A PARABLE OR CONSVLTATION OF PHYSITIANS VPON MASTER EDWARDS Doctors Love Justice Patience Truth Observers Conscience Hope Piety Superstition Policie LONDON Printed by Thomas Paine for Giles Calvert and are to be sold at his shop at the Black spread Eagle at the west end of Pauls Church 1646. To the Reader MEN for the most part of all opinions are bread up with so much feare and scrupulosity that they no sooner arive to some measure of knowledge in their perticular way but they become meere Pedants fierce and violent censurers of all things they are not accustomed to themselves instantly engaging and condemning before they have deliberately examined or maturely debated the thing they judge which is an evill and unhappy temper of mind because unsâ—ciable and proceedeth from want of that generall knowledge which freedome of consideration would beget It is therfore worth our labour to study how to reduce our minds into the most friendly disposition to be ready and alwayes provided of harmelesse and friendly thoughts of men and things untill evident cause appeare to the contrary not to looke with an evill or a growling eye as if we desired to find matter to except against it is a shrewd signe of desease when the stomock hankers after unhol some things It cannot proceed from true Religion rightly understood to beget malancholly moody angry frampoll Imaginations for that rightly understood begets cheerfulnesse of spirit which is ever accompanied with love and maketh the best construction for love thinketh no evill but hopeth all things and is very kind to all men The ensuing discourse would not need this preparative but that there is an aptnesse in the most to misconster and a readinesse to giveeare gladly to any that shall shew either wit passion or mallice in finding fault it is pittie good people should so easily be deluded or evill men so easily worke their ends upon them or good intents be so easily frustrated the unusualnesse of the Title and method of this discourse will minister occasion to the Weake and to the Perverse but if the authority antiquity and use of Parables be considered with some ingenuity the Author will not loose the end of his discourse nor of this preface which is to worke amendment in some where there is cause enough A PARABLE Or Consultation of Physitians upon Master EDVVARDS DOCTOR Love Mr. Edwards I have knowne you long and have considered your complextion inclination am no stranger to your alterations and changes your turnings and returnings your loathing and againe liking one and the same thing and was alwaies willing to have advised you to take some fit course in time as being too well assured you could not but fall into some desperate distemper which now we all see hath proved too true but you ever shunned my acquaintance and at present seem so little to regard my words as if you wished my absence Doct. Patience Sir excuse him you see his distemper is very violent Doct. Love Nay Sir it moves me nothing nor shall not hinder me from doing him all the good I am able Mr. Edwards Gentlemen as desperately violent as you judge my distemper I have not yet lost the use of my sences I know you aâ—l and have heard Mr. Loves wise exordium I have known him as long as he has known me but I was never yet so simple as to think him wise enough to counsell me in case I had needed any nor doe I know by what strange meanes he or any of you of his politique tribe thus thrust your selves upon my privacy Piety Sir it was my care and their loves that brought them hither for in my apprehension you are in a most dangerous condition and the more because you are altogether insensible thereâ—f Truth He is either very insensible as you say or very obstinately desperate Mr. Edw. As for both your judgements I value them no more then I desire your companies and as for you friend Piety you and I of late have had no such great familiaritie that you should presume to be thus officious and indiscreetly troublesome you see I am not friendlesse here are friends whose friendship and counsel I muâ—h â—steem Pray friends what is your opinion of me am I not as sound of wind and limme as ever I was in my life have I need think you of the counsell of these learned Doctors or not Superstition Mr. Edwards you know I am your faithfull friend I have received much good by you I would not for any thing in the world the least hurt should befall you It is from you I have received that little knowledge and comfort that I have for which I have not been unthankfull if it had not been for you I might ere this have run into one strange Sect or other but through your care I keep close to my owne Church and to the Churches Doctrine through which I live quietly and for which I am respected in the place where I live and may in time be some body in my parish if not in the City and therefore I love you and will be plaine with you I professe Sir I judge the Doctors to be very simple persons for it is as evident as the light that is in me that you are in as perfect a good condition as I my selfe