Whether Parish Congregations be True Christian Churches, Postscript 1

Whether Parish Congregations be True Christian Churches · Postscript 1

p. 44POSTSCRIPT Aug. 25. 1684.

HE that gave me notice of this Book which I anſwer, did withall ſend me a Manuſcript to be privately anſwered, containing the very ſame things, but ſomewhat enlarged: His diſpleaſure againſt my former mention of his private Writings to me, and the Contents, made me confident that he would not have any thing Publiſhed which I ſhould anſwer to his laſt: By which I found my ſelf in a notable ſtrait: For if he at once privately ſent me his reaſons, and alſo in another Book Printed them, if I ſhould anſwer his private papers (which reaſon forbad me doing in my condition, for his uſe alone) I ſhould judg my ſelf foreſtalled from anſwering the Printed Book, becauſe the matter being the very ſame (and 'tis likely by the ſame man) I ſhould be ſuppoſed to have broken the Laws of Civility, to have anſwered his private papers. But (having no Amanuenſis, or Scribe to take any Copy of his papers, or my own) I thought it the beſt way to return his unanſwered (they being Written for my uſe, which Reading will as fully ſerve as anſwering them) but ſuppoſing the Printed papers muſt be anſwered, I inſerted alſo an anſwer to the ſtrength of all his additionals in the Manuſcript.

And at laſt he giveth me ſome notice of his thoughts of publiſhing the Manuſcript, or a vindication of it. Which falls well for the Readers uſe, that I have anſwered that Manuſcript before it is Publiſhed, without taking notice of it, and ſ… avoiding wordy altercations.

The Author profeſſeth himſelf my great acquaintance. Who he is, I know not; but he ſeemeth to be a very rational ſober man. God forbid that I ſhould ever contribute (unleſs duty do it accidentally) to the grievance of ſuch men. I doubt not but he ſpeaketh as he thinketh. And I doubt I have given him occaſions by ſome uncautelous words in my writings. I truly thank God and him, that I am called to review them, and to clear my ſence before I die. And I adjure the tearing perſecuting ſect, to think no more strangely and odiouſly of our differences in this caſe, than of the ſharp contention of Paul and Barnabas; or that men ſhould ſcramble if Gold and Pearls were ſcattered in the ſtreets, where dogs and ſwine would never ſtrive about them. Gods ſervants would pleaſe him: we are all of weak underſtandings: The Wiſeſt beſt know their weakneſs: The reſt are neareſt the ſtate of the Fool, who rageth and is confident. It is impoſſible but offence muſt come, Luke 17.1. But wo, wo, wo, to any who will make canons ſo extreme hard for men to agree in as terms of their Union and Communion, and excommunicate all that ſay a word againſt any word, ceremony, circumſtances or office of their train; and when they have done, cry out againſt men for not agreeing to every ſyllable, which a thouſand to one are uncapable of understanding, and the better men underſtand them, the more they diſlike them.