Truth Maintained, Commentary · Part 11
SERMON Paragraffe 13. 14. 15. 16.
The qualification for Reformers, the Decent burialls of ſuch Ceremonies, as are taken from the Fathers, the honorable Reſervation to our firſt Reformers.
EXAMINER.
That it may appeare I looke not only at the worſt of the Sermon, There are Excellent Truths in it, and it is pitty they are not betters ſcituated, I could alwaies wiſh to ſee a Diamond ſet in Gold.
Theſe are good Poſitions, and in their pages not without their enamill of witt, yet there is a policy to write faire in one Leafe, though you T make a blot in another, but I cannot let theſe paſſe without ſome obſervation.
TREATISE.
S. And it is Pitty they are not better ſcituated, I could alwaies wiſh, to ſee a Diamond ſet in Gold.) I cannot blame you, eſpecially if the Diamond be their owne. But what meane you by this Expreſſion; Would you have had the Truths in my Sermon to have beene ſet in the Gold of rich & glittering language. Truly I could not go to the coſt thereof, eſpecially on ſo ſhort warning, wherein the Sermon was made. How ever a Diamond, is a Diamond though ſet in Home, whereby the luſter thereof may be ſomewhat dimmed, but the worth thereof no whit deminiſhed. But in one reſpect I muſt confeſſe theſe Truthes were ill ſcituated, that they ſtood too neere to a captions Reader, who tooke cauſeleſſe exception at them.
T. Yet there is apolicie to write faire in one leafe, though you make a blot in another) Shew me Sir, where theſe blotts bee. For as yet I am more troubled to know my fault, then my defence.
EXAMINER.
Firſt for qualification, V I dare ſay, never age afforded more eminent in this Kimgdome, their calling lawfull, their Pietie exemplary, their knowledge radiant, their courage experienced through a legion of difficulties, Their prudence in the conduct of a buſineſſe, though oppoſed with the Policy, and malignity of a grand and Potent Enemy.
TREATISE.
V. For their qualification I dare ſay.) If you dare ſay it, I dare not to gain ſay it. Their calling no doubt is lawfull, if the ſupreame powers concurres with them. Of their pietie, which conſiſts in their hearts, God alone is Iudge. I will not diſpute againſt their radiant Knowledge, nor fight with their experienced Courage, and it were folly in me to oppoſe their Prudence. Let not the perfections of King Davids *2 Sam. 3:Subjects be numbered. God make their Konwledge, their Courage, their Prudence, an hundred fold more then it is, and may the Eyes of my Lord the King ſee the ſame, to his comfort and Honour.
EXAMINER.
And for the decent, buriall of Ceremonies, and ſuper ſtitions W of the Fathers) They ſhall have a Parliament of Senators, and an Aſſembly of Devines to lay them in their grave, And I dare ſay a Godly Congregation in the Kingdome to ſing a Pſalme at their Funerall; and will not this be a very decent X buriall? And for the Honorable reſervation, to the reformer…, and their memories, our Devines and reformers, now have ever made reſorte and appeale to the Truths they delivered; and in thoſe times when Beza, and Calvin, and Peter Mertir were ſet loweſt, till the Maſter of the feaſt came lately, and bid them ſitt up higher, a Caiſtan and Bellarmine, and a Councell of Trent, I am ſure had more honor from the Devinity of the other yeare, or your times, ſo farre we admire the reformers, as to love their Truths and to pittie their Errors. But I will not ſay much, Errors may be more provoked, then remedied with over-handling; let us be wiſe in the Colours of good and evill, though it be an honeſt, yet it is a dangerous miſtake to many our freinds, and to few our Enemies.
TREATISE.
W. As for the decent buriall of Ceremonies and ſuperſtitions of the Father.) You are cunning to improve your ſelfe Paragraffe 24.on my words. In my Sermon I made a double ſuppoſition, Fiſt, if there be found in the Fathers practice any Ceremonies ſmacking of Paganiſme or Popery. Secondly, If the ſame can be juſtly Challenged to be continued in our Church now, (as if two Suppoſitions made a Poſition) you flatly, infer & perumtorily conclude ſuch Superſtitions are in our Church. I ſhould be loth to ſell wares to ſuch a Chapman, and to truſt his honeſty in meaſuring of them out, who hath ſuch a ſlight in ſlipping his fingers, that gives him an inch and hee will take an ell, You might have don better, to have could us what the perticulers of theſe ſuperſtitions are.
