The New Query and Determination Upon It, Section 26 – Conclusion
SECT. XXVI. The miſreport of the Diurnall and Weekely Account confuted, and the Perfect Paſſages convinced of abſurdity and ſedition.
YEt I muſt beſtow a few words on the Perfect Diurnall, and Weekely Account, and a few lines on the Perfect Paſſages: For the firſt, omitting what is virtually or formally anſwered before, under the Titles forementioned, I ſhall note but one particular, which is, that it was ordered as a part of the anſwer to the Miniſters, that they ſhould returne home, and looke after and attend the charges of their ſeverall Congregations; ſo ſaith the Perfect Diurnall; and the Weekly Account, ſaith, the Miniſters were deſired to looke diligently to their owne flocks, with this addition of the Writer, a neighty charge, and worke enough; by which is implied that they were negligent in their Calling, and too buſie out of it; but as there was no ground for ſuch an implicit reproofe, ſo there was no ſuch meſſage given in the Name of the Houſe to the Miniſters, as he that preſented the Petition confidently averreth, to whom other Miniſters that accompanied him doe give atteſtation.
Now for the Perfect Paſſages (as the Authour cals his Pamphlet) it is in one particular moſt ſeditious and ſcandalous: viz. this, What may be thought of thoſe that goe about to diſparage Lieutenant Generall Cromwell, and the Independent Army that have done ſo much good in reducing the Kingdome, and brought the Warres ſo neere to an end? What may be thought of this Queſtioniſt? He cals his ſheet of Newes Perfect Paſſages, by the ſame figure, belike, that the Furies are called Eumenides, for never did I read ſuch imperfect paſſages in any printed paper. The Title is, Perfect Paſſages of each dayes proceedings in Parliament; and the day he begins withall is the 19. of November; and he begins that day with a poore piece of Sycophanticall Rhetorick, in praiſe of the Parliament, and preſently paſſeth from palpable flattery (the ſhalloweſt and ſillieſt that ever was beſtowed on ſo profound and prudent a Senate) to pernitious calumnie, in anſwer to the Queſtion he hath propoſed; and thats all he hath for that day; and what is that to the proceedings in Parliament that day? if he had given in that account for ſome day about the middle of Midſummer moneths, his abſurdities had beene more ſeaſonable, more ſutable to the temper of that Lu…atick Quarter, and ſo it might have beene ſome excuſe, or extenuation of his fault in moving ſuch a f…ditious and dangerous Queſtion, wherein he ſeemeth zealous for the honour of Lieutenan… Generall Cromwell, and with him magnifieth the Army under the Title of Independent.
Now for Lieutenant Generall Cromwell, I …, no man that goeth about to diſparage him, and I doubt many take occaſion to commend him otherwiſe then his wiſdome will approve of; for my part, whether he be an Independent or no, I know not; but if he be, I can be content to give him, and any other of that way, all the praiſe that is due unto them; and though I much miſlike projecting Independents, who idolize their owne fancies, and pretending the publique welfare, care for nothing elſe, or nothing more then to carry on their owne concernments by the Foxes pate, or Lions paw, by fraud, or force, as either of them may be ſerviceable to their ſelfe ſeeking deſigne, yet I doubt not but there be many goe under that name, who are rather paſſive then active in deceit, who truly feare God, and ſincerely deſire, according to the ſong of the Angel, That glory may be to God on high, good will towards men, and peace upon earth, Luk. 2.14.
And to ſpeake more particularly of him, I beleeve, (as I have heard of him by thoſe to whom he is well knowne, as they are to me) that he is a wiſe man, a well adviſed and valiant Commander, and ſo good and ſincere a Chriſtian, ſo true a lover of his Countrey, that he would not have the peace of it diſturbed, for any difference betwixt Presbyterians and Independents. And upon ſuch premiſes I dare preſume to inferre, that the gallant Lieutenant Generall will not be well pleaſed with ſuch a Queſtion, or Anſwer, as this Novell Catechiſer hath ſet forth; for whatſoever affinitie (or it may be identity) is betwixt him and an Independent, there is no congruitie betwixt the termes Independent and Army in our State; for doth not the Army depend upon the Parliament, who give directions, and commands to it for their ſervice? and doe not the chiefe Commanders in it profeſſe themſelves to be diſpoſed of onelyonly by the determinations of Parliament? in this reſpect a man might ſay, an Independent wife, or an Independent ſervant, as well as an Independent Army. And if we conſider the Army within it ſelfe, is it (as they would have the Church) compoſed, or made up of Independent Congregations? ſo that every Captaine and his company are free to attempt, or act, as they can agree among themſelves, without ſubordination to ſuperiour Commanders; if ſo, the Army would not be an Army, that is, an entire and well compacted ſyſteme, or body of ſouldiers united, and regulated by prudence, and authoritie in a graduall ſeries of Martiall command and government, but would breake in pieces into petty parties, as it is upon a rout made by the enemy, and ſo would be of little uſe, or force, either for conflict, or conqueſt, much leſſe would it be terrible as an armie with banners ſhould be, and the Church is compared to ſuch an Army, Cant. 6.4.
