Reply to a Book, Reply · Part 9
The Anſwer to the nineth Section examined, concerning my reſigning of my paſtorall charge in London.
THree things are in this Section propounded by the Anſwerer, or pretended rather. 1. my not bringing with me an authentick teſtimony of my lawfull dimiſſion. Anſ. 2. My reſignation of my place. 3. His anſwer to my arguing from his preaching againſt that my reſignation to prove that he never deſired me, for his Colleague. Which particulars are now to be examined, and anſwered ſeverally and breifely.
Reply. 1. For the firſt.] That this is a mere pretence will appeare, if three things be conſidered. 1. that he never required of me any ſuch teſtimony: therefore, how doeth he know, that I wanted it? 2. If I had wanted a teſtimony; it is well knowne to himſelfe, as well as to others, that I could ſoone have had one. 3. I did not want ſuch a teſtimony as might ſatifye any man, even Momus himſelfe. One of the Miniſters of the Claſſis, having read it, ſayd it was teſtimonium laudatiſſimum. The Anſwerer intimateth that an ample teſtimony hath bene formerly given to him in other places.Pag. 17.3▪
How ample his teſtimony was, I know not: but that myne was honourable, and ſufficient, appeareth by what hath bene ſayd.
2. For the ſecond.] ſeing J am chalenged thus in publick, about the reſignation of my paſtorall charge in London, and called to the barr of common cenſure, to anſwer to that which my accuſer objecteth againſt me, both here, and in other places of the booke, concerning this matter, I pray the Reader aequally to conſider my defence, wherein. 1. I will ſpeake ſomething, in theſi, generally, concerning the lawfullnes of that which he ſeemeth to condemne. 2. I will add ſomething, in hypotheſi, for the juſtifying of what I have done in this particular.
In Theſi.] I am to ſhew that it is not unlawfull for a Paſtor, in caſe of extreame and apparent perſonall danger, by flight, to provide for his perſonall ſafety. That this is lawfull, appeareth.
1. By the precept given by Chriſt to the Diſciples, and in them to all beleivers, and particularly to the Miniſters of the Goſpell. When they perſecute you in this City, flee into another. Mat, 10.23.Vnleſſe he will ſay, that rule is but temporary, and of force only during the firſt Century, which was the errour of Tertullian,Haec ſcripſit Tertullianus contra totam Eccleſiam. Hieron: d… virisilluſtr. & wherein the wholl Church held contrary to him. The Arguments, which Tertullian produceth for juſtifying of his Errour, I examined thoroughly, before I tooke that courſe, & found them (if I may ſay with reverence to ſo ancient a light in the Church) of no weight. This liberty of flight granted by that precept, I have not read many that have denyed, of later time, onelyonly an Anabaptiſt, one Mr. Helwis, who is fully anſwered, in print,Helw: of the myſtery of iniquity. Mr. Rob: of Rel. Com. P. 23 Mat. 10.5 P. Martyr in Epiſt: ad amicum de de fuga. Mat: 28.19. Aug: in Epiſt: ad Honorat. Epiſt: 180. Alſo the ſame precept was argued by ſome others, to be but temporary, from the temporarines of that other precept. Goe not into the way of the Gentiles, &c. Which indeed was ſhortly after abrogated. But betweene thoſe two precepts Peter Martyr judiciouſly noateth this difference: viz, that appeared to be temporary, in that it was abrogated by Chriſt, who after his reſurrection, expreſly …mmanded the contrary, ſaying, Goe teach all nations; But this precept, concerning flight in perſecution, is perpetuall, becauſe Chriſt never reverſed it, by any word in Scripture▪ And, upon this and other ſatiſfying grounds, Auguſtine is cleare concerning the lawfullnes hereof, in the caſe of Miniſters, as wil appeare to him that ſhall read an Epiſtle of his written to that purpoſe.
