The New Query and Determination Upon It, Section 22
SECT. XXII. The offenſive Acceptance of them by the Parliament, as the weekely News-makers make report of it: Cautions premiſed before their confutation.
FOr the third particular, the acceptance the Petitions had; This Malignant Intelligencer tels his Reader, that the Commons ſate long, and laid it much to heart that any ſuch thing ſhould come from the Citie, and that they ſhould lend an eare to any, that ſhould in ſo evill a way repreſent things to them, and of what dangerous conſequence it was.
To which before I make any punctuall Reply, I deſire to premiſe theſe particulars.
1. That in nothing that I have ſaid, or ſhall ſay, I intend any contradiction to the Honourable Houſe of Commons.
2. I beleeve not this Relater hath truly delivered the fence of that Houſe.
3. That if any worthy Member among them, according to any information received, and beleeved by him, have uſed his libertie in ſpeaking of his mind, (though his wiſdome, as well as others innocencie, may be abuſed by miſ-report) I ſhall not deſire to raiſe any part of my Reply ſo high as to him, but to confine my ſelfe to the report of this Pamphleter, who I am ſure hath no Parliamentary priviledge to ſpeake what he pleaſeth; (which yet a Parliament man, that hath it, will not take upon him to uſe when he is out of Parliament, as when he is in it.) And if any of that grave and judicious Senate, ſuppoſing us faulty, have thought it fit and juſt that we ſhould be charged, we doubt not but there are many among them, who, if we be innocent, will be well content to ſee us cleared; ſince for many of us, their Honour is in part ingaged for our reputation, in the *We have conſulted with the Reverend, Pi…us, and Learned, Divines called together to that purpoſe. The Ordinance of Parliament of the third of January, 1644. prefixed before the Directory. p. 1.publique Teſtimonie they have given of us to three Kingdomes; and the moſt of us are the ſame men, and have the ſame conſciences engaged in the deſire of a preſent eſtabliſhment of Government, ſo as it may be ſafely, and profitably practicall, who in confidence of the goodneſſe and godlineſſe of the Reformation owned, managed, and maintained by the Parliament; and in hearty and faithfull devotion thereto, and ready and cheerfull obedience to them, have ſuffered the ſhipwrack of our eſtates, and hazarded our lives, and we repent not of any part of our paines, or preſſures, or perils, ſo long as we may be ſerviceable to ſo good a Cauſe, and to ſuch good and gracious Maſters, as under Chriſt they have hitherto approved themſelves toward us: and I hope we may without vain-boaſting ſay, by way of Apology, that we have not beene altogether their unprofitable ſervants, in reſpect of our Intereſt in, and endeavours with the people, (without whom the greateſt Kings are rather cyphers then figures, and deſtitute both of honour and ſafety, Prov. 14.28.) to informe their judgements, and to inflame their zeale, and to oblige their conſciences, to faſten their affections in loyaltie, and fidelity to thoſe worthy P…triots, whom they have in their choice and votes of election intruſted with the Religion, the lives, and the eſtates of themſelves▪ and their poſteritie.
To which purpoſe we cannot be of ſo good uſe, nor our mediation ſo effectuall for hereafter, as aforetime, if we be ſuch Prevaricators as he hath repreſented us to the publique view; or, not being ſuch, if we ſuffer our innocence to be betrayed in miſtruſt to ſuſpition, by either inconſiderate or cowardly ſilence.
Thus much premiſed in dutie to the Honourable Houſe of Commons, and in due circumſpection and caution to my Reverend Brethren, and my ſelfe, I ſhall now make anſwer to the charge given out, and the anſwer (ſo farre as it concerneth us) may be partly made out of the concluſion of the Schedule, (as it was tendered with the reaſons of the Miniſters to the Court of Common C…uncell in confo…itie to their deſires made knowne unto us) which was as that Honorable Aſſembly can witneſſe with us, in theſe words: Theſe our deſires and reaſons we humbly preſent to this Honourable Court, not that we have the leaſt intention of inveſting our ſelves and the Miniſtery with any arbitrarie, unlimited, and exorbitant power: For the power is not to be ſettled upon the Miniſters alone, but upon the Preſbyteries; in all which it is provided already, that there ſhall be alwaies two at leaſt of the people for one Miniſter; And we ſincerely profeſſe our deſires and intentions to manage this weightie Government, not according to our wils, or wiſdomes, but as neere as is poſſible, according to the will and word of God, the moſt certaine Rule in the world; nor that we would carry on this work by might and power, for we have good hope that God in due time will patronize his owne Cauſe, though men ſhould be wanting; but that we may diſcharge a good conſcience, in our utmoſt endeavours to advance the Kingdome of Chriſt, in the puritie of Reformation, to be faithfull to the Church of Chriſt, wherein we are ſtewards, and watchmen; and to ſucceeding poſteritie, to maintaine the truth to which we are bound to beare witneſſe; to fulfill our ſolemne League and Covenant with God, from which we cannot goe backe; and as your remembran…ers, to put you in mind to neglect no pious endeavours, in your places, and callings, for expediting both your ſelves, and us, out of the former difficulties, and for promoting of ſuch a Reformation of Religion in Diſcipline and Government, as may have due puritie in it ſelfe, may bring ſweet unitie amongſt us, and moſt conduce to an happy uniformitie in all the three Kingdomes, according to the vowes of God that are upon you in your ſolemne League and Covenant.
He goeth on ſaying, that the Houſe did perceive that they had beene miſ-informed, and that they could not but lay it much to heart that they who had ever beene ſo ready to doe all good offices for the Kingdome, and goe with the Parliament, ſhould from any but the Parliament take a repreſentation of their proceedings.