This onelyonly by the way: But he meanes it perhaps an Independent Army materially (not formally) as conſiſting of Commanders and common ſouldiers, addicted to Independencie: If he take Independents as diſtinguiſhed from the Orthodoxe party on the one ſide, and from the heterodoxe party of Anabaptiſts, Browniſts, Antinomians, and other ſuch erroneous dogmatiſts on the other ſide, (with whom if they be true to the Principles of Religion they cannot finally cloſe in accord againſt the Presbyterians) they are much too few to denominate the Army; and I doubt not but the ingenuous, and conſciencious Independents will confeſſe, that there have beene ſince our wofull warre begunne, and yet are many both skilfull, faithfull, and couragious Commanders, and common ſouldiers, who have done very great and ſucceſſefull ſervice towards the finiſhing of the warre, and yet never came under the name or notion of Independents, unleſſe by miſtake, or impoſture, as this fellow would couſen the Kingdome, and afright the Presbyterians with a conceit of the puiſſance and prevalence of Independencie in the Army, and by the Army, as if that were the life-blood that maintained the ſpirits of our Military forces, and made all the ſouldiers valorous and victorious, and ſo the Independent Army as Independent, reduplicative (for ſo he would have his Reader deluded) had reduced the Kingdome, and brought the warre ſo neere an end; here an end of his Queſtion.
His Anſwer is, They, that is, they that goe about to diſparage Lieutenant Generall Cromwell, and the Independent Army, are unchriſtian, and uncharitable, and either very envious, or ill affected; either they know not what that Party have done for us, or elſe envy that they have done ſo much: For Lieutenant Generall Cromwell his detractors I know none ſuch, therefore I know none who therein is unchriſtian, and uncharitable towards him. For your Independent Army, it is (as Schollers uſe to terme ſuch an unſutable conjunction) a Bull, a meere contradiction in adjecto, there is no ſuch thing. It may be if you ſhould paſſe uncontrould with ſuch abſurd inconſiſtences, we ſhould ſhortly heare of an Independent Parliament (not becauſe it is the ſupreme and Independent judicatory in the Kingdome) but becauſe of the members who favour that way, though they be very few in compariſon of thoſe who have voted the Presbytery, an Independent Synod or Aſſembly, becauſe there are ſome Independents mingled with many Presbyterian Divines; and if the Common Councell of the Citie had not generally concurred to petition for Presbyterie, I doubt not but this Nicknaming Newes-maker would, in ſome of his papers, make London (though already divided into Claſſicall Presbyteries, and united into a Province) an Independent City.
Laſt of all he ſaith, they daily adventure their lives, and many of them have ſpilt their blood to ſave our lives, and eſtates, and i…t not … hate them for the good they have done, and ſtill doe for us. As many as have expoſed themſelves to ſuch perill, and for ſuch a purpoſe, ashere is ſpecified, God forbid, their zeale, and love, and courage ſhould be anſwered with envy, or hatred: but here is one fallacie in view, they that are ſo kind to their brethren as to ſhed their own blood, that they might ſleepe in a whole skinne, did not this as Independents, but as Chriſtians, for many loſt their lives before ever Independents were dreamed of, it was a rule of Religion, that we ought to lay downe our lives for the brethren, 1 Ioh. 3.16.
And there may be another fallacie lurking under thoſe indefinite expreſſions, they daily adventure, &c. to ſave our lives and eſtates; for it is not true of all, it may be not of moſt, that thoſe be the motives or ends of their engagements. So much for this Queſtion and Anſwer: Now I could wiſh this Queſtioniſt were queſtioned, and that we might know the mind of ſuch as have Authoritie to examine him whether they thought him worthy of Bedlam, foe his witleſſe raſhneſſe, or of Newgate, for his ſeditious wickedneſſe.
Concluſion.
For Concluſion of this Apologetick Reply to theſe popular Impoſtors, I ſhall fairely admoniſh them to be better adviſed hereafter, (then hitherto they have been) that they doe not traduce the Innocence of worthy, and well deſerving Citizens, or Miniſters, to gratifie a party, and to abuſe the credulity of the Vulgar with untruths, as opprobrious to the one ſide, as vain-glorious to the other. For ſince they are diſcovered to be weekely journey men in the ſervice of a ſchiſmaticall deſigne, and to carry it on with intolerable contumely to venerable Societies, and with inſinuations, and incentives to ſedition againſt the Government intended, and partly eſtabliſhed by Authoritie of Parliament, it will not be their priviledge for time to come, to paſſe without ſuch chaſtiſement as is due to their demerits: whereat if any be diſpleaſed, it will be onelyonly the faulty, and the offence they take will be like the quarrell of *Cum ab eo quaereretur quid tandem accuſaturus eſſet eum, quem pro dignitate ne laudare quidem quiſquam ſatis commode poſſet; aiunt hominem (ut erat furioſus) reſpondiſſ…, qu…d non totum telum corpore recepiſſet. Cicer. Orat. 2. pro Sex. Roſcio Amerino.Fimbria againſt Scevola, for that the noble Senator would not take his dagger ſo deepe into his body as he would have thruſt it. And in ſuch a caſe, to forbeare a neceſſary defence of a mans ſelfe, or his Aſſociates, in a matter ſo juſt and ſo generall, ſo ingenuouſly and uprightly managed, as that of the Petitioners, leſt an enemy ſhould be offended at it without a cauſe, were in any indifferent judgement a grand iniquitie, a crime compoſed of a very high degree of cowardice, and treachery.