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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85036	Truth maintained, or Positions delivered in a sermon at the Savoy: since traduced for dangerous: now asserted for sound and safe. By Thomas Fuller, B.D. late of Sidney Colledge in Cambridge. The particulars are these. I That the doctrine of the impossibility of a churches perfection, in this world, being wel understood, begets not lazinesse but the more industry in wise reformers. II That the Church of England cannot justly be taxed with superstitious innovations. III How farre private Christians, ministers, and subordinate magistrates, are to concurre to the advancing of a publique reformation. IIII What parts therein are only to be acted by the Supreme power. V Of the progresse, and praise of passive obedience. VI That no extraordinary excitations, incitations, or inspirations are bestowed from God, on men in these dayes. VII That it is utterly unlawfull to give any just offence to the papist, or to any men whatsoever. VIII What advantage the Fathers had of us, in learning and religion, and what we have of them. IX That no new light, or new essentiall truths, are, or can be revealed in this age. X That the doctrine of the Churches imperfection, may safely be preached, and cannot honestly be concealed. With severall letters, to cleare the occasion of this book.	Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.; Saltmarsh, John, d. 1647. Examinations. Selections.; Fuller, Thomas, 1680-1661. Sermon of reformation. Selections.	1643 (1643)	Wing F2474; Thomason .36[9]; ESTC R23497	61,984	103

Spirit of God should not work in the soules of O unregenerate but expect an answerable Compliancy first who should be sanctified If God had expected any such Congruity in our businesse of salvation we had been unredeemed To speak P closer what Qualification did Queen Q Elizabeth expect when shee received a Kingdome warm from Popery What Qualification did R Henry the eight expect in his Attempt against the Supremacy when all his Kingdome was so universally conjured to Rome Such Moderation and Qualification is no other but a discreet taking so much as will serve your turne To the law saith the Scripture S and to the Test mony Moses wrought according to the Patterne so Salomon too godly Bucer makes it his worke to perswade King Edward to build up a perfect Church and he V prophesies sadly that he was afraid Popery would succeed because the Kingdome of England was so averse to the Kingdome of Christ And we know the Marian dayes followed me-thinkes we are too like his proprophesie and our W Marian times approach too fast TREATIS K You write of a Reformation of a Church like Bodin Would I wrote like Bodin though on the condition that I never wrote Answer to your Examinations Would we had some Bodins some such able States-men that they might improve their parts to advance an happy Accommodation betwixt our Sovereigne and his Subjects L You make it a worke of Policy not of Piety I make it as indeed it is a work both of Moses and Aaron wherein Piety is to be prefer'd and Policy is not to be excluded M Such Counsellours had Jeroboam and Jehu Sir shoot your Arrowes at me till your Quiver be empty but glance not with the least slenting insinuation at His Majesty by consequence to compare him to Jeroboam or Jehu for their Idolatry He knoweth how to bestow his Gold farre better and to leave the Calves for others N This Moderation and Qualification you speake of is not so consistent with spirituall Essenses and Operations This your line is not so consistent with sense as to need much lesse deserve a Confutation O If the Spirit of God should not have wrought in the souls of Unregenerate I wonder that allotting as you say but one afternoon for the whole work of your Examination you could spend so much time some minutes at least in such impertinencies P To speake closer And truly no more then needs for as yet you are farre enough from the matter But I will not confute what you confesse Q What Qualification did Queen Elizabeth expect She needed not to expect any when she had all Requisites to reforme Those who have such Qualification are not to expect but to fall a working those that want it are not to fall a working but still to expect Queen Elizabeth as supream in her Dominions had a sufficient calling to reforme nothing was wanting in her Onely her Memory doth still deservedly expect a more thankfull acknowledgement of her worthy paines then generally she hath received hitherto R What Qualification did Henry the eight expect in his attempt against supremacy He likewise had Qualification sufficient and therefore needed not to expect any as your following words doe witnesse wherein you say that All his Kingdome was universally conjured to Rome If it was his Kingdome then he had a calling if it was conjured to Rome then he had a cause to reforme and being the King was bound to be the Exorcist to un-conjure his Subjects