The Hartlib Papers

of thinges present to that which I find or see in them but to that which is to come; that so I may forgette all that which is behind & stretch my self forth to that which is before; for the thinges which we see & enioy are transitorie; & if we intend to rest [word deleted] in them wee will deceiue our selues, but the thinges to come are eternall & permanent if so bee wee take our marke aright, & can learne in the use of euery thing what subordination it hath unto the good & perfect will of God. for if wee can but learne this truly & so transport our will & desire to complye with this propertie of the thing; wee shall find rest & life in the midst of death & troubles. I know yow are not grieued for any thing which befalleth your self so much in the way of tryall as for the lettes & Clogges which befall unto your forward spirit to doe good unto the public: this is much to be commended; but yet here againe yow must think that it is not yowr owne worke which yow doe but his that doth employe yow; if therefore yow present your self as his instrument to bee made use of by him, yow must not think to hasten his hand in making use of yow faster then hee will haue his owne worke to proceede. but if when wee intend to runne perhaps too fast for his purpose hee will lay a clogge at our heeles to make us go <a> softer pace; should not wee bee willing too to endure it? surely if wee intend not to Master God worke but to serue it wee will. therefore lette us take up our spirits & possesse the same in patience till his tyme come wherin hee will make all well & then wee shall see wherefore Gods counsell was so ordered, that all thinges should so come to passe as they did. now then I will not condole with yow in respect of your estate which is besette with extremities; as I perceiue by some expressions yow use, but I will with a sympathizing affection reioyce that yow are almost come to the extremitie of extremities so that yow can see no issue at all; I say, I will compassionatly reioyce with yow in this because this is the true life wherin a Christian should liue to become inwardly & outwardly mortified unto the world; & because I know that seeing God will not suffer yow to bee tempted aboue that which yow can bare but will giue with the temptation strenth to beare it out & a happie issue at last, that therefore his glorie will bee so much the more apparent in yowr weakenes by how much your extremities haue beene extreme. me thinkes I could fill a little volume with a discourse of this subiect, but I hope it is not needfull on your behalf whom I find so strong that the very expressions of yowr greatest weakenesse adde strenth & vigour to mee in my infirmities. therefore I will in the next place giue thankes unto yow for your great care loue diligence & faithfulnesse in administrating all my affaires, in writing so largely unto me; & prouiding so exactly for me for I haue receiued all your letters which are of these dates .1. 9ber. the 9. 9ber the 29. 9ber^. [catchword: item] [left margin:] item the 13 & 27 of Xber with all the adioyned packets M.S. of 666 bookes of Dr Stoughton, & letters from Mr St Amands Mr Haynes Mr Ball &c. & to giue an Answer briefly to the Chief points mentioned therin; I thank yow for the Communication of Mr Gannings extracts & desire yow to testifie so much to him on my behalf, telling him withall that it is more then apparent not only to us but also to many of themselues, because they haue beene many wayes convicted herof, that now a dayes the Lutheranes which take most upon them to debate matters with us are degenerated from the integritie of Doctrine which was in their first master; & that therefore they must bee dealt withall upon other grounds then such as are taken from his authoritie; although in due tyme & place also these arguments may bee usefull. The aduertise- [catchword: -ment]

