The Spiritual Nature of God and His Worship, Title page – Dedication
A Brief TREATISE ABOUT THE Spiritual Nature OF GOD AND OF HIS WORSHIP.
By Edw. Bagſhaw, Student of Ch. Ch.
LONDON, Printed for C. G. Anno, 1662.
A Prefatory EPISTLE Dedicated to the Right Honourable The EARL of ANGLESEY. One of his Majeſties moſt Honourable PRIVY COUNCEL.
RIGHT HONOURABLE.
THoſe who owe great ſums of Money, and withal have any thank-ful eſteem for the civility and kindneſs of their Creditours, do ſeldom come to ask any longer time of forbearance, but they bring a Preſent in their hands, not ſo much in part of payment, as to give a Teſt and Evidence of their Gratitude, and to ſhew how willing they are to deſerve a Favour. Thus, my Lord, I having now ſome moneths been indebted to your Lordſhip, for a Work of another Nature, and by thoſe many Intervenient Buſineſſes (which this Town is but too full of, and which as I could not prevent, ſo your Lordſhip was not willing I ſhould decline them) foreſeeing that I ſhal not preſently be in a capacity of ſatisfying my own Deſires, which ſhall alwayes be commenſurate to my Obedience unto Your Lordſhips Commands; I made haſt therefore, together with my requeſt for ſome longer time, to bring along with me this ſmall Offering, not onelyonly as part of the Tribute Iowe, but likewiſe to prevent all ſiniſter ſuſpitions, as if, while I omited to do that which your Lordſhip principally enjoyned, I had altogether idled away my time, and done juſt nothing at all; which, beſides the ſin of it to my ſelf, would be too unhandſome a return of your Lordſhips Nobleneſſe, in affording me ſo full convenience and opportunities of ſtudie.
And though ſome of thoſe things I have writ, ſince this Engagement was upon me, may ſeem to be Caſual and undeſigned in their Choice, yet I muſt humbly leave it to your Lordſhips Judgement (whoſe thorough knowledge of that Controverſie makes you the fitteſt perſon to decide it) to reſolve, whether my late Treatiſe about Hereſies, and this about the Spirituality of Gods Nature & Worſhip, were not antecedently neceſsary to be publiſhed, before I proceeded to meddle with the Popes Infallibility; which, as your Lordſhip hath often moſt judiciouſly obſerved, is the Atlas and Principal Column to ſupport all that Babyloniſh Building; and could it but once be removed out of the way (which ſure is no great Maſtery, in a thing that is ſo Airy and ſo defenceleſſe) all that is built upon it, would, for want of a Foundation, tumble down to the Ground. And this employment, of laying my Ax to the Root of that Tree, your Lordſhip, who could have done it much better, was pleaſed long ſince to lay upon me, and thereby (that you might be free to ſerve the Publick) denyed your ſelf that Honour, which, in ſo famous and concerning a Cauſe, Your Lordſhips own more able and learned Pen would have juſtly gained you.
But how impatient and eager ſoever I was to perform this Task, and thereby give your Lordſhip a ſuddain Proof of my obedience, yet I had not waded far into it, but preſently my edge was taken off; for the Arguments I met with to maintain that Opinion, were ſo very Weak and Fallacious; there was ſo large a train of Non ſequitur's, and ſuch a ſeries of Impoſſible Suppoſitions, that I grew quickly tired, not ſo much with the length and difficulty of the Journey, as with the Noyſom Dirt and meer Tediouſneſs of the Way: And I immediately took it for granted, that none of thoſe Authors I read, did believe the Popes Infallibility themſelves, ſince they took ſo little pains to convince others. And here, my Lord, for want of finding ſomething that might deſerve a Scholar-like confutation, I have ſtuck ever ſince, and though my Papers wanted but one day to perfect them, yet the Abſurdities I oppoſe, are ſo groſſe and open, and the Conqueſt ſo very eaſie, that I am almoſt aſhamed of my victory, and therefore have not yet been at the pains to compleat it.
Whileſt I did thus delay to perfect my Firſt Deſign, I thought Writers of Controverſies ought to do, like Generals of Armies; before they ſit down before the Capital City, they ſummon in every petty Gariſon, which might either impede their March, or prove a Retreat for the vanquiſhed Enemy: So before the Main Queſtion in any Controverſie be handled, every Objection that lies perdue in the way, muſt be anſwered, that ſo thoſe ſtumbling-blocks being removed, we may have a better proſpect into the Strength or Weakneſs of any Point, as it ſtands by it ſelf, without the Enterfering of thoſe Additional Appendixes. In this, the Kingdome of Chriſt and Antichriſt agree, that to the Deſtruction of the one, as well as to the Eſtabliſhing of the other, the way muſt be firſt prepared and levelled, and before their Fort of Infallibility be taken, all the ſnares they ſcatter in the way, all their Miſts and undermining Polices, all their Ambushes and little Hiding-places, and laſtly every thing, which may render the Victory inſecure and hazzardous muſt be diſcovered and prevented.