from such superstition Yea had King Henry reformed as sincerely as he had a lawfull Calling thereunto his memory had not been constantly kept in such a purgatory of mens tongues for his lukewarme Temper even the most moderate counting him too good for to be condemned and too bad to be commended S To the Law saith the Scripture and to the testimony I will treasure up this excellent passage till a convenient time being confident that before the next Paragraffe is examined I shall appeale to these Judges and you decline them T Godly Bucer makes it his worke to perswade King Edward to build up a perfect Church The book of godly Bucer which you cite I have seene on the selfe same token that therein he makes a Bishops to be above Presbyters Jure divino You know Bucer wrote this worke as leading the front of his Opera Anglicana in the very beginning of King Edwards reigne before the Reformation was generally received in England and whilst as yet Popery was practised in many places And next to this his book followeth his gratulation to the English Church for their entertaining of the Purity of the Gospell so that what he doth perswade in the book you alleadge was in some good measure performed in that Ks. reign and afterwards better compleated by Queen Elizabeth V And he prophesieth sadly that he was afraid Popery would succeed Herein he took shrewd aime and it happened he hit right Such predictions are onely observed when afterwards they chance to take effect otherwise if missing the marke men misse to marke them and no notice at all is taken of them I know a latter Divine not the lowest in learning one of the highest in b zeale amongst them who foretelleth that Atheisme rather then Popery is likely to overrunne England Such Presages may serve to admonish not to afright us as not proceeding from a propheticall spirit but resulting from prudentiall observations But before we take our farewell of this book of Bucers it will not be amisse to remember another passage not to say presage in the same worthy worke that we may see what sinnes in his opinion were forerunners of ruine in a Kingdome The margin presents the Reader with the c latin which I here translate though the former part thereof be englished already in mens practise and the latter I feare will be englished in Gods judgements How horrible an affront doe they doe to the Divine Majesty who use the Temples of the Lord for Galleries to walk● in and for places so prophane that in them with their fellowes that prattle and treat of any uncleane and prophane businesse This sure is so great a contempt of God that long since even for this alone we have deserved altogether to be banished from the face of the earth and to be punished with heaviest judgements Such I am afraid will fall on our nation for their abominable abusing of Churches besides other of their sinnes and prophaning the places of Gods worship Not to speake of those and yet what man can hold his tongue when the mouthes of graves are forced open who in a place to vvhich their guilty conscience can point vvithout my pens direction did by breaking up the Sepulchers of our Saxon Christian Kings erect an everlasting Monument to their ovvn sacriledge Such practises must needs provoke Gods anger and now me-thinks I write of the Reformation of a Church like Bucer and not like Bodin W Me-thinks we are too

Truth Maintained Or POSITIONS DELIVERED in a Sermon at the SAVOY Since Traduced For DANGEROVS Now Asserted For SOVND and SAFE By THOMAS FVLLER B. D. late of Sidney Colledge in Cambridge The Particulars are These I That the Doctrine of the Impossibility of a Churches perfection in this world being wel understood begets not lazinesse but the more industry in wise reformers II That the Church of England cannot justly be taxed with superstitious innovations III How farre private Christians Ministers and subordinate Magistrates are to concurre to the advancing of a Publique Reformation IIII What parts therein are only to be acted by the Supreme power V Of the progresse and praise of passive obedience VI That no extraordinary Excitations Incitations or Inspirations are bestowed from God on men in these dayes VII That it is utterly unlawfull to give any just offence to the papist or to any men whatsoever VIII What advantage the Fathers had of us in learning and religion and what we have of them IX That no new light or new essentiall truths are or can be revealed in this age X That the doctrine of the Churches imperfection may safely be preached and cannot honestly be concealed With severall Letters to cleare the occasion of this Book I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause and execute iudgement for me then will he bring me forth to the light and I shall see his righteousnesse Micah 7. 