Vindication from Reproaches, Text
A VINDICATION Of Mr. Chriſtopher Love, FROM Divers ſcandalous reproaches caſt upon him by the Malignant party. Who charge him to be a hinderer of the Treaty at Uxbridge, and a diſturber of the Peace of this Common-Wealth. WHEREIN He cleereth himſelf from thoſe aſperſions; and ſheweth that he alwayes conſtantly endeavoured that Peace with Truth might be eſtabliſhed; to the Glory of God, and the comfort of this NATION.
Written with his own hand, before his death, and now publiſhed for General ſatisfaction.
LONDON, Printed by R. Wood, 1651.
A Vindication of Mr. Chriſtopher Love from divers reproaches caſt upon him by the Malignant party.
IF a mans good name be as precious Oyntment, there will not be wanting many Flyes (to carry about flying Reports) to corrupt it: Although I deſerve not a name among the children of the moſt high God, yet would I not loſe that room which any hath vouchſafed me in their hearts, not be made an abhorring to them. 'Tis true, this Sermon which I preacht at Vxbridge expoſeth me to the envy of the bad, the jealouſie of the good, yea the ſcandalous Reports of all; ſhould I now be ſilent, I ſhould ſtrengthen thoſe reports, and ratifie the rumours unjuſtly raiſed againſt me. I confeſſe the meanneſſe of my gifts, and fewneſſe of my years, (being no more then 28.) doth lay a great diſcouragement upon my ſpirit to come into publick view, to hold forth the dim light of a candle now the Sun ſhineth; to bring in my poor mite, when men now adayes caſt in of their abundance into Gods Treaſury; had I not been preſt under the preſſure of reproaches, I ſhould never have brought my Sermon (which I preacht at Vxbridge) to the Preſſe; when I Preacht it, I accounted it no other then as an untimely birth, that ſhould never ſee the Sun; the reaſon why I now bring it to light, is not any high conceit that I have of it, but a falſe conceit that many have both of the Sermon, and my ſelf that preacht it. I am preſented to the world as an enemy to Treaties, or a peace by that way; I can make my Appeal to Heaven, where my witneſſe is, that in the travel of my Soul I have unceſſantly cryed unto God for a good ſucceſſe to that Treaty, that by it Peace and Truth might flouriſh in our dayes, onelyonly an unſound and an unſafe peace have I preached and prayed againſt.
I have onelyonly two things faithfully and humbly to preſent to your conſideration. Firſt, the Call that I had to preach at Vxbridg at that day. Secondly, the Matter which I preacht. For the firſt, viz. the Call that I had to preach, I ſhall briefly relate: On Wedneſday night the 29 of January, (being the monethly Faſt) I had notice that the Commiſſioners were come to Vxbridg, and that Mr. Martial or ſome other Miniſter that attended upon the Honourable Commiſſioners, was to preach the Thurſday following; (which was the firſt day of the Treaty) hearing of this, I rode from Windſor Caſtle to Vxbridg on Thurſday morning; went forth with to Mr. Martial, to know whether he Preacht, who told me he did not, yet ſaid that there was a Sermon: ſoon after I went towards the Church to be an Hearer. As I was going, I met the Governour of the Town, who told me that he with others had been waiting in the Congregation for a Sermon, but the Miniſter expected to preach was not come; whereupon he deſired me that I would preach, elſe the Congregation would be diſappointed. To whom I anſwered, that I had no thoughts of preaching, but to be an hearer, yet rather then the Congregation ſhould be diſappointed, I would ſpend ſome half an hour to give them a word of Exhortation, which accordingly I did. Now whether this was not a hand of Heaven to caſt me upon the work, let my accuſers themſelves be Judges. I am conſtrained to write the manner how I came to preach, to wipe off thoſe ſcandals that are caſt upon me. Some ſay that I intruded my ſelf on the work, when divers can tell how earneſtly Capt. Hampton, the Governour of the Town, did ſollicite me, telling me elſe the Congregation would be diſappointed. Some were ſo ſhameleſſe as to ſay, that I thruſt M. Martial down the Pulpit ſtaires, when 'tis well known M. Martial was not there all that day; beſides, had he been there to preach, I am ſo far from doing any ſuch unchriſtian action, as to rob the Congregation of the Labours of him whoſe Books I am no… worthy to carry after him, yea (if it were an expreſſion meet for a meer man, I could ſay, whoſe ſhooe-latchet I am not worthy to untye. Others ſay, that one Mr. Kem was to preach; others ſay, ſome adjacent Miniſter, (whoſe turn it was to ſupply the lecture that day) whether the one or the other, I knew not then; onelyonly this I know, it was almoſt a 11 of the clock when I was entreated to preach: the Governour and ſome of the people came out of the Congregation, thinking they had been diſappointed of a Sermon; yea, I did my ſelf alſo bid the Clark call a long Pſalm, that ſo if the Miniſter who was appointed to preach had come in the mean time, he might have ſupplyed the place.
