A Second Admonition to Edward Bagshaw, Part 2 · Subpart – Section 14
To Mr. Edward Bagſhaw.
HAving told you in my firſt Admonition p. 145. that if you write any more at the rates you did, I ſhould give you the laſt word, as not intending to confute you, &c. I found my ſelf in a ſtreight when I read your ſecond—about my duty: Though you trampled admonition under your feet, and turn again and all to rend me, I ought not to take you for a Swine or Dog, and give you up as wholly hopeleſs, till there is no remedy: being under the command, Lev. 19. 17. Thou ſhalt not hate thy brother in thy heart, thou ſhalt in any wiſe rebuke thy neighbour and not ſuffer ſin upon him! And Charity forbiddeth me to deſert all thoſe ſouls whom you endeavour to ſeduce, by denying them neceſſary information, and ſilently to ſuffer them to live in all the ſins in which you would enſnare them. And yet I have been chidden by ſo many for anſwering your laſt Writing, as containing ſuch palpable ſcurrility, impertinency and error, that I am afraid of waſting my time, which I might better employ; and preferring a leſſer matter before a greater: And I expect you ſhould charge me as a breaker of my promiſe: But of that you have your ſelf diſcharged me, it being conditional [If you write at the rates you did, &c.] and but the expreſſion of my [Intentions] which I may well alter, when your alteration calleth for it: For though you neither expreſs Repentance, nor Amend the faults, of which I did admoniſh you, yet you here attempt ſuch a Plea for ſeparation, as you did not in your former writing, where you ſeemed to expect that your bare aſſertions ſhould be believed; but now you pretend to more argumentation: which therefore I ſhall take into conſideration.
But ſtill I perceive the unavoidable ſtreights into which you caſt me in the performance: If I mention your Error and Sin, you will think that I make you odious, and trample upon your honour, and cauſe your perſecution, and ſtrengthen your adverſaries: And if I ſilence them all, I ſhall leave you under ſin, which is worſe than perſecution, and I ſhall neglect the ſouls of others, and I ſhall betray the honour of Religion, as if its followers were but ſuch as you, and as if our Cauſe were guilty of all the Error and ſin which you maintain. And if you are to be believed if I do not reprove you, I ſhall but little differ from you: For you ſay of another caſe, pag. 11, 12. [There being but little difference in the ſight of God, &c.] And what ſhould I do with you, when you caſt me into ſuch a ſtreight?
Why this I take to be my duty 1. Impartially firſt to conſider of all the evil which you charge upon my ſelf, that I may not be guilty of the ſin of the times, which I am conſtrained to lament in others, that is, An obſtinate Enmity to Repentance; nor yet unthankfully neglect any help that God ſhall any way vouchſafe me, for the diſcovery of my ſin. 2. And then ſo to acquaint you with your errors and miſcarriages, as may tend, 1. To your repentance; 2. And to other mens preſervation; 3. And to vindicate Religion, and the faithful afflicted Servants of Chriſt, againſt the unjuſt accuſation of thoſe, who would make the world believe that your Caſe is theirs, and that their principles and practices are ſuch as yours. 4. And in all to preſerve that juſt eſteem and love which I owe you, as one that I think yet upright in the main. I love your zeal for that which you take to be the Truth: I greatly love your Fortitude of mind, and undaumedneſs under ſufferings, as ſuch; and being ſo much above the fear of man: And I think it a thouſand pitties that you have not 1. A better Cauſe, 2. A humbler mind, and better acquaintance with your ſelf, 3. A ſounder and clearer judgement; 4. More univerſal Charity; 5. More ſenſe of the miſchiefs of ſinful diviſions: 6. And eſpecially more Sobriety and Caution, and leſs teme…ty and heedleſneſs of what you read, and what you write; and more tenderneſs of Conſcience to avoid untruths; 7. And more impartiality, to ſee that evil in your ſelf, and thoſe of your opinion, which you can aggravate in thoſe by whom you ſuffer; and 8. Laſtly, That you have not leſs Enmity to Repentance, and that you take an invitation to Repentance to be a malicious reproach, and will not underſtand why God recordeth his ſervants ſins, nor will conſider how much better it is that the reproach of ſin, do fall upon us, than upon our Religion, or the Church of God; and that we our ſelves confeſs our ſins, than that our adverſaries upbraid us with Impenitent juſtifying them. And while you are ſo notoriouſly wanting in all theſe things, the greater noiſe your ſufferings make, the more injurious you will be to the Truth, and to your brethren, and the greater hardning to others: And Satan will not only uſe you to the corrupting of well-meaning peoples minds, and to the ſuppreſſion of Truth, and Love, and Concord, but alſo to the reproach of ſuffering it ſelf: And while you cry out of perſecution, you will prove a notable cauſe of all our defamations and afflictions, and a great temptation to the actors to juſtifie what they do.