9. Printed at Oxford Anno Dom. 1643. TO THE Most Sacred and Reverend ASSEMBLY For the REFORMATION of the CHURCH now convened by the PARLIAMENT Most Sacred and Reverend Divines I Have but the thoughts of an Afternoone to spread before you for I Examined the same Pace that I read that if it were possible a Truth might overtake an Errour ere it goe too farre It is not a little Encouragement that I may sit like the Prophetesse under the Palme tree under such a Shade as your selves and what weakenesse soever may appeare in these my Assertions This ayring them under your Patronage will heale them For so they brought forth the sick into the streets that at least the shadow of Peter might touch some of them Thus have I suddenly set up my Candle for others to Light their Torch at and I hope you will pardon me if my Zeale to the Truth made me see Anothers faults sooner then mine Owne Your Servant in Christ Iesus Iohn Saltmarsh TO the Two most Famous VNIVERSITIES OF ENGLAND I Dare not give you such high Epithites as Master Saltmarsh bestoweth upon the Assembly to call you the MOST SACRED Be contented to be Stiled the Two most Famous Vniversities a Title which it is no Flattery to give you but Injury to deny you I have the Studies of some whole dayes to spread before you I am not ashamed to confesse so much but should be ashamed to present your learned Considerations with lesse And will rather runne the hazard of other mens Censure to have studied so long to no purpose then to be guilty to my selfe of so much disrespect to You as to offer to your Patronage what cost me but sleight studying Indeed I examined his Examinations of my Sermon with the same pace that I read them But I could not confute his Errors so speedily as I could discover them nor could I so soon make them appeare to others as they appeared to me and the Evidencing of his Faults did cost me some Paines whereof I hope I shall never have just Cause to Repent I am altogether out of hope that my Truth should quickly overtake his Error which had the Advantage of me both at the Starting and in the Speed And yet I beleeve what I want in the swiftnesse of my Feet I shall have in the Firmenesse of my footing And when I overtake it at last as I am sure I shall seeing untruths will Tire as being better at hand then at length I am confident by Gods Assistance it will get firme and quiet Possession in spight of opposition It is altogether Improper for mee to compare You being Two in number to the Palme Tree under which the Prophetesse Deborah sate But the Analogie will hold well if I should resemble You to the Two Olive Trees continually dropping oyle in the Presence of God And methinks Master Saltmarsh his Expression to the Assembly VNDER SVCH A SHADE AS YOVR SELVES making them in the Assembly but a Shadow and then what is the Shadow of a Shadow worth under which hee desireth to sit was but an undervaluing and diminutive expressing of their worth I honour you as You Deserve and Counting You a Real and Lasting Substance so I addresse my Respects unto you Humbly requesting you to be pleased to Patronize and defend this my defence the rather because what doctrines therein I deliver not long since I suckt from One of you and in this respect I beleive both Breasts give Milke alike And therefore as your Learning is most Able so your Goodnesse will bee willing to Protect the same not so much because I had them from you as because you had them from the Truth Some perchance may blame my Choice in Choosing You for my Protection who in these troublesome times are scarce able to defend your selves The Universities being now Degraded at least suspended from the degree of their former Honour And I wonder Men should now talke of an Extraordinary great Light when the two Eyes of our Land so you were ever accompted are almost put out However this short Interruption of your Happinesse will but adde the more to your Honour hereafter And here as it were Store of Pride for me to Counsell you so it were want of duty not to Comfort you Know the only Good Token of these Times is That they are so extreamely Bad they can never last long God give you a sanctified Impression of your Afflictions neither to sleight them nor sink under them and so forbearing to be longer troublesome to your more serious Employments resteth The meanest of your Sonnes or Nephewes Thomas Fuller TO THE LEARNED AND MY WORTHY GOOD FRIEND Master Charles Herle SIR WHen I read a Pamphlet of M. Saltmarsh written against me it something moved my Affections but nothing removed my Judgement But when I saw it recommended to the world with your Approbation in this manner Nihil invenio in hoc Libello cui Titulus Examinations or a discovery of some dangerous Positions delivered in a Sermon of Reformation Preached by Tho. Fuller B. D. quin utiliter imprimatur Charles Herle I must confesse it troubled me not a little suspecting either my Eyes or my Understanding that either I misread your Name or had mis-written something in my Sermon Wherefore fearing Partiality might blind me in mine Owne Book knowing that Eli was not the onely Indulgent Father to his owne Off-spring I imparted my Sermon to some whom you respect and they respect you Men

