Animadversions Upon the New England Anabaptists, Section 4 – Section 6
SECT. IV.
Now follows the Narrative it ſelf, in which the firſt thing that accoſts us is (indeed) a brief account of their congregating, or that act of theirs in gathering a Church; where we have the moving cauſe, the manner, and the materials of it.
1. The moving cauſe of it is brief and pithy: It pleaſed God to move their hearts] and if this be indeed ſo, then thoſe that oppoſed them in it, and endeavoured to ſuppreſs them, will be found fighters againſt God, and to act in vain, for the Will of God ſhall be accompliſhed, and no weapon formed againſt it ſhall proſper: and this Argument we ſhall finde them making uſe of (page 2.) But who knows not that all Hereticks pretend to the Spirit and Direction of God, though it's certain that in ſo doing they take the Name of God in vain: and it's little leſs then Blaſphemy to bring God in, to patronize their ſinful Actions: For,
1. God doth not graciouſly move the hearts of any to irregular and unlawful Actions; and though men are very prone to entitle Him to it, yet He utterly diſclaims it, Jam. 1. 13, 14.
2. And it is certain that when men grow wanton and deſpiſe the Ordinances; God (many times) judicially gives them ſtrong deluſion to believe a lye, 2 Theſſ. 2. 10, 11. and that is none of the leaſt, to misjudge a ſeducing ſpirit to be the ſpirit of God.
3. To follow an erring Conſcience, which verily believes his error to be the truth, is not to follow the direction of the Spirit of God. If what God forbids, Conſcience perſwades, this is not of Gods approbation, for ſo he ſhould be againſt himſelf. It is a ſnare and a judgement to be under ſuch a Conſcience; ſo that they muſt pardon us if we ſuſpect the moving cauſe.
2. The perſons thus moved are deſcribed from their former experience of his teaching: ſuch whom by his Word and Spirit he had inſtructed and taught in the way, &e.] Thus one error begets another: what have we to do with the Anabaptiſts Kúria dóxa? do none but the Orthodox bring this plea? we expected he ſhould have given us ſome Rules by which we might have known it. It is a piece of arrogancy for men to beg the principle, or forcibly impoſe upon our belief that which is the very Diſpute and Controverſie between us, i. e. whither it be an error or no: and they tell us God taught them, therefore it is no error, true, but if we reply, it is an error, therefore God taught them not, where are we now? are Anabaptiſts only Maſters of Rules and Canons? may not we as eaſily deny, as they affirm without proof?
3. They entred into ſolemn Covenant to walk in Communion in the practice of all the holy appointments of Chriſt, &c. and ſo became a Church of Chriſt] This alone will not make them a Church of Chriſt, for if ſo, then every combination of Enthuſiaſts, Ranters, Socinians, &c. may become Churches of Chriſt, for they do pretend, and promiſe each other in words as much as theſe, or any other Churches in the World can do: but there are Synagogues of Satan too, in the World. If they who are fit to be caſt out of Churches, (and are ſo actually) combine and covenant, doth that make them a Church?
4. They are men of holy and exact walking, viz. In the practice and performance of the holy Ordinances of Chriſt according to Divine Inſtitution) If men were not proud and confident, they would never impoſe their aſſertions upon us with an ipſe dixit: grant but an Anabaptiſt, that his Opinion is true, and he can eaſily prove that ours is falſe; but if you queſtion that, he hath no more to ſay to you. It is certain they have exploded Infant Baptiſme, which hath been acknowledged by the body of the Church Chriſtian in all ages: not only for an Inſtitution, but a principal Inſtitution of Chriſt; but if theſe deny it, then we are miſtaken. How like holy men they have walked will appear afterwards.
5. He gives us the names of the men who laid this precious Foundation: and if they had been ſuch men as had done this to begin right Church Order in New-England, they ought not to be forgotten but had in honourable remembrance; but if they were (and I am afraid the great day will diſcover that they were) the Heads and Ringleaders of a Schiſme, and culpable cauſe of great troubles in the Churches of Chriſt in New-England, they had better been forgotten.
SECT. V.
