AN EXPLANATION OF The grand Mystery OF GODLINESS ; OR , A True and Faithfull Representation OF THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL Of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST , the Onely Begotten Son of GOD and Sovereign over Men and Angels . By H. More , D. D.

LONDON , Printed by I. Flesher , for W. Morden Bookseller in Cambridge , 1660.

1. IF thine own Curiosity has given thee the trouble of perusing what I have wrote hitherto , The Authors naturall averseness from writing of Books . that thou maiest not suspect thy task will prove endless , give me leave to informe thee that there is no small hopes that this Discourse may prove the last from my hand that shall exercise thy patience . In which if thou wilt not believe me on my bare word , the better to ease thee of thy fears I shall back it with some reason .

I must indeed confess , That free Speculation and that easie springing up of coherent Thoughts and Conceptions within is a Pleasure to me far above any thing I ever received from external Sense ; and that lazy activity of Mind in compounding and dissevering of Notions and Ideas in the silent observation of their natural connexions and disagreements , as a Holy-day and Sabbath of rest to the Soul . But the labour of deriving of these senses of the Mind with their due advantages and circumstances to the Understanding of another , and to find out Words which will prove f●●thful witnesses of the peculiarities of my Thoughts ; this verily is to me a toil and a burden unsupportable : besides the very writing of them a trouble so tedious , that if any one knew with what impatience and vexatiousness I pen down my Conceptions , they might be very well assured that I am not onely free from , but incapable of the common disease of this Scripturient Age.

2. No smal Engines therefore could ever move so heavy and sluggish a Soul as mine to so ungratefull a piece of drudgery ; That there was a kinde of necessity urged him to write what he has wrote hitherto . as thou thy self maiest collect from my very Writings themselves , the subjects of them being matters of the highest consequence that the Mind of man can entertain her self withall . The writing whereof was in a manner a necessary result of my natural Constitution , which freeing me from all the servitude of those petty designs of Ambition , Covetousness , and the pleasing entanglements of the Body , I might either lie fixt for ever in an unactive idleness , or else be moved by none but very great Objects . Amongst which the least was the Contemplation of this Outward world , whose several powers and properties touching variously upon my tender senses , made to me such enravishing musick , and snatcht away my Soul into so great admiration , love , and desire of a nearer acquaintance with that Principle from which all these things did flow ; that the pleasure and joy that frequently accrued to me from hence is plainly unutterable , though I have attempted to leave some marks and traces thereof in my Philosophical Poems .

3. But being well advised both by the Dictates of my own Conscience , The occasion of writing his Psychozoia . and clear information of those Holy Oracles which we all deservedly reverence , That God reserves his choicest secrets for the purest minds , and that it is uncleanness of Spirit , not distance of place , that dissevers us from the Deity ; I was fully convinced that true Holiness was the onely safe Entrance into Divine knowledge : and having an unshaken belief of the Existence of God and of his Will , that we should be holy , even as he is holy , there was nothing that is truly sinful that could appear to me , assisted by such a power , to be unconquerable . Which therefore urged me seriously to set my self to the task . Of the Experiences and Events of which Enterprize my Second and Third Canto of the Life of the Soul is a real and faithful Record .

As also of his Poem Of the Immortality of the Soul . 4. My enjoyments then increasing with my Victories , and Innocency and Simplicity filling my mind with ineffable delight in God and his Creation , I found my self as loath to die , that is , to think my Soul mortal , as I was when I was a child to be called in to go to bed in Summer evenings , there being still light enough as I thought to enjoy my play . Which solicitude put me upon my first search into the Nature of the Soul , which I pursued chiefly by the guidance of the School of Plato , whose Philosophy to this very day I look upon to be more then Humane in the chief strokes thereof . But launching out so very early into so deep a Theory , I think it not amiss to advertise the Reader that he would do well , where he finds a difference in my discoveries , to interpret , and also rectifie if need be , my First thoughts by my Second , my Philosophick Poems and whatever is writ in that Volume , by my later and better concocted Prose .

These were the first Essaies of my Youth ; and how great and serious the Objects of my Mind were therein thou canst easily judge .