He that sees far must either have a good sight or a cleare light and sure in this age wee have both Those errours which our Fathers saw for dimme truthes we see for Herisies so surely both our eyes and our light are better for the light which our Fathers have in their lamps can discover but so much to us as it did to them and we know our discovery is such as wee are able to see the shadow which followed them even that Mistery which was working in their dayes both in Prelacy and ceremony who will deny but that the cloud of Antichristianisme was thicke in their times and then the light could not be so glorious as now when those couds grow thinner and more attenuated by the preaching of the Gospel TREATISE To cut off all occasion and pretence of caviling wee will shew God willing in what respect the Fathers for knowledge excelled and exceeded us and in what respect wee modernes goe beyond them They had a threefold advantage above us 1. Of sight 2. Of light 3. and of a nearer object First Of a better sight Being men of eminent natural parts improved with excellent learning and to the Easterne fathers the Greeke tongue the language of the New Teastament was naturall so that it costeth us much paines and sweat but to come to the place whence they started Secondly Of a brighter light As their constancie in persecution was great so no doubt the heate of their zeale was attended with a proportionable light and heavenly illumination God doing much for them that suffer much for him Especially in those points wherein they encountred hereticks they were more then men and went beyond themselves as St. Athanasius against the Arians St. Augustine against the Pelagians and Donatists from whom our moderne Brownists differ no more then the same man differs from himselfe in new cloathes 3. Of a nearer Object They living closer to Christs times could therefore better understand the sence of the Church in the doctrine delivered to the Apostles Here we must know that Apostles and Apostolick men as they wrote Gods word in their Epistles and Gospels for the profit of all posterity so for the instruction of their present age they also * traditioned it in their Preaching by word of mouth to the people of those times not that they delivered any thing viva voce contrary or differtent from what they wrote or that as the Papists stile for their traditions they supplyed and enjoyned any thing as necessary to salvation which otherwise was wanting in the Scripture but the selfe same things which they wrote in the New Testament they also delivered in their Sermons and in their Preaching delated upon them wherefore the prime primative age having as I may say two strings to their bow Scripture and Preaching must needes bee allowed to have had the clearest apprehention of the meaning of heavenly misteries and as the children * of Israell served the Lord all the dayes of Iehossuah and all the dayes of the Elders who outlived Iehossuah who had seene all the great workes of the Lord which he did for Israell in like manner wee may conclude that the greatest puritie and the clearest light of the Church lasted so long as any within sight hearing or memory of Christ or his Apostles preaching or miracles did survive Now to hold the scales even we in like manner have a three fold advantage over the Fathers First a degree of experimentall light more then they had or could have having seene the whole conduct Mannaging and Progresse of Religion since their times whereby with a litle helpe of history a Devine who is under sixtie in age may be a bove sixteene hundred in experience Secondly we have the benefits of the Fathers bookes a mightie advantage if we were as carefull to use it to Gods Glory as we are ready to bragg of it for our owne credit And here I must complaine of many mens lazinesse Indeed a learned man * compareth such as live in the latter times in respect of the Fathers to Dwarffes standing on Giants Shoulders But then if we will have profitt by the fathers learning we must take paines to mount to the tope of their Shoulders But if like idle Dwarfes we still do but stand on the ground our heads will not teach to their girdles it is not enough to through the bookes of the fathers togeather on an heape and then making their workes our footestoolle to stand on the outside and Covers of them as if it were no more but VP and RIDE boasting how far we behold beyond them No if we expect to gett advantage by their writings we must open their bookes read understand compare digest and meditate on them And I am affraid many that least looke into the Fathers boast most that they looke beyond them Thirdly Wee have the advantage of a darknesse removed by Gods goodnesse from our eyes which in some matters did dimme the sight of the Fathers Namely the mistery of Iniquity which wrought in their times now is taken away in the Protestant Church That Bramble of Rome soone will it prick which will be a thorne which afterwards Lorded it