will appear that the power of Baptizing and judging who shall be taken for Christians and who not and the power of administring the Eucharist and Eucharistical actions in the Church is as great as this of Ordination especially supposing that a Presbyterie must concur in this and a single Pesbyter may do the other And therefore the one being granted them the other cannot be denyed Sect. 49. Argument 16. If the administrations of the Priests and Teachers in Christs dayes among the Jews was Valid to the people then the Ordination of our Presbyteries and the administrations of our Presbyters so ordained are Valid to the people and receivers now But the Antecedent is true therefore so is the Consequent This Argument is managed so frequently and copiously by our Ministers heretofore against the Separatists that I shall need to say but little of it Sect. 50. The Antecedent is proved easily from Scripture Acts 13.27 15.21 shew that Moses and the Prophets were read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day and Luke 16.29 shews that it was the peoples duty to hear them Mat. 23.1 2 3. Then spake Iesus to the Multitude and to his Disciples saying The Scribes and the Pharises sit in Moses seat all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do but do not ye after their works for they say and do not Mat. 8.4 Mark 1.44 Luke 16.29 But go thy way shew thy self to the Priest and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded c. So that it was the peoples duty to hear and submit to the Teachers and the Priests Sect. 51. The reason of the Consequence is because these Priests and Teachers had not so good a Call as our Presbyters to their Office but were lyable to far more exceptions The Priests were not of the line that God had by his Law appointed to succeed in the Priesthood the succession had long failed as to the just title of the Successors The Priesthood was bought for money of the Civil Powers and instead of being the Priest for life he was oft changed every year chosen by a Pagan Prince and by him displaced and most think there were two at once The Scribes and Pharises had abominably corrupted the Law by their traditions and false expositions and their Calling was much more defective then ours so that if they must pass yet for Ministers of God and their administrations be valid then so must Presbyters and their administrations be esteemed much more I know we need not this odious comparison of our Ministry with the Priests or Pharises but to shew the adverâ—â—ries the odiousness of their accusations and grossness of their 〈…〉 〈…〉 Presbyters may make a Bishop 〈◊〉 they may make a 〈◊〉 But they may make a Bishop 〈◊〉 they may make 〈◊〉 ordain a Presbyter The 〈◊〉 of the Major is proved thus 1. They that may â—onfer 〈…〉 Dâ—gree may confer the lower the place of a Bishop is supposed the higher Degree and the place of a Presbyter the lower 2. â—he Bishops themselves require more power in or to the Consecration of a Bishop then to the Ordination of a Minister called a Presbyter The later may be done according to their Canons by one Bishop with assisting Presbyters but the former must have three Bishops at the least Sect. 53. To this it is commonly answered that Praecise the Ordination of a Presbyter is a greater work then the making of a Bishop and therefore the Major is denyed To which I reply 1. I speak not of a Greater work because the word greater is ambiguous and may signifie the greater change in regard of the Terminus a quo which is not it that I intend But the addition of an higher degree of power may require more power to the effecting it then the giving of the Lower degree though the lower be praecise the greater change for the higher is the greater change as to the terminus ad quem and as Episcopacy comprehendeth or supposeth Presbyterie so the power of making a Bishop comprehendeth or supposeth the power of Ordaining Presbyters It may be praecise or cum praecisione as the Schoolmen speak it may be a greater work to make a beggar to be the chief Prince next to the King in a Kingdom and yet sinâ— praecisione and in regard of the terminus ad quem it is a greater work to make him afterward a King and doubtless the addition of this Power requireth the Greater power to effect it Sect. 54. Otherwise if the Dissenters will stand to their answer we shall from their own grounds infallibly overthrow their cause thus It is a greater work to Baptize then to Ordain or Confirm therefore he that may Baptize may Ordain and Confirm Just as making a Presbyter is cum praecisione and in respect to the terminus a quo a greater work then Consecrating or making a Bishop so Baptizing is cum praecisione and in respect to the terminus a quo a far greater work then Ordination the one making a Christian and the other a Minister of a Christian See Aquil. in Scotel in 4. sent d. 7. q. 2. pag. 816. of Confirmation Sect. 55. It is only the Minor therefore that will hold dispute which I prove from the well known words of Hierom to Evagrius which Bishop Vsher told me he alleadged to King Charls at the Isle of Wight to this end when he was asked by him for an instance of Presbyters Ordaining Quod autem postea unus electus est qui caeteris praeponeâ—etur in schismatis remedium factum est ne unusquisque ad se trahens Christi Ecclesiam rumperet Nam Alexandriae à Marco Evangelista usque ad Heraclam Dionysium Episcopos Presbyteri semper