Concerning Things Indifferent in Religious Worship Part 1, Title page – To the reader
THE GREAT QUESTION CONCERNING THINGS INDIFFERENT IN Religious VVorship, Briefly ſtated; And tendered to the Conſideration of all Sober and Impartial men.
The Second Edition.
Chillingworth Praef. §. 34.
Not Proteſtants for rejecting, but the Church of Rome for Impoſing upon the Faith of Chriſtians, Doctrines unwritten and unneceſſary, and for diſturbing the Churches Peace, and dividing Unity in ſuch matters, is in an High degree preſumptuous and Schiſmatical.
LONDON, Printed in the Year, 1660.
The Publiſher of this Treatiſe TO THE Chriſtian and Candid READER.
THough Opinions ſhould be weighed, not by the Reputation of the Authors which deliver, but by the ſtrength of the Arguments which defend them; yet it is too uſual with unobſerving Readers, to ſlight the Argument for the Author's ſake; and to conſider, not ſo much what is ſaid, as, who it is that ſayes it. Which being the common Fate of moſt Diſcourſes, ſuch eſpecially as do at all meddle with that excellent, but too much abuſed Notion of Chriſtian Religion, do moſt expoſe the Writers to Cenſure: The moſt obvious Character that is faſtned upon them being, that they are Men either of Looſe, or elſe of Factious Principles: and ſo being diſcredited, before they are read; their Books, how ſober ſoever, do not remove, but only ſettle and fix the Preconceived Prejudice; as in diſeaſed ſtomacks, every thing they take turns to nouriſh and to increaſe the Humor.
That this is like to be the Fortune of this ſmall Treatiſe, I have reaſon to expect; and therefore I have ſuffered it to run abroad in the world without a Name, like one of thoſe foreign, Pliny mentions; as if it were Born of it ſelf, and begotten without a Parent. That ſo thoſe few Readers it may meet with, may only faſten upon the Faults of the Diſcourſe it ſelf, without diverting themſelves unto that Question, wh…ch all Times, as well as Sauls, (2 Sam. 10.12.) have malice enough to make a Proverb of, But who is their Father? Yet Christian Reader, that it may appear only with its own Faults, and have no aggravating ſuſpicions upon it, from any miſtake of the Author's Deſigne or Humour, I have adventured to give thee this Account of Him.
Firſt, That He is a ſtrict Aſſertour of the Doctrine of the Church of England, as it is contained in the 39. Articles; and for that which is the Prime Branch of Diſcipline, viz. Epiſcopacy, or the Subordination between Biſhops and P…esbyters; he doth own it to be of Apoſtolicall Inſtitution; that is, as he underſtands it, Jure Divino. At leaſt he thinks himſelf able to ſpeak as much for the Order of Biſhops in the Church, as any can for the Baptizing of Infants, for the Change of the Sabbath, or for any thing elſe, which hath no particular Divine Precept, but only Primitive Practice and Example to warrant it. And therefore in Conformity to this Principle of His, when the Biſhops were ſunk loweſt, not only for Pomp, but likewiſe for Reputation; and when no temptation either of Profit or Convenience, but rather the contrary, could work upon him; He then choſe to be Ordained a Presbyter by one of th…m: which is a greater Argument of his Reality and Stedfaſtneſſe in Judgement, than moſt of thoſe, who now ſignalize themſelves by Distinctive Habits, can pretend to; ſince ſuch may reaſonably be preſumed to wear them, either becauſe they are the Faſhion, or elſe the way to Preferment.
Secondly, This I muſt ſay likewiſe, that none is more ſatisfied with the Preſent Government, or hath a more Loyall and Affectionate Eſteem for his Majeſties Perſon and Prudence, than this Writer: and therefore in ſtead of declaiming againſt, or too rigid reenforcing our Old Rites, fitted only for the Infancy of the Church (theſe being as it were its ſwadling-clouts, and at the beſt do but ſhow its Minority) he doth heartily wiſh that all Parties would agree to referre the whole Cauſe of Ceremonies to his Majeſties ſingle Deciſion: from whoſe unwearied endeavours in Procuring firſt, and afterwards in paſsing ſo full an Amneſty of all our Civill Diſcords, we need not doubt but we may obtaine, that theſe Apples of Eccleſiaſtical Contention may be removed out of the way. Which are ſo very Trifles, that they would vaniſh of themſelves, but that ſome mens Pride, others want of Merit, make them ſo ſollicitous to continue them; leaſt if thoſe little Things were once taken away, they ſhould want ſomething whereby to make themſelves Remarkeable.
Laſtly, He doth profeſs yet further, that as to himſelf, he needs not that Liberty, which here he pleads for: ſince, though for the Preſent he doth make uſe of that Indulgence, which his Majeſty ha…h been pleaſed to allow unto Tender Conſciences, i. To all Rationall and Sober Chriſtians: (the continuance of which, he dares not ſo much wrong his Majeſties Goodneſs, as once to queſtion) yet ſhould his Majeſty be prevailed upon for ſome Reaſon of State, to enjoyn Outward Conformity; this Writer is reſolved, by the help of God, either to ſubmit with Chearfullneſs, or elſe to ſuffer with ſilence. For as there is an Active Diſobedience, viz. to Reſiſt, which is a Practice he abhorres; ſo there is a Paſſive Diſobedience, and that is to Repine, which he can by no meanes approve off. Since whatever He cannot Conſcienciouſly do, he thinks himſelf obliged to ſuffer for, with as much Joy, and with as little Reluctance, as if any other Act of Obedience was called for from him.
Having ſaid this concerning the Authour, I need not ſpeak much concerning the Argument; but only this, that it was not written out of Vanity or Oſtentation of Wit; but as a Queſtion, in which he is really unſatisfied; and therefore thought himſelf bound to impart his Doubts: which having done to many in Diſcourſe, with little ſucceſſe or fatisfaction; he hath now Communicated them to the World, hoping they may light into ſuch mens hands, who may be prevailed upon, if not to alter the Judgement, yet at leaſt to moderate the Paſsion of ſome, who would put out our Eyes, becauſe we cannot ſee with their Spectacles; and who have placed Ceremonies about Religion, a little too truely as a Fence: for they ſerve to keep out all others from their Communion. All therefore which this Treatiſe aims at, is briefly to prove this, — That none is to Hedge up the Way to Heaven; or by ſcattering Thornes and Punctilioes in it, to make Chriſtianity more Cumberſome, Tedious and Difficult, than Chriſt hath left it. That is in ſhort, That none can Impoſe, what our Saviour in his Infinite Wiſdome did not think Neceſſary, and therefore left Free.
Farewell.