over the Vine Olive and figtree beganne very timely to play his parte And the Man of sin then but an infant and every thing is pretty when it is yonge was unawares dandled on the knees of many a devout Monke and rockt in the cell of many an holy hermit who litle suspected that then voluntary sequestring themselves to enjoy heavenly thoughts would by degrees degenerate to be in after ages the cover of Pride lust and lazinesse Now seing this man of sinne is dead already in the Protestant Church and hath a consumption attended with the Hecktick Fever in all other places the taking away of Popish superstition may justly be accounted the third advantage which our age hath By the way we must take heed of a fault whereof many are guilty For some are ready to challenge every thing in the practise of the Fathers which doth not please them presently to be Popish and pretend they tast superstition in whatsoever themselves distast O say they the Fathers lived when the mystery of iniquity did worke and hence they infer that it is evidence enough without further tryall to condemne any cerimonies used by them because they were used by them The way indeede to make Short Assises but Perjur'd Iudges whereas it is not enough to say but to shew that they are superstitious to anotomize and dissect the Popery conteined in them demonstrating where it crosseth the word of God wheras on the contrary all wise and charitable men ought to esteeme the practises of the primitive Church not only to be innocent but usefull and honourable till they be legally convicted to be otherwise If any object that the Fathers had another disadvantage that besides the spreading of Popery other Heresies did also spring and sprout apace

of singular Learning and Piety to Examine it These likewise could discover no dangerous Positions in it except such as were dangerous for a Preacher to deliver but safe for People to Receive in these Troublesome Times And I am Confident that their Iudgement was such They would not be deceived with my Falsehoods and their Honesty such They would not deceive me by their Flattery And now Sir Love cannot Hate but it may justly be Angry Consider how your accusing of me to maintaine dangerous Positions might as the Times stand have undone me and mine and at least have intituled mee to a Prison now adayes the Grave of men alive Times are not as formerly when Schollers might safely Traverse a Controversie in disputation Honourable Tilting is left off since men fell to down-right killing and in vaine should I dispute my Innocence against Souldiers violence who would interpret the Accusation of a man of your Credit to be my sufficient Conviction I have in this my Defence so well as God did Enable me more clearely expressed and strongly confirmed the Positions I formerly delivered and request you to tell mee which are the dangerous Points that here I maintaine By the Lawes of our Land the Creditor hath his Choice whether he will sue the Principall or the Surety and discretion will advise him to sue him which is most solveable Your Ability is sufficiently knowne and seeing you have beene pleased to be bound for Master Saltmarsh his Booke in your Approving it blame me not Sir if I I will not say sue you but Sue to you for my Reparation If you can Convince me of my Faults herein and I will bring great desire and some capacity to Learne from you I shall owne my selfe your Proselyte thanke God for you and you for my Conversion Yea in a Printed sheet I will doe publique Penance to the open view of the World to shew men that although I had so much Ignorance as to Erre I have not so much Impudence as to Persist in an Errour and shall remaine Yours in all Christian Offices THOMAS FULLER To the Reverend and his Worthy good Friend Master IOHN DOWNAM SIR BEing about to read Master Saltmarsh his examination of a Sermon of mine which you to the Preachers credit and Printers security were pleased to approve for Orthodox and Vsefull mine eyes in the beginning thereof were entertained I cannot say welcomed with this following note An Advertisement returned to the Author by a Reverend Divine to certifie him touching the Licensers allowance of Master Fullers late Sermon of Reformation Sir To satisfie you concerning M. Downams approbation of Master Fullers Sermon of Reformation I assure you I heard him complaine that he was wronged by him in that having taken exception at some passages of that Sermon Master Fuller promised to amend them according to his correction but that he did not performe what he promised Conclude me not guilty if I were moved but sencelesse if I had not beene perplext with this accusation Had it beene true I want a word bad enough to expresse the foulenesse of my deed Yea iustly may my preaching be suspected of falshood if my practise be convicted of dishonesty We know how the Corinthians from the supposed breach of S. Pauls solemne promise were ready to infer the falsity at least the levity of his doctrine till the