Light for Smoke, Section 28
SECT. XXVIII. What a Trumpeter Mr. Saltm. is; his reproach of the Parliament plaine enough, though rather implied then expreſſed; A challenge of him to prove his inſinuated ſuggeſtions of Treaſon, Blaſphemie, &c. in my Examination of his New Quere.
Smoke. Pag. 59. ANd like a ſpirituall watchman I could not but blow my Trumpet.
Light. The premiſes conſidered, your Trumpet is as the Trumpet of Sheba the ſonne of Bichri ſounded to ſedition, a Sam. 20.1.
Smoke. Pag. 59. And for my compariſon of Papiſts and Prelates, I appeale to the world if there be any reproach, whether it be not in the Interpreter rather then in the Authour.
Light. For my compariſon of Papiſts and Prelates, If you compare Papiſts and Prelates, it is not ſo great a reproach to Prelates for the moſt part to be matched with Papiſts, as for the Presbyterians to be likened to the worſt of either, as you make the compariſon; but you ſhould have ſaid further, for my reſemblance of ſuch as deſire and endeavour the ſpeedy ſetting up of Government to Papiſts and Prelates (for ſo you made it in your Quere, p. 8.) I appeale (not to the world, that is too wide a compaſſe for a Iudicatory as well as for a Church, but) to the ingenuous and impartiall Reader, whether the Parliament, making as much haſte as they can to finiſh the Governement, that they may eſtabliſh it by their civill Sanction, be not implicitly taken into that imputation; and let him judge alſo whether the reproach be in the Authour or in the Interpreter.
Smoke. Pag. 59. If it be lawfull, ſay you, to draw in conſequent concluſions, and then father them, I could prove you to ſpeake Treaſon, Blasphemie, Idolatry, Atheiſme, Hereſie, nay Independency, which ſome of you may thinke worſe, Anabaptiſme, Separation, which would ſeeme to be as hatefull to you; but I judge you not in any ſuch ſort; nor had I ſpoken ſo farre now, but in a juſt vindication.
Light.If it be lawfull? why ſhould you doubt of it, but that it is lawfull? If I have any premiſes which you can make parents to bring forth ſuch corrupt and criminall concluſions, ſpare me not Sir; nay I challenge you to lay downe your antecedent in my words, and bring in your conſequent of Treaſon, Blaſphemie, Idolatry. Atheiſme, &c. out of them; which if you can doe by any faire and unforced deduction, I will take you for an unerring Oracle, and follow you with an implicit faith, with punctuall obſervance and imitation of you whitherſoever you goe, through all your vatiations of Hereſie, and Schiſme, though you ramble all over the Catalogue of them, as Irenaeus, Epiphanius, Philaſtrius, Brixlenſit, and Auguſtine of old, or any later Haereſiographers have ſet them forth; but if you cannot doe this, (as I know you cannot) with what conſcience do you give out a ſuſpition, or inſinuation of ſuch abominable guilt? what an ungodly guile is this? how far from the Chriſtian charitie of a man pretending the ſpirit of meekneſſe, and moderation, as you doe?aSmoke. p. 2. nu. 3. Let a ſpirit of meekneſſe (ſay you) runne in the Artery of Preaching and Printing; how farre from finceritie, to raiſe ſuch a ſmoke of infamie and reproach upon the reputation of him whom you ſtyle ſometimesbIn the Inſcription of your Letter. a Friend, ſometimescSmoke. p. 26. a Brother, and to whom you profeſſe a threefold reſpect for his age, learning, and place, in your Letter unto him? this ſ…rely is the beame in your eye dYour Letter to me. p. b.you ſpake of, while you are curious to take out the mote in mine eye; and for that you ſay of Independencie worſe thought of then Treaſon, Blaſphemie, Idolatrie, Atheiſme, &c. I know no Presbyterian that thinks ſo of Independencie, ut ſic, abſtractively, but conſidering the concurrence of many dangerous and damnable opinions with it, and their protection and propagation by it, it may perhaps be truly ſaid, that Independencie extenſively, comprehenſively, and effectively, though not formally, or intenſively may be worſo then other errouts, or hereſies, forced under that ſuppoſed golden head, or embraced in its …ver …, though they be at the beſt but as the belly and thighs of braſſe; and at the worſt as legges of iron, and feet in part of iron, in part of clay, as in Nebuchadnezzars Image, Dan. 2. verſ. 32, 33.
I ſhould require and expect your ingenuous acknowledgement of this injurious and uncharitable charge, but that you have directed me to another remedie of the wrong you doe me; where you ſay in your Epiſtle to me, If you finde any paſſions in my Booke, charge them upon mine unregenerate part, for I finde that when I would doe good evill is preſent with me.
According to this diſtinction a female diſciple of ſome Antinomian Teacher (who would be thought too good a Chriſtian to be a member of any Congregation that met in a Steeple-houſe) made her evaſion from an accuſation of theſe; for when her Miſtreſſe charged her for ſtealing her linnens, and other things, which ſhe found in her cheſt, or trunck, ſhe denied that ſhe ſtole them; and when ſhe asked how came they to be laid and locked up there, Did not you doe this? No, ſaid ſhe. It was not I, but ſinne that dwelleth in me.
That this is no tale fained, or taken up on truſt to reproach ſuch profeſſours as pretend to an extraordinarie ſtraine of Evangelicall perfection, but a true ſtorie, will be made good by evidence beyond exception to ſuch as ſhall queſtion the truth thereof: But whether true, or falſe, you will haply ſay, what is this to you? Truly ſo much as her excuſe for her theeverie hath the more conformitie with your excuſe for your calumnie; but I bring it in but occaſionally, and it is more pertinent I confeſſe to mind you of your owne faults then of others.
Smoke. Pag. 59. You ſay you will conclude with my Politicks, &c. The Anſwer to this ſee in the Epiſtle.