Disputations Concerning Matters of Religion, Discourse · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. A Concluſive Anſwer to Doctor Brians deſire of Advice (whether it be better to let Mr. O. alone, or to anſwer him according to his folly) ſent him a good while ago by his Son, but now publiſhed with enlargement, for ſatisfaction of others as well as of the Doctor himſelf: Reaſons many and weighty for the Negagative.
WHat was my mind (in anſwering your requeſt by your Son when he brought you Letter, the Diſputation at Kenelmworth, and Mr. O. his Examination of your Reply, after the reading of what you ſent me, and writing of theſe Papers I now ſend you) in the ſame I perſiſt with ſtronger confidence then I had at firſt; and for it I ſhall now give you clearer and fuller evidence of the expedience of my Advice then at that time I could do, which was the ſame that Hezekiah gave to his people concerning railing Sabſhtkah, anſwer him not, a Kings 18.16. and Iſa. 36.21.
My Reaſons are,
First, I thought you came much below the elevation of your own worth, when you entred the Liſts with an illiterate man, as Mr. J. O. is, albeit of a wrangling wit; though there was a kind of neceſsity I confeſs at that time, for the exerciſe of your humility upon his proud challenge, as of your ingenuity and ability in the conflict.
Secondly, I ſuſpected your confidence in committing the copy of your diſpute to his publication by the Preſs, would be abuſed by him, and ſo I believe it was more wayes then one, as I have ſhewed.
Thirdly, I ſaw the arrogancy of the mans ſpirit in the Title page of his Examination, which made me deem him an indocible Sophiſter, far from the good mind of Hierom, who deſired proficiency in what is good, and to change his mind from any thing that is bad. Utinam mihi ſic ſemper diſputare contingat, ut ad meliora proficiens—deſeram quod malè tenebam. Hieron. …dve… ſus Luciſerian. vol. 2. p. 147. Diſp p. 33.Your ſelfe had ſome experience of his refractory humour; when though he did or might have heard from your mouth a ſatisfactory diſcourſe, in vindication of the Miniſtry of England, wherein all that he had objected, and much more was fully anſwered; yet he ſaid, that you would not, or could not prove it a true Miniſtry.
Fourthly, I obſerved how perverſely he dealt with you, in impoſing unreaſonable conditions upon you in diſputation, wherein if you did not ſatisfie him, all you did was nothing; whereas that with him of ſo great moment was nothing to the purpoſe, as I have ſhewed: and in a wilful refuſal to conſult with any Author of your propoſal for his ſatisfaction. You turn me over to Mr. Hollingworth (ſaith he) in anſwer to which ſhift, I tell you once more, in that path I will not follow you; for in this controverſial age, ſo many books have been written on both ſides, if we ſhould take this way, when ſhould we anſwer our ſelves? To return each other to others works, you may find me (and I could you as eaſily) work till you are weary, to anſwer all books, Mr. O. Exam. p. 22, 23.pro and con, about this ſubject; then in doing of which (ſeeing enough is ſaid already) I hope to employ my ſelf better.
For what you ſhall anſwer your ſelf, either of your ſelf, or by the pens of others tranſcribed for your ſelf, let it be Mr. Hollingworth,Ibid. or who it will be, I will not decline the anſwering thereunto; but at your return to them I will not go, it being you I deal with. Wherein refuſing your offer, he renders a reaſon which makes againſt him, viz becauſe in this controverſial age, ſo many books be written on both ſides; why then ſhould any more be added by you and him of the ſame controverſie, when they have been more accurately diſcuſſed already by writing and printing, then by polemical concertation in diſcourſe (whereof much is meerly extemporary) they are like to be? And he ſaith, he hopeth to employ himſelf better; and if he can employ himſelf better then by reading ſuch Books, as were adviſedly and deliberately dictated, to ſatisfie ſuch as doubt, and ſettle doubtful Readers in the truth in queſtion; ſure you may employ your ſelf better, then in putting your ſelf to the pains and expence of time, to write out Arguments and Anſwers for his ſutisfaction; becauſe he wants the books you direct him to, or will not be at coſt to buy them, or trouble to peruſe them; and if he did read them, would bring a reſolution rather to cavil at them, then to receive reſolution from them. When you have leiſure to waſh a Black-moor, you may ſpare ſome time to ſpend upon your ſelf-conceited and ſelf-willed adverſary Mr. J. O. for ſuch an one will every judicious man judge him to be, who reads with indifferency the Diſputation and Examination publiſhed by him againſt you.
Fifthly, you have too much precious work in your hands every day, then that you can warrantably lay any part of it aſide, to contend with ſuch an obſtinate adverſary as Mr. Onley is; and I am verily perſwaded, and I aſſure my ſelf, many that know your various and unceſſant pains for the ſouls of your people of Coventry, are of my mind, that thereby you do more good in a week there, then you ſhall do by diſputing with, or writing againſt a perverſe Anabaptiſt a whole year together.
Sixthly, There are ſo many now engaged in the defence of the Churches of Chriſt (for now Mr. O. ſets himſelf againſt all the Churches of Europe, and New England, beſides Old England) that ſo much work cannot in reaſon fall to your ſhare, as ſtill to manage the defence of them all againſt him, or any ſuch obſtreperous talker; eſpecially having ſuch a weighty burden of paſtoral employment continually upon you.