Apostle had rectified their mistake This added also to my trouble that I can privately enjoy my innocence with more contentment to my selfe then I can publikly declare it with safety to others For the present therefore all that I will returne is this Here is an Accusation without a witnesse or a witnesse without a name and both without truth Would the Inke of this reverend Divine whosoever he was only hold out to blot my name and not to subscribe his owne We know what Court was complayned of as a great grievance because Men therein might not know their Accusers If it cannot consist with our mutuall safety to have my accusers as S. Paul had face to face yet it will stand with equity I should have them name to name till when I account this namelesse note no better then a Libel both on you and me God put an end unto these wofull times before they put an end to us that all outward hostility being laid aside we may have more leisure to attend and comfort to follow that inward Christian Warefare which your paines have so well described Yours in Christ Iesus Thomas Fuller To Master JOHN SALTMARSH Minister of Heslerton in Yorke-shire SIR YOu have almost converted me to be of your opinion that some extraordinary Light is peculiarly conferred on men in this age Seeing what cost me many dayes to make you in fewer houres could make void and confute You examined you say the same pace you read and as is intimated wrote as fast as you examined and all in one ofternoon This if it were false I wonder you would say it and if it were true I wonder you could doe it However I commend your policy herein for besides that you have given the world notice of the Pregnancie of your parts and it is no fault of yours if you be rather heard then beleeved hereby you have done me a great disadvantage For if I at leisure discover some notable errors in your examinations you have a present Plea that you wrote them suddenly and I shall only be repaired for the wrong that you have done me with your raptim scripta whereas you had done God as much Glory the cause as much good more right to your selfe and credit to me if you had tooke more time and more truely And now consider you only endeavour to confute some dismembred sentences of my Sermon of which some are falsely and more of them imperfectly alleged You know how in a continued speech one part receives and returnes strength and lustre unto another And how easie is it to overthrow the strongest sentence when it is cut off from the Assistance of the Coherence before and after it Alas this disiointing of things undoeth kingdomes as well as sermons whilest even weake matters are preserved by their owne unity and entirenesse I have dealt more fairely with you and set downe your whole Examinations thereby not expecting any praise but preventing just censure if I had done otherwise If you demand why my answer comes so late seeing so long silence may be interpreted a consent Know Sir it was the tenth of September before either friend in love would doe me the favour or foe in anger the discourtesie to convey your booke unto me Whether this proceeded from the intercepting commerce betwixt the City and the Country or that your Booke was loath to come out of London as sensible that the strength of your positions consisted in the fortifications thereof When I had received one of your bookes I had not your present parts to answer it Men must doe as they may

doe I hope though my credit may Gods cause shall not suffer by my delay seeing Truth doth not abate with time Here I speake not of those many afflictions that have befalne me as not being so unreasonable as to expect any pitty from others in these dolefull dayes wherin none are at leisure to bemoane the misery of any private men whilst the generall Calamity ingrosseth all greife to it selfe and yet I may say such losses could not but disturbe my studies When I had finished my answer I could not so speedily provide to have it printed And to speake plainely I was advised by my best friends to passe by your pamphlet altogether with silence and neglect and apply my selfe onely to enlarge my Sermon for the satisfaction of others However that you may see I will not decline any thing I have answered every operative passage in your Examination Here I might take just exception at the sentence prefixed in the title page of your booke 2 Tim. 3. 