Tracts, Title page – Preface
TRACTS OF
1. Conſcience.
2. Scandall.
3. Will-worſhip.
4. Superſtition.
5. Reſiſting the lawfull Magiſtrate under colour of Religion.
6. Sins of
Weakneſſe.
Wilfulneſſe.
7. A Late, or, a Death-bed Repentance.
foreign.
OXFORD, Printed by HENRY HALL, Printer to the UNIVERSITIE 1645.
The Preface.
IT is a ſtrong preſumption that that Religion is falſe which is apt to be made uſe of for ſecular advantages, that thoſe opinions have ſomewhat of the foreign ingredient in them, which are produced as the ground to juſtifie or authorize practices, otherwiſe impious and infamous, There is ſo little Communion or complyance betwixt God and Belial, that it is very hard even for Satan himſelfe, that great mpure Artificer, to proſtitute or debauch any truth of Gods, (which is really ſo) to that meane of vile ſubmiſſion of yeelding it ſelf pliable or inſtrumentall to any deſign or intereſt of his. He which can be corrupted or employed by an enemy is either not ſo honeſt or not ſo clear, either not ſo faithfull, or not ſo wary as might be expected. This one conſideration would prejudge a great part of the divinity of theſe unhappy times, which in a perfect contrariety to the wiſdome which commeth from above, Jam. 3. Or the fruits of the ſpirit, Gal. 5. is ſo far from purity, peaceableneſſe, gentleneſſe, love, joy, long ſuffering, &c. that it is engaged to owne another extaction, to confeſſe it ſelfe his creature, and progeny, whom in the lineaments and features it ſo viſibly reſembleth. Among the many ſeverals of this kind I have long conceived that the vulgar notions of thoſe foure names, which theſe enſuing Treatiſes have taken confidence to examine, have had no ſmall part of the guilt of thoſe fatall evils under which this calamitous wretched Kingdome now pants a proſtrate gaſtly, and direfull ſpectacle. And conſequently that the obſtructing of theſe fountaines might poſſibly abate thoſe ſtreames and torrenes (which have taken riſe from thence) of uncharitableneſſe firſt and then of bloud. The miſtaking of every phanſy or humour, carnall or Satanicall perſwaſion for Conſcience (the acknowledged rule of action) and the ſetting up upon too weak a ſtock for that high priviledge of a Good Conſcience, hath emboldened moſt of the vices of the world,foreign. Arrian. in ep. * petrified the practicall faculty, and made it inſenſible of any of thoſe ſtripes, or threats, or diſcipline, which the law of nature or of Chriſt hath provided for the reſtraint of their Subjects. And from thence it daily happens that not only the moſt unchriſtian but unhumane practices, the moſt unnaturall ſavage barbarities of theſe laſt yeeres, (which no paraſite can flatter, or preſident extenuate) are now avowed to be dictates and commands of Conſcience, and ſo not onelyonly reconcileable with piety, but advanced and ſet up for the onelyonly meaſure of it, and no man allowed to paſſe for Conſcientious which hath any remainder of Morall or Chriſtian virtue (in the ancient notion of the word) diſcernible in his actions; and ſo not onelyonly Zozimus his ſlaunder of Conſtantine is become the reall guilt of too many profeſſours, (thoſe ſins confidently committed by them, for which no other Religion allowes any expiation) but, beyond the malice of that falſe tongue, the ſinnes themſelves reſolved on as a ſpeciall foreign or purgative, an act of ſupererogating virtue, ſufficient to ſanctifie any other impurities. To theſe ſo groſſe errours both in opinion and practice the preſent height o… animoſity, and vehemence of the flame may poſſibly have betrayed men; but what it ſhould be that hath ſo heightned the paſſion, and firſt elevated it to this pitch of diſtemper, will not be diſcerned any otherwiſe then by conjecture from the quarrels which have been moſt inſiſted on, againſt the eſtabliſhed government and diſcipline of the Church, and the indifferent actions, and ceremonies, and obſervances either preſcribed, or cuſtomary among us; to which when no direct immediate blame or accuſation could be affixt, it hath been the manner to object obliquely, ſomtimes that they have been matter of Scandall, and that thought to have been ſufficiently proved, if any could be produced who have diſliked them, (as if their being diſpleaſed were to be ſcandalized, or one mans being angry once without a cauſe, were for ever a juſt cauſe for others to be angry at that which were of it ſelf moſt innocent;) Sometimes that the crime of Will-worſhip were chargeable on them, ſuppoſing firſt, (but not proving) Will-worſhip to be a crime, and then every the leaſt obſervance uncommanded (though withall as perfectly unprohibited) by Scripture, to be the interpretation of that crime; and ſometimes that they have been Superſtitious; by the equivocallneſſe of that word, firſt perſwading themſelves and others that every exceſſe in Religion comes under that title, and then that the uncommandedneſſe of any thing induces that exceſſe, and conſequently involves in that guilt. To which three ſo inauſpicious (I may adde Scandalous) miſpriſions broached by Satan, foreign, to the fall, and ſo truly to the offending of many in Iſrael, theſe enſuing Treatiſes were deſigned as Antidotes or cures; to which end if they may prove in any degree ſucceſſefull, the writer of them will never repent that he hath ſubjected them to the various & paſſionate cenſures of the many, hoping thereby that the mature and impartiall judgements of the few may be alſo provoked to interpoſe. By whoſe pleaſure and ſerious examination, whether they ſhall ſtand or fall, they are in all humilitie ſubmitted.
H. Hamond.
OF CONSCIENCE.
foreign.
By H. Hamond, D. D.
LONDON, Printed for R. Royſton, at the ſigne of the Angel in Ivie-lane. 1645.