Resuscitatio, or, Bringing into Publick Light Severall Pieces of the Works, Civil, Historical, Philisophical, &Theological, Hitherto Sleeping

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I , J 7 8 .An Advert~fement, tOHcbing tbe Coutroverfie.J out difference:> allllntruths, unlawfull; Nouvithfi:andin_g, that the Midwives are directly reported, to have been blefied, for their Excufe :, And Rt~hab, is faid1 by Faith, to have conceat~d the t;;pies: And sal~mons feletJeci JudgP.ment, proceeded upon a Simula­tio11: And our s'aviour, the more to touch t~e Hearts, of. the two Dijciples, with an holy Dalliance, made, as 1fhe would h~ve ~a f­fed Emau.r. Further,, I ha.ve heard fom~ Sermons of Mortificatum, which, I think, with v_ery good ~eam~g, they ha v~ pre~chc:~ , out of their own Expenence, Jnd Exerctfe; And Thmg~ 10 pn-vate CatanfeJs, not unmeet: But furely, no Sound Conceit~~ I Much like to Parjons Rifo_lution, or not fo good; Ap~, to breed ~? Men rather weak OpiniOn~, and perplexed Defpatres, then fz-liall, ~nd True Repentance, whtch is fo?ght. . . . Another Point, of great Inconvenience, ~nd penll, ts,. to ~n tt ­tle the reoplc, to hear Controverji_es, and all Ktnds of Dollrme.l hey fay~ no part; of the Counfell, of<?od, is to be f~pprefied, nor the People defrauded. So as the Dtfferen~e, whtch the Apojile rn ~· keth, between Milk and Strong Meat, ts confounded : And lus Precept, that the ,;eak._, be aot admitted) unto ~ejiio11s, and 1 CotJtroverfies, tdketh no place. But mofi of all is to be fufpe~ea, as a Seed of further !nc.onve­nience their Manner of Handling the Scriptu.res. For whtlefi, they (t"(k e~preife Script~re for every Thing; And that they have, in a manner, d;prived themfelves, and the cl:urch, of a fpeciall Help a'nd Support, by Embafing, the Authonty, of the Fat hers; They refort to Na/z.ed E'xamplet, Conceited Infirences, and Forced Albtjions; fuch.> as do mi~e, into all ~ertainty, .o~Reli_c!,ion. . Another Extrem.ity, IS the Excejfzve Jt1agnijjmg of that, whtch though it be a principal], and moH: holy Infiitution ; y;t hath it Limits) as all things elfe have. We fee, wherefoever, 1n a man­ner, they find in the scriptures; The Word~ f~oken of,. they ex­pound it of Preaching. They have made It:> In a naanner, of the E./Jimct, oft he Sat.-amen~, of the Lords_s~pper,to have a SernJo~J. pre­cedent. They have, m a fort, ann1h1lated the :ufe of Liturgies, and Forme1 of Divine Service;. Although, the Ho;re ofGDdbe deno­minated of the Principall, DQm1U Orationis; A HoufeofPrayer,. and not a Hoife ofrrec~ching. .(\s for the Life, of the go.od .Jt.fonl{f, and Hermits, in the Primitive church, I kn9w, they vnll candemne a Man, as half a P~pifl, if he fi1ould maintain them, as other then Ptophane, becaufe they heard no Sermons. In the mean time) what Preaching is, and who may be faid to Preach, they move no ~eflion. But, (as far, as. I fee,) every man, that prefumeth to .fpeak in Chdir, is accounted a Preacher. But I am affured, that not a. few, that call hotly, for a Preaching Miniflery, deferve to be th.F Firft themfelves, that fhould be expelled. All which Errours, and Mifproceedings, they do fortifie, and intrench, by an ad .. difred R.efpecr, to theit own Opinions; Arid an Impati~nce, to hear Contradiction, or Argum~nt;yea, I know fome ofthem,that 1 would : of the_ Church, D[England. -•7~·-:J ---------------- . that would think it, a Tempting of God; to hear, or read, what I may be ~1rd againfr them : As if there cduld be~ A~ ff2!!_od bommi ejt, tenetc; without an Omnia probate, going before. • 4 This may fuffice, to ofter unto t hemfd ves, a thought, and Confideration, whether, in thefe things, they do well, or not And to correct, and afi'wage, the Partiality, of their FoUowers. · For as for any Man> that {hall, hereby, entedntoa Contempt of their !vlinifiery; it is but his own Hardnej j of Hart. i know, the ! work of Exhortation, dot~ chiefly re~; upo n thefe Men, and they have Zeal, and Hate, ofSJil. But agam, let them take Heed,rhat it be not true, which one of their Ad verf.nies faid; ·1 h.t.t they have but two [mall wants ' Knowledge, and Love; And fo I conclude this Poi11t. The lafr Point, touching the due rublifhitig, and Debati1tg, of thefe c_ontro'l..terjes, ~1 eed~th no long Speech. This firange Abufe,· of Antiques, and Pafqutls, hat h been touched before. So like· wife, I repent that, which I faid ; That a Character of Love, is more proper for Debates, of th is ·Nature, then that ofZeal: As for all direCt) or indi rect, Glaunce,, or Levels, at Mens Perfons,. they were ever, in thefe Caufes, diG1llowed. Laftly, whatfoever be pretended, the People. is no meet Arbi­trator; but rather the quiet, modefr, and private Afiemblies~and Conferences, of the Learned~· Q.ui tJp.ud 111capacem [pqttitur, non . difcep~at,fedcalumnitttur. The Ptej]e, and P1dpit, would be freed, and dtfch.arged, of thefe Contentions: Neither Promotion, on · the ~ne Side; ~ o.t: Glory, and Hear, on the other Side, ought td cont inue thofe Challenges, and Cartells, at the Croffi; and other Places. But rather, all Preachers, elpecially fuch as be of good temper;,and have Wifdome with Confdence)ought to inctilcate,­and beat upon a Peace, Silence, and Surfeance. Neitfuer let them fear solo11s Law; which compelledj in Factions, every parti­cular Perfon, to range himfelf, on the one fide ; Nor yet,. the' fond calum11y ofNeutrality. But le·t them know, that is true ·which is faid by a n,ife Man; That Neuters, in Contentions:> are eithe: better, or worfe, then either Side. Th~fe things have I, in all fin~erity, and fimplicity, fet down, touchmg the Controverfie.r, whtch now trouble, the Church of E11gland. _And that, without all Art, and Infinuation. Andther­fore, not hke to be gr.atefuiJ, to either Part. 'Notwithfranding, I tl'':Jfr, what_ hath been (aid, fhal!fi~d a Correfpondence, in their mtnd~, wh1ch are not embarqued In Partlality; And which love the Whol~, better then a Part. Wherefore, I am not, out of hope that It may do good; At the leafi ) I fhall not repent my felf, of the Meditation. . FINIS.