5. Having a forme of Godlinesse but denying the power thereof Out of the whole quiver of the Bible could you choose no other Arrow to shoot and make me your marke whom if you taxe for a meere formalist God grant I may make a good use of your bad suspition of me endeavouring to acquit my selfe in Heaven whom you have accused on Earth I must stand or fall to my owne Master to whom I hope I shall stand being held up by my Saviour Remember remember we must all appeare before Gods Judgment Seat when those things which have been done in secret shall bebrought to light Meane time goe you on a fast as you can in the high way to heaven but be not too free willfully to dash your fellow travellers with foule aspersions for if dirt may passe for coine debts in this nature may easily be paid you backe againe so resteth Thomas Fuller TO MY DEARE PARISH SAINT MARY SAVOY MY deare Parish for so I dare call you as conceiving that although my calamities have divorced me from your bed and board the matrimoniall knot betwixt us is not yet rescinded No not although you have admitted another for feare I hope rather then affection into my place I remember how David when forced to fly from his wife yet still cals her My wife Michall even when at that time she was in the possession of Phaltiel the sonne of Laish who had rather bedded then wedded her This Sermon I first made for your sake as providing it not as a feast to entertaine strangers but a meale to feed my family And now having againe inlarged and confirmed it I present it to you as having therein a proper interest being confident that nothing but good and profitable truth is therein contain'd Some perchance will obiect that if my Sermon were so true why then did I presently leave the parish when I had preached it My answer is legible in the Capital letters of other ministers miserie who remaine in the City I went away for the present distresse thereby reserving my selfe to doe you longer and better service if Gods providence shall ever restore me unto you againe And if any tax mee as Laban taxed Iacob Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly without taking solemne leave I say with Iacob to Laban because I was afraid And that plaine dealing Patriarch who could not be accused for purloining a shooe latchet of other mens goods confesseth himselfe guilty of that lawfull felony that hee stole away for his owne safety seeing truth it selfe may sometimes seeke corners not as fearing her cause but as suspecting her judge And now all that I have to say to you is this Take heed how you heare imitate the wise and noble Bereans whatsoever the Doctor or doctrine bee which teacheth or is taught unto you Search the Scripture dayly whether these things be so Hansell this my counsell on this my booke and here beginning hence proceed to examine all Sermons by the same rule of Gods word Only this I adde also Pray daily to God to send us a good and happy Peace before we be all brought to utter confusion You know how I in all my Sermons unto you by leave of my Text would have a passage in the praise of Peace Still I am of the same opinion The longer I see this warre the lesse I like it and the more I loath it Not so much because it threatens temporall ruine to our Kingdome as because it will bring a generall spirituall hardnesse of hearts And if this warre long continues we may be affected for the departure of charity as the Ephesians were at the going away of Saint Paul Sorrowing most of all that we shall see the face thereof no more Strive therefore in your prayers that that happy condition which our sinnes made us unworthy to hold our repentance may through Gods acceptance thereof make us worthy to regaine Your Loving Minister THOMAS FULLER To the unpartiall Reader BE not aff●aid to peruse my Positions though they be accused to bee dangerous The Saints did not feare infection from the company of Saint Paul though he was indicted to be a Pestilent Fellow To acquaint you with my intentions in this Book that so you may proportion your expectation accordingly Herein I have to my Power vindicated the truth consulting with my conscience not outward safety Insomuch that I care not whom I displeased to please the Bird in my Breast Yea when the actions of other men have by the Examiner beene laid to my charge I have tooke the boldnesse to leave them to their Authors to defend For though Honestie commands me to pay my owne debts yet discretion adviseth me from Solomons mouth to avoid Sureti-ship and not to Breake my selfe with being bound for the Errors of others I cannot but expect to procure the Ill-will of many because I have gone in a middle and moderate way betwixt all extremities I remember a story too truely appliable to me Once a Jayler demanded of a Prisoner newly committed unto him whether or no he were a Roman Catholick No answered he what then said he are you an Anabaptist Neither replied the Prisoner What said the other are you a Brownist Nor so said the man I am a Protestant Then said the Jayler get you into the dungeon I will afford no favor to you who shall get no profit by you Had you beene of any of the other religions some hope I had to gaine by the visits of such as are of your owne profession I am likely to finde no better usage in this age who professe my selfe to be a plaine Protestant without wealt or garde or any Addi●ion equally opposite to all Hereticks and Sectaries Let me mate this with another observation By the Law of the twelve Tables if a man were indebted but to one creditor he had no Power over his body but if he owed mony to many and was not solvable