Vindication of the Faithful Rebuke to a False Report, Letter 10
LETTER X. Of Matter of Fact.
SIR, For your Satisfaction in this Point, I must refer you to the Rebuke, who has faithfully, and to Mr. W's his Answer, who has more fully, and yet with equal faithfulness given you an Account of it: And I judge it to be a safe Rule by which to govern our belief in Matters of this Nature, never to give Credit to him that Writes a Report not from Principles but from Ends; or if you please, whose Ends are the commanding Principles from which he writes. For as you know, we had a Company of designing Folks, who in the last Age contended earnestly for the Reunion of Protestants and Papists, and with that sort of Men, all our Differences were Minutes, and inconsiderable Trifles; so in this present Age, we have been plagued with a Generation of People, who were all for Division, and with these all Differences were Fundamental; every Scratch was Mortal; an Atome was a Beam, a Wart was a Wen, and a Mole-hill a Mountain.
But my Present Province is only to clear those Accounts, you have already received from those few Exceptions, the Defence has made against them.
§. 1. The Rebuke, p. 13. Objected to the Integrity of the Report, which affirms, That the most Learned of each Party received Satisfaction, viz. in the first Paper: That it gave no Satisfaction at all to Mr. Cole, and Mr. Mather: Now to this he Replies thus, That their Hands were not to the first Paper, was not because they approv'd not the Doctrines therein contained; for they both in the hearing of many declared their approval; though for some other Reasons they declined Subscription.
Sir, I desire you would seriously consider it, whether this Answer satisfies the Objection.
1. What is it to the Ends of Peace and Union what they approved, or disapproved in their own Souls? Its our Publick Approval must compose our Publick Differences, if ever they be composed: Its not secret thinking, or opining that will serve this turn but open Subscription: If they had openly subscribed, it had Contributed more to Peace, than openly to refuse, and secretly to Comply. The Rule hold good in this Case, De non Apparentibus & non existentibus eadem est Ratio; and what if all the rest had approved only at this Rate, who would have call'd it an Approbation?
2. But is not this the wildest Answer that ever was given to an Objection; which does not refute but strengthen it? It was objected, that they did not subscribe and approve, and he gives you a Reason why they did not: It was enough for the Objection, to say, they did not, and he will be so officious as to give us a Reason, why?
3. He says, the Reason was not because they did not approve the Doctrines. No doubt of that! the Doctrinal Part was so contrived that it could not stumble, or give offence to an Antinominian: The Doctrines were exactly calculated for their Meridian; but yet there might be, and there were other Reasons drawn from some other Parts of the Paper, that prevail'd with them to refuse Subscription.
4. And to what purpose does he talk of other Reasons, which they reserved to themselves, when there are no Reasons, no not one Reason offered to our view? I had thought that other Reasons should have presupposed some, at least one single Reason that had preceded! What those other Reasons were, the Defence has not given us, and perhaps the Refusers have not given them to him; but I can help him out at a pinch: Those Gentlemen were both of them Dissenters to the Union, and it was not this or that Union, but all Unions they disapproved, unless they could have met with such ductile Souls as would have complied with their little narrow Sentiments; and yet none could ever get it out of them what those were: There was once a Meeting at Pinners-Hall, to compose the Differences arisen about Mr. Williams's Book, where I heard Mr. M. say openly, Away with your Union! And away he offer'd to be gone in a great Huff: Now that Reason which was then openly avowed, might be no, and now doubt was, secretly reserved.
5. That they declined Subscription, is a Term to sweeten and mollisie a harsh and rugged Matter; but the Truth is, they both of them refused to Subscribe all the Days of their Lives, nor will they ever do it to the Worlds end.
§. 2. Whereas the Reporter's Words sounded very high and big, That this Instrument was gladly embraced by the Congregational, and gave satisfaction to the most Learned of each Party. The Rebuke asked modestly and humbly, as became him, Whether it had Redintegrated the violated Union? And that all Differences and Distances were removed? And whether a Coalition between both Parties had hereupon ensued? For what could those pompous swelling Expressions, suggest less? But he was assured, that not one word of all this was true! To this the Defence replies, P. 3. We had no reason to judge thus, but the quite contrary. To what end then was all this Pother? However this is honestly spoken: For now it appears, That the design of this Paper was not Falling in, but a farther Falling out: It was not to stitch up the Rent, but to tear it wider: They expected the quite contrary; 'twas not Peace, but a more Bloody War: Not a Coalition, but a Collision: To make the Differences which had already smoaked, now to flame, and blaze out before the whole World: It is honestly done, I say, to confess under his Hand, that in his Heart he meant not honestly. I will never go about to confute him in this particular, because his words do irrefragably prove, what one of the Number spoke, That they never intended to enter into an Union with the Presbyterians.
