Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

be

become

in general, that is, the publication of another's Writings without bis confent or privity: but yet I know very well, that those things which in the general are for the most part unlawful, may yet fo circumftantiated in a particular cafe, as that they may not only lawful, but very commendable to be done in that case: and fuch a special cafe I take this to be. And tho I think my self accountable to the Author chiefly, if not to him alone, for what I have done in this cafe, yet fore account thereof I shall give to the Reader, fo far at least as concerneth thefe Writings, or is neceffary for him to be acquainted with.

When I first met with fome of thefe Writings, and obtained the Perufal of them, I thought them well worth my pains to tranferibe: which I did, partly for my own use; and partly, feeing them written in loafe and Scatter'd Papers, to preferve them from that danger of perishing, from which I conceived the Auther's larger and more compleat Works to be more fafe and secure. And having collected a pretty confiderable stock of them, I communicated lome of them, as I faw occafion, to fome friends, fome of them Perfons of good Judgment and Learning, who very much commended the fame; and fcarce any that faw them, but faid 'twas great pity but they should be Printed. But befides the Approbation of them by all to whom I did communicate them, I perceived that they had a real effect to the good and benefit of fome who perufed them: and this experience of the good effects which they produced by my Communication of them to a few Friends in private, did farther confirm my own opinion of them, that they must certainly do much good if published: and being made comhave the fame good influences upon many which I found they bad upon fome of those few to whom they were communicated in private: But for the Manufcript Copies which I had, they were not fufficient for all thofe fair opportunities of doing good with them which I law even among my own Friends and Acquaintance. Whereupon I folicited the Author to publish them, or at least to give his Confent to the Publication of them, but could not prevail with him for either, altho I know that no Motive or Argument is more prevalent with him than that of Doing good. But when I perceived, as I thought, that the chief Reasons why be would neither publifh them himself, nor give his Confent to the Publication of them, were fuch as would be of no force against

mon,

the

the Publication of them without his privity or knowledge, I began to confider of doing that.

But before I refolved upon it, I fent two of the largest of them to a Perfon, whofe Judgment I know the Author doth much efteem, to have his Opinion of them, not letting him know either who was the Author, or who fent them to him; and having received his Opinion and Commer dation of them, and that be judged them like to do much good, and fuch as would be very feafonable to be published, I began farther to confider whether and how they might be published without either Wrong or Injury on the one fide, or Offence on the other, to the Author. And for the former, I reckoned that his Concern in it was ei. ther in refpect of the Difpofal of the Copy, wherein would be no great difficulty or more especially in refpect of the Writings to be published, if either there fhould occur any thing therein not fit to be made publick; or if they were not fo well polished and perfected as might be for his credit and reputation.

And although this might feem to be provided for in fome fort by Concealing his Name (which truly I should much rather have made known, but that I knew I must then venture doubly to intur his Difpleasure) yet I look'd upon this as but a weak and infufficient Provifion, in as much as it is not unusual for Learned Men, even from the very style and genius of Writings, ta difcover the Writers; an Experiment whereof 1 bad feen in a Perfon of Learning and Parts, to whom, upon occafion, l'once; fhewed one of the Writings of this Author, but purpofely concealed who the Author was, whom notwithstanding he foon difcovered from the Writing it felf, telling me he knew no Man that did think at that rate, but fuch a Perfon, who was the Author indeed. And the truth is, thefe Writings do not obfcurely speak their Author, being a most lively Reprefentation of him, that is, of his Mind and Soul, and of that Learning, Wisdom, Piety and Virtue, which is very eminent and confpicuous in him; particularly that of the Great Audit, which I ufe to look upon as his very Picture, wherein reprefenting the Good Steward paffing bis Account, it was impoffible for him not to give a lively Reprefentation of himself; as every Character of a truly wife and vertuous Perfon muft needs agree with him who is really fuck; and they who are eminently fuch, can hardly be unknown: and

A 3

there.

therefore it is not impoffible that fome, even from the confideration of the Work, may difcover the Workman, befides many other occafions of Difcovery which may happen.

But as I thought this too weak and infufficiens, fo I could not but think it altogether needlefs and unworthy both the excellent Author, and thefe his pious and excellent Meditations, to be made ufe of to that end; and should much rather have abstained from publishing them at all, than have relied upon fuch a shift, if I had thought that they had stood in any need thereof. But as it was only their real Worth, and Excellence, and Usefulness which moved me to defire their Publication, fo was verily perfuaded, and as well affured as I could be in any Writings of my own, and that not upon my own Opinion only, but upon the Judgment of others alfo, that nothing liable to exception dot occur in them, or any thing confiderable that is questionable which bath not other approved Authors who fay the fame: and the truth is, the Subject of them is fuch as is not like to afford much matter of that nature; thefe being Moral and Practical things, whereas they are for the most part matters of Speculation, and of curious (1 had almoft said presumptuous) and unnecessary, if not undeterminable Speculation, which make the great ftirs, and are the matter and occafions of greatest Controverfie, especially among them of the Reformed Religion.

