The Mystery of Mankind, Preface – Errata
A PREFACE OF Pacification to all Christian Tearmers and Trauellers, from the reuerend Iudge Itinerant, Iustice of Oier, and Determiner, vntounto the poorest Clyent that iournyeth within the foure seas of Great Britaine, MercieMercy be multiplied in Ch…ist Iesus:
BLessed, and beloued in the Lord, (for I cannot giuegive you a more honourable title if I should studie to giuegive you ten thousand be of what ranke or condition your will.) Hearken. VponUpon the Lords day, beeing the third day after our Sauiours sufferings, two disciples trauelling from Ierusalem to a village called Emaus as they walked on their way, they talked of Iesus. And as they thus communed, Iesus himselfe drew neere, and went with them,Luc. 24. 13. and afterward questioning with them, opened vntounto them the Scriptures tarries with them, sits witb them, blesseth their meat, eats with them, giues them a super substantial blessing, for he openeth their eyes, and they, know him. A perf…t president for you, beloued in the Lord, and a blessed direction as you tra…aile, for we aree all Viatores, looke as big as we will; not comprehensores; if wee hauehave company to conf…rre and talke of the Lord Iesus, for you see if you bee but two in company hee will make the third, if you commune concerning him in feare and reuerence, yea your conference shall not bee fruitlesse. For what is the sequell? Eu…n knowledge of the holy Scriptures, they shall bee opened vppon such conference, Christ his comfortable company by the holy Ghost will be affoorded, for albeit according to his Es…e Naturale, he is in heauen; yet secundum esse personale he is eueryevery where, by his breath and fauour in his chosen. Moreouer, hee will sit with you vponupon the throne of Iustice, to direct your hearts aright, you shal partake of his blessings with healtb and saluation: hee will blesse you in your store, hee will enlighten your minds, encline your wils rec…ify your desires, and you shall know him whom to know is eternall l…fe.
For this cause I hauehave often bowed the knees of my heart vntounto the God of heauen for you all, and hauehave presumed to reduce the summe of all into this little Manuall, as the Protestants portuize to carry in his hand, in his bosome, and to accompany him in your trauels, as Paul had his parchments with him, which casually he left at Troas, and whereof it seemed hee had an especiall care. Let not the prudent Iudge disdaine or despise that I become his remembrancer, for the time is come that wee must looke to our Christian principles, seeing many are gone so farre to question long receiued truthes in the spirit of subtiltie and error, as if the Metempsycosis of the Pythagorists were reuiued, and the soule of Iohn Duns Scotus were entred into the bodyes of suruiuing schollers, to trouble the world with nicities, and to lose themselues in miserable extrauagant wandrings. It was a good rule therefore that Irenaeus gaue, That we should diligently heede neuer to bee transported beyond the limits of Doctrinall Principles, which indeede is a glosse of that of the Apostle, Sapere ad sobrietatem. The iolly Counceller that learnedly argues titles of land, pleas of debt, dammages of clyent, & cause, may hereby bee counselled to call to minde what claime, or challenge he hath to heauen, what plea hee ought to make for his owne debt, which hee oweth to his Creator, and if the damnage or wrong of his Clyent were his owne, what plea, what care, what diligence would …e vse to redres himselfe. The disturbed, yea oft times the poore miserable distracted Clyent, that is delayed, crossed, encumbred, snibbed, & many times ouerborne, may herewithall endeuour to qualifiè and settle his wearyed and perplexed heart and looke vp vntounto the master of requests in heauen, and to referre his cause vntounto the Iudge of the world Christ Iesus who iudgeth righteously. And if his cause goe well with him, yet hereby h…e may bee caused to remember in what passe his case is with God, and to know who it is that lets a man see his desire vponupon his enemies.
All what soeuer they be, if they will be pleased to be aduised, may herein see (as in a viewe) what Creation is, that tendeth to saluation. And so to abandon from their holy intentions all needelesse controuersies, and fruitlesse contentions, according to the reference of the prefixed context.