2. By examples of the ſervants of God who have done thus. We may not expect examples of any Paſtors in Scripture, who did thus. For, till the aſcention of Chriſt, that gift was not given to the Church. And after, for the ſpace of 300 yeares, the perſecutions were, for the moſt part, not perſonall, but generall; not againſt the perſon of the Paſtor only (in which caſe alone it is lawfull to flee) but againſt the wholl Church, in which caſe, it was neceſſary,Act. 7.25. Exod: 2.12.14. & 3.4.18. that they ſhould ſtay. But of caſes paralell hereunto we have inſtances, of not a few. As of Moſes, who being perſwaded, that God, by his hand, would deliver the Iſraelites, yet, for feare, fled out of Aegipt, where, the Lord did not reprove him for ſo doing, but reveale himſelfe more fully to him, then formerly.1 Kings 17.3.18-10.19.3.5. &c. Acts 9.23.24. 2 Cor: 11.30. Great Eliah, by the Lords appoyntment, hid himſelfe from Iezabells purſuit, who had threatned him, & was not there in condemned by the Lord, but incouraged, and aſſiſted. The bleſſed Apoſtle of the Gentiles, Paul, to avoyd the lying in wayte of the Iewes, was let downe by night, through the wall of Damaſcus, by a rope, in a baſket, for which he was ſo farr from being condemned of his owne conſcience inlightned by Gods holy Spirit of truth, that he rejoyced in it afterwards, and tooke the ſame courſe of flying from Iconium to Listra, Ast: 14.1 5.6.to avoyd violence. The time would fayle me to ſpeake of Iacob, David, Ieremy, Baruch, of thoſe whom Obadiah hid by 50 in a cave, and of thoſe worthyes, under Antiochus,Heb: 11.… 37.38.39 of whom the world was not worthy, who did wander up and downe in ſheepeſkinnes and goateſkinnes, in wilderneſſes, & mountaines, and dens, and caves of the earth, and this they are ſaid to have done by fayth. Yea, our bleſſed Saviour did alſo ſundry times, as our head, ſanctifye flight to all his members, who are partakers of the fellowſhip of his afflictions, and of this, amongſt the reſt.Mat: 10.28. v. 23. with 28. Nor is this that unlawfull feare of them that can kill the body, as appeareth in this, that in the ſame chapter, where the Apoſtles are forbidden to feare, they are allowed to fly. And if theſe might ſtand together in the Apoſtles, why not in others? Nor is this the unlawfull faynting in affliction, 2 Cor: 4.16. with. 2 Cor: 11.30.ſpoken of by Paul. For even the ſame Apoſtle, in the ſame Epiſtle, where he ſpeaketh of his not faynting, ſpeaketh of his flying: to ſhew that theſe are not contrary. Nor is this like the flying of Ionah, or that whereunto Ieremy was tempted. For they that doe thus, doe not doe it, that they may not preach, but that they may preach the Goſpell, of which liberty they foreſee that they ſhould utterly be deprived, if they ſhould fall in to theyre hands, who would not afford them the favour, which Paul had at Rome, to dwell in his owne hired houſe, Act: 28.16.30.31and to receive all that came in unto him, preaching the Kingdom of God &c. no man forbidding him. Neither is it done by them as by thoſe, who are acted by the ſpirit of that baſe feare, which is oppoſed to the ſpirit of power and of a ſound mind. 2 Tim: 1.7▪For even the ſpirit of power or courage or fortitude, worketh diverſly in the ſervants of God, upon ſeverall occaſions. When God calleth men to confeſſe the truth, by doing it, it incourageth them thereunto, whatſoever difficulties or impediments lye in the way, when he calleth them to witnes to it, by ſuffering, it ſtrengthneth them thereunto; But how? to ſuffer that tryall, not wherewith men would inſnare them, but wherewith it pleaſeth the Divine providence to excerciſe them. Men would impriſon them, but God ſtrongly inclineth theyr ſpirits, rather to chuſe a voluntary baniſhment, for a ſhort ſpace of time, which is a ſorer tryall then ſome impriſonment. And, in ſuch a caſe, flight it ſelfe is a reall confeſſion, and profeſſion that the truths of the Goſpel are of no ſmall value to them, who thus flye. For who had not rather tarry in his owne country, then leave his country, acquaintance, & all the commodities which, with them, he might have injoyed, and travayle amongſt ſtrangers, whoſe language, diſpoſitions, and cuſtoms he knoweth not, where he is expoſed to many inconveniences, by the change of ayre and dyet, and to be reviled in his owne land, and ſuſpected amongſt ſtrangers, and to be ill intreated, oppreſſed, rejected, and in print traduced, by thoſe who ſhould have comforted, and countenanced him, and to be brow-beaten by his inferiours, fhily looked upon by ſome aequalls, treacherouſly circumvented by others, obnoxious to the injuryes of all. In a word, to be a footeſtoole for others to tread upon, that they may rayſe themſelves, by doing ſome ſervice, though it be by rayling againſt, or ſlandering thoſe whom they frowne upon,Pſal: 129.3. Secedamus (inquit am… cis) nubecula eſt, quae citò evaneſcit. Socrat: hyſt: 3.12.18. from whom they expect preferment. As Eraſmus ſaid of Luther. poore Luther made many rich men: becauſe they got preferment, in thoſe dayes, by wrighting againſt him. Is this to forſake the Lords plough? or is it not, for the teſtimony of Chriſt, to be content that the ploughers plough long furrowes upon our backs? Did Athanaſius forſake the Lords plough, when, to decline Iulians plot againſt him, he fled from Alexandria? This was not to forſake the calling of God, but to follow it. The like I may ſay of Peter Martyrs relinquiſhing his ſtation in Luca, when he ſaw he could not with ſafety hold it, it was not a deſerting of his flock, but a preſerving himſelfe for his flock, whom if he had not left for a time, they, and the whole Church had loſt for ever. I wil not now ſpeake of Policarpus, and Cyprian, & others in former times, nor of thoſe who fled in Q: Maryes dayes, and were preſerved in Franckfurt, and other places for after times.