unum ex se electum in excelsiori gradu collocatum Episcopum nominabant quomodo si exercitus Imperatorem faciat aut Diaconi eligant de se quem industrium noverint Archidiaconum vocent Presbyters then made the first Bishops at Alexandria Sect. 56. To this it is answered that it was only Election of Bishops that Hierom ascribeth to the Alexandrian Presbyters and not Ordination of them for that was done by some other Bishops and that it is Ordination that makes a man a Bishop Sect. 57. To this I reply 1. Hierom here undertakes to tell us how Bishops were made at Alexandria but maketh not the least mention of other Ordination or Consecration then these words express as done by the Presbyters And therefore till they prove it we must take the affirmation of another Ordination to be but the groundless presumption of the Assertors 2. Hierom doth purposely bring this as an argument to prove the identity first and the neerness afterward of Bishops and Presbyters that Presbyters made Bishops which would have been no argument if it was not Presbyters but Prelates that made them and if the Presbyters only chose them for 3. The people may choose a Bishop as well as the Presbyters and ordinarily did
out of the fire and to love our neighbours as our selves and therefore to see a man yea a town and Country and many Countries lie in sin and in a state of misery under the Wrath and Curse of God so that they will certainly be damned if they die in that condition and yet to be silent and not Preach the Gospel to them nor call them home to the state of life this is the greatest cruelty in the world except the tempting and driving them to hell To let the precious things of the Gospel lie by unrevealed even Christ and pardon and holiness and eternal life and the communion of Saints and all the Church Ordinances and withal to suffer the Devil to go away with all these souls and Christ to lose the honour that his grace might have by their conversion certainly this in it self considered is incomparably more cruelty to men then to cut their throats or knock them on the head as such and as great an injury to God as by omission can be done I need not plead this argument with a man that hath not much unmand himself much less with a Christian. For the one is taught of God by nature to save men out of a lesser fire then Hell and a lesser pain then everlasting torment to the utmost of his power And the other is taught of God to love his brother and his neighbour as himself If the Love of God dwell not in him that seeth his brother in corporal need and shutteth up the bowels of his compassions from him how then doth the love of God dwell in him that seeth his brother in a state of damnation Cursed by the Law an enemy to God and within a step of everlasting death and desperation and yet refuseth to afford him the help that he hath at hand and all because he is not ordained Sect. 24. Let this be considered of as in any lower case If a man see another fall down in the streets shall he refuse to take him up because he is no Physician If the Country be infected with the Plague and you have a Soveraign medicine that will certainly cure it with all that will be ruled will you let them all perish rather then apply it to them because you are not a Physitian and that when the Physitians are not to be had If you see the poor naked may no one make them cloaths but a Taylor If you see the enemy at the Walls will you not give the City warning because you are not a Watch-man or on the Guard If a Commander die in fight any man that is next may take his place in case of Necessity Will you see the field lost for a point of Order because you will not do the work of a Commander A hundred such cases may be put in which its plain that the substance of the work in which men can do a great and necessary good is of the Law of Nature though the regulating of them in point of order is oft from Positive Laws but the Cessation of the obligation of the Positives about Order doth not disoblige us from the common Law of Nature For then it should allow us to lay by humanity Sect. 25. To this some may say that Its true we may preach in such cases but not as Ministers but as private men and we may baptize as private men in Necessity but we may do nothing that is proper to the Ministry To this I answer God hath not made the Consecration of the Bread and Wine in the Eucharist nor yet the Governing of the Church the only proper acts of the Ministry To preach the word as a constant service to which we are separated or wholly give up our selves and to baptize ordinarily and to congregate the Disciples and to Teach and Lead them in Gods worship are all as proper to the Ministry as the other And these are works that mens eternal happiness lieth on If you would have an able gifted Christian in China Tartary Indostan or such places supposing he have opportunity to speak but occasionally as private men and not to speak to Assemblies and wholly give up himself to the work and gather Churches and set a foot all Church Ordinances among them you would have him unnaturally cruell to mens souls And if you would have him give up himself to these works and yet not be a Minister you speak contradictions For what 's the office of a Minister but a state of Obligation aod power to exercise the Ministeâ—ial acts As it s nothing else to be a Physitian supposing abilites but to be obliged and impowred to