Independency Further Proved to be a Schism, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. In anſwer to my Appendix.
THis Chapter is a meere foreign, if not in that the firſt is laſt▪ yet in that the laſt is firſt. The Reverend Doctor indeed promiſed us, A… ſpeedy account of the Cloſure of my book, p. 11. and in the Cloſe of his former Chapter: but I muſt confeſſe, I did not …t expect it; nor will I conjecture at …s preproperous vindication of his …putation, as he calls it. Had not his …ter book of Schiſm recanted, if I may …t ſay, contradicted his former judg…ent, I had not medled with it; I can …cerely profeſſe, my intention was …t to blaſt his reputation, or to cauſe … Perſon to ſuffer (to whom I was and … a very ſtranger, not having, above …ce, ſo much as ſeen his fa…e) but to …event the prevalency of his way, by …e Author…ty of his perſon; to the draw…g off of ſome well meaning people,Rom. 16.8. …ho are eaſily deceived by fair words, …nd perſonall reſpects; this I thought …ight the better be done, by preſenting …o them the errors and Inconſtancy of …e men, that endeavour their ſeduce…ent. The Apoſtle Jude deſcribes Sedu…ers, by ſuch a Character; they are …andring Stars, as in places, ſo in judgment Inconſiſtent with themſelves, and …heir owne opinions. But if he marke …t, I did firſt in my precedent Chapters; …ndeavour (with little ſucceſſe, I confeſſe) to ſhew thoſe perſons, the errours of that way, before I diſcovered the inconſtancy of the perſon; and Inconſiſtency of his former and preſent thoughts: A… ſure we may have reaſon to ſuſpe… their judgment, who are ſo changea… in their opinions; having inſtances … nough of men, that have run from o… ſect to another, till they have loſt the… ſelves, and all Religion. But to retu… to the buſineſſe in hand, the revere… Doctor, after the propoſition of oth… waies of excuſing himſelf, for his inco… ſtancy, at length confeſſes the fact, wi… the ground and means of that alteratio… of his judgment.
1. The ground was this, the ſuitabl… neſſe of his former principles to the I… dependent way;pag. 34. for ſo he ſaies: Upon review of what I had then aſſerted, (i… his former Treatiſe) I found, that … principles were far more ſuited, to wh… is the judgment and practiſe of the Co… gregationall men, than thoſe of the Pre… byterians. This was the ground of h… change, that I conjectured at, when … ſaid, "Perhaps theſe princ…ples of his, the laid, might miſlead others and himſelf &c. pag. 237. Thoſe principles were that gifts and ſubmiſſion of the people were ſufficient in ſome caſes, to make … Preacher of the Goſpell; not having diſtinguiſhed between a Preacher in a large, and in a ſtricter ſenſe, that is, be…een an Inſtructer (common to men …d women,) and a preacher in Office …culiar to ſome. For neglect of which …tinction, how eaſie was it for men …uppoſing the caſe to be now extraor…ary, and an interciſion of all ordinan…s) finding themſelves (as they eaſily …lieve) ſufficiently gifted, and a giddy …ple, thirſting after novelties, willing … be taught by ſuch teachers, to take …on them the Office of Preachers? …his is ſo viſibly the Doctrine and Prac…ce of all the Sects, that he that runns …ay read it. But the Reverend Doctor …d there laid down other Preſbyterian …rinciples, which are irreconcilable …ith his new congregationall way; as ſhal …ppear.
2. The meanes of his converſion was his: Undertaking to read the Books …ritten on both ſides (the congre…tionall and the Presbyterian way) …e fixed on one to take under peculiar examination; which ſeemed moſt methodicall,pag. 3 and ſtrongly to maintain that which was contrary to his preſent perſwaſion: that was Mr. Cottons Book of the Keyes; intending the confutation of it. But contrary to his many Intereſts, he was prevailed on, to receive that a… thoſe principles, which he thought to ſ… himſelf in an oppoſition unto. And th… commonly it fares with thoſe that undertake controverſies, being before prejudiced with the principles of that way as the Reverend Doctor profeſſes he wa… But had he obſerved his own rule … examining impartially all things by t… Word, comparing cauſes with cauſe… &c. laying aſide all prejudicate reſpect… unto perſons or preſent traditions, an… conſidered the books written again… that very Treatiſe, and no more; h… might perhaps have been confirmed i… his Preſby…erian way, as many learne… and pious men have been. Wherea… now there is little hope of recoverin… him back to his firſt Principles, for h… tells me That being by that means ſetled in the Truth,pag. 37. he is ready to maintai… it to me and others, and finds cauſe to rejoyce in it, in the day of the Lord Jeſus. I ſhall only requeſt him, that he would impartially conſider, what hath been written againſt the Treatiſe of his Converſion, before he enter into new conteſts with me or others, or publiſh that tract of the Authors, which he threatn'd me with, in his Epiſtle: which if he do, there is ſome hope he may re…rn to his former Preſbyterian princi…es, as others have done, without any …eat prejudice to his reputation; he …et profeſſing himſelf to be of neither, of …o party, p. 27.