For the lamentable Controuersies about Religious Godlinesse, An abridgement of controuersies. raysed from the word of the Context, foreign, rendred without controuersie.are so many in number, and so intr… cate in nature, that the studious labours of any one man (were he neuer so well qualified) cannot sufficiently (no not all the time of his life) so much as enter into all the ambiguous laborinths thereof, much lesse bee euer able to compose, or conclude them. For it falleth out in this kind, as it doth in the quirks and quiddities of law cases, and thats a thousand pitties, for the more lawyers retained oft times the more suites, pleas, counter pleas, demurrers in Law, and many other such like quaint deuises so the morewriting of controuersies, the more subtil…ies, euasions, distinctions, personall aspersions, mistakings with all maleuolent stirrings, and striuings to make good either part. Such also hath beene the rotten condition of mankinde, that when one hath once hatched, & brought foorth neuer so absured an opinion, yet he findeth wits in the world ready to deuise trickes and shifts by nice distinctions, and doubt full differences to mainetaine withall possible glosses the absurdities, and shadowes thereof. Besides, if we consider the impossibilitie of composing, and reconciling the controuersies of the setimes, by reason of the auerse, and setled resistance of the opponents, both foraine and domestick, together with the irreconciliable natures of the things controuerted, and questioned, and the little hope of any meanes to bee expected either from them that striue, or from others their wellwishing neighbours, or from both to reconcile, and pacifie the furiousrage of either partie, wee may euen despayre of expecting any certaine and setled ende of these miseries, vntill the Lord Iesus come himselfe from heauen in his second and most glorious aduent, and Consume with the spirit of his mouth all the gaynesayers and impostors of his sacred truth, and abolish with brightnes of his comming all the mistie fogges of misperswasion and mis-beleefe.
Doubtlesse therefore in the meane while, the best, and most assured way for vsus (that louelove, and looke, and long for Christs comming) to finde rest to our distressed soules amidst such perplexed distractions and laborinths, is, to hauehave recourse to the pillar and foundation of all Christian faith, the director to heauen, which is the written word of God, the one and onelyonly way to the word begotten, wherein, many places wee shall finde couched in in few words the summe and substance of all our hope, and happinesse in Christ, both in nature grace, and glory, and that summe of Christianitie in so compendious an abridgment oft times reported, that the shortest memorie may recount it, and so playnely set downe that the weakest capacitie may conceiue it. Such is this Scripture prefixed, in which as in a running stream in some place the Elephant may swim for deepenes, and in other the Lambe may wade for shall ownesse.
Leauing therfore behind vsus the hellish afronting of all Godlinesse to the damned Athiest, that sayth in his hart, There is no God, which some Achrists of Spaine (I would they were not in England) most Lucian-like, and Iulian-like hauehave tearmes to the griefe of many good harts their Peccadillos, or little sinne, and appropriating the circular Diuinity of Temporizers-who goe in a Maze to painted Hypocrites, Who are euer learning, and neuer come to the acknowledgement of the Trueth, because they feele not the power thereof, nor endeauour to practise it together with all, neutralizing staggerers, and Cassandrian Courtiers, who neyther cleaue to God, nor to Baal, but are like Ephraim, a cake on the harth not turned, which needes must be dough on the one side, and burnt on the other, hote in their singed zeale, and lue warm in their fringed hypocrisie, & lastly, abandoning from vsus all nouell sectaries, who eyther with the …nostiques and Donatists challenge to themselus an impropriation of all reformed doctrine and discipline, or with the Cathari boast of a Monopolie of perfect sincerity, or with the rare illuminates of the world, the Iesuites, Iesuini, Scofiotti, Presbyteri, Sanctae Luciae, Reformati, Sacerdotes, or by what other titular denominations soeuer they bee tearmed, who vndertake to hauehave the onelyonly direction for all Christendome, in ordine ad Deum, or with the Capucini, who aspire the onelyonly mortification (forsooth) in a patched Capouch, and with them vtterly forsaking all other rabbles, and swarmes of monasticall, and secular nominals, who neglect the truth, and the light thereof, Let vsus flie homeward with the distressed doue into the Arke, which is the holy Scriptures to saue our selues from the general deluge and cataclisme of ambiguities, questions and ouerflowings of vngodlinesse, which assault vsus here in this life, the Ocean and sea of sorrow, and hide from vsus the brightnesse of Iesus Christ, with the mists of impietie, and fogs of vanity.
