The Foundation of God Standeth Sure, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. The Conclusion of the Narrative, with an Answer unto W. Pen's Postscript and Cavils against T. V's Sermon.
TO conclude the Narrative of our meeting with the Quakers in Spittle-yard; when I saw I could get no answer to the Arguments I had urged for the proof of the Trinity, and the day was now worn away, I thought it would be but lost time, and imposing upon the Auditory, to hold them longer there in discourse with such rambling Disputants, (who expressed cunning in nothing more than in putting by the thrusts and dints of Arguments with diverting speeches, which if they had received the force of with direct reply, their weakness would quickly have appeared to the people, by their falling down before them) therefore calling for silence, I did shut up the Discourse with prayer; and here W. P. puts forth the sting of the serpent, and discovereth the prophaness of his spirit, in terming my prayers strangely affected Whines; What more opprobious terms would the Dam-me Blades of the times, or the most wicked Scoffers of God and Godliness have used? and whether I falsly accused them for Blasphemers unto God, let the Hearers of their Discourse, and the Readers of his Pamphlet, with the Answer, judge. That there was stigmatizing the Quakers with the name of Blasphemers, is owned and proved; the other of Impudent Villain, as also that there should be striking, I am confident is a falshood, for I never either saw it, or heard any complain of it; and it is well known that in all our meetings there is peace, and if there were any rudeness it was when the Quakers came amongst us. I am sure it was very rude in them to stay and make such a bauling amongst the people after a dismiss was required, & when those which could have answered (I cannot say stilled) them, were retired. W. P. tells the Reader, that T. V. came palely down stairs. I fear W. P. hath some defect in his eye-sight, and indeed if the eyes of his body were no clearer than the eyes of his mind, he might easily mistake; T. V. had more reason to blush to hear the hideous Blasphemies which were vented by them; surely he had no reason to look pale through fear of any big Arguments which they had used against the truth, lest they should have knockt him on the head as he came down stairs. W. P. chargeth T. V. with a promise of another meeting with them; the promise was not absolute, as several can witness; if it had been, it could not be called a breach of promise, if he sent them word he would meet with some of them, as G. W. W. P. and a few others, since points might more calmly be debated, and truth might in likelyhood be better sifted before a few, than before such a multitude.
And as to that which W. P. speaketh of clearing themselves from their Accusations (of Blasphemy he meaneth) I wonder he should ever think to wipe off the name of a Blasphemer, except he should renounce his error, there being Blasphemy in the very denial of the Doctrine of the Trinity; so that the greater the multitude, the greater would have been his shame; but he hath taken a course to proclaim himself a Blasphemer and Heretick before more than that Auditory; and if such a vindication of himself doth yield them any satisfaction, he hath it. W. P. further informeth the Reader of his visiting my Meeting on a Lecture-day, and that I (shewing both injustice and cowardize) shamefully slunk away, & so baulked a defence of my own Principles. Unto this I answer, that they gave me no notice before of their coming; that I had engaged before by promise to meet with some friends about business, so soon as I had done; that I did not think it fit to dispute with Quakers after preaching a Sermon, and my purpose is never to do it, because I look upon it as the devils plot, hereby to steal away the precious seed of the Word out of the mindes of the people, that so it may prove unfruitful. Further I told W. P. there was a Letter in the house in order to a meeting with him for discourse of the Principles, wherein was proposed some conditions, viz. that they would dispute Sylogistically, that they would plainly assert their principles before, which we should dispute of, four were named, with desire to know whether they would own them; But when I perceived that they made such a noise, and would not receive my answer why I did not think fit to stay, and discourse with them at that time, I went away from them, but neither shamefully nor cowardly, except in the apprehensions of such who take any occasion, to fasten reproach upon the Ministers of the Gospel. And yet whatever reason I had then to retire, & though no answer were given in the dispute before to either of my arguments; some have not spared to report in the Town, that I was worsted by the Quakers, which how unreasonable it is, those which read this narrative, may easily judge. And whereas W. P. at the conclusion of his Book, doth charge us for want of zeal for our Principles, want of Love to our Reputation, and want of Conscience in our Promises, because he said we have evaded the many opportunities offered for treaty. I answer, that these are false aspersions cast upon us without any good ground, there were indeed Letters passed, and the conditions before offered not being in full accepted, M. D. and my self intended, and accordingly I sent them word, to meet with them and fully to conclude together upon the conditions, and the time, and place of meeting; but at that time Mr. D. had some extraordinary occasion that called him out of Town and could not be there; I was at home expecting him every minute, till the time was almost slipt; when W. P. and another came to my house, whom I gave to understand that Mr. D. was not yet come, but I thought it was somewhat extraordinary that kept him away; W P. required his presence elsewhere: about two or three days after, Mr. D. came to Town and to my house, and we both of us resolved to meet with them that week, but before I could send W. P. word, I had information of a Book he had in the Presse against me; and then I judged that a meeting with him would not be of such signification as to give answer to him in the same way as he hath written against me and the truth, therefore I did forbear to meet, and began to write. And now let any judge whether W. P's calumnies are deserved. Before I shut up this Chapter, I shall give a brief reply unto W. P's Post-script of animadversions, on some particulars in my Sermon which he heard, of which he took notes, not for his edification as others do, but that he might pick out something to cavil at, and reproach the Doctrine withal; He termeth them contradictictions, serting them in columns, one over against another. And here he doth shamefully again discover his weakness and want of learning; if he had known what a contradiction is, surely he would have blushed to give that term to the things he there maketh mention of, which have not so much as an inconsistency together, except the line he putteth between them should make it; What contradiction or falshood is it for a Person to overcome the world, and the victory in this life to be imcompleat? Were not the Cananites overcome by the children of Israel, their force subdued? and yet the victories they had over them were not so compleat, but that some remained amongst them, who were like pricks & thorns that did them mischief, and sometimes rose up in rebellion against them. What contradiction is it for Persons to be in Christ and cast off the Old man, &c. And this, that worldly lusts cannot be extirpated out of Gods people in this world. May not? have not worldly lusts a being and some power to oppose in Gods people, where they have lost their rule, and their Iron yoke is taken off from their necks? will not the experience of all Gods people bear witness to this, and what else meaneth that of the Apostle, Gal. 5. 17. The Flesh lusteth against the spirit and Rom. 7. 22. I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my minde, &c. was not the Apostle one of Gods people? what contradiction is this much like the former Gods people overcome their lusts, & this their lusts sometime take them captive? Doth not the Apostle add, Rom. 7. 22. that the Law in his members did lead him captive? may not a conquerer be lead captive sometimes? may not a man be victus in praelio & victor in bello, overcome in some skirmishes, and yet a conquerer in the war? the Heathen will tell you this, and should it then seem so strange in Divinity? what contradiction is it for sin to Tyranizeover believers, but not to have dominion, it's in captivity in chains? as if a slave in chains might not sometime break loose, and tyranize for a while, and yet not be said to have dominion, because he hath no setled rule, but is quickly brought under, and fastned in his bonds again; what Bedlam-distinction then is it (as W. P. calleth it) between the tyranny and the dominion of sin? if his common sence (he sayeth it is against,) were like all sincere Christians common sence & experience, he would not thus groundlesly cavil: what contradiction is it, you must Overcome the world, or the world you, and If you fight you will overcome them; or this▪ He leadeth them captive, and They sometime take him captive. Can you forbear smiling at the man? he calleth these things contradictions, But instead of my Sermons deserving the imputation of contradictory, his cavils do justly lay him under the imputation of weakness and absurdity.