Plutarch in the life of Pelopidas. dle with this fire that is kindled among us, and not burn his fingers A mans good affections happily may be approved, but his prudence will be queftioned. But what I finde Luther writes in an Epistle to his friend Nicolas Gerbelius in the like cafe, fhall fatisfic me, Cupio ego inveniri Christi & Ecclefia fua fidelis, fi prudens effe non potuerim minifter: I defire howfoever to be a faithfull Minister of Christ and his Church, if I cannot be a prudent one. The ftanding in the gap is more dangerous and troublesome then the getting behinde the hedge, there you may be more fecure, and under the winde, but it is beft to be there where God looks for a man. That which Pelopidas faid to his wife taking her leave of him as he was going out of his houfe to the Warres, is a fpeech worthy of all men in publique place: She comes weeping to him, and prayes him to look well to himselfe, he anfwers her, My good wife, it is for private fouldiers to be carefull of themselves, not for thofe in publique place, they must have an eye to fave other men lives. It may be when you are going about a work that hath hazard and trouble in it, your wives or fome friends of yours will with great affection defire you, beseech you, to have a care of your felves, that you bring not your felves into trouble or danger, oh take heed of that, rather never meddle, let others doe that work if they will; you fhould answer, It is for private men to take care of themselves, but men in publique places are called to look to the publique, that it fuffers not through their negle& Some come into the gap, not to make it up, but to keep it open, yea to make it wider; the Lord deliver nie from fuch a fpirit: God knows I had rather die, then be a caufe of fo great an evill. What this endeavour of mine may work in mens hearts, God knowes. If it meet with a fon of peace, I hope it will fpeake peace, it will eftablish peace in fuch a heart: if with a fon of ftrife it may worke ad modum recipientis. That which is intended to be an Irenicum, may prove to be a Polémicum, a bone of contention. Those things which God himselfe ordaines for union (the Sacraments) are by mans corruption made the occafion of the greateft contention in the Chriftian world. No marvell then that what comes from mans fincereft intentions and beft endevours be turned quite croffe. Like enough these leaves may meet with fome boifterous Reader, that may beat them one against another, that may pry and picke to finde that in them which is not, looking thorough the contradictions of his owne fpirit he may think he fees the like here. Let the lines be never fo ftraight, yet he will wreft and pul them what he can to make them lye croffe. I am so far from being follicitous that they are so indeed, that the fpeciall thing I defire of thee is the laying one thing to another, the comparing one thing with another. Remember what the fubject is, Divifions, Differences. I have in it to deale with various fpirits, opinions, wayes remember the scope is to feeke the compofing of them what I can. If you fee me now neare to the one fide, and by and by neare to the other, which yet are very wide from one another, be not rash to judge, that I am off my center; reade on, and fee what the iffue may come to. This path of mine hath beene upon fharpe ftones, cutting hels, and pricking thornes, yet thorough the helpe of the fhooe of the preparation of the Gospel of peace, I doe not finde my feet cut. Peace is pretious to me, I feele the sweetnesse of it I am willing to do what I can to honour it. The pub lique jarres, contentions, difturbances abroad in Church and Common-wealth are very grievous. They fay there are in the world fuch things in Families alfo. I have brought here fome water: if my line had been longer, my bucket had beene fuller. You have here what I delivered: fome things are added, especially quotations of Authors and Hiftories. When they grow to be many I thinke them fitter for the Preffe then the Pulpit. I was the more willing these things should come forth to publique view, because otherwise what other men apprehended to be my minde, would be put into their owne words, and fo rendred in an evill appearance. But will Printing help? The boldneffe of this age is fuch, as not onely to make a mans words found otherwife then when they came from him, and fo traduce him; but confidently to averre that there are fuch things written in fuch Bookes, of fuch men, which never yet came into their thoughts, much leffe into their pen. With what boldneffe hath it been faid and printed againe and againe, that I in that Book entituled, The glorious name of God, The Lord of Hofts, did call the Earle of Effex the Lord of Hofts. Surely the fight of these men is extramittendo, not intramittendo, they fend forth fpecies of their owne dyed with the evill of their hearts, and then they fay they finde them in fuch a book. No man can finde that name given by me to him: I indeed endeavoured to encourage him in his worke, because the Lord had made him the Lord of our Hofts, which is no more then the Lord of our Armies. The utmost that ever was faid or writ comes but to this, that God had put a name upon him that came neare to his, but never mentioned without fome difference from it. An abuse in this kinde, though not altogether fo high, I have had from the Anti-Apologift; he quotes many places in my Lectures upon Hofea, he fets downe the pages, wherein he sayes, I have contrary to what is in the Apology preached for that way you call Independent. Would any man but thinke, when he fees the Booke named in Print, the Lecture, the very page mentioned, but that the thing is true, it is to be found there? But to this day it hath never come to my cares that ever any man hath found fuch things there but himfelfe. Are rhose the places? Let moderate and quiet spirited men looke into them, and they fhall finde nothing there but what the generality of Presbyteriall Brethren, yea I thinke I may fay every one, who is not either Prelaticall or very violent, will acknowledge to bee truth, and if fo, I am free. But we fhall have another time for this. At this time I would gladly that this Treatife might meet with no fpirit exafperated, but in calmneffe and quietneffe, let what is here be examined. That God that can create the fruit of the lips to be peace, can make the fruit of the pen to be fo. My aymes are peace, which I shall never cease endeavouring and praying for, who am Thy friend, glad of any opportunity JEREMIAN BURROUGHS. |