The Loyal Baptist, Part 2 · Section 1
AN APOLOGY FOR THE Baptized Believers, &c. PRESENTED To all Pious and Well-diſpoſed Chriſtians in the Church of ENGLAND.
SECT. I.
Honoured and Beloved Brethren,
TO prevent a Miſtake, and to remove an Aſperſion too frequently caſt upon us, be pleaſed to know, that tho we differ from you and others, in ſome things relating to the Conſtitution and Government of a true Church, yet we do not therefore arrogate to our ſelves alone the Chriſtian Name, nor exalt our ſelves in our Imaginations above others; but do believe and hope, that the Number of the ſaved Ones will be gathered out of all ſorts of Chriſtians, who heartily love God and our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and live holily and charitably among Men, tho they be diverſified in reſpect of Ceremonies, by reaſon of the Place and Government where they live: Yea, we have Charity for all Men, who are faithful to the Means of Grace afforded them, how ſmall ſoever, knowing that our God delights in Mercy, and does not exact the utmoſt Farthing of any Man.
But for all this, as it is certain there hath been abundance of Errors introduced among Chriſtians, ſo it has pleaſed God to raiſe up a People ſtill to teſtify againſt them, (the Memories of whom are bleſſed, tho they were frequently perſecuted.) So we believe it a Duty incumbent upon us, to bear our Teſtimony to what Truth we know, and not to partake with any in their By-Paths in Life or Religion, and yet endeavour as much as in us lieth, after Unity and Concord with all that fear God, and own the Chriſtian Profeſſion.
To which purpoſe we have humbly propoſed what we thought concern'd us, in order to a better Underſtanding and Compliance, in our Friendly Epiſtle to the Biſhops and Miniſters of the Church of England, publiſhed ſome Years ago, but has not been publickly taken notice of, till lately one Mr. Taylor, a Perſon of Worth for his Integrity, and Zeal for the Proteſtant Intereſt, and for his gentle Diſpoſition towards ſuch as fear God, tho differing from him in the Caſe of Ceremonies.
It hath pleaſed him (I ſay) to take notice of our ſaid Epiſtle, and to offer ſomething in order to a Compoſure of Differences, which I confeſs, with him, to be a thing greatly to be deſired. But then he is pleaſed to ſhew us nothing of Mitigation, or Hopes of the removal of the Things which hath occaſioned our Diſunion, but does rather wholly charge the Cauſe of Diviſion upon us, and ſuppoſes our Difference about Baptiſm, to be the chief Cauſe of our diſſenting from the Church of England.
But tho this is indeed a matter of great Importance, becauſe true Baptiſm is antecedent to Church-Communion; yet that which is greater in our Judgment, is that open Prophaneneſs, which, God knows, reigns and rages in the Church of England, and therewithal, the utter Neglect of Diſcipline to reform thoſe Iniquities; and alſo that perſecuting Spirit, which appears even in too many of the Guides of the Church, by whoſe Cruelty our Sufferings have been much augmented.
For theſe Cauſes we have thought our ſelves concerned to make this our Chriſtian Apology, in which we crave leave to uſe that Freedom of Speech which the Matters depending do require. And yet, ſeeing we muſt acknowledg that we are not infallible, (as neither does the Church of England pretend ſo to be) we ſhall ſpeak under Correction, and by the help of God, with reſolution to ſubmit to a clear Conviction, if indeed it ſhall appear, that the Things wherein we diſſent are juſtifiable on the part of the Church of England; but till this be done, it would be Hypocriſy and Baſeneſs in us, to violate our Conſciences in Things pertaining to Religion, to obtain Favour from Men; for if we ſhould ſo pleaſe Men, we ſhould not be the Servants of Chriſt. Gal. 1. 10.
And we do the … deſire to be heard at this time; partly, for that Mr. Taylor is pleaſed to impute Folly to us, in ſeparating from the Church of England, becauſe we allow of the moſt of the Thirty Nine Articles; but eſpecially being thereunto required by ſome of Eminency and great Authority in the Church of England, who alſo told us, That unleſs we could ſhew, that the Church of England does hold ſome Error in point of Faith, or that ſhe does practiſe ſomething in her Religion which is ſinful, we cannot juſtify our Separation from her. And whether we be able on this wiſe to vindicate our preſent Separation, is the Buſineſs which we pray may be ſeriouſly conſidered.