The Way of Congregational Churches Cleared, Treatise 1 · Chapter 3 · Section 20
SECT. 20. Tending to conſider what better fruits might have been expected from Presbyterian diſcipline, for the removing of the like abſurdities.
Having thus given account to Mr. Baylie of the inconſequence of all his diſcourſe from the errors of this countrey, to argue the unſoundneſſe of our Church-diſcipline, let me now intreat him to conſider, what better fruits might have been expected in the like caſe from Presbyteriall Government. I demand, if Presbyterian Government had been eſtab…iſhed amongſt us, ſhould wee not then have received all theſe Hereticks, and erroneous perſons, into our Church? Yes ſurely, for no member of the Commonwealth is excluded: well, therein our Congregationall diſcipline bringeth forth no worſe fruit, then their Presbyterian.
I demand againe, if theſe perſons ſhould afterwards fall into error, or Hereſie, which could not be proved by two witneſſes, what courſe would Presbyterian government have taken? would it not have forborne proceſſe, till ſufficient teſtimony might bee brought to convince them? If ſuſpicion of their unſound judgement had grown, would they not have examined them, and if they denied it, and no ſufficient teſtimony could bee brought againſt them, would not the Presbyters have let them alone? Hitherto we did the ſame.
I demand further, if any Presbytery in a Church, were ſuſpected to be too remiſſe in proceeding againſt ſuch Delinquents, would not the Presbytery of the neighbour Churches have taken the matter in hand, and ſo gathering into a Synod, firſt convinced ſuch errors, and then condemned them, and the maintainers of them too, if they were found guiltie of them, and perſiſtent in them? Thus farre alſo the Presbytery of our neighbour Churches did proceed as to gather into a Synod, and both convinced and condemned the errors. And though they did not proceed to condemne or cenſure the maintainers of them; yet when they had gotten proof thereof, they proceeded in their own congregations to the cenſure of their own erroneous members (after all other meanes to recover them uſed in vaine:) And beſides, they dealt with the Presbytery of our Church to doe the ſame. And wee hearing their complaints and their proofs, wee reſpectively hearkned to them, and proceeded to the like cenſure in our Church, as they had done in theirs; And in like ſort travelled with our members for their conviction, as they had done with theirs, even ſo farre, that Miſtris Hutchinſon was brought to a recantation, though her prevarication of it brought her to a cenſure, yea the utmoſt cenſure, and that with generall conſent of our whole Church, and ſatisfaction of others. It ſeemeth then, that our Independency (as it is called) doth no more breed, nor nouriſh, nor tolerate errors, or Hereſies, then Presbyterian diſcipline doth. And if there ſhould a defect ariſe in any Church, there is the like remedy in the vigilancy of other Churches, and finally, obſtinacy in all evills of notorious offence, whether in judgement or practiſe, meeteth at length with the ſame or like cenſure, in either government.
Let not therefore Mr. Baylie allow himſelf in ſaying as he doth (in the cloſe of his third Chapter) That this new and ſingular way, the Lord hath ſo manifeſtly curſed with more bad fruits, and greater ſtore of them, then ever yet did appeare upon the tree of Browniſme. For though it becommeth not us to make compariſons of fruits with other Churches (unleſſe themſelves did provoke us to it:) nor doth it concern us to deale with them about any offence, unleſſe we dwelt neer them, and knew their eſtate:) yet this is enough to us, to cleare us unto Mr. Baylie, and to the world, againſt all his exceptions, That (through the mercy of Chriſt) no evill fruit at all hath ſprung from our Church Government. What offence ſoever, in judgement or practiſe, hath been ſuſpected or found among us, it hath not ſprung from the government, but from perſonall defects, either among the Brethren or Elders. And what hath been ſuſpected, or found in either of them, hath either been cleared, or healed, or removed by the government. Bleſſed bee the name of the Lord Jeſus, whoſe throne is in Zion and his furnace in Jeruſalem, who delighteth to bleſſe his own ordinances with power and peace.