Light for Smoke, Section 14
SECT. XIV. The Preſbyteriall Government not unſutable to the condition of Chriſt; the prevailing of Independents, and of the Sects that meet in Independencie, much more terrible then the Preſbyteriall Government can be.
Smoke. Pag. 34, 35. BƲt all this will not prove the Lordſhip of ſuch a Preſbytery or Government; cert ainely you intend a terrible government, becauſe you bring in theſe Texts that have judgement and ſeveritie in them, which Chriſt threatens to the Nations and Kings of the earth and not to his Churches; will you make Chriſt rule in his Church as he doth in the World? well, let your Preſbytery enjoy the iron ſcepter, while the Churches of Chriſt enjoy the golden, and try if you ruine not more then you rule.
Light.Theſe proofes were not brought to prove a Presbyterial Government, but dato ſed non conceſſo, that it was ſevere, it was not ſounſutable to the condition of Chriſt as you pretended. And for that you ſay, certainly you intend a terrible Government, though you ſpeake to me, you doe not meane it of me, for you have ſaid*Smoke, p. 23. before, What if ſuch as your ſelfe, and ſome other godly meeke of your way propound nothing but wayes of meekneſſe to your ſelves, can you undertake, &c. whereby you ſeeme to acquit me from the accuſation of ſuch rigour as you ſuſpect in others; and if that be your meaning, you are not miſtaken in my ſpirit, for if I know any thing of it, it is farre from that height of heat againſt any oppoſers whatſoever which was in the Diſciples of our Saviour againſt the Samaritans, when they received him not, Luk. 9.54.
And I confeſſe, in the preſence of God who knoweth the hearts of all men, that if a ſpirit of meekneſſe, and ſweetneſſe, and of all affectionate and faire inſinuations would prevaile with the moſt perverſe and blaſphemous heretique to winne him to be cordially Chriſts, I could wiſh the golden Scepter held out to invite him into the communion of the Church, rather then the iron rod to bruiſe, or breake, or to affright him from the Church. And though you meane this of others, who ſhew themſelves Zealots for the Presbyteriall Government, you are too inconſiderate, too uncharitable, too confident in your charge; for how can you be ſo certain as you make your ſelfe, when the thing they move for hath no terrour in it; It is true, that according to the French Proverbe, He that would have his neighbours dog hang'd gives out that he is mad; ſo your party that would have the Presbyteriall Government literally ſuſpended, and made away as a mad dog, as if it would (as Paul was before his converſion) be mad againſt the Saints, Act. 26.11. and breathe out nothing but threatnings and ſlaughters againſt them, Act. 9.1. give out that it is an intolerable Tyranny, and ten times worſe then the Prelaticall Domination: When indeed if men will lay aſide all prejudice, partiality, and paſſion, they ſhall finde the ſpirit of Independencie more terrible then that of Presbyterie. For,
Firſt, that which is ſo much ſtuck at as an incroachment upon Chriſtian liberty, and a meanes of the Miniſters domineering over the people, the ſuſpenſiō from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, are not the Independents more rigid then the Preſbyterians are? for they generally ſuſpend whole Pariſhes from the Sacrament (except ſome few of their covenanted diſciples) for divers yeers together, without any law or rule at all; the Preſbyterians generally doe not ſo; or if ſome doe forbeare communions for a time, it is not upon ſuch principles as the Independents maintaine; and they doe all they can to expedite the removall of all ſcandals from the Sacrament, wherein the Independents refuſe to joyne with them.
Secondly, the Independents deny not onelyonly the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, as hath been ſaid, but they deny the Sacrament of Baptiſme to all ſuch as are not the children of their covenanted members; the Preſbyterians accept of them for a federall holineſſe profeſſed by their parents; and if there were no more but theſe two differences betwixt them, it were enough (if men would not give up themſelves to be groſly befooled by flattery and calumny) to cry out upon the Independents for their injurious invaſions upon Chriſtian libertie, and to love the Preſbyterians for their mildneſſe and charitie in theſe particulars: but further,
Thirdly, The Independents Government (though to ſpeake properly, Independency is rather Anarchy then Government) is more terrible then the Preſbyterian; becauſe under it are united all ſorts of ſectaries, among whom many are of furious ſpirits, men of blood and Belial, and ſuch as have made many bloody maſſacres in Germany, and have threatned if otherwiſe they may not have their will, (their libertie they call it) that they will have it by the ſword; for have they not an Independent armie to force their way againſt the Presbyterians? I quoted to this purpoſe Mr. Prinnes freſh Diſcovery, and Dr. Baſtw. Preface to his ſecond part of Independency, but I quoted not their words, now I will, became ſince Mr. Edw. put forth his laſt Booke, ſome of that ſect have ſpoken bloody words againſt his perſon; and (though he be ſo confident in the goodneſſe of his cauſe, and the integrity of his intentions, that he beleeves he ſhould leſſe feare to be killed, then any to kill him) yet ſince I finde the Independents deale with the Preſbyterians as Ahab did with Elijah, charging him with his own fault, 1 King. 18.17. and that like the beaſt in the Revelation, they ſpeake like a dragon, Revel. 13.11. and are horned rather like a ramme then a lambe, I thinke it fit that their ſpirit be better known, that they may be leſſe truſted; eſpecially, where they pretend more meekneſſe then they finde among Preſbyterians; their words are theſe,
Two Predicant Captaines apprehended, and queſtioned for preaching in Newport Pannell againſt the Ordinance of Parliament of the 26. of April, 1645. among other ſpeeches averred,aMr. Prinnes Epiſt. Dedic. before his Freſh Diſcovery of ſome prodigious new wandring blazingſtarres and firebrand. fol. 3. p. a. That if the godly and well affected party were thus perſecuted, they ſhould be forced to make a worſe breach then what was yet, when they had done with the Kings party; telling one Enſigne Ratford and his Souldiers that they were worſe then Cavaliers; and that when they had made an end of the warre with the Cavaliers, they ſhould be forced to raiſe a new Army to fight with them. And in Dr.bDr. Baſtw. his ſecond part of Independency not Gods Ordinance, in the Preface. fol. 14. p. b. & fol. 15. p. a. Baſtwicks Preface to his ſecond part of his Independency not Gods Ordinance, he ſaith thus; Among thoſe they thinke they may confide in, they affirme they will not be beholding to the Parliament nor any body elſe for their libertia, for they will have it, and aske them no leave; they have the ſword now in their hand, and they thinke their partie ſtrong enough to encounter any adverſe and oppoſing partie; and they profeſſe they care not how ſoone they come to outting of throats, and ſpeake of nothing but the ſlaughtering and butchering of the Preſbyterians.