Since then the Papiſts do commonly uſe two Masks, under which they cover their Dark and Diviliſh Doctrine; the one of a terrible and frightful appearance, (which is their vehement urging the great Inconveniences that follow ſeparation from them; in which the multiplicity of Heriſies is moſt Tragically inſiſted on: And for which our Church is ſtill reproached by them as Schiſmatical) The other of a more benign and pleaſing Aſpect; which is the outward gaudery, & curious dreſſe of their Religion, wherewith that Spiritual Whore attires her ſelf, and ſtrongly faſcinates her unwary beholders. In oppoſition to the firſt, before I had the honour to attend your Lordſhip, I pleaded for Chriſtian Liberty, in the juſt extent and latitude of it; I have already ſhewed that thoſe ill conſequences ſo much talked of, do not flow from Liberty, (which no Rational, much, leſſe Spiritual agent can be without) but from the abuſe of it; which if it breaks out into Civil or Moral miſdemeanors, the Civil Laws ought to puniſh, unto which our Outward Man is ſubject; but if it terminate and reſt in ſpeculative errors, which may otherwiſe be called Hereſies, ſuch Tares ought to grow together with the Wheat; for an un anſwerable reaſon, which Chriſt hath given, though Antichriſt approves it not, for fear the rooting up of them by violence, ſhould prove the Deſtruction of the good Corn alſo; for ſince every Heretick, thinks his own Opinion to be true; if he finds nothing uſed to ſuppreſſe him, but ſuch force, as no Scripture doth countenance; what will hinder him, when he gains Power, from uſing Legem Talionis, and endeavouring the ſame violent waies of ſuppreſſing diſſenters? and then it will be in vain to plead for Liberty, which by appearing firſt in perſecution of Hereticks, we denied to others. And this, my Lord, is the ſumme of what I have lately publiſhed, and dedicated to your Noble Kinſman, who is moſt Dear to your Lordſhip, Sir J.V.not more by the nearneſſe of his Relation unto your Excellent Lady, then by his Reſemblance and Imitation of the ſame Vertuous and Noble Qualities. Ʋnto whoſe indeavours on my behalf, I have me thinks made but too faint a return, ſince by his means I have been made partaker of one of the greateſt Temporal Happineſſes I could ambition, and that is an acquaintance with, and a Perſonall Relation to your Lordſhip and Family; in which who ever fails of living virtuouſly, must fall inexcuſably by his own Fault, ſince he is every day taught the contrary, and that by Eminent and Illuſtrious Examples.
As for that other Maske of a Glittering and Pompous Worſhip, which makes the Romane Religion ſo taking with Vulgar and Injudicious Obſervers; and by which their eyes are ſo dazzled, that they are unwilling to admit of any thing, which may undeceive them; I did conceive nothing could better take them off from doting upon that Painted Carcaſſe of Devotion, then to make a diſcourſe ahout the Inward purity of Goſpel-worſhip, which depends upon and flows from the conſideration of Gods Spiritual Nature; which were it but once thoroughly underſtood, men would preſently ſpurne and trample upon all that Deviſed and Fantaſtick Beauty of the Romiſh Dagon; and when true worſhippers felt, how much the Splendor of ſervice, which feeds the eye, is ſhort of the Spirituality of it, which ſatisfies the ſoul; they would no longer feed upon Huskes, or let their ſenſes lead them in the choiſe of their Religion. Since it may be found by experience that Thretrical Pomp, Delightful Aires, Weltuned Oriſons and the loud Inſignificant Jargon of Latine Payers, do only glut and ſate the appetite, but leave the Underſtanding unfruitful; like Rich and Poinant ſawces, they gratifie the Fleſh, but periſh with the Uſing, and after all the Immoderate care about them, their end must be to be caſt out into the Draught.
I have therefore in this ſhort Treatiſe endeavoured to raiſe the Soul, that it might underſtand the True Height of Religious Worſhip, by fixing an intent eye upon the Author of it, which may be of great Ʋſe in this Age we live in, as equally oppoſing the Bold Atheiſme of ſome, and the mean-ſpirited Superſtition of others; and becauſe I entend it as an Introduction unto my following Diſcourſe againſt the Pope and Church of Romes Infallibility, I humbly begg your Lordſhip's acceptance of it, which is the only way to make both It and the Author Conſiderable. Since, to omit your Lordſhip's other Excellencies, even in this very part of Learning (which argues a great and univerſal inſight) of Accurate and cloſe writing as well as ſpeaking, your Lordſhip hath gained ſuch a General and Deſerved Eſteem, that if this piece doth paſs into the World, under the Countenance of your Lordſhips Approbation, it will be a ſufficient paſs-port, without any other Recommendation.
But I ſhall forbear to urge, what, though it may become me to ſpeak, becauſe I ſpeak knowingly, yet your Lordſhip may be unwilling to hear, ſince you care not for living in the Aire of your own praiſe; I ſhall conclude therefore, with deſiring that your Lordship may be long preſerved to do, what you have alwaies hitherto done, things truly great and Noble; that while others begin to ſcorn Religion, you may ſtill go on to practice the Truth and ſtricktneſs of it; That with Your Honourable and Virtuous Lady and Family, You may shine in the brighteſt Sphere of Honour here, and of Happineſs hereafter, this is and ſhall be the Conſtant Prayer of
Drury-Lane Feb. 15. 1661. My Lord Your Lordſhips moſt Obliged and moſt Obedient Servant and Chaplain Edw. Bagſhaw.