And let vsus call to minde that all vnderstanding in Godlinesse is eyther Opnion Faith, or perfect Knowledge.
Opinion beeing like the Twilight, neyther certaine▪ nor euident. Faith, as the dawning, certaine but not euident and perfect.
Knowledge as the Sunneshine both certaine and euident.
Opinion beeing the Conduite pipe of all controuersies, the mother of heresies, the seede of schisme, and the heade of a Foxe, and perfect knowledge, onelyonly proper to our triumphant and glorious estate in Heauen: wee must here in this Life walke by faith. This faith must hauehave a foundation to build vponupon, Whats that? must it bee built on the Church? thats to generall: so the Sarazens, or Hagarens rather (as Zozomene obserued a thousand yeares agoe, hauehave their Masters. Vppon the Fathers? thats too rusticall, so the Iewes hauehave their Rabbins. VponUpon the Pope, thats too Phythagorical? so the Gentiles had their Philosophers of their seuerall sects, VponUpon suddaine and fancifull reuelations, thats meerely Anabaptisticall, God in an engine. VponUpon what then? Euangelical Esay the Lordes Prophet tels vsus, That our faith must bee founded vppon Gods Oracle the Scriptures, and Christ the sonne of God biddes vsus Search the Scriptures, and Saint Peter a chiefe pillar of the Church, sayeth, Wee shall doe well to heede that certaine end of Prophesie, as vntounto a light that shineth in a darkplace vntill the day dawne, and the day starre arise in our hearts.
But stay, who then shalbe iudge of the scripture? that our faith may bee setled with iudgement: for as much as most Heretikes auouch scripture.
Shall Christians iudge betweene Christians in cases of controuersie? no they are too partiall, because they are parties. Shal Pagans? no, they are not capable of holy mysteries, shall Iewes? no they are enemies of Christ. What then? Shall wee knocke at heauen gates, that Christ Iesus may come downe and decide these doubts, What neede that? Wee hauehave him in the Gospell, sayth Cyprian, wherein if we exercise our selues diligently by conferring scripture with scripture, and expounding according to the Analogie, and rule of our faith, beeing guided by the iudgement of holy reformed Church, which acknowledgeth no other guid, but onelyonly the Euangelicall and Apostolicall writings, nor any other rocke to builde vponupon but Iesus Christ, nor any other City of refuge, to flie vntounto then the word of God, which as Dauid sayth, is a Lampe vntounto our pathes for our liues & a light, as S. Peter sayth, in darkenesse for our knowledge, a ballance for our decision, to weigh the light from the ponderous, sayth S. Augustine, a touch stone for our tryall, as sayth S. Chrysostom, to discern the currēt from the counterfeite, and in a word as Constantine in the Nicene counsell, sayde of all sufficiencie for our ful satisfaction, and the onelyonly deuoyment of all controuersies for our resolution wee shall doe well. This being added, that we pray earnestly with Dauid, That God would open our eies that we may see the wōders of his Law, Otherwise, they that are conceyted in their owne singularity, and priuat spirite, either for doctrine of faith, or direction for manners. Sathan stands at their right hand, and the thinges that should hauehave beene for their good, are occasion of their falling.
