A Public Disputation of Sundry Days, Letter
Mr. IOHN ONELYONLY,
THe end of our Monthly meeting at Killingworth (begun in December laſt) was well known to be the ſetting up, and ſetling of a Goſpel order in our Parochial Congregations; and becauſe I well knew, that ſome in our County were not ſatisfied in Conſcience concerning the truth of our Churches and Miniſtry, my reſolution was (being put upon it by my reverend Brethren) to endeavour in the firſt place a vindication of both: I did therefore publickly deſire all that had any thing to except againſt what I ſhould deliver, to ſend to me their exceptions in writing, which with my anſwer to them ſhould (if they pleaſed) be read before the people at the next meeting, profeſſing withall, my readineſs to receive back any Gold, that ſhould be found counterfeit or light, by the touch-ſtone and ballance of Scripture.
Accordingly a Godly Brother of the Congregational way (Lieutenant Fox by name) ſent in ſundry objections to my third diſcourſe (upon that text in Col. 2. 5. joyning and beholding your Order) and ſome Letters paſſed between us, whereof he deſired not any publication, though for parts, and piety, he is judg'd no whit inferiour to you, who the next Day openly declared your diſſent, and declared your ſelf deſirous to diſpute with me publickly upon theſe two queſtions. 1. Whether the Pariſh Aſſemblies of England generally be true viſible Churches? (which you denyed, 2. Whether every Brother) though no Elder, that hath received abilities from God, whereby he is enabled to Preach, may publickly Preach? (which you affirmed) appointing me to be Opponent in the firſt, and Reſpondent in the ſecond, the next Monthly Day.
I need not tell you how many diſſwaſions I had from entring the Liſts with an illiterate Adverſary, (ſuch you were taken for by many) among others this, that I ſhould in ſo doing diſparage my ſelf, nor was there any probability of good to come of it; but thoſe words of Job came into my mind, Chap. 31. 13. 14. If I did deſpiſe the cauſe of my man ſervant, or of my maid ſervant, when they contended with me: What then ſhall I do, when God riſeth up? and when he viſiteth, what ſhall I anſwer him? whence I gathered, how diſpleaſing it might be to God, ſhould I diſpiſe a diſſenting Brother, proteſting that the end of his contention, was to receive ſatisfaction to his conſcience, which doubted of the doctrine I had diſpenſed; beſides, I knew God oft reveals his mind to Babes in humane learning, which he hides from the greateſt Clerks Matth. 11. 25. 26. 1 Cor. 1. 20. moreover, the ableſt Preachers know but in part, and prophecy in part, 1 Cor 13. 9. and therefore may erre, and Aquila and Priſcilla may expound to Apollos the way of God more perfectly, Acts 18. 26. a little Child may ſhew an erring Man his way; finally the Apoſtle Peter commands us all, to be ready alwaies to give an anſwer to every Man, that asketh us a reaſon of the hope that is in us, with meekneſs and fear, if Gods honour, and the good of thoſe who ask, require it; both which I apprehended were concerned in my yielding to your motion, and therefore embraced it, le…ving the iſſue to God; and for the ſame reaſon have I yielded to your ſecod motion made in the cloſe of the third or fourth days diſputation, viz. that your Arguments and Anſwers, and Replies, and Rejoynders upon the firſt queſtion, might be put in Print; and to your Proviſo, that at preſent I ſhould make no Reply unto your anſwer to the Ten laſt Arguments, as you would no Rejoynder to my Reply upon your Anſwers to the Nine firſt; and if you have a mind, you may rejoin (your engagement to the contrary I free you from, yea and give you liberty (which you have already taken all along without check) to oppoſe what you pleaſe, and to take in alſo the help of Maſter Morley, and thoſe other ſeven who aſſiſted you in diſputation, that the utmoſt you and they can object further againſt our Pariſh Churches may come under our view onelyonly; (for your Readers ſake) I could wiſh you would forbear inſtead of arguing, to make any more excurſions by tedious impertinent Declamations againſt our Miniſters and Members, wherein all your Anſwers for the moſt part ſpend themſelves; which yet the Men of your own way will admire ſeriouſly, but all others of any competent underſtanding ironically; uſing Jobs words to Bildad, Chap. 26. 3. How haſt thou plentifully declared the thing as it is? ſuffer me to ſpeak my thoughts and hopes; when all is that can be ſaid by their ſelf or any other to overthrow the Parochial Aſſemblies of this Nation, they will ſtand like Mount Sion; which though it may be moved in its place, cannot be removed out of its place; and the Presbyterian Government which we are endeavouring to ſettle in our Congregations, will prove like the Palm tree, quae non cedit ponderi, ſed ſurgit adverſum pondus. Nor do I doub, but when Chriſt our King hath turned his hand upon us, and purely purg'd away our droſs, and taken away all our tin, he will ſet up his throne, and keep a ſtanding Majeſty in the midſt of theſe golden Candle-ſticks; then they that are our enemies ſhall ſee, and ſhame ſhall cover them which ſaid unto us, where is the Lord your God? mean time we will bear the indignation of the Lord, becauſe we have ſinned againſt him, untill he plead our cauſe, and execute judgement for us: yea though he ſuffer you to kill us, after three days and a half we ſhall revive and ſtand upon our feet: and many out of all languages (ſeparate Societies) ſhall relinquiſh their dividing principles and practices, and take hold of the skirt of a Goſpel Presbyterian, ſaying, we will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you; this is the hope, and ſhall be the Prayer of
Your loving friend and ſervant in the Lord, JOHN BRYAN.