A Defense of the Principles of Love, Part 2 · Exception 1b
EXCEPT. ib. Since the crying sin this2. Untruth. day is not separation, but unjust and violent Persecution, (½) which Mr. Baxter speak…eth very little against.
Answ. 1. A Las, dear Brother, that after so many years silencing and affliction, after flames and Plagues, and dreadful judgments, after twenty years practice of the sin it self, and when we are buried in the very ruines which it caused, we should not yet know that our own uncharitable Divisions, Alienations, and Separations, are a crying sin? Yea the crying sin; … well as the uncharitableness and hurtfulness of others? Alas, will God leave us also, even us to the obdurateness of Pharaoh? Doth not judgment begin with us? Is there not crying sin with us? what have we done to Christs Kingdome, to this Kingdoms▪ to our friends (dead and alive) to our selves, and (alas) to our enemies, by our Divisions? And do we not feel it? Do we not know it? Is it yet to us, even to us, a crime intolerable to call us to Repentance? Wo to us! Into what hard-heartedness have we sinned our selves! Yea that we should continue in the sin, and passionately defend it! When will God give us Repentance unto life?
2. And whither doth your passion carry you, when you wrote so strange an untruth as this, that I [speak very little against it … ▪ Was it possible for you to read the Book, and gather Exceptions, and yet to believe your self in this? Doth not the Book speak against Church-Tyranny▪ Unjust impositions, Violence, and taking away mens Liberty and rigor with Dissenters, from end to end? If any man that readeth but the Preface (as page 14, 15, 16, 17, 18.) and all the second part (besides much more) can possibly believe you, I will never undertake to hinder him from believing any thing.
3. But suppose I had said little against it, will you charge me with Negatives or omissions before you know my Reasons? Or would you have no better people hear of their sin and duty, till Persecutors will endure to hear of theirs. Exod. 6. 12. Behold the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me: how then shall, &c. … saith Moses? Have most or many of the Separation said more against severities than I have done?
4. But could you possibly be ignorant that a License is not to be expected for such a Discourse as you seem here to expect. You deal by me as the late Perswasive to Conformity, that vehemently calls to me to publish my Reasons for Nonconformity, while he knew my hands were tied by the Laws and Licensers.
5. But what if I had not in this Book spoken much against Persecution, Is it not enough that I have done it in others? I have not here written on many subjects which in other Volumes I have written of. And why should I? If I had, would you not have blamed me for writing one thing so oft? But you most unhappily chose this Instance for your quarrel, I think in the judgment of all the Land, that have read my writings? Besides my five Disputations of Church Government, how oft have I written against Persecution? The few Publick Sermons that ever I Preached, had somewhat against it. Read our Papers to the Bishops in 1660. especially the Reply to their Exceptions, and the Petition for Peace. Enquire again of the long provoking Conference at the Savoy, and the reason of the following indignation against me, and afterwards read this Book again; and then I modestly chalenge you 1, to name those men in England, especially of the Separatists, that have said and done more against that severity which you call Persecution, than I have done. 2. To name me one Licensed Book since the silencing of the Ministers, and since the Printing Act, That hath said so much against Severity and Persecution as the Book which you quarrel with hath done.