TO
The Pious and Devout
READER.
IN this sad declension of
Religion, the Seers who
are appointed to be the
Watchmen of the Church, cannot
but observe that the Supplanters
and Underminers are
gone out, and are digging down
the Foundations: and having
destroy'd all publick Forms of
Ecclesiastical Government, discountenanc'd
an excellent Liturgie,
taken off the hinges of Unity,
disgrac'd the Articles of Religion,
polluted publick Assemblies,
taken away all cognisance

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of Schism, by mingling all Sects,
and giving countenance to that,
against which all Power ought
to stand upon their guard. There
is now nothing left, but that we
take care that men be Christians:
For concerning the Ornament
and Advantages of Religion,
we cannot make that provision
we desire; Incertis de salute,
de gloria minime certandum: For
since they, who have seen Jerusalem
in prosperity, and have forgotten
the order of the Morning
and Evening Sacrifice, and the
beauty of the Temple, will be
tempted to neglect so excellent a
ministration, & their assembling
themselves together for peace,
and holy Offices, and be content
with any thing that is brought to
them, though it be but the husks
and acorns of Prodigals and
Swine, so they may enjoy their
Lands and their Money with it;
we must now take care that the
young men who were born in
the Captivity, may be taught
how to worship the God of Israel
after the manner of their
fore-fathers, till it shall please
God that Religion shall return
into the Land, and dwell safely
and grow prosperously.
But never did the excellency
of Episcopall Government appeare
so demonstratively and
conspicuously as now: Under
their conduct and order we had
a Church so united, so orderly,
so govern'd, a Religion so setled,
Articles so true, sufficient, and

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confess'd, Canons so prudent
and so obey'd, Devotions so regular
and constant, Sacraments
so adorn'd and ministred, Churches
so beauteous and religious,
Circumstances of Religion so
grave and prudent, so useful and
apt for edification, that the enemies
of our Church, who serve
the Pope in all things, and Jesus
Christ in some, who dare
transgress an Institution and Ordinance
of Christ, but dare not
break a Canon of the Pope, did
despair of prevailing against Us
and Truth, and knew no hopes
but by setting their faces against
us to destroy this Government,
and then they knew they should
triumph without any enemy:
So Balaam the son of Bosor was
sent for, to curse the people of
the Lord, in hope that the son of
Zippor might prevail against
them that had long prospered
under the conduct of Moses and
Aaron.
But now in stead of this excellency
of Condition and Constitution
of Religion, the people
are fallen under the harrows and
saws of impertinent and ignorant
Preachers, who think all
Religion is a Sermon, and all
Sermons ought to be libels against
Truth and old Governours,
and expound Chapters
that the meaning may never be
understood, and pray, that they
may be thought able to talk, but
not to hold their peace, they casting
not to obtain any thing but

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Wealth and Victory, Power and
Plunder; and the people have
reap'd the fruits apt to grow upon
such Crabstocks: they grow
idle and false, hypocrites and
careless, they deny themselves
nothing that is pleasant, they despise
Religion, forget Government;
and some never think of
Heaven; and they that do, think
to go thither in such paths which
all the ages of the Church did
give men warning of, lest they
should that way go to the Devil.
But when men have try'd all
that they can, it is to be suppos'd
they will return to the excellency
and advantages of the Christian
Religion, as it is taught by
the Church of England; for by
destroying it, no end can be
serv'd but of Sin and Folly, Faction,
and Death eternal. For besides
that, no Church that is enemy
to this, does worship God
in that truth of Propositions, in
that unblameable and pious Liturgie,
and in preaching the necessities
of holy life, so much as
the Church of England does;
besides this I say it cannot be
persecuted by any Governour
that understands his own interest,
unless he be first abus'd by
false Preachers, and then prefers
his secret opinion before his
publick Advantage. For no
Church in the World is so great
a friend to Loyalty and Obedience,
as she, and her Sisters of
the same perswasion. They that
hate Bishops have destroy'd
Monarchy, and they that would
erect an Ecclesiastical Monarchy,
must consequently subject
the Temporal to it. And both
one and the other would be Supreme
in Consciences; and they
that govern there, with an opinion
that in all things they
ought to be attended to, will let
their Prince govern others, so
long as he will be rul'd by them:
And certainly, for a Prince to
persecute the Protestant Religion,
is as if a Physician should
endevour to destroy all Medicaments,
and Fathers kill their
Sons, and the Master of Ceremonies
destroy all Formalities
and Courtships; and as if the
Pope should root out all the Ecclesiastick
State. Nothing so
combines with Government,
if it be of Gods appointment,
as the Religion of the Church of
England, because nothing does
more adhere to the Word of
God, and disregard the crafty advantages
of the world. If any
man shall not decline to try his
Title by the Word of God, it is
certain there is not in the world
a better guard for it, then the true
Protestant Religion, as it is
taught in our Church. But let
things be as it please God; it is
certain, that in that day when
Truth gets her Victory, in that
day we shall prevail against all
Gods enemies and ours, not in
the purchases and perquisites of
the world, but in the rewards
and returns of Holiness and Patience,
and Faith and Charity;
for by these we worship God,
and against this interest we cannot
serve any thing else.
In the mean time we must by
all means secure the foundation,
and take care that Religion may
be convey'd in all its material
parts, the same as it was, but
by new and permitted instruments.
For let us secure that our
young men be good Christians,
it is easie to make them good
Protestants, unless they be abus'd
with prejudice, and suck
venome with their milk; they
cannot leave our Communion,
till they have reason to reprove
our Doctrine.
There is therefore in the following
pages a Compendium
of what we are to Believe, what
to Do, and what to Desire; It is
indeed very little, but it is enough
to begin with, and will
serve all persons so long as they
need milk, and not strong meat.
And he that hath given the following
Assistances to thee, desires
to be even a door-keeper in
Gods House, and to be a servant
of the meanest of Gods servants,
and thinks it a worthy imployment
to teach the most ignorant,
and make them to know
Christ; though but in the first
rudiments of a holy Institution.
This onely he affirms, That
there is more solid comfort and
material support to a Christian
spirit in one Article of Faith, in
one period of the Lords Prayer,
in one holy Lesson, then in all
the disputes of impertinent people,
who take more pains to
prove there is a Purgatory, then
to perswade men to avoid Hell:
And that a plain Catechism can
more instruct a soul, then the
whole dayes prate which some
daily spit forth, to bid men get
Christ, and persecute his Servants.
Christian Religion is admirable
for its wisdome, for its
simplicity; and he that presents
the following papers to thee, designs
to teach thee as the Church
was taught in the early dayes of
the Apostles. To believe the
Christian Faith, and to understand
it; to represent plain Rules
of Good Life; to describe
easie Formes of Prayer; to
bring into your Assemblies
Hymnes of Glorification and
Thanksgiving, and Psalms of
Prayer. By these easie paths
they lead Christs little ones into
the Fold of their great Bishop;
and if by this any service
be done to God, any ministery
to the Soul of a Childe
or an ignorant Woman, it is
hoped that God will accept
it: and it is reward enough,
if by my Ministery GOD
will bring it to passe, that any
Soul shall be instructed, and
brought into that state of
good things, that it shall rejoyce
for ever.
But do thou pray for him
that desires this to thee, and
endevours it.