Virtuous Men it seems have had that Opinion of a Paper which I have seen, dispersed amongst a People so instructed, and so disposed, that in a little more then one Weeks time, it was with very near an Universal Abhorrence, chased out of the World. It strangely disappeared at once, and hardly any one Man would so expose his own Reputation as to be known to countenance it. That Atheistical Paper, had a Collection of gross and vile Falsehoods, wherein the Author of this ESSAY is Belied, with an uncommon degree of Malignity. He has been at a Loss, about a proper Conduct on this Occasion. On each of the Passages, (which traduce him in the Points wherein if he ever did well, and as became an Honest Man in his Life, it was in those Points!) He might give the Answer, which honest Valerius magnus, thought it enough to repeat on every Charge which his Adversary then falsely made upon him; Mentiris impudentissime: 'Tis a most impudent Lye! But on the one side, had he consulted Flesh and Blood, the ⟨p. ix⟩Cry would have been, Nos haec Patiemur inulti? An Aristotle would have told him, It is a Slavish thing, when we are used Contumeliously to suffer it without making Returns. An Isocrates would have told him, You must think it a Base thing to be outdone by your Enemies in Ill turns, as by your Friends in Good ones. As Terence taught us at School that Evil Maxim: Veterem serendo injuriam invitas Novam. And should he employ an Hundred part of that Armour of Righteousness, both on the Right Hand, and on the Left, that is, both Defensive and Offensive, wherewith he is furnished on this occasion, the poor men could not but repent of their having meddled with him. On the other side, Christianity prescribes a world of Silence, and Patience, and Goodness, upon such Provocations; and we have an admirable Saviour and Pattern, who, as a Sheep before the Shearers is dumb, so he opened not his Mouth. He resolved therefore to treat that Libel with Silence, and as unworthy of an Answer; God rewarded his Resolution, and also supplied him with an Answer, in the Conscience of every Man who had any real Virtue or Honour in him. Indeed, if a Man were not altogether so richly favoured of the Lord abroad, it were no little Favour to have that within which may comfort him, in the Testimony of his Conscience.
Vertuous Men it seems have had that Opinion of a Paper which I have seen, dispers'd amongst a People so instructed, and so disposed, that in a little more then one Weeks time, it was with very near an Universal Abhorrence, chased out of the World. It strangely disappeared at once, and hardly any one Man would so expose his own Reputation as to be known to countenance it. That Atheiftical Paper, had a Collection of gross and vile Falshoods, wherein the Author of this ESSAY is Belyed, with an uncommon degree of Malignity. He has been at a Loss, about a proper Conduct on this Occasion. On each of the Passages, (which traduce him in the Points wherein if he ever did well, and as became an Honest Man in his Life, it was in those Points!) He might give the Answer, which honest Valerius magnus, thought it enough to repeat on every Charge which his Adversary then falsly made upon him; Mentiris impudentissime: 'Tis a most impudent Lye! But on the one side, had he consulted Flesh and Blood, the ⟨p. ix⟩Cry would have been, Nos haec Patiemur inulti? An Aristotle would have told him, It is a Slavish thing, when we are used Contumeliously to suffer it without making Returns. An Isocrates would have told him, You must think it a Base thing to be outdone by your Enemies in Ill turns, as by your Friends in Good ones. As Terence taught us at School that Evil Maxim: Veterem serendo injuriam invitas Novam. And should he employ an Hundreth part of that Armour of Righteousness, both on the Right Hand, and on the Left, that is, both Defensive and Offensive, wherewith he is furnished on this occasion, the poor men could not but repent of their having medled with him. On the other side, Christianity prescribes a world of Silence, and Patience, and Goodness, upon such Provocations; and we have an admirable Saviour and Pattern, who, as a Sheep before the Shearers is dumb, so he opened not his Mouth. He resolved therefore to treat that Libel with Silence, and as unworthy of an Answer; God rewarded his Resolution, and also supplied him with an Answer, in the Conscience of every Man who had any real Virtue or Honour in him. Indeed, if a Man were not altogether so richly favour'd of the Lord abroad, it were no little Favour to have that within which may comfort him, in the Testimony of his Conscience.
