A Discourse Concerning Prejudice in Matters of Religion, Half title – Dedication
Mr. SYMMES's SERMON, CONCERNING PREJUDICE In Matters of Religion.
A DISCOURSE Concerning PREJUDICE In Matters of Religion. OR, An ESSAY, To ſhew the Nature, Cauſes, and Effects of ſuch Prejudices: And alſo the Means of Preventing, or Removing them.
By Thomas Symmes, A. M. & V. D. M.
Mat. 21.42. —Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The Stone which the Builders rejected, the ſame is become the head of the Corner.
1 Pet. 2.8.—A Stone of stumbling and a Rock of Offence, even to them which stumble at the Word, being diſobedient—.
Joh. 6.60. Many ſaid, This is an hard ſaying, who can hear it?
Gal. 5.11.—The Offence of the Croſs—.
BOSTON: Printed by S. Kneeland, for S. Gerriſh, Sold at his Shop in Corn-Hill. 1722.
THE DEDICATION.
To the Second Church in Newbury, of which the Reverend Mr. John Tafts is Paſtor.
Reverend and Dearly Beloved,
THE Art of Printing (invented, but about two hundred Years ſince) has been a vaſt Service to Religion and Learning. Hence, the Statesman, the Phyſician, the Gentleman, the Mechanick, yea, the Ladies, as well as the Scholar, the Philoſopher, the Chriſtian, and the Divine are furniſhed with agreeable Libraries. And tho' 'tis matter of Lamentation, that this excellent Art, has been abuſed, (as Muſick, Poeſy, and other Arts have alſo been,) to the Diſhonour of Almighty GOD, the Scandal of Religion, the hardning of the wicked, and the grief of Wiſe and Good Men: yet the Reformed Churches, and particularly our Nation, and Land have great cauſe to be thankful for this noble Invention; they being hereby richly ſupply'd (not only with various other uſeful Books, but) with great plenty of very excellent Sermons, Expoſitions of Scripture, Syſtems of Divinity, and the like; by which, (as many of the eminent Servants of God being dead, yet ſpeak unto us; ſo many other worthy Perſons, and eſpecially) the Miniſters of the Goſpel are ſtill bleſt with Opportunities of rendring their Uſefulneſs more extenſive and durable, which I think they ought to improve with all thankfulneſs and readineſs. For tho' I'm perſwaded we may be too forward to appear in Print; and am ſure that the ſuppreſſion of ſome things I've ſeen would have contributed as much, or more to the Honour of the Authors, their Country & Religion, than the Publication of them: yet I verily believe that ſome good & great Divines, who have been and are amongſt us, have been too ſhy, modeſt and reſerv'd, and made themſelves too far guilty of hiding their Talent in a Napkin, whilſt they've withheld from us what is more precious than Gold! And truly it's my humble Opinion, that we had much better hear with ſome feeble Eſſays & weak Births from the Preſs, (which we are under no obligation in the World to patronize, admit under our ro…f, or touch with one of our Fingers,) than by raſh cenſuring ſuch honeſt wellmeant Compoſures, & ſcoffing at the Authors thereof, take an unhappy method to deprive our ſelves of the pleaſure & advantage of peruſing many other more entertaining Meditations, & Diſcourſes, by thus tempting the worthy Authors of them (that they may eſcape the ſcourge of the tongue, to refuſe expoſing them to publick view.
In ſhort, I think that as the Miniſters of the Goſpel (of which Order, I confeſs my ſelf the moſt unworthy) ſhould ſee, that they have a Call of God, to Preach in this or that Place; and when they are ſatisfy'd therein ſhould not be diſcourag'd on any ſcore whatever: ſo when PROVIDENCE calls them to Publiſh their Sermons, or other Writings, (and Wiſdom is profitable to direct them in judging of this, they ought unqueſtionably to do it, and leave the Event with GOD. For my own part I do & will (relying upon Divine Aids) govern my ſelf by this Rule.
As for the enſuing Diſcourſe, all I ſhall ſay is; that I firſt Studied it for, and Preach'd it to my own People, without the leaſt tho't of it's being made Publick, (it being partly occaſioned by a moſt unhappy and unreaſonable Controverſy about Singing by Note;) and having offer'd it in two other Congregations, where I was ſoon after called to Preach; I at length delivered it at your Lecture; where ſundry of my Brethren in the Miniſtry were preſent, who expreſs'd their Approbation of it; and ſeveral amongſt you deſiring it might be publiſhed, I at length conſented to it; partly to make you ſome amends for not gratifying your deſires of ſeveral Sermons, you ſome Years ſince by repeated Votes ask'd of me; and partly becauſe I perceive it was not acceptable to ſome in whoſe bearing it was preached: who will, I hope, do me the Juſtice, and themſelves the Honour to change their minds about it, (if they'l vouchſafe to give it the reading,) and repent of the ill Temper they were in, when it was delivered to them in the Name of GOD from the Sacred Desk. However, I remember what is ſaid of the bearers of the moſt celebrated Preacher that ever was (the Son of God only excepted) that ſome believed, & ſome believed not, Act. 28.24. But the chief Reaſon (I honeſtly profeſs) of my printing the following Diſcourſe is, becauſe I judge that (ſuch as it is) it's needful, and may (if God pleaſe to bleſs it) be uſeful amongſt us in this part of the Country, and wiſh there were no occaſion for it elſewhere. And tho' I might eaſily have enlarg'd on the Nature and Signs of Prejudice; & did ſo, eſpecially on the latter, in my own Pulpit: yet I was loth to add any thing to this Sermon, that was not in it, when delivered to you: but if this find acceptance, I deſign another Diſcourſe concerning Chriſtians Prejudices againſt one another, if God give Opportunity, (unleſs any of my Reverend Fathers or Brethren will undertake that Subject, which I ſhould very much rejoyce in,) and if my Friends encourage my proceedings in that work, I may therein ſpeak more largely to the Head mentioned.
And now, Brethren, I thankfully acknowlege my obligations to you, for your kind acceptance of my poor Endeavours, from time to time, in the work of the Ministry: praying GOD, who has greatly bleſs'd the Goſpel amongſt you, eſpecially upon the firſt Settlement of your preſent worthy Paſtor (One Hundred & Thirty ſix Perſons being added to your Church in the ſpace of Three Years; whereof 80 were added in one Year, & 31 of them in one Day, May 1.1715.) that He would take delight to dwell amongſt you, & pour out abundance of his Spirit on you and yours: And entreating your conſtant fervent Prayers for me & mine: & particularly, beſeech you to follow this Diſcourſe (which Heaven has made ſerviceable to ſeveral in hearing it) with your Requeſts, that it may be uſeful to ſuch as ſhall ſee meet to read it.
I am Brethren Your Hearty Friend and Servant, THOMAS SYMMES. Bradford, Decemb. 27.1721.