Narration of Some Church Courses, Postscript
The Postſcript,
THus at length, Good Reader, thou haſt the ſumme of the Church Courſes of our New England brethren; even the way that ſo many that know it not, or cannot judge of it, doe ſo admire, ſo deſire. And which themſelves doe hold forth to us as the onelyonly way of God, with ſuch ſuperlative commendations in their Letters to us, as if it were a perfect Idea of the Conſtitution, Diſcipline, and Government ſet up and exerced in and by the Apoſtolique Churches from point to point; from the beginning (till now of late me thinks they begin to abate) [See Mr Parkers late Letter to Mr B. printed] inculcating what rare and admirable effects it hath produced amongſt them, impatient that any ſhould oppoſe it, or ſo much as queſtion it; yea, threatning us with continuance of the ſword untill we ſhall imbrace it: See M. Peters Preface, p. 1. excluding and exploding all other wayes as erroneous, falſe, wicked, and ſavouring at leaſt ſtrongly of Antichriſtianiſme. But now that I have thus laid it before thee, I leave it to thy judgement (praying God to guide thee aright therein) whether it deſerve all this or no. As for my ſelfe I look for laſhes from many hands and tongues, but in patience (through the help of Chriſt) I ſhall poſſeſſe my ſoul, being ſupported by the conſcience of mine owne integritie. And yet that I may ſomewhat rebate and take off the edge of as many mens diſpleaſure as I may, I ſhall crave leave of thee to adde a few words more in anſwere to ſome of the principall objections in defence of my ſelfe and this Narration. Object. It will be ſaid perhaps by ſome that this Narration is falſe, that they beleeve it not, or that they have heard of others the contrary. Anſw. I pray it may be conceived and remembred that I have not undertaken to report things as there they really are, (which I could not doe, unleſſe I had been an eye witneſſe) but to collect their own reports of things ſcattered here and there in their own Papers, and preſent them joyntly together to thy view: ſo that, whether their reports be true or falſe is nothing to me; If I can cleare it to a candid and ingenuous Reader that I have not miſ-reported their reports, I will be guiltleſſe both before God and men: For my part I beleeve their reports to be true, as here they are repreſented to thee: Seeing they come not from malignants amongſt them, or enemies to them, nor yet from men of ſmall or no credit, but ſuch as are members at the leaſt of their Churches, and therefore true and reall Saints, which will not, at leaſt, ſhould not lye; yea, many of them officers, and ſome, yea, moſt of them Miniſters of the Word in their Churches, who as they cannot be thought to be ignorant of, or miſtaken in their courſes, ſo much leſſe can they be reaſonably ſuſpected of falſhood or partialitie in their relations; At leaſt, ſhall not by me, who both ſufficiently know the fidelitie of the moſt of theſe from whom theſe intelligences come, and alſo have been by ſome of them ſo often chaſtened for making any doubt thereof. But ſuppoſe theſe reports ſhould not be true, or that others of them ſhould report otherwiſe, this may perhaps impeach their credit, it cannot mine; and I ſhall deſire of him whoſoever he be that ſhall call the truth of this Relation in queſtion (for ſubſtance at leaſt) that he himſelfe would put forth a truer. It is a ſmall thing to ſay, They hold not or they doe not this or that, but tell us what they doe hold and practiſe, that we may be miſted no longer, as hitherto.
Object. But if this report he crue, yet (if you thinke they doe evill) you ſhould rather conceale your brothers faults and errours, Love covers the multitude of ſinnes.
Anſw. Love covers what ſinnes may be covered, but ſome ſinnes cannot be covered, they are ſo publikely committed; and ſome may not, though they could, becauſe the concealment of them may doe hurt, to themſelves or others, the publike, or private wealth: in which caſe it were both againſt Pietie, Charitie, and Prudence to conceale them. In both theſe reſpects, I conceive, their courſes are not to be covered; Firſt, they cannot, at leaſt in great part, being long ſince made publike to the world, and daily are more and more by their own printing, preaching, and private inſtilling them into others. Secondly, they may not, if they could; ſeeing by forbearance all this while they have fretted like a Gangrene into the bowels both of citie and countrey; and I feare we have kept their counſell ſo long, that many of them are already paſt cure in their errour, and we almoſt remedileſſe in our rents, tending unto ruine.
Object. You ſhould rather have confuted them by arguments, &c.
Anſw. This is already done in part by others, and the preſſe is ſtill in travell, readie to bring forth more and new confutations of them. 2. This is none of the worſt wayes of confuting them, as I conceive; To relate them fully is to confute them ſufficiently in the judgement of men judicious and uningaged.