His Satyrical Essays against Enthusiastick Philosophie . 5. And after this , where I seem most light and trivial and play the sportful Satyrist against Enthusiastick Philosophy , my design even then was as seasonable , serious and of as grand importance as I could possibly undertake ; which I have more then sufficiently demonstrated in those Writings themselves . And though some over-subject to the Fanatick disease have looked upon that unexpected sally of mine as a very extravagant exploit ; yet I did easily bear with their ignorance , deeming it in my silent thoughts in some sort parallel to that of the peevish Hebrew who reproached Moses for slaying of the Egyptian , not knowing that it was a preludious act to his delivering of his whole nation from the bondage of Aegypt .

The great usefulness of his Enthusiasmus Triumphatus and of this present Treatise for suppressing Enthusiasme . 6. And I hope I may speak it without vanity , that what is discovered concerning Enthusiasme in my Enthusiasmus Triumphatus , together with that which is comprehended in this present Volume , will contribute no small share to a rightful and justifiable subduing of so dangerous a distemper , and to the slaying or at least fettering that wild Beast that the Devil himself rides upon , when he warres against the Lamb , whose Throne I have seen shaken with the pushings of this monsters horns for these many years together , though never clearer then now of late . And I dare pronounce with a loud voice aforehand , That if ever Christianity be exterminated , it will be by Enthusiasme . Of so great consequence is it rightly to oppose so deadly an evil .

Which cannot better be done then by shewing the Reasonableness and important Usefulness of Christian Religion in the Historical sense thereof , and in reference to the very Person of Christ our Saviour ; which I have , I hope , abundantly performed in this present Treatise : and by discovering the Natural Causes and imposturous Consequences of Enthusiasme , which I had done before in Enthusiasmus Triumphatus . Which two Treatises I hope will prove two invincible Fortresses against all the force and fury of the Fanatical spirit .

7. After this the bold impiety of this present Age engaged my Thoughts in a Subject of no less moment then the former : The occasion and preparations to his writing his Antidore against Atheisme and his Threefold Cabbala . For I saw that other abhorred monster , Atheisme , proudly strutting with a lofty gate and impudent forehead , boasting himself the onely genuine offspring of true Wisdome and Philosophy , namely of that which makes Matter alone the Substance of all things in the world . This misshapen Creature was first nourished up in the stie of Epicurus , and fancied it self afterward grown more tall and stout by further strength it seemed to have received from some new Principles of the French Philosophy misinterpreted and perverted by certain impure and unskilful pens .

Which unexpected confidence of those blind boasters made me with all anxiety and care imaginable search into the power of Matter and mere Mechanical motion , and consider how far they might go of themselves in the production of the Phaenomena of the World . But as for the Philosophy of Epicurus , it seemed to me at the very first sight such a foolery , that I was much amazed that a person of so commendable parts as P. Gassendus could ever have the patience to rake out such old course rags out of that rotten dunghill to stuffe his large Volumes withall . But I must confess I did as much admire Des-Cartes Philosophy as I did despise the Epicurean , who has carried on the power of Matter for the production of the Phaenomena of Nature with that neatness and coherence , that if he had been as ignorant in other things as skilful in Mechanicks , he could not but have fancied himself to have wone that crown that many wits have striven for , that is , the honour of being accounted the most subtil and able Atheist of both the present and past Ages .

This made me peruse his Writings with still more and more diligence : and the more I read , the more I admired his Wit ; but at last grew the more confirmed That it was utterly impossible that Matter should be the onely essential Principle of things , as I have in several places of my Writings demonstrated . And therefore having clearly vanquished this difficulty , I betook my self with greater alacrity to the writing of my Antidote against Atheisme . To which presently after I added my Threefold Cabbala as an Appendix to the same design , being well advised what a homely conceit our high Wits have of the Three first Chapters of Genesis , though they do betray their own ignorance by their mean opinion of them .

