Reply to a Book, Reply · Part 7 – Part 8
The ſeaventh Section examined, whereunto this title is praefixed, The ſtory of ſome proceedings about the calling of Mr. D.
THe Anſwerer, purpoſing to expoſe me to all the reproach he can, in the 16 following Sections; to draw the eyes of paſſengers (as it were) & to fixe the mind of the Reader upon the enſuing diſcourſe, he praefixeth a title written in a larger character then the reſt, and my name in capitall letters. To what ſpeciall purpoſe▪ his owne heart knoweth, and God, who is greater then his heart, knoweth much betrer. As for me: The good will of the Lord be done! If he deliver me up to be buffeted by the frowardnes of a Maſterly fpirit, and that, when I doe well, his grace, I hope, will inable me to ſubmit to my Fathers good pleaſure, in the ſmitings of my fellow ſervant; becauſe Chriſt my Lord hath alſo ſuffered for me, leaving me an example. And, it may be, in thc anſwer of theſe particulars, whereby he thought to blemiſh me, my innocency and his injury ſhall more fully appeare to all men (by the overruling hand of the only wiſe God) then any other way it could have done. This the Lord hath done in Ioſephs caſe, and others, but ſpecially, in the crucifying of our Lord, whoſe ſuperſcription in great letters upon the croſſe, proclaimed to all the world, both his glory, and theire ſhame. As for the Anſwerer, I wiſh his age may be crowned with the honour of righteouſnes, upon his unfeinged repentance of theſe injuries, the guilt whereof he hath bene plunged into, I hope, by the violence of temptation, and not by a ſetled, and habituall evill bent of his ſpirit, out of which my prayer is unfeignedly, that God would recover him ſpeedily. And ſo I proceed to examine his anſwer, in this Section, and the concluſion of the former, againſt which I have diverſe exceptions.
1. Except.] That he ſayth, the things here declared have bene occaſion of the ſtrife rayſed up in this place,] This I except againſt, as it is indefinitely expreſſed. For it may be univerſally underſtood, as if thoſe things had occaſioned all the ſtrife, and in that ſenſe it is untrue. For there hath bene great ſtrife rayſed up amongſt them, about the rejecting of other men (whom I praefer above my ſelfe) before my name was mentioned amongſt them, which is not yet ended, as appeareth in the complaints. 2. I affirme, that, whoſoever hath bene the occaſion; his unjuſt oppoſition againſt the men, whom the Church hath juſtly deſired, hath bene the cauſe of the ſtrife in this place.
2. Except.] That he ſayth. Whileſt I was buiſy in wrighting, &c. another complaint is written againſt me, and ſecretly diſperſed amongſt our people.] My exception againſt this expreſſion is double. 1. That he calleth it my complaint, which title I doe not give it, nor is it proper, it being rather an account, then a complaint, being intended for theyr ſatiſfaction, who deſired to know the trueth of paſſages, not for redreſſe of injuries, which I ſuffer, without expectation of helpe from any man. 2. that he blameth the ſecret diſperſing of it: whereas he ſhould rather acknowledge my tender care of his reputation, who would not have it divulged, though for myne owne clearing, further then it was neceſſary, for the rectifying of theyre underſtanding and judgment, who had bene praejudiced againſt me, by his miſinformations▪ And, if this were a fault in me, yet he hath cauſe to lay his hand upon his mouth, who not only compelled me to doe it, but himſelfe ſent a larger wrighting, without any provocation from me, to a partiall freind of his, Mr. B. at Newburgh in England, which was, no doubt, by him ſecretly diſperſed, where it pleaſed him.
3. Except.] That he ſayth. I have dealt very injuriouſly with him, not only in reporting many things, but in ſundry inferences, &c.] this is a trick of policy, to praepoſſeſſe his credulous Reader with a foreſtalled opinion, & praejudice againſt what I wright, but the wiſe-hearted will compare the Reply with the anſwer in every Section impartially, and ſo judge righteous judgment.
