The Hartlib Papers

I must not be peremptory nor selfe conceited to [predetermine? MS torn], & follow my owne way, without looking to others to see what may tend to their edificacion, to measure out & proportion things to their Capacity in the administracion of the Charge. we that are strong are commanded to beare the burdens of the weake, & not to please our selves: for even Christ pleased not himself [left margin: Rom: 15 2: 3:] A strong man can goe a slow pace, & goe no faster then a Child or a sicke body, if he please to set his minde so to doe. But a Child or a sicke body cannot goe so fast as a strong Man; nor can they set their minds to doe so, because of their infirmity. So it is in this case betwixt me & those, with whome I <shall> haue to doe in my pastorall Charge. I must make my pace slow for their sake, because they will not be able to follow, if I should at the very first administrate the Charge, as I thinke it ought to be administred They must at first be borne withall in that to which they are vsed & from that they must be raised to farther endeavours, & gayned to a willingnes of a more perfect state of gracious walking towards God. If this willingnes, & the desire of tending to more perfeccion cannot be wrought vpon them, before any change of Custome be remarkeablye introduced it would be to little effect to alter any thing in the form allwayes of proceedings hitherto in vse. And if those that are so very fierce against the established Custome of publique Service, would consider this, that they ought to worke vpon such as are like to be offended at a change, a disposition & willingnes to admitt of a change for the better, by causing them see first, what the most perfect worship of God is, before they condemne & oppose that which now they make vse of. if I say this would be considered there would be no danger of such a schisme, as I feare will be arise in this Church, if matters be caried as hitherto Mens spirits on both sids are bent to sway the same. neither side doth consider the infirmityes of the other, [catchword: but]

but euery one doth cry vp his owne Diana, & condemneth his neighbours Nor is there any true Course for ought that I can learne resolved vpon to make an end of the difference. Now for me I know certainly that the more spiritually the worship of God is performed in a Congregacion, the more it is acceptable vnto God, & may doe good vnto the hearers, if they raise their spirits to joyne with him that leadeth in the Action. But if they cannot rayse their spirits to goe along with him, then he that should lead others doth goe [alone? altered from along?] & doth worship only betwixt God & himself & scandalizeth those that cannot goe along with him in the duty. for except the whole Congregacion can be able to joyne & be edified, the worship is not truly spirituall, which is performed in it. It is not then this or that particular way of putting forth a prayer, or doing a duty in this or that forme of gesture, or any such outward thing, which should be a cause of strife & breach amongst Brethren in Christianity But the Capacity of those that are to be edified must determine the forme of the accion, & manner of proposing the same yet allwayes with this reservacion, that nothing that is vnlawfull be done for the present, & that the present [custome? MS edge] being void of any perfeccion be admitted, to be alterable, when a more compleate & spirituall way of doing God service may be made vse of, with out scandall & disturbance vnto the Conscience of the weaker sort. The rule which the Apostle giveth Rom: 14: 16: is to take place here. let not your good be evill spoken of. If then the thing that we ayme at be good, we must have a Care that we give no cause vnto any to speake evill there of. All this I haue ben willing thus to adde vnto my former concept of the duty wherevnto I conceive <that> I am called; least yow might thinke that I could effect some singularity. & deale in a partiall way with those who shall be committed vnto my Charge. I hope yow will hereby conceive aright af my meaning, & distinguish betweene the true platforme [catchword: of a]

of a Pastorall Charge, & the Actuall exercising there of, [word missing: MS torn] must depend vpon circumstances. I doe draw many platformes of spirituall buildings vnto myselfe in seuerall vertues & graces, & I cause my Soule to live therein, that it might be transformed vnto the same Image of perfeccion, which I finde to be in Christ & in the Apostles. And I would with all myn heart willingly finde the opportunity, to practise all that, which I conceive is to be done in Gods Kingdome. But alas! when I come to reflect vpon my selfe agayne, I finde that I am in the world, & that in things to be done towards others I must conceive & doe, not what I conceive & thinke most perfect but what they can heare and beare withall. for as all things[altered] ought to be done to edificacion, so nothing should be done in matters belonging to others, further then they are capable of for what they are not capable of is not to edificacion. I must first then make them capable of that, which I intend to doe, before I begin to doe it towards them. I haue much to say of this matter, & if I were not taken with Comenius presence here, & with some pressing occasions of my worke, I would put some thoughts to [pa?] paper concerning the aime and calling of a Pastour in a private family & concerning the vsefullnes of their paynes in Noble mens familyes; & what influence that may haue vpon a whole Nation? And also concerning this Question. whether or no great Noble mens familyes in eminent places should be esteemed as private familyes yea, or noe? Of such things my head is full; but I will not weary yow with them. Although yow ought to know of them, because yow haue given me Cause to thinke of them more then otherwise I would haue done. This paper doth bid me to make an end. Therefore I will not enlarge my selfe vpon another sheete. I desire your prayers to go along with my thoughts that I may be directed therein to the Glory of God: