The Way of Congregational Churches Cleared, Treatise 1 · Chapter 3 · Section 19
SECT. 19. Tending to rectifie ſome miſtakes of Mr. Baylie in relating the former abſurdities.
But before I leave this cloſe of Mr. Baylies third Chapter, touching the evill fruits of Independency, let mee advertiſe him of ſome few further miſtakes in his Narration of the ſame.
Firſt, when he reckoneth in the front of vile errours, the inhabitation of the perſon of the Spirit in all the godly, let him weigh what hath been ſaid above, touching that point. And if hee cleare it to be an errour, I willingly ſhall acknowledge, hee ſhall teach me that, which I yet know not. I profeſſe my ſelf willing to learn of a meaner man, then Mr. Baylie.
Secondly, when he maketh the number of the erring perſons incredible, almoſt no ſociety, no family free from that peſt, Boſton it ſelf ſo farre infected, that few there were untainted: let him be pleaſed to conſider, whether his teſtimony will make it good. His teſtimonies (recited in his Markes F F. G G.) ſpeak to the utmoſt of truth, but not ſo much as he avoucheth. The ſhort Story in Preface, pag. 7. ſaith indeed, They had ſome of all ſorts and qualities in all places to patronize and defend them: and almoſt in every family ſome were ready to defend them as the Apple of their own eye.
But this will not make it good, that almoſt in every family ſome were infected with the peſt of their errours. It is one thing to ſpeak in the defence of erroneous perſons, another to ſpeak in defence of errours. Multitudes there were, that thought well of the perſons, who knew nothing of their errours, but heard onelyonly of their unbottoming ſandy foundations of a ſpirituall eſtate, which hath been mentioned above, Chap. 3.
Which may alſo truely be ſaid even of Boſton likewiſe. The body of the Church, the greateſt part of them were like thoſe members of the Church in Thyatira, of whom it is ſaid (Rev. 2.24.) They knew not the depths of Satan. The truth whereof may evidently appeare by this, That when thoſe errors of Miſtris Hutchinſon were publickly charged upon her before the Church, and proved by ſufficient witneſſes, the whole body of the Church, and all the Brethren with one accord (ſave onelyonly her ſonne) conſented readily to her cenſure: which they would not have done,
if the whole Church of Boſton (ſome excepted) had become her converts, and were infected with her opinions.
Thirdly, when hee ſaith, they adored ſome of their Miniſters, and inſtanceth in Mr. Cotton, and Mr. Whelewright.
Adoration is too vaſt an Hyperbole to be made good by juſt teſtimonies. All hyperbolicall praiſes, though they may farre exceed the bounds of truth in compariſons of men with men; yet they will not reach adoration, which is divine worſhip. Neither will it bee made good, That they magnified either Mr. Whelewright, or me, for the defence of their errors. Yea they ſoon forſooke Mr. Whelewright (as well as he them) when they ſaw his judgement (as well as mine) againſt Antinomianiſme, and Familiſme.
Fourthly, when he ſaith, Miſtris Hutchinſon, and the late Governour, kept almoſt every day, ſo private and long diſcourſe with Mr. Cotton, that made them conclude all was their own.
I muſt needs profeſſe, that cannot be made good by any witneſſe of truth, Miſtris Hutchinſon ſeldome reſorted to mee: and when ſhe did, ſhe did ſeldome or never enter into any private ſpeech between the former Governour and my ſelf. And when ſhe did come to me, it was ſeldome or never (that I can tell of) that ſhe tarried long. I rather think, ſhe was loath to reſort much to me, or, to conferre long with me, leſt ſhe might ſeeme to learne ſomewhat from me. And withall I know (by good proof) ſhe was very carefull to prevent any jealouſie in mee, that ſhee ſhould harbour any private opinions, differing from the courſe of my publick Miniſtery. Which ſhe could not well have avoyded, if ſhe had kept almoſt every day ſo private and long diſcourſe with me▪
But what Teſtimony, or proof doth Mr. Baylie alledge for this our private and long conference, almoſt every day? His marke [Y Y] referreth us to the ſhort ſtory, where it is ſaid, They made full account the day had been theirs.
But did they make this account upon occaſion of theſe our private, and long, and frequent conferences every day? not a ſyllable of proofe for this point. It is not righteous dealing, large charges, and narrow proofs.
Fourthly, that which Mr. Baylie further relateth from the teſtimony of Mr. Williams, is as farre from truth, as the former.
Mr. Williams (ſaith Mr. Baylie) told me, that he was employed to buy from the Savages, for their late Governour, and Mr. Cotton, with their Followers, a portion of Land without the Engliſh Plantation whither they might retire and live according to their mind, exempt from the juriſdiction of all others, whether Civill or Eccleſiaſtick, Mr. Williams was in ſo great friendſhip with the late Governour, when he told me ſo much, that I beleeve he would have been loth to haveſpoken an untruth of him.