And though I confeſſe there may be many Independents (and ſome I know to be ſuch as your ſelfe) of a meeke and gentle diſpoſition, yet as Peter Du Moulin ſaid of many of the Prieſts in France, that they were for their loyaltis not beholding to the maxim… of Italy, ſo I ſay, for their mookneſſe they are not beholding to the Principles of Independency; for where they moſt prevaile they puffe men up in pride, ſelfe-conceipt, and diſdaine of their Chriſtian brethren, though in gifts and graces farre better then themſelves, many of them being Anabaptiſts, and of the ſpirit of that inſ…lent hereticke, who, whencCum ego humaniter pro liuguae mea more cum compellarem, nunquam aliter dignatus eſt mecu loqui, quam ſi cum cane ſibi negotium fuiſſet. Cum introductus fuiſſet in Curiam, voluit primo Syndico aſſidere; inde repulſus, caput oculoſ que torquendo, Propheticam Majeſtatem ſimulans, &c. Calvin. Epiſt. Farello, p. 62. Calvin had conference with him, and entertained him with termes of humanitie, vouchſafed him none other language then if Calvin had been no better then a dogge; and he ſhewed the arrogancy of his minde by his carriage, and behaviour, as well as by his words, offering to ſit next to the prime Syndick of the Senate of Geneva, and upon the repulſe, by the motion of his head, and eyes, ſignifying great weath, he tooke upon him a Propheticall Majeſtie. And albeit ſome take it for a proofe of the goodneſſe of their cauſe, that they have engaged many great and rich men in it, which makes them, as is trulydMr. Baylie his Diſſwaſive from Errours. cap. 3. pag. 53. obſerved, Though the ſmalleſt of all the ſects of the time for their number, yet the greateſt for worth of their followers, yet that in a true Chriſtian conſideration makes rather againſt it; for by getting ſo many rich and great men unto their partie, and ayming ſo much at ſuch diſciples (with ſuch neglect of others as is obſerved) ſhewes that they are not minded as the Apoſtle was, when he ſaid to the Corinthians; I ſeeke not yours but you, 2 Cor. 12.14. but rather contrariwiſe; ſo that if they would ſay, what many by their actions ſpeake, they ſhould tell their converts; I ſeeke not you but yours, or rather yours then you. And ſecondly, when rich and great men embrace Independency, it may give great cauſe of ſuſpition that they doe it, becauſe, as rich, they are apt to be high-minded, 1 Tim. 6.17. and all high-minded men are the moſt legitimate ſonnes of lapſed Adam, who would be Independent upon God, and be a God of himſelfe, and ſo they are apt to take up Independency, rather out of an humour of pride, then out of conſcience towards either pictie, or truth.
Fourthly, It is apparent to all how ambitious many Independents are of all places of honour, of power, and profit, of being Members in the Parliament, prime Officers in the Armie, Committee men; and if any croſſe them, what wayes they finde out to be meet with them, ſending them tickets, and calling them in queſtion, when they know there is no juſt cauſe of exception againſt them, of purpoſe to caſt an awe upon all men, as if the authoritie of the State were at their ſervice, to ſecure their credits againſt all complaints how juſt ſo ever, and to diſcountenance thoſe who in an ingenuous and generous ſpirit oppoſe their uſurpations, which are now ſo viſible to the view of all that are not wilfully blind, that it is matter of great wonder, that the Presbyterians (who are more in number, and dignitie, then any ſect whatſoever, and if they were as active as they, might much overtop them in power) are ſo dull and indulgent towards them, as to ſuffer them ſtill to carry on their deſigne as they doe; which in ſome Presbyterians for the time paſt may be imputed to their patience, and meekneſſe of minde, being loth to offend ſuch; but if it ſhould be ſo generall hereafter as it hath been, it might be aſcribed to a negligence, and coldneſſe in that cauſe which they ſhould endeavour to promote with all their might in all warrantable wayes of zeale, of induſtry, circumſpection, and prudence.
Fifthly, Though you aſſigne the iron Scepter to the Presbytery, the golden to your Churches, the truth is, if the Independents were once as Independent as they would be, they would be Maſters of both metals, both gold and iron; and ſome of their party bragge they have both the purſe and the ſword in their power; if ſo, (and in ſuch a degree as they would have it, but it is true but in part, though too much) they that now renounce appeales to Claſſicall, Provinciall, and Nationall Aſſemblies, would appeale to the ſword, and then they would be ready to ruine thoſe that would not be ruled by them, to breake thoſe that would not bow unto them.
Sixthly, You cannot finde any thing in the Presbyterians principles, nor in their practice, as they are Presbyterians, which may be matter, I ſay not of conviction, but of ſuſpition of ſuch a terrible government, as you take upon you, with ſo much confidence, to charge upon them.