X. And will not this be a decent buriall.) The pleaſantneſſe of your witt doth pleaſe me, ſome mirth in this ſadd times doth well. But you might have been pleaſed to have taken notice, that by the decent buriall of ſuperſtitions Ceremonies, (if any ſuch can be proved to be in our Church) I ment the removing of them in that manner, as might give no juſt offence to any, as I have largely diſcourſed of before. However as you ſay, let but a Parliament lay them in the ground and I ſhall not moorne for their death but rejoyce at their ſolemne and legall Interment.
Y. Had more honour from the Devinitie of the other yeare, or your times.) The more ſhame for ſuch, if any who under valued ſuch Worthy Men. And bleſſed be God that they have recovered their former eſteem. For my part they have not with me regained any new degree of Honor, but ſtill keepe the ſelfeſame place in my valuation of them whereof they ever were peaceably poſſeſſed.
EXAMINER.
If I be now examined what reformation I aime at, I anſwere, my endeavour here, was only to take out of the way ſuch rubbiſh as others would bring in; If we can but cleare the paſſage, we go farre in the worke, and in the meane time let us like Ioſhuas ſpies, bring no evill report upon the land we are going to.
TREATISE.
Z. My endeavour here was only to take out of the way ſuch rubbiſh as others would bring in.) Whether rather, you have not brought in ſuch Rubbiſh, which others have taken away, be it reported to the juditious Reader.
A. Let us like Ioſhuas ſpies, bring no evill report upon the Land we are going to.) By Ioſhuas ſpies, you meane thoſe who accompanied Caleb, & Ioſhun, to ſpie the Land of Cauaan, and theſe were guilty of a three fold Fault.
Firſt they ſpake truth with an ill intent, to diſharten the Iſraelites, in their reporting of the ſtrength of the Country. Secondly, they ſpeake more then truth, raiſing the walls of the Cannanitiſh Cities by their Hyperbolyes as high as Heaven, *1 Dut. 28.Laſtly they ſuppreſſed the moſt materiall point, not incouraging the people, (as Caleb and Ioſhua did, by the aſſured aſſiſtance of God againſt their enemies. But I conceive my ſelfe, (againſt whome your words are darted) to be innocent in the foreſaid perticulers.
EXAMINER.
But ſuppoſe this perfect reformation, B or Church, were among the C foreign the foreign the Ragione di ſacro Dominio. He were no wiſe D, nor faithfull Devine who would not preſerve that ſecret E for holy advantages, t'is Gods owne deſigne and his Apoſtles to hould out a perfection to us, be perfect as your Heavenly Father, And ſome paſtors for the perfection of the Saints, I commend Bodin and Tacitus for their Politicall faithfulneſſe, they writt farre yet would not ſunne the imperiall, foreign nor make them Popular.
TREATISE.
B. But ſuppoſe this perfect Reformation were e. c.) It ſeemes you ſuſpect the ſtrength of your outworkes, that you ſo ſeaſonably retire to your Caſtle, Now at laſt condemning this doctrine, not as falſe, but unfitting to be preached.
C. Were among the foreign I thinke you would ſay foreign or otherwiſe Sir my learning will not extend to underſtand this your new greeke.
D. He were no wiſe and faithfull Devine) So then you conclude me a fooliſh & deceitful Miniſter, & I had rather you ſhould call me ſo ten times, then my guiltie conſcience ſhould tell me ſo once, for concealing of a neceſſary truth.
E. Who would not preſerve that ſecret for holy advantages.) Firſt the queſtion is, wheither or no it lay in my power if I would to keepe this Point ſecret. What your people at Heſtertonn in Yorkeſhire are, you beſt know in this Doctrine, I was not the teacher but the remembrancer of my people at the Savoy, from whom had I cloſely covered it with both my hands, they would have ſeene it through all my fingers. Beſides what hope can one have to keepe it ſecret when (as you ſay) ſo great and glorious a light is ſhining now-a-dayes.