§. 3. But the most pleasant account he gives is this, That the Re-union was but in prospect. This Gentleman must have a long Head, and a longer Reach with his Eye, that could have that in the prospect of his Eye, which he never had in the Thoughts of his Heart, but the quite contrary. Thus our Water-men Look one way, and Row another; and from this sort of Men he has borrowed both his Rhetorick and his Conscience. He had it in prospect; not as Moses, who had a Pisgah-prospect of that good promised Land of Rest and Peace; but like Balaam, who saw afar off, what he hated, and wherein he had no Interest.
§. 4. It was objected to the Reporter, That he had given a lame account of matters of Fact, and nibbled off things at both ends. Whereas a faithful Narrative should speak the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth: To which he answers, That he never pretended it? What a Faithful Reporter is he like to prove, that never intended Union in what he did; nor never pretended Integrity in what he said? But I intend, and pretend too to rejoyn.
1. That where there is a connexion of matters of Fact, where the present state of Affairs has a clear dependance on the former; so that the one cannot be understood, nor a due Judgment of them made without the other; in this case an entire Report of the whole matter is absolutely necessary, and to give us a Fragment or two, is to bilk us, and give us just nothing.
§. 5. But because the Defender is so importunate and troublesome, I will give you and him a farther account of the Falshood of his Report.
1. I must judge a Forgery to be a Falshood; a practical Falshood. Now when I find the Names of some Reverend Persons affixed to this Paper, whose Hands and Hearts never were to it, nor any consent given, that any other should do it for them: A Forgery must lie somewhere; and where to six it but upon the Report, who printed their Names as subscribed, I cannot imagine. 'Tis certain that the Reverend Mr. M. Barker, and Mr. Sclater, do deny that ever they subscribed their Hands, or ever gave allowance to any other to do it for them.
2. Nor is it true, that this Paper was gladly receiv'd by the Congregational; for all that their Subscription does import, is but this little; That they are glad to find so good an Agreement amongst us, as this Paper expresses: But what Agreement that Paper expresses, is so next to nothing, that it's a Wonder they should be glad at it: And I presume any Moderate Man, of whatever Religion he may be, might be glad that Men are not falling together by the Ears.
3. Nor is it true, that all the Nine among the Presbyterians did gladly imbrace and receive it; for some of the Nine, upon my knowledge, at the time of their Subscription, did openly declare, That what they did, was with Reference to the Approbation of the United Brethren, in a just Assembly; so that they subscribed conditionally, not absolutely, and therefore this magnified Paper, was but a Probationer at best; it stood upon its good Behaviour, to live or die, as their Brethren should absolve or condemn, approve or disapprove it: In a word, it was an Escrow, not a formed Deed; an Embrio, till the general Assent should give it life; and this will furnish the Reporter with another Instance of a Contradiction: It was a Subscription, and no Subscription; it had a rude unformed matter, but wanted the Form to give it Existence.
§. 7. The Defender is now resolved to make sure work, to take away the Subject of the Question, and to cut up the poor Presbyterians Root and Branch, by one Mortal stroke. For (says he) P. 5. we know of no such meeting (of United Ministers) that hath been of late Months at Little St. Hellens. That's hard! Are they all dead, or fled for the same? Have they broke up House, and left the Key under the Door, and let the Landlord take his Rent, where he can find it? Or was this Report calculated for that happy Iuncture, when they had Adjourned themselves for some few Months? O no! That was not the Business: A Meeting there is, but not made up of United Brethren; In that the Congregational, who are Essential part of the Union, have not met with an them. This is indeed Mathematial Demonstration! For if an Essential part be wanting, the Essence vanishes with it: By the same Token, that when the Report left out Regeneration, Conversion, and Repentance out of his Substance of the Gospel, which are Essentials of the Christian Faith, he utterly annihilated Christianity; so if the Congregational were an essential part of the Union, and they be gone, the Union must of necessity go with it. But may we not be allowed soberly to examine what he so confidently asserts, That the Congregational are an Essential part of the Union?
