Vindication of the Use of the Holy Scriptures and Christian Ordinances, Title page – Dedication
Some Considerations Tending to the Asserting and Vindicating of the use of the HOLY SCRIPTURES, AND CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES; Against the Practice and Opinions of certaine Men of these Times.
Wherein also particularly, by way of an illustrious instance, to the foregoing Discourse, the Ordinance of Baptisme (so importunately of late decryed by some, as a thing Legall and Jewish) is manifested to be of Gospell-Institution, and by Divine appointment to continue still of use in the Church.
1 COR. 1.21.
For after that in the wisedome of God, the World by wisedome knew not God; it pleased God, by the foolishnesse of Preaching, to save them that beleeve.
COLOS. 2.8.
Beware lest any man spoyle you through Philosophie, and vaine Deceit, after the Tradition of Men, after the rudiments of the World, and not after Christ.
LONDON, Printed by M. Symmons, for Hanna Allen, and are to be sold at the Crowne in Popes-Head Ally, 1649.
TO My most Deare, and most Honoured Mother, the LADY LAWRENCE:
Most Honoured Mother,
WEE heare much of late of certain civil Hereticks, they call the LEVELLERS; Men, who by pretending Salus Populi, and the common good, would render their owne share in the World, better then it is: And finding (as their Lots are cast) community more advantageous to them, then propriety, would take away all those troublesome bounds, and metes, which Laws or Customes have established upon particular rights, that all things might be reduced to their Primitive (as they pretend) and Originall Community.
I designe not the processe of these Men at this time, how great soever their crime may be, and great enough certainly it will be judged, if this Charge be true: But the Charge that this Discourse intends, is against another, and more audacious kind of Levellers, spirituall Levellers, men that would levell God; and as it was the vanity and ambition of Adam, to make himselfe like God, so it is the presumption, and pride of these men, to make God like them. We have formerly had to doe with some, who would bring the Justice of God, to the modell and scantling of their justice, which hath been the occasion of that great controversie with the Pelagians, and their followers the Arminians. And now we are importun'd by a Generation of men, who would subject the wisedome of God to the modell and icantling of their wisedome, would give lawes to God, for the government and Oeconomy of his owne house, and judge all at an undue and under …ate, that lye not levell with their either reason, or fancy. And because (selfe-love making up in us all defects) men are usually reasonably well satisfied with their own wisdomes, howsoever others are; and that as the Scripture sayes, Vaine Man would be wise, though Man bee as a wild Asses Colt; Hence it is, that men who have not learned sufficiently, that the foolishnesse of God is wiser then men, and therfore if any man would be wise he must become a foole that he may be wise; men that have not been taught this of God, are vying stil with God for wisedome, and are extreamely scandalized at his method of saving men by the foolish, and base, and weake, and despised meanes of Preaching, with all other Ordinances and Institutions.
Our Saviour and Master taught us better by his owne example, when considering of the reason why God had hid the great things of the Gospell, from the wise and learned men of the World, and revealed them to Babes: He resolved it easily into the good pleasure of God; Even so Father, for so it pleased thee. But these will rather dispute it out with God and Men, then they will suffer such a blemish to their wisedome, as the ayde and assistance that these foolish, and weake, and base despised things, (as the Scripture cals them) brings with them. And yet because it is hard to make an open Warre against God, and apparent and evident truths, held forth in his Word, they imploy all the pittance of wisedome they have, to this great worke of Levelling, either in wholly taking away the use of the Scriptures, to themselves and others of their elevation, or by so mincing and altering them by their liberty of allegorizing (Which you must beleeve although it be nonsence to be the Mystery of the History, as they call it) as they make them speake what they judge in wisedome they should, since of themselves and naturally they are farre from speaking what they would.
But I shall trouble you no farther (most Honoured Mother) with prefacing, having given you a short account who they are, and what it is that this discourse pretends against, as the title tels you what it pretends to.
I am not (I thanke God) so vaine as to imagine that this Essay should convert this kind of men, especially such as are highest flowne, and who having beene accustomed to defie reason and Scripture, doe not use to bee satisfied when they are answered. But I am not without hopes (through the grace of God) but that it may be of use to some, truly godly (for these temptations are fitted to persons and places of light) who have not known the depths of Sathan, nor are yet effectually insnared by these stratagems and wiles of the Devill. And I am assured, it will be accepted by you (my Deare Mother) to whom I present it, not only upon that just account that you commanded it (and the commands of Parents to their Children are of the highest Prerogative:) But because it will be satisfaction to you to see the Asserting and Vindicating of those things indeavored, which have so much of truth, and God in them; and in a time, when the profession and practice of them is expos'd not onelyonly to the insultings of men openly and professedly prophane, but which is lesse sufferable, and more abominable, to the scorne and contempt of such as would be esteemed Saints of the highest elevation. But Wisedome is justified of her Children, whose condition is very easily supportable with this assurance, That as Christ was in the World, so are they in the World; and if Their life be hid with Christ in God, when Christ who is their life, shall appeare, they shall appeare with him in glory: I am,
Most Honoured Mother, Your most obedient Sonne, and Most Humble Servant, Henry Lawrence.