Before I conſider his anſwer to my …ppendix, I ſhall deſire leave to pre…iſe, that my ſcope was not to help on with the proof, that Independency is a great Schiſm, as he pretends p. 32. Nor …et to cauſe his perſon to ſuffer, as I ſaid …ore; nor yet to confute that treatiſe … ſo, (though by the by, I might diſco…er ſome weakneſſes in it): but to prove from it, his inconſtancy and inconſiſtencie with himſelfe, who yet undertakes …o convert others to, or ſettle them in, the …ndependent way: And I moſt of all …onder, that he ſhould ſo confidently …eny his change from what he then de…vered, and ſay I am punctually of the ſame judgment ſtill, page. 40.when as he cleerly …rofeſſes his change in one particular, …. 44. and that a materiall one; And for …he reſt, there needs nothing to con…ince him of a great change, but onelyonly … Scheme of his differences in judgment …ow, from what he aſſerted then; which … ſhall exhibite to him, at the end of his Chapter.
But before I do that, I ſhall onelyonly, b… way of ſhort ſtrictures, animadvert ſom few things. 1. That his judgment w… altered, I proved thus: 1. He had, as thought, upon the reaſons afore give… renounced his ordination; at which … profeſſes himſelfe aſtoniſhed to thin… with what frame of Spirit, what negle… of all truth and love, this buſineſſe mannaged. And I muſt re-profeſſe, th… I am aſtoniſhed to think with wh… face or ſpirit of truth, he dare deny i… if all be true that is reported. I confeſſe, as he carries it, I cannot tell, whether ever he was ordained or no, by … or Preſbytery, (for he diſcovers it not and then indeed, he cannot renounce wh… he never had; as he ſometimes argued i… his former treatiſe of Schiſm: If he wa… not all ordained, and yet do Miniſteri… acts, his tract, I now conſider, will condemne him: If he was, I think he hat… done and ſaid enough to argue his renuntiation of it. 2. My ſecond proofe … ſo by him contrived, that I think he wa… in a maze, when he writ it down; becauſe he thinks now, not only in a compleat Church-ſtate, but when no ſuc… thing can be charged, that gifts & conſe… of the people, is enough to make a man … Preacher in office; both untrue and falſe in fact. Untrue indeed and falſe, in …ords and fact: for my words were …eſe;page. 222. He requires now no more but gifts and conſent, and that not only in a collapſed and corrupted Church, &c. but now, when neither negligence nor ignorance, can, without injury, be charged upon our Church-ſtate; The difference viſible to every ſeeing eye, without …y exagitation. And the thing is true … word and fact; as ſhall appeare. To …y third obſervation, he ſayes nothing; Whether ſuch a man, as he ſpeaks of, ſo qualified, be a compleat Miniſter, to preach the Goſpell authoritatively by way of Office, and to adminiſter Sacraments? …his we know, is true in fact, of many …f his way: ſome things more there are … that Section,Sect. 3. very conſiderably wor…hy of an anſwer; but he is not pleaſed …o take notice of them.