Object. What ever your Call was to preach that day, yet the matter which you preacht was unſeaſonable in that place, before that Auditory, and at that time.
To which I anſwer, Firſt, it was their uſual Lecture-day; but a Country Auditory, none of the Commiſſioners of either fide were there. Secondly, Had they been there, I ſpake not a word touching the Commiſſioners of either ſide, only prayed for our own. Thirdly if any thing were unſeaſonable, it muſt be this; I adviſed the Auditors not to dote too much on Treaties of Peace: What unſeaſonableneſſe was in this? I hope a Miniſter may adviſe a people not to dote too much upon ordinances, or upon duties, yet this no diſparagement to either, or to the authority of God that enjoyns both; one may adviſe another not to dote too much upon Wife and children, yet this advice doth not reflect to the diſgrace of either: in the like manner, might not a Miniſter adviſe a Congregation not to dote too much upon that Treaty, yet this advice no wayes reflects on the Treaters, or Treaty it ſelf. I ſaid further, that whiles our enemies go on in their wicked practices, and whiles we keep to our principles, we may as ſoon make fire and water to agree, and (I had almoſt ſaid) reconcile Heaven and Hell, as their ſpirits and ours; either they muſt grow better, or we muſt grow worſe, before it is poſſible for us to agree; wherein is this unſeaſonable? ſh…w me, and I will fall down with an acknowledgment at your feet.
Object. Why did you not write this Vindication ſooner; had there not been a fault you would not have been ſo long ſilent, and ſuffer many aſperſion thus to ſpread.
To which I briefly anſwer, Firſt, I acknowledge ſuch a ſenſe and apprehenſion I have of theſe poor fruits o… my ſtudies, that I had no thoughts at all to print my Sermon, had not the importunity of divers friends, who are both godly and wiſe, prevailed with me, as alſo the conſideration that theſe ſcandals would not onelyonly reflect upon my ſelf, but on other Miniſters alſo who cleave to the Parliament proceedings, as if they were of the ſame ſpirit that I am unjuſtly preſented to the World to be of, had not there conſiderations ſwayed with me, I ſhould not have brought my Sermon to publick view, but have waited in ſilence, ſubmiſſion, and patience on my God for a Vindication, knowing aſſuredly the innocency and integrity of my heart and carriage to be clear in this matter; I bleſſe God, the integrity of my ſpirit (being in nothing about this matter conſcious to my ſelf) hath been as a brazen wall againſt all the ſcandals which have hence been darted againſt me, that none of them have entred to to pierce the quietneſſe and content of my ſpirit; I remember what the Poet ſaid,
—Hic muru… abeneus eſto
Nil conſcire ſibi, nulla palleſcere culpa.
Secondly, it was meet I ſhould be thus long ſilent, leſt I ſhould have anticipated the Parliament (before whom ſome accuſations againſt me were preſented) I ſhould have been pragmatical, unwiſe, yea alſo have blemiſht my own vindication, ſhould not I have waited for their determinations; who have (by an Order of the Houſe of Commons) cleared and acquitted me touching this matter.
It was requiſite I ſhould ſtay untill the Treaty was over, leſt it might exaſperate the ſpirits of our enemies, and ſo father that on me as if I had not a peaceable diſpoſition, which indeed is the baſtard that ought to be layed before their own doores; though their words be ſmoother then butter, yet war is in their hearts, but Peace in mine.
Fourthly, I deemed it my beſt way to wait a while in ſilence that I might the better hear and know the ſcandalous aſperſions caſt upon me, that I might the eaſier clear my ſelf. Some report that I ran out of Vxbridge as ſoon as I had preacht the Sermon, as being aſhamed of what I had done, whereas 'tis known by divers I went publickly up and down the Town, and ſtaid at leaſt four hours after the ſermon in the Town; others ſay that I retired my ſelf, and kept out of the way when I was ſent for by the Parliament, when divers can teſtifie I went up and down the City; yea, was ſo far from hiding my ſelf from any Court of Judicature, that I uſed meanes that I might be heard; that I might come to anſwer the accuſations that were againſt me. Malignants (who would have it ſo) reported that I was whipt out of Vxbridge, or committed cloſe priſoner in Vxbridge by our Commiſſioners, brought in a Cart to London, committed by the Parliament cloſe Priſoner to Newgate, with many other lying reproaches would they faſten upon me, whereas 'tis well known I was never before either Paaliament, or Honourable Commiſſioners imployed by them, or any elſe about this buſineſſe, only I was ſent for by an Order of the Houſe of Commons, but in regard nothing was brought in againſt me, I was by them acquitted.
Thus Courteous Reader, referring my ſelf to thy favourable cenſure, I humbly take leave for this time; preſſing my ſelf to be
An earneſt well-wiſher to Truth and Peace, with them who love both in ſincerity, Chriſtopher Love.
FINIS.
End of the text · Christopher Love, Vindication from Reproaches (1651)