am at this time and I am confident you will say I were very unwise to ask their advice Conscience For all this Sir you must know these Doctors are of approved judgement and fidelity and how ever you may desire to be flattered you very well know the ignorance and weaknesse of this your friend Superstition whom yet you sooth and keep company with all and make to much use off contrary to my counsell you were better abandon him and all the advantages you make of him and whilst you have time give eare to the counsell of these Doctors if you neglect this opportunity you are likely never to have the like Super. Sir you are too rash in judgeing but Mr. Edwards knowes me and I know him better then to beâ— estranged by you or any such as you are Justice By your favour Sir you may sooner be too rash then he for what he hath said wee shall find both just and true Policy Truly Mr. Edwards I am glad I have a further occasion to shew my love unto you at this time you and I for some yeares now have been bosome friends you cannot imagine I meane any otherwise you then your owne heart and I must needs tell you I do see some symtomes of disease upon you but what it is these learned men can best judge and if I may perswade with you you shall for your owne good thankfully except their loves and submit to their judgements and directions but this I must also say that I evidently see there is no cause of hast some few dayes hence may be time enough in which time you and I shall have setled that busines which you
his best friend Conscience wee le pray you to stay with him if he stirrâ— you le call us wee be but in the next roome Love This Conscience is of true temper to make a friend off he neither flatters nor feares no unkindnesse alienates him nor dangeâ— asseighes him from doing the office of a true friend at all times on would not be with us such a friend for any thing in the world this distressed man hath extreamly abused him and yet you set with what servency of affection he sticks to him Iustice I know abudance of the name and of his kindred and truly all the generation of them are such Patience Whence is hee the a Scholler What prote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth I never 〈◊〉 signes of 〈…〉 in him not doth â—â— make any profession that I know of of any one calling holy in use but hens of a wounder publique spirit you shall have him at all 〈◊〉 tings that are for publique good finding fault with the 〈◊〉 of one son of men with want charity in another with pride and disdame in another willing them they glory to be esteemed Christians and till much of Religion go much to Church hear and read and pray and fast frequently because these are the cheapest parts of Religion but to deliver the captine and set the oppressed free or to feed the hungry cloath 〈◊〉 â—â—ed or visit the Father lesse and Widomes to all these they are very backward when they are called to these one hath a great family and there hath marrled awrfe another hath but one servant at home cannot be spared from his wade getting of mony I says he you are rare christians that can about in this worlds goods see your brother laek His dealing is so plaine to the point that very few regard his company and that 's the reason those great meetings produce so little good as they do for without his company you shall never see any effect worthy the name of Christian he hath had no breeding neither in the universities or Ins of Court never was a Courtier not Trauailer yet he is ignorant of nothing speaks very shrewdly to purpose owneth every just publick cause without respect to persons of opinions he will not weare finer cloathes if you would give them to him gratie yet to an ingenious vertuous man there is not a more pleasant companion Hope Pray yee what Religion is he off Truth For matter of outward formes he is very reserved as if he were not fully satisfied I have often heard him say God a Spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and truth but he professeth himselfe to be clearely for liberty of worship and the greatest enemy to compulsion or restriction that can be affirming there is no sinne so unreasonable or un-Christian as for one man especially one bring man to perecute punish or molest another for matters of Religion or to make Lawes concerning any thing supernaturall he saies it proceeds not from any savour of Christianity that men doe so but from an imperious donsineering spirit that takes it in soule scome that any man should doe any thing but by Licence from him I assure yee Conscince allowes no such dealing and this is the maine quarrell twixt him and our Patient Mr. Edwardse but I hope wee shall see them good friends againe Superstition Well if this man dye under your hande your lives shall go for his I le take my oath you are the cause of his death Piety Spare your teares Superstition you shall find we have done him a good office you will see him a new man and your selle too Idcube not erelong Conscience Hoe friends pray yee all come in quickly What 's the matter Love Justice