Evangelical Repentance Unto Salvation, Dedication 2
To the moſt Reverend, THE EPISCOPACY OF THE Church of ENGLAND.
I Do not arrogate to my ſelf (Moſt Reverend in our Lord) in Preſenting to your Hands this following Diſcourſe, to offer you any thing but what you have before receiv'd from the moſt Excellent Maſter, and Teacher, the Holy Spirit, in the Scriptures, and Word of God; Given by the Great High Prieſt, and Apoſtle of our Profeſſion, that One Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd, and Biſhop of our Souls, Chriſt Jeſus; and what you your ſelves have often, I have greateſt Reaſon to hope, and believe, Diſcours'd, with cleareſt Evidence to the Underſtandings, and Convictions upon the Conſciences of them, that heard you.
This notwithſtanding I have very great Reaſons, for making this Humbleſt Offerture to you.
1. That by diſcourſing and arguing a point ſo acknowledgly Great, ſo Fundamental and Eſſential, not only to Chriſtianity, but to Natural Religion, and all Morality: If it ſhall be acceptable to you, as I cannot but truſt it will, becauſe it is ſo agreeable to Scripture; I may reconcile my ſelf to your more, not only Favourable, but Deep Conſideration in ſo great Points of the ſure Word of Prophecy, as I have heretofore preſented to you; and have made ſome Reference unto, in this very Doctrine of Repentance, as moſt Connatural to it.
For though I know there is a Difference between ſuch a plain, and unconteſtable Truth of Scripture, as Repentance is; and what lies in the darker Folds and Plaits of Scripture, in the Hieroglyphick Figures, and Prophetical Numbers of it; and it may ſeem therefore impoſſible, or highly improbable, that I eſpecially ſhould attain the Certainty of the Words of Truth, to anſwer and apologize the Words of Truth, in the great dependencies of Prophecy, to them that ſend to me for them.
But, as it is well urged againſt the enemies of the Natural Religion, as well as Revealed; that though there cannot be Mathematical Demonſtration of thoſe Great Truths, as of Euclid's Propoſitions; yet there may be as Convictive Proofs, in their kind, and as ſatisfactory to true Underſtanding: Even ſo I affirm, that the Prophetick Images, and Numbers, if they are attently eyed, and compared, may be as certainly Aſſur'd; and Intellectual enquiries even ſatiated with the evidence of them; Though they are not under ſuch Proofs, as the plain Doctrines and Precepts of Scripture, yet by ſuch a Probation, as is moſt proper to them, they are certain in their kind: As the proof of ſo plain a point in its kind, as Repentance is, is as certain in its kind, as the proof of Natural Religion, in its Kind; which is as certain, as a Mathematick Propoſition, in its kind: So ſure is Prophecy: In the Goodneſs of our Creator, and Mediator; in giving, and ſuſtaining our Faculties in the true uſe of themſelves; ſo ſure are each of theſe; and each of them, in their kind, as ſure the one, as the other; even the Word of Prophecy, ſure as any.
For as I have often ſaid, even theſe Enigmatical parts of Scripture, are moſt certainly, as will be eaſily allowed, infallibly true in their own ſenſe: They are therefore to be underſtood; For ſo is all Truth: They are Revealed; and therefore it is intended by God, they ſhould be underſtood. If to be underſtood, they may be known, they are truly underſtood, by the Conſciouſneſs to ones ſelf of the evidence of thoſe Critierions, and Marks of Truth, moſt Connatural to them; that All Parts anſwer one to another; that they anſwer to what muſt be moſt apparently the main Scope and Intention of the whole; and that Hiſtorical Matter of Fact anſwers all along; which makes all certain; As he that hath a Key to a Cyphar, or to Hiſtory in Picture or Emblem, may be aſſur'd he hath it, when he Finds all agree, one part with another; and the whole with what was reaſonable to be expected, and ſuppoſed to be the Deſign.
And if any one ſhould ſay, Why ſhould this be Revealed to me ſo unworthy; ſo little prepared with all the Advantages of Learning and Books.
I do moſt humbly Acknowledg the Dint of this Prejudice; and can only Anſwer, as I have done foreign: So it pleaſed him, and to humble me to loweſt Abaſement (However I moſt humbly Confeſs wholly by my own ſin, and guilt) as in a ſolitary Patmos for it; And I cannot but hope, now I look upon my Teſtimony as near Finiſhed, and that things are juſt now upon their Complement, he may be pleas'd alſo to Diſconfine me when his Witneſſes are ſo near, Comming out of their Sackcloth, and that I ſhall in their Riſing, riſe out of this Civil Death: But not my will, but his will be done.