In Hypotheſi.] For the juſtifying of myne owne act, in this particular (being injuriouſly compelled hereunto, in ſo publick a way, by the inconſiderate importunity of an angry brother who ſeemeth very regardleſſe how farr he expoſeth me to cenſure, or danger) I will breifely relate, both the cauſes of it, and the manner of my carriage in it. That the true cauſe may be knowne, falſe cauſes pretended by others, muſt be removed. For, this way, I have bene much wronged, whileſt many, out of ignorance, or malice, or both, either willingly not knowing, or maliciouſly concealing the truth, have taken an unwarrantable liberty to ſpread abroad ſlanders, with as much confidence, as if they had bene trayned up in the Machiavells and Ieſuits principles,Calumniare audacter: aliquid haerebit. from theyr childhood. And ſome were ſo bold herein, that they feared not to caſt the poyſon of theyr reproaches, and to ſhoote the arrowes of theyr ſlanders at me, thorough the eares of theyr ſuperiours, perſons of noble quality, whoſe place and authority ſhould have awed them, and made them affrayd to be found lyars unto them, though they had no regard of God, nor of theyr conſcience, nor of theyr account in the day of Chriſt. The time may come when I ſhall,3. Ioh. 10 in print, remember theyre deeds which they doe, and theyre prating againſt vsus with malicious words, if they take not up in time, but proceed and perſiſt in theſe injurious dealings. In the meane ſpace, and allwayes, my ſoule ſtay thy ſelfe upon the righteous God,Pſal. 37.6 the God of truth. And he ſhall bring forth thy righteouſnes as the light, and thy judgements as the noone day. Say unto the Lord my God. Thou haſt knowne my reproach, Pſal. 69.19. &. 6.7and my ſhame, and my diſhonour, my adverſaries are all before thee. Let not them that wayte on thee, o Lord God of hoaſts be aſhamed for my ſake: Let not thoſe that ſeeke thee be confounded for my ſake, o God of Iſrael! Becauſe for thy ſake I have borne reproach &c. yet, that I may not be altogether wanting to my ſelfe, nor injurious to the Reader, in ſuffering him to be guilty of the ſinne of evill ſurmiſes, or of ſlander in heart, for want of information, I doe ſeriouſly and ſincerely proteſt, that (ſo farr as I know myne owne heart) I did not with draw my ſelfe. 1. out of any diſloyall affection or unduetifull thought towards his Matie of great Brittayne, my dread Soveraigne, for whom my hearty prayer ſhall be, day & night, that his ſoule may be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord his God, & that the ſoules of his enimyes may be ſlung out, as out of the middle of a ſling. And that the Lord will cloath his enimies with ſhame, but upon himſelfe let his crowne flowriſh. 2. nor out of any Schyſmaticall propenſion to forſake the Church aſſembles of England,Heb. 10.29. as if I thought there were no true Churches of Chriſt in the land, as the manner of ſome is. 3. nor out of idlenes, or wearines of the Lords plough, nor. 4. out of love of eaſe, that I might pamper the fleſh. 5. nor out of any unrighteous ayme to defraud any one by any meanes. 6. nor as one aſhamed of the Goſpell, to avoyd witnes bearing to the trueth. 7. nor for any trouble I was in, or feared by the civill Magiſtrate, before whom I was never queſtioned, in all my life, except for the good & pious buiſenes about redeeming impropriations, wherein our righteous dealing was publickly cleared even by his Maties Atturney generall, who proſecuted againſt us.