do the work of a Physitian The works of the Ministry are of Necessity to the salvation of mens souls Though here and there one may be saved without them by privater means yet that 's nothing to all the rest It is the salvation of Towns and Contreyes that we speak of I count him not a man that had rather they were all damned then saved by an unordained man Sect. 26. The End of Ordination ceaseth not when Ordination faileth the Ministerial works and the benefits to be thereby conveyed are the Ends of Ordination therefore they cease not This is so plain that I perceive not that it needs explication or proof Sect. 27. Nature and Scripture teach us that Ceremonies give place to the substance and matters of meer Order give place to the Duty ordered and that Moral Natural duties cease not when meer Positives cease But such is the case before us Ordination is the ordering of the work If that fail and the work cannot be rightly Ordered it follows not that it must be cast off or forborn On this account Christ justified his Disciples for plucking ears of Corn on the Sabbath day Necessity put an end to the Duty of Sabbath keeping but the duty of preserving their lives continued On this account he justifieth his own healing on the Sabbath day sending them to study the great rule Go learn what this meaneth I will have Mercy and not Sacrifiâ—e So here he will have Mercy to souls and Countreyes rather then Ordination On this account he saith that The Priests in the Temple break the Sabbath and are blameless and he tells them what David did when he was hungry and they that were with him how he eat the shewbread which out of Necessity was not lawfull for him to eat but only for the Priests and yet he sinned not therein Sect. 28. Moreover the Church it self is not to cease upon the ceasing of Ordination nor to hang upon the will of Prelates Christ hath â—ot put it in the power of Prelates to deny him a Church in any countries of the world For he hath first determined that particular Churches shall be and that determination ceaseth not and but secondly that they shall have Pastors thus ordained He is not to lose his Churches at the pleasures of an envious or negligent man But so it would be
occasioning the disorders of other men It s better that men be disorderly saved then orderly damned and that the Church be dissorderly preserved then orderly destroyed God will not alllow us to suffer every Thief and Murderer to rob or kill our neighbours for fear lest by defending them we occasion men to neglect the Magistrate Nor will he allow us to let men perish in their sickness if we can help them for fear of encouraging the ignorant to turn Physitians 2. There is no part of Gods service that can be used without occasion of sin to the perverse Christ himself is the fall as well as the rising of many and is a stumbling stone and Rock of offence and yet not for that to be denyed There is no just and reasonable cause of mens abuse in the doctrine which I here express 3. True Necessity will excuse and Justifie the unordained before God for exercising their Abilities to his service But pretended counterfeit necessity will not Justifie any And the final judgement is at hand when all things shall be set strait and true Necessity and counterfeit shall be discerned 4. Until that day things will be in some disorder in this world because there is sin the world which is the disorder But our Remedies are these 1. To teach men their duties truly and not to lead them into one evill to prevent another much less to a mischief destructive to mens souls to prevent disorder 2. The Magistrate hath the sword of justice in his hand to restrain false pretenders of Necessity and in order thereto it is he and not the pretender that shall be judge And 3. The Churches have the Power of casting the pretenders if the case deserve it out of their communion and in order thereto it is not he but they that will be Judges And other remedies we have none till the last day Sect. 54. Quest. But what would you have men do that think there is a Necessity of their labours and that they have Ministerial abilities Answ. 1. I would have them lay by pride and selfishness and pass judgement on their own Abilities in Humility and self-denyal If their Corruptions are so strong that they cannot that is they will not do this that 's long of themselves 2. They must not pretend a Necessity where is none 3. They must offer themselves to the Tryal of the Pastors of the Church that best know them 4. If in the judgement of the godly able Pastors that know them they are unfit and there is no need of them they must acquiesce in their judgement For able Godly men are not like to destroy the Church or envy help to the souls of men 5. If they have cause to suspect the Pastors of Corruption and false judgement let them go to the other Pastors that are faithfull 6. If all about us were corrupt and their judgements not to be rested in and the persons are assured of their Ability for the Ministry let them consider the State of the Church where they are And if they are sure on Consultation with the wisest men that there is a Necessity and their endeavours in the Ministry are like to prevent any notable hurt without a greater hurt let them use them without Ordination if they cannot have it But if they find that the Churches are so competently supplied without them that there is no Necessity or none which