Review and Examination of the Doctrine, Part 3 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Animadversions Upon the PREFACE, And title Page.
HAveing thus examined what this new Casuist hath offered in these Dialogues, we shall here subjoyn some Animadversions upon the Preface prefixt to this pamplet (1.) His profest design is to let people see the sin and unwarrantableness of separation as the Epidimicall desease of the time. Ans. I think indeed it is so. and upon whose side this separation lyes, and who hath brought in this flood as he calls it, not since 78 but 62 I hope may be now no doubt to the impartiall discerner. Its no strange thing to see men charge upon others, that whereof themselves are so eminently guilty, Papists call themselves the only Catholicks and charge Protestant Churches with separation, just as this man and his Innovating party deal with us, they only must be the Church of Scotland, and we the Schismaticks, though not many years agoe it would have been thought (I beleeve by many of these men themselves) as strange a…e absurditie and paradox, to term such a party owning such principles and practices as they now doe, the Church of Scotland, as to affirm that nihil was aliquid, non ens, ens, or that Zenith was in the situation and place of Nadir: such ane intoxicating thing is backsliding and sinfull self love.
2. He praises Magistrats in the bounds where he is, whose authority together with his mightie convictions (forsooth) brought back people who went once to hear Presbyterian Ministers out of noveltie. Ans, …s no small peice of our sin and desolation that the Magistrats sword given him for protection of the Lords faithfull Ambassadours in following theire duty, according to there solemn vowes to God, should be improven in such a sinfull opposition to them. What peace and order in this Church hath attended their monstrous perperjurious backsliding, were 20 years experience may discover especiallie to those who have seen and known the beautifull order of our first glorious …temple, the verie rubbish, whereof is yet refreshfull in any remains of a faithfull Ministrie that is left.
3. Against his modest reluctancie (forsoo…h) some of authoritie and learning among his party thought it fitt that these his Dialogues should see the light, because schismatick principles and practices are not laid aside but carried on and this Informer thou ht it a mater of conscience to discover to such as are willing to be informed, how unwarrarantable such cours…s are, if Scripure and even the Doct ine of Presbyterians may be admited to judge. Ans. How he hath fastned this charge of Schismatick principles and practices upon Presbyterian Ministers and Professors, I leave it to the Impartiall to Judge from what is here replyed. And how far any thing which he hath affered either from Scripture, or the principles of Presbyterians, is from reaching the conclusion which he aims at in these trifling Dialogues; which all who are conscientious are (we hope) shy this rejoynder, and a respect to truth and dutie, sufficiently antidoted against, and the learned as well as conscientious may wonder at such prodigiously bold ignorance.
4. He wonders that so many of good note and not of the comons only are drinking in the principles of Brounists, which have been zealously disputed against by old nonconformists. Ans. How h… hath made good this charge I refer it to the persusall of what is here replyed, and how far the pleadings of these Non-conformists whom he mentions are from helping his cause. I must here add, that its astoninishing to find this man pretending a principle of conscience for this undertaking, when his conscience could not but tell him, that both upon the poynt of Episcopacie, the Covenants, and separation also, he might have found all and more then he hath said fully answered, and that he pitifully snakes away from our arguments & dar not propose them in there genuin strength. Nay he doth not so much as offer fairly to state the question in any of these three great points which he pretends to inform us about, but confusedly shuffles them up for his own advantadge. And upon the point of the Covenant obligation, he poorly followes the arguments of the Seasonable case, and some hints from the Surveyer without so much as offring any return unto what the Apologist hath long since repelyd unto them. If this was conscientious dealing let any Judge? and yet he is not ashamed to tell the world, that because Episcopacie and the covenants are by people made the great grounds of separating, therefore he premised his two dialogues concerning Episcopacie and the Covenants, to shew what a sandy ground they are for separation, if prelacie be found at least Lawfull, and the Covenants in evry case not obligatorie, whereas he hath offered nothing either to prove prelacie lawful, or the Covenant not obligatorie, but what is by severall of the godly learned abundantly answered and fully bafled, sevrall of which (viz. the Apollogist, and jus divinum Ministery Anglican, he seems to have had before him in writeing these Dialogues, and yet nather doth he touch the answers of the Apologist to his arguments anent the Covenant, nor dar he scan the pungent arguments of the London Ministers against prelacie, and likwise there answers to sevrall things which he has offered for it, and particularly there learned Appendix in the poynt of Antiquitie, which cuts the sinnews of all his tedious legend of testimonies, he durst not medle with. Beside It wold seem he hath seen Smectymnus upon this subject, whose learned confutation of the Episcopall plea as well from scripture as antiquity he passes over sicco pede. And as for Erastian prelacie, he offers not a jot indefence of it, though his conscience could tell him that this is one main poynt of our plea against him. So that suppose Episcopacie were in its self found Lawfull, as he sayes, yet if Erastian Episcopacie be found unlawfull, his cause and pleading is lame and lost.
