near. God in the mean time to lend me life and health, for I have another work in hand, the which I must first finish. I am at present troubled with an ague, and my shaking fit draweth I must take leave, but I pray you observe the third leaf (as I take it) of the papers I sent you last, and if, in the latter end of the first side or upper end of the second side thereof, you find Llew or Leo, the son of Meirchion, then take your pen and write Llew or Leo, the son of Cynvarch ap Meirchion, for so it should be; and about ten or twelve lines after there is a little blank, the which you may make up with Ceindric, being the name of Swrgi and Produre's sister. The Lord of heaven keep and preserve you in health and all happiness, Amen. Your lordship's most humble servant, Hengwot, near Dolgelly, in Merionethshire, the 22nd day of June, 1653. To the Reverend Father James Ussher, Archbishop of Armagh, and Primate of all Ireland, this present. ROBERT VAUGHAN. LETTER CCCCLVII. LORD CONWAY AND KILULTA TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH. MY LORD, I Do most heartily wish that when I write to you it might be for as much advantage to you as it is to me, but since it pleaseth God to ordain it otherwise, I beseech you not to be weary in well-doing, and be pleased to satisfy me in this doubt. In the Practical Catechisma of Dr. Hammond, I find that he saith that the verse in the second chapter and the ninth verse of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians is ordinarily mistaken for a description of Heaven, when it is meant only of the true superlative delight, even to flesh and blood, that is in sanctity, and the practice of Christian virtues beyond all that sensual pleasures afford. Now my exceptions to this are these: First, Dr. Hammond said that this excess of pleasure is in the practice of christian virtues; therefore, this joy, say I, is not some illumination only, but a continual abiding of pleasure; not a rapture such as St. Paul had when he was in the third Heaven, but such as the continued faith and love of Paul was, that carried him even to death for Christ, in all which course of time he was not, for the most part, very joyful. Secondly, the text saith that it hath not entered into the heart of man to conceive what joys God hath prepared for them that love Him. How can any man have that joy which cannot enter into his heart? I conceive a Practical Catechism, lib. 1, sec. 3, p. 51. VOL. XVI. Q Q that, as I cannot see God and live, that is, be in this flesh, so this joy cannot enter into a fleshly heart. I see when men are transported with joy their face is changed, their words and actions cannot contain it, but they must show it to all the world. For one to have more pleasure in his heart than all worldly pleasure can be, and yet be sad in any kind, is to my understanding incongruous. The Apostles speak more of their sorrows than of their joys, and if such joy might be attained to, he that stands need not to fear falling, for whatsoever will bring us joy we are very careful of. How are we careful of our diet, if our health depend upon it?—and if any excess be made, it is because it is hoped that we may exceed in eating or drinking and yet be well, which could not be in this spiritual joy, which would forsake one at every intemperancy, and show our deviations more certainly than the needle doth the North Pole. Be pleased to pardon my length, pity my weakness, and believe me to be Your most faithful Servant, CONWAY AND KILULTA. Petworth, July 5. 1653. LETTER CCCCLVIII. ALEXANDER MORUS TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH, REVERENDISSIMO VIRO, VIRO SUPRA LAUDES, JACOBO USSERIO ARCHIEPISCOPO ARMACHANO, ETC., ALEXANDER MORUS, S. P. D. TOTUS eram in exquirendo libro, quem ad nos te misisse audiebam, cum ecce commodum præstantissimus hic D. Oldenburg admonuit traditum esse Antverpiensi nescio cui librario; Hem! optime pastor, ovem commisisti lupo! Nimis ille noverat pretium istarum mercium et quam avide distrahatur quæcunque Usserii præscripsit pagina nomen. Itaque tanti putavit, ut aliter quam nos, legeret. Sacrilegium hoc illi condonemus. Mitte alium, quæso te. Nam ille profecto nobis periit. Ecce autem contra, duos libellos, quos vix agnosco pro meis. Adeo male nati, male habiti, male culti sunt. Errores meos typographi cumularunt. Egregium vere avrídwpov! Nempe illud nunc redit χρύσεα χαλκείων. Equidem gloriosus non sum, sed ut vere dicam nolim ex illis æstimari. Verum graves mihi fuere causæ, cur sic quoque non noluerim publici juris fieri: quas utinam liceret coram efferre. Majus nescio quid moveo, si Deus tamdiu frustra quæsitum otium faciet. Misissem et ad te, si fuissem Amstelodami, Dallæum de Pseudepigraphis, necnon de jejunio et quadragesima, qui quod deest meis donariis, abunde pensaret. Albertini longe quam ante grandior de Eucharistia liber, Latina traditus consuetudini, sub prælo sudat. Bulla, vere bulla, Pontificis contra Jansenianos in Brabantia pessime accepta est nec prius affixa quam refixa. Quod superest hoc tibi serio per suadeas velim, non vivere hominem tui quam ego sum, studiosiorem. Deum veneror, te conservet annos quam plurimos Ecclesiæ suæ dulce decus et clarissimum lumen. Vale. Scripsi Hagæ Comitum, xxiii. Julii, Reverendissimo in Christo patri ac Domino, |