The Axe Laid to the Root of Separation, Title page – Dedication
THE AXE LAID to the ROOT OF Separation: OR, THE Churches Cauſe Againſt It.
By the Author who wrote in the late Times for Free Admiſſion to the Lord's Supper.
So thoſe Servants went out into the High-ways, and gathered together as many as they found, both Good and Bad; and the Wedding was furniſhed with Gueſts, Matth. 22.10.
LONDON, Printed by John Leake, for the Author, MDCLXXXV.
TO THE MOST REVEREND, The Preſent ARCH-BISHOP OF CANTERBƲRY.
May it pleaſe Your Grace,
I Do not Dedicate this Book to You for any Intereſt I have In You, or for any Preferment I ſeek From You; who may ſay as the Woman, with whom the Prophet ſojourned; I have nothing to be ſpoken for to the King; I dwell among my own People; being One that Conform Not as a Miniſter, but go to Church as a Pariſhioner, and Study to be quiet: But I lay theſe Sheets at the Feet of the Church, by Handing them to Your Grace, in regard to the Orb You are placed in, and in reſpect to the Subject I have undertaken.
I do likewiſe Preſent it to Your Grace, as One (I underſtand) that do Love, and will Find a Time to Read, notwithſtanding the Multiplicity and Weight of Your Affairs; being not Lifted up with Greatneſs, or Delighted ſo much in the Sunſhine even of the Court, as in Retiring to the Shade of Your Books at Home: Who are One conſequently, that is like to Read the Book, and make Your Own Judgment of it; and if You find any thing in it ſerviceable to God, are in Place to Move, and Promote it; as, if the Attempt be amiſs, can, by Your proper Inſtruction, appoint ſome ſit Perſon, to Reprove and Anſwer it, that the Publick receive no Detriment by it.
I muſt confeſs, I am of the Opinion, That the Notion and Doctrine Of and Concerning the Church, and Churches of Chriſt upon Earth, which is generally received as Orthodox, is not conſiſtent with our Publick Practice, and the Being of our Mixt Churches; and could not therefore, when Time was, Declare my unfeigned Aſſent and Conſent to all things in the Liturgy; becauſe I muſt then have both prevented this Book, and conſented to Some Thing in Point of Doctrine and Ʋſe (which will be nam'd in its Place) as by a Conſequence unavoidable to me, does give up the Field to the Separatiſt. And when (if I may ſpeak a Conſequential Truth) I am One, that have become herein a kind of Martyr, in my loſs of all Emolument within the Church, for my Reſolution and Endeavour of maintaining the Churches Cauſe; ſo that there does appear ſomething Meritorious in my Nonconformity, though nothing at all in My Self; what if I Revive a late Motion made to Your Grace, That You will hearken to thoſe Papers of mine, Entituled, Three Steps in order to the obtaining my Liberty to Preach; which being deſired for Occaſional Sermons only, without Benefice, Dignity, Living or Lecture, I have, in my Third Step, brought the Matter to this Iſſue, That if You will concede to me but what any Biſhop may do by Law, and impune alſo by the Canons, I may have Your Licenſe for the Ʋſe of my Miniſtry, and yet keep my Own Conſcience in the Caſe?
Your Grace's Humble Servant, The Author.