The Good Old Way, To the reader 2
To the Reader.
BEing over entreated to Preface ſomething to this Peece, I crave a little patience, whileſt I ſpeak a little both to the Worke and Workman; In the Work, there is, 1. The Matter, 2. the Frame or compoſure conſiderable, the ſubject matter is Repentance, and thats a thing, which will never be out of ſeaſon, till ſin, which never is in ſeaſon, be out of mens hearts and lives. Some men (indeed) have thought (in temptation only I hope) this a worke (for ſome at leaſt in theſe daies) too legall, and below their Goſpel priviledges, but if it be rightly stated and underſtood, it will be found a Goſpell both duty and priviledge beyond the mercy of Law, and never more ſeaſonable then in times of Grace Act. 17. 30, much preſſed by the Lord of Preachers and his forerunners, by his Apoſtles, and their ſucceſſors down to our Authors time, who frequented no one doctrine or duty more. For the forme and manner of handling this Theme, we referre thereunto, his method, his ſtile or phraſe. In the firſt, we muſt allow a latitude to him, to others, according to each mans gift and genius, ſo long as curioſity and confuſion be avoided, and the capacity of the hearer conſidered. Much I know is written about the Method of Preaching, and it muſt be granted, that nothing contributes more to the memory both of the ſpeaker and hearer, then method doth: Howheit, the rule holds that the greateſt art is to diſſemble art, and that Preacher who ſtudies himſelf and his people moſt, uſually ſpeaks moſt to the heart, and to edification; a Workman may fetch his ſtuffe from anothers ſhop, but if he will make the ſuit fit, he muſt apply himſelfe to the party concerned, and take meaſure of him; I mean this, a Teacher muſt fetch all his materials from the word, but his application from the Auditory, and herein this good man was his crafts maſter.
Nor will his Method (I am confident) be quarrelled by any true Artiſt, he begins with a deſcription of the Term, of the Thing, and that done, he caſts it into the parts, vindicating them from falſe gloſſes and miſtakes, and reſtoring them to their proper ſenſe; and the way thus cleared, he bears down all before him with ſtrength of argument and application, wherein lies the life of this, of any Sermon.
For his Phraſe, thats ſuited to the times wherein he lived, and to the matter that lies before him, and whilſt 'tis ſo, it was not needfull, either to alter a tearme unleſſe it were ſuper annuated, or to adde a word, unleſſe it were to make up a gappe where the Coppy ſeemed defective: It is confeſſed on all hands (his perſecutors not gainſaying it) that the Author was (in thoſe times) a maſter of ſpeech, Marc. 4.33 Lumen orationis perſpicuitas.but he had learned of his Maſter, not to ſpeak what he could ſpeake, but what his hearers could heare, he knew that clearnes of ſpeech was the excellency of ſpeech and therefore reſolved with a good Orator to ſpeak beneath himſelfe, Aug. who would call a bone oſſum to avoid the ambiguity in os. in Pſal. 138. ſecundum Aug.rather then above his Auditory, and with the nurſe to ſpeake broken words rather then obſcure and doubtfull, otherwiſe, his eloquence was confeſſedly great, that is, Native, Maſculine, Modeſt, in one, Heavenly, for if you marke him, he ſavours and breaths nothing but Heaven, yea, he ſparkles, thunders, lightens, pierces the ſoft, breaks only the ſtony heart.
The bleſſing of God hath been ſignally eminent upon this land in her Preachers, I had almoſt ſaid beyond all lands ſince the Reformation, the Lord make us ſenſible of it, & really thankefull for it to the encouragement of all ſuch. Amongſt theſe, I have in my time met with foure mighty men upon this very argument, now all with God, for I forbeare to inſtance in the living, the men are, John Bradford, John Udall, Arthur Dent, Dan. Dyke, and (if I might be pardoned for for comparing dead men, which I doe not practice towards the living) I ſhould think that as Mr Bradford is before them all in time, ſo not behinde any one of them in this way of Preaching he was of a moſt ſweet, humble, and melting ſpirit, who (I know not how) will be in a mans boſome ere he be aware, and willingly winne him from himſelfe to Chriſt. Many years are now paſt ſince I firſt read this Tract, and it is not to be ſtranged if ſtill I affect it, tis the firſt Printed Sermon that affected me to purpoſe, and I were to blame, if I ſhould be unwilling to carve and convey it to others, which whileſt I doe, it is not to be expected, that I ſhould engage either for or againſt every punctilio in it, he ſhall ſhew little ingenuity and leſſe Charity, who cannot look upon ſuch a Brother diſſenting in ſome opinion or expreſſion, without ſome abatement of affection or reſpect. It was the frequent profeſſion of my ever honoured Predeceſſor, where I ſee moſt of Chriſt, there will I love moſt, whether the party be of my opinion or of a different judgement, ſo he, ſo I, but of the Work enough; ſhall I ſpeak a little of the Workman? This bleſſed Martyr, who beautiſied his ſufferings with his meekneſſe & humility, was (doubtles) one of a thouſand, whether a better Preacher or Scholler, is to me a great queſtion, after his converſion, his whole life was a continued Sermon of Repentance, in his addreſſes to the Ʋniverſity, to the Citty, to his Country men and kinſmen, he Preacht Repentance, he liv'd Repentance, and in his laſt farewell to this land, he breathed out his laſt thus: O England, England Repent Repent of thy ſins.
