Works of Joseph Hall, Section 2 – Section 3
SECTION II.
The anſwerers Preamble, retorted, confuted.IT is an hard thing euen for thoſe that would ſeeme ſober-minded men, in caſes of Controuerſie, to vſe ſoberly the frownes and diſaduantages of cauſes and times: whereby whiles men are deiected and troden downe, they vſe to behold their oppoſites mounted on high, too repiningly, and not without deſperate enuie: and ſo are oft-times moued to ſhoot vp at them, as from below, the bitter arrowes of ſpitefull and ſpleeniſh diſcourſes; thinking any hatefull oppoſition ſufficiently charitable, to oppugne thoſe aduerſaries, which hauehave them (as they feele) at ſo great an aduantage: vponupon this impotent maliciouſneſſe, it commeth to paſſe, that this Anſwerer vndertaketh thus ſeuerely and peremptorily, to cenſure that charitable cenſure, of ignorance, which (as ſhall appeare in the ſequell) he either ſimply or willingly vnderſtood not: and to brand a deare Church of Chriſt with Apoſtaſie, Rebellion, Antichriſtianiſme: What can bee more eaſie than to returne accuſations?
Your Preamble (with a graue bitterneſſe) charges me with, Firſt, Preſumption vponupon aduantages, Secondly, Weake and weightleſſe diſcourſe, Thirdly, Ignorance of the cauſe cenſured: It had beene madneſſe in me to write, if I had not preſumed vponupon aduantages; but of the cauſe of the truth, not of the times: Though (bleſſed bee God) the times fauour the truth, and vsus: if you ſcorne them and their fauours, complaine not to be an vnderling: thinke that the times are wiſer than to beſtow their fauours vponupon wilfull aduerſaries; but in ſpite of times, you are not more vnderunder vsus in eſtate, than in conceit aboue vsus: ſo wee ſay the Sunne is vnderunder a Cloud, wee know it is aboue it.*Hier. Marco. Presbyt. De cauernis cellularum damnamus orbē; in ſacco & cinere volutati de Epiſcopis ſententiam ferimus: Quid facit ſub tunica poenitentis regius animus Cypr. l. 3. ep: 9. Haec ſunt initia haereticorum, vt ſibi placeant, vt praepoſitum ſuperbo tumore contemnant. Hariſon once theirs, in Pſal. 12…. of Browns Antichriſtian pride and bitternes, Bredw. pref. M. Brinſley his pref. to the 2. part of the Watch. Optat. Mil. de Donat. Collegae non eritiss ſi nolitis, fratres eſtis &c. Diſclaimed by themſelues. Anſwer againſt Broughton, page. 21. Would God ouerlineſſe and contempt were not yours, euen to them which are mounted higheſt vponupon beſt deſert; and now you that hauehave not learned ſobriety in iuſt diſaduantages, taxe vsus, not to vſe ſoberly the aduantages of time: there was no gall in my pen, no inſultation, I wrote to you as brethren, and wiſht you companions: there was more danger of flatterie in my ſtile, than bitterneſſe: wherein vſed I not my aduantages ſoberly? Not in that I ſaid too much, but not enough; Not in that I was too ſharpe, but not weighty enough; My oppoſition was not too vehement, but too ſlight and ſlender; So, ſtrong Champions blame their aduerſarie for ſtriking too eaſily: you might hauehave forborne this fault, it was my fauour that I did not my worſt: you are worthy of more weight, that complaine of eaſe. The diſcourſe that I roll'd downe vponupon you, was weake and weightleſſe: you ſhall well finde, this was my lenitie, not my impotence. The fault hereof is partly in your expectation, not in my letter: I meant but a ſhort Epiſtle, you look't belike for a volume, or nothing; I meant onelyonly a generall monition; you look't for a ſolide proſecution of particulars: It is not for you to giuegive taskes to others pens. By what Law, muſt we write nothing but large Scholaſticall Diſcourſes? Such Tomes as yours: May wee not touch your ſore, vnleſſe wee will launce and ſearch it? I was not enough your enemie; forgiue me this error, and you ſhall ſmart more: But not onelyonly my omiſſions were of ignorance, but my cenſures, though ſeuere and ſolemne: An eaſie imputation from ſo great a controuler: I pardon you, and take this as the common lot of enemies. I neuer yet could ſee any Scribler ſo vnlearned, as that he durſt not charge his oppoſite with ignorance. If Dr Whitaker, Separat. ſchiſ. M. Gyfford an ignorant Prieſt. Barr. p. 63. Confer. of D. Aud. & M. Hutchinſ. with Barrow.Mr Perkins, Mr Gyfford, and that Oracle of our preſent times, Dr Andrewes, went away content with this liuery from yours; how can I repine? If I hauehave cenſured what cauſe I knew not, let me be cenſured for more than ignorance, impudencie: but if you know not what I cenſured (let all my truſt lye on this iſſue) take both ignorance, boldneſſe, and malice to your ſelfe: Is your cauſe ſo myſticall, that you can feare any mans ignorance? What Gobler or Spinſter hath not heard of the maine holds of Browniſme? Am I onelyonly a ſtranger in Hieruſalem? If I know not all your opinions, pardon me: your owne hauehave not receiued this illumination; I ſpeake boldly, not your ſelfe;M. Spr. Conſiderat. Iren. lib. 1. Per ſingul…s … … vum aliquod ad fectant, &c. EueryEvery day brings new conceits, and not one day teaches, but corrects another: you muſt be more conſtant to your ſelues, ere you can vpbraid ignorance or auoid it. But whether I knew your prime fancies, appeares ſufficiently by a particular diſcourſe; which aboue a yeere ſince was in the hands of ſome of your Clyents, and I wonder if not in yours: Shortly; am I ignorant? If I were obſtinate too, you might hope (with the next gale) for me, your more equall aduerſarie, at Amſterdam. As I am; my want of care and skill, ſhall (I hope) loſe nothing of the truth by you, nor ſuffer any of your foule aſperſions vponupon the face of Gods Church and ours.
