Review of the True Nature of Schism, Treatise · Chapter 2
CHAP. 2.
An Anſwer to the Appendix of Mr. C…. Charge.
THough perhaps impartiall men will be willing to give me an acquitment from the charge of altering my judgment in the matters of our preſent difference, upon the generall account of the copartnerſhip with me of the moſt inquiring men in this generation, as to things of no leſſe importance; and though I might againſt this reverend brother and others of the ſame mind and perſwaſion with him, at preſent relieve my ſelfe ſufficiently by a recrimination, in reference to their former Epiſcopall engagements, and ſundry practices in the worſhip of God them attending, pleading in the meane time the generall iſſue of changing from error to truth, (which that I have done as to any change I have really made, I am ready at any time to mainetaine to this Author) yet it being ſo much inſiſted upon by him as it is, and the charge thereof in the inſtance given, accompanied with ſo many evill ſurmiſings, and uncharitable reflections, looking like the fruits of another principle then that whereby we ought in the mannagement of our differences to be ruled, I ſhall give a more particular account of that, which hath yeilded him this great advantage. The ſole inſtance inſiſted on by him, is a ſmall treatiſe publiſhed long agoe by me, intitled, The duty of Paſtors and People diſtinguiſhed; wherein I profeſſe my ſelfe to be of the Preſbyterian judgment. Excerpta out of that treatiſe, with animadverſions and compariſons thereon, make up the appendix, which was judged neceſſary to be added to the book, to help on with the proofe that Independency is a great ſchiſme: had it not been indeed needfull to cauſe the perſon to ſuffer, as well as the thing, ſome ſuppoſe this paines might have been ſpared. But I am not to preſcribe to any, what way it is meet for them to proceed in, for the compaſſing of their ends aimed at. The beſt is, here is no new thing produced, but what the world hath long ſince taken notice of, and made of it the worſt they can. Neither am I troubled that I have a neceſsity laid upon me to give an account of this whole matter. That little treatiſe was written by me in the yeare 1643, and then printed, however it received the addition of a yeare in the date affixed to it by the printers, which for their owne advantage is a thing uſuall with them. I was then a young man my ſelfe, about the age of 26. or 27. yeares. The controverſie between Independencie and Presbytery was young alſo; nor indeed by mee clearly underſtood, eſpecially as ſtated on the Congregationall ſide. The conceptions delivered in the treatiſe were not (as appeares in the iſſue) ſuited to the opinion of the one party, nor of the other; but were ſuch as occurred to mine owne naked conſideration of things, with relation to ſome differences that were then upheld in the place where I lived, only being unacquainted with the Congregationall way, I profeſſed my ſelfe to owne the other party, not knowing but that my principles were ſuited to their judgement and profeſſion; having looked very little further into thoſe affaires, then I was led by an oppoſition to Epiſcopacy & Ceremonies. Upon a review of what I had thē aſſerted, I found that my principles were far more ſuited to what is the judgment and practice of the congregationall men, then thoſe of the Preſbiterian. Only whereas I had not received any farther cleare information in theſe waies of the worſhip of God, which ſince I have been ingaged in, as was ſaid, I profeſſed my ſelfe of the Preſbyterian judgment, in oppoſition to Democraticall confuſion; and indeed ſo I do ſtill; and ſo do all the congregationall men in England, that I am acquainted withall▪ ſo that when I compare what then I wrote with my preſent judgment, I am ſcarce able to find the leaſt difference between the one and the other; only a miſapplication of names and things by me, gives countenance to this charge. Indeed not long after, I ſet my ſelfe ſeriouſly to enquire into the controverſies then warmly agitated in theſe nations. Of the congregationall way I was not acquainted with any one perſon, miniſter or other; nor had I to my knowledg ſeen any more then one in my life. My acquaintance lay wholly with miniſters, and people of the Preſbyterian way. But ſundry books being publiſhed on either ſide, I peruſed, and compared them with the Scripture, and one another, according as I received ability from God. After a generall view of them, as was my manner in other controverſes, I fixed on one to take under peculiar conſideration, and examination, which ſeemed moſt methodically, and ſtrongly to maintaine that which was contrary as I thought to my preſent perſwaſion. This was Mr. Cotton's book of the keyes. The examination and confutation hereof, meerly for my owne particular ſatisfaction, with what diligence, and ſincerity I was able, I ingag'd in. What progreſſe I made in that undertaking, I can manifeſt unto any, by the diſcourſes on that ſubject, and animadverſions on that book yet abiding by me. In the purſuit and management of this work, quite beſides, and contrary to my expectation, at a time, and ſeaſon wherein I could expect nothing on that account but ruine in this world, without the knowledge or advice of, or conference with any one perſon of that judgment, I was prevailed on to receive that and thoſe principles, which I had thought to have ſet my ſelfe in an oppoſition unto. And indeed this way of impartiall examining all things by the word, comparing cauſes with cauſes, and things with things, laying aſide all prejudicate reſpects unto perſons, or preſent Traditions, is a courſe that I would admoniſh all to beware of, who would avoid the danger of being made independents. I cannot indeed deny, but that it is poſſible I was advantaged in the diſquiſition of the truth I had in hand, from my former imbracing of the principles laid down in the treatiſe inſiſted on; now being by this means ſetled in the Truth, which I am ready to maintaine to this Reverend and learned Auhor, if he, or any other ſuppoſe they have any advantage hereby againſt me, as to my reputation, which alone is ſought in ſuch attempts as this: or if I am blameably liable to the charge of inconſtancy, and inconſiſtency with my owne principles, which he thought meet to front his book withall, hereupon I ſhall not labour to deveſt him of his apprehenſion, having abundant cauſe to rejoice in the rich grace of a mercifull and tender father, that men ſeeking occaſion to ſpeake evill of ſo poor a worme, toſſed up and down in the midſt of innumerable temptations, I ſhould be found to fix on that, which I know will be found my rejoicing in the day of the Lord Jeſus.