-ment which yow giue me of my Lord Marquesse & Mr [Vernom?] is to bee taken notice of; & God willing when I come backe againe from Gluckstat (for thither I purpose to go within a day or two to speake with my Lord Ambassador who is there to treat with the King) I will not faile to write unto him & perhaps to his Master also. I approoue his whole iudgement which yow write unto me concerning Felgenhawer of whom when I haue leisure I will tell yow my mind more particularly as for the freind who hath a relation to 63 & would not haue me & my Lord Ambassador to proceede so openly in this businesse I cannot either blame him or commend him for it; yet his cure is to bee commended for us but God I hope will preserue us both: I could wish I were fairely sette a parte by my self in an independant posture & I will labour to bring it to passe, yet so as my Lord shall bee content with it & no inconveniencie follow. as for Mr Haynes treatise I haue begunne to deale with a bookseller here to take them of my hand & giue me other bookes for them; wee are not yet come to any Conclusion tomorrow I will speake with him Godwilling my self. But[altered] I must differre speaking with Tassius till I come backe againe from Gluckstat; & I doubt whether I shall be able to preuaile with Dr Iungius seeing hee is ouerwhelmed with othe affaires to elaborat his [protometicall?] notions, & because the preachers of this place to persecute him haue stirred uppe the Philosophers of Wittenberg to bee his Antagonists. Concerning my Tenant [word deleted] Gilby & my Curat whatsoeuer yow doe I will approoue; but I suppose Gilby will bee a better pay master then Mr Gee, therefore hould yow to the first rather. by Tobie Matthewes negotiation in England & the popes seconding of him in it yow may see how farre these men exceed us in Countenancing workes ecclesiasticall: but it is no [mervaile?] they seeke their owne endes under the pretence of Religion; but wee seeke not our selues therefore this world cannot affect us. I am sorrie to heare that which yow relate of our Scottish bragges; if it bee so, it is a presage of their period in this businesse neere an ende, I beseech the Lord to teach them Humilitie & feare with moderation.

neuer leade us to find out the Harmonie of outward & inward truths which hee aimeth at; the thinges which hee saith are truth for the most part: & me thinkes for those tymes hee is gone farre. I am sorry sauing Gods will for the news yow write to me of your brother as for Rauius I must tell yow truly that I haue not as yet beene able to enquire after his Logicall notions; & truly I am almost loath to spend mony upon any more bookes till I bee setled one way or other & know how to subsist. I haue Caused my treatie with the Danish to bee Printed at Bremen & expect 150 Coppies therof with the first I know not what these will Cost me. then also I must cause 500 or 600 Coppies of another matter to bee printed here which I must send abroad to informe all the Reformed Churches of that which I haue proposed of late unto all the Lutheranes with whom I haue dealt to giue them a taske & subiect of deliberation & to bring them to some Resolution Concerning the manner of further proceeding in this worke; this I must print all at my owne Charges & distribute as it were in Priuat. now I must tell yow that of the 126 Rixd. which yow haue made ouer to me I haue payed to Mr Auerye 50 which hee did disburse for me & made ouer by exchange to me when I at Hildesheim, & owe him still 50 Rixd. more for a like supply when I was at Brunswic; for hauing beene Robbed in the way betwixt Luneburg and Brunswic by Six Souldiers; I would haue beene quite defeate of my purpose if I hadde not beene assisted by him; therefore I haue payed him the halfe of his disbursement out of this supply which yow haue sent me, & must owe him still the other halfe till a new supply come. now I haue 76 Rixd. ouer to furnish Peter with a new cloake & my self with fresh linnen & some other parcels of Clothes, which in the Remoter partes of Brunswic & Luneburg I would not prouide my self withall because all thinges are dearer there then here; but made a Shift with the old ragges I hadde till now all is worne out. my Lord Ambassador of his owne accord when I went out gaue me a viaticum of 20 Rixd. & I hadde then a matter of 46[altered] or thereabout with me of mine owne with that stocke I went out & receiued 100 more from Mr Auerye; neither yet would I haue beene able to hold out in any fashion (thinges are so extreamely Chargeable in trauelling) except Gods Prouidence hadde beiond all expectation assisted me in mouing Duke George of Luneburg to defray me & giue me free entertainement whiles I stayed at Hildesheim [left margin:] I relate this storie to lette yow see that I must needs beginne to bee more circumspect in spending then I think yow imagine I should bee because I cannot endure to bee in debt, & therefore though I pay not the other 50 Rixd. as yet, due to Mr Auerye: yet I purpose not to spend of the 76 which are in my hands more then will leaue me full handed to pay what I am owen; & in case I bee not tymely supplyed I must liue upon 26 Rixd. for necessaries & doe all the other businesses, which I haue mentioned upon this stocke; for 50 must lye by me in reddinesse & entire till I see a reall possibilitie of paying Mr Auerye another way. this is my Condition in matter of debt to think it an insufferable burden till it bee discharged; therefore what I owe I think it not mine owne although I [catchword: haue]

haue it in my hand.