These thinges beeing so, what meanes the cursed malignants of our Church of England to trouble mens mindes with niceties, the breeders of controuersies, whence many monsters of opinion, and thousand of fancies doe dayly arise, which entangle the simple in many wofull Laborinthes, as to demaund of vnsetled soules, where was your Church hid vntill of late, some hundred yeares since? What Emperor raigned when it came forth? or on what day was it hatched? What age did the Religion you professe, arise in? What is become of our Forefathers? These and the like interrogatories are as introductions and preambles to insnare and entangle the simple with needlesse questions, and quiddities. As if Petrus Valdus Lugdunensis, Iohn Wicleefe, Husse, Luther, and others such reformers, did at any time endeauour to beget, or set vppe a new Church, whereas the truth is, they onelyonly diligently labored by the word of God, and by the power thereof, to reforme that Church, which by mens traditions and deuizes, was most miserably deformed and defaced, and to reduce it to its former splendor, and integrity. Alwayes saluting that church, though much deformed by the louing Sister. And doubtlesse wee know many pious and chaste Matrones, who iustly may be ashamed of their owne sisters enormious courses, and exorbitant conditions. Neyther did they vse any other means in seeking reformation, but by yeelding onelyonly, and lamenting sayd, Oh how is that faithfull City become an harlot? It was full of iudgement, and iustice lodged therein, but now they are murtherers. Thy siluer, O sister, is become drosse, thy wine is mixed with water: For these and the like important consideratiōs of the great defect, miserable reuolt, and dāgerous obliquities of those times they had learned Apostolicall counsel, To hauehave no fellowship with such doings, but to reproue them rather. Were these and their followers then to bee accounted enemies, and to be scornefully branded with the names of Waldenses, Wicklefiās, Hussites, Lutherans, and other the like disgracefull tearmes, as if they had beene Nouelists, because they tolde the truth, God forbidde? George Cassander the choyce diuine of his time said well and iuditiously, when he gaue his sentence of the dissentions of the Church, both to Ferdinand and Maximilian the Emperours, acknowledging that in the beginning many were iustly stirred vp by a godly zeale, earnestly to reproue, and reforme some apparāt abuses in the church, and that the principall cause of the Churches calamity, and distraction, was not to bee imputed to those who sought reformation, but rather to such as ruled the stern, who beeing puffed vp with disdaine, and scorned to be rebuked, proudly, and peremptorily despised, and disdayned those that modestly, meekely, and iustly did but admonish and aduertise them.
And hee thought that there could bee no firme, nor constant concord in the Church, vnlesse they beeganne to reforme, who first gaue the occasion of distraction, to witte, that those of the Churches Gouernement must abate theyr rough rigor and sternnes, & yeeld somewhat for the peace of the church, and by listening to the petitions, and counsels of many godly and well disposed men, should reforme the apparent errors and abuses crept into the church, and conforme them according to the rule of Gods word and the primitiue integritie from which they were in many things declined.
If the case were come to this, who would not embrace that sacred peace of the church wherewith the angells of heauen congratulated mankinde in the incarnation which Christ left as his legacie to his peculiar people when hee was to forsake the world, and the Apostles as their principall doctrine enioyned to the Christian Church.
EueryEvery one (you say) is ready for peace, but what if we cannot hauehave it? Then must we make peace as Saint Iames speaks) by our diligence, by our sufferance. What if wee make peace once, and it depart? Then must wee follow peace (as Paule commands.) What if it abandon vsus (Peter wisheth vsus) to seeke it, and ensue it. What if it will not come? (as Abrahams seruant sayde of Rebecca) after wee hauehave sought it and ensued it? Surely then must wee studie to bee quiet.
For what good Christian is not of worthy Constantines minde, who desired of God to passe his dayes free from trouble and vexation. And of Iouians who sayd this by chance, touching a queroulous libel of the Macedonians, I hate contentions and strife, and those that are giuen to peace and concord, I deerely louelove and reuerence.
Oh what hellish furie hath enraged the malignant Church to stirre vp strife, and controuersie against vsus, not onelyonly all the day long, but euen for time, and times, euen many ages. The Arrians and Circumcellians neuer more raged against the Orthodoxe, then Rome hath against vsus.
For beholde and see, if there were any damnable heresie of olde wherewith they hauehave not endeuoured by all the wit and strength of skill they could to brand vsus withall, which is all the issue (for ought I can see) of all these controuersies.
They tearming vsus Simonians, for once mentioning of grace, and saluation, Eunomians, and Pepusians, for attributing (as they say) too much vntounto faith, & to woman…for that a woman was our dread Soueraigne. Originists, and Proclians for teaching that the Image of God by sin is extinctin man, and that the fume of concupiscence is not vtterly extinct.
Sabellians, Eutichians, Swinkefeldians, yet let the indifferent reader iudge whether wee partake in one iota with these heretickes? They terms vsus Donatists; for admitting the iust onelyonly into the elect Church of God, Mani…chees, for abandoning all free will in our selues to worke well of our selues.
