The Hartlib Papers

Title:Copy Letter In Hand ?, John Dury To Hartlib
Dating:5 August 1644
Ref:3/2/49A-50B
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[Hartlib's hand]
A Copy of Mr Durys Letter to Mr Hartlib
[scribal hand]
Deare Freind
I have written to Mr Palmer an answer to that which hee required of me, namly that I would assist his Cousin Mr Strickland in promoting the Covenant with the English merchants which I have promised to doe in the waye of my calling; & have told him some difficulties which I conceave Mr Strickland may [word deleted] <meet> withall in his waye; for which he must goe warily to worke; you may bee pleased then to confere with him & others of our freinds upon the matter, & assure them that in due time I shall bee willing to appeare, as In conscience I think my selfe bound for the cause. I am now fully entered upon my charge here & have begunne to make acquaintaince with Mr Simons or rather to renew that accquaintance which wee have once hadde at London it were to bee wished that wee could intend the same wayes of Edification & that wee would conferre togeather about the meanes whereby it may bee wrought, hee hath professed himself willing therunto. Now[H. capitalises] I for my part have taken this course in the Public worship; When I first enter into the Church I goe to the Readers[H capitalises] place & there affter a short mentall [eiàaculation?] towards God, I use a short preface to the congregation telling them that theie are in the presence of God, & that theie are unfitt for his service except[altered] by his grace theie bee enabled & that to receive grace prayer is requesite whereupon I conceave a prayer craving Divine asistance for the worke which is to bee intended. Then I read a few: psalmes in order; & breifly open the substantiall sense of every one making some Practiall observations therupon affter the reading of two or 3 Psalms in this manner, I read a chapter in the old Testament & open also the sume of it raising breifly some observations upon it. Then I sing a Psalm whereof I tell them the substance before theie begin to sing it. The Psalm being sung I read another chapter in the New Testament & open the sense of it. This being [catchword: done]
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done <because> I find that in the Dutch & French Churches the Readers[H. capitalises] Affter the reading of some few chapters & singing of some <few> Psalms use to read the Ten Commandements and reherse the Articles of the Creed; this I doe in like manner, and then conclud all with a prayer for the graces of Faith & obedience to our Selves, for blessing upon the Church of God, upon our Nation upon our superiours in Greatt Brittaine & here upon all Ministers & Nurseries of Learning there and here, & upon the particular socieetie of Merchant Adventurers & the present congregation. This prayer being ended I cause a Psalm to bee sung & then goe into the Pulpit, there againe I pray for a particular blessing upon the deliverye of the word & the hearing of it, & then I preach, after Sermon I pray againe, and cause a Psalme to bee sung and conclude all with A[H? capitalises] blessing. Now to proceed towards the Settelment of our Church goverment, because I apprehend that therin will bee some difficultie & opposition Master Beaumont being now heare, & resolved to staye in these quarters this yeare (as hee saith) I have used this meanes to prepare their understandings, to admitte of the way which I purpose to follow, intending to visit all the members in particular to conferre[H. alters] with them, & to sett their judgments arright[H deletes] concerning the Ways of Church Goverment before I proced to the Election of Elders and Deacons that there may bee no rent nor devission amoung us if it bee possible to prevent it. The[H. capitalises] Communion[H. capitalises] Table which stood Alterways is removed & when I know those that will bee members of my flock I purpose to celebrate the Lords Supper with them according to Christs Insti.<t>ution which is <observed in the> Reformed[H. capitalises] Churches. This account of my proceedings I write unto you that yow may bee therefore <able> to enforme therefore [catchword: the]
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<H.therof> the Reverend Divines of the Assembly in my name, to prevent misinformations, which are easily given & sometimes[altered by H. from sometymes] too easily beleivd in these jealouss tymes: & this I say the rather because I was told Yesterday by one of note, that hee thought that I would bee complained upon for these proceedings; & for a declaration which I should have made to somme in private, that I would not meddle with the Affairs of a publicke Nature which because it may be <much> understood[altered] to my prejudice as if I did intend to bee indifferend & Neutrall in the cause of Truth and Rightousnes, therefore I would have you to know the truth of this matter and to enforme others thus concerning it; that Mr Strickland being come hether to give into the Court of Merchant Adventurers an Order of Parliament against Mr Barnam, Mr Foord & <and> Mr Yard as being Incendiaries[altered] &c. Mr Yard Foord came to Mr Stricklands <H: in the English> house where I was and protesting that hee was ignorant innocent and guiltlesse of that which was said to his Charge desired me to bee present at his iustifications, when hee should speake to <with> Mr Strickland to that effect, I answered[altered] him in the presence of Mr Strickland and of Mr Deputy which stood by, that a matter of that natur did not belong to mee to meddle withall, but that Mr deputy was there whom it did concern, and soe I took my Leave then, and since I have said to Mr Foord that in their matters of Civill debatment and contestations for particullar proceedings in the ways of Trade, that I will <would> not bee an Arbitrator amoungst them, nor a wittnes but that I shall meddle only with matters of Conscience to rectifie their Spirits & so sett them in a way of lov <Love &> Peace: soe farre as I shall find occasion offered to deale with them in the way of my calling. This kind of dealing is already misconstrued. Thus it is impossible to walke streight & to bee without blame or suspicion in the [catchword: world.]
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world: but that I know that God is the God of trueth and that hee will bring all trueth to light. in his Love I remaine
Truly,
                    Your most affectivat & faithfull
                       Freind
                                  Iohn Dury
Rotterdam this 5 Aug/26 Iuly |
|       1644                 |
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