they can supply without doing more hurt by offence and disorder then good by their labours let them forbear at home and go into some other Countries where there is greater need if they are fit there for the work if not let them sit still Sect. 55. Argument 4. If unordained men may Baptize in case of Necessity then may they do other Ministerial works in case of Necessity But the Antecedent is the opinion of those that we now dispute against And the Consequence is grounded on a Parity of Reason No man can shew more for appropriating the Eucharist then Baptisme to the Minister CHAP. IV. An uninterrupted Succession of Regular Ordination is not Necessary Sect. 1. HAving proved the Non-necessity of Ordination it self to the Being of the Ministry and Validity of their administrations I may be the shorter in most of the rest because they are sufficiently proved in this If Ordination it self be not of the Necessity which the adversaries do assert then the Regularity of Ordination cannot be of more Necessity then Ordination itself Much less an uninterrupted Succession of such Regular Ordination Yet this also is asserted by most that we have now to do with Sect. 2. By Regular Ordination I mean in the sence of the adversaries themselves such as the Canons of the Church pronounce not Null and such as by the Canons was done by such as had Authority to do it in special by true Bishops even in their own sence Sect. 3. And if the uninâ—errupted succession be not Necessary then neither is such Ordination at this present Necessary to the being of the Ministry For if any of our predecessors might be Ministers without it others in the like case may be so too For we live under the same Law and the Office is the same thing now as it was then Sect. 4. Argument 1. If uninterrupted Regular Ordination of all our Predecessors be Necessary to the Being of the Ministry then no man can know that he is truly a Minister of Christ. But the Consequent is false and intolerable therefore so is the Antecedent Sect. 5. The truth of the Minor is apparent thus 1. If we could not be sure that we are true Ministers then no man could with comfort seek the Minstry nor enter into upon it For who can have encouragement to enter a calling when he knows not whether indeed he enter upon it or not and whether he engage not himself in a course of sin and be not guilty as Vzza of medling with the Ark unlawfully especially in so great and tender a case where God is so exceeding jealous Sect. 6. And 2. who can go on in the Calling of the Ministry and comfortably do the work and bear the burden that cannot know through all his life or in any administration whether he be a Minister or a Usurper What a damp must it cast upon our spirits in Prayer Praise administration of the Eucharist and all publick worship which should be performed with the greatest alacrity and delight when we remember that we are uncertain whether God have sent us or whether we are usurpers that must one day hear Who sent you Whence had you your Power and who required this at your hands Sect. 7. And the Consequence of the Major that we are all uncertain of our Call and office both Papists and Protestants is most clear in case of the Necessity of such successive Ordination For 1. No man ever did to this day demomstrate such a succession for the Proof of his Ministry Nor can all our importunity
not so much as a ground to conjecture at any probability Sect. 20. But he saith that we may know that some Pastors at least are true or else God had forsaken his Church Aâ—sw But what the better are we for this if we know not which they are that are the true Pastors nor cannot possibly come to know it Sect 21. But he saith that Quod Christi locum tenent quod debemus illiâ— obedientiam may be known and thereupon he saith thaâ— Certe sumus certitudiâ—â— infallibili quod isti quos videmus sine veri Episcopi Pastores nostri Nam ad hoc non râ—quiritur nec fides nec Character Ordinis nec legitima Electio sed solum ut habeantur pro talibus ab Ecclesia From all this you may note 1. That they are veri Episcopi Pastores nostri that were never ordained if they are but reputed such by the Church 2. That we may know this by infallible Certainty 3. And that we owe them obedience as such So that as to the Church they are true Pastors without Ordination and consequenâ—ly to the Church a succession is unnecessary Sect. 22. Yet of such Usurpers he saith Eos quidem non esse in se veros Episcopos tamen donec pro talibus habentur ab Ecclesia deberi illis obedientiam cum conscientia etiam erroâ—â—a obliget So that they are not veri Episcopi in se and yet they are veri Episcopi Pastores nostri if Bellarmine say true And the words have some truth in them understood according to the distinction which I before gave Chap. 1. Sect. 5 6. He hath no such Call as will save himself from the penalty oâ— usurpation if he knowingly be an usurper but he hath such a Call as shall oblige the Church to obey him as their Bishop or Pastor Sect. 23 But his reason Cum conscientia etiam erronea obliget is a deceit and neither the only nor the chieâ— reason noâ— any reason Not the only nor chief reason because the obligation ariseth from God and that is the greatest Not any reason 1. Because indeed it is not an Erroneous Conscience that tells many people that their usurping Bishops or Pastors are to be obeyed as true Ministers For as it is terminated on