I have therefore, I ſay, upon the whole, preſented this Diſcourſe, as upon one Reaſon; that by it you may look upon my other Treatiſes, as not the Performances of a Fanatick or Phantaſtick; or one that would foreign but foreign. Much leſs, foreign, or what is Written, but to ſpeak forth the words of Soberneſs and Truth, as well in the one, as the other.
2. That from the Conjunction of the one part with the other, the Prophetick with the Doctrinal, you may be, (as however I Hope; and am Perſwaded you are) more excited, and may move more Vigorouſly and Zealouſly in the Promoting National Repentance and Reformation; as I have alſo in the Inferences of the diſcourſe, preſs'd; ſeeing therein is moſt certainly the greateſt Magnification of your National Office, or Epiſcopacy; that as having greateſt nearneſs to the Affairs, and Perſons, that are at the Top; and who, as Springs, move what is below them; you do therein foreign miniſter in Offering them up to God; For not Worldly Grandieur, nor any of the Cathedralities of your State, nor an Animal or Senſitive, (however not Senſual) Hoſpitality will ſuſtain you; but this is the beſt Account that can be given of ſuch a Pre-eminence; when it is indeed of National Superiority in an Elijah Like Fervor, and Influence for National Reformation; ſeeing it is certain in an Union in true Religion; a National Epiſcopacy Devoted to its true ends, tho in it ſelf but Civil, may be ſerviceable to National Godlineſs.
Hereon I have ſet my Foot in this Dedication to you, and Acknowledgment of you; that if you are indeed for, and with God in your Pre-lations; you will be Bleſſed, not only with Good Wiſhes, and Endeavours, but with happy Succeſſes; not only in Word, but in Power, in ſuch your Character and Station. For all Wiſe and Good Mens Eyes are now upon you, to know not your Names or Titles, or Speech, but your Power in Holy Influences upon the Nation from you.
But the very want of Bleſſing from Heaven and Succeſs therein, and to find that National Vices, and Irreligion ſurmount your Sphere, and grow up above it to Heaven, is reaſon for great Humiliation, and even Jealouſy over your Conſtitution; tho without your guilt.
But this will bear you in ſo great a Revolution, ſo near, as I declare to you. For even as that Building, call'd Pauls, that is riſing ſo Sumptuous, e're it climb to its top, ſhall only ſtand, if it can be any way Serviceable in that Kingdom's Succeſſion ſo nigh; ſo it may be ſupported; elſe its goodly Stones and Building will not, at leaſt, to ſuch an uſe, as Cathedral only, be one Stone left upon another, with how magnificent a Zeal ſoever it be carried on: It is begun too late to ſuch a purpoſe, if it be ſo intended: Even ſo a National Epiſcopacy ſuffering the Loſs of all that is but Hay and Stubble in it, as by Fire, may yet be Sav'd, or Continue in its National Preſidency, if it can be found as ſuch, Serviceable for Offering up whole Nations more ſpeedily to God, and Chriſt; elſe it will vaniſh away as Froth, and empty Bubbles; For let us all be ſure, the Kingdom of God is coming upon us, which is not Word but Power; Although therefore, you do not ſmite the men-ſervants, or Maid-ſervants, or eat and drink with the Drunken; Yet I humbly beſeech you to take heed, that as Wiſe, and good Stewards ſet over the Houſhold, you give diligently that portion of Meat in due Seaſon, all the moſt efficacious Perſwaſions, and Influences for Repentance, and even National Reformation.
And herein what can be ſo mighty to perſwade, as if with United Applications to it, You would ſearch, and encourage all that do ſearch, and hold out that ſure Word of Prophecy; that hath ſhone ſo long, and yet ſhines in the Dark place of this Apoſtacy, till the very day dawn, and the day Star ariſe; Becauſe I moſt Humbly Aſſure you in the Name of the Great Maſter of the Family, he will no longer delay his Coming, but he is very near at hand. I hope Providence hath Introduced you to ſuch a purpoſe; and as I humbly hope, this Doctrine of Repentance is preſented to your Hands, together with ſo many Diſcourſes, that the Kingdom of Heaven is nigh at Hand; that upon that very Conſideration you may be moſt Zealous in it: So I earneſtly Pray, you may be Bleſſed in your Lord finding you ſo doing: Verily, I ſay unto you, he ſhall make you greater Rulers in a truly Evangelical Senſe, than now you are: And as to the black and dark ſide I make no mention of it; becauſe I am perſwaded better things of you, and ſuch as Accompany the Salvation, and Glory of that Kingdom.
Herein I am Your moſt Humble and Affectionate Orator, T. BEVERLEY.