And now, on theſe terms, I ſhall conſider of your words, and help you better to underſtand your ſelf.
Sect. 1. E. B. It will be a favour if I look on you as one that deſireth not any ſuch expreſſions of familiarity, (as to be called) Brother.]
Reply. You may ſuppreſs your own Charity, but not mine: you may call me what you pleaſe; but I will call you what I think my duty requireth me to do: (As Optatus initio tells the Donatiſt.) My warrant is ubi ſupra, Lev. 19. 17. & 1 Cor. 5. 11. If any man that is called a Brother be—a Railer—And 2 Theſſ. 3. 14, 15. If any man obey not our word by this Epiſtle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be aſhamed: yet count him not as an enemy, but admoniſh him as a Brother. But it is the Spirit or tendency of your Doctrine and principles, to renounce fraternity with all of Chriſts Church, that are not liker to your ſelf than I am.
Pag. 2. You tell me, that I ſhew how much I am for a middle way, neither hot nor cold, for a luke warm and neutral indifferency.]
Reply. I take your warming in good part: I daily beg of God, that the decays of my natural ſpirits and fervour by frigid age and weakneſs, may not abate the true fervour of my ſoul; much leſs any abatement of the eſtimation of holy Truth, the ſearch of which hath been the unwearied buſineſs, the (almoſt) uninterrupted pleaſure of my life. And ſpecially that my love to God, and Heaven, and Holineſs may not decay, which alas, was wofully cold, and little at the beſt. But I confeſs to you, that I am for a middle way between fury and ſtupidity, pride and baſeneſs, ſuperſtition and profaneſs, the love of Anarchy and Tyranny, and many ſuch like pernicious extreams.: And you remember me of the folly of my youthful ignorance, in which I preſently ſuſpected any man of tepidity and carnal indifferency, who wrote for reconciliation of Contenders, and for a middle Conciliatory way, (ſuch as about Arminianiſm, Pet. Molinaeus, Vſher, Voſſius, Davenant, Hall, Preſton, Fenner, Crocius, Martinius, Camero, &c. and ſo in other points. O Lord forgive the ſins of my ignorant unexperienced age.
Sect. 2. E B. I hope you are not to learn that every untruth is a lye.
R. E. I ſuppoſe your citation of John 1. 62. 2. 21.1ſt. Falſe Doctrine. is miſ-printed for 1 John 1. 6. & 2 21. The firſt of which ſaith—If we ſay that we have no fellowſhip with him, and walk in darkneſs, we lie and do not the truth. The other ſaith, that [No lie is of the truth.] But do either of theſe ſay, that every untruth is a lie. Is it not enough to hold 1. That every deſigned untruth which is poſitively voluntary is a lie: 2. And that every raſh and careleſly uttered untruth, which is privatively voluntary (that is, where the will omitteth its Office) is a lie? Sure, brother, theſe many will be heavy enough upon you: you need not contend by falſe doctrine, for any more. And ſuppoſing that you are not to learn how ſingular you are in this aſſertion, is it any ſign of your humility, to think that ſo few Divines before you (who ſo little avoid it) did know what a Lie is? If I had called you a wiſe, a calm, a ſober and charitable man, when I had no evidence of the contrary, how can you prove that this had been a lie? You tell us anon that Prophets, Nathan, Samuel, and good men have been miſtaken? And did thoſe Prophets lie? You deny not that your Brother Powel was miſtaken? And yet you would not have it ſaid that he lied? Let this go therefore for your firſt falſe doctrine, when you ſay that every untruth is a lie.
