Works of Hooker, Dedication 2
TO THE Most Reverend Father in GOD, my very good Lord, the Lord Archbishop of CANTERBURY his Grace, Primate and Metropolitan of all ENGLAND.
MOst Reverend in Christ, the long continued,The cause of Writing this General Discourse. and more then ordinary favor, which hither to your Grace hath been pleased to shew towards me, may justly claim at my hands some thankful acknowledgment thereof. In which consideration, as also for that I embrace willingly the ancient received course, and conveniency of that Discipline, which teacheth inferior Degrees and Orders in the Church of God, to submit their Writings to the same Authority, from which their allowable dealings whatsoever, in such affairs, must receive approbation, I nothing fear but that your accustomed clemency will take in good worth, the offer of these my simple and mean Labors, bestowed for the necessary justification of Laws heretofore made questionable, because, as I take it, they were not perfectly understood: For surely, I cannot finde any great cause of just complaint, that good Laws have so much been wanting unto us, as we to them. To seek Reformation of evil Laws, is a commendable endeavor; but for us the more necessary, is a speedy redress of our selves. We have on all sides lost much of our first fervency towards God; and therefore concerning our own degenerated ways, we have reason to exhort with St. Gregory, foreign, Let us return again unto that which we sometime were;Greg. Nat. but touching the exchange of Laws in Practice, with Laws in Device, which, they say, are better for the State of the Church, if they might take place, the farther we examine them, the greater cause we finde to conclude foreign, although we continue the same we are, the harm is not great. These fervent Reprehenders of things established by Publick Authority, are always confident and bold spirited men. But their confidence for the most part riseth from too much credit given to their own wits, for which cause they are seldom free from Error. The Errors which we seek to reform in this kinde of men, are such as both received at your own hands their first wound, and from that time to this present, have been proceeded in with that Moderation, which useth by Patience to suppress boldness, and to make them conquer that suffer. Wherein considering the nature and kinde of these Controversies, the dangerous sequels whereunto they were likely to grow, and how many ways we have been thereby taught Wisdom, I may boldly aver concerning the first, that as the weightiest conflicts the Church hath had, were those which touched the Head, the Person of our Savior Christ; and the next of importance, those questions which are at this day between us and the Church of Rome, about the Actions of the Body of the Church of God; so these which have lastly sprung up from Complements, Rites, and Ceremonies of Church Actions, are in truth, for the greatest part, such silly things, that very easiness doth make them hard to be disputed of in serious manner. Which also may seem to be the cause, why divers of the Reverend Prelacy, and other most judicious men, have especially bestowed their pains about the Matter of Jurisdiction. Notwithstanding, led by your Graces example, my self have thought it convenient to wade through the whole Cause, following that method which searcheth the Truth by the causes of Truth. Now if any marvel, how a thing in it self so weak, could import any great danger, they must consider not so much how small the spark is that flieth up, as how apt things about it, are to take fire. Bodies Politick being subject as much as Natural, to dissolution, by divers means; there are undoubtedly more estates overthrown through diseases, bred within themselves, then through violence from abroad; because our manner is always to cast a doubtful and a more suspicious eye towards that; over which we know we have least power: And therefore, the fear of External dangers, causeth forces at home to be the more united. It is to all sorts a kinde of Bridle, it maketh vertuous Mindes watchful, it holdeth contrary Dispositions in suspense, and it setteth those Wits on work in better things, which could be else imployed in worse; whereas on the other side, domestical Evils, for that we think we can master them at all times, are often permitted to run on forward, till it be too late to recal them. In the mean while, the Commonwealth is not onelyonly through unsoundness so far impaired, as those evils chance to prevail; but farther also, through opposition arising between the unsound parts and the sound, where each endeavoreth to draw evermore contrary ways, till destruction in the end, bring the whole to ruine.
