A Little Stone Found to be Counterfeit, Treatise · Part 1 · Section 7
SECTION VII. A ſhort modeſt reply to Mr. Lockyers bitter uſe made of his Doctrine.
section 1 I had heard oftentimes before this time Mr. Lockier commended for a man of an ingenuous, humble, meek, ſweet ſpirit: and when I read the Epiſtle of his three Brethren prefixed to this Peece, wherein they called him a ſoft, ſweet whiſperer, I expected to have found him ſuch here. But ſure I am any impartiall man, who readeth his Uſe and application of his Doctrine, may ſee great want of ingenuity, and ſuch bitterneſſe vented againſt men, deſirous to keep the truth and to walk before God in ſimplicity and godly ſincerity, as becometh not any man of a Chriſtian ſpirit; and the like whereof could hardly been expected to come from the very ſons of Babel themſelves againſt any Proteſtants.
section 2 He begins with this, Take heed then of ſetting againſt a Church of ſuch a complexion and conſtitution, Wilt thou oppoſe a thing becauſe it is as it ought to be? To whom do you ſpeak, Mr. Lockier? To us who oppoſe your Doctrine concerning the neceſſary qualification of Church members in relation to externall Church fellow…hip? Do we by oppoſing this, oppoſe a thing, becauſe it is ſuch as it ought to be? Nay, we do but oppoſe you who ſayes the Church Viſible, as ſuch, ought to be, even in the Eccleſiaſtick Court, that which God never ſaid in his Word, that it ought to be, and makes the door of the Viſible Church ſtraiter then ever the Lord made it, and ſo in effect diſclaimes the way allowed by God himſelf, for ordering his Church, as not wiſe enough nor accurate enough. Or do we ſet our ſelves againſt a Church of ſuch complexion and conſtitution as you deſcrive, conſiſting of all truly godly ſo far as men can judge? God forbid, and far be it from us, were there ſuch a Church in the world of ſuch complexion and conſtitution, it ſhould be very dear and precious in our eſtimation, and we ſhould bleſſe the Lord for the riches and power of his grace beſtowed upon them. We wiſh from our ſouls, that our Churches and all the Churches in the world were of ſuch a complexion and conſtitution. And we acknowledge that as it is the duty of every profeſſour in the Viſible Church in the ſight of God, that they be not only ſo far as men can judge, but in truth and indeed truly gracious, having true ſaving Faith, Repentance and Sanctification; So that it is the duety of Miniſters, and of every one in the Church, according to their ſtation and capacity, to endeavour by all means inſtituted by God, that it may be ſo. But the thing that we oppoſe is your rigid opinion, that will have no Church Viſible at all unleſſe you have it of ſuch a complexion, and will have none permitted to enter the ſociety of the Viſible Church, unleſſe before they be truly gracious, ſealed of God by his Spirit: at leaſt giving ſuch convincing evidences hereof, as they may be accounted ſuch, as far as men truely godly …an diſcern and judge, and will have all who are not ſuch caſten out to be as heathens. This we oppoſe becauſe it hath no warrand in the Word, is contrary to the Word, is obſtructive to the ſalvation of many ſouls, tendeth to the ruine of the Chriſtian Church and Relig…on; But to oppoſe this, and to oppoſe a Church of that complexion and conſtitution you ſpeak of, are much different. Here then firſt we deſiderate ingenuous dealing with us.
