A Just Complaint Against an Unjust Doer, Part 2
THAT THESE INSTRVCTIONS were written by himſelfe, and by himſelfe delivered to the Elders deputed, he witneſſeth, by ſubſcribing his name, Iohn Davenport.
THough I have deſerved better uſage at Mr. Pagets hands for allmoſt 6. Months aſſiſtance of him, and have done and ſuffered ſo much to preſerve his peace, and the Churches, which if I had not exerciſed much patience and induſtry, would certeinly have fallen from him, being over burd…n…d with the loſſe of ſo many men, ſo much deſired by the congregation, and other paſſages, which I will for the preſent ſpare to mention, Mr. Paget not content with former Injuries addeth theſe following.
Firſt he ſayth & reporteth, that he hath often deſired to diſpute or confer with me about this poynt, but that I refuſed it: wheras he knoweth we were in continuall diſcourſe about it diverſe weekes, before others knew of the difference, neither ſhould it ever have ben knowne, if any brotherly love had wrought in him, or my adviſe and deſire might have prevayled. In this time there paſſed 2. or 3. ſerious conferences between us, wherein this poynt was diſputed, which I have in writing by me, nor did I ceaſſe till he gave over, and ſayd, that ſeeing his judgment could not prevayle with me, he wold leave it now to the dutch Preachers, to ſee if they could prevayle with me; from which I diſſwad. earneſtly, but in vayne, at laſt he tould me that he would ſpeake with me alone no more about thoſe matters, from that time I have ceaſed to come to his houſe.
Secondly, he reported that I am gone from my promiſe, for I ſayd, I would reſt in the writing of the five Miniſters, but now I will not, whereas he knoweth that from the firſt to the laſt, himſelfe never heard me ſpeake any ſuch word, and the night before they went to the Magiſtrates for their conſent to my call, he apprehended my anſwer rightly, and tould the Elders that he perceived that I did not reſt in that writing of the 5. Miniſters, further then it made way for an order to be made in the conſiſtory, wherat he ſhewed himſelfe diſcontented.
Ob. 1 But one of the Elders ſayd ſo in the conſiſtory.
An. That elder denieth that he ſayd ſo, and knoweth that I ſayd otherwayes to him, that which he ſayd, (as I am informed) was only to quiet Mr. Paget, and therfore told him that ſome part of that writing with an order to be made in conſiſtory, being ioyned together, would ſettle things, which is farre from an intimation of any purpoſe in me to conforme therunto.
Ob. 2 But Mr. Paget would not have gone elſe to the Magiſtrate, An. if he had not underſtood it to be ſo? It hath been often cleared, that he miſunderſtood that Elder, if he ſo vnderſtood him, and if he wold not upon other termes have gone to the Magiſtrate, the whole congregation and I am the leſſe beholden to him.
Ob. 3 But he did goe to the Magiſtrat, and at a time when he was not very ſtronge, and when he came home tould his wife rejoycing, that now the buſines is ended, which he would not have done, if he had not ſo underſtood it, and if he had not deſired to have Mr. Davenport for his colleague.
An. VponUpon his going to the Magiſtrate, the buſines was not ended, for the Magiſtrate ſhewed himſelfe unſatisfied, concerning the cauſe of my comming over, wherin how litle he ſpake to give ſatisfaction is evident, yea, what he anſwered, might ſerve rather to increaſe the ſuſpition, that beinge ended, and the Magiſtrats ſatisfied by other meanes, it was ſo brought about by one of the Dutch Preachers interpoſing, that the Magiſtrats gave but a conditionall conſent to my call, and made my conformity to this cuſtom of promiſcuous baptiſinge, the condition therof, ſo that now matters were in a worſe ſtat… then before. It is apparent that if Mr. Paget was at that time content to have me joyne with him, it was but conditionally, that I would doe whatſoever he, or the Claſſis would have me, upon which termes he is content to have others, whom he hath no cauſe to deſire for colleagues with him.
But Mr. Davenport did purpoſe to yeald, when he Ob. 4 came from England elſe why would he come over having ſeene the queſtions that were put to Mr. Hooker?
He ſaw the queſtions in London, An. above a yeare before his comming over, when he was farre from any thoughtes of comming to Amſterdam, or to any place out of his owne land, and when he did come over he profeſſed, both in England, and here, that he came but for 3. or 4. months, for which time, what need was there of his knowing, much leſſe practiſing or conforming to the cuſtoms of the Dutch Church, and when he did conſider of that queſtion as it was put to Mr. Hooker, ther was not either in the queſtion or anſwer, ſufficient light to informe him of that, which time hath diſcovered herein, neither can any man from thence, know what in this cuſtom is to be diſliked.
But Mr. Pa., did ſo much in that buſines, that he ſayth, if Ob. 5 that were to doe agayne he would not doe it, which ſheweth that at that time he deſired to have you.
If ever he did deſire me, An. I have given him no cauſe to repent of it, but to deſire it more, vnles he takes offence at this, that I dare not venture vponupon doeing that which I account unlawfull, or at this, that I report the truth of things as they paſſed when I am provoked thervnto.
But it ſeemes to me that he never did deſire it, for theſe reaſons. 1. bec. before I came hither, when he heard I was to come over, he preached publickly againſt my reſigning up my place, which afterward he juſt…fied, when I related to him the cauſe therof, the carriage therin, and the conſent of many worthy devines, and of the congregation it ſelfe therunto.
Secondly becauſe ſeverall times he ſhewed his diſlike of my comming hither, without his deſire or conſent in ſending for me, though it is apparent that God ſent me hither at a needfull time, when without me they would have been deſtitute, he being unable to preach, or to come to the Church.
Thirdly, becauſe he delayed the calling of me ſo long, that the Elders began to be impatient of his delayes, for what reaſons he beſt knoweth.
4lie. becauſe as ſoone as he found my Iudgm. differing in this poynt from his practiſe, he diſcouered how litle he deſired me, by refuſing all meanes of accomodation, though by them the difference might have been hid, and peremptorily reſolving to have it brought into the Claſſis, though I tould him it would make matters worſe, he pretended he might not doe otherwiſe, though ſome of the Dutch Preachers, ſayd it might be beſt ended in the Conſiſtory, and wiſhed it might be ſo, and approved of what I had ſayd to Mr. Paget, that matters would be worſe elſe: For it is unlikly that the Claſſis would make an order in favour of me, to condemn their owne cuſtoms.
5lie. He preſſed earneſtly to have Mr. Balmford of the Hage, though he gave him the ſame anſwer to the queſtion which I had done before I came into theſe parts: and ſince hath nominated Mr. Roe of Fluſhing: though he in anſwer to a letter which Mr. Paget ſent to him concerning this matter profeſſed himſelfe to be of my judgment.
6lie. Becauſe he hath allwayes ſo much urged to have one that hath lived ſome years in this country, and hath hitherto oppoſed diverſe worthy men that have come immediatly from England, my hope is at an end, and I muſt ceaſſe. Iohn Davenport.