Arrians, for neglecting humane traditions. Nouatians for refusing Popish penance. Aetians, for omitting oblations, and feasts for the dead. Iouianists, for casheering a slippery and perplexed faith. Vigilantians for not admitting the adoration of reliques. Nestorians for not keeping the consecrated hosts. Xenaits, for abolishing Images. Lampetians for putting from vsus the bondage of vowes and indeede what not? to to make vp a bead-rowle of rablement against. vsus.
Thus they do fat & please themselues with these, and the like as persions of slander, and reproch, as if they had vowed neuer to sacrifice vntounto their Idoll Iupiter Latialis, Papa Turcissimus, but as the Lindians did to Hercules with curfning, and raylings. Thus the tongues of our aduersaries who hate peace, hath bin a furnace to refine vsus in.
Besides many cart loades of Pamphlets frought with these and the like obliques, what riuers of bloud: what burnings, both of the liuing and of the dead, hath the Christian Catholicke world in these dissentions of that bloudy and Antichristian Synagogue, bot… by wofull experience knowne, and by barbarous crueltie endured. And hauehave they (thinke you) who hauehave beene neuteralizing sequestrators taking part on no side, but standing by, and looking on, endeuouring onelyonly a Cassandrian pacification, hauehave they (I say) escaped their virulencie? Let Cassander himself, Fricius, the Adiaphorists, Interimists, and the nameles Apologists of France, who hauehave sought peace and an end of controuersies, tell if it hath not happened vntounto them amidst these garboyls, as it did vntounto the foolish shepheard, that interposed himselfe betweene two rammes furiously raging, and running with all might and violence the one at the other. Neither suffiseth it to compose these controuersies that wee admit as absolute Catholickes, the whole sacred booke of God, the three Catholike Symboles or Creedes, to wit, that of the Apostles, that of Athanasius and that of Nice, euē in the very leturgy of our Church together with all the holy diuinity cōprized in the fower first generall cousels, vnlesse wee also receiue from thē Transsubstantiatiō, Purgatorie, and the Popes transcendent supremacy, with all other nouelties hatched from the Conuenticle of Trent, in this dotage of the world, which strange proiects were then deuised, that the holy Fathers of Italie might no way bee inferiour to the Apostles, nor the Pope of Rome, to Christ Iesus himselfe.
The fire of God sayth Basil affoordeth light without burning, but hell fire burneth without light. Hell fire therefore is the portion for those that despise the glorious light of Gods truth, and desire like the Salamander to noozell themselues in the flames of furious contentions, and continuall contro…er…ies.
But without controuersie sayth the Context, Great is the Mystery of Godlinesse. And confest it is on al hands that vnles we beleeue the Catholike faith we cannot be saued: a summe whereof is this modell of Scripture prefixed.
Let vsus therfore be wise now at the last to lay aside all distracting controuersies both transmarine and domesticke and let vsus studie to bee quiet, For wee see by many wofull experiences what is the miserable issue of calling in question long receiued tr…thes.
And how at the first this hellish fire of Contention may be more easily put out, before it breake foorth into such scorching flames, as now in fest the Church of God in West Frizeland.
Oh England bee thou wise by the lamentable and wofull example of thy b…rdering neighbours, and remember that God cōmāds louelove & peace on al hands in Prince, Peers, Priests and people. It is the new and eleuenth commandement giuen from mount▪ Sion as a supplement to the tennefrom mount Sinai: Leuit. 9. 16nay as their complement:Luc. 6. 31.. for true Euangelicall concord and louelove,Rom. 13, 9. is the fulfilling of the Lawe.Ioh. 13. 34 See the Patriarch… louelove, Abraham yeelds to Lot. It is indeed no great maruell,Gen. 13. sayth a father, if the seruant become any thing for the louelove of the brethren, seeing the Lord of life became a curse for the seruant.Origen. lib. 7 ad Shall we not louelove that which is good and pleasant,Rom. 9. where God promises his blessing,Psal. 133. 1. and life for euermore as the Psalmist speaketh.