And now we have a Church gathered of ſuch excellent materials, and in ſo regular a way; what reception is it they finde in New-England? one would think that ſuch a Church, and in ſuch a place, ſhould have been highly eſteemed, ſtrenuouſly defended by the civil Magiſtrate, and imitated by all the Churches, who came into the Wilderneſs on very purpoſe to ſerve God in his own way, but unhappily miſſed of it, till the Anabaptiſts found it out, but lo! they meet the quite contrary; they are aſſailed with troubles and afflictions: and from whom? certainly a vile Generation; but it muſt be born, they are not the firſt ſufferers for the truth (nor for falſhood neither) it hath alwayes befallen thoſe whom God hath ſingled out from others to bear witneſs to the truth] true, the World e…er perſecuted the Church: But have not the People of God alſo had their zeal to maintain the wayes of God, and counted it their duty to uſe means to ſuppreſs ſuch as upon what pretence ſoever, ſought to pervert them? and if God have proved his People with Anabaptiſts (as he is wont to do his Church with Seducers) who ſhall blame them that have ſhown their fidelity to God, in endeavouring to ſtop their progreſs? and thus the juſt ſufferings of theſe men will be a poor Argument to prove them the ſervants of Chriſt, though men may be ſufferers, yet they are not preſently Martyrs: Cauſa, non paſſio, facit Martyrem.
But theſe precious Saints, (acted by the right Spirit of the old Confeſſors) had counted the coſt, and therefore chearfully paſt theſe pikes and are now gone to reſt] and it is pity to diſturb them only it might not be amiſs to remember, that the vileſt Hereticks and groſſeſt Blaſphemers have reſolutely and cheerfully (at leaſt ſullenly and boaſtingly) ſuffered, as well as the people of God; (Hiſtories are pregnant with e…amples) and therefore hitherto they have ſaid nothing to convince any one of their Orthodoxy and ſincerity: they may be right, they may be out of the way, for all this.
SECT. VI.
We have now done with the Narrative (handſomely contrived in one page) the other fourteen are Apologetical which they were put upon for three Reaſons.
1. To Emblazon the Names of their dead Founders, and prevent the Worlds being miſtaken in them: and truly, firſt Founders deſerve a Record, and they ſhould be unworthy Succeſſors if they did not Canonize them: though (as things are circumſtanced) ſome wiſe men think they had done them a kindneſs, if they had ſaid nothing: and to me, I am ſure, for then I had been prevented this undeſired task of publiſhing the follies of men after they are dead. The childe doth his Father the beſt kindneſs to ſay nothing of him, when by ſpeaking he doth but revive his Infamy. But I take it for a juſt judgement of God on that generation of men that by a fallacious Narrative, they ſhould enforce us to make the World acquainted with the ſcandalous converſation of theſe beginners, which had otherwiſe ſlept in the private records of thoſe Churches wherein they were acted.
2. The very grievous Scandals caſt upon theſe Beginners] Scandalous men (if incorrigible) deſerve to have ſcandals caſt upon them, and if we ſhall prove theſe ſuch, they muſt (for ought I know) bear the Reproach of it and thank themſelves.
But yet there are two things wherein they are to be blamed that lay ſcandal to them; though juſt, yet it is unjuſtly done, viz.
1. The frame of ſpirit they do it with, they a…e rugged Spirits) truly this becomes not men who profeſs a Spirit of Meekneſs: and yet ſometimes the Goſpel calls Chriſtians to wit…ſtand Seducers to the face; to characterize ſome men in their proper colours, and contend earneſtly with them for the Truth: yea, experience tells us that ſuch a rough thing as a New-England Anabaptiſt, is not to be handled over tenderly: the ſpirit which they have at all times diſcovered under the greateſt diſadvantages (and God grant that they may never have more advantage over us) eaſily tells us what they would have been, if circumſtanced as thoſe whom they accuſe.
2. A wicked end: and a good action may be ſpoiled by a bad deſign at bottom: We have charged them on purpoſe to make them odious, and make the World believe them a people not fit to live) men wonderfully ſagacious, and extreamly charitable! I dare ſay none of ours ever told them this was thier end; why might they not have interpreted it zeal? Paul ſo interpreted his perſecuting Country-men. But, ſuppoſe it be made appear that we have not endeavoured to reader their perſons odious but only their perverſe Doctrine, and that we have uſed all meekneſ, patience, gentleneſs towards men in that capacity we took them to be in? for any ſuch paſſage of any of ours as judging them not fit to live, I know not of it, nor (I believe) do they, nor do we patronize any ſuch expreſſion though (ſince their Book hath ſo many in it) I know not why this may not go for one of their miſtakes: and now they appeal to God) we accept it readily.