After this he would amuse his reader with a testimonie of Zanchie and another of Blondell which parts the hoofs of his page first as for Zanchie he cites a passage of his Obser: in suam ipsius confessionem cap. 25. aphor: 10. 11. wherein he saves first his faith is simply built upon the word of God, Next In some measure upon the commun consent of the antient Catholick Church, and that he beleeves what has been defyned by holy fathers gathered together in the name of the Lord—citra ullam Scripturae contradictionem that these things are from the Spirit of though not of the same authoritie with Scripture, then he adds that nothing is more certain from counsells Histories and writeings of the Fathers then these orders of Ministers of which he has been speaking to have been received into the Church, with her intire consent, and what is he to condemn what the whole Church has aproved. I answer, beside that he should have set doun these gradus Ministrorum which Zanchius speaks of, that his reader might have known what these degrees were, or whither they were prelatick degrees or not, which no doubt he would have done had he not found that this would have marred his intent, (for which cause he doth not so much as offer to English any part of this or of the ensuing testimony) we say, first, that any who knowes Zanchies learning, and what the voice of the first and pure antiquity is, and how far from giving a testimony to the present Diocesian, much less the Erastian prelat, of whom none can without extrem impudence assert that Zanchie is speaking, will esteem this perswasion [that the prelacy now existant with us hath the universall consent of all histories councills and fathers] to be as far from the thoughts of Zanchie, as its necessary to prove his poynt 2. Zanchise ayes his faith simply and mainly leans upon the word of God, and so whatever the word is found to condemn (as we have proved it doth the present prelacie in many respects) Zanchie will make no bones to condemn it likwise, own it who will.
The next passage he cites is of Blondell (Apoll. pag. 193.) who asserts that foreign belongs absolutly to the government of the Church—and its anext foreign to the maner & order of its government, which the Church alwayes thought permitted to her arbitrement; Nather must we think every thing unlawful which humane custom of professors hath brought into the use of divine things—That in such things christian prudence must act its part, that no Church must be drawen into ane example, that from the generall precept … Cor. 14: 40▪ the Church hath full power to follow what is more decent and commodious. Ans. 1. We have before cleard that with Blondell their diocesian Prelat stands absolutly condemned in scripture, and in his principles is diametrally opposit to the divine Scripture Bishop, which evidently concludes his condemning the present Episcopacie with sole power of ordination and Jurisdiction,—much more the Erastian prelat, altering fundamentally the government it self, which he dar not say that Blondell ever dreamed of. So that though we should grant because of this testimonie, that Blondell will befound to admitt a foreign and constant Moderator, which Its well knowen is the outmost length he goes, and that the Churches example and practice here anent may be variable, it falls utterly short of reaching the lest patrociny to his cause. 2. he cites 1 Cor 14. 40. anent alterable circumstances of order and decency, about which the Churches exercise of Christian prudence is convérsant, so that he must understand what he pleads for to be of that nature, but we have shewed upon the first Dialogue how far its contrary to Scripture & reason to include a diocesian Bishop or Arch bishop within the compass of decencie and order there commanded, since decencie and order points only at circumstances of actions already commanded and circumstances commun to civil and sacred things. And this according to the generall rules of the word, so that none can think Blondell so sottish as to take in among these, the Diocesian or Erastian Bishop and Arch-Bishop. 3. Since the profest scope of Blondells learned Appology is to plead for sententia Hieronomi—which is that in Apostolick times communi concilio presbyterorum Ecelesiae gubernabantur, surely whatever Blondell may admitt as to the Churches libertie in relation to a foreign, yet the admission of the diocesian prelate with sole power of ordination and Jurisdiction (which this man pleads for) and much more the Erastian prelate, would evert both his hypothesis and scope. Again, he dare not deny that with Blondell the foreign is the Ministeriall scripturall foreign or Presbyterat, so that what he calls the modus rei cannot in its self, (and consequently in Blondells meaning) be supposed such a modus rei as destroyes the thing it self, & the subject which it affects, as certainly by the Diocesian foreign, much more the Erastian, doth the very substantialls of Presbyters divine power, which this learned author is in that piece pleading for. And in a word I dare pose this Informer, whither Blondell would not have thought a national Churches liberty in this point of Custome or alterable circumstances of decencie and order (even tho we should grant that he puts Episcopacy among these) is tyed up and restrained, by sacred solemn Oaths and vowes universally taken on against the same; so that his cause is never a whit bettered by these blind Testimonies which (as is said) he he durst not translate, as he professeth to doe in the rest of his citations, for the advantage of the unlearned.