To reckon up how many Causes there are, by force whereof Divisions may grow in a Commonwealth, is not here necessary. Such as rise from variety in Matter of Religion, are not onelyonly the farthest spred, because in Religion all men presume themselves interessed alike, but they are also for the most part, hotlier prosecuted and pursued then other strifes; for as much as coldness, which in other Contentions, may be thought to proceed from Moderation, is not in these so favorably construed. The part which in this present quarrel, striveth against the Current and Stream of Laws, was a long while nothing feared, the wisest contented not to call to minde how Errors have their effect, many times not proportioned to that little appearance of Reason, whereupon they would seem built, but rather to the vehement affection or fancy which is cast towards them, and proceedeth from other Causes. For there are divers Motives drawing men to favor mightily those Opinions, wherein their Perswasions are but weakly setled; and if the Passions of the Minde be strong, they easily sophisticate the Understanding, they make it apt to believe upon very slender warrant, and to imagine infallible Truth, where scarce any probable shew appeareth.
Thus were those poor seduced Creatures, Hacquet and his other two adherents, whom I can neither speak nor think of, but with much commisseration and pity. Thus were they trained by fair ways first, accompting their own extraordinary love to his Discipline, a token of Gods more then ordinary love towards them. From hence they grew to a strong conceit, that God which had moved them to love his Discipline, more then the common sort of men did, might have a purpose by their means to bring a wonderful work to pass, beyond all mens expectation; for the advancement of the Throne of Discipline by some Tragical Execution, with the particularities, whereof it was not safe for their Friends to be made acquainted; of whom, they did therefore but covertly demand, what they thought of extraordinary Motions of the Spirit in these days; and withal request to be commended unto God by their Prayers, whatsoever should be undertaken by Men of God, in meer Zeal to his Glory, and the good of his distressed Church. With this unusual and strange course they went on forward, till God, in whose heaviest worldly Judgments, I nothing doubt, but that there may lie hidden Mercy, gave them over their own Inventions, and left them made, in the end, an example for Head-strong and Inconsiderate Zeal, no less fearful then Achitophel, for Proud and Irreligious Wisdom. If a spark of Error have thus far prevailed, falling even where the Wood was green, and farthest off, to all mens thinking, from any inclination unto furious Attempts, must not the peril thereof, be greater in men whose mindes are of themselves as dry sewel, apt beforehand unto Tumults, Seditions, and Broyls? But by this we see in a Cause of Religion, to how desperate adventures, men will strain themselves for relief of their own part, having Law and Authority against them.
Furthermore, Let not any man think, that in such Divisions, either part can free it self from inconveniencies, sustained not onelyonly through a kinde of Truce; which Vertue on both sides, doth make with Vice, during War between Truth and Error; but also, in that there are hereby so fit occasions ministred for men to purchase to themselves welwillers by the colour, under which they oftentimes prosecute quarrels of Envy or Inveterate Malice, and especially, because Contentions were as yet never able to prevent two Evils: The one a mutual exchange of unseemly and unjust disgraces, offered by men, whose Tongues and Passions are out of rule; the other, a common hazard of both, to be made a prey by such as study how to work upon all Occurents, with most advantage in private. I deny not therefore, but that our Antagonists in these Controversies, may peradventure have met with some, not unlike to Ithacius, Sulp. Seve…. Epist. Hist. Eccles.who mightily bending himself by all means against the Heresie of Priscillian, (the hatred of which one Evil, was all the Vertue he had) became so wise in the end, That every man, careful of Vertuous Conversations, studious of Scripture, and given unto any abstinence in Diet, was set down in his Kalender of suspected Priscillianists, for whom it should be expedient to approve their soundness of Faith, by a more licencious and loose behavior. Such Proctors and Patrons the Truth might spare: Yet is not their grossness so intolerable, as on the contrary side, the scurrilous and more then Satyrical immodesty of Martinism; the first published Schedules whereof, being brought to the hands of a grave and a very Honorable Knight, with signification given, that the Book would refresh his spirits, he took it, saw what the Title was, read over an unsavory sentence or two, and delivered back the Libel with this Answer. I am sorry you are of the minde to be solaced with these sports, and sorrier you have herein thought mine affection to be like your own. But as these sores on all hands lie