Life and Death of John Machin, Title page – To the reader
A Faithful NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE and DEATH OF That Holy and Laborious PREACHER Mr. JOHN MACHIN, Late of Aſtbury in the County of Chester.
With a Praefatory Epiſtle there unto; Written by that Excellent Perſon Sir Charles Wolſeley Baronet.
Publiſhed for the furtherance of Real Piety in Miniſters and others.
LONDON, Prinred for Nevill Simmons at the three Crowns at Holbourn Conduit. 1671.
A PREFACE TO THE READER.
PRactical Sanctity is the great End of Religion while we live here; he that attains fartheſt therein, will be found wiſeſt to himſelf, and moſt beneficial to others: 'Tis much in Divinity, as 'tis in Philoſophy, where the Practice augments the Science above all bare Theories, and renders it moſt uſeful and intelligible to Mankind. When men confine Religion to Speculation, they turn Divinity into Metaphyſicks, where they diſpute and divide without End: to reduce it to practice, is to purſue its proper tendency, and to make it (as indeed it is) the great Principle of Ʋnion and Peace. This enſuing Diſcourſe is not a little ſubſervient to that Highest End of Religion; being in its own Nature, an earneſt perſwaſive to a ſerious Practice of Holineſs, by ſetting before us the Example of one ſingularly Eminent therein. The Lives of Holy Men teach us what ought to be done, and at once convince us that it may be done; they ſuperſede all thoſe lazy excuſes, men are too apt to make about the practicability of what God requires, and give us the most taking proſpect of the Eaſe and Excellency of all Christian Duties in the Beauty of a Heavenly Converſation; 'Tis to Record a great inſtruction to the World, to Write the Life of a good man, and he's a Publick Benefactor to Religion that Reſcues ſuch a Treaſure from the common Conſumption of Time, and Stores it up for Poſterity. 'Twere pitty, that what will be ever rewarded in Heaven, ſhould be ſoon forgot upon Earth; or that the beſt Subject of Story ſhould ſilently Expire in Oblivion We owe no ſmall Additions both to Learning and Religion to ſuch, who have Tranſcribed the Lives of Excellent Men, and thereby made them the Companions of every Age. No Humane Motivelike Example, nor is there any Attractive to worthy Actions, ſo great as ſuch Actions themſelves. 'Twas the Story of Alexanders Life, that firſt inflam'd that Noble Genius of Caeſar; and 'twas the Example of ſome Primitive Martyrs, that first made the famous Juſtin Martyr a Chriſtian: St. Paul found how prevailing Example was, and therefore Preached the Goſpel from his own; thoſe things, ſays he to the Philippians, which you have heard and ſeen in me, do. God himſelf eminently commends to us this way of improving the World, by propoſing the best Patterns, ſince ſo conſiderable a part of the Bible, is a Sacred Regiſter of Holy Mens Lives, and one whole Book, that of the Acts of the Apoſtles, ſeems chiefly deſigned, to conveigh to us the Hiſtory of St. Pauls Life after his Converſion.
This following Collection may modestly expect a fair Reception from all hands: he must be a Reader very unkind to Religion and himſelf, that diſlikes the Revival of ſuch a Holy Mans Life; in which there is no real Offence given, either to the Jew, or to the Gentile, or to the Church of God. Such a man as lived and dyed free from all corrupt and unſound Opinions; one who in the courſe of his Ministry, never ſophiſticated the Goſpel with any fancifull Speculations; one wholly untainted with the least Faction or contempt of Authority; one that lived not in the impalement of any Party. In ſhort, a man of a Catholick Spirit, who made Religion his Buſineſs, and Travelled with the Salvation of Mankind. A worthy Pattern both as a Miniſter and a Christian; in either capacity, the beſt Advice I can give the Reader, is in the Words of our Saviour upon another occaſion, Go and do thou likewiſe.
Ch. Wolſeley.