8. And possibly then I had left off , The urgent occasion of writing this present Treatise , as also of his Discourse Of the immortality of the Soul . had not a dangerous Sickness , that made me suspect that the time did near approach of quitting this my earthly Tabernacle , urged me more carefully to bethink my self what reception I might have in the other world . And , praised be God , such was the condition of my Soul , though then much overrun with Melancholy , that my presages concerning my future state were very favourable and comfortable , and my desire was to be gathered to that body of which Iesus Christ is Head , even he who was crucified at Ierusalem , and felt the pangs of death for a Propitiation of the sins of the world , who was then represented to me as visible a Prince and as distinct a person and head Politick as any King or Potentate upon earth . And therefore being thus fully convinced with my self that He whose Life was ever to me the most sweet and lovely of any thing I could see or taste , was indeed even in his Humane nature made a King and Priest for ever , and constituted Soveraign over men and Angels , my Heart was full of Ioy ; but withall accompanied with a just measure of shame , that I had spoken hitherto so sparingly of his Royal Office and of the homage due to so Divine a Potentate , whose Subject to my great satisfaction I found my self to be , and whose presence I did not at all despair of approaching in due time to my eternal comfort and honour . Which sense of things made me conceive a solemn Vow with my self , if God gave me life , to write this present Treatise . Which occasion I thought fit not to conceal , though I be much averse from speaking any thing over-particularly of my self , that the high-flown Fanaticks of this Age may consider more carefully what I have writ , and take heed how they either slight or revolt from their Celestial Soveraign .

But I thought it very convenient before I put in execution this great design , to take again into consideration that other weighty Subject , The Immortality of the Soul , being better appointed and provided for the clearing of that Truth then I was when I first adventured upon the Theory . And thus having fully convinced my self ( and I hope as many else as are capable of judging of the more choice and subtile Conclusions of Reason and Philosophy ) That there is a God , and That the Soul of man is immortal , which are the two main pillars upon which all Religion stands ; I advanced forward with courage , having left no Enemy behind , and betook my self with great confidence to the finishing and publishing of this present Treatise Of the Mystery of Christianity . Which I look upon as the most precious and the most concerning piece of Wisdome that is communicable to the Soul of Man , the very chief and top ▪ bough of that Tree of Knowledge whose fruit has neither poison nor bitterness . And therefore being come to my journeys end , I will here sit down with thanks , and enjoy my self under this comfortable shade , and do assure thee , Reader , that I am not likely to weary thy eyes with the descriptions of any further discoveries by my pen.

His account of the Inscription of this present Treatise . 9. Onely that thou mayest view this with the better ease and satisfaction , I shall , according to my usual manner , endeavour to remove all rubs of offence out of thy way , by giving thee an account aforehand of whatever may seem to thee a considerable either Superfluity , Defect , or Aberration in my Performance , not omitting to impart to thee the right and proper meaning of the very Title of my Discourse .

Thou must therefore expect from my terming of it , An Explanation of the Mystery of Godliness , not a mere verbal Exposition or Declaration what is signified therein , but such an orderly Exhibition of the Truths thereof , that the Scope of the Whole being understood , the Reasonableness of the Particulars thereunto tending may clearly appear . And the End to which all Parts of the Christian Mystery point at is the Advancement and Triumph of the Divine Life . In the exaltation whereof God is the most highly and most truly magnified and glorified , and not in the dark and unintelligible exercise of an irresistible Power . By which no other acts of Devotion can be stirred up in us then Fear and Stupour , such as seizes upon poor astonished cattel in stormes and lightnings , or mighty land-flouds , that carry them they know not whether .

I have styled it also A true and faithful Representation of the Everlasting Gospel , &c. True , as intermingling no humane inventions no● deductions therewith , but contenting my self with what is expresly declared in the Scripture . The Truth of which things I think I have demonstrated beyond all exception in the Third part of my Discourse . I add also , Faithful , I having wrote impartially , setting down nothing out of any Passion , Interest or Side-taking , nor out of the spirit of opposition or vain-glory , but speaking the Truth freely without any respect to persons or factions ; not minding either to sooth the one or displease the other , but delivering my message so as one that is sensible he must give account thereof within a small space of time before them in the other World . And as I profess my self that I have done all things herein with a faithful heart , so I doubt not but the Effect will witness for me , that what I profess is true .