The assertion after subjovned by him viz. that the unlawfulness of Episcopacie was questioned by none of the ancients except Aerius, and rarely by any of the modern except some of our British divines, that antient and modern divines think that prelacie was the primitive Government left by the Apostles] we have proved to be a manifest untruth. Specially when applyed to the prelacy existant with us; and that it is the consentient judgment of the far greatest part, both of ancient and modern that there is no difference jure divino betwixt a Bishop and Presbyter. And that our Prelats now in Scotland are as far different from the antient Bishops as east from West, so that no patrocinie can be drawen from the one to the other. That Blondell professes to vindicat Jerom from that which he calls Aerianism, who will believe, taking Aerius opinion to be for the premised Identitie of Bishop and Presbyter; since we have made it appear by Testimonies of the learned, that both Greek and Latine Fathers held this same opinion with Aerius. How he hath proved Episcopacie [to be the Government which hath best warrand in the word, and hath continued without interruption for many years] we refer it to the reader to judge by what is above replyed, wherein we have made it appear, that as his pretended Scripture proofs for prelacy, and his answers to our Arguments against it, are most frivolous, so none of his pretended Testimonies from antiquitie doe reach his conclusion, nor any shadow of a patrocinie for our present Prelat now established, whom we have fully disproved from Scripture, both in his diocesian and Erastian mould. What poor shaddowes for proofs doth this man grasp at Blondell thought the Scripture foreign lawful, and its foreign to belong to foreign and good order. Ergo, he pleaded for the Diocesian Bishop with sole power of ordination and Jurisdiction, and a Bishop deriving all his power from the civil Magistrat as immediatly subject unto him, which is a very antilogical proof and a meer rop of sand.
Lastly he mainly commends to his reader this Dialogue anent separation [wherein he sayes all the reasons brought for it are propounded and answered without passion which doth but alienat the minds. Ans. How poorly this man hath answered the true grounds of disowning conformists, or rather past them over, and how pityfully he all along begs the question in supposing what he hath to prove, we hope is made sufficiently appear to the Judicious and impartiall. As for passion, its true there is less of this in his Pamphlet then in some other of this stamp which his fellowes have flung out among the people, yet he hath his signal flashes of it [in Iustifying Dr Burnets parallel of nonconformists with Scribes and Pharisees, and in calling them as great and causeless Schismaticks as ever the Church had in any age, nay in his grosse malitious reflecting upon the sufferings of poor Innocents in this land, telling us under the covert of Cyprians words [that their in expiable sin of discord is not purged by their sufferings—that forsaking Christs Church, they cannot be martyres nor reign with him,] which, with what a tincture of malice it presents its self, let any judge. His conferences he sayes do bring water to quenchour flames, but they bring rather fewel to the fire, and wood and hay to uphold Babell. The Rabbies whom he pleads for have kindled our flames, and the best way to quench them Is to put these incendiaries to the door.
