* Noli irritare crabrones. Si lapidcs teras nonne ignis erurapit? Ambros. lib. 1. cap. 21. Prov. xxx.33. Job xxxiii. 21. Prov. xxv. 18. Vid. Reined, contra gravam natioiiis Germanicac. Luth. praefat. ad lib. de conci!. Protest. 34. ministrornm. 4. Conclus. That generally all writers at the beginning of the Reformation.
^ Si accusasse sufficiet, quis erit innocens?
a Nee nos obniti contra, nee fendere tantuni Sufficiinus.
PllEFACE. Hii
on this heap of good meaning, these few, as I suppose, equitable demands.
First, Not to prosecute men into odious appella- tions ; and then themselves, who feigned the crime, pronounce the sentence : like him, who said of one brought before him, If he be not guilty, it is fit he should be : involving themselves in a double guilt, of falsehood and malice ; and the aspersed parties in a double misery, of being belied in what they are, and hated for what they are not. If a man be not what such men would have him, it is odds, but they will make him what he is not : if what he really is do not please, and that be not enough to render him odious, he shall sure enouoh be more. Ithacius will make all Priscillianists, who are any thing more devout than himself.*" If men do but desire to see with their own eyes, presently they are enrolled of this, or that sect ; every mispersuasion being beforehand in petitions, sermons, &c. rendered odious and intolerable : in such a course, innocency itself cannot go long free. Chris- tians deal with one another in earnest, as children in their plays clap another's coat upon their fellow's shoulder, and pretending to beat that, cudgel him they have clothed with it. ' What shall be given unto thee, oh thou false tongue ?' If we cannot be more cha- ritable, let us be more ingenuous. Many a man hath been brought to a more favourable opinion of such as are called by dreadful names, than formerly, by the experience of false impositions on himself.
Secondly, Not to clothe our differences with ex- pressions, fitting them no better than Saul's armour did David : nor make them like a little man in a bom- bast coat upon stilts, walking about like a giant. Our little differences may be met at every stall, and in too many pulpits, swelled by unbefitting expressions, into
'' Sulp, Sever. Epist. Hibt. Ecdes.
Uv PRKFACE.
such a formidable bulk, as poor creatures are even startled at their horrid looks and appearance : whilst our own persuasions are set out prijiaai (ivaalvoig' with silken words, and gorgeous apparel, as if we sent them into the world a wooing'. Hence, whatever it is, it must be temple building ; God's government ; Christ's sceptre, throne, kingdom ; the only way, that, for want of which, errors, heresies, sins, spring among us, plagues, judgments, punishments come upon us. To such things as these all pretend, who are very con- fident they have found out the only way. Such big words as these have made us believe, that we are mortal adversaries (I speak of the parties at variance about government), that one kingdom, communion, heaven cannot hold us. Now truly if this course be followed so to heighten our differences, by adorning the truth we own with such titles as it doth not merit ; and branding the errors we oppose with such marks, as in cold blood we cannot think they themselves, but only in their (by us supposed) tendance do deserve ; I doubt not, but that it will be bitterness unto us all in the end. And, query, whether by this means, many have not been brought to conceive the kingdom of Jesus Christ, which himself affirms to be within us, to consist in forms, outward order, positive rules, and ex- ternal government. I design none, but earnestly desire, that the two great parties, at this day litigant in this kingdom, would seriously consider, what is like to be the issue of such proceedings ; and whether the mys- tery of godliness, in the power thereof, be like to be propagated by it. Let not truth be weighed in the balance of our interest. Will not a dram of that turn the scale with some against many arguments ? Power is powerful to persuade.
Thirdly, Not to measure men's judgments hy their
' Pint. AjloplltlK-g.
PREFACE. Iv
subscribing, or refusing to subscribe petitions in these days about church-government. For subscribers, would every one could not see, with what a zealous nescience, and implicit judgment many are led. And for re- fusers, though perhaps they could close with the general words, wherewith usually they are expressed ; yet there are so many known circumstances, restraining those words to particular significations, directing them to by and secondary tendencies, as must needs make some abstain. For mine own part, from subscribing late petitions about church-government, I have been withheld by such reasons as these.
1. I dare not absolutely assert, maintain, and abide by it (as rational men ought to do every clause, in any thing owned by their subscription) that the cause of all the evils, usually annumerated in such petitions, is the want of church-government, taking it for any govern- ment that ever yet was established amongst men, or in notion otherwise made known unto me. Yea, I am confident that more probable causes in this juncture of time might be assigned of them. Neither can any be ignorant, how plentifully such evils abounded, when church discipline was most severely executed ."" And, lastly, I am confident that whoever lives to see them suppressed by any outward means (when spiritual weapons shall be judged insuflBcient), will find it to be, not any thing either included in, or necessarily an- nexed unto, church discipline that must do it; but some other thing, not unlike that, which in days of yore, when all the world wandered after the beast, sup- pressed all truth and error, but only what the arch enemy of Jesus Christ was pleased to hold out to be believed.. But of this afterward.