For whereas some in an Hypocritical flattery of the External Person of Christ shuffle out all obligation to the Divine Life , that Mystical Christ within us , and pervert the grace of God in the Gospel to loosness and Libertinisme ; and others on the contrary ( whether out of the power of Melancholy that calls the thoughts inward , or the scandal they take from abuse of the personal Offices of our Blessed Saviour , ( they seeing the generality of Christians make the external frame of Religion but a palliation for sin ) or whether from the obscurity of some Articles of the Christian Faith ) have become plainly Infidels and misbelievers of the whole History of Christ , and will have nothing to do with his Person , but look upon the Mystery of Christianity as a thing wholy within us , and that has no other object then what is either acting or acted in our selves : I have with all earnestness of endeavour and with undeniable clearness of Testimony from Reason and Scripture demonstrated the Truth and Necessity of both Christ within and Christ without , and have plainly set out the wonderful Wisdome and Goodness of God in contriving so powerful a means as the very exteriour Oeconomy of Christianity is for the renewing of our natures into the glorious image of his Son , who is the Life of God and the Soul 's sure pledge of an happy Immortality . Besides that there is no Article of the Christian Faith , nor any particular Miracle hapning to or done by our Saviour or to be done by him , mentioned in the Gospels or any where else in the New Testament , but I have given so solid and rational an account thereof , that I am confident that no man that has the use of his Understanding shall be able ever to pretend any Reason against Christian Religion , such as it is exhibited in the Holy Writings themselves . And what is , if this be not , to set out a Faithful Representation of the Gospel ?

Which I have not rashly termed The Everlasting Gospel of our Lord and Saviour , &c. being warranted thereto by that of Daniel , who styles Christian Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Everlasting Righteousness , or The Everlasting Religion , as Grotius has well interpreted it . Which Religion is denoted by the suffering of the Messias , and began from thence , and is to remain till he return again visibly in the Clouds of Heaven and put a period to this Stage of things . I was also thereunto provoked in way of express opposition to that bold Enthusiast of whom I have spoken so much in the ensuing Treatise , who seems to endeavour to superannuate Christianity as it is founded upon the Person of our ever-Blessed Saviour the crucified Jesus , and to introduce another Evangelie , as he calls it , which he pretends to be the Everlasting Gospel , Revelat. 14. and fancies himself that flying Angel in the midst of heaven that is the preacher of it to every nation and kindred and tongue and people .

His Apology for his so copiously describing the Animal Life . 10. As for my Discourse it self , I having adventured there to determine none of the more nice and intricate Opinions of Theology , but kept my self within the bounds of the confessed Truth of our Religion , I hope very few things will occurre that shall not be found inoffensive and perspicuously consonant to Scripture . That which I imagine most lyable to censure is , that in some matters I may seem over-copious , in others too scant . As for example , my Description of the Animal Life , my Display of Paganisme , and my Parallelisme betwixt our Saviour and Apollonius , may haply seem to some set down over-largely and luxuriantly . But truly I thought I could not be too punctuall in describing the Animal life , it being so serviceable for our better understanding the Divine , whose nature and properties by how much more clearly and distinctly any one conceives , and withall has a savoury and experimental rellish thereof , with the greater satisfaction shall he peruse what I have writ , and understand the Reasonableness , and be assured of the Truth and Solidity of the Christian Religion . For the Divine Life is in a manner the deepest bottome of this whole Mystery of Godliness we treat of .

Moreover , The more perfect understanding of the nature of the Animal life makes us the abler to judge of the sundry Superstitions of Paganisme , wherein though by their subtil Apologies they could clear themselves from Atheisme and the worser sort of Idolatry , and could make it good that it was One Eternal Deity , be he never so Philosophically defined , that was the Chief and Ultimate Object of their Worship ; yet it is hereby apparent that the best of them exceeds not the Animal bounds , forasmuch as they worshipped God in these rude Religions onely out of the sense of the gratifications of the Animal life : And if I have more copiously set down how foully and sordidly they have done it , my pains therein I hope may be interpreted to very good purpose , it being manifest thereby how just a victory Christianity had over Paganisme .

