Scriptures Opened and Cases of Conscience Resolved, Title page – To the reader
SCRIPTURES OPENED; AND Sundry Caſes of Conſcience reſolved, in Plain and Practical Anſwers TO SEVERAL QUESTIONS, Upon the Proverbs of Solomon, Eccleſiaſtes, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel. By that faithful Servant of JESUS CHRIST, William Thomas Maſter of Arts, Late Rectour of the Church at Ʋpley, in the County of Somerſet.
Mark 4. 1.
When he was alone, they that were about him, asked him of the Parable,—And he anſwered—
Jeſu bone! quo illa fervore? quo ſtudio intenta erat divinis voluminibus? quaeſtiones & proponens & ſolutas recondens in Scriniolo pectoris ſui.
Hieronym. ad Oceanumde Fabiola.
LONDON, Printed for Sampſon Evans, Bookſeller in Worceſter. 1675.
The Epiſtle to the Chriſtian and Religions Reader; with an Advertiſement or two, touching the Reverend Authour and the following Work.
DEad Parents live in the Natural Iſſue of their Bodies; Dead Paſtours in their Spiritual off-Spring, thoſe Babes brought forth by their Soul-travels, who are the Epiſtle of Chriſt a2 Cor 3. 3.miniſtred by them, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the Living God, not in Tables of Stone, but in the fleſhly Tables of the heart: And many times they live among Survivours in the Poſthumous Children of their brains, more to be valued by far than the fruit of the Womb, in that they prove a more Laſting Monument to the memory of their Fathers, and much more fruitful in propagating a Holy Seed in the Church from Generation to Generation.
The Authour of theſe enſuing Queſtions and Caſes being dead bHeb. 11. 4.yet ſpeaketh by and liveth in them both: God honoured him with the Succeſs of his publick-Miniſterial Labours whileſt Living. Many (we doubt not) went to Heaven from under his Miniſtry before their Spiritual Father, cCor. …. 14.leaving him for a while to provide for the younger Children of the Houſhold of Faith at Ʋbley, who are now growing, and going after their Father and Spiritual Brethren to their Heavenly Fathers Houſe; bleſſing God for him who (through the Bleſſing of God) proved ſo effectual an Inſtrument of their Tranſlation out of an eſtate of Sin and Miſery (d) into an eſtate of Sanctity and Salvation. Now he is Act. 26. …8,dead, he lives again and ſpeaks alſo by the mouth of the Son of his old-Age; perfectly formed before his death, but left to the Midwifry of our care (as the bequeſt of his Special Love) to be brought forth by a Timely and Seaſonable publication. Pity! ſuch a Benjamin ſhould be ſtrangled in the birth, or being born ſhould die again without doing ſome ſignal Service for the Seed of Jacob. Oh that he may uſher them into the acceptance, and ſhew them the face of Jeſus!
To which end we deſire thee (Chriſtian Reader) not only to make what is here offered of thy Company, but alſo of thy Council, by taking all down to dwell with thee, yea in thee by diligent Reading and Meditation. All is but little for bulk, but leſs than all is big, and goes with much matter of worth and weight; no leſs uſeful for the direct aſpect it hath upon the Practical parts of Godlineſs according to truth, than grateful by reaſon of the variety and brevity; many ſhort lines being herein drawn in different colours but all meeting in the Centre of that Truth which is after Godlineſs.eTit. 1. 1.
But it needs not large Letters of Commendation from us to procure it a welcome Entertainment: It will ſufficiently commend itſelf to the truly Conſcientious; and it is ſufficient to ſay here, Tolle, lege. He that will read what is written with an enlightned eye, muſt needs ſee ſo much Sanctity in it joyned with ſo much Sobriety, ſo much Art mixed with ſo much Divinity, ſo much matter crowded together in ſo few words, ſuch depth of Judgment in ſuch plainneſs of Speech; that after he hath lightly taſted of that Spirit which animates the whole and every part, will (queſtionleſs) thirſt after a full draught and cry, Give, Give.
Therefore, not to hinder thee from paſſing along thorough the Porch of a brief Preface into the Houſe, and viewing the ſeveral Rooms adorned with the Glory of Divine Truths, we ſhall only advertiſe thee of theſe following particulars.
That theſe Miſcellanies of Expoſitions, Queſtions and Caſes, are preſented to publick view as they were left to us by that Holy man Mr. William Thomas without any Addition, Subſtraction or Alteration. The very ſame body now appears in the very ſame dreſs into which it was put by the Reverend Authour now with God; except any exceſſes or literal defects happen to it by the preſs, or a queſtion or two be Tranſplaced for Methods ſake or the greater advantage of the Reader.
That theſe Queſtions and Caſes were no other than Family-Exerciſes either propounded by him, or to him, and anſwered by himſelf, only when alone with thoſe of his own houſe: and being Houſhold-impartments were deſigned to be imparted to the houſhold of Faith; for the aſſiſtance of younger Miniſters by furniſhing them with many materials for buildings; but eſpecially for the help of Houſholders and all honeſt-hearted private Chriſtians, who have too little time to lay out in Reading the voluminous diſcourſes of Caſuiſtical Divines, or conſult with many Interpreters about the ſence of ſuch Scriptures as are hardly underſtood, f2 Pet. …. 16.eaſily wreſted, and here clearly opened. The great plainneſs and familiarity of the Phraſe and Style, together with the direct tendency every particular hath to practice, are undeniable evidences that the whole was intended for the profit of ſuch people.
That ſome of theſe things are layd out more largely as the matter required, and time gave leave; others are confined within a narrower compaſs; for the ſame difficulties occur not in every caſe, nor intricacies in every Queſtion or Scripture: but there is nothing offered that coſt the Authour nothing. All his Writings ſmell of the Lamp, and theſe Anſwers and Reſolutions are full of Labour. Though this Workman never liked the expence of precious time on formal curioſities, and was wont to be much diſpleaſed with thoſe Preachers who conformed to the tedious builders of Diana's Temple for the magnifying of their Art; yet he was always very curious of his matter, and thought that what grew up in a night like Jonah's Gourd gJonah 4. 6, 7., was fit to continue no longer than it did which periſhed in a night: He that builds for Eternity had need be conſiderate in his preparations, and conſtantly induſtrious in his works.
To end, whatſoever is here preſented to thy view is the Child of many Prayers as well as much Meditation; and the Father of it (whileſt Living) was as frequent with the Father of Lights hJam. 1. 17.for a bleſſing on it; as Auguſtine's Mother for her Son. He miſcarried not, but was a Shining Light in the Firmament of the Church. We truſt this will not miſs the Author's ends on thee, which were Gods Glory and thy Good, by leading thee into the Land of Light, and leaving in thee an encreaſe of Light. For the attaining whereof we ſhall be daily Suitors at the Throne of Grace, and moſt ready to manifeſt our ſelves the helpers of thy Faith, and
Thy Servants for Jeſus Sake.
John Chetwind,
Rich. Fairclough,
William Rawlins.