Sect. 3. E. B: p. 2. You are not afraid to dethrone the Scripture from being a perfect Rule Par. 1. p. 99. 100, 101.
R. B. Though all untruth be not a lye,1ſt. Falſehood (in fact.) I cannot ſay, that this is none. I have no duplicate page duplicate page ſuch word or ſenſe. I maintain the Scripture to be a perfect Rule, ſo far as it is a Rule: But ſo far as it is no Rule, it is no perfect Rule. I do there maintain that it is not a particular Rule, for a Watchmaker, a Carpenter, a Phyſicion, a Mathematician, a Muſicion, &c. to do their work by: nor what Metre or Tune to ſing a Pſalm in, and ſuch like; but only a General Rule for theſe. And becauſe you charge this on me as my error, if I can underſtand you, this is your ſecond falſe doctrine implyed,Second falſe Doctrine. that Scripture is a particular Rule, for the things which I there exclude; And a third falſe doctrine implyed, that if it were not ſo, Third falſe Doctrine.it were not a perfect Rule. For your words have no ſenſe which I can diſcern, if this be not the ſenſe of them [Whoſoever denyeth the Scripture to be a particular Rule for the things inſtanced by R. B. p. 99, 100, 101. doth dethrone the Scripture from being a perfect Rule. But ſo doth R. B. Ergo your Major includeth the two fore-mentioned falſe doctrines.
Sect. 4. E. B. The whole deſign of your Book was to make your Brethren, that have not your latitude, and cannot reach the ſubtilty of your diſtinctions, odi…us, &c.
R. B. Here is a former falſhood juſtified,Second Falſhood. and doubled or increaſed; 1. It is falſe that this was any deſign of my Book. 2. But that it was [the whole deſign] what man of Sobriety that ever read it could imagine. 3. Yea, and that theſe brethren that I deſigned to make odious, were ſuch as have not my latitude and cannot reach the ſubtilty of my diſtinctions.
Sect. 5. E. B. Many hundreds of ſober, impartial, and unbyaſſed perſons have carefully read your Book as well as my ſelf, and they all make the ſame judgement of it.
R. B. I will not number this with your bare falſhoods:1. Crime. A ſlander of many hundreds. Whether many hundreds have told you their judgement of it, who have read it, I know not: But contradictories cannot be true on both parts. It is a ſlander therefore of ſo many hundred ſuch perſons which you utter: For if they were indeed ſober, impartial, unbyaſſed perſons, and carefully read the Book, it is ſcarce, or not at all poſſible, but indeed a contradiction, that they ſhould judge it [the whole deſign to make my brethren odious that—cannot reach the ſubtilty of my diſtinctions.]
Sect. 6. E. B. p. 3. You call ſeparation a crying ſin, nay the crying ſin: and you ſcruple not to inſinuate that all the judgements, which in this Nation we do either feel or fear, were to be charged on ſeparation, as the principal procuring cauſe.]
R. B. Here is your third falſhood in matter of fact:3. Falſhood. There is not a word in the places (nor any where elſe in all my Writings, if I know what I have written) that chargeth all this on ſeparation, as the principal procuring cauſe: But the contrary in the compariſon is oft and plainly aſſerted, and greater Cauſes oft aſſigned: Nay, that which (without the compariſon) I did charge on ſeparation, was in theſe words conjunct [Our uncharitable Diviſions, Alienations, and Separations are a crying ſin] and not of ſeparation by it ſelf, or alone.