I am much aſhamed, when I read his workes and life penned by many, and cannot without ſad reflections upon my ſelfe, conſider how farre our meanes, helps, opportunities are beyond his times, and how infinitely I, to cenſure none but my ſelfe, fall ſhort of him in the practice of godlineſſe and power of exhortation. Truly if Luthers three engredients, 1. Prayer, 2. Meditation, 3. Temptation, make up either Preacher or Chriſtian, you may find them all in him, who was a man of prayer, of meditation, of temptations, as his workes ſpeak him, and they found him, who have made uſe of him, in their temptations and deſertions: The man who moſt (in my mind) reſembled him in Preaching, conference, prayer, temptation, every way, was the man whoſe ſociety I ſometimes enjoyed: this bleſſed man, now with Chriſt, hath often told me, that he himſelfe (whoſe ability and dexterity in ſetling and ſatisfying troubled ſpirits was certainly great) hath been at one time, ſo overwhelmed with temptations, and at another, ſo becalmed into a flatneſſe and liſtleſnes of ſpirit, that he hath been enforced to adopt M. Bradfords meditations, ejaculations, and expreſſions, & to ſpread them before God as his own, upon this account, becauſe M. Bradford had in his writings (as he thought) repreſented his caſe, ſaid more for him, and done his errand better then he could for himſelfe. This paſſage I the rather publiſh, (becauſe upon this occaſion) I would ſtir up men of parts and experience to impart their experiences and ſufficiencies in this kind whilſt they live, as little knowing how many drooping and deſponding ſoules their ſurviving workes may helpe, when themſelves ſleep in the duſt. It is a thing that long ſince I bewailed, that ſo little is this way done by able, Orthodox, experienced Caſuiſts, but they who (for ought appeares) know leaſt of the myſtery of godlineſſe, and methods of Sotan, undertake the worke. I doe not meane ſuch as Gerſon, Pariſienſis, Saváorola, &c. who ſpeake as if they had met with ſomething of God in their lives and conſciences; but certaine Jeſuits and Canoniſts, who reſolve all into a blind, and (upon the matter) an humane credence, and ſhew more wit then grace; as 'twas once ſaid of a Rabbin in their reſolves. There be not (I believe) more able men for caſe divinity and all practicalls in the World, then in this Nation, would they apply themſelves accordingly, ſome yet living, have given undeniable proofes of their ability in this errand, I forbeare to name them, becauſe I would decline the ſuſpicion of flattery, I may more freely ſpeak of our Greenhams, Dods, Perkins, Ameſes, Baineſes, as alſo of our Randals, Boltons, Bals, &c. who are now out of hearing, but not out of memory; Oh that others behind them in time, but not in abilities, would take up the worke where they left, and carry it on, at leaſt, that that brother, who owes ſo much to God for temptations, and can ſay (out of his obſervations) ſo much for God in the caſe of temptation and deſertion, would at laſt perfect his Tract of Temptations ſo happily begun.Mr R. Ca. of Tentat.
But I have made the Porch too wide, I conclude where I began, with humble (and when I ſay humble I ſay all) Mr Bradford, I have had ſome other Workes of his, but Warre hath Plun. dred me of many Books. This peece, a godly Brother (who is never weary of doing good) hath recovered out of the duſt, and once more made publique, under God, thank him (Reader) if thou be the better for it, and better thou maiſt be, if thou wilt lay downe pride and prejudice, and take this up in humility, and with purpoſe of amendment, read it, think on it, pray for a bleſſing, and if thou findeſt little at firſt, read againe, pray againe, apply againe, and I miſſe my aime, if thou doſt not meet with more at laſt, then, it ſeemed to promiſe at firſt. I commend both it and thee to the bleſſing of the Great God, and having anſwered the importunity of my friend in ſaying thus much, I reſt
Thine in Chriſt R. H.