A Trial of the New Church Way in New England, Letter 3
Reverend and dearely beloved Brethren,
IT is not to be doubted but while we live here, we ſhall have juſt cauſe to ſearch and try our ways, look back upon former courſes, and call things done to more ſtrict examination. For being over-clouded with ignorance, compaſſed about with infirmities,It is truly obſerved by Maſter Davenport out of An. broſ. Offic. l 1. c. 1 Et quantum libet quiſque profecerit, … est qui doceri non indige… d…m vivit. Appoll. Preface to the Reader. and beſet with many temptations to ſinne, knowing what we know beſt, but darkly and in part, no marvell, if in many things we offend ignorantly, of frailty for want of due conſideration, raſhly miſtaking Errour for Truth, condemning Truth for Errour, ſuſpecting evill without cauſe, and not ſuſpecting where is juſt reaſon, drawing erronious concluſions from ſound principles, and maintaining truths upon weak grounds; ſo that in examination of our wayes, and endevours of their Reformation wee had need to looke warily, that wee turn not to the right hand or to the left, for in the one we add to the Word of God, as well as in the other, and of our ſelves are apt to ſtrike aſide to both. A looſe conſcience will be profane, a tender, ſcrupulous. It ſtands us therefore upon to have our ſelves in ſuſpition, in as much as experience teacheth that many have ſwerved from the path of found peace and comfort on each hand.
Wherefore (Beloved Brethren) if ſince your comming into New England, upon ſerious Review of former actions you have diſcovered any truths heretofore not taken notice of, we ſhal be ſo far from rejecting them becauſe of your former judgment and practice, that we ſhall heartily deſire to know and imbrace the ſame with you, and bleſſe God for you as the happy inſtruments of his glory, our Inſtruction & the advancement of the truth. But if the diſcoveries be of the like nature with the poſitions mentioned in the Letter; as before, ſo ſtill, we conceive them to be new opinions, and not warranted by Scripture, which is the true Antiquity.
Opinions we ſay, not practices, for not changing your opinion, you might lawfully alter your practice; nay, what you did tolerate formerly as a burthen, in caſe not free, you might well forgoe being at your liberty. Your judgement being the ſame, you might uſe your liberty in forbearance of a ſet Liturgie, and yet retaine the ſame judgement of a ſtinted Liturgie, that you had before; you might forbeare for a time upon ſpeciall Reaſon (ſuch as preſent ſtate and occaſion might ſuggeſt) to receive to the Sacrament approved Chriſtians, not ſet members of a particular Congregation; as ſome Brethren do) who yet dare not think it unlawfull to communicate with ſuch in the act of worſhip, or deem it juſt and right altogether to debar them, as having no right nor title to thoſe priviledges of this Church. It is your opinions whereto we had reſpect not ſimply your practice. It never entred into us to perſwade you to a ſet Liturgy, much leſſe to complain that you had not accepted ours. But that all ſtinted Liturgies ſhould be condemned as deviſed worſhip, and ſo condemned as that none may lawfully be preſent at, or pertake of the Sacraments adminiſtred in a ſtinted or deviſed forme, this wee called a new opinion.
Neither do we mention it becauſe we knew it to be the private opinion of ſome Brethren among you, whom we had left to the liberty of their owne judgment, ſo far as the maintenance of the Truth, and a juſt call did not ingage us: but becauſe it was cryed up, and advanced with all diligence, and endeavour of ſome among us ſtanding affected New England-ward, as if a chief point of holineſſe conſiſted in ſeparation. You know how great a fire a little ſparkle kindles. And ſeeing this Diſtraction and Rent had its originall, growth and continuance from ſome Brethren in thoſe parts, or affected to that way, when in loving and friendly manner we could neither receive grounds at home for our conviction, nor procure juſt ſatiſfaction to the contrary; what could wee doe leſſe then call upon you joyntly to know your judgment, and either by ſound proof to be by you convinced (if happily you ſhould approve their ſeparation (which we eſteem groundleſſe, raſh, unlawfull, and prejudiciall to outward peace) or being backed by a teſtimony of its diſlike from you, we might the better be both incouraged, and furniſhed to endevour the quenching of that fire which was kindled but in too many places,
In other perticulars alſo, wee conceive, you goe beyond Commiſſion given of God: granting them authority to whom God hath not committed it, debarring others from the priviledge of the Sacraments, who have title thereto by the Covenant of grace.
