Baxters Narrative of His Life and Times, Part 3 · Section 1 · Letter 3
SIR,
THE continuance of my Cold, which yet holds me, with the severity of the Weather… have hitherto hindred me from answering my purpose of coming unto you at Action but yet I hope ere long to obtain the advantage of enjoying your Company there for a Season. In the mean time I return you my Thanks for the Communication of your Papers; and shall on every occasion manifest, that you have no occasion to question, whether I were in earnest in what I proposed, in reference to the Concord you design. For the desire of it is continually upon my Heart, and to express that desire on all occasion, I esteem one part of that Profession of the Gospel which I am called unto. Could I contribute any thing towards the Accomplishment of so holy, so necessary a Work, I should willingly spend my self, and be spent in it. For what you design concerning your present Essay, I like it very well, both upon the Reasons you mention in your Letter, as also that all those who may be willing and desirous to promote so hlessed a Work, may have Copies by them to prepare their Thoughts in reference to the whole.
For the present, upon the Liberty granted in your Letter (if I remember it aright) I shall tender you a few Quaeries; which if they are useless or needless, deal with them accordingly.
As 1. Are not the Severals proposed or insisted on, too many for this first Attempt? The general Heads I conceive are not; but under them, very many Particulars are not only included, which is unavoidable, but expressed also, which may too much dilate the original Consideration of the whole.
2. You expresly exclude the Papists, who will also sure enough exclude themselves, and do, from any such Agreement: But have you done the same as to the Socinians, who are numerous, and ready to include themselves upon our Communion? The Creed, as expounded in the Four first Councils will do it.
3. Whether some Expressions suited to prevent future Divisions and Separations, after a Concord is obtained, may not at present, to avoid all exasperation, be omitted, as seeming reflective on former Actings, when there was no such Agreement among us, as is now aimed at?
4. Whether insisting in particular, on the power of the Magistrate, especially as under civil Coercition and Punishment, in cases of Error or Heresie, be necessary in this first Attempt? These Generals occurred to my Thoughts, upon my first reading of your Proposals. I will now read them again, and set down, as I pass on, such apprehensions in particular, as I have of the Severals of them.
To the first Answer, under the first Question, I assent; so also to the first Proposal, and the Explanation: Likewise to the second and third. I thought to have proceeded thus throughout; but I fore-see my so doing would be tedious and useless; I shall therefore mention only what at present may seem to require second Thoughts. As,
1. To Propos. 9. by those Instances [what Words to use in Preaching, in what Words to Pray, in what decent Habit] do you intend Homilies, prescribed Forms of Prayer, and Habits superadded to those of vulgar decent use? Present Controversies will suggest an especial Sense under general Expressions.
2. VnderUnder Pos. 13. Do you think a Man may not leave a Church, and joyn himself to another, unless it be for such a Cause or Reason, as he supposeth sufficient to destroy the Being of the Church? I meet with this now answered in your 18th. Propos. and so shall forbear further particular Remarks, and pass on.
In your Answer to the Second Qu. Your 10th. Position hath in it some-what that will admit of further consideration, as I think. In your Answer to the 3d. Qu. have you sufficiently expressed the accountableness of Churches mutually, in case of Offence from Male-Administration and Church Censures? This also I now see in part answered, Prop. 5th. I shall forbear to add any thing as under your Answer to the last Question, about the power of the Magistrate, because I fear, that in that matter of punishing, I shall some-what dissent from you; though as to meer Coercion I shall in some Cases agree.
VponUpon the whole Matter, I judge your Proposals worthy of great Consideration, and the most probable medium for the attaining of the End aimed at, that yet I have perused. If God give not an Heart and Mind to desire Peace and Vnion, every Expression will be disputed, under pretence of Truth and Accuracy: But if these things have a place in us answerable to that which they enjoy in the Gospel, I see no reason why all the true Disciples of Christ might not upon these, and the like Principles, condescend in Love unto the Practical Concord and Agreement, which not one of them dare deny to be their Duty to Aim at. Sir, I shall Pray that the Lord would guide and prosper you in all Studies and Endeavours, for the Service of Christ in the World, especially in this your Desire and Study for the In…ing of the Peace and Love promised amongst them that Believe, and do beg your Prayers.
Your truly affectionate Brother, And unworthy Fellow-Servant, Iohn Owen. Ian. 25. 1668.
§ 143. For the Understanding of this, you must know, 1. That the way which we came to at last, for the publication of the Terms, if he and I had agreed secretly, should be, That as I had Printed such a thing called Vniversal Concord, 1660. which was neglected, so I would Print this as the Second Part of the Vniversal Concord, that it might lye some time exposed to view in the Shops, before we made any further use of it, that so the State might not suspect us for our Union, as if we intended them any ill by doing our Duty: which course he approved. 2. That I oft went to him, and he had written this Letter ready to send me, and so gave it me into my hand; but we first debated many things in presence, in all which there remained no apparent Disagreement at all, so far as we went: And in particular, the great Point about separating in the Cases enumerated, he objected no more but what I answered, and he seemed to acquiesce. 3. But I so much feared that it would come to nothing, that I ventured to tell him what a difficulty I feared it would be to him to go openly and fully according to his own Judgment, when the Reputation of former Actions, and present Interest in many that would censure him, if he went not after their narrowed Judgment, did lye in his way, and that I feared these Temptations more than his Ability and Judgment. But he professed full Resolutions to follow the Business heartily and unbyassedly, and that no Interest should move him. And so I desired him to go over my Proposals again, and fasten upon every Word that was either unsound, or hurtful, or unapt, or unnecessary, and every such Word should be altered: which he undertook to do; and so that was the way that we agreed on: but when I came home, I first returned him this following Answer to his Letter and Exceptions.