open, so the deepest wounds of the Church of God, have been more softly and closely given. It being perceived, that the Plot of Discipline did not onelyonly bend it self to reform Ceremonies, but seek farther to erect a popular authority of Elders, and to take away Episcopal Jurisdiction, together with all other Ornaments and means, whereby any difference or inequality is upheld in the Ecclesiastical Order; towards this destructive part, they have found many helping hands, divers although peradventure not willing to be yoked with Elderships, yet contented (for what intent God doth know) to uphold opposition against Bishops, not without greater hurt to the course of their whole proceedings in the business of God and Her Majesties service, then otherwise much more weighty Adversaries had been able by their own power to have brought to pass. Men are naturally better contented to have their commendable actions supprest, then the contrary much divulged. And because the Wits of the multitude are such, that many things they cannot lay hold on at once, but being possest with some notable either dislike or liking of any one thing whatsoever, sundry other in the mean time may escape them unperceived: Therefore if men desirous to have their Vertues noted, do in this respect grieve at the same of others, whose glory obscureth and darkness theirs, it cannot be chosen, but that when the ears of the people are thus continually beaten with exclamations against abuses in the Church; these tunes come always most acceptable to them, whose odious and corrupt dealings in secular affairs, both pass by that mean the more covertly; and whatsoever happen, do also the least feel that scourge of vulgar imputation, which notwithstanding they most deserve. All this considered, as behoveth, the sequel of duty on our part, is onelyonly that which our Lord and Saviour requireth, harmless Discretion, the wisdom of Serpents tempered with the innocent meekness of Doves: For this World will teach them wisdom, that have capacity to apprehend it. Our wisdom in this case must be such, as doth not propose to it self foreign our own particular, the partial and immoderate desire whereof, poysoneth wheresoever it taketh place: But the scope and mark which we are to aim at, is foreign the publick and common good of all; for the easier procurement whereof, our diligence must search out all helps and furtherances of direction, which Scriptures, Counsels, Fathers, Histories, the Laws and Practices of all Churches, the mutual Conference of all Mens Collections and Observations may afford: Our industry must even anatomize every Particle of that Body, which we are to uphold sound; and because, be it never so true which we teach the World to believe, yet if once their affections begin to be alienated, a small thing perswadeth them to change their opinions, it behoveth, that we vigilantly note and prevent by all means those evils, whereby the hearts of men are lost; which evils for the most part being personal, do arm in such sort the Adversaries of God and his Church against us, that if through our too much neglect and security the same should run on, soon might we feel our estate brought to those lamentable terms, whereof this hard and heavy sentence was by one of the Ancients uttered upon like occasions. Dolens dico, gemens denuncio, sacerdotium quod apud nos intus cecidit, foris diu stare non poterit. Leg. Carol. Mag. fol.421.But the gracious providence of Almighty God hath, I trust, put these Thorns of Contradiction in our sides, lest that should steal upon the Church in a slumber, which now, I doubt not, but through his assistance, may be turned away from us, bending thereunto our selves with constancy, constancy in labor to do all men good, constancy in Prayer unto God for all men; Her especially, whose sacred power matched with incomparable goodness of Nature, hath hitherto been Gods most happy instrument, by him miraculously kept for works of so miraculous preservation and safety unto others; that as, By the Sword of God and Gedeon, was sometime the cry of the people of Israel, so it might deservedly be at this day the joyful Song of innumerable multitudes, yea, the Emblem of some Estates and Dominions in the world, and (which must be eternally confest even with tears of thankfulness) the true Inscription, Stile, or Title of all Churches as yet standing within this Realm, By the goodness of Almighty God, Judg. 7.80.and his servant Elizabeth, we are… That God, who is able to make Mortality immortal, give her such future continuance as may be no less glorious unto all Posterity, then the days of Her Regiment past have been happy unto our selves; and for his most dear Anointeds sake, grant them all prosperity, whose Labors, Cares, and Counsels, unfeignedly are referred to Her endless welfare, through his unspeakable mercy, unto whom we all owe everlasting praise. In which desire I will here rest, humbly beseeching your Grace, to pardon my great boldness, and God to multiply his Blessings upon them that fear his Name.
Your Graces in all duty, RICHARD HOOKER.