And for his large Parallel betwixt Christ and Apollonius . 11. And for that continued Parallel I have made betwixt the Life of Christ and Apollonius , besides the pleasure the Peruser may take , in receiving an account of the character and actions of so noble a person as that Pagan was , ( whom his fellow-Heathens did either equalize to or else prefer before our ever-Blessed Saviour , and who was not a mere Enthusiastick whifler with a raised style and a canting eloquence , but was exemplarily just , chaste and generous , and did such Miracles as nothing but Magick and the assistance of some of the invisible Powers he was in league with could bring to pass ) I say , beside the pleasure , there will accrue to him also the advantage of a more clear and distinct knowledge of the right Idea of a person truly Divine , by discovering of a counterfeit that in outward appearance came so nigh the true . For those things though they dazled the eyes of the better sort of the Heathen , as Hierocles and others , in such sort that they took him to be at least as sacred a person as our Saviour himself ; yet I doubt not but that by this Parallelisme of mine I have proved the Comparison to be very vain and presumptuous , and have made it appear to as many as are competent judges of what is truly divine , that our Saviour Christ does exceed the character of Apollonius ( though it is very probable Philostratus has taken the liberty to adde more Miracles and Perfections then he ever was guilty of ) as far as Apollonius did the brute beasts . And therefore I hold the making of this Parallelisme of very great use and consequence for the enabling us to distinguish the Divine life from the Animal even then when it is dressed up in its most commendable ornaments . Of which this in Apollonius is a very illustrious Example .

12. And though there be no great exercise intended of curiosity of judgement in my bringing up Mahomet and that grand Enthusiast of Amsterdam upon the stage as being bold Corrivals with Christ himself ; The reason of his bringing also Mah●●et upon the Stage and H. N. and of his so large ●xcursions and frequent Expostulations with the Q●akers and Familists . yet it is no supervacaneous action to draw them into sight , though it be but that their own looks might condemn them . For that also tends to the confirmation of our Religion , that she has no actual competitors but such as bear upon them their self-condemnation at the very first view . Which is easilier obtained of Mahometisme , their success and victories having made them bold and careless to lay out themselves to the World . But Familisme is a more various , a more obscure and sculking monster , though she mutter in her dark hole that she has right to the dominion of the whole Earth , and that Christianity and Mahometisme are to give place to her . And therefore truely it might have been judged a defect , if I had not thus haled her out of her den into open day , that the world once having seen her may say they have enough of her , unless God out of his wrath has given them up to a reprobate sense , for their abuse of the solid Truth of the Gospel .

I confess my so large Excursions and frequent Expostulations with the Familists and Quakers are not very ornamental to my Discourse , and may go off but heavily with such persons as peruse mens Writings more for pleasure then service , and rather for private satisfaction then for publick usefulness , which they neither intend themselves , nor do easily spy out or rellish in the intentions of others . But the publick interest of the Church of Christ being the scope and measure of my writing this Treatise , it was sufficient that I kept faithful to my own design , not heeding the gratification of more trim and elegant fancies , who are so nice and finical that they would not come near a sore , though they could heal it by touching it , nor approach a sick person , though the cast of their shadow were a cure .

Wherefore to give an account of my so sedulous and copious Reprehensions and Convictions of these two Sects , who have an over-near affinity one with another , and were growing apace into one Body of Familisme , ( which made me represent that Sect so formidable as I have ) The first reason of my so industriously accosting them is the either certain knowledge or strong presumption I have that there may very well be extraordinarily sincere and wel-meaning men adhering to their way . For though the depth of the Mystery of Familisme , and I doubt of Quakerisme too , be that which every good Christian ought from his very heart to detest and abhorre , namely The slighting , nay , I may say , the utter rejecting of the Person of Christ as to his Humane nature , with all his Offices assigned to him by his Father ; yet this is an Arcanum that is kept hid from their Novices , ( and if a man continue conscienciously good , he may be a Novice with them as long as he lives ) to whom they propound nothing but the most weighty Precepts of the Gospel , and charm their attention with finely-contrived Allegories of the History of Christ , interpreting all to a spiritual or mystical sense of things to be done in us : With which these yonglings are not a little tickled , as thinking themselves adorned with a special piece of divine knowledge ; and then they being marvellously sincere , and having from an Enthusiastick complexion or some better principle a very eager thirst after reall goodness and righteousness , the rellish of these Morall allusions must needs become still the more savoury to them . Whence it does appear that the best and most serious tempered men may be the easiliest drawn to the liking and adhering to so fair and cunning a Faction , and that consequently a man cannot be over-careful and solicitous in trying all means possible to undeceive them and set them in the right way .

