The Doctrine and Use of Repentance, To the reader
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER, SPECIALLIE THE Rector, and pariſhioners of Al-hallowes Breadſtreet.
THe rod of Gods iudgements, hath now been long vponupon vsus for our ſinnes, which the abuſe of Gods mercies, his patience, and our long peace hath brought out: So that wee may well hope, that they hauehave wrought in vsus that of Elihu in Iob, Iob 33.16.to wit, that they hauehave Opened the eares of vsus, euen theſe corrections, which he hath ſealed: whereby we will willingly heare and receiue this doctrien of repentance, vnleſſe that of Elies ſonnes, (which is not to bee thought of without feare and trembling) ſhould be verified in vsus, 1. Sam. 2.25.That therefore they obeyed not the voice of their ſather, being the Lords Prieſt) becauſe the Lord would ſlay them: So we ſhould not obey the voice of Gods Miniſters, becauſe the Lord hath a purpoſe to deſtroy vsus.
Which leſt it befall vsus, it ſtands all and eueryevery one vponupon to repent, or hauing repented, and yet ſinning again, Iames 3.2.(as who ſinneth not in many things and daily?) to renue his repentance, and doe it againe, and againe. As often (ſaith Chryſoſtome) Quoties cecidens in foro, toties ex…ges: ſic quoties peccaueris, toties peccati poeniteat. Chryſost. hom. 9. de poenitent.as thou falleſt in the ſtreetes, ſo often thou wilt riſe againe: euen ſo, as often as thou committeſt ſinne, ſo often thou ſhouldeſt renue thy repentance.
The Phyſitians hauehave a preſeruatiue againſt the plague, which conſiſteth of three ingredients: The medicine is called flying; the ingredients are theſe: Citò, longè, tardè; flie ſoone enough, flie farre enough, and make ſlow haſte to returne. By which notwithſtanding that men ſometimes eſcape the peſtilence, yet they remaining in their ſinnes, are often ouertaken with a greater plague: and are in the caſe which Amos ſpeaketh of; Amos 5.19.As if a man did flie from a Lion, and a Beare met him: or went into the houſe, and leaned his hand on the wall, and the ſerpent bit him.
But the Prophets and Saints of God, hauehave a contrarie preſeruatiue, not againſt this plague only, but all other, either to keepe themſelues vntouched of them, or at leaſt to turne them to their good. And this they call not flying, but returning; the ingredients of this are two, laide downe eueryevery where in the Scripture; Ceaſe to doe euill, learne to do well, eſchew euill and doe good. Yea this is both a reſtoratiue and a preſeruatiue, by which men may remoue the preſent, and preuent greater iudgements to come.
Now for the inſtructing of you in the nature, and for the directing of you, in the vſe and practiſe of this medicine and duty, at the requeſt of ſome of you, I laboured in publike to deliuer this doctrine, for the benefit of all who heard me: and now at the importunitie of ſome, I publiſh it in writing, to the profit, I hope, of many more.
The order I hauehave vſed is as familiar and plaine, as I could, labouring to profit rather the moſt, then to ſatisfie the learned. I hauehave begun with the deſcription of it, and hauehave examined the ſeuerall particulars thereof; then I hauehave proceeded to the eſſentiall and naturall parts of it; from them to the cauſes of it; from the cauſes, to the ſubiect and parties to whom it belongs, and who ought to practiſe this dutie; from theſe vntounto thoſe ſeuen inſeparable fruits or effects, which the Apoſtle S. Paul in the ſecond Epiſtle to the Corinthes hath deliuered vntounto vsus. 2. Cor. 7.17.Hence I hauehave deſcended to the time and place, when and where this dutie ought to be practiſed. Finally, I hauehave laboured to remooue ſome of thoſe principall lets and impediments, which Satan caſteth in the way of all men, when they ſhall but once mind their way to his holie dutie.
I cannot ſay, I hauehave brought here any thing new and vnheard of; For there is no new thing vnderunder the Sunne: Eccleſ. 1.9.For matter I meane; yet for the manner and particular handling of it, I know none, who hath deſcended to the capacity of the meaneſt, as I hauehave endeuoured, to my power and for my skill, to doe.