In the next place, he comes to his …pinion of the perſonall in-dwelling of the Holy Ghoſt in believers, and will …either admit of my explication of his …ormer words, nor acknowledge any …ifference of his judgment now and …hen. I have not yet had leiſure to …onſider what he hath publiſhed upon this head (not having his book), but … cannot yet be convinced, to be of h… judgment, nor many others more jud… cious: I thought I had aſſigned ſom… cleer differences in the words compare together; but he will not accept m… paines. I ſhall now tell him of one o… two; 1. His judgment now is, that th… Divine nature, or the Spirit of Go… dwells perſonally in believers, and th… the Spirit is the Soul that animate Chriſt and believers: but then, I ſaid the union of Chriſt and believers mu… be perſonall; for ſo is the union of Sou… and body in man, So is the Union o… the Divine and humane nature in Chriſt 2. He ſaid his former tract, that the ſam… Spirit is in Chriſt and us; but with thi… difference; In him indeed dwelleth th… fulneſſe of it; when it is beſtowed on u… only by meaſure: but in his latter, o… Schiſme, he ſaies the Spirit dwells perſonally in believers; but then (ſay I) we have the fulneſs of the Spirit, as well a… Chriſt; his perſon and fulneſs being inſeparable. I might add, that the fulneſ… of the Spirit, when aſcribed to Chriſt a… man, was not the perſon of the Spirit, (for then the perſon of the Spirit alſo was intereſſed in the Mediatorſhip) but the fulneſs of the graces of the Spirit, …hich we have only in a meaſure, 1 Cor. ….8. To one is given the word of Wiſdom; to another knowledge; to another faith, by the ſame Spirit. But if the …irit perſonally be given to every be…ever, all theſe ſhould be given to one …an, even as to Chriſt. But I for…ar at this time any more.
As for his calling Miniſters, by the …me of Parochiall Prieſts, it is not …orth contending: he puts it off, neat…, "By what the Prelates eſteemed and call'd pariſh. Miniſters which might …ſs very eaſily for an excuſe, were it …ot, 1. that many of the ſame reverend pi…s men, were then Parochiall Miniſters …hat are now; and ill deſerved the name …f Prieſts. 2. That the ſame pious men …nd Miniſters, are till this day mocked …nd ſcorned by his Independent way, by …he name of Prieſts, and worſe. I might …dde, that the Reverend Doctor ſpeaks …mbiguouſly, when he ſaies, "I never called the Preſbyterian Miniſters of particular congregations Parochiall Prieſts. He may, or ſome may interprete it, …hat he meanes, there were no Preſby…erian Miniſters in Pariſhes, under the …relates; and then indeed he did not call them Prieſts: but enough … that.
For the remaining ſection of my Appe… dix, though there are many things, th… deſerved a better account from th… Reverend Doctor; as charging hi… with cleer alterat…ons of his …udgmen… and ſome contradictions to himſelf; … paſſes them over,page. 42… &c. ſome as untrue ſome as full of refl…ctions, ſ rmizes, a… prognoſtications, And be…ides, profeſſes himſelf, ſince my exceptions, … be of the ſame mind, that he was, witho… the leaſt a terations. Only in one thin… (and the worſt of all) he confeſſes … change;page. 44. As to the liberty to be allowed … them, which meet in private, who cann… in conſcience joyne in the celebratio… of publick Ordinances, as they are performed amongſt us, I confeſſe my ſe… to be otherwiſe minded at preſent, tha… the words there quoted (Sect. 16.) … expreſs. That is to ſay, I do now allow conventicles of all ſorts of Sects who cannot in conſcience joyne in publick in the celebration of ordinances as they are performed among us: Fo… why ſhould not all have the ſame liberty of conſcience (which all pretend) Anabapt…ſts, Quakers, and all, as he pleads for himſelf and party? And is not this obliquely to brand publicke worſhip, as faulty? But this is more than he pleaded for, in his book of Schiſme: that every man muſt follow his own light, and ſo gather into new Churches, to the rending of the Church into a thouſand pieces. Did ever any true ſtated Church ſuffer ſuch diſorder? Will he allow this in his own Church? Do they not bind all their members to continue with them, and not to forſake them? Sees he not ſufficiently the miſchiefs of ſuch liberty of private conventicles? are they not the Seminaries of faction, Schiſm, Errors, Blaſphemies, and abhominable profaneneſſe. Let him anſwer his own cautions and objections, with his judgment formerly upon them; with his own Latine diſcourſe, againſt ſuch liberty pleaded for, by the Remonſtrants. Does he not ſee men pride themſelves of their gifts, and create themſelves Paſtors in ſeparate congregations? Tells us he not, that ſuch doings,page. 53. will help to overthrow the very conſtitution of any Church, by confuſion; or the flouriſhing of it, by Ignorance; both which certainly follow ſuch courſes? Sayes he not well; "This may be a means for men to vent their ow… private fancies to other; to foment an… cheriſh errors in one another; to giv… falſe interpretations of the Word, ther… being no way to prevent it? How wi… he anſwer theſe things? Do we not ſe… the event of that his propheſie dayly before our eyes? And does he now com… to countenance theſe things, and to contradict himſelf, and yet tell us, that h… is of the ſame mind ſtill that he was and no whit changed? May we not ſa… to him, as his ſervants to Pharoah, Exod 10.7. with change of a word, Knoweſ… thou not yet, that England, (the Church of England) is deſtroyed; or as the Diſciples to their Maſter, Careſt thou not, that we periſh? But I forbear: and becauſe the Reverend Doctor ſtands ſo reſolutely upon his aſſertion, that he is not changed, but of the ſame mind he was fourteen years agoe; I ſhall now preſent to him and the Reader, a Scheme of his differences from himſelf, then and now; as followeth.