c. Conseience Doe you see this posture wherein he lyeth thus he hath layne about a quarter of an houre his lips moving his hands and eyes lifted up just as if he were praying in the Pulpit Hope It is very wonderfull He takes notice of nobody what will be the issue See he now strives as if he would raise himselfe as if his prayer were ended and he were preparing to Preach Conscience help to hold him up and see what he will doe certainly he supposeth himselfe to be in some great presence for just thus is his manner at such times peace and listen for he begins to speake Mr. Edwards Men of England my purpose is not now as formerly to promote my owne work but to prosecute what is just and necessary without respect of persons or opinions which hath occasioned me to make choice of this place of Scripture The whole commandement is fulfilled in this one word LOVE It hath often come to my thoughts why the Apostle Saint John is called in a peculer manner the Disciple whom Jesus loved but it never made so deep impression in me as at present certainly there could he nothing more joyous to his own spirit then to consider it and my heart at present panting after the reason thereof tels me that John certainly was of a mild a loving and tender disposition more eminently then any of the rest so soft that our Saviour chose his brest for a place of his repose and I am strengthened herein because I find it recorded of him that when he was so old that he was hardly able to come into the speaking place or to speake he prosecuted this most blessed and amiable theame little children love one anoher repeating it often little children love one another as having throughly disgested this lesson of his Masters the whole commandement is fulfilled in this one word LOVE Love is the true touch-stone of all Christian performances it instantly manifesteth how things are so much love so much of God It is the surest guide in all private and publique undertakings without a due regard to the rule of love all things will goe wrong observe it it will be like the North pole to the Marriners to guide you to the quiet harbour of justice and peace it is a rule easie to be understood the meanest capacity is capable thereof none can excuse themselves that swarve from this rule If you would know your duty to God it will tell you that in equity you are to love as he hath loved hath he so loved as to give himselfe an offering and a sacrifice for you then ye ought to walke in love as Christ hath loved would you know how you should manifest your love to Christ Love will set before you the sick the naked the aged and impotent it will lead you to prisons and houses of distresse and shew you the captives the widowes and fatherlesse Children and it will assure you that in as much as you ministred to the necessities of these you have done it unto him but if you have this worlds goods and see and suffer these or any of these to lack there is not the love of God in you Would you have a rule for
your conversations Why the love of God which bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared teaching us to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live righteously godly and soberly in this present world Are yee publique persons Are yee intrusted to judge righteously in all causes Love is the best property even in a judge for God is Love who is the righteous judge of all the earth and slayeth not the righteous with the wicked Love rightly so called putteth no difference betweene high and low rich and poore but loveth all men as they are men alike but the proper object of Love is vertue the more vertuous the more it loveth the lesse vertuous the lesse it loveth what so ever justly deserveth the name of infirmity Love can beare with all but it is contrary to its nature to beare with wickednesse because mercy to the wicked tends to the ruine of the just and so becomes the greatest cruelty Love is just as God is spares not the greatest for his greatnesse nor the wealthy for his money nor any for any by respect so that hold but up your love to God and you can never be partiall in judgement Love doth as it would be done unto in which respect it is a motive to the compleat performance of trust for would it not grieve you to have your love abused in the trust you have given for your good doubtlesse it would Why then sayes Love grieve not those that have loved and trusted you but be watchfull for their safety tender of their freedomes and then you shall certainly reape the fruite of love whihc is an aboundance of love and reall thankfulnesse Are you in dispute what you shall doe in matters of Religion take Love along with you to light you through this laboriath whence never any Authority returned without prejudice Say now is Religion of that nature that you can referre it to him whom you must love to set you â—'es in such sort as you can assure your selfe you shall without sinne obay these rulee Nay when your friend hath done all he can doe are you not to follow your own underst ending of the word of God not his