2. And by your oppoſition thereto,2. Crime: Juſtifying or excuſing ſin under Judgements. you ſeem plainly to deny the ſinfulneſs of the ſaid [Vncharitable Diviſions, Alienations, and Separations:] Which is a crime of heinous aggravation, to be committed and impenitently ſtood in, at that very time, when uncharitable diviſions have broken us ſo much in pieces, and brought us all ſo low, and ſilenced ſo many Miniſters, and done that which our eyes have ſeen? O dreadful obdurateneſs! that after twenty years ſuch doleful experience, we will not confeſs the ſinfulneſs of our diviſions? But will ſuffer, and be ſilenced, and ruined, and die, and yet not acknowledge that ſo unnatural and pernicious a thing is a ſin? When the world rings of it? When we lye weltring in its ſad effects, that yet we are juſtifying the Cauſe. Let not any preſume to go on in ſin, with a purpoſe to Repent hereafter, when it is ſo hard a thing, to make men that think us unworthy of their communion, to Repent of the very ſin which they ſuffer by, and that in the very heat and continuance of their ſufferings.
Sect. 7. E. B. p. 3. What can make your brethren more odious, and more expoſe them to the peoples fury, and to the Rulers Revenge, than thus to make them the Cauſes of the Na…ions Calamity?
R. B. 1. And is there not ſin among us,3. Crime Taking a Call to Repentance for a heinous wrong. even among us alſo? And are the ſins of ſuch as we, no Cauſes of our publick calamities? And would you thus leave us all deſperate in Impenitency? May not we Repent? and muſt we not Repent, if we will be forgiven? When we are freed from the Condition of the Law of Works, is Repentance become ſo intollerable and hard a Condition? If we Repent not, ſhall we not all periſh, Luke 13. 3, 5. Do Angels rejoice at a ſinners Repentance; and ſhall we take him for their enemy, that calls them to it? 2. Is not Impenitency a greater Reproach to us, in the eyes of thoſe by whom we ſuffer, than our Repentance would be? And doth it not exaſparate them to ſee men juſtifie unqueſtionable ſin? 3. What if God Record even good mens ſins, and tell a David what evil they ſhould bring upon his houſe? and what a plague his numbring the people brought on his Kingdom; and ſo of others? Doth he hereby expoſe them to be odious? No, but by Repentance, would make them amiable. 4. Is not ſin odious whereever it is found? And God is no reſpecter of perſons? Muſt we not loath our ſelves for it? It is he that ſinneth, that maketh himſelf duplicate page duplicate page odious; and he that calleth him to Repentance, would take away his odiouſneſs (Though the ſin of a penitent Manaſſeh may cauſe the Captivity.) And he that juſtifieth it, and fathereth it on Chriſt, and the Spirit, and Religion, would make Chriſt, and the Spirit, and Religion, and the Church odious, leſt he ſhould be known to be ſo himſelf. 5. And do not moſt good Miniſters and people publickly confeſs to God, that our own ſins have been the Cauſes of our Calamities? Read Mr. Pool's Vox clamantis, and Mr. Stukeley's Book, and judge accordingly of others? And do you think that they thereby expoſe good people to the Magiſtrates hatred or revenge? Or dare you charge them with hypocriſie, as if they ſpake not as they thought? Alas man, what dayes of Humiliation do you uſe to keep, for the ſins and miſeries of the Land? Do you only confeſs your adverſaries ſins? How eaſily can ſome men Repent, if it were other mens only that they were to Repent of, (if the confeſſing of ſuch might be called Repenting.) Adeo familiare eſt omnia ſibi remittere, nihil aliis, inquit Patercul.