But then again further , Our design was not onely in the behalf of these who really deserve to be pittied , but was aimed also against their obdurate deceivers , who being deeply baptised into this accursed Apostasy from the Person of Christ , led multitudes along with them , the Kingdome swarming with those that for no good purpose so peremptorily distinguished themselves from other men , by a resolved coursness and crosness of deportment . What therefore could I do more seasonably , when not onely my self but even almost all men were afraid that this sort of people would overrun all , then to expose to the eye of the world the Bottome of so damnable a Conspiracy , which was no less then Rebellion against their celestial Soveraign Christ Iesus , and the undermining or tearing in pieces of his Kingdome upon Earth under pretence of beginning the Reign of his Saints and holy ones ? This made me so careful and explicite in discovering the whole Mystery of Familisme , and so free and vehement in my Expostulations both with them and the Quakers in this Treatise of mine , being very impatient whatever Variegations an ill-managed Liberty should run the Nation into , that they should ever become Pagans .

That the wonderful hopes and expectations of the Religious of the Nation , yea of the better-meaning Fanaticks themselves , are more likely to be fulfi●led by this happy restoring of the KING then by any other way imaginable . 13. But to the eternal laud and praise of our infinitely-merciful God , whose eye of Providence ever watches over his Church , when things were most desperate , he was pleased to answer the prayers and well-meant endeavours of his faithful servants with not onely hopes but enjoyments more sudden and more ample then could then be imagined , in restoring our Gracious Soveraign CHARLES the Second , to whom God give a long and prosperous reign , so unexpectedly to his rightful Government , to the unexpressible joy and comfort of all his Three Kingdomes . The excellent endowments of whose Royal person are such , that whatever grand matters the fervid Parturiency and amuzed Expectation of the very Fanatick part of this Nation was big withall , may come to a more safe and mature birth by the restoring this long-afflicted Prince to his ancient Right , then by any other way conceivable . For those words of so great sound , and of no less import , namely the Millennium , the Reign of the Saints , the New Jerusalem , and the like , to them that are not very wild or ignorant can signifie nothing else but the recovery of the Church to her ancient Apostolick purity , wherein nothing shall be imperiously obtruded upon men but what is plainly discoverable to be the Mind of Christ and his Blessed Apostles . There shall be nothing held Essential and Fundamental but the indispensable Law of the Christian life , and that Doctrine that depends not upon the fallible deductions of men , but is plainly set down in the Scripture ; other things being left to the free recommendation of the Church , ensnaring no mans Conscience nor lording it over the flock of Christ .

14. Which certainly they do that call those things Antichristian that are not , Wherein consists the very Essence and Substance of Antichristianisme . and thereby make more Fundamentals then Christ or his Apostles ; which Errour is the very Essence and Substance of Antichristianisme , and of the grand Apostasy of the Church . As methinks should appear plainly to any man that considers it from the description of the New Jerusalem , whose Foundation and whole Fabrick runs so upon Twelve . For truly it seems to me very unsafe and over-near the brinks of reproach to the Spirit of God , to conceit that Wisdome which dictated this Prophecy so shallow and trifling , as to mean nothing by that so industriously inculcating the number Twelve but the Churches proceeding first from the preaching of the Apostles ; a Truth that no man never so destitute of the spirit of divination could misse of , or possibly think otherwise . Wherefore the meaning of the Prophecy questionless is , That after the Church has added false Fundamentals to the Christian Faith , and as bad Superstructures , the time will come when it shall be again restored to its former purity : and That as the root Twelve is the Embleme of the pure Church ; so there is also a root of a number that will discover that Church which is the Mother of this great Apostasy , as really in my judgement Mr. Potter in the number 666. has ingeniously demonstrated .

But it is manifest that all the zealous Corrivals for the Government of this Nation , by either decrying things for Antichristian that in themselves are innocent and of an indifferent nature , or by obtruding Opinions that are worse then indifferent , have but shewed themselves Branches of that great Stock of Apostasy , and are too far removed from the reputed merit of either being or beginning of a Church that is purely Apostolical .

