The Way of Congregational Churches Cleared, Treatise 1 · Chapter 3 · Section 15
SECT. 15. Of the ſhamefull abſurdities ſaid to be found in the way of Independency: notwithſtanding the great helps, to prevent, or cover it: and firſt, of thoſe helps.
Mr. Baylie now undertaketh to prove that which he calleth a broad Aſſertion, and well may hee ſo call it: for it reacheth far beyond all dimenſions of truth. His aſſertion is, That the way (which he calleth) Independency hath in a few years (leſſe then one week of yeares) flown out into more ſhamefull abſurdities, then the Browniſts to this day, in all their 50. yeares tryall have ſtumbled upon.
How will Mr. Baylie (think you) make this good?
His affirmation, that the way of the Browniſm, and Independency (as he ſtyleth them) are both of them really one and the ſame, becauſe he ſaith, it will appeare hereafter, I referre it therefore to his place.
But before hee cometh to make his broad aſſertion good, yea and (as he promiſeth) palpable, he maketh it alſo by the way, admirable, and that many wayes.
1. In that the Independency hath been brought to the utmoſt pitch of perfection, which the wit, and induſtry of its beſt Patrons were able to attain: and hath been fenced with the Laws of gracious Magiſtrates, who were at our abſolute devotion, and yet hath flowen out, &c.
Anſw. 1. We that judge that way (which he calleth Independency) to be of God, ſhould account it blaſphemy in our ſelves to accept ſuch a ſtyle put upon us, as to be the beſt Patrons of it. We doe verily believe, that though our ſelves, all of us, ſhould imploy our beſt wits and induſtry to joyn with Mr. Baylie to ſubvert and deface it: yet the Lord Jeſus would ſhow himſelf a Patron to maintain his own Inſtitutions, though with the confuſion of the faces, and enterprizes of us all. The Word which hath gone out of his mouth for the Government and ord…ring of his Church till his ſecond appearing, he himſelf as he hath ſpoken it, will alſo ſhew it forth in his times, who is the bleſſed and onelyonly Potentate, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, 1 Tim. 6.14, 15.
Anſw. 2. Wee cannot but with thankfulneſſe acknowledge the goodneſſe of God in our gratious Magiſtrates, and their aſſiſtance to us in the work of the Lord: But when Mr. Baylie maketh them to be at our abſolute dev…ion, his foreign is too too injurious in debaſing them, and (in their eyes) advancing us. For neither are they devoted to us at all, nor much leſſe abſolutely. Though they ſometimes conſult with us in matters of conſcience; yet they take our counſell no further then they ſee it cleared from the Word. And beſides, it is too vaſt an advancement of us, to make them abſolutely of our devotion. For devotion in matters of Religion, (or as Thomas ſpeaketh, in iis quae ad Dei cultum, & famulatum pertinent) is a divine worſhip due to God onelyonly; in as much that Aquinas taketh it to be too high a worſhip to be terminated in Saints, 22ae. Queſt. 82. Art. 2. And yet he alloweth more divine worſhip to Saints, then any orthodox proteſtant can excuſe from Idolatry.
Againe ſecondly, It may ſeeme to make the palpableneſſe of our outflowings the more admirable, in that (as he ſaith) much of our way is yet in the dark.
Thirdly, In that none of our ſelves have proclaimed our diſcords to our own ſhame.
Fourthly, That none who have fallen from us, have of purpoſe put pen to Paper, to informe the world of our wayes.
Fiftly, That none of us have been willing to reply to any of the books written againſt us, &c.
Anſw. It were much I confeſſe, if wee had all theſe advantages of concealement which he mentioneth, and yet nevertheleſſe ſo many, and ſo ſhamefull abſurdities of ou…s ſhould fall out in ſo ſhort a time, and become to palpable as Mr. Baily proclaimeth them. But the truth is, nei…her have we had thoſe advantages, (he ſpeaketh of:) but the contrary diſadv…nta…es, nor yet do we feare, that he will be able to find ſuch abſurdi…ies to have fallen out in our way, much leſſe ſo ſhamefull.
For firſt, the way of the New Engliſh Churches is not in the dark, but publiſhed to the view of the world, in the book ſo entituled (refuted by Mr. Rutherford:) as alſo in the Apology of theſe Churches, in the Covenant, in the Anſwer to 32. Queſtions; in another anſwer to 9. Queſtions; in the anſwer to Mr. Herle, and to Mr. Rathbone. Some of our moſt populous Churches do no Church Act, no not of diſcipline, but in the preſence of the whole Towne, (non-members, as well as members) ſo many of them as are pleaſed to be preſent. Wayes of truth ſeeke no corners; if any Church admoniſh a brother privately, it is becauſe his offence is not known to non-members.
Againe, if in our diſcords, none of us have proclaimed our ſhame, whence hath Mr. Baily gathered all our ſhamefull abſurdities? The ſhort ſtory, (the greateſt ſtorehouſe of his teſtimonies) what is it, but a fruit of our diſcords? Beſides, if none that have fallen from us, have of purpoſe put pen to Paper to informe the world of our wayes, what meane the bleatings of Plain… dealing, and Mr. Williams his Invectives againſt us, which yeeld a further ſupply to Mr. Bailies teſtimonies?
Moreover, if none of us have been willing to reply to the Books written againſt us, how come it to paſſe that Mr. Hooker hath written a large anſwer to Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Davenpor… to Mr. Paget, Mr. Mader to Mr. Rathbone, Mr. Shepard and Mr. Allen to Mr. Ball, Mr. Norton in Latine to Mr. Appollonii; my ſelf to Mr. Williams, both to his examination of my Letter, and to his bloody Tenent? If any of theſe have miſcarried by the way, or in England have met with a ſuppreſſion for an impreſſion, it cannot be ſaid, that none of us have been willing to reply to the Books written againſt us, nor that wee have been wanting in endeavours, according as the Lord hath vouchſafed us meanes and opportunitie.
If ſtill there be other Books written againſt us, unto which no Reply is yet made, it may be conſidered, our labourers (in that kind) are few, our hands feeble, our times took up with the duties of our calling, helpes to eaſe us are wanting, Domeſticall Queſtions are not wanting, and many times Books are extant againſt us ſome yeers before they come to our hands. And yet let not Mr. Baily take our ſilence for a conſent to what is written againſt us: or for a ſigne of our feare to lay open the true ſtate of our cauſe, or the nakedneſſe of our way, (as it ſeemeth to him:) but let him conſider, that if many Books be written by ſeverall hands, of ſeverall ſubjects againſt any of us, hee whom it concerneth, cannot Reply to them all at once, but to one after another, as the Lord giveth help and opportunity.