Reply to a Book, Reply · Part 13
The Anſwer to the 13. Section examined. Of the order agreed upon in the Conſiſtory.
THat which here, he calleth an order, will, upon examination, be found very farr from accommodating me. I will wright it downe as I received it from the Elders, out of the noate, which I have in keeping. Ian. 19. 1634. The Conſiſtory being gathered, Elders, and Deacons together, it was demanded, whether that all perſons being no members ſhould be ſent unto Mr. D. to deſire the baptiſme of their children, and to make confeſſion to him, for his ſatiſfaction in his adminiſtration of that Sacrament? The anſwer was by all voyces, yea, if Mr. D. can be perſuaded thereunto. And for the better, and more convenient bringing of the parents or preſenters of the children to the Miniſter, it is agreed, by moſt voyces in Conſiſtory, that Th: A. the Coſter ſhall bring or direct the partyes to the Miniſters houſe. Afterward, this queſtion was propounded by the Anſwerer, & written downe in theſe words. Whether, if perſons ignorant, being willing to receive inſtruction, allthough not preſently able to render a reaſon, ſhall be ſent away by him, or admitted, to witt, they approving of the doctrine of baptiſme taught in theſe Churches, and as by us uſually is propounded? A Copy of this pretended order, with the queſtionw, as brought to me by ſome of the Elders to ſee what anſwer J would make to them boath. Which when I had conſidered, I found the order too ſhort, and the queſtion captious.
Firſt for the order J let theſe five things be duely weighed.
1. The Anſwerer dateth this order Ian. 15. which the Elders date Ian: 19. as he dated the miniſters wrighting to me Ian: 28. which themſelves, in their latine copy to me, dated Ian: 20. which difference is not of much conſequence, only it ſheweth that it is not ſafe for the Reader to be too confident of the Anſwerers memory.
2. Where as I propounded three wayes of accommodation (as the eleventh Section ſheweth) here is but one of them propounded in the Conſiſtory.
3. That one is otherwiſe propounded then I expreſſed it. For I did not deſire that all, whoſe children ſhould be preſented to baptiſme, ſhould be ſent to me, but only that it ſhould be ſo, when it fell into my courſe to adminiſter that Sacrament (my motion being that we might not performe it joyntly, but ſeverally, and alternis vicibus) neither did I require that they ſhould make confeſſion to me, but that I might ſpeake with them, before they preſented them in publick, that I might have ſome knowledge of them, by private conference with them, to prevent publick diſturbance.
4. The courſe, whereupon they agreed for accommodation, was not ſufficient. For 1. many preſent their children to Baptiſme that acquaint not Th. A. with it before hand. The Anſwerer told me that they come many times in the ſermon time, no man having knowledge thereof before. How ſhall Tho: A. ſend ſuch to me? 2. They that doe acquaint him with their purpoſe of preſenting their children, what if they will not come to me, upon his perſuaſion? Who ſeeth not that I am, in ſuch caſes, and the like, as farr to ſeeke for accommodation, as if no order had bene made? I told the Elders that this would not be ſufficient, unleſſe it were added, that, no infants ſhould be preſented in publick to baptiſme, whoſe parents are not members of the Church, before the miniſter had received ſatiſfaction concerning the parents, in private. To this purpoſe, I required that a firme order ſhould be made in the Conſiſtory, to ſecure me from further trouble about this point, which the Elders promiſed, and indeavoured to effect (as I was told) but the Anſwerer reſiſted it, refuſing his conſent thereunto, without the conſent of the Claſſis.
5. The offer which he pretended that he voluntarily made, for the inlarging of this order, and my further accommodation, to wit, that he would ſend to me thoſe parents, that ſhould come to him &c. and ſo, departing from his right, he was content to referr the wholl worke of examination to my diſcretion, is a vaine boaſt of falſe liberality. For. 1. few, if any, come to him to advertiſe him thereof. 2. If he ſhould ſpeake to them, they would chuſe, and it, may be, refuſe, and make contention, if a firme order were not made to prevent it. 3. His referring of the wholl worke of examination to me, was caſt in for a pretence, to evade the firſt meane of accommodation propounded by me: and by the ſecond courſe,Sect. 11. which J propounded for accommodation alſo, it may appeare, that this offer was not for the accommodation which I deſired, but to hinder it rather.
Secondly, for the queſtion.] Any one may ſee, it was captious. For. 1. Why doeth he ſpeake only of knowledge, when I would (as he knoweth) be ſatiſfyed concerning other things, as well as their knowledge? 2. Why doeth he ſpeake of the meaſure and degree of knowledge, ſo obſcurely and ſuſpiciouſly? 3. Why was this queſtion added to the order? Was it not to ſhew that the order ſhould no further ſtand, then he received ſatiſfaction in my anſwer to his queſtion? And hereby two things are manifeſted. 1. that the order was not abſolute, but conitionall, if I could be perſuaded thereunto. 2. that I did not approve of this order, as ſufficient, as may further appeare in my diſlike of his queſtion, whereunto, if my anſwer had bene to his content, to what end did he procure the five Miniſters to ſigne that wrighting which was ſent to me afterwards, as him ſelfe confeſſeth in the beginning of this Section? It had bene ſuperfluous, and to no purpoſe, if the matter had bene before concluded amongſt our ſelves.
For a Concluſion of this Section, to ſatiſfye the Reader that this was to be called rather a propoſition or motion about an order to be deliberated upon, then an order perfected by mature deliberation, theſe Conſiderations may be added to what hath bene ſaid.
1. That with this pretended order a queſtion was joyned, and my anſwer to boath was required. This ſheweth that the order was not abſolute, but to be aſſented to by the Anſwerer, if my anſwer to his queſtion ſhould pleaſe him.
2. That, in that order it is expreſly ſayd, [yea if Mr. D. can be intreated &c.] which againe ſheweth, that it was no abſolute order but to ſtand, if I could be intreated &c. So that this could not be called an order, till the Anſwerer had bene ſatiſfyed about myne anſwer to his queſtion, and till I had yeelded to what, by this order, ſhould be propounded to me.
3. That, when the order was brought to me, though the word ſatiſfaction and content was ſpoken of by me, as a word fit to be in the order, yet I demanded how this could be done by that order, upon the reaſons before mentioned in my fifth proofe of the defectivenes of that order,
4. That, upon my miſlike of it, the order was left with me to peruſe, and to add what I thought requiſite, as it was fit it ſhould, ſeing the end of it, was my ſatiſfaction.
5. That, before J had poliſhed and perfected that order, to my content, the letter of the five Miniſters was brought to me, which then put me out of hope, till the Elders againe promiſed me, the next day, that all ſhould be made well.
As for theyr wrighting of this amongſt the Acts of their Conſiſtory, whether it was only entred into a waſte booke, or written downe, for a record, J know not, let them looke to that amongſt themſelves, but what I have affirmed, I know to be true, in every particular.