The Vindication of Liturgies Proved No Vindication, Introduction
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ENSUING DISCOURSE, Offered to every Intelligent and Pious Reader.
Good Reader,
I. THou haſt found me ſo unhandſomly Repreſented in a Book of Dr. Falkners, which he calleth, A Vindication of Liturgies: To which I have here returned an Anſwer, that I cannot but judge it reaſonable, that I ſhould introduce thee into my following Diſcourſe, with a Character of my ſelf I had my time of Childhood and Vanity as well as others, and, perhaps, did my ſelf once think, that there was no ſuch Service of God as by Forms of Prayer. But ſince I began to write Man, ſince I underſtood any thing of Communion with God, ſince I entred into the Miniſtry, (which is now Thirty four Years) I have ſeen what I judged reaſon to be of another mind. My whole Miniſtry hath been ordinarily exerciſed in one and the ſame place, where my Converſation hath been expoſed to a ſufficient view. As the time of my appearing to the World will clear me from having Concerns in the late Wars, from having any thing to do in preſſ…ng the Covenant, or the Ejecting, Silencing and Impriſoning Men for the refuſal of it. So it is enough to tell you, that I never came near an Army, nor ever ſaw the face of Oliver Lord Protector, nor ever had the leaſt Preferment from him, or Concernment with him. I was always a man of a very open and free Converſe, and have had the honour of an Acquaintance and Converſe with the moſt Learned men of the Epiſcopal, Presbyterian, or Congregational Perſuaſions, in the place where I lived, and elſewhere in ſome degrees. Tros Tyriuſque mihi, &c. Where I ſaw Learning and Sobriety, I never made a difference, thinking, That the Kingdom of God lay not in theſe things. I have had many opportunities, as to men of an Epiſcopal Judgment, to do them ſignal Kindneſſes or Injuries; of the former I did many, of the latter none, to any one Learned and Sober Man. I always thought England was ſhort enough of them for its Miniſterial Uſes, ſo as we ſhould not make a particular Perſuaſion an occaſion to render them uſeleſs. In the late Times I conſtantly pleaded the cauſe of any Miniſter in queſtion, if he were queſtion'd only for uſing the Common-Prayer, not for any fundamental Error, nor for any Debauchery in his Life. I muſt confeſs I always thought a Sottiſh Miniſter was the vileſt of men, and never had an heart to plead one of their Cauſes, though I think there is not one of them can ſay I did them further injury, than by leaving them to plead for themſelves. This freedom of Converſe I kept till His Majeſties Reſtauration, and ſeveral Years after, until I ſaw that ſome (as I judged at leaſt) ſhunned my Company, and I never yet wanted enough ſo far as to tempt me to be an Intruder upon any. How little I was concerned in any Publick Affairs will appear from this, That (if I remember right) from 1646, when I entred the Miniſtry, till 1653, I never but once ſaw London, nor I think twice more betwixt that and 1659. I much kept home, and could hardly be a month from my People, but my Conſcience was ready to ask me, in the words of Eliab, With whom haſt thou left thoſe few ſheep in thy truſt?
II. Upon the coming out of the Act of Uniformity, I was concerned (with Two thouſand Miniſters more) to examine whether no more were by it required of me, than I might without ſinning againſt God do? I ſaw ſo many things made neceſſary to the keeping of my ſtation, that I ſuſpected what I found, and more too, viz. That it was by ſome contrived to throw out of the Publick Miniſtry a ſort of men, and all of them who were poſſeſſed of my Principles in Doctrine; and though it would not do as to all, yet it did as to a very great part, even all thoſe who though they believed the ſame things with many that did conform in points of Doctrine, yet had ſome ſtricter Notions as to Worſhip. I was afterwards the more confirmed in this, from a Reverend Miniſter, (now I doubt not but with God, who lived and dyed a Conformiſt) who told me, that in diſcourſe with a Brother of his, a Member in that Parliament, and lamenting to him the Turning out of ſo many Miniſters, and putting ſo many terms upon Miniſters, as they could not but know would Turn out the greater part of Miniſters ſo and ſo principled as to Doctrine, &c. He told him, It was their deſign to do it. It is very like he did not ſpeak the Senſe of the Houſe of Commons, of which he was a Member, but of many he doubtleſs did; That for thoſe of Puritan Principles, (as they call'd them) Jehu might ſlay ſuch as eſcaped the Sword of Hazael, and Eliſha thoſe that did eſcape the Sword of Jehu. But when I came more narrowly to look into the Things required, I diſcourſed with Divines (and thoſe who were moſt Learned) of the Epiſcopal Perſuaſion, I offered my Arguments, heard their Anſwers; I read the generality of Books wrote on all ſides, but upon the whole judged, that o… eight or nine things required, I could not judge three, or not above three, in any degree lawful. I reſolved to lay down my Publick Miniſtry; but being ſet apart to the Miniſtry, having ſolemmly promiſed not to take away my hand from that Plough, I could not then think my ſelf diſcharged from it… further than in Publick Temples, (places in Superiors diſpoſal.) Amongſt other things, I was then fully poſſeſt of the Unlawfulneſs of performing Miniſterial Acts in Prayer, by the preſcribed Forms