Shall not wee detest that which hindereth true and cleare interpretation of the Scriptures, that rayseth sects, that giues offence to weake ones, and doth vtterly dash and …uinate all church pollicie and gouernment? Shall not wee hate that which impeacheth and hindereth our valour that we fight not couragiously the Lords battayle against Antichrist? Doth not the Apostle reade us a lecture in our own bodyes of the mē …bers of consent.1. Cor. 12. 12. Let vsus assure our selues that wee can neuer be owners of Christ his seamlesse coate, if we rend and deuide the church of God by needles and fruitles factions. The harmony of other reformed churches vrge vsus to conformitie in our owne if wee hauehave grace. And the spirits of all well disposed will euer wish with Paule, Vtinam abscindantur qui nos inquietant. Gal. 5. 12.The ignorance also of many thousand who vnderstand not the things controuerted, no not their names much lesse their natures doth admonish vsus to bee wise, at the last lest they of Gath and Askalon laugh at our singular folly. And the degrees of scandall which follow these outrages as vnaduised anger,Mat. 4. 22. subiecting vsus to the danger of iudgment,1 Ioh. 3. 15 because we are mansl…yers: mutuall hatred making vsus lyable to the censor of a councell, and shewing vsus to be carnall: and mutuall detraction cast…g vsus into the fire of Gehenna. should deterre eueryevery honest heart from kindling or stirring and the least sparke either publikely or priuately that should disturbe the Churches sacred peace.
Besides the wounding of our owne consciences in such garboyles by hindering ofSit procul a Christi discordia saeua ministris, Namque Deus poterit non nisi pace coli. Nullalues ouibus tantum, non vlla venena, Quantum pastorum dissidia ipsa nocent. Phil. Melanct▪ in Epigram. our prayers and Preachings in the worke of Christs ministerie bids vsus beware (if euer we will bee warned) of such scandalous courses. For how can we preach peace, or perswade mutuall reconciliation betweene others, when wee our selues are the firebrands of contention to stir vp the coales of factions and sidings among the poore ignorants. And whiles one says he is Pauls, another sayes he is Apollos, are yee not carnall? Let vsus therefore neuer listen to,Non ego Caluimum magnnm nec curo Lutherum, Venus vterque placet, falsus vterque iacet. This I say, this thou sayest: but lot vsus all heare what the Lord sayeth, and let that foreign bee our religious Ephod to put vponupon vsus. Let them speake that hauehave liued in contentious striuings, if in all that time they were not betweene the hammer and the Anuelle in eminent perill of beeing dashed into peeces, and hauehave been at last constrayned for releefe to creepe into houses, and there ledde captiue seely women laden with sinnes, and carried with diuers lusts, which are euer learning, and neuer could attaine the knowledge of the truth.
Consider therefore Brethren what hath beene said and God giuegive vntounto vsus vnderstanding in all things that concerne our saluation, and Gods peace.
Comm…ne with your owne heart, whether the motiues that stirre you vp to contentions and strifes, waigh more then these directions of Gods Spirit. But looke that you p…ize them by the measures of the Sanctuarie, Light of God, Sight of Faith, Charitie, Construction, not by Faction, Singularity, Preiudice: for doubtlesse,Mat. 15. 13. whatsoeuer our heau… ly Father hath not planted, shall bee r…oted vp.
Thus onelyonly seeking hereby to procure the peace of mens Consciences, that they may with cleare sight, behold this mystery of Godlinesse, and endeauouring the quiet of the Church, that eueryevery holy one may possesse his soule in patience. I shall euer pray to God where euer I am, that the peace of God, may bee euer vponupon the Israel of God.
Yours much obliged in the Lord Iesus, William Loe.
Errata sic corrigantur.
Pag. 21. lin. 26. for Tearchers, reade Teachers. Pag. 48 in the mar▪ …eade foreign. ibidem. foreign. ibid. foreign. Pa. 50. 1. 25. for iuslice reade iustice. pag. 59. ma. reade foreign. pag. 82. lin. 11. into which I had falne. pag 86. lin. 1. for Manifested, reade was iustified. pag. 114. in the mar. r. Ex. se. pag. 126. in the mar. reade foreign, ibidem for spera…e reade spirare. p. 152 line 21. for assist, r. assist vsus. page 178. l. 25 for would read could. pag. 184. li. 10. for hae, reade hee. page 116, for expecting read expect page 206. l. 26 for Chrst ienioyned read… Christ enioyned.