15. This Honour therefore seems to have been reserved by Providence for the eternizing the happy Reign of our Gracious Soveraign ; That the Honour of beginning that pure and Apostolick Church that is so much expected seems to have been reserved by Providence for CHARLES the Second our gracious Soveraign , with pregnant arguments of so gl●rious ●n hope . and all the parturient Agonies and zealous presages of the people of this Nation , as if there was an approach of some extraordinary Good to be revealed suddenly to the World , to have been nothing else ( if they knew their own meaning ) but a less explicite presensation of the return of CHARLES the Second to the rightfull Government of his Kingdomes . And truely it will be the greatest Miracle to me in the world if he can frustrate our expectation .

For whether we consider the excellent Qualifications of our Gracious Prince , whom Providence has so long time disciplined in the most effectual method of Prudence and Vertue , besides the express Declaration of His own Royal inclinations this way ; or whether we look upon the Reasonableness of the thing it self , it being not onely recommended to us both by Precept and Prophecies , but also offering so irrefragable evidence from its own nature of the indispensableness of the duty ; there being no other possible means to reduce the World to a right Christian tenour of Spirit , and to recover it to a due strength and soundness of complexion , but by shearing off those large excrescencies of either useless or scandalous Ceremonies and Opinions , the foments of strife and palliations of Hypocrisy , men seeking by these to be excused from the most weighty Precepts of the Gospel ; or lastly we take notice of the great Interest the wise and reverend Clergy of this Nation cannot but discover herein even in reference to themselves : it is almost impossible to doubt of either endeavour or success in this so important affair . For certainly nothing can so well secure their peace and make them impregnable , as the using of their Power and exercising their Discipline in the behalf of such Truths and Rites as are plainly and confessedly Apostolical , and the being more facil and easie in additional circumstances , and cutting quite off all useless and entangling Opinions . For hereby will their Opposers be manifestly found to fight against God and his Christ , while they contest with his Ministers who urge nothing upon the People but what was plainly taught and practised by himself and his Apostles , whose Waies and Doctrines are so sacred , that they ought to be kept up with all lawful severity . Which one plain and generous Rule of Government , if faithfully kept to , is the most effectual means imaginable of making the world good , and for both the Unity and Enlargement of the Church , infinitely above all those many fine artifices and small devices of the most professed Politicians in the Church of Rome ; provided we be not course and sordid , but reverent and comely in our publick Worship .

The reasons why he did not cast out of his Discourse what he had written concerning Quakerisme and Familisme , notwithstanding the fear of these Sects may seem well blown over through the happy settlement of things by the seasonable return of our Gracious Soveraign to his Throne . 16. But to return . In the third and last place , Although the exigency of the Times which then urged me to write thus carefully touching the Quakers and Familists is now ( God be thanked ) changed into a more safe Scene of things , and the resettlement of our Gracious Soveraign in his Throne doth again secure the Scepter of Christ to his Church ; yet I thought it fit not to ex●unge what I had wrote concerning these Sects . For for the present , It cannot but contribute considerably to an unfained composure of their Spirits and peaceful acquiescence in the known Christian Truth , their minds being more at leisure now & better fitted to consider what is true then they were before , when the heat of Enthusiastick hopes of I know not what great success inflamed them and blew them up so high , that the voice of sober Reason could not well be heard in that fanatick storm and Bluster , nor an Errour easily let go , which seemed a pledge of the sudden approach of so great advantages to the entertainers of it . And then for the future , So fundamental a discovery of the unsoundness and madness of these Sects cannot , I think , but be very effectual for the preventing their spreading hereafter ; that it will not be any longer in the power of their false Teachers to befool well-meaning men with fine words , and make them unawares countenance a Faction , the deepest Arcanum whereof is absolute rebellion against the Person of Christ and an utter abrogation of Christian Religion .

