Apology Against the Exceptions of Black and Kendall, Section Baxter 92
§. 92. The Concluſion.
HAving thus taken the boldneſs to examine your Exceptions, and deliver my Reaſons againſt ſome of your opinions, I do crave your favorable acceptance of what I have done, and your friendly interpretation or remiſſion of any unſavory, words that I have let fall: And I muſt deſire you not to ſuppoſe that I judge of all the reſt of your Book, as I do o… this which I have here Replyed to. I value the Wheat, while I help you to weed out the Tares. Pardon my confident Concluding you in the error, and my ſelf in the Truth: whether it be from the convincing ſelf-revealing nature of Light; or from the common unhappy fate of the deluded; I muſt leave you and others to judge by the Evidence that is in my arguments, whatever further evidence I may have my ſelf within; doubtleſs the various ſtate of Intellects, doth cauſe a ſtrange variety of apprehenſions, of thoſe objects which are in themſelves the ſame. And words be but defective ſigns: There is ſomething in Senſation and Intellection, which words cannot fully ſh…w to another. It is but the Species and not the thing it ſelf which you ſee in this Glaſs. My moſt exquiſite deſcription of my own Taſt and the ſweetneſs of what I taſt, will not cauſe another to taſt that ſweetneſs. And there is ſomewhat like this in Intellection it ſelf; for though I confeſs my ſelf ignorant what manner of thing our Intellection will be, when we are out of the fleſh; yet now me thinks I perceive that it doth in ſome ſort participate of ſenſe, and that vid: Auguſt. de Trinit. li. 5. c. 1. initio. Sen…io me Intelligere, is a ſpeech not wholly void of Truth. I confeſs alſo that I ſhould have little modeſty or humility, if I ſhould not think more highly of the underſtanding of your ſelf and ſo many Reverend and Learned Brethren who diſſent from me in ſeveral points here debated, then of mine own. But yet we muſt prove all things, and not ſo truſt to other mens eyes as to ſhut our own▪ or refuſe to give credit to our ſight. They may far excell me in many other things, though they miſtake in this. I remember Pauls, If we or an Angel from heaven, &c. And I remember Tertullians, Non ex perſonis probamus fidem, ſed ex fide perſonas (li. Preſcript. adv. haer. c. 3.) And Irenaeus his, Presbyteris adhaerere oportet qui & Apoſtolorum doctrinam cuſtodiunt, & cum Presbyterit Ordine ſermonem …anum cuſtodiunt, &c. (li. 4. c. 44.) And Cyprians, Quae iſta obſtinatio eſt, quae praeſumptio, humanam traditionem Divinae diſpoſitioni anteponere? nec animadvert…re, indignari & iraſci Deum, quoties Divina praecepta ſolvit & praeterit humana traditio. Epiſt. 74. ad ſuba…an. p. 229. And many a one of Auſtins yet plainer then theſe, to the ſame purpoſe are commonly known. Paul himſelf could do nothing againſt the Truth, but for the Truth, as having no Authority given him to deſtruction, but to Edification. I am willing to ſtoop to the judgment of my betters as far as is Reaſonable▪ Conſcionable and Poſſible, and if no further, I hope I may be excuſed: when I ſee plain Reaſon againſt them, it is unreaſonable to ſubſcribe to the opinions of the moſt learned: when Scripture is againſt them, it were diſhoneſt and unconſcionable: And when they are one againſt another, to aſſent to all is impoſſible. In ſuch a caſe, I muſt needs bear the Accuſations of one party, who think me Arrogant, Proud and Self conce…ed, as ſuppoſing my ſelf to be wiſer then they. But I have long been ſtudying and Preaching, (and I think practiſing) that neceſſary and excellent Duty, of being ſo contented with Gods ſole approbation, as thoſe that know they ſtand or fall at his bar: and therefore muſt eſteem it a very ſmall thing to be judged by man. I have long valued and believed that ſaying of Auſtin (commonly cited, and found, lib. 3. de Trinit. cap. 6. the very laſt words) Contra Rationem nemo ſobrius; Contra Scripturas nemo Chriſtianus; Contra Eccleſiam nemo pacificus. In the point of Faiths Inſtrumentality, and the nature of the juſtifying act, which I differ from you in, I am conſtrained upon all theſe three grounds to my diſſent. 