An Apology for the Discipline of the Ancient Church, To the reader
TO THE Reader.
THe Prince of peace knows who bequeathed peace as his laſt Legacy to all his followers, that I am not a man of contentions, or have loved to ſtrive, this being the firſt time that ever I ſet pen to paper in a conteſtation with any man. And to this kinde of any other I have been moſt averſe, becauſe I have found by experience in falling upon, and paſſing through the controverſies Theological, the ardour of devotion hath been abated, and many hours that might have been better ſpent in piety, and the ſtudy of neceſſary fundamental doctrines, ſurreptitiouſly ſtollen from me. When therefore I had ſet up my reſolution to meddle no more with the Polemicks, I was awaked by an importunate Letter, in which finding many foul aſperſions to be caſt on my Mother, or rather the Catholick Church, (I mean not the Romane, for I never did, nor do acknowledge her to be worthy of that name) in whoſe ſteps the Reformed Church of England hath troden in her Doctrine and Diſcipline legally conſtituted, I thought my ſelf bound according to my Talent to vindicate her in her conſtitutions.
If any man ſhall ſay this needed not, it having been ſo often, ſo vigorouſly done by abler pens; yea, and confirmed to be wiſely conſtituted, by the diſtractions and diviſions which have fallen upon it, ſince thoſe foundations have been ſhaken and removed by aery brains, then which there cannot be a ſtronger plea for the neceſſity of that Diſcipline which is here oppoſed and vilifyed: I muſt confeſſe this is true, and that by all wiſe and ſober men, our Mother hath gained hence thus much advantage, that Plus colitur, placet, atque viget, laudatur, amatur.
Yea, and her greateſt Adverſaries, were they unbiaſſed, might come to know quae recta ſunt, although Athenian like for ſome reaſons, they are all for news, and therefore facere nolle.
Yet being provoked I held my ſelf bound to anſwer, yea, though I did but ſay over again thoſe things which Wiſe, Learned, Pious men had ſaid before me; for I intended not to impoſe upon my Reader, which is uſual, by obtruding that for my own, which indeed I have but borrowed from other men. Eaſie it had been for me to vary phraſes, and in other words ſo to have dreſſed up the judicious determinations of the Learned before me, (who have in this diſcourſe ſaid ſo much that little can be added) that men might have attributed ſomething to me. But neither the ſubject upon which I was to write would ſuffer it, nor yet mine own inclination. For ſuppoſe I ſhould magiſterially deliver the ſelf ſame truth as from my ſelf with thoſe Worthies; yet when were I able to do it with the ſame vigour and eloquence? how could an equal credit be given to my words, as to their grey hairs, and impartial relations of Church-practice, who were eye-witneſſes of what they have delivered? Beſides, it more ſharply ſtrikes the mind, and more deeply ſeizes upon the underſtanding, and wins belief ſooner, what the Pillars of the Church have left to us in their Monuments, then what I or Cluvienus ſhall ſet down. And this is the reaſon, that where I found any thing oppoſite, either in Ancient or Modern Divines, I have expreſſed it in their own words, and not in ſuch as I could eaſily have diſguiſed. And in this I have followed the judgment and authority of the graveſt men, who have taught me, that in eo laborare quae ſemel rectiſſimè dicta ſunt, nova orationis forma enunties, intempeſtivae eſt oſtentationis. Moller, praefat. in Pſalm.Therefore whatſoever the Reader ſhall obſerve in this Apology ſpoken to the point in hand, I deſire he would not attribute it to me, but to thoſe who have laboured before me upon that ſubject, whoſe Diſciple I willingly profeſſe my ſelf to be, and a Pigmy upon their ſhoulders. Only if the Reader ſhall find their allegations more aptly and vigorouſly applyed and preſſed home, or more perſpicuouſly opened and cloſely laid together, or ſome defects here ſupplied, and looſer diſcourſes fortified, I have my aime.
This Apology had not appeared in publick, had not the publication of the Admonitory Epiſtle call'd it forth. For my intent in it was firſt to ſatisfie my friend that ſent it, an old acquaintance, though alwayes of a diſſenting judgment, which yet I hoped had been better bottomed: and then to put into the mouths of my brethren of the Clergy (to whom I underſtood the Copy was ſent as well as to my ſelf) what to reply. But when I found it abroad, I conceived my ſelf bound to let the World know what might be returned to the imputations; for I conceive to the conſiderate Reader they will appear no more, after he hath peruſed the Reply.
So fairly I have dealt with the Admonitor, that I have not here and there catched at pieces, or taking any advantages by wreſting any expreſſions in the letter; But deduced the whole into parts, and the parts into ſeveral paragraphs, and reſolved every paragraph into diſtinct propoſitions, framed in the very words of the Letter, which the writer cannot deny to be his own aſſertions, and annexed a ſeveral anſwer to them, that ſo the Authour of the Admonitory ſhould not complain that any wrong is done him, or his ſenſe miſtaken, as is uſual among Litigants in this kind: And I hope withall I have ſo demonſtrated the Truth, where the matter was capable of a demonſtration, that there wil be left no more juſt cauſe to wrangle. And my hope is in part confirmed by this, that the firſt part of it being ſent to the Authour of the Admonitory more than ſixteen months ſince, it received no return; which gives me juſt occaſion to ſuſpect it is not ſubject to any notable exception. The other two parts have lien by me ever ſince that was ſent; and that they were not made companions with the firſt, ſome reaſons there are, which I hold it not neceſſary to make known.
From any bitterneſſe of language (though ſometimes juſtly provoked to it) I dare ſay the frowardſt adverſary will acquit me. Sarcaſms you ſhall meet with none, Aſtîſmi now and then; and that cannot be imputed; for it was the honour of Socrates, the graveſt and wiſeſt of the Philoſophers, that he was foreign What Tully ſaid of old age, cannot be diſliked in any ſtile, ſeveritatem in ſenectute probo, acerbitatem nullo modo. That ſharpneſs which having over-much of the ſowre will diſtaſte, being brought to a right temper pleaſeth the palate, and provokes the appetite. Reader, it was the Authours purpoſe ſometime to delight thee, but moſt of all to edifie, informe, confirme thee, which if it may be effected, he hath his end. For it is my hearty prayer that a period may be ſet to this wrangle, and that we may all turn to the way of truth and peace.
Farewel, W. N.