A Retraction, Title page – To the reader
THE RETRACTATION OF Mr. Charles Chancy formerly Miniſter of Ware in HARFORDSHIRE.
Wherein is proved the unlawfulneſſe and danger of Rayling in Altars or Communion Tables, Written with his own hand before his going to New England, in the yeer, 1637.
Publiſhed by his own direction for the ſatisfaction of all ſuch who either are, or juſtly might bee offended with his ſcandalous ſubmiſſion, made before the High Commiſſion Court Feb. 11. Anno, 1635.
London, Printed 1641.
Courteous Reader,
IT was wont to bee received as a true ſaying, De minimis non curat lex, the Law cares not for ſmall matters; which indeed is true of mens laws, for they are intended onelyonly to puniſh greater offences, ſuch as doe violate publike peace and overthrow ſocieties: but divine Law proceeds to the very leaſt iota and apex, and puniſhes our fayling in any one point or circumſtance. Iames 2. 10. Yea, if we ſhall obſerve the Devills wiles and methods, we ſhall find that the Devill ſeldome aſſaults any Chriſtian inlightned, with great ſinns, ſuch as waſte the conſcience and all the World cryes ſhame of at the firſt daſh, but hee begins inſenſibly with leſſer ſinnes, to make way for greater, he tries the ſpirits of men firſt with ſlighter temptations, hee makes them firſt to ſwallow gnats, to make way for Camells afterwards, till they put no difference betweene ſinne and ſinne, but grow to be paſt feeling, and to commit all manner of uncleanes with greedines. And moſt true is that of our Saviour, Luke 16. 10. Hee that is faithfull in the leaſt, is faithfull alſo in much, he that is unjuſt in the leaſt, is unjuſt alſo in much: hee that willingly takes liberty to himſelfe to adventure upon the leaſt violation of Gods righteous Law, will without all doubt upon a greater temptation, make bold with any daring ſinne.
The conſideration whereof hath made mee to weigh a little the railing about the Communion Table, ſo violently preſſed and ſtrictly injoyned over all the Land in theſe latter times: For indeed in common eſtimation this ſeemes to bee a very ſmall matter, and very many wonder why any Chriſtian ſhould make any ſcruple of it, or trouble himſelfe about it in theſe times, wherein groſſe idolatry & image-worſhip is openly practiſed, the morality of the Lords day is contradicted and prophaned, and many new-fangled complements, and meerely humane, that I ſay not diabolicall inventions in Gods worſhip are urged and impoſed. But all theſe have been happily oppoſed, & witneſſed againſt by others, both godly, judicious, and learned, whereas the rail about the Communion Table is ſlighted & waved of all ſorts, that notwithſtāding do greatly ſcruple thoſe, & ſtumble at thoſe greater ſtūbling blocks. But let Chriſtians wiſely conſider with what eagerneſſe this addition of rails hath bin inforced, and Communicants every where preſſed to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper at the rail, and no where elſe. Indeed what I ſpeake in this kind is out of wofull experience, for I have ſuffered my ſelfe heavy things, waſted my eſtate two whole yeers together in the high Commiſſion Court, and at the laſt was ſentenced to be ſuſpended from my Miniſtery, to beare the charges of the ſuit commenced by Sir Thomas Fanſhaw of Ware Parke and Maſter Iſaacke Craven the preſent Vicar of Ware againſt me, for ſome words ſpoken by me againſt the raile there ſet up (though but in a private houſe) yea I was cenſured alſo to make a recantation and baſe ſubmiſſion in the Court for the words ſpoken by me, and the Lord hath beene pleaſed to leave mee, to try me, to know what was in my heart, and I have baſely and wickedly yeelded to their impoſitions; I will not plead the greatneſſe of my temptations by which I have been overcome, but do humbly crave pardon of God and man (whoſoever have beene offended by me) and upon the Lords opening of mine eyes, and raiſing me up, yea and ſanctifying this my great fall, I have thought it my duty, to enquire into this myſtery of iniquity, to rake this dunghill, and to lay open to the view of the World the wickedneſſe incloſed in, and couched under this innovation of the raile, deſiring the LORD that my fall may be ſanctified both to my ſelfe, to heale that and other ſinnes in me, and to others, that they may not ſtumble at the ſame ſtumbling block of iniquity; ſo I ſhall leave what is here ſaid to thy ſerious conſideration, and thy ſelfe to the ſimplicity that is in Ieſus Chriſt.
A wel-wiſher to thy Soul, Charles Chauncy.