Sect. 8. E. B. p. 3. If in ſeparating— our ſin is ſo great, that the place where we live cannot be held innocent, but muſt ſuffer from the hand of God for our ſakes, we are certainly a people who deſerve to be hated of all, and the Confiſcations, Impriſonments and Deaths, which ſome of us have already felt, are no longer to be bewailed and grieved for as perſecutions of the innocent, but rather to be rejoyced and gloried in as due puniſhments—
R. B. Such ſtuff may go down with thoſe that will ſwallow all that ſeems to lift them up. But 1. It was not ſeparation from forms of Worſhip only or chiefly that I ſpake of. 2. None of us are abſolutely Innocent, but only comparatively, and ſecundum quid. 3. Here are two falſe Doctrines more implyed.4th. Falſe Doctrine. The firſt is, that they that ſo ſin as is here deſcribed, deſerve to be hated of all: For though ſecundum quid ſo far as we are ſinners we are loathſome, and deſerve to be hated, yet the ſame perſon being in Chriſt and pardoned, and having the Spirit and Image of God, is amiable: And therefore the Phraſe muſt follow that which is predominant in them: And according either to fitneſs or cuſtom of Speech, you cannot without falſhood ſay, that they deſerve to be hated of all; whom all are commanded ſpecially to Love. Did David deſerve to be hated of all, becauſe his numbring the people brought the plague? Yea, or Aaron that made the Golden Calf? Do you conſider what you write? How that thus you make all or moſt, or very many of Gods Servants, ſuch as deſerve to be hated of all? For how few are they who do not ſo ſin, as that [the place where they live cannot be held innocent, but muſt ſuffer from the hand of God for their ſakes.] For Chaſtiſements are threatned to them, and to the ſocieties that they defile? And they are chaſtned of God, that they may not be condemned with the world. And how few can ſay, the place where I live is not the leſs innocent for me, nor ſuffereth ever the more for me?
2. And it is falſe doctrine that Impriſonments and Death are due to all ſuch:5th. Falſe Doctrine. What kind of Politicks would you write? Muſt every man be impriſoned and put to death (who makes the place not innocent where he liveth, and hath a hand in bringing down judgements on the Land? God afflicteth for what ſin he pleaſe: But Judges muſt not Hang men, for all that God afflicteth the Land for. But, alas, that you ſhould reaſon for Impenitency!
Sect. 9. E. B. p. 3. [Your next attempt is to free your ſelf from being looked upon as an earneſt and active inſtrument in the late Wars.]4th. Viſible Falſhood.
R. B. This is another viſible falſhood in matter of fact: Alas Brother, that you ſhould no more heed what you read or write? The queſtion that I ſpake to was only [Whether I was as guilty in ſtirring up and fomenting that War as any one whatſoever?] And is this comparative queſtion any kin to that which you now falſly father on me?
Sect. 10. E. B. p. 4.5th. Viſible Falſhood. I muſt confeſs your bold and reſolute diſclaiming any Activeneſs in that War, did ſo much ſtagger me—
R. B. This is yet more than the former: Alas, have you caſt off all heed what you ſay, and all common modeſty in your reports? Where did I ever deny any Activeneſs? I argued thus: [He that never medled with the War till long after it was raiſed; that never ſhot, ſtruck or hurt any man; that never was Officer or Common-Soldier, that never took Commiſſion to be Chaplain of the Garriſon where two years of the War I did continue, but preached a Lecture to them without any Commiſſion; that never went into the Field Army, till after Naisby Fight, and then went thither by the ſolemn Advice of an Aſſembly of Divines, (many yet living) twice aſſembled, and that upon an open profeſſion to the Committee, that my Reaſon and Buſineſs was in the apprehenſion of our Common danger from the Army, to diſcharge my own Conſcience in diſſwading as many of the Souldiers as I could, from overturning the Government of the State and Church, which I was fully ſatisfied they intended, and that ſpent his time among them under their diſpleaſure in ſuch work; I ſay, that he that did thus, was not ſo guilty of ſtirring up, and fomenting the War, as were thoſe that firſt raiſed it, and thoſe that were Generals, Commanders or Souldiers, and as thoſe that preached for it to the Parliament, or as thoſe that went on in the many following Wars to the end. And is there any thing in all this, that ſaith, I was no way Active in it? My Activity was principally in the City of Coventry, which never ſaw an Enemy while I was there: And it was in telling my opinion to others; and twice going out with their Souldiers to the Siege of neighbour Garriſons; The reſt I intimated to you before. And this is it that I meant in the words of the Book which you recite. I askt you, whether the Parliament, nor the chief Speakers in it, nor the Earl of Eſſex, nor Cromwell did no more? with more to that purpoſe, which you give no anſwer to; but defend your falſhood with the addition of more ſuch—falſhoods, as if your deſign in writing, were practically to tell men, to what boldneſs in ſinning mans vitiated nature will proceed, if it be not ſeaſonably reſtrained. Yea, as if you had quite forgotten what you were to prove, you ſay,
Sect. 11. E. B. p. 4.4th Crime. Impudent Calumny. [Nor do I delight to expoſe you to the ſcorn of your enemies, and to the pitty of your friends, but I cannot help it.]
