The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, Title page – To the reader
OF THE LAVVES of Ecclesiasticall Politie, Eight bookes.
By Richard Hooker.
.IESVS.CHRISTVS.
CONTERET CAPVT TVV̄. GEN: 3
ERO MORSVS INFERN. TVVS. OSE. 13
CONFIDITE VICI MV̄DV̄. IOA. 16.
VBI TVA MORS VICTORIA 1 COR: 15.
Printed at London by Iohn Windet, dwelling at the signe of the Crosse-keyes neare Paules wharffe, and are thereto be solde. 1604.
TO THE READER.
THis vnhappie controuersie, about the receiued ceremonies and discipline of the Church of England, which hath so long time withdrawne so many of her Ministers from their principall worke, and imployed their studies in contentious oppositions: hath by the vnnaturall growth and daungerous fruites thereof, made knowne to the world, that it neuer receiued blessing from the father of peace. For whose experience doth not finde, what confusion of order, and breach of the sacred bond of louelove hath sprung from this dissention; how it hath rent the bodie of the Church into diuers parts, and diuided her people into diuers Sects; how it hath taught the sheepe to despise their pastors, and alienated the Pastors from the louelove of their flockes: how it hath strengthened the irreligious in their impieties, and hath raised the hopes of the sacrilegious deuourers of the remaines of Christs patrimony; and giuen way to the common aduersary of Gods truth and our prosperity, to grow great in our land without resistance; who seeth not how it hath distracted the mindes of the multitude, and shaken their faith, and scandalized their weakeness, and hath generally killed the very hart of true pietie and religious deuotion, by changing our zeale towards Christes glory, into the fire of enuie and malice, and hart-burning, and Zeale to eueryevery mans priuate cause? This is the summe of all the gaines which the tedious contentions of so many yeares hauehave brought in, by the ruine of Christs kingdome, the encrease of Satans, partly in superstition, & partly in impietie. So much better were it in these our dwellings of peace, to endure any inconuenience whatsoeuer in the outward frame, then in desire of alteration, thus to set the whole house on fire. Which moued the religious hart of this learned writer, in Zeale of Gods truth, and in compassion to his Church, the mother of vsus all, which gaue vsus both the first breath of spirituall life, and from her breasts hath fed vsus vntounto this whatsoeuer measure of growth we hauehave in Christ, to stand vp and take vponupon him a generall defence both of her selfe, and of her established lawes; and by force of demonstration, so farre as the nature of the present matter could beare, to make knowne to the world, and these oppugners of her, that all those bitter accusations laid to her charge, are not the faultes of her lawes and orders, but either their owne mistakes in the misvnderstanding, or the abuses of men in the ill execution of them. A worke subiect to manifold reprehensions and oppositions, and not sutable to his soft and milde disposition, desirous of a quiet priuate life, wherein hee might bring forth the fruits of peace in peace. But the louelove of God and of his countrey, whose greatest daunger grew from this diuision, made his hart hot within him, and at length the fire kindled, and amongst many other most reuerend and learned men, he also presumed to speake with his pen. And the rather, because he sawe that none of these ordinary obiections of partialities could eleuate the authoritie of his writing, who alwayes affected a priuate state, and neither enioyed nor expected any the least dignitie in our Church. What admirable height of learning, and depth of iudgement dwelled within the lowly minde of this true humble man, great in all wise mens eyes, except his owne; with what grauitie and maiestie of speach his tongue and pen vttered heauenly mysteries, whose eyes in the humility of his hart were alwayes cast downe to the ground▪ how all things that proceeded from him were breathed as from the spirit of louelove, as if he like the bird of the holy Ghost, the Doue, had wanted gall; let them that knew him not in his person, iudge by the these liuing Images of his soule, his writings. For out of these, euen those who otherwise agree not with him in opinion, do affoord him the testimony of a milde and a louing spirit: and of his learning what greater proofe can we hauehave then this, that his writings are most admired by those who themselues do most excell in iudicious learning, and by them the more often they are read, the more highly they are extolled and desired. Which is the cause of this second edition of his former bookes, and that without any addition or diminution whatsoeuer. For who will put a pencile to such a worke, from which such a workeman hath taken his? There is a purpose of setting forth the three last books also, their fathers Posthumi. For as in the great declining of his bodie, spent out with study, it was his ordinary petition to almightie God, that if he might liue to see the finishing of these bookes, then Lord let thy seruant depart in peace (to vse his owne words) so it pleased God to grant him his desire. For he liued till he sawe them perfected; and though like Rachel he dyed as it were in the trauell of them, and hastened death vponupon himselfe, by hastening to giuegive them life: yet he held out to behold with his eyes these partus ingenii, these Beniamins, sonnes of his right hand, though to him they were Benonies, sonnes of paine and sorrowe. But some euill disposed mindes, whether of malice, or couetousnesse, or wicked blinde Zeale, it is vncerteine, as if they had beene Egyptian Mid-wiues, as soone as they were borne, and their father dead, smothered them, and by conueying away the perfect Copies, left vntounto vsus nothing but certaine olde vnperfect and mangled draughts, dismembred into peeces, and scattered like Medeas Abyrtus, no fauour, no grace, not the shadowes of themselues almost remaining in them. Had the father liued to see them brought forth thus defaced, he might rightfully hauehave named them Benonies, the sonnes of sorrowe. But seeing the importunities of many great and worthy persons will not suffer them quietly to dye and to be buried, it is intended that they shall see them as they are. The learned and iudicious eye will yet perhaps delight it selfe in beholding the goodly lineaments of their well set bodies, and in finding out some shadowes and resemblances of their fathers face. God grant that as they were with their bretheren dedicated to the Church for messengers of peace: so in the strength of that little breath of life that remaineth in them, they may prosper in their worke; and by satisfying the doubtes of such as are willing to learne, may helpe to giuegive an end to the calamities of these our ciuill wars.
ST