Object. You ſeeme by your paralell places quoted to accuſe them of Browniſme, wherein you highly wrong them?
Anſw. True, I doe ſo, and let the Reader judge upon examination and comparing of the places alledged, if it be not ſo: nay, if in ſome things they doe not build up an higher partition wall betweene themſelves and all other churches then ever the Browniſts did, as in their ſtrict examination of members, in urging a Church covenant diſtinct from the covenant of grace, &c.
Beſides, to what hath been ſaid in the Narration, we may adde for further probabilities, and juſt cauſes of our feare in this kind, that 1. They ſometimes cite, and approve of the Browniſts Books in queſtions between us and them, and provoke us to anſwer them: So we are informed from ſome of themſelves (P. B.) that they cite Rob. book for prophecie, and hold it unanſwerable in that point: And their party here boaſt much of Robijuſtif, and bid us anſwer it, if we can: which book is alſo in ſome ſort approved by the Miniſters of N. E. in their Apology for Church covenant, p. 30. 2. They uſe the ſame arguments, and produce the ſame texts of Scripture to the ſame purpoſes, as whoſoever readeth their writings may obſerve. 3. They condemne their courſes but coldly, with a quarenus, only ſo far and ſo far, their rigiditie onelyonly, not ſimply their ſeparation, Anſ. to 9. Poſ. p. 13. Apol. p. 30. Diſcourſe of Cov. p. 41, 42. They profeſſe it there be any ſeparating opinion amongſt them they hold not themſelves bound to inquire after it, nor to ſeparate from the Browniſts for their ſeparating from us, I. W. anſ. to 10. queſt. | M. H. anſ. to I. P. 4. They diſtinguiſh of ſeparations, one they call moderate, the other rigid or bitter, this they condemne, but that they owne. But what they meane by this rigid ſeparation, we well know not, for even the Separatiſts themſelves doe conde nine each others rigour, the latter generally condemne ſome bitterneſſe uſed againſt our Churches by Barrow, and Greenwood: And of the latter alſo, ſome (as Robinſon) were far more moderate then the reſt, yet were all of them complete Separatiſts, and ſo may theſe our brethren be too, notwithſtanding that diſtinction. 5. They aſſociate themſelves in private communion, and in Church communion too with them: So Maſter H. to I. P. acknowledgeth and juſtifies it alſo. See the Preface to Maſter G. defence of Maſter B. againſt Canne. And we are credibly informed that H. P. received the Sacrament in a Browniſts Church here in London; yea, ſome aſſure us of profeſt correſpondence and agreement between ſome of our late Apologiſts themſelves; and thoſe of the Separation here, only that they have adviſed them to be moderate in their courſes. 6. The Browniſts themſelves doe claime them as their own, and boaſt of them. See Maſter G. defence of Maſter Bradſhaw againſt Canne in the Preſace. 7. Though in the generall they profeſſe to differ much from them, yet when it comes to reckoning we find it not ſo: which that it may appeare the better, let us he are our brethren themſelves expreſſe the differences: Epiſt. before the anſ. to the 9. Poſitions, p. 53, 60. They (i.e. the rigid Separatiſts) ſeparate from your Congreg. as no Churches, from the Ordinances dispenſed by you as meere Antichriſtian, and from your ſelver as no viſible Chriſtians: and ſo in divers other places, Now excepting the laſt, which is proper to the moſt rigid, rigid Browniſts of all as Barrow, &c. which the more moderate do utterly diſlike as well as theſe our brethren, Rob. juſtif p. All the reſt for ought I yet ſee (putting in the word unlawfull in ſtead of Antichriſtian, as a milder terme; and by Ordinances underſtanding Church ordinances, as they needs muſt they cannot refuſe by their Principles and practiſes but to own them.
