A FRIENDLY LETTER TO THE Flying Clergy, WHEREIN Is Humbly Requested and modestly Challenged the Cause of their FLIGHT.  
By J. W. Priest.  ROME 8. 7. 
Let him that is a Minister wait on his Ministry, and he that Teacheth on Teaching.  
LONDON, Printed in the Year 1665.   

To the Reverend and Learned CLERGY, who have left their Cures in this time of Calamity:  
SIRS,  
WHat the sad Effects of your Flight have been is too too evident to those, who only unite to make a breach in the Church, never expressing such mirth as when they see the Church in mourning; To these it hath afforded matter of Contempt, not only of your Persons, but also of your Office: To others, who are the true Sons of the Church it hath been no small cause of fear and doubting. I heartily wish you had stopped the mouths of the first, however I beg of you that you will satisfy the doubts of the second, whose grief I have experienced to be such, that none can heal them, but you that have given the wound: I have a long time expected what is here requested, but finding a frustration of my Hopes, and an increase of the people's fears, I do by these in all humility request you, and if that will not move, I challenge you faithfully to publish the cause of your flight, whether sense of duty, or fear of danger; If you answer the first, then tell me what Text in the Sacred Page commands it: Is this to abide in your Calling whereunto you were called? Is this to stand upon your Watch? Is this to gird ourselves, lament and howl, etc. as the Prophet Joel commands, chap. 1. v. 13, 14. Is this to be ready to die for the Cause of Christ, with Saint Paul; Or to comfort the feeble-minded, and to support the weak, as he enjoines, 1 Thes. 5. 14. No, no, it cannot be. 2. Which of the Fathers have either taught or practised it: Is not this contrary to the doctrine of the Fathers both ancient and modern, St. Austin comparing Mat. 10. 23. with Job. 10. 12. concludes, that though in some cases Flight may be lawful, yet saith he, Quando commune est periculum fugiendum non est, ne quisquam fugere credatur non consulendi voluntate, sed timore moriendi magisque fugiendi obsit exemplo quam vivendi prosit officio epist. 180. In a common danger we ought not to fly, lest we seem to fly rather for fear of death, then love to live to the good of the Church, and so become more hurtful by our example in flying, than we can be profitable by our living. Nay, further, he tells us, If the Calamity be so great, that we must either all of us fly or die, that it's then to be determined by lot, and we ought to take our lot: Semblable to this are those words of that learned and religious Prelate, once Bishop of Exeter, Decad. 4. Epist. 9 We, saith he, are not our own but our peoples, and are charged with all their souls, which to hazard by absence, is to lose our own: We must love our lives, but not when they are Rivals with our souls, or with others; Its better to be dead then to be negligent or faithless: All souls must not wilfully be neglected because some are contagiously sick: this is the time when good counsel is most seasonable and needful; now then, to run away from a necessary and public good to avoid a doubtful and private evil, is to run into a worse evil than we would avoid. I will not trouble you any further, by instancing in the doctrines and practices of others of the Fathers; I know its needless: Only one more, and that is the practice of your spiritual Father, his Grace the Lord Arch bishop of Canterbury, who ventures his person with us in this common calamity, whom God preserve in health and honour; Had you troad the steps of this holy Father, how might you have refreshed your afflicted flock, and stopped the mouths of all those who watch▪ for your halting. I have hinted the example and practice of this pious and learned Prelate, not that I judge it less unlawful for a Bishop to remove his Seat, then for any of us to remove from one part of our parish to another, (which in truth is so far from being unlawful, that in some cases I judge it our duty to do it) But I have thus instanced for the encouragement of my fellow-Labourers in the work of the Ministry, seeing he hath denied himself his own convenience for our comfort. The Romans that Fled with Pompey, termed their banishment better than their own Country, because Pompey was with them: what encouragement then may it be to us that we have our Father with us. 2. To the shame of some of you that are Fled, notwithstanding the large taste you have had of his kindness, in 2 Kings 19 37▪ in stead of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Original we find the Vowels set in the Text without their Consonants; To intimate, that for the Kings own sons to lay violent hands upon their father in the Temple, at his devotion, though it was to a falls god, was scelus infandum a wickedness too monstrous to be expressed; If these were not worthy to have their Names written in the Book of God, because they had slain their father, who was a Worshipper of a false god, than what is due to you to leave your Father, who even in this time of danger, not only by doctrine, but example, teacheth the Worship of the true God. 3. Pray tell me if it be your duty to Fly, who have Curam Animarum upon you; how then is it lawful for your Curates to stay, nay, is it not a sin in you to request other Ministers to stay, if it be a Minister's duty to Fly: Neither can you argue a double Cure; the ablest Patient needs the best Physician, according to that of our Saviour, They that are whole need no Physician, but they that are sick; Now I take it for granted, that your abilities surpass those of your Curates, or else its pity you should enjoy such preferments; but it may be you will be more ingenuous and faithful, and confess that fear was the cause of your Flight; Consider then 1. The sad doom of those who betray the truth out of fear: 2. How much better were it for men of your spirits, to content yourselves with more private Benefices, whence your Flight at such a time as this might be less offensive and prejudicial to the public; If the Magistrates and other Officers of this place had followed your footings, would not this in all probability have induced two greater Judgements, Famine and the Sword, which I fear is wished for by the plague-Parents of this place, Sectaries and Rebels; for so you find them Numb. 16. 42. etc. If Magistrates had Fled, how should we have been protected? if inferior Officers, how should the poor have been relieved? Further, besides that it conduces to the public good, how much might a timely Resignation of your livings in this place, have conduced to the Glory of God, and quiet of your own Consciences; Though I believe you are fearful, yet I dare not think that you are so far void of affection, as not to be troubled at that poison which may be sucked in by your people, from the mouths of Sectaries, who have not only crept into your parishes, but also (as I am credibly informed) into some of your Pulpits: Thus Gentlemen I have writ to you with all plainness, in order to the satisfaction of the public, and not out of vain ostentation, though I confess I glory in this, that God hath given me courage to execute my Office, notwithstanding the great mortality that is in this parish where I am an unworthy Minister: I well hope you will either render an 〈…〉 return to your Charge, that so the mouths of those Gainsayers may be stopped, (who, like Nero, would be glad to see the Church on fire, that they might warm themselves at the flame) that the dubious may be satisfied, and the Truth may be Vindicated, which is the daily and fervent prayer of your Brother and Servant,  
J. W. Dated, Sept. 6. 1665.  
FINIS.