Answer to Stillingfleets Charge of Separation, Title page – Preface
Richard Baxters ANSWER TO Dr EDWARD STILLINGFLEET's CHARGE of SEPARATION: Containing,
I. Some Queries neceſſary for the underſtanding of his Accuſation.
II. A Reply to his Letter which denyeth a Solution.
III. An Anſwer to his Printed Sermon.
Humbly tendred, I. To Himſelf; II. To the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and the Court of Aldermen, III. To the Readers of his Accuſation: the Forum where we are Accuſed.
Acts 15. 28. It ſeemed good to the Holy Ghoſt and to us to lay upon you no greater burden then theſe neceſſary things. Rom. 14. 1, 17, 18. Him that is weak in the Faith receive, but not to doubtful Diſputations. For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteouſneſs and peace and joy in the Holy Ghoſt. For he that in theſe things ſerveth Chriſt, is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
Phil. 3. 16. Nevertheleſs, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the ſame Rule, let us mind the ſame things.—15. If in any thing ye be otherwiſe minded, God ſhall reveal even this unto you.
LONDON, Printed for Nevil Simmons, at the Three Cocks at the Weſt-end of S. Paul's, and Thomas Simmons at the Prince's Arms in Ludgate-ſtreet, MDCLXXX.
THE PREFACE.
Readers,
1. IF you would be truly informed of the Caſe of the Nonconformiſts, and the meaning of this Defence, you muſt know 1. That the meer Nonconformiſts of this age take not up their Judgment in truſt from any party of men, and therefore take not themſelves obliged to be for or againſt any thing, becauſe men were ſo that were called Nonconformiſt sheretofore: As the Scripture is their Rule and objective Religion, ſo they reverence the judgment of the Primitive Church above the judgment of any party; And indeed are ſo far againſt Sects and Parties as ſuch, as that their judgment is that the Church will never be well reſtored to deſireable Concord, till our Vnion be Catholick, upon the terms that Chriſt appointed and which all good Chriſtians have agreed in, and may agree in.
2. That what the meer Nonconformiſts of this age deſired for Concord and Reformation, as to the old Liturgy and Conformity, is beſt known by their common Propoſals 1660, all the Miniſters of London being by Mr. Calamy, Mr. Aſh and Dr. Reynolds, invited to Sion-Colledg freely to give their judgments: who offered nothing for Church-Government but Biſhop Uſher's Primitive form, and nothing for Worſhip but the Reforming of the Liturgy, and the free uſe of additional formes: Their exceptions againſt paſſages in the Liturgy being not thought abſolutely neceſſary to Communion. And it muſt be remembred that they offered then, 1. A Defence of thoſe Exceptions, 2. A Reformed Liturgy or Additions, 3. A Petition for Peace and preventing Schiſm, to the Biſhops, which they never anſwered to this day, that we know of.
3. You muſt know that the Change of the Liturgy on pretenſe of eaſing us, and the Act of Vniformity, have made Conformity now quite another thing than it was before, and to us far more intollerable; I am paſt doubt that Ri. Hooker, Biſhop Bilſon, Bi-Uſher and ſuch others were they now alive would be Nonconformiſts; yea, I can prove it, as well as I can prove that they were honeſt men, and would hold to what they wrote.
4. You muſt know that we had never leave to give our Reaſons againſt the New Conformity; nor allowed to be once heard ſpeak for our ſelves, before about two thouſand Miniſters were ſilenced; when our Judicatures will hear a ſingle Malefactor. We have been ſilent about eighteen years, while men have call'd to us [What is it that you would have?] while they would not give us leave to tell them.
5. And when the Preſs was ſomewhat open, they ſpread it abroad that [our ſilence now plainly ſhewed that we had nothing to ſay, but kept up a Schiſm againſt our own Conſciences.]
6. At laſt, though my Friends had long told me that our Lives muſt be our beſt Defence, and that our Accuſers would but be inflamed by an Apology, and could not endure to hear our Reaſons, I durſt forbear no longer, but yet ventured no farther than to write a bare Narrative of the Matter of our Nonconformity, leſt arguing ſhould exaſperate: But that very naming of the things which we deny, hath much diſpleaſed them that differ from us, ſuppoſing that it implyeth an accuſation of them, which I renounced.
7. The Reader then that will underſtand our Caſe, muſt not look to find it here, but be at the labour to read what is already written of it, which we muſt not repeat as oft as any will write againſt us; that is, 1. In the ſaid unanſwered writings of 1661. 2. In the Kings eclaration concerning Eccleſiaſtical Affairs, for which the London Miniſters ſubſcribed and printed a Thankſgiving. 3. In my firſt Plea for Peace, deſcribing our Nonconformity. 4. In the efence of it againſt Mr. Cheyny's Anſwer. 5. In my ſecond Plea for Peace, deſcribing our Judgment of Government and obedience, and what our Nonconformity is not, and divers other points. 6. In my True and only way of Univerſal Concord, on which the Churches muſt agree, if ever. 7. In my Moral Prognoſtication. 8. In my Abridgment of Church-Hiſtory of Biſhops and Councils, ſhewing what hath divided the Churches heretofore.
