"A Review of a Letter sent from F.P.R. to a Lady (whom he would
have persuaded to the Rom. party) in Opposition to a former
paper given him for the defence of the Church of England in the
Ordination of Priests."
To this are appended the respective forms of ordering priests used in
the Church of England and in the Roman Church.
3. Then, at p. 89., we have the "occasion of this ... Discourse
concerning the Ordination of Priests," &c. This is a kind of preface,
which contains the first paper that was given to the Prior, dated June
14, 1645; also another paper, bearing date July 11, 1645, but ending
abruptly in the middle of a sentence, and having written below it
(probably in Dr. J. Smith's hand) the following note:
"The rest of this is not yet found, and that which is written
thus far is not in the Bishop's own hand, but the copy is very
fair."
However, this second paper (ending thus abruptly) appears to be no more
than the first draft of a long letter from Cosin to the Prior, which
commences at p. 65. of this MS., and which is dated "from the Court of
S. Germains, July 11, 1645;" for not only does this letter bear the same
_date_ as the before-mentioned fragment, but it begins by complaining of
the tone of expression in a letter evidently received from the Prior
after the draft had been prepared, but before it was sent off; and it
concludes with the following note appended as a postscript:
"Sir,
"The enclosed (most of it) was prepared for you a fortnight
since; but now (upon the occasion given by your letter) you have
it with some advantage from
"Your servt., J.C.
"I desire the fav"
"S. Germ. July 12."
4. The most important part of this MS., however, is contained in the
long letter or treatise {296} placed first in the volume, and bearing
for its title, "A View of F.P.'s Answer to the First Paper."
This is dated from S. Germains, July 25, 1645 and would appear to be
Cosin's last letter. But, if it be really so, Basire must, I think, be
in error, when he says, "Our Doctor ... could never get from the Prior
any reply to his last answer." For at p. 81. of the MS. there is a reply
to the above "Review of a Letter sent by F.R. to a Lady," &c. which,
though copied without either date or signature, was evidently written by
the Prior, whilst it professes to be a reply to a treatise closely
answering to Cosin's letter of July 25, but which letter the writer did
not receive (as he states) before the 26th of September.
I wish yet further to take notice, that Dr. Tho. Smith, in His _Vitæ_
(Lond. 1707, præf. pp. vii, viii.), refers to these manuscripts in the
following satisfactory manner:--
"Cum, post mortem D. Cosini, de pretio et valore schedarum, quas
reliquit, hæredibus non satis constaret, ... auspieatò tandem
devenit, ut favore, beneficio, et perquam insigni humanitate
reverendi et doctissimi viri, D. Joannis Smith, Sacræ Theologiæ
Professoris Ecclesiæ Dunelmensis Præbendarii, quorum frequens
hac de re commercium literarum, occasione data, (opportunè
intercedente prænobili et reverendo, D. Georgio Whelero, equite
aurato, et Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ Presbytero, ejusdem quoque
Ecclesiæ Cathedralis Prebendario), habui, duos libellos (tanquam
prætiosas tabulas ab isthoc infami naufragio servatas) a D.
Cosino, dum in Galliâ exularet, Anglieè conscriptos jam
possidieam: quarum unus _Vindicias Ordinatianum Ecclesieæ
Anglicanæ_ contra exceptiones et cavillationes cujusdem
Pontificii sacerdotis e gente nostra, alter _Responsionem ad
Epistolam_ nobili fæminæ Anglæ ab alio saccrdote _pro defensione
communionis sub unicâ specie administrandæ_ inscriptam,
complectitur," &c.