Friendly Debate with Non-Conformist Part 2, Title page – Imprimatur
A CONTINUATION OF THE Friendly Debate. By the ſame Author.
Prov. 14.10.
A wiſe man feareth and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth and is confident.
foreign.
London, Printed for R. Royſton, Bookſeller to the King's moſt Excellent Majeſty, 1669.
To the Readers.
I Shall only detain you ſo long as to tell you a few things that concern the Motives to this Work, and the Author of it. For the former, take it from me (who know better than any body elſe) they are none but the Authors love to Truth and Peace; and his Charity to well-meaning and abuſed people. Think what you pleaſe; I am ſure he is not naturally ſowre or quarrelſome, much leſs angry with any man meerly becauſe he differs from him. He hath not been exaſperated by contending, nor put out of humour by fierce diſputings; for he hath no Difference with any man living; he neither loves Diviſions, nor lives by them. He hath as much reſpect alſo and regard as he deſires: ſo much as may ſecure him from the temptation of envying, and the mean arts of ſeeking to gain a reputation to himſelf by diſparaging other men. As for hopes of preferment, which ſome have ſaid are his end, beſides that he ſtudiouſly conceals himſelf, I declare, that if he were capable or deſirous of it, he would not be at ſo much pains to ſeek it. And as he ſeeks not to gain any worldly thing hereafter by his writing, ſo he loſes nothing at preſent by that which he writes againſt. For neither he, nor any of his friends (that he knows of) receive the leaſt prejudice by any mans Non-conformity, or ſeparated Meetings; and ſo he ſhould not have taken any notice of them, if Religion had not been concern'd. But he is very ſenſible that this ſuffers very much; and that which many Miniſters who keep ſeparated Aſſemblies, cannot condemn, is condemned, nay deſpiſed, by thoſe that follow them. For there is undoubted evidence that their not coming to the Common prayers, and not declaring plainly the true reaſon of it, makes many ſtand aloof of, and abhor our Service, as if it were the Maſs. The people are ſeldom at leiſure to examine the Reaſon of things, nor apt to put themſelves upon that work without much urging: but they are alwayes ready to follow-the example of thoſe whom they admire, and the leſs they know why, the more forward they are to out-do the Copy they chuſe to imitate. So that the Miniſters not doing what they can in compliance with the eſtabliſh'd order, and not declaring ſincerely the cauſes why they do not, is interpreted to a farther abhorence, than they (if they durſt ſpeak out) are willing to own. When they do but ſignifie their diſguſt, and that their pallate is not pleaſed; their followers are nauſeated preſently, and their ſtomacks turn'd. If they make an halt, or a ſtep back; thoſe get the bit between their teeth: they kick and fling and run away. Now though this bogling and ſtarting may be lookt upon by many credulous and well-meaning people, as the effect of a commendable caution, or a quick ſenſe or perception of an approaching miſchief, and of an exacter difference they make between good and evil, than others do; yet experience tells us the contrary, that the more ordinary cauſe is defect of eye-ſight and confuſed apprehenſions of things, Ignorance and humour, if not reſtiveneſs and Jadiſh tricks. For to give but one palpable inſtance of this among many; have you not obſerved at the funeral of a Friend when a Sermon has been preacht, how a part of the company, as ſoon as they come toward the Church door, preſently draw off and ſeparate from the reſt, as if they were going about ſome Idolatrous ſervice? Would not a ſtranger think that ſome noiſome and offenſive vapour or ſtifling ſmoak aſcended from our Devotions, which made theſe men ſo ſhie to enter, till by the ſinging of a Pſalm they had notice given that the air was clear and fit to breath in, and then it may be they came in? But where lyes the offence all this while, if we may be worthy to underſtand it? Is it in the white garment wherein the Miniſter officiates? But why, I pray, is this more troubleſome (unleſs to the tricks I ſpoke of) than a black one? There is nothing frightful ſure in three ſentences of Scripture, in reading a Pſalm of David, or a leſſon of St. Paul; and yet this is all, ſave the Gloria Patri at the end of the Pſalm, which one would think might eſcape with fair quarter, eſpecially now that their purſuit ſeems to be ſo hot after the freſh game of Socinianiſm. I know there are ſome ſober perſons who diſſent from us, that are not thus skittiſh; and finding them humble, modeſt and not cenſorious, I not only love but honour them with all my heart. There are others alſo, who from the womb have been taught to ſtart aſide and to abhor our ſervice; and being unable to reaſon and uncapable of better information, I pitty them very much. Let them but be quiet and not ſeek to govern