of others. Three or four of thoſe Arguments, truly I think I may ſay all but one of them, were my Arguments 1662. and then freely diſcourſed with divers of my own Brethren, and ſeveral Learned men (ſome of whom are dead, ſome yet alive) at this time, and the Heads of them by me were drawn up in writing, and the moſt conſiderable Inlargements, as to the proof of them. From that time, till 1673, they lay by me; ſome little before that, all knew at what a rude rare all Nonconformiſts were treated in ſeveral Books, as the verieſt Dunces in the world, men that oppoſed themſelves to Authority meerly out of Stubbornneſs, judging the things lawful, being able to give no Reaſons for their Nonconformity, Men fit for Gallies, Priſons, &c. This made me review what I had Eleven Years before drawn up for my own private uſe, with ſome Additions, and particularly Anſwers to ſome Arguments which in that time I had met with, and Dr. Falkner's Book coming at that time out, I could not baulk what he had ſaid. Whoſoever readeth what I wrote, will be my Compurgator, that I did not give any a Preſumption, that I thought my Cauſe weak, by any uncivil treating of the Doctor. I ſaw he was a man of ſome Learning, that he had read many Authors; nor had I ever heard an ill word of him as to Sobriety of Life, or Warping in Doctrine. I treated him with that Civility which I thought became me, meerly anſwering his pretended Reaſon and Arguments. I did indeed ſee, that the making good the Notion I was fully poſſeſs'd of, would make any further anſwer to his Libertas Eccleſiaſtica needleſs, and am very much for the Rule of Fruſtra fit per plura, &c.
III. But though I quickly concluded this ſinful to me, to perform my Miniſterial Acts in Prayer, by the preſcribed Forms of others, yet I never intended to trouble others with my Notion, till I was challenged to it, by the worlds being told, We had nothing to ſay for our ſelves. I never that I remember preached it in one Sermon, I never affirmed it ſinful for People to join with others that uſe Forms, (though, by the way, I do not think that People in the worſhip of God may lawfully do whatſoever they judge juſt lawful, if they be commanded to do it) I was a little tender my ſelf as to Total Separation. This hath made me from the Year 1662, not decline hearing Miniſters that uſed it, nor (as occaſion offer'd) receiving the Sacrament with ſober Miniſters, and a ſober People, though the Miniſter uſed the Liturgy in doing of it, although withal neither have I refuſed to hear others, and receive it with them too as I had occaſion; nor, I think, ſhall I be deter'd from it, by the Scare-crow-word Separation. I fear not ſeparating from any, with whom I am but morally perſuaded by Arguments which I cannot anſwer, that I cannot join, without ſeparating from the Will of God, and further I will ſeparate from no Chriſtians in the world. This, Reader, is known, to as many as know me by any ocular obſervation of my Converſe.
IV. Further than this, my Nature diſpoſeth me to ſuch a Benignity, as I am Enemy to none but ſuch as are open Enemies to the Glory of God, or led by their Luſts and Paſſions to Acts diſturbing Humane Societies. Upon the firſt account, I always thought Atheiſts, open Blaſphemers, profeſſed publick Idolaters, were to be puniſhed by the Judge with the ſevereſt puniſhments. Profane Swearers and Curſers, and Violation of the Sabbath, with proportionable puniſhments; and thoſe who detected ſuch, did a good action. Yet as to theſe, I never thought an Inquiſition might be ſet up, nor an Oath Ex Officio, adminiſtred, to make them to accuſe themſelves. Nor as to Idolatry, did I ever think that the Magiſtrate ought to puniſh any thing but Open Profeſſion of it, or Seduction to it. Upon which account, until this late Plot convinced me, that nothing would ſerve the Papiſts leſs than the whole Government; and that to get it, they thought Aſſaſſinations, Poyſoning, Lying, For ſwearing, any thing lawful, I never heard of a Papiſt puniſhed, whom I did not pity. For the latter, I diſcerned God ſo great a Lover of Humane Society, that all the Precepts of the Second Table are apparently calculated for the preſervation of it, as I could not but abhor thoſe who without a juſt and apparent cauſe, made any attempt upon the quiet of it. Upon this account, I never was a Companion of any of theſe, but in my heart abhorred them: But for Errors, which had nothing of theſe in them, I could always give an allowance to them, always judging that I was not Infallible; and there was the ſame diſtance from my Neighbor to me, as from me to him. Though I always thought, that a particular Church might, as to its own Communion, judge of ſuch perſons, yet I never thought the Magiſtrate concern'd to burn Houſes, impriſon any, becauſe ſome Church-men made an Outcry againſt them as Hereticks, Schiſmaticks; or that an whole City muſt be put into Arms, (as in Madrid and Lisbon) becauſe there is a Cry made for the Holy Houſe. And amongſt all the Enemies of Humane Society, and indeed Mankind, I always thought ſome of the worſt, and leaſt able to give account of their actions either to God or Men, who purſue others to any ſignal Suffering, becauſe they differed from them in ſome Opinions, which could neither be accuſed with Blaſphemy, Atheiſm, Idolatry, or any apparent prophanation of the Name of God, or apparent diſturbance of the Peace and Civil Government under which they lived.
