Authority of Magistrates About Religion, Section 1
THE AUTHORITY OF THE MAGISTRATE, About RELIGION, DISCUSSED, In a Rebuke to the PREFACER of a late Book of Biſhop BRAMHALLS.
BEING A Confutation of that miſhapen Tenent, Of The Magistrates Authority over the Conſcience in the matters of Religion. And the better aſſerting of his Authority Eccleſiaſtical, by dividing aright between the uſe of his Sword about Religious Affairs, and Tenderneſs towards Mens Conſciences.
AND ALSO For Vindication of the grateful Receivers of His Majeſties late gracious Declaration, againſt his and others Aſperſions.
By J. H.
London, Printed for the Author. 1672.
The AUTHORITY of the MAGISTRATE about RELIGION Diſcuſſed.
SECT. 1.
I Have met in the Book-ſellers Shop with ſome Sheets of late, put out under the pretence of a Preface to another Book: but with the deſign of ſo much Malevolence, in the abuſe of one particular worthy perſon, that I am aſtoniſhed at the man, That ever one of parts and underſtanding, (though ſo young a Doctor as he is) ſhould be ſo forſaken of his Diſcretion, of Religion, of Morality, of Ingenuity, of the knowledg of himſelf, and all diſcernment of his duty, to God and to his Neighbour, as to ſuffer this Half Book of his now upon cold blood after ſo great a Whole one, which was enough to have rid anothers ſtomack if it had been a Stable, to look the World in the face, and his own Cheeks not be abaſhed. Alas, that the Talents of our Lord, and excellent parts which he hath given this man, ſhould become to him ſuch a temptation! Not a Novice (ſays the Apoſtle) leſt he fall into the condemnation of the Devil. Is it becauſe the young man perhaps is miſled, abuſed himſelf, and drawn in by ſome of eviller nature and more inveterate, that he can ſprinkle himſelf thus in gall, and delight his ſoul in ſuch an inſulting malice, petulant hatred, and an implacable diſpoſition? Can he indeed think and believe or any elſe for him, that this is what becomes a Chriſtian, and a Miniſter, to ſet himſelf for ſo many weeks as he hath been writing this, to the exerciſe of wrath, revenge, ſpite, uncharitableneſs, rancour, reviling, calumny, wrong, evil ſpeaking? Is this indeed the ſerving of God and going to Chappel? Alas, that the zeal of this Chaplain for the cauſe of the Church ſhould be ſhewn only in ſuch good works! Ego quando cuique vel dicendo vel ſcribendo reſpondeo (ſays St. Auſtin) etiam contumelioſis criminationibus laceſſitus, quantum mihi Dominus donat, fraenatis atque coercitis vanae indignationis acul…is, auditori lectorive conſulens, non ago ut efficiar homini convitiando Superior, ſed errorem convincendo ſalubrior. This is a paſſage it is like this youthful Divine never read, I am ſure he hath not yet practiſed, and it will be worthy his future obſervation. Contra litteras Petiliani, l. 3. c. 1. Shall I be ſorry now and mourn over the man for his ſin, which he hath ſinned againſt God, againſt all good men, and againſt his neighbour, and wiſh him with all earneſtneſs to repent of ſo great iniquity that he may be forgiven? If I do ſo, I am afraid it will do nothing. Shall I excuſe him as overtaken with paſſion, prejudice, haſt, precipitancy, unadviſedneſs, ſurprize? No, he will by all means be believed thus inſolent deliberately, with a compoſed mind, and upon choice. Shall I then commend his Chriſtian bravery, magnanimous charity, and pious adventure in his agreſſing of one perſon, and reproving another of ſo much eminency and ability which others are afraid to cope with, meerly out of tenderneſs of Conſcience, and great compaſſion to the ſouls of people, leaſt they ſhould be hurt by their eſteem and good name, and for no other reaſon in the World hath he done this. Why this is poſſible: But what meaneth then the bleating of the Sheep, and lowing of the Oxen that I hear? Is this the language or voice of a man ſo affected: on of a tongue which ſetteth on fire the courſe of nature, and is ſet on fire of Hell? What! is it then the pride, ſelf conceit, oſtentation, vanity, the arrogance of this young man, and infinite preſumption upon his voluble tongue and parts, which he can draw upon any body (and yet with a heart not malicious), that hath made him do thus, and …all upon this worthy perſon ſo unworthyly as he hath done? who being a reverend man, a Doctor of Divinity, of ſo much gravity, of long ſtanding, excelling in Learning, and all ſorts of it for his profeſſion, of Dignity in his time as much as any have been capable of, a perſon of not d…conſtant piety and a ſtudious life, of univerſal affability, ready preſence and diſcourſe, liberal graceful and courteous demeanour, that ſpeak him certainly (whatſoever he be elſe) one that is more a Gentleman then moſt in the Clergy, and is accordingly favoured ſometimes with his Princes converſe, and the general veneration of the people: And for ſuch a man to be treated after this barbarous proſtituted manner, with ſo horrid inſolent a diſdain and contempt, as if he were the vileſt Caitiffe, and ſon of Belial, with the like expreſſions, it is ſuch a monſtrous piece of immorality in the thing it ſelf, a villainy to Religion, and indignity to humane nature, a breaking the hedge of what is Sacred, laying open the incloſures of all modeſty and civility in making the worthy common and level with the infamous, to the affront of the whole Nation, while every man in Juſtice is bound to defend his neighbour from injury (ſo far as he can) as well as do him none, that we all me thinks ſhould be ready to riſe up as one man to the rebuke of ſuch a crime, and go with our deſires to the King and to the Councel, that the young man be made an example. It is my juſt indignation at the fact onelyonly makes me uſe this vehemence in my expreſſion, but my meaning is, that he be brought to publick pennance and recantation. And then ſhall all the people hear and fear, and none ſhall do any more ſo preſumptuouſly:
For the appearance of ſome method to his Preface, this Author tells us at the beginning that he intends two things: To ſay ſomething of the Treatiſe: and ſomething of the ſeaſonableneſs of it. As for me, I have nothing to ſay of either of theſe, they require it not. Only I perceive that is not paſt four of five leaves, but himſelf hath done with theſe two particulars as inſignificant to ſpend more time upon, and then there is fourty more for him to ramble in about the matter of his former Books, and one new matter he hath ſtarted, and againſt Doctor Owen; which indeed is the Helena that hath given life to this publication. Well! I have no more to ſay to him about that Doctor: only I have one thing to offer in the way to the Doctor about him, and it ſhall be that adviſe out of Auguſtine: Si non aurem ſolum percutit iracundia criminantis, verum etiam conſcientiam mordet veritas criminis, quid mihi prodeſt ſi me continuis landibus totus Mundus attollat? Ita nec malam conſcientiam ſanat praeconium Laudantis: nec bonam vulnerat convitiantis opprobrium. Cont. lit. Pet. l. 3. c. 7. For the Treatiſe it ſelf likewiſe of the Biſhop, I leave it to one who is able if he ſee it good to examine it. Whatſoever the Book be, or the perſon who ſeemeth to be ſomewhat, it maketh no matter to me, and perhaps as little to Mr. B. I meddle not with it. But two things in good earneſt there are in this Preface of general concern, which I muſt take notice of, for the one will be worthy of our time, and the other I will not quite ſlide over.