The Great Mysteries of Godliness and Ungodliness, To the reader – Errata
A Monitory Epiſtle to the Reader.
Honeſt, but ſimple hearted Reader,
FOr thee principally is this work intended; It being a high act of Charity to be Legs unto the lame, and Eyes unto the blind I can't adventure to come in print with an apology. And therefore let me plead my excuſe. For the truth is, I thinke it is a ſault, that ſo much pay is ſpent, as now adaies, to ſo little purpoſe. For Scriblimus (we may ſay) indocti, &c. Every foole muſt be a foole in print, or elſe he is no body. And ſome folks will be tinckering, though they get others to ſtop the cracks both of ſenſe and Engliſh. And if I ſhould have bin forward to do ſo too (as well as ſome of my neighbours) who could (as the times are) quarrell with me? But I have ever been backward to this kinde of worke, as being loath to be one of the Company, I have been ſufficiently provokt (as my Country-men know) by a couple of Beagles of the tribe of Rahſhekah the railer: A lying Almanack-maker, and an Apoſtatiz'd Miniſter, who have appeared in print againſt me. But I was above them. And thought not them worthy of ſo much paines of the blotting of a ſheet of paper. I took (and do take) my ſelf as a traveller, that is limited to his time and buſineſſe. And ſuch a one muſt not make a ſtop, at the barking of every dog. But conſider, 'Tis then ature of the beaſt. And therefore rides on and anſwers them, with his horſes heeles. But now I confeſſe, I could forbeare no longer. Foole or Madman (what the world pleaſes) for I care not, and I can be content to be, or be eſteemed any thing for Chriſt) I am engaged. He who never ſpake in all his life, when he ſaw one comming to kill his Father, the ſtring of his tongue was looſed, and he brake ſilence, to prevent danger. There are a generation of men (if I may ſo call them) lately come quaking into our City, who in their mad and frantick fits, offer violence to God and Chriſt and Goſpel and all its ordinances. And who here could be …lent, that as a watchman who ſhould foreſee and forewarne of the danger? This was done, and is done by the reſt of my brethren here in their pulpit-labour with good ſucceſſe. And I (as well as they) might there have reſted. For I conceive not that we ſtand bound to be in print upon every occaſion. That which brought my backward ſpirit to this work was: The Lord was pleaſed (by the help of ſome friends) to bring to my hands a piece of the Anabaptiſts, which to me, made a cleare diſcovery of the myſterie of theſe ſeducers: And gave me more light of their deſignes, then others of my brethren (who have not ſeen that paper) had. In which perſwaſion I publikely made ſome diſcovery. And being convin'd, that it might be more uſefull (if more publike) I beggd of God to fix my reſolution to what might be moſt conducent to his glory. Being perſwaded never to have appeared to the world in this way, But by his overruling hand, I have here preſented to thee this diſcovery under the title of the myſterie of Ungodlineſſe. And becauſe thou ſhouldſt not onelyonly know the evill, to avoid it, but the good alſo to follow it. I have therefore laid before thee good and evill. The myſterie of Godlineſſe, and Ungodlineſſe both together. And its now thy duty (and yet it will be thy wiſdome) to improve advantages for thy eſtaliſhment. And to that end, Take a little adviſe: In reading the myſtery of Godlineſſe, take but paines to turne to the quotations of Scripture in the margin, and ſee how they prove the thing intended. Eſpecially doe ſo in ſuch truths as thou findeſt thy ſelf moſt affected with, or ſeeme moſt ſtrange unto thee (if any ſhould ſo ſeeme, which me-thinks ſhould not.) Chiefly, Any truth thou moſt takeſt notice of (under what conſideration ſo ever) tax and examine the proofes. This double benefit will ariſe. Firſt, The thing it ſelf will be more cleare. And Secondly, what thou receiveſt as a truth, will be received on a divine authority. And ſo thy faith ſhall not ſtand, or be built on man, who may deceive.) But on the un-erring word of God. The not obſerving this rule in reading mens writtings, is the maine ground of peoples inſtability: For this is ſure, What ever is imbrac't upon meere humane conſiderations: Upon the like conſiderations may be ſhaken off: He that believes a thing, barely becauſe ſuch a man (of whom he hath a good opinion, and that he will not lie) told him ſo, when another ſhall come (of whom he hath an higher and better perſwaſion and ſhall tell him the contrary, to what he had been perſwaded; his perſwaſion is ſtaggered if not altered. But now what is entertained and believed, upon his word, then whom, none is more true, more faithfull, theres a ſure foundation, a rock vnmoveable: And then know further. No truthe's thine own till thou art got up into the power of it. And that thou ſquare thy beliefe and life accordingly: The onelyonly way to be eſtabliſht againſt error and hereſie. As for the Myſterie of Ungodlineſſe, concerning it, I ſhall give thee directions, when thon commeſt unto it. It is meet the myſtery of Godlineſſe ſhould have the firſt place: that it might take the firſt poſſeſſion of thee; as a ſeaſon againſt the poyſons of hereſie and ungodlineſſe. And then the more full the diſcovery, the more thou wilt abhor and avoid it. This is the aime of my labour, which end if I ſhall attaine, I ſhall▪ rejoyce. In hope whereof, I commend my labours to thee; And thee and them to him, who a lone is able to make all profitable. Alwaies remaining▪
Thy faithfull friend in the ſervice of the Goſpel of that Jeſus Chriſt which dyed at Jeruſalem above ſixteen hundred years agoe. R A. FARMER.
