Animadversions Upon the New England Anabaptists, Section 1 – Section 2
SECTION I.
THere are two things which every one who deſigns to give the World an Account of the Hiſtory of things done, ought principally to endeavour; viz. 1. Truth of expreſſions, with a plain and full recital of all eſſential paſſages thereto belonging. 2. Candor, in Animadverting charitably upon them, not ſetting our malicious gloſſe upon things deſerving a better interpretation, which rules if the Author of this Narrative had in any degree obſerved, this reply had been needleſs: our preſent buſineſs is not to vindicate the Doctrine and Practiſe of theſe Churches in point of Infant▪ Baptiſme, which if the Anabaptiſts judge not to have been already ſufficiently performed, we cannot help that; but it being ſo that theſe Churches in New-England are herein charged with perſecution raiſed againſt that ſort of men, and both their and our management of affairs depending between them and us in that reſpect are groſly miſrepreſented, and convincible of manifeſt falſhoods, of which they cannot be (except willingly) ignorant, and (ſhould no anſwer be made) the World might judge us truly charged as to matter of fact, and on that account draw ſuch concluſions as beſt ſute their own apprehenſions; yea, our beſt Friends might poſſibly be prejudiced at us: it was thought needful to prevent a ſecond Error by diſcovering the firſt. In ſuch a caſe the wiſe mans counſel ſeems applicable, Prov. 26. 5.
Concerning the Author of this Narrative, Divine Providence hath removed him from our endeavours of conviction, and the Laws of Humanity (as well as Religion) forbid us now to be over ſevere in our cenſures of him; his everlaſting eſtate is not my buſineſs to enquire afte… ▪ nor would I at all reflect upon him, if an Anſwer could have been made without it: However it being John R…ſſel with the conſent of the Whole, of whom they tell us he was an Officer, it concerns them therefore to ſtand by it as far as they can whom to render ob…oxious, and make known to the World, ſo far as they have made it neceſſary to do it by this ſcript of theirs, is the profeſſed deſigne of this Reply, and let the R…a…er take notice, that my controverſie is with an Hiſtorian in point of Truth and Falſhood, and not with a Divine in matter of Orthodoxy and Error: in which we hope the Anabaptiſts will not be angry, if we are as tender of our reputation, as they were in printing of their Pamphlet for the clearing of their Innocency.
SECT. II.
I ſhall begin with the Title, which promiſeth fair, and looks innocently; but yet (methinks) might have done better to have ſpoken plainly and told us indeed what it intended. It is not fair to invite a man with a ſpecious ſhow, and then cheat him: he calls it a Brief Narrative, and we promiſed our ſelves to finde an honeſt toothleſs Relation, but (upon reading it) it ſeems more fit to be called a Satyrical Invective; for certainly the principal part of it is rather a Sarcaſme than a Narrative; or what if we call it a Romance? which (according to the uſe of the word) is a ſtory built upon a real Subject, but adorned with Fictions, or a repreſentation of things according as we fancy they ſhould be, not regarding what they are indeed: But let it be a Narrative, what is the buſineſs it hath to acquaint us with? Conſiderable Paſſages. Sometime the worth and excellency of a thing, ſometimes the newneſs and ſtrangeneſs of it render it conſiderable: and ſometimes it is very conſiderable whether the thing be ſo or no. But what is it that is ſo conſiberable? why the ſtory of the firſt gathering, and further progreſs of a Church of Chriſt in Goſpel Order in Boſton in New England: It is certainly conſiderable (and admirable too) that Chriſt ſhould have any Church in Goſpel Order in the world, ſince Satan and his Inſtruments are ſo buſie to waſt and overturn all Order; partly by ſecret conſpiracies, and open perſecutions partly by ſeducing Spirits, and diſorders of Erroneous perſons, ſuch as Quakers, Anabaptiſts, &c. but through Gods goodneſs there are more Churches then one in Goſpel order in Boſton in N Engl. whereas that is rather an Ʋbiquitarian Church. But what Church may this be which is ſo eminently obſervable? Oh! it is a Church common…y (though falſly) called by the name of Anabaptiſts? and it is well that it is falſly ſo called, elſe we ſhould hardly have believed it a Church in Goſpel Order, becauſe we know Baptiſm is one of the foundations of Goſpel Order, Heb▪ 6. 1, 2. But are they falſly ſo called? Alas for our ignorance! we have miſtaken the men all this while: Men render themſelves ſuſpected when they deny their names: but they have but one Baptiſm▪ therefore not to be called Anabaptiſts; but to deal fairly by Anabaptiſts we mean no other but thoſe men that deny the Baptiſm received in …nfancy to be any Baptiſm, and ſeek another pretended one of their own, and thereby undermine the Baptiſme that hath been practiſed and owned by all the Churches of Chriſt in the World ever ſince Chriſt, excepting a few of their own ſect▪ and if the word be not ſo proper, yet being generally uſed, and well underſtood, it pleads cuſtome, and may do better then a new one: their own term (Baptiſts) is fallacious, inſinuating that there are none for Baptiſme but themſelves: next he tells us the mov…ng cauſe of that Narrative, which is very honeſt and good; It is for the clearing of their innocency and that every good man may lawfully do, and ſometimes ought. The firſt Fathers in the Church wrote their Apologies. But it were better to be innocent without a plea, then to do miſc…ief, and then wipe their mouth an… ſay▪ I have done no wickedn…ſs. It was high time to purge themſelves with a Narrative, when there were ſo many ſcandalous things laid to their charge but, if either the things be not laid to their charge, that part of their defence will be va…n and ſuperfluous, or the things laid to their charge be both true an… ſcan alous, they will never be able to render them other then ſo by writing Narratives.