…uty of Pastors & …eople diſtinguiſhed
1. He ſpake of …o…e, as a col…apſed, corrupted Church in Italy, …ag. 40.
2. Gifts in the …erſon, and con…ent of people, is warrant enough to make … man a Preacher, in an extraordinary caſe onelyonly: pag. 15. and pag. 40.
3. He made the Union of Chriſt and believers, to be myſticall, pag. 21. We are ſo parts of him, of his myſticall body, that he & we are become thereby, as it were, one Chriſt. In him dwells the fulneſſe of the Spirit, it is given to us in meaſure.
4. In extraordinary caſes, every one that undertakes to preach the Goſpel, muſt have an immediate Call from God, pag. 28.
5. The Church government, from which I deſire not to wander, is the Preſbyterial. pag 42.
6. Men ought not to cut themſelves from the communion of the Church, to rent the body of Chriſt, and break the ſacred bonds of charity. pag. 48.
7. I conceive, they ought not at all, to be allowed the benefit of private meetings, who wilfully abſtain from the publick Congregations, &c. pag. 51.
Of Schiſm.
1. He ſaies, Rome we account no Church at all, pag. 156.
2 Denying our Ordination as ſufficient, he ſaies, He may have that, which indeed conſtitutes him a Miniſter; viz. gifts, and ſubmiſſion by the people, pag. 198. in our caſe.
3. He makes the union to be Perſonall, pag. 94, 95. It is in the perſon of the Spirit, whereof we are made partakers. Ibid.
The form of the Church Catholick is the Spirit, whereby it is animated, as the body of man by the ſoul, pag. 95. and 28.
4. Yet required no more of before, but gifts, and conſent of people, which are ordinary and mediate Calls. pag. 15. Neither is there any need or uſe of an immediate call, pag. 33. Of Paſtor and People.
5. He now is engaged in the Independent way
6. He ſaies, Separation is no ſchiſm, nor ſchiſm any breach of charity, pag. 48, 49.
Review.
1. I do not believe, that Idolater, &c. had any authority in, or over, the Churches. pag. 26.
2. I am punctually of the ſame mind ſtill, pag. 40. yet had ſaid in his firſt Book, pag. 46. As to formall teaching is required, 1. Gifts; 2. Authority from the Church; if he do not here equivocate.
3. Am I changed in this? No, pag. 40. If the Spirit perſonally dwell in us, we have him in fulneſſe as well as Chriſt, and not in meaſure.
The union of ſoul and body is perſonal; the union of man and wife is myſticall, not perſonall: Such is ours with Chriſt.
4. And to aſſure a man, he is extraordinarily called to it, he gives three waies▪ 1. Immediate Revelation. 2. Concurrence of Scripture-rules. 3. Some outward acts of providence. The two laſt whereof are mediate calls, pag. 30. Paſt. & Peop.
5. As ſetled in the truth, which he is ready to maintain, pag. 36. and knows it will be found his rejoycing in the day of the Lord Jeſus. pag 37.
6. There is not one word in either of thoſe cautions, that I do not ſtill own and allow, pag. 44. Sure not without equivocation.
7. As to the liberty to be allowed to them, which meet in private, &c. I confeſſe my ſelf to be otherwiſe minded. pag. 44.