section 3 But what a flood of bitterneſſe followeth upon this? What horrid crimes laid to the charge of his Oppoſers? and what terrible dooms and woes denounced againſt them? They have a meer ſpirit of contradiction, bordering upon malice and blaſphemy, li… Jews, who not able to diſprove things that were taught, yet would contradict, being filled with envy, Acts 13. 44. A ſpirit of pure contradiction haunting men, not a ſpirit of ſuperiour light; a tempter ſhewing men to be poiſoned with Sauls ſpirit, leaven'd with envy and malice: and out of this do little elſe, but blaſheme the Tabernacle of God and theſe which dwell in heaven, which is no other but a ſpirit of Antichriſt, Rev. 13. 6. whereupon is denounced Acts 13. 41. Behold ye deſpiſers wonder, periſh, &c. and not wondering at nor believing the things that God ſayeth and doeth: no other effect produced by the Word and Works of God brought to their door but deſpiſing: and thereupon with the repetition of the former, 1. New denunciation of the curſe, Ezra 6. 12. and then here ſpoken to as heathen (ſuch as he doubteth Darius was: but if he was one, then) curſed by one of their own; high and low of them, one as well as another, as alterers and deſtroyers of Gods worſhip and People, and will have them take this off his hand, as an article of their Creed. Will ye not believe? And then the Propheſie denounced againſt the Antichriſt and his followers, Rev. 19. from v. 11. foreward, is applyed to them. Is this the ſoft, ſweet whiſpering we were told of? Ah Mr. Lockier! my ſoul is ſorrowfull and heavy to think, a man, profeſſing Chriſtianity, a Miniſter of the Goſpel, ſtanding to ſpeak in the LORDS ſight, and in his Name, ſhould have uttered ſuch a horrid accuſation and bitter invective againſt many whom Jeſus Chriſt hath intereſt in, and will owne at the laſt day. I beſeech you, Sir, return into your own thoughts, and conſider as in the Lords preſence. 1. Againſt whom you have ſpoken theſe things, who were the Oppoſers of that your Doctrine neareſt to you at that time, and ſo to whom moſt nearly you intended your ſpeech then uttered and now Printed? Were they not the honeſt and faithfull ſervants of Jeſus Chriſt, the Miniſters of Edinburgh and other ancient Chriſtians there? Were any of the people of that place ſo oppoſite to you in this mater, as the moſt ancient and ſolide Chriſtians, many of whom, were in Chriſt ere you or I had a being in the World, and then with them doth not the Godly Presbyterians in the three Nations oppoſe you in this mater, and the Godly Divines over-ſeas, ſome of which have poſitively Printed their judgement in oppoſition to your way? As n. the Valacrian C…aſſe.And are all theſe led by a meer ſpirit of contradiction, &c. 2. Conſider, Sir, what is the mater of quarrell: Becauſe they oppoſe your way of outward conſtitution of the Viſible Church, which will permit none to enter or abide in the fellowſhip of the Viſible Church under the care of the Miniſters of Chriſt, but ſuch as are already truely regenerate, as far as the moſt diſcerning men can judge; though they wiſh and endeavour by Prayers to God, by pains upon men, that all in their Churches might be ſuch, and would account it their Crown and rejoicing how many they may have ſuch. Is this to blaſpheme the Tabernacle of God, to deſtroy his Worſhip and People, a ſpirit of Antichriſt? For which they muſt periſh, be curſed, deſtroyed, and all that written Rev. 19. from verſ. 11. come upon them? Suppoſe they were in an error (as it is not an error, but the way of Chriſt) might it not have paſſed amongſt the Wood, Hay, or Stubble, built upon the foundation, but not deſtroying the foundation: which may burn, the builders being ſafe? Ay but, ſay you, they maintain it out of a meer ſpirit of contradiction, as did the learned Jews, ſeeing a great aptneſſe in many of their Countrey-men to receive the Doctrine of Chriſt, and they not being able to diſprove the things that were taught, yet would contradict, ſo they, &c. Ah Mr. Lockier! What could the accuſer of the Brethren ſaid more boldly, and more bitterly? 'Tis true, ſome of our Countrey-men have ſhown themſelves too ready to receive your Doctrine, yet, bleſſed be God, not ſo many as you by inſinuation boaſt of. Theſe few that hes done, ſo I judge not their perſons, they will ſtand and anſwer for it before their Judge at the laſt day. Some are now but fulfilling that which they had once propheſied of themſelves. But to you here Mr. Lockier. 1. Suppoſe they be in an errour that oppoſe your Doctrine concerning the neceſſary qualification of perſons for being mater of a Viſible Church: What are ye to judge them, to do it out of a meer ſpirit of contradiction, that they are poyſoned with Sauls ſpirit, leaven'd with malice and envy, &c. Would not charity have required that you ſhould have judged, poſſibly they do it out of ignorance, and not out of malice, againſt knowledge of the truth. Were theſe Godly modeſt men, Hooker, Cotton alive, they would, and ſuch as are alive of that way, that are pious and judicious will, I am confident, deteſt and abhorre this your unchriſtian cruell judging of us. Bleſſed be God we ſtand not nor fall at mans judgement we have one that judgeth us, our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and to him we referre this challenge you have laid to our charge, and, Sir, if you do not repent of the raſhneſſe and cruelty of it (which from our ſouls we wiſh you may do) we cite you before his Tribunall to anſwer for it. But, 2. Sir we are content alſo to ſtand at the Barre of any impartiall, judicious Divines, in the Chriſtian World, and that they give their judgement, by that ſame much which I (who pretends not to be one of the Learned Men in this Land) have Anſwered to your preceeding Diſcourſe, if your Doctrine be ſuch as we are not able to diſprove, and if we do not upon ſome good grounds of reaſon, and not out of a meer ſpirit of contradiction, oppoſe the ſame: And thus I ſhall leave your invective without ſaying any more to it: we have not learned Chriſt ſo, as to repay evill with evill, bitterneſſe with bitterneſſe, you have curſed us, we bleſſe you, we wiſh you heartily a bleſſing, Repentance and forgivenneſſe of this evill thought of your heart and the uncharitable iſſue of it.