The Hard Way to Heaven, Title page – To the reader
THE Hard way to HEAVEN: Explained and applyed in A SERMON Intended to be preached at Peters-Cornhill: but by Reaſon of the diſorderly Concourſe preached at St. Katherines Creed-Church London: the 27th of July 1662. being the third day after his releaſe.
By Z. CROFTON Miniſter at Buttolphs-Algate.
Taken as (Preached) in Characters compared with his own Notes providentially loſt and brought to our hands. Now publiſhed to check and correct the miſrepreſentation thereof by the Sons of ſlander and Subjects of weakneſs.
LONDON, Printed in the Year, 1662.
To the Reader.
Good Reader,
THe untrue and direct contrary reports of this Sermon, and its Authour, extort the publication thereof. Mr. Crofton will not do it, he contenteth himſelf in the conſcience of his integrity, and accounts it an eaſie thing to be judged of men; yea of good men; his good name is the Churches advantage, and ought to be preſerved and defended againſt the calumnies of the wicked, and cenſures of the weak, who wound not him without, more deeply wounding their own ſouls.
I having written this Sermon from his mouth in ſhorthand, and (by his Notes loſt by his Son, and by Providence directed to my hand) having ſupplyed what time and the diſorder of the audience cauſed him to pretermit: I thought it my duty to hazard the diſcontent of my friend and Paſtour, and to preſent thee with the ſame, that by unprejudiced reading thou mayeſt be undeceived, edified, and enabled to contradict the clamours of the ſons of ſlander, and check the cenſure of the over-credulous ſubjects of weakneſs, though not of Sanctity. Recantation is moſt ſtrangely expected from him who never yet was charged, or by argumentation was convinced of an errour, on whom no terms or conditions for obtainment of Liberty was once impoſed, or ſo much as propoſed by any perſon whatſover, whoſe non-conformity was fully, freely, and (to the honour of the honourable Perſons before whom he was convened) acceptably declared, and the occaſion, yea formality of which is no other then a conſciencious practice, and profeſſion of principles he ever ſtated in his late conteſts for Reformation.
I wonder to finde ſome ſerious Chriſtians ſcandalized at Mr. Crofton's attendance on Gods ſolemn publick worſhip, celebrated according to the order of the Common Prayer Book, and to hear men cenſure him for the ſame, as if defective and an apoſtate from the cauſe of Reformation; in which he appeared with ſo much vi…our; I muſt tell the Reader, ſuch as ſate under his miniſtry cannot but know and witneſs he ever adjudged againſt ſeparation in his moſt earneſt perſwading or endeavours for reformation, he alway diſſwaded non-communion of members, as non-conformity of Miniſters, and did conſtantly and convincingly affirm, that miniſterial diſorder and corrupt appendents in Gods worſhip was not a ſufficient cauſe of perſonal abſence or non-attendents on the ſame, he ever concluded guilt on the Church Collective by theſe diſorders and corruptions, which did not ſtain individuals looking to their own perſonal actings in their neceſſary attendance on Gods Ordinance: Verily we muſt ſay Mr. Crofton in priſon did only practice what he preached whilſt at liberty.
Such was Mr. Croftons care and condition in his late conteſts for reformation, not to be eſteemed an Advocate for ſeparation, or an approver of non-communion (much leſſe a Martyr for them) that in his late writing he profeſſeth his judgement and reſolution againſt them.
In his Analepſis, or St. Peters bonds abiding, thou haſt him thus profeſſing, I proteſt whatſoever ſhall be the eſtabliſhment in the Church, though never ſo corrupt, whilſt conſiſtent with ſalvation, though it may occaſion to me ſufferings, and the ſuſpence of my miniſtry; by Gods grace it ſhall not effect in me, or ſuch on whom I have influence, Schiſme from the Church.
In his Analepſis Anaelephthe, or the faſtning of St. Peters bonds, he avoweth, this reformation cannot juſtifie the ſeparation, for that the corruptions eſtabliſhed were never made ſuch eſſential parts of worſhip, as to make a ſufficient ground for ſeparation. The ſober, zealous Non-conformiſts, who groaned under the burden of theſe corruptions, and for this reformation, were grieved by, and greatly contended againſt the ſeparation, as that which was without ſufficient ground, yea like Jeſus Chriſt their Maſter, they kept communion with a Church, whoſe doctrine and worſhip was in much need of reformation, yea, and they taught men ſo to do.
And in his Epiſtle to Mr. Firmius Liturgical Conſiderator Conſidered, in which he apologiſeth for Miniſters not reading (not for members not learning) the Common Prayer Book; he tells us expreſly his judgement and reſolution in theſe expreſs words. I am ſo much affected to the peace of the Church that I have of late preached what God aſsiſting, I reſolve to practiſe: viz. many and great corruptions in Gods worſhip are to be grieved for patiently, and groaned under, before Schiſmes be conſented unto, and ſeparation conſulted, provided nevertheleſs, I be paſsive not active: I can keep communion under that form of worſhip, whereby I cannot adminiſter and heartily ſay Amen to the matter of thoſe Petitians which are put up in an order ſo confuſed, prepoſterous, and indigeſted, that it ſeemeth to me to be ſo much below the gravity of the Church, whoſe mouth I muſt be, the ſeriouſneſs of the office whereby I miniſter, the ſanctity of the duty I am to perform, and the ſacred nature of the object to whom they are preſented, that I dare not ſtand between God and his people in the ſame.