1. Leſt by renouncing my Reaſon, I ſhould ceaſe to be ſober. (Though yet I think ſober men may be contrary minded, not ſeeing theſe Reaſons). 2. L…ſt by forſaking the Scripture, I ſhould ceaſe to be a Chriſtian, (Though Chriſtians that obſerve nor, or underſtand not that the Scripture is againſt you in this, may judge as you)▪ 3. Leſt by contradicting the Church, I ſhould ceaſe to be peaceable (…o Though men otherwiſe peaceable may be drawn to it through prejudice)▪ If you will bring one ſound Reaſon, one word of Scripture, or one approved writer of the Church (yea or one Heretick, or any man whatſoever) for many hundred years after Chriſt (I think I may ſay▪ 1300 at leſt) to prove that Chriſt as Lord or King is not the object of the Juſtifying act of Faith, or that Faith Juſtifieth properly as an Inſtrument, I am concented ſo far to loſe the Reputation of my Reaſon, Underſtanding, Reading, and, Memory. For though I have not read all that hath been written for ſo many hundred years, yet I have read moſt of the Writers of great note, (except the moſt▪ Voluminous, which … but part of) and by that much, I ſee ſo far into the ſenſe and language of thoſe times, that I dare ſtand to the hazard of this adventure▪ I ſpeak this becauſe you tell me, that there was ſcarce a diſſenting voice among our Divines that are againſt me about the Inſtrumentality of Faith. And, if there cannot be brought one man that conſenteth with them for 1200, or 1400 years after Chriſt, I pray you tell me whom a humble, modeſt, peaceable man ſhould follow▪ were he never ſo much ready to deny his own underſtanding? Becauſe a word, or an opinion that is unſound, hath got poſſeſſion of a little corner of the world for about 150 years; therefore I am ſuſpected as ſingular and as a Noviliſt, for forſaking it. Whereas it is to avoid ſingularity, and notorious Novelty, that I aſſent not to your way. The ſame I ſay about the Intereſt of mans Obedience, in his Juſtification as continued and conſummate in Judgement. If either Clemens▪ Roman▪ Polycarp▪ Ignatius, Juſtin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Athonago…as, Tatianus▪ Clem. Alexand. Minutius F…elix, Arno…us, Lactantius, Cyprian, Athanaſius, Euſebius, Greg. Nazianzen, Epiphanius, Cyrill. Hieroſol▪ Syneſius, Cyrill Alexandr. Macarius, Hierome, Salvian, Vincentius Lirin. Vigilius, or any Councel were of your minde in any one of theſe points, and againſt mine, then I will confeſs, at leſt my ſupine negligence in reading, or my very faulty memory in retaining their words. And for Auſtin, Chryſoſt. and others, of whom I have read but the leſſer part, I do ſtrongly conjecture by that part, at their ſenſe, and that they concurr with the reſt. If you ſay that the Fathers had their errors, and all this is but humane Judgement, and all men are fallible, I confeſs all this to be true: But as I ſtill ſay, that Contra. Eccleſiam nemo pacificus, ſo I deſire leave to Judge thoſe Brethren that oppoſe me, as fallible, and ſubject to error, as all the Primitive Fathers were: and therefore that I may be no more blamed or thought ſingular for contradicting them, then they are for contradicting the Primitive Church; I know as Auſtin ſaith de Civitate Dei, li. 22. c. 30. Servandi gradus erant Divini muneris; ut primum daretur liberum arbitrium, quo non-peccare poſſet homo; noviſsimum, quo peccare non poſſet; atque illud ad comparandum meritum; hoc ad recipiendum praemium pertineret. And the caſe of the Intellect being the ſame, we muſt ſtay til this time of Reward be come, before we ſhall receive our non poſſe errare. I know no