What doe our Lawyers pleade now, but that which hath been pleaded in former times, the ſame ſtatutes, the ſame rules of law, the ſame book caſes? onelyonly they applie them to the particular cauſes, and fit them for the aduantage of their clients. What doe our Phyſitians preſcribe now, any thing but that which Galene, Hippocrates, and other Phyſitians hauehave done before them? the ſame ſimples and compounds, the ſame purges, and preſeruatiues, the ſame cordials and reſtoratiues; onelyonly by their experience and skill, liuing among vsus, they diſcerne of the ſtate of the patient, of his age, ſtrength and temperature, of the diſeaſe, whether new or old, begun but now, or inueterate; & ſo they increaſe or diminiſh the ſimples, or the quantitie of thē, making thē either milder or ſharper, as the ſtate of the party, & diſeaſe do require. As little able are we to bring any new thing, but only fit them to the times and occaſions, ſeeing liuing in the ſame ages, wee may the better bee able to doe it, though we be many degrees inferiour in gifts and knowledge. That I then profeſſe, is the more particular, and familiar handling and applying of theſe things, which others hauehave worthilie deliuered, for the benefit of the Church of God.
I hauehave endeuoured to confirme euerie point by the word of truth, and hauehave added (after my vſuall manner) confirmations & illuſtrations drawne from reaſon, ſimilitude, and the ſayings of the Fathers; not to ſtrengthen the Scriptures, but to helpe and benefit the hearer and reader, to whom all is little enough, to make him heare with attention and delite, to conceiue with profit, and to carry away for practiſe. If any diſlike my alleaging of Fathers, (as ſome hauehave done my vſing of reaſons to confirme the truth and doctrine, but with very little reaſon, as I ſuppoſe) I muſt pray them to giuegive me leaue to vſe them, till I can ſee that vnlawfulnes, which they affirme to be in the practiſe, and to cenſure me in charitie for the vſe of them, as I doe them for not vſing them. I know wel there may be an abuſe in the quotation of theſe; as there may be in citing of Scripture; when either oſtentation of memorie, or reading ſhall be ioyned with it; or when, as Hierom ſpeaketh, Eruditionis gloriam declinando, eruditiſſimus habebatur. Ill… … aiebat, Tertu… ani, iſtud Cy… ani, hoc Lac… tij, illud Hi… est, &c. Hie… epiſt. 3. ad … od. Epitaph. … potia.One affecteth to bee accounted learned, by eſchewing the glorie of learning; That, ſaith hee, is it which Tertullian ſpeaketh, that Cyprian, this Lactantius, that Hilarius, &c. Or finally, when they ſhall bee like lights at a great feaſt, which take vp all the roome vponupon the table, and leaue little place for diſhes of meat to be ſet on. I will looke as well to my heart in the vſe of them, as God ſhall enable mee, and when I ſhall ſee the hurt of them, I wil as much endeuour to auoid them; in the meane time, I will make the beſt vſe I can of them, to edifie the Church of God.
Thoſe places which I hauehave here vſed, I hauehave ſet downe in the treatiſe in our owne tongue; but, I confeſſe, not ſo aduiſedly, in the margent, I begun to ſet them downe in their owne, and hauing ſo done for three or foure ſheetes, I ſaw it was not ſo profitable for thoſe whom I moſt aime to teach, namely the ſimple; yet I hauehave continued on that courſe for an vniformitie: yet knowing that many vnderſtand the Latine, who doe not vnderſtand the Greeke, though I hauehave vſed ſome of the Greek Fathers, as Iuſtin Martyr, and Baſil, and ſomewhat out of thoſe parts of Chryſoſtome, which we hauehave in Greeke, yet hauehave I ſet down the Latin only, leſt I ſhould bee troubleſome and vnprofitable to moe.
Many teſtimonies out of the Scriptures I hauehave vrged diuers times, and in ſeuerall points, euen one and the ſame, for one place will proue many things, and hath many branches. The Lawyers will vrge one and the ſame law, or booke caſe to ſeuerall points, in pleading of the ſame cauſe, becauſe of ſeuerall branches in it, and they are blameleſſe. I hope in the vſe of the word, we may hauehave as much libertie, and yet not ſeeme to hauehave idle repetitions; and the rather I hauehave affected this, for the benefit of the ſimpler ſort, that the places of moment may bee more familiar vntounto them.
Now not to detaine you any longer, from the Treatiſe it ſelfe; I beſeech you reade it with attention, labour to know the particular points with iudgement, and to practiſe them with conſcience. And the God of grace ſo perſwade your hearts, and ſo open them vntounto it, that you may bee like the citizens of Abel, 2. Sam. 20.22.who at the perſwaſion of one wiſe woman, cut off the head of Sheba the Rebell, and caſt it to Ioab, who blew the trumpet, and all the armies returned from their ſiege and ſacking. So you may cut off your ſinnes and caſt them to God, that the armies of his iudgements may at length retire from the citie, and our land, and his hand be no more ſtretched out. And that Iſai. 1.19.You conſenting and obeying, may cate the good things of the land. And repenting and amending, and doing your firſt workes, the candleſticke bee not remoued out of his place.Reuelat. 2.5.
Your friend and ſeruant for Ieſus ſake, Richard Stocke.