A Treatise of Episcopacy, Part 1 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The Reaſons of this Writing.
I Am not ignorant how diſpleaſing it will be to the Prelates, that I publiſh theſe Reaſons of my Nonconformity to the Subſcriptions and Oaths by which they would have me become an obliged Approver of their Function. Nor am I ignorant what Power, Wit and Will they have to expreſs and exerciſe their diſpleaſure: And conſequently, how probable it is that I ſhall ſuffer by them for this work. And I well know that peaceable ſubjects ſhould not unneceſſarily ſay any thing againſt that which is required by their Rulers Laws, nor cheriſh the Peoples diſcontents, but do all that is lawful for the common Peace: And I am not of ſo pugnacious or ſelf-hating a diſpoſition, as to be willing of mens diſpleaſure, eſpecially my Superiours, or to be ruined in this World, and all that I may but vent my Opinion, in a caſe wherein I have publiſhed already ſo much that is ſtill unanſwered, as in my Diſputations of Church-Government is to be ſeen.
And upon ſuch Reaſons (but above all, that I might not caſt away my opportunity for ſome more uſeful writings, nor put an end to my own labours before God put an end to them) I have been ſilent in this Cauſe ſince our publick debates in 1661, above ten years. I have lived peaceably; I have endeavoured to preſerve the due reputation of the publick Miniſtry, and to perſwade all others to due ſubjection, love and quietneſs: I have by Word and Writing oppoſed the Principles of ſuch as are exaſperated by their ſufferings into the Dividing and Separating extream; Though I knew, that by ſo doing, I was like to incur the diſpleaſur and b…tter cen…e of the Separatiſts, as much as I had before of the Prelates, (though not to ſuffer ſo much by them.) And I thought that the Prelates themſelves who would not underſtand the true ſtate of the People, nor the tendency of their way, by our informations, and evident Reaſons, might yet come in time to know all by experience, and ſo to amend what they have done amiſs.
But now I dare be no longer ſilent for the Reaſons given Apol. ch. 1. which I will …tay the R…der b…ie…y to ſum up. 1. I find that experience it ſelf doth not Teach ſome men, but Harden them.
2. I perceive that thoſe that are now convinced by experience, and wiſh they had taken another courſe, and rather have united the Miniſtry, than ſilenced them, are not able to undo what they have done, nor to amend what is done amiſs, much leſs to retrieve all the doleful conſequents; but the matter is gone out of their hands and beyond their power.
3. I ſee that while we wait, the Devil's work goeth on, by the ſilence and by the Diviſions of the Miniſters: Popery greatly increaſeth; Quakers multiply; Atheiſm and Infidelity▪ go ba…e▪ faced among thoſe that are accounted men of reputation: Malice, and bitter hatred of each other, with common backbitings, cenſurings and ſlanders, inſtead of ſweet Love and Concord, do notoriouſly encreaſe. Thouſands are every day committing theſe ſins, to the increaſe of their guilt, and the haſtening of Gods judgments on the Land: The ſufferers call the Prelates perſecuters, and wolves in ſheeps cloathings, who are known by their fruits, their teeth and …laws. The Prelatiſts ſtill ſay that the Nonconformiſts are unreaſonable, diſcontented, peeviſh, factious, unpeaceable, unruly ſchiſmaticks; that will rather ſee all confounded than they will yield to things indifferent. And ſhall we ſtill ſtand by, and ſilently ſee this work go on?
4. And to love and defend Truth, Honeſty and Innocency is to be like to God. It is pity that thoſe that Chriſt hath done ſo much to juſtifie, and will ſo gloriouſly juſtifie at the laſt, ſhould have nothing ſaid on their behalf by men. But we are much more obliged to juſtifie a righteous cauſe, than righteous men; For all men have ſomewhat that is unjuſtifiable, but ſo hath not the truth of God.
5. And he that in his Baptiſmal Covenant is engaged againſt the Fleſh, the World and the Devil, ſhould be loath to ſee all their work go on and not oppoſe it; and to ſee, that which he taketh to be no better than deliberate Lying, or Juſtifying ſin, and Perjury it ſelf, and covenanting never to obey God in lawful and neceſſary Church-reformation, to be all called; Things indifferent.
