The New Command Renewed, Preface
The New COMMAND RENEW'D: OR, Love one another. Being an Endeavour after the Ʋnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace, by ſeveral Ʋniting Principles. Among which there are ten Rules for a Right underſtanding of Scripture, very uſeful for theſe divided times. By RALPH VENNING.
Pſal. 133.1. Behold, how good and how pleaſant it is, for brethren to dwell together in Ʋnity.
LONDON, Printed for John Rothwell, at the Sunne and Fountain in PAULS Church-yard. 1652.
To all who profeſſe love to the Lord Ieſus, and yet love not one another, according to his example and command.
Beloved,
I Wiſh I could ſay of you as Paul did ſay of the Theſſalonians, 1 Theſ 4.91 Theſ. 4.9. as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you, ſeeing ye your ſelves are taught of God to love one another. But alas! there's need, yea never more need, that I ſhould write unto you of brotherly love; for, 1 Cor. 3.3.whereas there is among you envying and ſtrife, and diviſions, are ye not carnal and walk as men? as taught of men, and not of God.
At quis ego tantis, tantillus ego? What am I to ſuch an undertaking as this? many (the unworthieſt of whom I am unworthy to follow) have gone before me, calling you to your calling, love one another. But do they not all ſay, who hath believed our report? to whom is the Arme of the Lord revealed? Do they not all ſay, We have laboured in vain? We have cryed indeed in the chiefeſt places of concourſe, yea in the concourſe of the chiefeſt, even in the City *And in the high places of the City.we have uttered our words, and our lips drop't ſweetneſſe; our voice was love, love; live in love. But no man regarded; all our counſelt were ſet at nought.
Alas beloved! what hopes is there left for me to prevail? if Paul's, if Apollo's, if Chriſt's words have not taken with you, can mine expect to finde acceptance? and yet me thinks I hope beyond hope, becauſe I know that God hath all hearts in his own hand, and can turn them when and by whom he pleaſeth; therefore though many out of their abundance have caſt in much, I hope my mite will not be rejected. I muſt confeſſe I have for a great while forborn, leſt I ſhould be a reproach and deriſion daily; but I am now overcome, and that by importunity, not ſo much from without (which yet was much) as from within (which was more): for theſe words were within mine heart like a burning fire ſhut up, and I was weary with forbearing, I could not contain. For while I held my peace from this good my heart was hot within me, and while I was muſing the fire burnt, ſo that I could not but *The moſt of theſe heads were preach't at the Tower of London.firſt ſpeak with my tongue, and now with my Pen.
I ſaid, yea to my ſelf and others I often ſaid, I was few of days, and therefore I was afraid and durſt not ſhew forth mine opinion; I ſaid, days ſhould ſpeak, and multitude of years ſhould teach wiſdom: but the ſpirit within me conſtrained me, and I ſpake and muſt ſpeak that I may be refreſhed. My belly! (ſhould I hold my peace at ſuch a time as this) if this Wine ſhould not have vent, would be ready to burſt like new Bottles.
But let me not (I pray you) accept [nor except] any mans perſon, neither let me give flattering titles nor upbraiding language unto any man; ſhould I do ſo, my Maker would ſoon take me away. I know God would lay it to my charge.
Cenſures perhaps I may undergo, and I indeed expect it; but not from you: let the world ſcoffe, I care not, having learn't to paſſe through their good report and bad. I am not ignorant in what a narrow way I walk, how it concerns me to be cautious, both what I ſpeak and how: for who would undertake to moderate the extreme immoderation of our days? and yet for my own part I am not ſolicitous (good meaning and innocency are careleſſe, and ſeldome fore-think what to ſay) my conſcience, yea God himſelf bears me witneſſe, that I would not write a Syllable which ſhould give offence. Pſalm 27.11Teach me thy way O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, becauſe of thoſe which obſerve me.
I would willingly blot out any expreſſion which might be liable to ſuſpition; for truly (as Caeſar ſaid concerning his wife) it is not enough not to be in fault; but things relating to love, (as Caeſars wife) ſhould not be ſuſpected to be in fault; I hope therefore if any thing do (ſeeing it is againſt my will if any thing do) eſcape me, which may ſeem to deviate from the ſcope, viz. love, that your love (for love of that which I write for and from, viz. love) will cover it with a charitable conſtruction.
I have forborn to inſtance in any thing touching any part or parties, which might but occaſion a prejudice againſt any of the principles. For as Solomon ſaith, he that covereth a tranſgreſſion ſeeketh love, but he that repeateth a matter ſeparateth very friends, Prov. 17.9. And we finde it confirmed by experience, that ſuch proceedings, they do but (as Paul ſaid of prophane and vain bablings) increaſe to more ungodlineſſe and their words (2 Tim. 2.16.17.) will eat as doth a Gangrene, of whom is, &c. I would therefore, and I wiſh all would forget that which is behind, that which is paſt, viz. *Not looking ſo much how they came in, as how we may get them out, as one ſaid of originall ſin.miſcarriages ariſing from ſtrife and envy; and preſſe to that which is before, and yet to come, viz. *The more excellent way.Love among Brethren. I have not in the leaſt made it my ſtudy or endeavour to dreſſe the matter in any habit, but plain; and I will give you my reaſon, viz. I would not have words ſtay the Readers from attending the things. That eloquence offers injury to things, which draws us to obſerve it; ſeeing words are only for the matters ſake, and ſhould be no other then would promote it.
Octavius Auguſtus had a ſpecial care to expreſſe his mind and meaning moſt plainly, and reprehended Marcus Antonius for writing ſuch things that men did rather wonder at then underſtand.
Zeno was wont to ſay that he had two ſorts of diſciples, the one he called foreign who reſpected nothing more then language; theſe he liked not ſo well: the other he called foreign curious to learn ſuch words, as were fit to expreſſe things by, and theſe were his darlings.
Me thinks the Apoſtles diſcourſe in 1 Cor. 14. ſhould ſilence all tinckling Cymbals.; ſuch as affect ſuch words and phraſes as rather tickle the itching ears of men, then affect their affections, or leave any impreſſion on the hearts and conſcience.
For my own part I acknowledge it my principle (and I would be loth my practice ſhould give it the lie) to ſpeak to the loweſt, and then I am ſure the higheſt underſtand me; whereas ſhould I (if at leaſt I were able) ſpeak to the higheſt, I ſhould be to the loweſt as a Barbarian. In ſhort, I rather chooſe to ſpeak ſhortly, though but five words, which may be to edifying; then to uſe ten thouſand, which when men heare or reade they know not.
I had thought to have collected the ſeveral heads, and have ſet them before you by themſelves, but the whole book being but little, will ſoon be run and read over, and therefore I ſhall ſpare you the labour of Reading, my ſelf of writing, and the Printer of Printing.
Thus my beloved friends, having given you a foreſight of what I have done, why and how; and hoping that theſe things which are caſt in by the way are not caſt away. I ſhall ſay no more, but pray that it may come unto you with a fulneſſe of bleſſing, and be inſtrumental to unite your hearts in love, which will ſatisfie the deſire and fulfil the joy of him, who can joy in nothing, but in being the
Servant of Chriſt, Ralph Venning.