Miſ-informed, wherein? is there any thing untrue in that they preſented in their Petition, or Schedule annexed? and by whom miſ-informed? by the Miniſters of London? that is the meaning, but certainly they that originally made this ſuggeſtion are little acquainted with the minds, conſciences, intentions, or proceedings of the Miniſters who gave in their writing to the Common Councell of the Citie, ſubſcribed with no fewer then foureſcore and nine hands; and they had preſented more to the Parliament if they had not beene ſtrai…ned in time, for the Petition was drawne up but at night, and was to be delivered the next morning.
And for the Honourable Court of Common Councell of the Citie, (though their prudence, integritie, dignitie, good affection, and fidelitie to the Parliament, have no need, nor doe deſire any defence of ſo meane or feeble an hand as mine is) I hope it will not be either offenſive, or ungratefull to them, if (having had often conference (as well as other of my Brethren) with their Committee, and being ſent with ſome of them, in the name of the Miniſters of London, to the Honourable Court of Common Councell, on Tueſday, November 18. where the Citie Petition was publiquely read, and ratified by common conſent) I make report of ſome paſſages, wherein they and we are joyntly concerned; as followeth.
There being a Committee of Common Councell choſen by that Councell, to conſult with a Committee of Divines, and to conſider of our common engagements in the Presbyteriall Government, (for ſome of them, with ſome of us were already choſen to be Provinciall Tryers of Elders, and the ſame, and many others of the Citizens were like to be choſen for Parochiall Elders) we ſaw not how we could be divided in difficulties, if the Directions were not cleared; nor in hazards, if we were not ſufficiently authoriſed to carry on the ſervice, who were in part already, and yet were further to be united in that great (and to this Kingdome altogether) new undertaking; at our Committees we obſerved nothing in thoſe worthy Citizens of the Committee, nor in thoſe who were partly permitted, and partly requeſted to be preſent at our meetings, but what was ſutable to piety, prudence, and to affectionate and dutifull obſervance of the Parliament; and it was our joy, as it may be their glory, that we found ſo many men of excellent parts, and ſpirits, ſo well compoſed, and balanced, without any propenſion to be ſwayed any way further then the light of truth, and dictate of conſcience did diſpoſe them: and yet ſo farre from over-weening wit, or ſelfe-conceited wilfulneſſe, that while we debated difficulties with them, we ſaw that of Solomon verified in them, Give inſtruction to a wiſe man, and he will be yet wiſer, teach a juſt man, and he will increaſe in learning, Prov. 9.9.
And though they were pleaſed to entertaine us with much honour, and favour, we neither tooke upon us to be their guides, in the carriage of this Cauſe, nor to perſwade them to any thing, but what would be the reſult of their owne judgements, and conſciences, upon a due conſideration of the matters before them; nor did we know untill Tueſday night, the next night before the morning of their going to Weſtminſter, that they would petition; nor when that was reſolved on, did any of us know, or ſee that Petitionary draught, or ſo much as a line of it, which they preſented to the Parliament; onelyonly when my ſelfe, with ſome of my Brethren, were ſent from the Divines of London, then Aſſembled at Sion Colledge, to know their minds, how farro they would appeare in the propoſall of requeſts and reaſons, or what part they would aſſigne or leave to us (who were reſolved to make an humble addreſſe by our ſelves to the Parliament, if they would not) being called into the Court of Common Councell, we received from the mouth of the Right Honourable the Lord Maior that now is, ſome generall words of gracious acceptance of what we had done, and of their concurrence with us, for the eſtabliſhment of Church Government; but withall, not knowing their purpoſe in particular, we were left to our owne reſolutions, to preſent our deſires to the Parliament, as we conceived to be moſt convenient for us.
In all this what was there which might imply any digreſſion from dutie, or any diverſion from their or our due reſpect unto the Honourable Houſes?
Object. But they tooke the repreſentation of the Parliaments proceedings not from the Parliament, as they deſired, but from others, viz. the Miniſters. The quite contrary is true; The Miniſters received the repreſentation of the Parliaments proceedings from the Lord Maior, and both Citizens, and Miniſters, being in a concurrent condition for ſcruples and dangers, tendred their Petitions, and Reaſons unto them, for ſatisfaction from them; wherein there was as faire and ingenuous dealing, as could be deſired; for the Miniſters tendred nothing to the Committee, or Common Councell, but what they were willing ſhould be read, heard, and examined, and diſcuſſed by any of what mind or affection ſo ever; nor could that poſſibly be carried in a private way, which came under the conſideration of the Committee ſo many times, and afterward was committed for probation and tryall of the whole Common Councell; and as openly and plainly to the Miniſters dealt with the Citie, ſo did both the Citie and, Miniſtery with the Parliament, preſenting the ſame Schedule of Reaſons, (annexed to each of their Petitions) to their view and cenſure; which patterne of plaine dealing I commend to the imitation of ſome of our Independent Brethren, that their waies may not be ſuch Ridles (even to thoſe who are no leſſe wiſe, but more innocent then they) that they cannot tell where they have beene working, no more then of the Moles of the earth, untill they ſee the heapes they have caſt up, and they glide away ſo ſlily in their pace, as if they meant to give occaſion for a fifth particular to be added to Solomons Proverbe, There be three things too wonderfull for me, yea foure which I know not; the way of an Eagle in the ayre, the way of a Serpent upon a rocke, the way of a Ship in the midſt of the ſea, and the way of a Man with a maid, Prov. 30. 18, 19. To theſe as a marginall note, though not as a part of the Text, we may adde, and the way of ſome Independents in their plots.