V. Theſe being my Principles, this my ſteady practice, (Reader) one would have thought I might have paſſed the few remaining days of my Pilgrimage, without the ſtrife, or dirt of Tongues, or without (at leaſt) any conſiderable Suffering; but it hath not been my lot: yea, poſſibly, I have met with more than others who have been in greater oppoſition to ſome Gentlemen of the preſent Age, which puts me in mind of what a great Church-man, not long ſince, ſaid to a Reverend and very worthy Friend of mine, (rather of further latitude than my ſelf, and pleading it to him againſt a moſt unreaſonable moleſtation) I know you can and do go far, we muſt make you go further; or words to that ſenſe: which is a little temptation to me, to ſuſpect I have gone too far: And brings to my mind, what an Eminent Perſon (ſince dead) ſaid to me almoſt Thirty Years ſince, (being a Young man at that time, and adviſing with him about a compliance in ſome things with thoſe who then Ruled, deſiring to ſtrengthen my ſelf with his Reaſons, he would give me but two:)
Firſt, I know (ſaith he) they will fall, and I will not willingly fall with them.
Secondly, I am ſaith he) reſolved not to go two Miles with them, and therefore I will not go one. This latter is applicable in our Caſe, I ſee thoſe who go one Mile, muſt voluntarily go another, or be cudgelled. But, I thank God, I have moved on better Principles, and ſuch as I hope, will relieve me, though I be cudgelled for not going further.
VI. But though I had not met with the kindneſs I expected from others, yet one would have thought I might have expected it from Dr. Falkner, (a perſon whom I never ſaw, and of whom, when I wrote that Book, I never had had any but Reverend and worthy thoughts) to whom, in that Diſcourſe, and the Supplement to it, I had not given the leaſt unworthy or diminutive word; but whether I have met with it or no, Reader be thou Judge. He takes all imaginable advantages (and moſtly without any juſt cauſe) to make me to appear a Dunce as to Chronology, Critical Learning, any true Exerciſe of Reaſon, a moſt irreverent perſon to Superiors, a Calumniator, a Devil, and this, for ſaying we have many ignorant, ſottiſh, and lazy Miniſters) an Enemy to the Church, a Separatiſt; and this he is as confident of, as if he had a Revelation about it. Now I am as confident of the contrary) and who hath made him more infallible than his Neighbor, who, poſſible, is neither inferior to him in age, n… in the time of his miniſtration in ſacred things? though, it may be, he is not ſo verſed in Juſtinian's Code, or in Rabanus Maurus, &c.
VII. I hope, Reader, this will excuſe me to thee, for not Complementing him with the Title of Reverend Brother any more. I perceive though he once thanks me for my civil treating him, yet another time he is angry, and thinks it was for nothing but to cully him into a Juſtification of Separation. Alas! it was never in my thoughts; I deſire no other Patronage of it than my own Conſcience, beſides what I confidently expect from one Higher than him. If I have in this Reply reflected more ſharply upon him, he hath found out my excuſe from St. Paul's dealing with Peter, Gal. 2.11. and from zeal and love for the Truth.
VIII. I ſhall not introduce thee into my Book, with telling thee the Vindicators Book had nothing in it, of any great weight; Falſe and Erroneous Aſſertions, that undermine the Exerciſe of Religion, and the Peace and Welfare of the Church; a ſtrange undertaking that it hath in it unaccountable Poſitions. Theſe ſhould be the Concluſions of Books, not the Beginnings; and the putting them in Epiſtles, and Introductions, is but a ſetting the Cart before the Horſe. I ſhall leave the Reader to read what hath been ſaid by him, and is replied by me, and then judge of his Ergo as thou pleaſeſt, or ſeeſt Reaſon.
IX. Only to make thy Labor as ſhort as I can, I have conſidered the Principles in which we ſeem really to differ, (for in all Controverſies, the buſineſs lies in a little room) There are ſome Original Principles wherein the difference lies, which till they be known and agreed, the difference will never be truly underſtood or healed.