But whiles we ſtriue; who ſhall be our Iudge? The Chriſtian Readers: who are thoſe? Preſume not, yee more zealous and forward Countreymen, that you are admitted to this Bench: ſo farre are we meere Engliſh, from being allowed Iudges of them; that they hauehave already iudged vsus to be no*Barr. confer. with Hutchinſ. fol. 1. Browne Eſtate of true Chriſtians. Defence of true Chriſtians againſt the D. D. of Oxford. Iohnſ. againſt Iacob. paſſim. Bar. againſt Gyfford. Chriſtians: We are Goates and Swine, no ſheepe of God: ſince then none but your Parlour in the Weſt, and Amſterdam, muſt bee our Iudges, who (I beſeech you) ſhall be our Aduerſaries? God be Iudge betwixt you and vsus, and correct this your vnchriſtian vncharitableneſſe.
SEP.
The crime here obiected is ſeparation, a thing very odious in the eyes of all them from whom it is made: as euermore caſting vponupon them the imputation of euill, whereof all men are impatient: And hence it commeth to paſſe, that the Church of England can better brooke the vileſt perſons continuing communion with it, than any whomſoeuer ſeparating from it, though vponupon neuer ſo iuſt and well grounded reaſons.
SECTION III.
I Wrote not to you alone: what is become of your partner, yea, your Guide?The pardon I written to, and their …. To M. Smith, and M. …. Ringe-leaders of the late ſeparation at Amſterdam. Charact of the Beaſt, written by M. Smith. Pref. Be it knowne therefore to all the ſeparation, that we account them, in reſpect of their conſtitution, to be as very an Harlot, as either her Mother the Church of England, or her Grandmother Rome is, &c. Iterato baptiz…us ſcienter, iterato Dominum cruci…git. De conſecr. diſt. 4. Quivis, &c. Woe is me, he hath renounced our Chriſtendome with our Church: and hath waſhe off his former water, with new: and now condemnes you all, for not ſeparating further, no leſſe than wee condemne you for ſeparating ſo farre. As if you could not bee enough out of Babylon, vnleſſe you be out of your ſelues, Alas, miſerable Countreymen, whither runne you? Religion hath but his height, beyond which is error and madneſſe? hee tells you true, your ſtation is vnſafe; either you muſt forward to him, or backe to vsus.
*The crime of the ſeparation how great, M. Perry in his Diſc. of this ſubiect.I obiected ſeparation to you: yet not ſo extreme as your anſwer bewrayes: a late ſeparation; not the firſt; my charity hoped you leſſe ill, than you will needs deſerue: you grant it odious, becauſe it caſts imputation of euill vponupon the forſaken: Of euill? Yea of the worſt, an eſtate incurable & deſperate. He is an il Phyſitian, that wil leaue his Patient vponupon eueryevery diſtēper: his departure argues the diſeaſe helples; were we but faulty, as your Land-Lord Churches, your own rules would not abide your flight: Vid. IOHNSON Preface to his Inquirie; Eſay 5.20. Hence the Church of England iuſtly matches Separatiſts with the vileſt perſons. God himſelfe doth ſo: who are more vile than Patrons of euill? yet no greater woe is to them that ſpeake good of euill, than thoſe that ſpeake euill of good: So wiſe Generals puniſh mutinous perſons, worſe than Robbers or Adulterers:Num. 16.31. Exod. 32.30. So Corah and his company (a Story cunningly turned vponupon vsus by your Martyr) for their oppoſition to Moſes, were more fearefully plagued, than the Idolatrous Iſraelites. Theſe ſinnes are more directly againſt common ſociety, the other more perſonall: and if both hauehave like iniquity; yet the former hauehave both more offence, and more danger: And if not ſo, yet who cannot rather brooke a lewd ſeruant, than an vndutifull ſonne, though pretending faire colours for his diſobedience? At leaſt, you thinke the Church of England thinks her ſelfe Gods Church, as well as your Saints of Amſterdam: You that ſo accurſe Apoſtaſie in others, could yee expect, ſhee ſhould brooke it in you?
Prov. 21.….But your reaſons are iuſt and well grounded: eueryevery way of a man is right in his own eyes; Said we not well, that thou ar a Samaritane, and haſt a Deuill, ſay the Iewes? What Schiſme euer did not thinke well of it ſelfe? For vsus: we call Heauen and earth to record, your cauſe hath no more Iuſtice than your ſelues hauehave charity.
SEP.
And yet ſeparation from the World, and ſo from the men of the World, and ſo from the Prince of the World that reigneth in them, and ſo from whatſoeuer is contrary to God, is the firſt ſtep to our communion with God and Angels, and good men; as the firſt ſtep to a ladder is to leaue the earth.