us by their fancies and prejudices, and I for my part ſhall not look upon their averſion as a vice, if they will not account it their great Vertue. For what if ſome Children receive impreſſions and inclinations in their infancy from their Mothers big-bellied frights or longings, which they carry with them to their graves? What is the World concern'd in this, or in thoſe mens unaccountable Antipathies? Is any man more commendable for them? Surely no; but oftentimes more troubleſome. You have ſeen it's likely a perſon (pardon the inſtance I uſe, becauſe it's familiar) as ſoon as the Cheeſe after Meal has been ſet on the board, preſently make ſcurvy faces and change colour, ſtop his noſe, or run in haſt out of the room; yet neither the Maſter or gueſts are farther concern'd in this, than to pitty, or perhaps but ſmile or ſlightly complement the mans infirmity; and none forbears the more to taſt that hath a need or a good liking. But you never heard of any ſuch man who, in a conceited humour, thought fit in this caſe, that his particular averſion ſhould preſcribe to all others; or raiſed fierce diſputes about it in every company; and contended that this was no Primitive food, or at leaſt that our way was not the Primitive way of making it: that indeavoured buſily to make a party againſt it among the indifferent and uninclin'd either to love or hate it? much leſs that reviled and gave reproachful Nick-names to thoſe that uſed it, and ſought for Orders to baniſh it from every Table. If you could ſuppoſe ſuch prodigious folly, you would not blame the Neighbourhood, eſpecially the Officers, if they were concern'd in it, or any that ſhould repreſent the ridiculouſneſs, or the malice of ſuch an undertaking. I know the inſtance is not conſiderable enough to be applied to all things at this day conteſted, but to a great many it may; and expreſſes well enough the humour of thoſe, who, according to their breeding, ſeem with an equal paſſion to oppoſe every thing they diſlike, even to the colour of a Garment, or the faſhion of a Girdle. You have enough (Readers) concerning the Motives to this Continuation of the Debate, when you are only told this farther, that the Author having heard of ſome exceptions againſt the former Book, thought good to Anſwer, and (as they deſerve) to ſhame them in this. It is like ſome of our deceived Brethren will hold this labour damnable and execrable, Preface to the Confutation of the Errors of the Browniſts. B. 2.as being beſtowed in their opinion, againſt the Church of Chriſt, againſt the Saints, and Children of God and his Holy truth: To whom I anſwer as the Non-conformiſts did to the Old Separatiſts, Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my Mouth when I endeavour to ſpeak, and my Pen ſtick to my fingers when I attempt to write any thing, againſt the Church, the Children, or the Truth of God. But the Errors and follies in thoſe whom I think to have ſome goodneſs in them, may I hope be reproved, without being thought to reprove their goodneſs: beſides, by endeavouring to keep them from being Righteous overmuch, I take a courſe to preſerve them from becoming too Wicked.
And now I believe nothing would be more grateful to ſome than to know the Authors name: but I have nothing to ſay to them, but that it is an impertinent curioſity to inquire any farther after him, ſince he hath no mind to be known, and ſince there is no need of it. For his name can add no credit or ſtrength to his Reaſons; and as for matters of▪ Fact, he hath directed you where to find them, without inquiring after him to be reſolved about them. But if any body think it good manners to inquire into that which others would have kept ſecret; Yet I am ſure it argues great want of good breeding (to ſay no more) to beſpatter (as ſome have done) this and the other perſon whom they only conjecture to be the Author; Laying to their charge things that they know not. Let me adviſe them to be more Civil; Since I am ſure they do not yet know me, nor I believe, ever ſhall, unleſs I pleaſe; and ſince by diſturbing themſelves and others ſtill in this kind, they are like to reap nothing ſave their own further ſhame. I end with the great Counſel which Mr. Whittingham long ago concluded a Letter of his withal*Troubles at Franckfort, Printed, 1575. Know before you judge, and believe not all flying tales; keep one ear open and report the beſt.
April 15. 1669.
THe Reader may take notice that there is an Alteration made in this ſecond Edition of almoſt two pages in the firſt, 364.365. The Author conceiving that thoſe words of the Book which he confuted, ſhould be otherwiſe conſtrued than he thought at firſt ſight, as was intimated in the Errata. But in ſtead of them, he hath now noted ſome other; very much deſerving to be cenſured.
IMPRIMATUR,
Tho. Tomkyns, R. Rmo in Chriſto Patri ac Domino Dmo Gilberto Divina Providentia Archi-Ep. Cant. a Sacris Domeſticis.
Apr. 24. 1669. Ex Aed. Lambeth.