Your love in that you were pleaſed to ſignifie firſt your kinde and reſpective acceptance of our Letter, and now alſo to ſend us an anſwer thereto, we acknowledge it with all thankfulneſſe, and ſhall endevour (through the grace of God) to return like affection in truth of heart, if in meaſure we fall ſhort. Of your reſpect to us in particular, we make no queſtion, your expreſſions are beyond that we could expect, as alſo what we dare own. But we humbly beſeech the Lord to direct, uphold, and guide us, that in ſome meaſure we may walk worthy of our vocation, and approve our ſelves faithfull to your conſciences.
It was one end of our writing to be ſatisfied in this point, whether you approve the ways of Separation (whereof wee complain) and their courſes who laboured with all their might, when they conceived hope to be heard to perſwade thereunto. Againſt which (if we knew your judgment) you teſtified among us.
You know they that ſeparate are not all of one ſtraine and temper. Some deny all communion with us publick and private, ſome admit of private, but deny all publick, and ſome joyne in Prayer before, and after Sermon, as alſo preaching of the Word (becauſe in their eſteeme, this may be done without communion in a Church-way) but refuſe to partake of the Sacraments. All which Separations wee judge uncharitable, contrary to the Commandement of Chriſt, and have ever thought that you (whilſt with us) and we were of one minde herein.
If of late we have conceived fears of ſome of you (deere Brethren) as leaning too much to what formerly you diſliked, we beſeech you weigh what urgent and preſſing Reaſons forced us thereunto, and we ſhall moſt gladly (wee heartily deſire you to reſt aſſured) lay hold of every line and ſyllable, that may tend to diſlodge ſuch apprehenſions.
For as we conceive, the diſpute to be unreaſonably moved, the Rent offenſive, the opinions themſelves prejudiciall to the cauſe of God, and the advancers thereof to have paſſed the limits preſcribed by God; ſo wee ſhall eſteem it an ineſtimable bleſſing, if (now what hinders being removed) wee might joyn with one heart and ſoule, in one way of God to promote his glory, and ſeek the good of his Church and people.
We truſt in the Lord, we ſhould not draw back in any courſe wherein wee may ſee the Lord going before us, nor be an offence to any to keep the Lords way; wee ſeek the truth, and are perſwaded it is the cauſe of God which we defend: we plead for Communion with the Churches of Chriſt, no further then they hold communion with Chriſt, ſtill deſiring to keepe the unity of the ſpirit in the bond of peace, with your ſelves and all others, who walke in the right way of truth, peace and comfort.
How the Lord may be pleaſed to deale with us, or diſpoſe of us wee know not (his bleſſed will be done.) But of this we are reſolved, through his grace, not willingly to raiſe trouble or diſſention among you, if through ignorance or infirmity we ſhall not ſo fall in, as to be of one minde with you in theſe matters. And here we deſire you to conſider that in theſe particulars you diſſent as much one from another as we diſſent from you, and that wherein we diſſent from you (and perhaps from the leſſer part of you) you diſſent from the judgement and practice of all Reformed Churches.
This wee ſpeake not to prejudice your cauſe,Were not theſe men (ſaith Cann againſt Robin) ſuperſtitiouſly addicted to their new deviſe, that beware how to reject the unanimous judgment and practice of all learned men and true Churches. Stay againſt ſtraying. pag. 47. but to intreat your ſerious re-exmination of what you have ſent us, and this tryall thereof, by the Touchſtone of the Word.I am and ſhall be always ready to give all due reſpect to thoſe good cuſtomes of Churches, which are taken upon good warrant and ground, and long continued among Gods people. I. D. Apol p. 31. For if we miſtake not, in many things it will not abide the Teſt.
You have written in great love and tenderneſſe, that your Poſitions might be ſo ſcanned, and wee ſhall endeavour with ſuch affection to try all things,Good cuſtomes taken up by the Churches upon good grounds ſhould not lightly be broken or laid downe, wherein I doe fully agree with the Authour of that elaborate Commentary upon the fourth Chapter of Iohn, I. D. Apol. Sect. 12. Examina. p. 151. and hold faſt that which is good. And now (beſeeching the guidance of the Spirit) with your leave, wee ſhall endeavour to deale fully and plainly, as the nature of the cauſe requireth, intreating you impartially to conſider the grounds whereupon we, go and weigh what wee ſhall ſay in the ballance of the Sanctuary. The Lord of his rich mercy in Jeſus Chriſt, direct us in diſcerning what is right and pleaſing in his ſight, Caſt offences out of the Church, cloſe up Rents and Diviſions, reveal his Truth more and more, ſet up and mayntain the purity of his own Ordinances, unite the hearts of his people to the love and feare of his holy Name, teach us ſelf-deniall, and keep us blameleſſe to the comming of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Amen.