Seventhly, If you ſhould ſet all aſide, and encounter him at the Preſs, as you have done by Diſputation in the Church, it would be to little purpoſe or profit, both in reſpect of Mr. O. and of his party. For,
Firſt for him, unleſs you anſwer him in every particular how impertinent ſoever, you ſhall ſtill be under his exception and inſultation, to the great prejudice both of your cauſe & perſon; for he not onelyonly taxeth you for deficient anſwering already, ſaying, to a great part of his anſwer you have not ſaid one word, and that your Reply paſſeth over juſt half his Anſwer, without a word of Reply. Exam. of Dr. …. Rep. p. 28. Ibid. p. 115.But ſuch is his inſolency, that (as if he had authority to preſcribe your part of the controverſie, as well as to diſpoſe of his own) he layeth this ſevere Law upon you, if you conteſt with him again, exactly to anſwer to each particular plainly and downrightly by reaſons and Scriptures directly to the purpoſe, or elſe to confeſs you cannot, by ſaying nothing. Neither ſo nor ſo; For datur tertium, a man may ſilently pais by an eſpecial part of his Book written in defence of a precious truth,Mr. O. his Exam. of Dr. Br. Reply, p. 69. as he phraſeth it, that is, Univerſal Redemption, becauſe it is diſcovered to be a pernicious error, and abundantly confuted by Doctor Kendall, in anſwer to M. John Goodwins Book called Redemption Redeemed; and another part as impertinent as that ſo often inculcated poſition of Mr. O. Of the firſt conſtitution of Churches; and another part is anſwered by Dr. Br. before, as that for the Vindication of the Miniſtry of England: no need then of confeſſing you can ſay nothing,Diſp. p. 33. becauſe you do not ſay all things as he appointeth you. Mr. Fiſher made a more modeſt reſolution concerning his adverſary and himſelf; If any one anſwer (ſaith he) and I have ſatisfaction from him to the contrary, he ſhall hear of my Recantation; if I have not, he ſhall ſee it by my ſilence. Mr. Fiſher in his anſwer to Nobody in 5 words. p 465.So may you better ſignifie your diſſatisfaction with Mr. O. his Examination of your Reply by your ſilence, then endeavour his ſatisfaction by a printed anſwer unto it, and that upon his reaſon, viz becauſe he would not loſe any more time from preaching, at I ſee I must (ſaith he) if I meddle any more at the Preſs with this ſubject.
Secondly, It would be to as little purpoſe and profit, in reſpect of his party,Veſtra ſolum legitis, veſtra amatis, caetera causâ incognitâ condemnatis. Cicer. l. 2. de natur. deorum. p. 216. Medicamenta neſciunt, & inſani ſunt adverſus antidotum quâ ſani eſſe potuiſſent, Aug. confeſſ. l. 9. c. 4. who are ſo poſſeſſed with prejudice againſt your cauſe by their teachers, odious invectives and exclamations againſt you, your Church and Miniſtry as Popiſh and Antichriſtian, that they will not onelyonly not buy, but not ſo much as look upon an Apology for you, being ſick of the perverſe partiality which the Orator reproveth in ſome Philoſophical Hereticks of his time, You read onelyonly what is written for your own ſide (ſaith he) and love onelyonly what is your own, for other things you condemn them, the cauſe unheard. And as Aguſtine obſerveth of ſome of like diſtempered paſſions, though ſo much the worſe, as errors in Divinity are worſe then errors in Philoſophy: They know not what is Phyſick for them, and are mad (ſaith he) againſt the Medicine which ſhouldoure them of their madneſs. Such are many of the beſotted Proſelytes of ſeducing Teachers of the preſent age.
In reſpect of ſuch froward and perverſe oppoſites, as both they and they leaders (for the moſt part) manifeſt themſelves, ſilence may ſometimes be more ſeaſonable then Replications and Rejoynders: for,Quorum dicta contraria ſi toties refellere velimus, quoties obnixa fronte ſtatuerunt non carere quid dicant, dum quomodocunque noſtris diſputationibus contradicant, quàm infinitum & aerumnoſum & infructuoſum? &c. Aug. de Civit. Dei l. 2. c. 1. Tom. 1. p. 63. as Auguſtine putteth the caſe, If we ſhould ſet our ſelves to refell the contrary Tenets of thoſe who have hardned their foreheads, ſo as to reſolve they will have ſomewhat to ſay, ſo they may any way gainſay our disputations, how endleſs, how grievous, how unprofitable will our trouble be?
Eighthly, If there were a neceſſity that Mr. O. ſhould be further anſwered by you, or ſome body for you, you have three Sons, the youngeſt of whom would be able enough to undertake him by an Examination and Conviction of his Examination of error and ſlander, of pride and vanity: but neither would I have any of them put to ſo unprofitable a Task, becauſe I hear they are all of them dayly employed in better work. Therefore,
Ninthly, If after theſe Animadverſions upon him and his Book, it be requiſite to take any further courſe to take down the Tympany of Mr. O. his ſwelling ſelf-conceit, I ſhall propoſe it to the ſerious conſiderations of our Venerable Society, at their meeting at Kenelmworth, to invite him to a publick Diſputation there once again, to be ordered and managed according to the Rules forementioned. So you have mine advice as you deſired, with what I further promiſed; for which, if any thing be worthy of your acceptance and theirs, who are our Brethren in intereſt and affection to the cauſe wherein you firſt, and now I am publickly engaged, I deſire your thanks to God for it, and prayers for me.
Yours in the deareſt relations of Chriſtianity and Friendſhip, JOHN LEY.