Differences in Judgment About Water Baptism No Bar to Communion, Questions – Errata
I come now to your Questions; which although they be mixed with Gall, I will with patience see if I can turn them into Food.
Your first Question is, I Ask your own heart, whether popularity and applause of variety of Professors, be not in the bottom of what you have said; that hath been your snare to pervert the right wayes of the Lord, and to lead others into a path wherein we can find none of the foot-steps of the Flock in the first Ages?
Answ. Setting aside a retaliation, like your Question, I say, and God knows I speak the truth, I have been tempted to do what I have done, by a provocation of sixteen years long; tempted, I say, by the Brethren of your way: Who, when-ever they saw their opportunity, have made it their business to seek, to rend us in pieces; mine own self they have endeavoured to perswade to forsake the Church; some they have rent quite off from us, others they have attempted, and attempted to divide and break off from us, but by the mercy of God, have been hitherto prevented.
A more large account you may have in my next, if you think good to demand it; but I thank God that I have written what I have written.
Quest. 2. Have you dealt Brotherly, or like a Christian, to throw so much dirt upon your Brethren, in print, in the face of the World, when you had opportunity to converse with them of reputation amongst us, before printing, being allowed the liberty by them, at the same time for you to speak among them?
Answ. I have thrown no dirt upon them, nor laid any thing to their charge, if their Practice be warrantable by the Word; but you have not been offended at the dirt, your selves have thrown at all the Godly in the Land that are not of our Perswasion, in counting them unfit to be communicated with, or to be accompanyed with in the House of God. This dirt you never complained of, nor would, I doubt, to this day, might you be still let alone to throw it. As to my Book, it was Prineed before I spake with any of you, or knew whether I might be accepted of you. As to them of reputation among you, I know others not one tittle inferior to them, and have my liberty to consult with who I like best.
Quest. 3. Doth your carriage answer the Law of Love or Civility, when the Brethren used means to send for you for a conference, and their Letter was received by you, that you should go out again from the City after knowledge of their desires, and not vouchsafe a meeting with them, when the glory of God, and the vindication of so many Churches is concerned.
Answ. The reason why I came not amongst you, was partly because I consulted mine own weakness, and counted not my self, being a dull-headed man, able to engage so many of the chief of you, as I was then informed intended to meet me; I also feared, in personal Disputes, heats and bitter contentions might arise, a thing my Spirit hath not pleasure in: I feared also, that both my self and words would be misrepresented; and that not without cause, for if they that Answer a Book will alter, and scrue Arguments out of their place, and make my Sentences stand in their own words, not mine, when (I say) my words are in a Book to be seen. What would you have done, had I in the least, either in matter or manner, though but seemingly miscarried among you?
As for the many Churches which you say are concerned, as also the Glory of God, I doubt not to say they are only your wordless Opinions that are concerned; the Glory of God is vindicated: We receive him that God hath received, and that to the glory of God, Rom. 15. 16.
Quest. 4. Is it not the Spirit of Diotrephes of old, in you, who loved to have the preheminence, that you are so bold to keep out all the Brethren, that are not of your mind in this matter, from having any entertainment in the Churches or Meetings to which you belong, though you your self have not been denyed the like liberty, among them that are contraryminded to you? Is this the way of your retaliation? Or are you afraid lest the Truth should invade your quarters?
Answ. I can say, I would not have the Spirit you talk of, what I have of it, God take it from me. But what was the Spirit of Diotrephes? Why, not to receive the Brethren into the Church, and to forbid them that would, (3 John 9, 10.) This do not I; I am for Communion with Saints, because they are Saints▪ I shut none of the Brethren out of the Churches, nor forbid them that would receive them. I say again, shew me the man that is a visible Believer, and that walketh with God; and though he differ with me about Baptism, the Doors of the Church stand open for him, and all our Heaven-born Priviledges he shall be admitted to them. But how came Diotrephes so lately into our parts? Where was he in those dayes that our Brethren of the Baptized-way, would neither receive into the Church, nor pray with men as good as themselves, because they were not baptized; but would either, like Quakers, stand with their Hats on their heads, or else withdraw till we had done.
As to our not suffering those you plead for to preach in our Assemblies, the Reason is, because we cannot yet prevail with them, to repent of their Church-renting Principles. As to the Retaliation, mind the hand of God, and remember Adonibezek, Judg. 1. 7.
Let the Truth come into our quarters andProv. 6. 19. welcome, but sowers of Discord, because theRom. 16. 17, 13. Lord hates it, we also our selves will avoid them.
Quest. 5. Is there no contempt cast upon the Brethren, who desired your satisfaction, that at the same time, when you had opportunity to speak to them; instead of that, you committed the Letters to others, by way of reflection upon them?
Answ. It is no contempt at all to consult men more wise and judicious than him that wrote, or my self either. But why not consult with others, is Wisdom to die with you? Or do you count all that your selves have no hand in, done to your disparagement?
Quest. 6. Did not your presumption prompt you to provoke THEM to printing, in your Letter to them, when they desired to be found in no such practice, lest the Enemies of Truth should take advantage by it?
Answ. What provoked you to Print, will be best known at the Day of Judgment, whether your fear of losing your wordless Opinion, or my plain Answer to your Letter: the words in my Letter are, As for my Book, never defer its Answer till you speak with me, for I strive not for mastery but Truth. Though you did not desire to write, yet with us there was continual labour to rend us to pieces, and to prevent that, was my first Book written. And let who will take advantage, so the Truth of God, and the edification of my Brother be promoted.
Quest. 7. Whether your Principle and Practice is not equally against others as well as us, viz; Episcopal, Presbyterians, and Independents, who are also of our side, for our practice, (though they differ with us about the subject of Baptism) Do you delight to have your hand against every man?
Answ. I own Water-baptism to be God's Ordinance, but I make no Idol of it. Where you call now the Episcopal to side with you, and also the Presbyterian, &c. you will not find them easily perswaded to conclude with you against me. They are against your manner of Dipping, as well as the Subject of Water-baptism; neither do you, for all you flatter them, agree together in all but the Subject. Do you allow their Sprinkling? Do you allow their signing with the Cross? Why then have you so stoutly, an hundred times over, condemned these things as Antichristian. I am not against every man, though by your abusive language you would set every one against me, but am for Union, Concord, and Communion with Saints, as Saints, and for that cause I wrote my Book.
To Conclude.
1. In ALL I have said, I put a difference between my Brethren of the Baptized-way; I know some are more moderate than some.
2. When I plead for the unbaptized, I chiefly intend those that are not SO baptized as my Brethren judge right, according to the first pattern.
3. If any shall count my Papers worth the scribling against, let him deal with mine Arguments, and things immediately depending upon them, and not conclude he hath confuted a Book, when he hath only quarrelled at words.
4. I have done, when I have told you, that I strive not for Mastery, nor to shew my self singular; but, if it might be, for Union and Communion among the godly. And count me not as an enemy, because I tell you the Truth.
5. And now, dissenting Brethren, I commend you to God, who can pardon your sin, and give you more grace, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith in Jesus Christ.
Amen.
ERRATA.
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