ERRATA.
Reader,
I Am to beg thy favourable excuſe in regard of ſome errors in the printing. My deſire was, that the Title at the head of every page, ſhould have run thus, ſc. The great Myſterie of Godlineſs to the firſt part, which extends to page 18. And the Great Myſterie of Ungodlineſs, from thence to the end. The Title. (The great Myſterie of Godlineſs and Ungodlineſs) being intended only for the Title-Page. There are ſome other faults in not obſerving full ſtops. And new Sections, marginal notes, and quotations of Scriptures tranſpoſed and diſordered, in the firſt (The Myſterie of Godlineſs, which though they alter not the ſenſe in the body of the Diſcourſe; yet they hinder the advantage that might be made, by thoſe who would examine the quotations. This may poſſibly occaſion a new impreſſion of that part by it ſelfe, which is but little. And therefore in the mean time, need not much trouble thee. Some Errata which may alter the ſenſe, I have obſerved; which I intreat thee to correct with thy pen, ere thou read.
In the Epiſtle Dedicatory. Page 1. line laſt but one, r. Genius. p. 2. l. 14. r. a breath. p. 3. l. 9. r. But becauſe. l. 10. dele you. I excuſe my own miſnaming at the end my ſelf. Epiſtle to the Reader: P. 1. l. 5. r. without an Apology. l. 6. for pay r. paper. p. 2. l. 10. r. briefly. l. 11. r. try.
In the Book▪ Pa 1. l. 14. r. goodly. l. 19. for obſerve, r. ſubſerve. ib. for Miniſtry, r. Myſterie. p. 2. l. 8. dele if, l. 9. for tie, r. tree. l. 27. r. into. l. 33. after theſe words, perverſneſs of ſpirit, add, & proneneſs to all manner of evil. p. 3. l. 14. r. continue. p. 4. margin note at the bottom; for, of faith by nature, r. of both by nature p. 5. l. 17. dele the word, all. l. 35. dele fig. 1. ib. margin, r. ſhut up as in a priſon. p. 8. l. 9. r. when. p. 9. l. 23. dele to, & read, that he might break. p. 1. Mar. dele new ſect. p. 12. l. 15. for are three, r. three are. p. 13. l. 11. for inheris, r. enter. l. 27. for this, r. theſe. p. 14. l. 31. r. that though where. p. 15. l. 26. dele is. p. 16. l. 37. & exerciſes. p. 18. l. 10. r. freely. l. 13. r. differing. p. 2. l. 3r. They are? l. 21. for waders, r. Readers. l. 36. r. propoſed. l. 37. r. as their uſual. l. 39. for cry, r. ſay. p. 23. l. 6 for, for r. to. l 9. dele thou l. 10. dele the interrogative points, & read perceive them. l. 11. for ſuch, r. thing. l. 6. after old, add foundations. p. 24. l. …5. for powerful, r. wonderful. l. 36. for works, r. marks. l. 39. for within, r. which in. p. 30. l. 31. r. theſe. p. 32. l. 7. for this, r. h s. l. 29. r. give you in here. p. 34. l. 6. r. propoſes. p. 59. l. 9. for fleſh, r. flaſh. l. 22. dele yea. l. 26. r. naturally. p. 71. l. 11. for law, r. light. p. 76. l. 13. r. hypocritically. l. 24. for reading, r. pleading. p. 88. l. 35. for an unknown, r. one unclean.