Next he cites the preface of the Syntag. Confess. edit. Genev. [wherin the Church of Scotland is commended for her unity as well as purity of Doctrine, and then he cryes out O how have we lost our good name, and the staff of bonds is broken in the midst of us] but he should have been so ingenuous as to have told us that we are in the preface of that Syntagma commended for our reformed Presbyterian discipline as the great bond and cement of our unity, and the guard of our pure doctrine, and who have broken this bond and sacred hedge I need not tell him, and what hath been the distress, confusion and desolation of our Church since it was broken, every one now sees; so that he might lament the loss of our good name upon this ground, and especially of our Integrity where he a true son and watchmen of this Church. The consequences of our sad divisions, through the violence and Schismatick intrusion of abjured perjured Prelats and their underlings have indeed hazarded the standing of Christs Kingdome among us according to that of Mark 3. 24. And the biting & devouring wolves, the Prelats for whom he pleads have hazarded the consuming of Gods poor remnant Gal. 5. 19. Our Churches dissolution & corruption, & were he as tender to prevent this, as to preserve there worldly peace and sinfull union, he would have seen Prelacy to be the Idol Iealousie, the wedge driven by the popish artisans to divide and break this Church, and as the true cause of all our breaches to be removed in order to healing. The popish invasion doth indeed plead for union of the true Prorestant Church and interest against them, and consequently to hold out and oppose such arrant upholders and promoters of that Antichristian interest as Prelats have first and last been found and never more then now, since popry hath never more prevaild then since they were established (by the confession even of our Rulers) and that without control. While they are enflaming the powers to the out most height of rage against poor Innocent nonconfomists, so that union with them who are at so palpable an union with Rome is not the unity of the spirit which is to be keep in the bond of Peace, and to be ownd by any that favour the Protestant Interest.
The texts which he presents unto us upon the frontispeice of the Pamphlet will be found to rebound a deadly blow upon his cause. For that …assage Psal. 122. 6. 7. pray for the peace of Ierusalem &c. We also pray for this peace, and in order to the obtaining of this suit, that the Lord would make up the breaches in her walls, and remove the treacherous breakers thereof, who, we may say again and again that in this they have dealt very treacherously, but what peace with Conformists while their whoordomsare so many. The next text is Psal 133. 1. behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to duell together in unitie. It is so indeed and therefore woe unto them (if they repent no…) who have broken this bond of holy brotherhood, have rent Aarons garment, corrupted the Covenant of levi, and do avowedly owne principles and wayes upon which hermons dew (heavens blessing) cannot be exspected. Therefore this command of Lovely union engadges to disjoyn our selves from them. For the next text Mark 3. 24. a kingdome divided against its self cannot stand &c. We say, Gods Church hath stood amidst great divisions, is one and intire in it …f, and will at last be delivered from all divisions and offences; and therefore upon the same ground we are to avoid prelatists who have caused them. For that of heb 10. 25. anent not forsaking the Assemblies, we blesse the Lord that such as are sorroufull for our Churches true Assemblies, and to whom this man and his fellowes reproaches thereof are a burthen, have had the Assemblies of Christs ambassadours to attend, and that the great Master of Assemblies hath not wholly left them, but hath covered a table in the wildernes in this our Churches fli…ht unto it, to these who with perill of their life are seeking their soul food because of the sword of the wildernesse, drawen out by Assemblies of Schismatick destroying Intruders, from whom we must depart, and who have persecut us away for adherance to our sworn Reformation and Covenant with God, which they have dissound.
The sentence next subjoyned viz opinionum varietas & opinantium unitas non sunt asustata, doth highly reflect upon himself, and the party he pleads for, who doe persecut with fire and sword all who differ in judgement from them in these things which they aknowledge but tricae & maters indifferent, so that in this they are foreign. For us, we are chased out from them, and can be admitted to no union with them except we unit in there sin, which throw grace we are fixtly resolved against. His design [to quiet peoples minds, and setle them in more peace and unitie] is of it self to good to be presented as a porch here to such a shattered pasquill, and to be pretended to so bad a cause & in this place may be not unsuitably assimilated to Solomons ring of gold in a swines snout. No doubt solid peace and unitie is only to be found in Gods way, in keeping his Covenant and owning his Messengers of peace (whose feet have been beautiful even on these reproached mountains & other places where Gods people assembled, since they have his call and seal to preach the gospell) and not in following the foxes in a way of perjurie and breach of Covenant as this pamphleter would perswad.
FINIS.