8. You muſt know that I write not to juſtifie every man that is called a Nonconformiſt, but to give an Anſwer to the publick Accuſation of my ſelf, and a Reaſon of the Preaching of the meer Nonconformiſts.
9. But that the fuller Juſtification of our Preaching is intended in another Treatiſe, called Their Apology, or Third Plea for Peace.
II. And as to the proſecution of the debate with this Reverend Doctor, it is not likely that I ſhall trouble him with any Rejoinder if he Reply, unleſs he will take another courſe, and firſt explain our terms, and ſtate the queſtion to be diſputed. Much leſs ſhall I contend with any ſubſtitute who ſhall avoid the way of Love and Reaſon, which from the Doctor I may expect.
There is one ſort of Diſputants that are too ſtrong for me, Thoſe that have a better Cauſe; Truth will overcome: Light will appear through narrow cranies. Of theſe I ſhall be glad to be overcome: I proteſt, that to my knowledg, I never managed a Diſpute, in which I truſted not to the Goodneſs of my Cauſe, more than to wit or words or humane advantage.
But there are above twenty ſorts of other Diſputants, too hard for me to overcome.
1. Thoſe that will Diſpute before they agree of the ſenſe of their terms or ſtate the queſtion, and then quarrel for not being underſtood.
2. Thoſe that will not read or anſwer our fulleſt Defence already written, but look I ſhould ſtill begin anew.
3. Vniverſalliſts, that can prove me to be an Aſs, becauſe I am an Animal.
4. Equivocaters, that can prove me a Separatiſt becauſe I ſit not at their feet, or read not in their Book or with their Spectacles.
5. A Pope that taketh it for a Hereſie or Crime to queſtion his word, or ſuppoſe him fallible.
6. A proud meer Grammarian, who can confute Ariſtotle and the School-men with a ſcorn, and taketh it for a diſgrace to have any more Logick than ſimple terms; or taketh Rhetorick for the pureſt fruit of Reaſon.
7. A Nominal, who contracteth all his Syllogiſms into ſimple terms of art, and can confute any Adverſary, by calling him a Fool, or a Rogue, or a Heretick, or a Schiſmatick.
8. One that ſtandeth ſo high that he thinks men below him to be little things like walking Crows.
9. A one-eyed man that can ſee nothing but on his own ſide.
10. A galled perſon that ſmarteth if the wind blow on him: And a melancholly man that thinketh that all that you think and ſay is againſt him, and would kill him.
11. I cannot diſpute againſt Canons and Organs, that ſpeak ſo loud that none can be heard but themſelves. Nor againſt ringing Bells, that have loud tongues and no ears: and go on, on, on, and take no heed to what is anſwered.
12. Nor againſt ſuch as Iſa. 48. 4. Iron is too ſtiff for me to bow, and I can make no impreſſion upon braſs.
13. Nor can I deal with ſuch as are deſcribed, Hoſ. 7. 4, 6, 7. Such an Oven hath too wide a mouth and too hot a breath for me to contend with.
14. Nor ſuch as Pſal. 59. 7. and 55. 21. that ſpeak ſwords, or diſpute with hands and not with tongues: and fetch their arguments from the Priſon, or the Lyons, and ſpeak not to the ear, but to the fleſh and bones. Nor ſuch as 2 Sam. 23. 6. Iſa. 27. 4. Mic. 7. 4. Thorns and Bryers ſpeak too feelingly. If I muſt diſpute with ſtings, I had rather it were with Bees that will recompence me, than with Waſps or Hornets.
15. I am too weak for men over valiant, that can venture upon any thing, and eaſily prove that the Snow is black.
16. And my voice is too low for the dead and deaf and ſleepy and drunken, that when I have ſpoken know not what I ſaid.
17. I am loath to enter the Liſts with thoſe women that never want time, or heat, or words, and ſeldom foul ones, [Nam ſi cum ſtercore certo, vinco ſeu vincor, ſemper ego maculor.]
18. Nor am I able to deal with a Crowd or Multitude, where they follow the Leader, and cry, Away with him, when few know whom or what they are againſt.
19. Nor yet with Lads that are too quick for me, and value Mercury above Gold, that have quick Trade but little ſtock, and think age and experience to be the Characters of dull declining Wits.
20. And I am too weak to diſpute a man out of Love with his Life, or his Pleaſure, Wealth or Honour. All Church-Hiſtory tells me how rarely any ever ſcrupled the Lawfulneſs of being made Pope or Patriarch, or hath been argued out of a Biſhoprick or Dominion. I am not ſtrong enough to anſwer an hundred pound a year, much leſs a thouſand (though Grace and Conſcience is.)
21. But though all this be not the Caſe of the Reverend Doctor, yet one advantage (though uncertain) he hath: He is liketo over-live me, and ſo may have the laſt word; And that is a certain Victory with the ſequacious multitude. But yet Truth will triumph, and fraud will vaniſh, and ſecret things ſhall be brought to light, and that which is crookned by the Judgment of men ſhall be ſet ſtrait by the infallible final judgment.