Brother that oppoſeth me, doth pretend to Infallibility. All that I deſire by my far greater advantage of humane Teſtimony, is but to expugn prejudice, that I may ſtand on even ground with them that contend with me: And could I but prevail for this, that the cauſe might be decided by meer Scripture-reaſon, and humane Authority wholly ſtand by, and the Reader could but impartially conſider things, without being, byaſſed to any ſide or party, as if he knew not what any man elſe doth judge of it, I ſhould then make little doubt of the good iſſue of the Controverſie. The moſt that I meet with, that explain againſt my judgement, are they that confeſs that they know not what it is, or elſe apprehend it to be what it is not: but whatever it is, ſome that they value are againſt it, and that is it that ſatisfieth them that I am in an error. I do unfeignedly deſire that in dark Controverſies beyond their reach, the unlearned people would more regard the generality of ſober Godly Divines, then any ſingle and ſingular Teacher; yea though it fall out that he be in the Truth, as long as the Evidence of that Truth is out of their reach. But this may not encourage any to ſhut their eyes, or to neglect to ſearch after the Evidence which they might diſcern, much leſs may it excuſe ſuch unfaithfulneſs in Divines themſelves; nor yet may it encourage any to captivate their judgement to a party, againſt the general judgement of the Church: For if I were on one ſide, and all the Divines in England on the other, there is yet the ſame reaſon to prefer all the firſt Churches, before all them, as there is to prefer all them before me. In a word, I ſhall ever think him more culpably ſingular, who differeth from Chriſt, and his Apoſtles, and all his Church for 1200 or 1400 years, then he that differeth from any party now living, and differeth not from them forementioned. And how the caſe ſtands in this between me, and thoſe Reverend Divines that oppoſe me, in the foreſaid points of difference, I am heartily content to refer to any ſober, impartial Reader, that takes not things on truſt from others, nor judgeth of the Doctrine of antient writers, by any imperfect diſmembred parcels.
Georgius Calixtus, Epitom. Theolog. Moral. pag. 463.
INterrogati quae fides noſtra, quae doctrina, reſpondemus eam eſſe fidem & doctrinam noſtram, quam Complectitur ſymbolum Apoſtolicum, ſymbolum Nicaenum, Conſtantinopolitanum, & Athanaſianum, Anathematiſmi Epheſini: Confeſsio Chalcedonenſis: Quae Neſtorianorum & Eutichianorum reliquiis, quinta & ſexta ſynodi oppoſuerunt: Quae item Pelagianis Africana plenaria, ſive ut vocari ſolet milevitana ſynodus & Arauſicana ſecunda ſynodus oppoſuerunt. Haec ſymbola hae confeſsiones & declarationes continent, non modo quae Credere, ſine quibus fidem & aſſenſum prabere hominem Chriſtianum oportet, & ſine quibus creditis atque cognitis ſalvari nequit; ſed illis, etiam qui haec ipſa docendo tractant, & aliis exponunt foreign quam teneant praeſcribunt. Quae autem hiſce ſymbolis confeſsionibus & declarationibus comprehenduntur è Sacra Scriptura hauſta ſunt: quippe in iis quae aperte in Scriptura poſita ſunt inveniuntur illa omnia quae continent fidem moreſque vivendi, &c. Denique exercemus nos ad conſcientiam habendam ſine offenſa apud Deum & homines ſemper.
Lutherus, referente Hopffnero Saxon. Evangel. p. 110.
NIhil peſtilentius in Eccleſia doceri poteſt, quam ſi ea quae neceſſaria non ſunt, neceſſaria fiant. Hac enim tyrannide conſcientiae illaqueantur, & Libertas fidei extinguitur; mendacium pro veritate, Idolum pro Deo, Abominatio pro ſanctitate colitur.
I conclude with that of Rup. Meldenius elſewhere, once before cited, Paraeneſ. (citante C. Bergio) F. 2.
Verbo dicam: ſi nos ſervaremus, in Neceſſariis Unitatem; in Non-neceſſariis Libertatem, in Utriſque charitatem, optimo certe loco eſſent res noſtrae. Ita fiat. Amen.
FINIS.