1. I freely grant, that if the Design of this Industrious Pacificator had succeeded, this had been, to our Sorrow and his Triumph too true! But blessed be the God of Truth and Peace, who has hitherto, and I hope and pray that he will yet teach them to preserve the Unity of the Spirit, in the Bond of Peace, to defeat the unwearied Malice, and malicious Endeavours of all such as would divide, and thereby destroy them.
2. That the Congregational were an Integral part of that Union we grant, that they were an Essential part we deny: The United Brethren are perhaps less in number, but not less united: Nay, their Union has been more firmly compacted and strengthned: Nor can we conceive how the Separation of some Individuals should dissolve the Union.
3. I must again assert, what I have fully and clearly proved, That the Secession of those Brethren, was their own fault; and 'tis an acknowledged Maxime in our Law, That no Man shall have Advantage by his own Fact, to justifie his Cause, much less shall the Innocent suffer any prejudice by it: I could never yet meet with any tolerable Reason pleaded, as cause assigned to justifie their Departure; what they have pretended to, has been only some suspicion of Heterodoxies in Mr. W's Book; but Suspicions are airy volatile things, which none ought to regard, because 'tis not in their power to prevent and hinder them.
4. That these Suspicions will not warrant this Separation from the United Brethren, is evident from the Defence it self; which confesses, that the Brethren as such did not set their Hands to the Offensive Book; nor ever expressed any other way their Approbation of it; and can this justifie their separation from a Body of Ministers, when it's owned by the Accuser, that they never approved it? And supposing there was some guilt contracted by the Individuals, that attested the Book, (which yet appears not) there could be none contracted by the United Body, who as a Body never yet gave their Approbation to it.
5. And it's most certain, That there was once such an Union, and such a Body of United Ministers; 'tis also well known upon what Terms they United; and it's as certain that these Terms and Articles of Union continue the same, not in any one point altered, not a Word erased, not a Sentence interlin'd, and upon the same Terms they continue to act: If any will depart, we cannot help it, let 'em depart! The seperation of some may prejudice, may blemish, but cannot dissolve, cannot annihilate the Union; so vain is the Allegation of this Defender, that there is no such thing as a Body of United Ministers, because some of the Congregational have been pleas'd to desert it.
6. Nor is it true that all the Congregational Brethren, have deserted the Union; there are still some, and those of great Name for Learning and Holiness, who adhere actually to their former Relation: Nay, there are others whose Judgments, whose Hearts are still in the Union, tho dunned and staggered by the continual Importunity of the bigotted Antinomian Faction, they suspend their Appearance with their Brethren.
7. And it must be remembred, that when in the Year 1692. some slender Objections were made against Mr. W's Book, that Matter was seriously debated, and at last all Differences were amicably composed, all Offences removed, and the whole Body of the United Ministers were abundantly satisfied, or declared that they were: Since which time what new Matter they have pickt up, raked and scraped together after all their Scrutiny into, and Rummaging of that Book, is below all Considerations, and next to nothing.
8. To shut up all in this one Observation. The withdrawing of some of the Congregational Brethren, can never be construed or interpreted a Dissolution of the Union; because by the very Form and Tenor of that Union, they who had formerly made two Parties, did Coalesce into one Body, and laying aside the former Denominations, Terms and Marks of Division, and utterly abolishing the Memory of them, they joyned together in that Honourable Name of the United Brethren, all the old distinguishing Notes being swallow'd up in that one more commendable: And therefore whosoever should go off, must be supposed so to do, as single Persons, as so many Individuals, not as a Body, which the remaining United Brethren cannot own them to be; and still the Door stands wide open as before, and their Brethren stand with their Hearts and Arms wide open to receive them, with the most Cordial Affections, whenever they shall please, and the good Spirit shall incline them to return.
You see, Sir, the Defence (according to his poor power) has represented the Brethren, as to their Union, dissolved and annihilated; whether they will Acquiesce in this Determination, I know not: If they be of that Sheepish Complexion to bear it, they do by Interpretation yield the whole Cause, and lay themselves down in the Dirt, for every Insolent Scribler to Trample on them; but I would hope, and most do expect they will at length awake, and rowse themselves out of this Lethargy, and assume a more Masculine Spirit.
This, Sir, at present is all I shall say as to Matter of Fact; if any thing further accrue, you may receive a second Trouble from,
Sir, Your most Affectionate Friend and Servant, &c.