Independency Further Proved to be a Schism, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. A review of his and my Preface.
THe reverend Doctor begins this Chapter with a complaint, (as his Book is full of ſuch, either cauſleſſe or needleſſe, complaints) of my repetition of his words, of ſuch as I could wreſt, by cutting off one and another parcell, &c. to ſerve me, to make biting reflections upon them, with whom I have to deal. To which I ſhall return but this: 1. The teſtimony of an adverſary is ſtrong againſt himſelf; To turn the point of his own ſword into his own bowells, is an allowed way of cleareſt victory; and more than this, I have not done. That which a man condemns in another, may juſtly be applyed to his ſelf-condemnation, if he be guilty of the ſame crime. If not guilty, it concerned him to d…ſprove it, and clear himſelf, and not to talk of biting reflections.
2. If he could do the like from my words, As I doubt not, but he would "dreſſe me up in the like ornaments; ſo let him do it with like reaſon, if he can, and ſpare me not.
He firſt falls upon the D…natiſts principles, improved not onelyonly by Romaniſts, but by others, whom, I ſaid, I yet named not; but (ſaies he) its evident whom he means; though hereafter he tels us, he knowes not whom I mean. What thinks he of their two principles, by me expreſſed, are they ſchiſmaticall or no? To give me ſatisfaction, (though with little hope of ſucceſſe) he profeſſes ingenuouſly, 1. If they were conſidered in reference to the Donatiſts, who owned them; I ſay, they were wicked, corrupt, erroneous principles, tending to the diſturbance of the communion of Saints, and eve…ting all the rules of love, &c. But then I would ſay, 1. What is the di…urbance of the communion of Saints, …d everting all the rules of love, but …hiſm, by his own definition of it? and …et it was not in a particular Church, …ut from the Catholick. 2. If others ſpouſe the ſame principles, are they …ot as wicked, corrupt, erroneous, and …hiſmaticall principles in them, as in …he Donatiſts? Thus they are improved …y Romaniſts, Brown…ſts, Anabaptiſts, …nd ſome more ſtrictly called Indepen…ents. 3. And then I deſire to be ſatisfied, why he (to free his own party) laboured to excuſe them from ſchiſm, though he ſeem to make them otherwiſe criminous; let him conſider, if he did not endeavour it. The objection was, that Auſtin, and others, charged the Donatiſts with ſchiſm, for departing from the Catholick Church: What ſaies the reverend Doctor to it? this; I ſhall freely declare my thoughts, concerning the Donatiſts,Of ſchiſm, page 164. which will be comprehenſive alſo of thoſe other, that ſuffer with them in former and after ages, under the ſame imputation: That is, unjuſtly called ſchiſmaticks, for the like ſeparation. And in delivery of his thoughts of them, charges them with other cr mes, but not with ſchiſm, fo… their ſeparation.pag. 168. To relinquiſh the c… tholick viſible Church, is not ſchiſm, b… a ſin of another nature. Upon wha… ground, does he exempt them fro… ſchiſm, (as well as Proteſtants and him ſelf, by Romaniſts ſo charged) upon hi… new notion of ſchiſm? I take ſchiſ… in this argument, in the notion and ſen… of the Scripture preciſely, page 192 That is, for diviſion of judgment in particular Church. But the Donat…ſts diviſion and ſeparation, was in and from the catholick Church; Ergo, no ſchiſm And yet behold his unhappineſſe, eithe… in his forgetfulneſſe, or in his inconſtancy, to his own principles! He ſeems to me to acknowledge their ſchiſm, and them ſchiſmaticall, in their ſeparation, when he asks me angrily, Do I plea… for them?Review, pag. 120. do I labour to exempt them from ſchiſm? Let the Reader judge. 2. If he intend my judgment of them, (thoſe principles of the Donatiſts) in reference to the Churches of England, which he calls Independent, I am ſorry he ſhould think, he hath any reaſon to make this enquiry. I know not that man in the world, who is leſſe concerned in obtaining countenance to thoſe principles, then I am. A fine evaſion to ſave him…lf; let his Churches ſhift for them…lves. I did not ask his own particular …dgment, in reference to himſelf, (for did not yet charge him to hold thoſe …rinciples) but in reference to many …dependent Churches in England, which one thoſe principles, and practiſe ac…ordingly. And he anſwers for himſelf, …hat he is not concerned, in obtaining countenance to thoſe principles: obſcure… enough. But its known too well, …hat many Independent Churches do af…rm themſelves, to be the onelyonly Chur…hes in England, and none to be true …embers of a Church, but ſuch as are …oyned in memberſhip by a Covenant; which are the ſame in ſubſtance with …hoſe of the Donatiſts, and equally now …ranted, I think, to be ſchiſmaticall.
But what thinks he of our Churches? For my part, I acknowledge the Churches in England, Scotland, and France, &c. to be true Churches: Such, for ought I know, may be in Italy or Spain. I muſt profeſſe, that if this was ſincerely ſpoken, I ſhould rejoyce much in theſe conceſſions, in this vindication of himſelf; but the words are ſo ambiguous, that I know not well, by which handle to take them. I ask, Do all Independe… Churches in England think ſo of them I believe they will under-write, Mag… ſter hic non tenetur; and rather renou… him, then aſſert ſo much of our Chu… ches. Do they not many, yea moſt … them, account us Antichriſtian, as w… ſaid above? Do not his own principl… contradict his preſent conceſſions? And would ask, If we be true Churches, wh… do they and he ſeparate from us? They moſt of them for certain, do ſeparat… from us, as no Churches, no Miniſters doth not he ſo too? No; I have und… niably proved in my book of Schiſm, … have ſeparated from none of them. Thi… was ſpoken to above; and I ſhal take hi… for no Independent, if he do not ſeparat… from our Churches. But I pray, did he not plead for others, his party as wel… as himſelf; We have ſeparated from no… of them? from no true Churches in England; why? becauſe they are no truly conſtituted Churches; or, they were never members of them, and ſo could not ſeparate from*See pag. 252. ſ. 35. It is impoſſible a man ſhould offend againſt that which is not, unleſſe they will ſay, We have ſeparated from what ſhould be. them tha… were not: See page 257. Or, not reformed according to the mind of Chriſt. This evaſion he page missing as ſpoken above, in this preſent …hapter. But this will come again …e long, there ſomething ſhall be ſaid …to it.
When I ſaid, that a learned Doctor …d, His whole Book, or the greateſt part of it, was one great ſchiſm: He …ſwers, I hope that is but one Doctors opinion, becauſe being nonſenſe, it is not fit it ſhould be entertained by many. …hat that one Doctor ſaid, many …ore do think; nor is it any nonſenſe, …t uſuall Rhetorick, to Scripture, and her Authors, ſo to ſpeak, to call a …ry ſchiſmaticall book, a ſchiſm, as to …ll profligate ſinners, by the name of …ne, and the like. The reſt of this …hapter, and the moſt ſubſtantial things …erein, wherein I required ſatisfa…ion, he overlooks; as thoſe of enforcing …iformity on the one hand, and tole…tion of Religions on the other, which …e pretended to be one of them, the …ay to peace; and ſome other pra…tiſes of Polititians, with the ſucceſſe …hereof, he thinks not good to take …otice of, or to diſcover which of the …aies he likes beſt. And after ſome renuall of his former complaints, o… ſuppoſitions, and many notable laſhes &c. he concludes this Chapter thus So his firſt Chapter is diſcuſſed an… forgiven. By which begging of th… queſtion, he would perſwade bot… himſelf, his Reader, and me alſo, tha… I am very guilty, and himſelf very charitable, to forgive me, as I note… above.