The Defense for the Congregational Way, Response 2
COncerning your queſtions, whereto you require rationall and ſcripturall anſwers, you have beene ſo inſatiable in the multiplication of them, as that you have made your demand irrationall to rationall men. If ſeven or eight queſtions may well exerciſe an Aſſembly of men ſome weekes, perhaps monthes, to give ſcripturall and rationall anſwers to them, how long may one or two be exerciſed in anſwering one hundred and twelve queſtions?
Yet we ſhall ſay ſomewhat to them, and give our ſenſe of them, the better to be excuſed with the Reader, though we give not at preſent a direct ſcripturall anſwer to any of them.
1. Your queſtions are reduceable to theſe heads. Some of them are either in whole or in part anſwered already, in our defence, as Q. 11. 24. 30, 31. 35, 36. 38. 41, 42, 43. 48, 49. 52. 56. 73. 77, 78. 84, 85. 102, 103.
2. Some of them are bottomed upon miſtakes, of things aſſerted to be held by us, which yet we hold not, as 19, 20, 21, 22. 39. 44. 50, 51. 56, 57, 58. 61. 80.
3. Some of them do ariſe and proceed ex non conceſſis, from things taken for granted, which yet we cannot grant, as 23. 29. 32. 84.
4. Some of them are de non negatis, of things which we grant and yeeld as well as you, wherein you and we doe agree, or elſe they are de negatis, of thi…gs which both you and we do alike deny, as 55. 86, 87. 91. 96, 97, 98, 99, 100. 102, 103.
5. Some of them are in the nature of them deep cenſures, & full of calumny & ſlander, both of our way & perſons, as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 10. 15. 37. 41. 45. 49.. 57▪ 78. 83. 88. 104. 10….
6. Some of them ſavour of a bitter diſtempered ſpirit, and tend to incenſe the Magiſtrate againſt us, as 57. 96. 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112.
7. Some of them ſeeme to be dubious queſtions proceeding from a troubled ſpirit, that either we have Auditors to heare us preach or any maintenance from any beſide them of our owne way, as 77. 79. 84.
8. Some of them are entrapping queſtions, and in them there is aliquid latens ſome thing that appeares not and you watch for advantage, as 76. 81. 82.
9. One of them (in a ſuperfluous Parentheſis) gibes at the language of many godly knowne Chriſtians, who yet are able to juſtifie their expreſſions, viz. 46.
10. One of them is a queſtion concluding with a vaineglorious chalenge. viz. 100.
11. Some of them are ſuch as that many of the Brethren of the Presbyterian judgement doe agree with us in them, and we may referre you to them to anſwer them, as 46. 71.
12. One of them is rather a point controverted among your ſelves then betwixt you and us, viz. 90.
13. Some of them are impertinent and come not up to the controverſie betwixt us, as 16. 17. 18. 44. 54. and ſame others.
14. Some of them are unneceſſary queſtions, becauſe the anſwering of ſome one, would cut off and make voide the neceſſitie of propounding▪ and anſwering of the reſt of that nature, as the anſwering of the 7. would prevent the propounding of the 8. 10. 13, 14. the anſwreing of the 11. would make the 9. and 12. uſeleſſe. So the anſwering of 63. makes vaine the propounding of 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 64. 65. 66. 68. and ſo of others.
15. The moſt of them are argumentative, and do diſpute againſt the thing, and ſometimes conclude peremptory, rather then propound and inquire after the thing of which yet in forme of words there is a queſtion made.
By all which it arpeares how many of this great multitude of Queſtions might have beene ſpared, and how little reaſon we have to anſwer them.
Had you not done more commendably if you had propounded ſome one Queſtion of a kind; as namely, one about conſtitution of Churches; one about gathering out of many Churches, one about the qualification of Members; one about an univerſall viſible governing Church; one about diverſity of Congregations in thoſe City Churches mentioned in Scripture; one about the entity and power of an incompleate Church that hath no Officers; one about the Covenant, and of what Covenant Baptiſme is the ſeale; one about the power of the Keyes; one about Ordination; one about Communion of Officers; one about maintenance of Officers, one about a private mans exerciſing his gifts; one about withdrawing from communion of ones own Church, Miniſtry and Ordinances; one about the externalls of diſcipline, whether they be contained determinately in the New Teſtament; one about the lawfulneſſe of tolerating another way then what is by Law eſtabliſhed; and yet it vvould have been unſeaſonable to have propounded ſome of theſe till the anſwers vve have given to them already in our Defence, have beene rendred invalid; and all theſe would not have amounted to above 15. Queſtions, vvhat then vvould have become of your many ſcores. But your deſigne vvas under the forme of ſundry Queſtions, to aſſault us vvith ſundry Arguments, for very many of your Queſtions, yea the moſt of them are arguments which if we confute and overthrow (though your greateſt ſtrength be put forth in them, yet) you come off with honour, you aſſerted nothing poſitively but propounded only Queſtions; & if we confute them not nor anſwer them clearly, we receive (as you imagine) a blot thereby; ſuch cunning there is in the vvay of your proceeding. But vve rather chooſe to put you upon it to ſtate the Queſtion vvith us, and then to forme your Argument, and vve ſhall vvillingly ingage our ſelves then in anſwering of you; this is to ſet our ſelves upon equall ground vvith you; and you cannot, and we hope the Reader vvill not expect fairer proceedings from us. Notwithſtanding if you like not this, vvaite but a vvhile, till this preſent controverſie be iſſued betwixt us, and if others in the intrim doe not, we ſhall probably be at leaſure to undertake the particular anſwer of them in the forme they are preſented to us.
FINIS.
End of the text · Samuel Eaton, The Defense for the Congregational Way (1646)