But if I could, I ought not to ſuppreſſe it. Let Popiſh tenents 10. That the Doctrine of the Churches imperfection may ſafely bee preached and cannot honeſtly bee concealed.be ſhurt in a cloiſter, and ſicke opinions keepe their Chamber, God never lighted this Truth for us to put it under a buſhell, it being alwaies ſeaſonable to bee divulged, and now dangerous to bee concealed.
Theſe holy advantages, (I would not count them advantages were they not holy,) ariſe from Preaching this point. Firſt, it a wakens men from their Idle dreames of their conceited perfection of a Church here, and too many I feare have made this common-wealth here woefully militant, under pretence here to make the Church happily triumphant.
Secondly, to teach all Chriſtians (Majeſtrates and Miniſters moſt eſpecially) as induſtry ſo patience, daily to doe, and conſtantly to ſuffer no whitt diſheartned in their endeavours to perfection. Knowing though things bee badd, after their beſt labours to amend them, that this proceedes from the inevitable vanity, to which the creature is ſubject.
Thirdly, to weane men from this world, making them to love and long for the time of the reſtitution of all things, when this world as a watch out of tune ſhall not onelyonly bee taken aſſunder and ſcoured, but alſo have all the wheeles made new and then bee perfectly reformed.
Yea Sir, let us try whether you or I proceeding on our contrary principles, ſhall more effectually perſwade a reformation, you will tell the world that a perfect reformation in this life is attaineable, even to the anticipating of Heaven heare, and this you will preſſe with all your power and flowers of Retorick, and all little enough to performe ſo unſavory an untruth. Now ſee ſit what miſchiefes will follow hereupon.
1. Becauſe one falſehood requires more to ſupport it, you muſt call in other auxilliary falſities to defend this, and ſo engage your ſelfe in a multitude of errors.
2. Seeing flights and ſhifts can never laſt long, your forgery will be detected.
3. You are lyable to Heavens Pillorie to bee punniſhed for holy fraud.
4. You will ſcarce be truſted afterwards though telling truth, being once convicted and ever ſuſpected of falſhood.
As for thoſe whom you have deceived unto the utmoſt of their endevours of Reformation, on your falſe perſwaſion that the perfection thereof may bee had in this world, though their labours therein bee very forward at the firſt, yet ſoone will they wither and weaken with the graine in the Goſpel that wanted Roote (no Roote and a falſe Roote are the ſame in effect,) and Gods bleſſing cannot be expected on the deceitfull proceedings.
As for mee who have no cunning in ſuch hunting, but pleaſe my ſelfe with Iacob to bee a plaine man, I would goe another way to worke, and tell them the worſt firſt, that indeede it is vaine to expect a perfect reformation in this world. However let them comfort themſelves, that wee ſerve ſuch a Maſter who accepts of the will for the deede, and knowes whereof we are made. Hee remembreth that wee are but duſt. And therefore let us doe our beſt, and ſtrugle againſt our infirmities, being confident that God in Chriſt will pardon what is amiſſe, and reward what is good in us. And I doubt not but ſuch doctrine by Gods bleſſing will both take deeper impreſſion in mens hearts, and bring forth better fruits of amendment in their lives.
F. I commend Bodin and Tacitus for their politicall faithfulneſſe, they writt far, yet would not Sun the imperiall foreign nor make them popular.) I confeſſe it to bee unfitting, yea dangerous to impart miſteries of State to private people, for ſuch Iewels are to bee lockt in a ſafe and ſure Cabinet, the boſoms of Polititians, Not ſo in neceſſary Points of Divinity, for though every private man hath not a State to governe, hee hath a ſoule to ſave, and therefore muſt be partner in all wholſome doctrines.