Let theſe paſſages and the like in his late writings be obſerved, as the beſt of his Judgement and Conſcience, and let malice it ſelf read in his practiſe the leaſt contradiction to his Cauſe or Principles, or defection from the ſame, or not read with half an eye an exact conformity to himſelf, and clear obedience to his judgement, in a non-conforming communion.
Good Reader be pleaſed to obſerve, that Mr. Crofton's attendance on the ſolemn worſhip of God in the Tower, and in the Common Prayer Book order, is ſo far from being the reſult of his reſtraint, and effect of temptation, or any condition in order to his releaſe, that his judgement was ever for it: He never did conceive that Order (though to be corrected) a moral ſufficient bar to this duty; and therefore the very firſt day he came in priſoner, he did deſire of the Lieutenant the liberty of going to Church, and not obtaining it, he did demand it the next day from his Gaoler; he did many times petition for the ſame, and ſollicited the obtainment thereof many months before he did obtain it: nay I muſt further acquaint thee; it is now neer upon a compleat year ſince Mr. Crofton, it being rumored that he went to the Church in the Tower, and he heard Common Prayer, did write a full Apology and defence of his practice (which was then but in the view) in that caſe; this Apology paſſed through my hands to many good people and Miniſters, who would not undertake to convince the ſame of error, though they continued to ſcandalize him and his practice, and hindered the publication of the ſame.
Theſe things I note unto thee Reader, that thou mayeſt ſee Mr. Crofton's practice in this caſe is not new or raſh, but reſolved and deliberate, and is ſo far from defection from, that it is an upright walking according to his apprehenſions of the Goſpel. Howſoever I could, I will not now dilate in defence of his principles and practice, nor break out to a large and ſharp invective againſt the licentiouſneſs of the tongues, and the lying ſpirits of ſeeming Saints ſo notoriouſly extravagant againſt a perſon ſo innocent and upright, and therefore expoſed to the violence and rage of men on both extreams of Reformation; for hereby I know I ſhould incenſe him, whoſe diſpleaſure will be great for doing this, which I could not in peace have left undone.
Let me aſſure thee, Mr. Crofton's judgement is in Eccleſiaſticks the very ſame it was before his confinement; he then could not now cannot conform; he then could, now can communicate, and give an Amen to the matter of Prayers, whoſe order his judgement muſt and doth condemn: He was then, is now zealous for reformation, and againſt ſeparation: He then reſolved, and now reſolveth, to ſeek Church purity by union with the Church, and to abide in the houſe; he endeavoureth to cleanſe, to bring his offerings unto the Lord, when that his ſoul doth loath them by reaſon of the prophane hands and prepoſterous order, in which the ſons of Eli do preſent them.
I know it to be his burden to obſerve the baſt…rd brood of non-communicating ſeparating Sects, taken … vagrants, and whipt home to their reputed parents, to lie at the door and …rk under the wings of reforming non-Conformi…, who did ever diſown them, and drive them out as not theirs, but deſtructive to their honeſt deſign. I know Mr. Crofton to be zealous leaſt the policy of ſome, and weakneſs of others ſhould ſo far embrace thoſe, as to make ſpectators think them their natural Children. I know Mr. Crofton is ſenſible many are foreign to him in negatives, againſt prophaneſs, againſt ſuperſtition, againſt corruption, againſt diſorder; but are his foreign in poſitives for no order, for no communion, for no Church. I am ſure Mr. Crofton hath ſadly reſented that ſcandal under which Non-conformity groans, and is made odious, viz. It is a ſpirit of contradiction againſt every thing, but for nothing. Mr. Crofton well knoweth thoſe who clamour againſt his communion, make Church entity, not Church purity, their quarrell and controverſie: He hath obſerved their Church gathering commenced and proceeded under the endeavours of Reformation, and unto the ſupplanting and ſubverſion thereof. Mr. Crofton is convinced, that Chriſts true Church, though corrupt, and Chriſts own Ordinances, though diſorderly adminiſtred, are to be embraced, adheared unto, and attended, when the flocks of Chriſts companions are to be avoided. I am confident Mr. Crofton is reſolved to follow his Lord when come from the flock to thethreſhold of the Temple, but he dareth not go before him. Reader, if this be an error, help Mr. Crofton to conviction, and then thou mayeſt hear his recantation; in the mean time joyn with me in prayer, that God will give repentance to the men who have called good evil, and evil good, and uncharitably repreſented a conſciencious practice, of well conſidered, openly declared, deliberately reſolved principles, to be an apoſtacie, defection, recantation, back-ſliding, baſe complying, and conformity.
The Lord encreaſe the number of ſuch Apoſtates, who will by preaching, writing, and practiſe, under the reproach and rage of all men, ſhew their endeavours of reformation, in that ſtrait gate and narrow way of careful, induſtrious, non-conforming communion with the Church in Chriſts Ordinances, between thoſe rocks which on each hand work its ruine: This is the hearty deſire and prayer of,
Auguſt 9. 1662. Thine in and for the ſimplicity of the Goſpel. H. M.