Anſw. But this I dare be bold to ſay, if Mr. Williams told Mr. Baylie ſo much, that he was imployed by me to buy any Land from the Savages, for mee and my followers (as he calls them) he ſpake an untruth of me, whatſoever he did of the Governour. Yet becauſe I would not ſpeake nor thinke worſe of Mr. of Williams then neceſſitie conſtrayneth, I cannot ſay but that he might ſpeak as he thought, and as he was told; for it may well bee, that ſuch as abuſed the Governours name to him for ſuch an end, might alſo more boldly abuſe mine. But I muſt profeſſe, I neither wrote, nor ſpake, nor ſent to Mr. Williams for any ſuch errand. If ever I had removed, I intended Quinipyack, and not Aquethnick. And I can hardly beleeve the Governour would ſend to him for any ſuch end, who I ſuppoſe never thought it likely, that himſelf ſhould tarry longer in the Countrey, then he tarried in the Bay.
Fiftly, when Mr. Baylie objecteth the prophaneneſſe of theſe erroneous perſons, and juſtifieth it by the teſtimonies of Mr. Weld and my ſelf, And aggravateth the ſame by their profeſſion of Piety (ſo farre, that they avow their ſtanding loofe from all reformed Churches as uncleane, becauſe of their mixture with the prophane Multitude.)
Let him be pleaſed to conſider; Firſt, what was ſaid above, Non ſcelus, ſed ſceleris impunitas, is the guilt of a ſociety, whether civill or ſacred.
Secondly, what Mr. Weld meant by fouler ſinnes then pride, or lying, found in thoſe perſons, I cannot gueſſe: nor have I heard of them: unleſſe hee meant the adultery of one, who upon his own confeſſion was caſt out of the Church for that crime.
As for the teſtimony of mine, which hee quoteth from ſome duplicate page duplicate page words in the vialls, wherein the ſinnes of the people were reproved, let him not improve them further then they will bear. Such reproofs doe not alwayes argue ſinnes of our Church members: or if they did, yet not, that thoſe ſinnes are openly known: or if openly known, yet not, that they were tolerated. And yet all theſe muſt concurre, or elſe the vices found amongſt profeſſors, will not argue the viciouſneſſe either of their doctrine or worſhip, or Church Government.
Luther complaineth, in Poſtill. ſuper Evangel. Dom. adventus, Sunt nunc homines magis vindictae cupidi, magis avari, magis ab omni miſericordiâ remoti, magis immodeſti, & indiſciplinati, multoque deteriores, quam fuerunt ſub papatu. And Chryſoſtome, (in opere imperfect. in Matth. Hom. 49.) ſpeaketh of Chriſtians as becomming like the Hereticks, or Pagans, or worſe.
Yet I ſuppoſe he that ſhould improve the words either of Chryſoſtome, to argue the diſcipline of Chriſtians, worſe then that of the Pagans: or of Luther, to argue the diſcipline of Proteſtants to be worſe then that of Papiſts, he ſhall doubtleſſe ſtretch their words upon the Rack, farre beyond the ſcope of their meaning. The words I ſpake, were in compariſon between the godly Profeſſors in England, and ours here, and at ſuch a time, when Epiſcopall perſecution made them draw the nearer to God, and to walke the more circumſpectly before men. But Sheepe ſet at libertie from the feare of Wolves, will ſtraggle further from their Shepheard, then when they reſent danger.
Thirdly, it is too groſſe and heavy an aggravation, which Mr. Baylie putteth upon us, if he meane it of us, That our profeſſion of pietie is ſo faire that wee ſtand alooſe from all reformed Churches as uncleane, becauſe of their mixture with the prophane multitude.
For it is more then he can prove, or we doe profeſſe. Though in the Biſhops time, we did not forthwith receive all the members of the Church of England into the fellowſhip of our Churches: yet (for ought I know) wee are not likely to ſtand alooſe from Presbyteriall Churches faithfully adminiſtred, nor from the teſtimony which they ſhall give of their members, that may have occaſion to Traffick hither. And the like doe I conceive of other reformed Churches in other Nations of Chriſtendome. Presbyterian Churches faithfully adminiſtred, are not wont to admit a mixt prophane multitude to the Lords Table.
Sixtly, let me take off one inſtance more, which Mr. Baylie giveth of one abomination, which to him ſeemeth ſtrange. That the Midwives to our moſt zealous women, ſhould not onelyonly have familiarity with the Devill, but alſo in that ſervice commit devilliſh Malefices: which ſo farre as they tell us, were not onelyonly paſt over without puniſhment, but never ſo much as enquired after.
Anſw. This accuſation is indeed of ſome weight, becauſe it is of a grievous, and devilliſh crime, and it tolerated. But how doth it appeare to him, that it was tolerated? not onelyonly paſt over without puniſhment, but never ſo much as enquired after?
Why, ſaith he, ſo farre as they tell us. So farre as they tell us? is the ſilence of a ſhort ſtory of this or that fact, a good argument, a non dici, ad non eſſe? yea it is a good argument on the contrary, that there was inquiry made after that Midwife, and diligent ſearch into her, or elſe it would have been recorded, as ſome cloſe conveyance of the erroneous party. The truth is, the woman, though ſhe offered her ſelf to the Elders of our Church, yet was not received, upon diſcovery of ſome unſound principles in her judgement. Being then no member, the Church had no power to deale with her. But when ſuſpition grew of her familiarity with the Devill, eſpecially upon that occaſion, which the ſhort ſtory relateth, ſhee was convented before the Magiſtrates, and diligently examined about that, and other evills. But though no familiarity with the Devill could be proved againſt her; yet becauſe of ſome other offences in dealing with young women, ſhe was forbidden to ſtay in the Countrey.