Indeede in ſome caſes, Preachers may though not finally ſuppreſſe, yet ſeaſonably conceale, or rather warily deferre the publiſhing of ſome points of Religion, Firſt when they are not of abſolute concernement to ſalvation, & the Miniſter by his Chriſtian diſcretion plainely foreſees, that all the good which rationally can bee expected to redound from Preaching ſuch a Truth, will not countervaile the ill, which in probability will inevitably follow thereupon; Or elſe when the Auditors are not capeable as yet of ſuch difficult Doctrines. Chriſt himſelfe did fitt his Wines to his bottles, powring in not what hee could give, but they could take, leaſt otherwiſe hee ſhould rather ſpill his liquor, then fill his veſſells.
Neither of theſe caſes now alledged take place concerning the publiſhing of the Doctrine of the Impoſsibility of the Churches perfection in this world. For we may by Gods bleſſing juſtly expect and promiſe to ourſelves and others much good and comfort from the preaching thereof, as we have largely proved before. Nor dare I ſo much to diſparage the times we live in, (now it being above a hundred yeares ſince Luthers reformation) as to count them to have age ſo much, and Knowledge ſo litle, as not yet to be capable with ſafety & profit of ſo plaine & true a Doctrine, ſome ſhortly expect the day of Iudgment, and ſure then the world is already come to Age to underſtand Truths, except ſhee come not out of her Mynority till juſt ſhee be ready to die and to be diſſolved.
G. Would not Sunne the Imperiall foreign.) Godly ſecrets in Religion in ſome reſpects may be Sunn'd. Firſt that thereby they may be tryed, (all Truths have Eagles eyes) whether or no they can behold, and beare the Sunne Beames. Secondly, becauſe our *Math. 10. 26Saviour hath ſaid, what I tell you in darkneſſe, that ſpeake in the light, and what you heare in the Eare that preach you upon the Houſe toppe. Laſtly, that by proclaiming them the Godly may have an oppertunity to receive them, and the wicked be rendred unexcuſable for refuſing them, when ſuch Truths are made generally knowne.
H. Nor make them popular.) I diſtinguiſh on the word Popular. If it be taken, as generally it is, (uſe having confined a word of generall acception in it ſelfe, to an ill ſence) to Court the good will of people for any private or ſineſter end, it is utterly unlawfull for Popularity, which is neceſſary love, in a Prince, is unlawfull luſt, in a Subject, who may not Court the Kings wife, for to him a lone, are the People married in a Politicke Relation. All honeſt men therefore diſclaime, to make Truths Popular in this ſence, to impart them to the vulgar to gaine any vaine applauſe. Yea, conſider herein, whether you rather be not faultie in making the Imperiall foreign to bee Popular, who incite and incourage ordinary People, to make a Publique Reformation.
But Truths in Divinity muſt be made Popular, that is bee communicated to all people, in true ſinceritie for the ſaving of their Soules.
The *Iude. 3.Apoſtle, calleth it the Common ſalvation, and therefore it muſt be preached to all in common, our Sermons muſt, aſwell be ad Populum as ad clerum.
Otherwiſe ſuch Monopolies are illegall and diſtructive to the State of the Church, for any Miniſters to engroſſe any wholſome Doctrine to themſelves, and not imparte it to their Pariſh, except in the caſes afore mentioned.
EXAMINER. Apology.
I have now done (I will not ſay) refuting, but committing Errors, I am a fraid my haſt at this time, hath made me mend one fault, only with another.
TREATISE.
I will not oppoſe yours, but annex my owne concluſion. If I ſhould deny my owne many Imperfections, my practiſe would confute what my Pen hath maintained. Reader, for the matter of what I have written, I require thee, in Gods name do me Iuſtice, for the manner, method, or words thereof, I requeſt thee, as I am a Man ſhew mee favour. Thinke not the worſe of the Truths, for my ſake, but thinke the better of me, for the Truths ſake which I have defended. And conceive me not to be of a brawling and controverſiall diſpoſition, who do deſire and will pray for an Agreement from my Soule, ſo long as my ſpeech ſhall ſerve me. Yea if I ſhould chance to be ſtricken dumbe, I would with Zacharia make ſignes for table bookes and write the name of that which I deſire above all earthly thing is PEACE. God ſend it, Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Fuller, Truth Maintained (1643)