But the truth is, that having about 17 yeares excerciſed a publick miniſtry in Londō (about 9 or 10 yeares whereof I was in a Paſtorall charge in Colmanſtreet) Jn the latter part of that time I was much perplexed with doubts about the lawfullnes of that cōformity, which I had formerly uſed, without ſcruple, in reſpect of ſome defects, & corruptions, & unwarrantable humaine impoſitions, whereunto I found my ſelfe thereby ſubjected. It is not requiſite in this place to relate, upon what occaſion or ground I became thus altered in my judgement; but thus much I will expreſſe. It was not from a diſlike of ſome one Ceremony only, but of many things amiſſe, and thoſe, not trifles, or things indifferent, but matters of great importance, and which I can not ſubmit to, nor doe, with ſatiſfaction to my conſcience in the ſight of God, though one thing occaſioned the diſcovery of that diſlike, which was not wraught at once, but by degrees, nor ſuddenly, but ſlowly, nor upon ſlight, but weighty conſiderations, nor without much labour, day and night. From that time, I ſaught how to free my ſelfe from former intanglements, in ſuch a manner, as might be moſt for the peace and proffit of the Church, being very fearefull (out of the peaceablenes of my ſpirit) of cauſing any publick diſturbance. Yet I ceaſed not to uſe thoſe meanes, for the ſatiſfaction of my doubts, which I thought moſt convenient for me, and know to be as ſufficient, as any I could uſe. Whileſt theſe things were in agitation; the alteration of my judgement (which I had kept ſecret from common obſervation) was diſcovered by a letter, which one intercepted and opened, who ſoone acquainted his intimates with it, by whom it was whiſpered into the eares of many: the ſame man, I ſuſpected, would ſoone make it knowne to my Dioceſan, that then was, at his returne from Scotland, where he had wayted upon his Matie. Theſe things when I underſtood, I purpoſed, the weeke after his returne, to retire for a weeke or two, in to the Country, that I might diſcerne what was intended againſt me, by the manner of theyr inquiry after me. Upon this courſe I was hurried, rather then ſettled, by an unexpected accident, which was this. Upon the munday after his returne, I rode a few miles from London to an ancient Reverend Divine, a Dr. in Divinity and my particular freind (upon a former agreement betweene us) to conferr with him about my doubts. But when it was knowne that I went out of towne, and not whither, ſome gave out that I was fled, which others too eaſily receyved and too confidently reported, & ſpread it abroad, yet I returned, as I purpoſed at my riding foorth, that night, to a place within 2 or 3 miles of London, and ſtayed there the next day, where I was not a litle troubled at the clamour, which, I heard, was made by many, about my ſuppoſed flight, fearing that it would much irritate and incenſe authority againſt me, and accordingly was, even that weeke, advertiſed of a ſtorme gathered in a thick cloud, and ready to fall upon me. Whereupon I retired a ſmall diſtance from London, for a few weekes, to ſee what iſſue the Lord would put to theſe overtures. In which time, 3 requeſts were, on my behalfe, and at my intreaty, propounded to the Biſhop of that dioceſſe, that then was, by his anſwer whereunto I perceived that extremity was intended againſt mee. Yet I did not reſigne, till the Biſhop had cauſed the Churchwardens to be examined concerning me, by the Regiſter of the High Commiſſion, whereby it appeared that he purpoſed to deale with me ſpeedily, in that Court, if, by reſigning, I prevented it not. Nevertheles, I did not yet reſigne up my place, till I had called the Church together in a generall Veſtry, and propounded the matter to them, acquainting them with my caſe, praying them to adviſe freely what was beſt to be done, for theyre good and myne. The Church, I confeſſe, might have required me to ſtay with them, by vertue of that rule,Coll. 4.17 Say to Archippus, Take heed to the Ministry, which thow haſt received in the Lord, that thou fullfill it. and, if they had ſo done, I purpoſed to yeeld, what-ever had become of me. Yea,1 Cor: 3.22. & v. 5 I confeſſe the Churches right to be ſuch in theyr Paſtors, that if, whileſt I withdrew my ſelfe, for a ſhort time, they had ſent for me to returne to the excerciſe of my intermitted function (promiſing to ſtick to me, ſo farr as lawfully they might, in all dangers that might befall me) I hold my felfe bound to have returned thereunto: as Luther, upon the letters of the Church of Wittenburg,Melch: Adam: vit: Luth. returned to the execution of his function, from which he had, for a time, deſiſted, and hidd himſelfe, by the adviſe and command of the D. of Saxony.