I am neceſsitated to adde ſomewhat alſo to a ſurmiſe of this Reverend man, in reference to my Epiſcopall compliances in former daies, and ſtrict obſervation of their canons. This indeed I ſhould not have taken notice of, but that I find others beſides this Author pleaſing themſelves with this apprehenſion, and endeavoring an advantage againſt the truth I profeſſe thereby. How little ſome of my Adverſaries are like to gaine, by branding this as a crime is known; and I profeſſe I know not the Conſcience, that is exerciſed in this matter. But to deliver them once for all from involving themſelves in the like unchriſtian procedure hereafter, let them now know what they might eaſily have known before; namely, that this accuſation is falſe, a plain calumny, a ly. As I was bred up from my infancy under the care of my father, who was a non-conformiſt all his daies, & a painfull labourer in the vineyard of the Lord; ſo ever ſince I came to have any diſtinct knowledge of the things belonging to the worſhip of God, I have been fixed in judgment againſt that which I am calumniated withall; which is notoriouſly known to all that have had any acquaintance with me; what advantage this kind of proceeding is like to bring to his owne ſoule, or the cauſe which he mannageth, I leave to himſelfe to judge.
Thus in generall; to take a view of ſome particular paſſages in the Appendix deſtined to this good worke; the firſt Section tries with much wit and Rhetorick to improve the pretended alteration of judgment to the blemiſhing of my Reputation; affirming it to be from truth to error; which as to my particular, ſo farre as it ſhall appeare I am cōcern'd, (I am little moved with the bare affirmation of men, eſpecially if induced to it by their intereſt. I deſire him to let me know when and where, I may perſonally wait upon him, to be convinced of it: in the mean time ſo much for that Section: in the ſecond, he declares what my judgment was in that treatiſe about the diſtance between Paſtors and People, and of the extreams that ſome men on each hand run into: and I now tell him, that I am of the ſame mind ſtill, ſo that that note hath little availed him. In the third he relates what I delivered, that a man not ſolemnly called to the office of the Miniſtry by any outward call, might do as to the preaching of the Goſpell in a collapſed Church-ſtate. unto this he makes ſundry objections; that my diſcourſe is darke, not cleare, and the like; but remembring that his buſineſſe was not to confute that treatiſe alſo, but to prove from it my inconſtancie, and inconſiſtencie with my ſelfe: he ſayes, I am changed from what I then delivered: this is denied, I am punctually of the ſame judgment ſtill: but he proves the contrary by a double argument. 1. Becauſe I have renounced my ordination. 2. Becauſe I thinke now, that not only in a compleat Church-ſtate, but when no ſuch thing can be charged, that gifts and conſent of the people is enough to make a man a Preacher in office; both untrue and falſe in fact. I profeſſe I am aſtoniſhed, to thinke with what frame of ſpirit, what neglect of all rules of truth and love this buſineſſe is mannaged. In the fourth Section, He chargeth me to have delivered ſomewhat in that treatiſe about the perſonall indwelling of the Holy Ghoſt in believers, and my words to that purpoſe are quoted at large. What then? am I changed in this alſo? no, but that is an error in the judgment of all that be orthodox: but that is not the buſineſſe in hand, but the Alteration of my judgment; wherfore he makes a kind of expoſition upon my words in that treatiſe, to ſhew that I was not then of the mind that I have now delivered my ſelfe to be of, in my book of Schiſme; but I could eaſily anſwer the weakeneſſe of his exceptions, and pretended expoſitions of my former aſſertions, and evidence my conſiſtency in judgment with my ſelfe in this buſineſſe ever ſince; but this he ſaith is an error which he gathered out of my book of Schiſme; and ſome body hath ſent him word from Oxford that I preached the ſame doctrine at St. Maries. I wiſh his informer had never more deceived him; it is moſt true I have done ſo, and ſince printed at large what then I delivered, with ſundry additions thereunto; and if this Reverend Author ſhall think good to examine what I have publiſhed