Which task though others heretofore have undertaken , and I question not but with like faithful and zealous regard to the good of the Church ; yet their discovery could not be so perfect , they not living in an Age of such liberty , which has tempted all sorts of men to shew themselves in their own colours . Besides that what they wrote being onely concerning this Sect of Familisme in Pamphlets apart by themselves , the matter was not of such general concernment as to invite or engage men to read . But the Subject of this present Treatise being of so Universal and so Weighty importance , it cannot fail to prove a more effectual Monitour to the World of the deadly danger that lies under that fair enticing Title of The Family of Love .

17. Nor ought my earnest diligence against Familisme embolden you to think me partial or defectuous , The reason of his opposing the Familists and Quakers above any other Sects . in that you observe me so eagerly opposing no other Sect ; for the design of my Discourse leads me not to such Particularities as are controverted amongst Christians that still hold the Fundamentals of our Religion : against whom I profess my self eager in nothing so much as in hearty Exhortation that they would not make their Difference of Opinion any breach of Friendship , but an exercise of their Christian Charity and tender forbearance one of another : not insulting over one anothers supposed ignorance , nor forcing one another to external compliance and profession of what they do not believe , by harsh Antichristian compulsions ; but by calme reasoning and kind treating one another with mutuall love and patience , which is an exercise more pleasing in the sight of God then the exactest Uniformity of Opinions and Worship that the greatest Formalist can propound or desire . This is all that I find my self bound in conscience to be earnest in against such like Sects as these . But Familisme is no such Sect , nay , to speak properly , and to yield them their own boast , they are no Sect at all , I mean of Christians , but a totall Apostasy from Christianity , as you may easily understand out of what I have writ in the following Discourse . And therefore my present purpose being The Demonstration of the Solidity of the Fundamentals of Christianisme as it is apparently comprehended in the Holy Writ , it was proper and unavoidable for me to deal with all such as did oppose or undermine those undispensable Truths of our Religion ; and therefore I had been wanting to the Cause , if I had not thus industriously set my self against this dangerous and mischievous Mystery of Unbelief which is ordinarily called Familisme .

And as I have not spared them , so there is no Sect that has stoln away any one Essential of Christianity , whether appertaining to Life or Speculation , but I have bid them battel , and I hope rescued the prey out of their hands and led them Captive into the Truth ; at least they have not escaped their share of chastisement for their committing of so hainous a crime . And this is all that I could in reason attempt , unless I would break all the Lawes of Method , and make useless Excursions beyond the set limits of my Discourse .

18. My forbearing therefore to squable with every petty Sect I hope will be accounted no part of defectuousness . His excuse for being less accurate in the computation of Daniels weeks . But there are other Omissions I must confess that may seem more justly liable to that imputation . As for example , in that I have not endeavoured to clear the Prophecy of Daniel's weeks to that accuracy , as to bring the Passion of our Saviour to the middle of the last week , as the Prophecy seems most naturally to imply ; but have contented my self with that Chronological account of Funccius that suffers it to fall in the last day of the week . But as I have already intimated in the place , there may be that latitude of the meaning of the middle of the week , that it may signifie any time of the week begun and not yet expired . In which sense Funccius his account is within a year or thereabout of the exact completion of the Prophecy . Which is so near the matter , that one may easily suspect that it is some mistake in their computations that it does not happen just according to the Prophecy , so little time being easily misreckoned in so large an account . Besides , it was sufficient for my purpose onely to take notice and to make evident , That this Prophecy of Daniel is understood of the Messias , and That the weeks are long ago expired . For by this alone we may demonstratively conclude That he is already come ; which was the onely thing pertinent to my present Subject . And lastly , for thy further satisfaction , as the task thou expectedst had been too laborious for me to performe , so thou thy self wilt hold it needless when thou shalt understand with what accuracy and solidity it is already perfected by the learned Master of our Colledge Dr. Cudworth in his publick Lectures in the Schools : wherein he has undeceived the world , misled too long by the over-great opinion they had of Joseph Scaliger , and taking Funccius his Epocha has demonstrated the Manifestation of the Messiah to have fallen out at the End of the sixty ninth week , and his Passion in the midst of the last , in the most natural and proper sense thereof . Which demonstration of his is in my apprehension of as much price and worth in Theologie , as either The Circulation of the Bloud in Physick , or The Motion of the Earth in natural Philosophy , as I have already noted in its proper place .