6. Nature and Scripture teach us to have a due and moderate regard of our own reputation as men; but much more as Miniſters of Chriſt; ſeeing the doctrine of Chriſt which we preach or write, is uſually diſhonoured in the Miniſters diſhonour and the edification of the ſouls of them that hear us or read our writings, is greatly hindered by it.
7. While Noblemen, Knights, Gentlemen, conformable Clergy men, and many others of all Ranks, are poſſeſſed with theſe thoughts of us, that we are perſons who hypocritically pretend to Godlineſs, while indeed we are ſo humourſome, that we will forbear our Miniſtry, and our Maintenance, and ſuffer any thing, and divide the Church, rather than yield to indifferent things▪ this is a ſcandal, a grievous ſcandal, either given or taken, and tendeth to wrong their ſouls that are ſcandalized: And if we give them this ſcandal, it is our heinous ſin▪ But if they take it by miſinformation, we are obliged to do our part to heal it: Souls are precious; and ſcandal doth endanger them, even to diſtaſt Religion it ſelf, for the ſakes of ſuch as they take us to be: And we must not ſtand by and ſee men periſh, if we can do any thing to ſave them.
8. The ſufferings of many of the Miniſters are very great, that have not bread for their children, nor cloaths to cover them, and are aſhamed to make known their wants: And if with all this, we ſuffer the burden of unreproved calumny to lie on them, and keep them not to the neceſſary comfort which conſcience ſhould find in ſufferings with innocency, we ſhall be guilty of uncharitableneſs our ſelves.
9. It is part of our Honouring the King and Parliament and other Magiſtrates, not to deſpiſe or ſlight their cenſures: And the judgment which they have publickly paſſed on us, in an Act of Confinement, which impoſeth the Oath for Prelacy, is ſo hard and grievous, that if we are guilty, it is fit we ſhould be made the common reproach of men; And if we are not, (as Non-conformiſts) it is our duty to rectifie the judgment of our ſuperiours where they are miſinformed. And as Auguſtine ſaith, that no good Chriſtian ſhould be patient under an imputation of Hereſie; ſo I may ſay that no good Subject ſhould be ſenſleſly patient under an imputation of diſloyalty and ſedition: That better beſeemeth the anarchical and truly diſloyal and ſeditious, who take it for no crime.
10. And we know how pleaſantly the Papiſts inſult to hear us ſtigmatized for Villains and ſeditious Perſons by our brethren, and what uſe they will make of it at preſent and in future Hiſtory to the Service of their malice, and injury to the truth: which we ought not ſilently ſtill to ſuffer; while we ſee how hereby they do already multiply.
11. And how unlikely ſoever it be, it is not impoſſible, that our Superiours, that at once depoſed and ſilenced about 1800. Miniſters of Chriſt, when they ſee what Reaſons we have for our Non-conformity, may be moved to reſtore thoſe that yet ſurvive: And then how many thouſand ſouls would have the joy and benefit?
12. Laſtly, Truth and the juſt information of Poſterity, is a thing exceedingly deſirable to ingenuous minds: It is a great trouble to think that the Ages to come, ſhould be injured by falſe Hiſtory. Therefore we muſt do our beſt, that they may but truly know our Caſe; and then let them judge of the Perſons and Actions of this our Age, as they ſhall find Cauſe, when Truth is opened to-them.
Upon all theſe Reaſons, though to my own great labour, and to the greater contradiction of my natural love of ſilent quietneſs, and to the probable incurring of mens diſpleaſure, I take it to be my duty to give my Superlours, Neighbours and Poſterity, a true Account of the Reaſons which have moved my ſelf and others of my mind, to refuſe to Subſcribe and Swear to the preſent Engliſh Dioceſan Prelacy: Committing my Life and Liberty to the pleaſure of God, in obedience to whom I have both refuſed to Conform, and written theſe Reaſons of my Non-conformity.