and if you doe not so doe you not sin if so how can any trust Religion And if none can must none can be trusted And love will never meddle with matters not intrusted by way of injunction but only by perswasion whilst we live here knowledge will be imperfect and whilest it is so that which seemeth truth to one seemeth an errour to another If I now shall be so anadvised as to call him an heretique who differs from me I doe but provoke him to call me so for he is as confident of his as I am of my judgement and here the rule of Love is broken that ought not to love in reference to opioion but according to vertue and godlynesse of conversation for this were away otherwise to bring all into confusion there being so many severall opinions if one should revile and reproach another with the names of Heredques and schismatiques Anabaptist Brownist Antinomian Seeker Sectarie Presbyter this tends to nothing but to devide the honest party and to make way for your common enemy for in whatsoever the true and evident rule of Love is broken it tends to dissolution it being love that preserveth all things Therefore my humble advice is in this great cause upon which more dependeth then is presently seen that you give not countenance to one before another for that begets a high conceite in those you favour and makes them dispise all others though they may be as nigh the truth as those in the one you be get pride in the other feare the fruit of both being the worst that can come to any people none are now infallible truth and errour are two easily mistaken but love is easily understood to doe as you would be done unto is a rule generally agreed on Let those that conceive they can justly submit their consciences to others arbitration in the worship of God give in their names for themselves and the places they represent I beleeve upon a little consideration few would be found t is not what formerly hath been done but what may justly be done that is to beare sway with all true reformers No man hath been more earnest then I for compelling all to uniformity and for punishment of all contrary practisers but I now see my errour and will do all I can to make amends for the evill I have done the books I have written I will burne with my owne hand for I judge no opinion so evill as molestation for Religion What I have in hand shall never see the light because I now see it to be a work of darknesse and I exceedingly rejoyce that I have this oppertunity to declare thus much before you if ever men shall kindly be brought to be of one mind I see it must be by liberty of discourse and liberty of writing we must not pretend to more infallible certenly then other men this distinction of Clergy and layety how I loath it I le no longer abuse the world therewith nor with any thing appertaining there unto I will henceforth magnifie nothing but love I am the devoted servant of Love and his lovely companions Iustice Putience truth Piety and Conscience shall be my fortresse to defend me from the wiles and force of Machiavilian Pollicy O Love I how thou hast melted me how thou hast refined me and made me all new perfect thy worke O! Love that I may become all love and nothing but love Piety Here is a happy change indeed certainly the cure is absolute we have great comfort of our poore indeavours how his discourse fell at last from the publique to his particular content my advice is that wee all silently depart and let all things be removed as if no man had been here as for you Conscience I know you will not leave him and when he wakes your presence doubtlesse will be most acceptable FINIS
we interupt him not he will spend all his spirits and expire in this extacy Conscience pray take hold on this occasion and speake to him Conscience Mr. Edwards I know all your proceedings observe all your waies and have ever faithfully advised you for your good to leave the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 and to walk in the wish of Christ but you are so farre from following my advice that you lay plots to stifle me but Truth Conscience save your labour your voice no sooner sounded in his care but he fell fast a sleep t is wonder our sad to con â—â—â— but I hope the issue will be good Iustice T were but just he should never wake I never observe the most wicked man in the world delight in so abominable a worke Patience Deare Justice Let us take this opportunity to consult what may 〈◊〉 done for his recovery for that is now our worke Piety pray yee friends bring the light and come hither I begin to smell the most filthy savour that ever was smelâ— see see what a black froth his mouth somes with all see it riseth more and more some thing must be brought to receive it from him out upon'â— I am not able to hold the light any longer if it continue thus we shall not be able â—o endure the roome Superstition Pray let me doe that office I wish I might never haâ—s a better sent I am sure some of you smell of ranke her esie I mistake not Truth Wee must beare with can weaknesse till you are better informed how