And though thefe Writings never underwent the last Hand or Pencil of the Judicious Author, and therefore, in respect of that perfection which he could have given to them, are not altogether fo compleat as otherwife they might have been, yet if we confider them in themselves, or with respect to the Writings which are daily published, even even of learned Men, and published by the Authors themselves, these will be found to be fuch as may not only very well pass in the Crowd, but fuch as are of no vulgar or common Strain. The Subjects of them indeed are common Theams, but yet fuch as are of most weight and moment in the Life of Man, and of greatest Concernment, as in Nature those things which are of greatest Ufe and Concernment, are most common. But the matter of his Meditations upon thefe Subjects is not common: for as he is a man that thinks closely and deeply of things, not after a common rate, fo his Writings, his most ex tempore Writings, have a certain Genius and Energy

in them, much above the common rate of Writers. And though thefe are written ex tempore, and in fuch a manner as bath been faid before, yet the matter of them is for the most part fuch, as be bad before well digefted, and, as a Scribe instructed to the Kingdom of Heaven, bad treasured up in his heart, and out of this good treasure of his heart, and the abundance of it, be produceth these good things; things which he looked upon as of greatest concern, and most worth his fericus Confideration, and bad accordingly weighed and confidered. And for the Style, it is fuitable to the Matter, fignificant, perfpicuous, and manly; bis Words are Spirit and Life, and carry Evidence and Demonftration with them, moral and experimental Demonstration: Vox non ex ore, fed ex pectore emiffa. And if we take thefe Writings altogether, and weigh them duly and candidly with out any vain humour of critical and pedantick Cenforiousness, we may therein no lefs obferve the worth and excellence of their Author, efpecially confidering in what manner they were written, than in his more elaborate Works: and being written and publifhed in this manner, they do more evidently demonftrate the reality of his boneft, virtuous, and pious Principles, than had they been defigned to be published, and been by himself; which perhaps may render them not less acceptable to fome Readers, not of the lower rank.

So that confidering the Writings themselves, I could not think that there was any thing therein, whether of matter or form, which could render the Publication of them injurious or prejudicial to the Author in the leaft in any of the refpects aforemention ed. Tet notwithstanding, for the greater fecurity, I thought it might be fit, and but just, to give this true and ingenuous account both of the Occafion and Manner of his Writing, and of the Publication of them without his Privity and Knowledge, And this I conceived might be a just and fufficient means to fecure the Author against all Exceptions, as that which would wholly acquit him in the Judgment of all reafonable Men, and transfer the blame, if any should be, to my felf, which yet was no more than what I must have refolved to have undergone bad they been my own Writings which I had published.

It remained therefore only to confider how this might be done, as without Injury in other Refpects, fo without Offence to the

A 4

worthy

worthy Author. And for this, two things did not a little en

courage me. 1. The Honefty of my Defign, and Sincerity of my

Intentions in it: And 2. The Candor and Goodness of the Au-

thor. His Candor I knew to be fuch, that I doubted not of a fair

and favourable Construction of my Design and Intentions. And

I knew his Goodness, Affection, and Readiness to do Good, to

be fuch, that he could not but approve my Defign, that is, to do

Good; the doing whereof I knew to be a thing of greater weight

with him than all his Reafons against the Publication: And that

much Good may be done by the Publication of thefe Writings, I

could affure him upon my own experience of the Effects I had feen

already produced by them in Manufcript. All which, when he

fhould confider, I was perfwaded, though
perfuaded, though perhaps he might at

first be a little furprized with the unexpected Publication of them,

jet he could not be much offended at it. And then if I could pub-

lifh them without either Injury or Offence to him, I reckoned it

all one in effect as if I had his Confent before to it. And hereupon

I refolved at last upon it; and upon these Confiderations have

made thus bold with this excellent Perfon and my very good

Friend, for the Good of others, which I should not have done for

any private Advantage to my felf whatsoever.

I doubt not but the Reader will be very defirous to know who

the Author of thefe excellent Meditations is; and truly I was

no lefs defirous that he should know it; and that for no inconfi-

derable Reafons: 1. As it hath always been one of the most usu-

al and conftant means and methods which Almighty God hath,

in all Ages and Nations, ufed for the promotion of the good of

Mankind, to raife up eminent Examples of Virtue; fo hath be

been pleased to make this Author one of them in this Age and

Nation: And because the efficacy of the Examples of Virtuous

Actions doth no lefs depend upon the Principles from whence they

proceed, than doth the intrinfick Virtue and Goodness of the Acti-

ons themselves, the Publication of thefe Writings, which fo plain-

ly manifeft his Principles, could not but be of great Ufe to ren-

der his excellent Example the more effectual, and fo become fub-

fervient to the gracious Defigns of the Divine Providence. 2. In

like manner on the other fide, the known Worth, and Virtue,

and Learning, and Prudence of the Author, would certainly

bave made thefe his Writings, how excellent foever of them-

« PoprzedniaDalej »