the Pastors act or state it is no act of Conscience at all and therefore no error of conscience For conscience is the knowledge of our own affairs And as it is terminated on our own Duty of obeying them it is not Erroneous but right For it is the will of God that for order sake we obey both Magistrates and Pastors that are setled in Possâ—ssion if they rule us according to the Laws of Christ at least if we do not know the Nullity oâ— their call 2. And its false that an Erroneous Conscience bindeth that is makes us a Duty For at the same instant it is it self â— sin and we are bound to depose it and change 〈◊〉 and renounce the eâ—ror It doth but intangle a man in a Necessity of sinning till it be laid by But it is God only that can make our duty and cause such an obligation Sect. 24. From the adversaries Concessions then an uninterrupted succession or present true Ordination is not of Necessity to the being of the Ministry Church or Ordinances quoad Ecclesiam for the Church is bound to obey the usurpers and that as long as they are taken for true Pastors Which is as much as most Churches will desire in the case Sect. 25. And the consequence is easily proved For where God obligeth his Churches to the obedience of Pastors though usurpers and to the use of Ordinances and their Ministration there will he bless the Ministry and those Ordinances to the innocents that are not guilty of his usurpation and that obey God herein And consequently the Ordinances shall not be Nullities to them God would never set his servants upon the use of a means which is but a Nullity nor will he command them to a duty which he will blast to them when he hath done without their fault It s none of the Churches fault that the Bishop or Pastor is an usurper whâ—le they cannot know it and that any of his Predecessors were usurpers since the Apostles dayes And therefore where God imposeth duty on the Church and prescribeth means as Baptism Prayer the Lords Supper Church-Government c. it is certain that he will not blast it but bless it to 〈◊〉 obedient nor punish the Church so for the secret sin of I know not who committed I know not where nor when perhaps a thousand years ago Sect. 26. Argument 6. As other actions of usurpers are not Nullities to the innocent Church so neither is their Ordinanation and consequently those that are Ordained by usurpers may be true Ministers If their Baptizing Preaching Praises Consecration and administration of the Eucharist binding and loosing be not Nullities it follows undenyably on the same account that their Ordinations are not Nullities and consequently that they are true Ministers whom they ordain and succession of a more regular Ordination is not of Necessity to the Ministry Church or Ordinances Sect. 27. Argument 7. If such uninterrupted succession be not Necessary to be Known then is it not Necessary to the Being of the Ministry or Validity of Ordinances administred But such a succession is not Necessary to be known therefore The Consequence of the Major is plain because the Being or Nullity of Office and administrations had never been treated off by God to men nor had it been revealed or a thing regardable but that we may know it Nor doth it otherwise attain its ends And that it is not necessary to be known I further prove Sect. 28. If this succession must be known then either to the Pastor or to the Church or both but none of these therefore 1. If it must be known only to the Pastor then it is not Necessary as to the Church And yet it is not Necessary to be known to the Pastor himself neither For as is shewed its impossible for him to know it so much as by a Moral Certainty His Predecessors and their Ordinations were strange to him 2. Not to the Church For it is not possible for them to know it Nor likely that they should know as much as the true Ordination of their present Pastor according to the Prelatical way when it is done so far out of their sight Sect. 29. If the foresaid uninterrupted succession be necessary to the being of our Ministry or Churches or Ordinances then is it incumbent on all that will prove the truth of their Ministery Churches or Ordinances to prove the said succession But that is not true for then none as is aforesaid could prove any of them Either it is meet that we be able to Prove the truth of our Ministry Churches and administrations or not If not then why do the adversaries call us to it If yea then no man
the accomplishment of the daies of purification untill that an offering should be offered for every one of them and this for almost seven dayes Acts 21.26 27. with the foregoing verses § 15. So 1 Cor. 9.19 20. For though I be free from all men yet have I made my self servant unto all that I might gain the more And unto the Iews I became as a Iew that I might gain the Iews to them that are under the Law as under the Law that I might gain them that are under the Law To them that are without Law as without Law being not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ that I might gain them that are without Law To the weak I became as weak that I might gain the weak I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some and this I do for the Gospels sake c. Study this example § 16. Read also Rom. 14. and 15. Chapters how much condescension the Apostle requireth even among equals about meats and dayes And 1 Cor. 8.13 the Apostle would tie up himself from eating any