4. Except.] That he ſayth, moſt of my complaints are, for ſubſtance, the very ſame that theſe Complainants have framed, as if the ſame pen had written both;] As if he would intimate that I am the authour of thoſe complaints; whereas I am perſwaded, that, in his owne heart, he doth acquit me thereof, both in obſervation of ſome paſſages in that wrighting, which any man may conceive not to be penned by me, and, upon his ſtrict examination of ſome of the Subſcribers, and of thoſe. 3. whom he exempteth from the number of Subſcribers (having, as he ſayth, acknowledged theire fault therein) by whom, if he could have underſtood that I had bene guilty, the Reader ſhould have found it, I beleive, either in great letters, or in ſome remarkeable marginall noate, expreſſed and aggravated to the uttermuſt: yet he ſo framed his anſwer to theyres, as if the whole booke were an anſwer to me only, whereas my wrighting was in ſome of theyre hands, a good ſpace of time, before theyres was framed: whence all, that can probably be inferred, is, that they recieved ſome information about things that concerned my ſelfe, from thence, or from my owne words. And whatſoever more is inferred from thence is to be returned back to his owne needleſſe jealouſy, from whence it came.
5. Except.] That he ſayth, Each of my threefold wrighting is ſtayned with untrueth, and matter of reproach.] but when he commeth to ſhew it (that his Reader may be convinced hereof) he flyeth off from two of the wrightings, at the firſt onſet, which, for the preſent, he leaveth to the conſideration of the Claſſis. Yet, that he may not ſeeme to be wholly out of heart, he ſayth, He will ſo anſwer the third wrighting, as that he ſhall take them in by the way, &c. For me; he may freely take his choyſe, whether he will anſwer all, or none, and whether, in every particular, or in groſſe: but he had dealt more fairely, if he had forborne to paſſe his ſentence, it being his worke to give evidence, not ſentence: but, it ſeemeth he durſt not reſt upon the aequanimity of the Reader, who is now made his judge, but would condemne it, leaſt elſe it might have paſſed altogether uncondemned.
And ſeing he undertaketh to anſwer the third wrighting, in every particular, we ſhall (with Gods aſſiſtance) examine his anſwer, and the narration which he maketh of particulars touching my calling hither, with the iſſue thereof, which, if it be faythfully done, may give much light to helpe the Readers in judging righteouſly: elſe it will, like an ignis fatùus, miſleade them from the trueth.
SECT. 8. Concerning my ſending for out of England.
Anſ. TO prove my ſending for over to be diſorderly, he ſayth in his printed booke, that ſuch as procured my comming out of England, did not, according to good order, communicate the matter with thoſe, whom it ſpecially concerned, who in all ſuch weighty and publick affayres of the Church, ſhould by theyre counſail and direction have gone before others therein. The ſame thing, in his letter ſent to Nuburgh, he expreſſeth thus, that, I, being ſent for privately by a particular perſon, without his knowledge, and without adviſe and conſent of theyre Elderſhip, came over before I was called.
Reply. 1, My end in comming into theſe parts, was to ſerve the preſent opportunity, for a few moneths, in helping that Church with the fruits of my labours, in their extreme neceſſity, having preſerved my liberty, not for love of eaſe, but for the workes ſake, (in hope that after ſome ſmall time of abſence, the diſpleaſure conceived againſt me would be abated, and my returne to myne owne country be made more ſafe,) and not to be Paſtor in Amſterdam, unleſſe it ſhould appeare, by a very ſtrong & cleare call from the joynt deſire of Paſtor and people, upon very ſafe and ſatiſfying termes, that God, to whoſe diſpoſall, I wholly committed my ſelfe, ſhould deſigne me to that place, as the only ſtation wherein he would ſerve himſelfe of me, the remaynder of my dayes. In which caſe, my heart was prepared to obey his call, to any part of the world, and ſo there, and not otherwiſe. This being my purpoſe, as he that brought me over, and others can teſtifye, I was content to come over for 3 or 4 moneths to helpe them. And other agreement or promiſe I made none. Now what need was there of any letters from the Elderſhip for ſo much?
2. If there had bene any further purpoſe or agreement to come over by a private ſollicitation, without publick order, yet in ſo doing, no good order was tranſgreſſed. Becauſe it was agreed upon in the Conſiſtory, that it ſhould be free for every member of the Congregation to procure any able miniſter to come thither for the tryall of his gifts: the reaſon of which agreement (as I can ſhew under the Elders hands) was, that the Church ſhould not be ingaged unto any man, if his gifts ſhould not be approved by the Congregation. So that the manner of my comming over was according to the order agreed upon amongſt themſelves.
3. I could add, if I thought it worth inſiſting upon, that my comming over was, not without his knowledge, nor without the deſire of the Elderſhip, though not ſignifyed by any publick Act, nor was it requiſite in this caſe, the premiſes being conſidered.