R. B. Reader, becauſe I have met with ſo ſtrange a Judge, I freely appeal to thee, if thou be but ſober, who it is that by this mans Writings, is here expoſed to ſcorn and pitty? Whether I that ſo fully diſproved his Calumny [that I was as guilty of ſtirring up and fomenting the War as any whatſoever,] as that he hath not a word of ſenſe to ſay in confirmation of it; or he, that with ſuch ſtrange audaciouſneſs addeth ſuch falſhoods as have not one ſyllable in all my Writings to countenance them, and taketh up another charge againſt me, that I boldly and reſolutely diſclaim any Activity, &c.] Did he truſt that his Readers would ſo far believe him, as rather to venture upon the ſcorn and pity which he would move them to, than once to examine my Book, whether I wrote ſuch a word or not? I confeſs too many of his own Spirit are like to do ſo; and to believe what ſuch a man as this reporteth, and think that he cannot be ſo impudent, as thus inſultingly to ſay, that I ſay thus and thus, when I never wrote or ſpake ſuch a word. But what if he attain this end, and be believed? Will it add to his innocence or felicity to have his many hundreds live in the ſin of lying and calumny, and have no excuſe for it, but Mr. E. B. confidently wrote it. Its a wonder that corrupted nature ſhould be ſo eager to have companions in ſin, when it doth but tend to its own confuſion?
Sect. 12. E. B. p. 4. You—will not be beholding to an Act of Indempnity, but ſtand upon your Innocency?
R. B. Theſe are two more groſs falſhoods in matter of fact: 6th & 7th falſhoods.1. I am and wil be beholden to the Act of Indempnity, and write all this as under the protection of that Act. 2. I did not, I do not ſtand upon my Innocency, nor ſpeak a word of ſuch importance.
Sect. 13. E. B. Nothing but your hopes that all is forgotten as well as pardoned,8th Falſehood. which is paſt, could ever embolden you to ſo peremptory denyal.
R. B. This is another groſs falſhood: 1. It is ſpoken of my heart, which he knoweth not. 2. It is twice contradicted by his own Pen. 1. He even now ſaid, that I will not be beholden to an Act of Indempnity, and yet now he makes the hope of Pardon received to embolden me. 2. He rebuketh me for the leſs ſeaſonable Retractation, of that which now he ſaith, not only that I hoped it was forgotten, but that nothing but that hope could embolden me, &c. Why did I Retract that which I thought forgotten? Could I think that Book forgotten which remaineth viſible? which ſo many Books accuſe me of? and one which he mentioneth and wrote againſt himſelf? and which ſo many have publickly preached againſt, both formerly and of late? Could I think that part of my life forgotten, which all in the City of Coventry, who thirty years ago were at years of diſcretion, may remember?
Sect. 14. E. B. p. 4. You—ask me many malicious and enſnaring queſtions.9th Falſehood.
R. B. That's another Falſhood: They were not malicious: And another crime, to take him for malicious, who calleth ſinners to neceſſary repentance, in a time of Judgements, with words of love.