flâ—sh while the world standeth rather then make a weak brother to offend Many other passages of Scripture require a condescension in things of this indifferent nature and shew that the Kingdom of God doth not consist in them § 17. And Matthew 12.1 2 to 9. you find that hunger justified the Disciples of Christ for plucking and rubbing the ears of Corn on the Sabbath dayes And hunger justified David and those that were with him for entring into the house of God and eating the Shew-bread which was not lawfull for him to eat nor for them which were with him but only for the Priests And the Priests in the Temple were blameless for prophaning the Sabbath day Now if things before accidentally evil may by this much Necessity become lawful and a duty then may the commands of Magistrates or Pastors and the Unity of the Church and the avoiding of contention and offence and other evils be also sufficient to warrant us in obeying even in inconvenient Circumstantials of the worship of God that otherwise could not be justified § 18. Reas. 12. Lastly consider how much God hath expressed himself in his word to be pleased in the Obedience of believers Not only in their Obedience to Christ immediately but also to him in his officers 1 Sam. 15.22 Behold to obey is better then Sacrifice c. Col. 3.20 22. Children obey your Parents in all things that is all lawfull things for this is well-pleasing to the Lord Servants Obey in all things your Masters according to the flesh c. And Obedience to Pastors is as much commanded 1 Thes. 5.12 13. We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and esteem them very highly c. Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account c. So Verse 7. 24. 1 Tim. 5.17 c. § 19. As the General Commission to a Parent or Master or Magistrate to Govern their inferiour relations doth authorize them to many particular acts belonging to their office that were never named in their commission so your general command to obey them obligeth you to obey them in the said particulars And so it is also betwixt the Pastors and the flock in matters belonging to the Office of a Pastor § 20. If a Child shall ask a Parent Where doth Gods word allow you to command me to Learn this Catechism or read this Divines writings or repeat this Sermon or write it c. doth not the question deserve to be answered with the rod The General Commission for parents to Govern their children is sufficient so if a Schoolmaster command his Schollers to come to such a place to School and to take their places in such an Order and to learn such books and do such exercises c. the General Commission that he hath to teach and Govern them will allow him to do all this Though it will not allow him to set his Schollers to any Artifice or Manual Operation alien-to his profession So if a Minister determine of the variable Circumstances of worship as what place the people shall come to and at what time to be Catechized examined instructed c. what Translation or Version of Psalms to use what Utensils to make use of about Gods service or such likâ— he is warranted for this by his General Commission And if he miss it in the manner by choosing inconvenient circumstances or by unnecessary determination of points that should rather be left undetermined to liberty though this be his own sin it will not excuse the people from obedience unless the error of his directions be so great as would frustrate the Ordinance it self or do more harm then our disobedience would do which in Circumstantials is rarely found § 21. And thus I have finished this discourse of Ceremonies a Subject that may seem unseasonable at such a time when we are disburdened of Ceremonies But the offence and vehement accusations of the Ceremonious hath made it seem necessary to me while they accuse Dissenters of schism and obstinacy and reproach them as Puritans and seem ready to act their second part in casting out those that be not of their mind if it were in their power when yet they call the Ceremonies but things indifferent and Preachers and Gods Ordinances are not Indifferent things to us FINITVR Iuly 9. 1658. Satisfaction to certain CALVMNIATORS I Am informed from London and several parts of the Land that some of my Books having lately been sold at excessive rates by the Booksellers it is somewhat commonly reported that it is caused by my excessive gain which say they is at least three or four hundred pounds a year I thank the Lord that doth not only employ me in his service but also vouchsafe me the honor and benefit of being evil-spoken of for doing him the best service that I can Mat. 5.11 12. 1 Pet. 4.13 14 15 16. Blessed Augustine was put to vindicate himself by an oath from the infamy of a covetous design which was raised by one godly woman upon a disorderly action oâ— other men and to that end he wrote his 225. Epistle I find no call to use his oath but yet I judge it my duty to imitate him in patience and in rescuing the slanderers from their sin that they abuse not their souls by uncharitable surmises nor their tongues by false reports To which end I give them this true information The two first Books I printed I left to the Booksellers Will for all the rest I agreed with them for the fifteenth Book to give to some few of my friends hearing that some others agreed for the tenth Sometime my fifteenth Book coming not to an hundred and sometime but to few more when of Practical