The New Query and Determination Upon It, Section 1
SECT. I. Of the Authour, and Title page of the Quere; and Determination, upon it.
OF the Authour I have not much to ſay, ſave that when he was ſent for examination to the Committee of Divines, I found him well qualified for parts, and gifts, to be imployed in the Miniſtery; and as he was entertained by us with beſeeming civility and courteſie, ſo did he carry himſelfe towards us with an ingenuous modeſty; and we met, and parted with mutuall acceptation: After that, he was pleaſed to owne me as his Friend, and to honour me as his Cenſor, with a requeſt to peruſe ſome papers of his which he intended to publiſh; yet to this day I never ſaw them, unleſſe they were graduates from his pen to the preſſe; and ſo I might reade them, and not know them to be the ſame: whether he changed his mind concerning his owne paines, or my peruſall, or wanted a convenient opportunity to bring, or ſend them unto me, I cannot reſolve, nor will I conjecture; but I will take his invitation of me to play the Critick with him, for ſome more authority to examine his divulged dictates, then others have, who have none other intereſt in them then that of an ordinary Reader.
VponUpon this intercourſe betwixt us, having heard adverſe opinions, and reports of his impreſſion, in the preſent difference of diſcipline, I thought I had acquaintance enough with him, to put a Queſtion to him, Whether he were an Independent or no? (a Title by ſome of our diſſenting brethren aThat proud and inſolent title of Independencie was affixed unto us, as our claime, the very ſound of which conveighes to all mens apprehenſions the challenge of an exemption from all ſubjection and dependence; or rather a Trumpet of defiance againſt whatſoever power, ſpirituall or civill; which we do abhor and deteſt. Apolog. Narrat. p. 21.abhorred, by others bMr. Whites Book which he calls Truth gloriouſly appearing, &c. in the Title page and fol. 2. pag. 1. of the Epiſtle Dedicatory, and fol. 2. p. 1. of the Epiſtle to the Reader.owned, and honoured) he told me, he was not, but that he had a latitude of charity for them of that way; and ſo have I alſo.
Since this anſwer, I had ſome glympſe of more inclination in him to that ſide, then he acknowledged before, by his Dawnings of light, which have lately ſhone forth to a full diſcovery of his mind, in his booke which he calleth The opening of Maſter Prins Vindication; wherein he hath laid himſelfe ſo open to the view of them that reade it, that none of them can doubt but he is an Independent at leaſt, and at beſt not well affected to the Diſcipline ſo much deſired, (as in the firſt page of his New Quere he hath phraſed it) for in his Epiſtle Dedicatory, to the worthily much honoured Major Generall Skippon, he makes the Controverſie of theſe times to be but this, that ſome would walke more cloſe with Chriſt, ſome can be content like Peter to walke at more diſtance, and to follow him afarre off, and to ſtand warming themſelves with the multitude in the Common-hall; and let the world judge betwixt us, which is of beſt report. Who he meanes by ſuch as walk cloſe with Chriſt, and who by thoſe that walke at more diſtance, we may gather by his anſwer to the Vindication, cPag. 24. Of the opening.where he ſaith, That our Pariſhes are not conſtituted, nor yet the government, according to the Goſpell order; which he referres, for their originall, (by way of reproach) to Dionyſius Biſhop of Rome, Anno 276. and in England to Honorius Biſhop of Canterbury, while he endevours to prove the particular da. p. 33. ad pag. 37.gatherings, and ſeparations of Congregationall meetings to be a fruit of the ſpiritual antipathy betwixt grace & nature, fleſh & ſpirit, and that their pure and unmixt communion is the ordinance of Chriſt; of which (after he hath laid a charge upō the Presbyterial Churches) he ſaith, As I know not any ſuch things among them, ſo I will make none Apologie for them, becauſe that would bring them within the compaſſe of ſome thing like a crime, and I know nothing but well by them: By which comparative cenſure he bewrayeth himſelfe to be partiall to one ſide, and prejudiciall to the other; and to that I profeſſe my ſelfe a Servant, whereto he ſheweth himſelfe to be no friend; yet in defence thereof, I will not entertaine him as an enemie; for my Genius hath alwayes been very averſe from jarres, and it is the leſſe diſpoſed to quarrel with him, becauſe I ſee he dealeth not ſo harſhly with Mr. Prin, as moſt of thoſe polemicall Penmen have done, who have written againſt him; and to give him his due, in all that I have ſeene ſet forth in his name, I find him rather opiniative, than paſſionate, and more luxuriant in new notions of his braine, then exorbitant in the paſſions, or perturbations of his ſpirit.
I premiſe thus much, that you may not miſtake my mind in my conteſtation with him in this cauſe, as if I tooke him for an enemie, becauſe he telleth what he taketh to be a truth; for whatſoever different apprehenſions we have in our heads, I wiſh wee may have nothing in our hearts, which may tend to effect, or foment any alienation of affection betwixt us. For it is my deſire, and ſhall be alwayes a part of my care, that while I ſeek after a controverted truth, I may not turne aſide from a certaine duty; which is, in meekneſſe to deale with a brother that is contrary minded; ſo farre as may not prove to the prejudice of what in conſcience I am bound to undertake, and to manage alſo to the beſt advantage. This for the Author and for the Title page beſides (for the Authors Name is a part of it) it is as followeth.