on that account, (not in the way in this treatiſe proceeded in, which in due time will be abhorred of himſelf & all good men, but with candor, and a ſpirit of Chriſtian ingenuity and meekneſſe,) I ſhall acknowledg my ſelfe obliged to him; and in the mean time I deſire him to be cautious of large expreſſions, concerning all the Orthodox, to oppoſe that opinion, ſeeing evidences of the contrary lie at hand in great plenty: and let him learne from hence how little his inſulting in his book on this account is to be valued. Sec. the 5. he ſhews that I then proved the name of prieſts not to be proper, or to be aſcribed to the miniſters of the Goſpell; but that now (as is ſuppoſed in ſcorne) I call the miniſters of their particular congregations parochiall prieſts; untrue! In the deſcription of the Prelaticall Church I ſhewed what they eſteemed and called pariſh miniſters amongſt them. I never called the Presbyterian miniſters of particular Congregations parochiall prieſts. Love truth and peace; theſe things ought not thus to be. Sec. the 6. He labours to find ſome difference in the tendency of ſeverall expreſsions in that treatiſe, which is not at all to the purpoſe in hand, nor true as will appeare to any that ſhall read the treatiſe it ſelfe. In the 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Sec: He takes here and there a ſentence out of the treatiſe and examins it, interlacing his diſcourſe with untrue reflections, ſurmizes and prognoſtications: and in particular p. the 238 & 239. But what doth all this availe him in reference to his deſigne in hand? not only before, but even ſince his exceptions to the things then delivered, I am of the ſame mind that I was, without the leaſt alteration. And in the viewing of what I had then aſſerted, I find nothing ſtrange to me, but the ſad diſcovery of what frame of ſpirit the charge proceeded from. Sec. 12. doth the whole worke; there I acknowledge my ſelfe to be of the Preſbyterian judgment, and not of the Independent or congregationall. Had this Reverend Author thought meet to have confined his charge to this one quotation, he had prevented much evill that ſpreads it ſelfe over the reſt of his diſcourſe, and yet have attained the utmoſt of what he can hope for, from the whole; and hereof I have already given an account. But he will yet proceed, and Sec. 13. informe his Reader that, in that Treatiſe I aver, that two things are required in a teacher, as to formall miniſteriall teaching. 1. Gifts from God, 2 Authority frō the Church: well! what then? I am of the ſame mind ſtill: but now I cry down ordination by Preſbytery, what, & is not this a great alteration and ſigne of inconſtancy. Truly, Sir, there is more need of humiliation in your ſelfe, then triumphing againſt me; for the aſſertion is moſt untrue, and your charge altogether groundleſſe; which I deſire you would be ſatisfied in, and not to be led any more by evill ſurmiſes, to wrong mee, and your owne ſoule. He addes ſect. 14. two cautions, which in that treatiſe I give to private Chriſtians in the exerciſe of their gifts, and cloſeth the laſt of them with a Juvenile Epiphonema, divinely ſpoken, and like a true Presbyterian: and yet there is not one word in either of theſe cautions that I do not ſtill own and allow; which confirmes the unhappineſſe of the charge. Of all that is ſubſtantiall in any thing that followes, I affirme the ſame, as to all that which is gone before. OnelyOnly as to the liberty to be allowed unto them which meet in private, who cannot in conſcience joyne in the Celebration of publike ordinances, as they are performed amongſt us, I confeſſe my ſelfe to be otherwiſe minded at preſent, than the words there quoted by this Author do expreſſe. But this is nothing to the difference between Presbytery and independency: and he that can glory, that in 14. yeares, he hath not altered or improved in his conception of ſome things, of no greater importance then that mentioned, ſhall not have me for his rivall. And this is the ſumme of M…. C. Appendix; the diſcourſe whereof being carried on with ſuch a temper of ſpirit as it is, and ſuited to the advantage aimed at, by ſo many evill ſurmiſes, falſe ſuggeſtions, and uncharitable reflections, I am perſwaded the taking of that paines, will one day be no joy of heart unto him.