As I acknowledge the Church to have this right in their paſtor, ſo I told them, that if they ſhould find that any hurt would redound to them by my reſignation, which by my holding the place would be prevented, I would hold it, what-ever ſhould befall me.
They ſeriouſly adviſing upon the propoſition made by me, and knowing that the liberty and power of chuſing theyre Paſtor was in themſelves (which alſo ſecured me from feare that a wolfe ſhould be obtruded upon them, after my departure, without which aſſurāce I would not have reſigned it) & it being thought by ſome to be better for the Church, that I ſhould quietly reſigne, then, by holding the place, to expoſe them to ſome inconveniences (which I forbeare to mention at this time) they freely conſented to my reſignation. Jn teſtimony whereof the Churchwardens (in the name and ſervice of the reſt) joyned with me in all that was done about it. Thus I was freely diſmiſſed by the ſame power that called me to that miniſtry. The reaſons, which inclined me to preſerve my liberty, were theſe. 1. the ſeverity of the Canons againſt thoſe, who, having formerly ſubſcribed, and conformed, doe alter theyre judgment and practiſe. 2. the Biſhops owne threatnings uttered to me, in particular, formerly, that, in this caſe, I muſt expect, that they would be more ſevere againſt mee, then ſome others; becauſe my example (he ſayd) would doe more hurt. 3. J was ſatifyed, in my conſcience, upon good grounds, that I might doe more ſervice to the Church, by preſerving the liberty of my perſon, then by lying (& for ought I know, dying) in priſon, and it may be, in cloſe priſon. And in this reſolution I was ſtrengthned, as by good adviſe, ſo by inward teſtimonyes, that, in this courſe, I ſhould more pleaſe God (all things being conſidered) then in the other, being (as it ſeemed to me) guided thereunto by the eye of God, whoſe providence fore ſhewed me, both the danger, and the way of eſcape, and by the mouth of God, whoſe word warranted me ſo to doe, and by the hand of God (as I have already ſhewen) who ſtrongly inclined my ſpirit, upon the forementioned grounds, thereunto. So that I could not ſatiſfye my ſelfe, in theſe reſpects, that, if I ſhould doe otherwiſe, I could be free from the guilt of tempting God. Thus I have ingenuouſly, and plainely reported the trueth. Wherein, if the Godly and judicious Reader ſhall find any thing done by me, through humane infirmity, that agreeth not with the rule, my humble requeſt is, that he will, in brotherly love, helpe me, with his light, that I may be convinced thereof by the Scripture, and he ſhall find me ready to receive a freindly and juſt rebuke, with due meekenes, and thanckfullnes. But, if otherwiſe, he ſhall ſee cauſe to juſtifye my way (which, I thinck, if he judge righteouſly, he will) let him ſuffer me to ſtand right in his good opinion, and condemne himſelfe, in the ſight of God, if he have miſjudged me. As for the Anſwerer: Either let him convince me of ſinne in the premiſes, or beare the juſt blame of an unjuſt reproofe, or reproach rather, which is ſo much the greater injury, as, by being printed, it is made more notorious and ſcandalous.
After the buiſenes of my reſignation was in this manner tranſacted, I expected peace, but behold new troubles. For another purſivant was ſent out for me, who gave out great threatnings. And this inclined me to accept of the motion from theſe Countryes, wherein, I thought, I might be ſafe in my perſon, and proffitable, in the fruit of Gods bleſſing upon my labours to that Church, for a time, and that, upon my abſence, the diſpleaſure conceived againſt me would be mitigated, and my returne, after a convenient time, would be made more ſafe.
3. For juſtifying of my inference, from his preaching againſt my reſignation, to prove that he never deſired me for his Colleague, I need not uſe many words. For if, before I came,Quid verba audiam, cum facta videam? he ſhewed his averſenes, and after J came, he really hindred my ſetling there, his actions ſpeake it ſufficiently ſo that my words, in this caſe are needles.