â—hundaâ—tly it flowes he is now extreame weake but were he in his wonted strength with this most filsby Gangrenoâ—s matter would he mix his inke and whilst it were even hot and boyling fall to writing as he hath done lately some huge volumne with which he poysons the spirits of thousands otherwise wells minded people and fils them with a violent musterfull disposition with which they goe up and downe vexing and molesting all they meet if any man refuse to doe as they would have them in the worship of God though never so peaceable and well minded him they revile at him they râ—lle call him Anabaptist Independent Brownist Sneker Antâ—â—oâ—â—an worry and vex him by all the waies and â—ei next they can 〈◊〉 the Migistrate and rude people to wearie them out of all societyear and will joyne with their owne enemies to their owne ruine rather then these should have a quiet life amongst them It flames extreamely stoop him a little humillity is alwaies good I feare it will blister his mouth it is so hot but I hope it will all come from him â—and then wee shall have no more to doe but to get out the bâ—gge for that must be done other wise the humour will fill againe and he will never be perfectly â—â—red Hope Sir the couâ—er begins to alter from its blacknesse 〈…〉 red Patience There is now some hope of a good event it doth not smell so strongly Love Pray hold this soveraigne Pomander to his nostrill lest his spirits faint Piety I should be exceeding glad to see his recovery which if he doe truly Conscience you deserve the greatest thankes Iustice There comes now perfect blood my oâ—inion is wee must instantly proceed to open his head and take cut the blader and in roome thereof to leave some ingredients proper for rectifying the temper of the brain and to bring it into a good constitution I have instruments ready and he sleeps very soundly Love Pateâ—nce Truth Wee all agree but let us be very tender Superstition you had best withdraw a little lest you fall into a sound or your hand shake give the light to Piety Conscience and Hope lend us your helpe who should that be that knocks so loud Conscience pray step and see Conscience What an inpudent wretch is this who should it be but Pollicy returnd in a grave Doctors habit pretending to be sent hither by a Colledge of friends to lend his assistance t was well I went to the doore for he would have deceived any that had not knowne him so well as I he was so like a Collegiate sure his familier tels him his agent is likely to be dispossest but I have sent him packing with a vengeance pray goe on with your worke Justice I pray bow him a little more to â—e-ward so give the pan to superstition I am not able to stand neere it Piety Rather let it be burnt for Superstition is too much infected already Conscience By no meanes I le keep it untill my friend wakes that he may see what filthy matter his head was stuft with all Piety It is well considered and if he loath the avon himselfe his cure will the better appeare to us to be perfect Love Doe ye not lance too deep think you pray be very carefull Justice Pray Piety hold the light neerer come all hither see what mighty large bag it is I professe I never saw the like except in the late head of great C ANTERBVRY but it was not discovered till after his death but the savour of this is much worse what shall we doe with it now we have it out sure it is best to receive it to shew him with the matter it contained otherwise he will never beleeveth and I pray be all ready with your severall ingredients to fill up the empty place that the humours may be rectified and that thence may issue forth no more such unsavory pestilent matter odiouâ—to good men but such as may bring honour to God and peace to all good men come let us see what wee have amongst us for this work will admit of no delay Love I have a most excellent powder the maine agent therein being the eyes of Turtle doves and the property thereof is to expell all sinister apprehensions and hard constructions of men and things Justice I have a balsome approved by long experience for the clensing and drying of all violent hot and grosse humours Patience I have found much profit by carrying about me the well known plant called Al-hease and I judge it very usefull in this cure Truâ—h I have an ingredient which though of astrange nature yet without it I am parswaded the cure cannot be perfect it is an extraction from the braine of a Serpent which gives quicknesse of apprehension and foresight Justice I pray you truth be carefull you ecceed not the just proportion because if you should youl l marre all Hope what think you of our course Hope I approve thereof so farre as I understand but itere is Piety is better able to judge Piety I exceedingly approve of all and if you please I le mix them and work them into a body and forme the same fit for the place and then Justice when you please you may goe on with your worke Iustice content so t is very well he stirs not I le close up all and wee will all with draw and leave him to rest for rest now will be