themselves by that time the whole account of their undertaking is well cast up.

The Reader may see the whole story exactly related in Aelian. lib. 2. Var. Histor. cap. 13. Much of it also may be collected from the Apologies of Xenophon and Plato in behalf of Socrates, as also Plutarch's Discourse concerning his Genius. To this purpose have Dialogues very artificially written been used and are absolutely the most accommodate of all sorts of writing unto such a design. Hence Lucian who aimed particularly to render the things which he disliked Ridiculous and Contemptible, used no other kind of writing; and I think his Dialogues will be allowed to be Artificial, though sundry of them have no other design but to cast contempt on persons and Opinions better than himself and his own. And his way of dealing with Adversaries in points of Faith, Opinion and Judgement, hath hitherto been esteemed fitter for the Stage, than a serious disquisition after Truth, or Confutation of Error: Did those who admire their own Achievements in this way of Process, but consider how easie a thing it