Object. By no meanes, for they confeſſe your Parochiall Congregations to be true Churches, which the other doe utterly denie. Anſw. True, in words they doe, but in effect it is far otherwiſe. 1. In that they lay the ſelfe ſame principles that the moderater ſort of Browniſts doe, touching Church Conſtitution, Matter, Forme, Power, Government, Communion, corruptions, &c. which being granted, the naturall product of ſuch premiſes muſt needs be that we have no true Churches, and that our Ordinances are all unlawfull. 2. By carrying themſelves towards us, as if we were no true Churches, or members of true Churches, for they denie our beſt and moſt eminent Chriſtians all Church Communion with them, ſo they doe not to the members of any of the Churches of their own way; they withdraw themſelves from all Church communion with us in the beſt and pureſt of our Aſſemblies, ſo they doe not from the Browniſts: and whereas they hold they may not lawfully admit of the members of other Churches without power given them ſo to doe, by Letters of Recommendations from the ſaid Churches, yet they not only admit, but invite thouſands of the members of our Churches to their communion without, yea, againſt their conſents. 3. Sometimes they approve of us but faintly and coldly, many faults they find with our Churches, little or nothing worthy of commendation in regard of our Church eſtate, or Church ordinances, Apol. p. 38. Anſ. to 32. q. p. 25, 26, 27, 31. Diſcourſe of Cov. p. 36. And when they would ſeeme to juſtifie, and pleade for us, yet then they doe it with ſuch uncouth and far fetcht proofes, as we know not whether to accept or refuſe their acknowledgement of the truth of our churches upon ſuch conditions be the worſe bargain; as when they ſay we have true Churches, becauſe knit together in Church covenant, though implicite, becauſe we had true Churches planted here (in the New England frame) in the Apoſtles times, and perhaps alſo ſince, &c. Anſ. to 32. q p. 26. Diſcourſe of Cov. p. 36, 37. R. M. to E. B. 4. Some of them come off as roundly as any Browniſts doe, and tell us plainly that in deed we have good Materials, but we want forme, our Churches are Babels, harlots, Maſter M. to I. M. | I. R. to his parents. Mr S. to I. B. That we have true Churches, no right Sacraments, nor Miniſters, I. S. to Mris B. | I. P. to W. R. | R. W. to I. L. | Mr M. to I. M. | Mr L. to his parents, &c. And threaten us with deſtruction eo nomine, inviting therefore all they can to depart from us, as from Babel, Ibid. and doctrinally teaching ſeparation from us, as a dutie, Anſ. to 32. q. p. 32. And herein ſome of them are ſo cruelly kinde unto us, that they profeſſe to be grieved that we have here any Preaching or Ordinances at all in our way, wiſhing we had none at all, that ſo we might be forced to fall into their Church-wayes for the enjoyment of them. Mr M. to I. M. And what is here ſaid of their opinion of the truth of our Churches, the ſame is for ſubſtance to be underſtood of the truth of our Church Miniſterie.
Object. You may as well call the good old non-conformiſts Browniſts, as theſe men who have followed them (in theſe their opinions and practiſes) as their guides. Anſw. In like manner doe the Browniſts father their ſeparation alſo upon the Non-conformiſts; but both forts do it unjuſtly: that the Browniſts doe it unjuſtly, he that will may ſee by Mr Balls book againſt Mr Canne upon that very point, and in good part by another book lately printed, called a grave confutation of the errours of the Browniſts made long ſince by ſundry Godly Divines, which in their times ſuffred in the cauſe of inconformitie: For my ſelfe at this time I may not, I will not attempt to give ſatisfaction at large to this objection, onelyonly this I ſay for the preſent that in ſuch things wherein either the Browniſts, or theſe brethren do mainly differ from other the beſt reformed Churches, they have no conſent or approbation from the Non-conformiſts at all; nay, contrarily by many undeniable evidences from their writings and practiſes it will appeare that they have ever ſtiffely oppoſed and conflicted with all popular and independent government, in behalfe of that we call Presbyteriall. True, indeed ſome of them, eſpecially in their polemicke writings, while they had the Prelacie in their eye, and no conſiderable adverſarie, but that to conteſt withall, did perhaps ſomewhat unwarily (as may befall the beſt, and beſt learned men in ſuch caſes) let fall ſome few things, which thoſe brethren make their advantage of; As that 1.2 particular Church ought onelyonly to conſiſt of one Congregation. 2. That each particular Church hath power to tranſact all its own matters. 3. That this power is ſeated in the body: Many more then theſe I doe not now remember, which are in queſtion between us and theſe brethren. But 1. theſe things they hold not as now cur brethren doe: as if every ſmall company of 7.8. or 9. might make ſuch a complete Church or Congregation to tranſact all their own buſineſſes independently, without aſſiſtance of or being accountable unto claſſicall or higher combinations, nor that this power is ſeated in ſuch a Congregation without their officers, or that they can exerciſe it any otherwayes but by them: But if any of them have gone far, as its more then I know, ſo its more then I will defend: But if all theſe in the Non-conformiſts ſenſe-were granted, it would doe our brethren little good. 2. Beſides ſuppoſe they had the Non-conformiſts their guides in theſe three and three more of their Church courſes in queſtion, yet would not this reach to cover and hide the nakedneſſe of all the reſt.
Object. We ſee the moſt of the better ſort goe this way now. Anſw. I beleeve not the moſt by many; but if it were ſo, that were no good argument to juſtifie it. 1. Becauſe of thoſe that doe go that way, a great number are Anabaptiſts, Familiſts and Antinomians, &c. who all willingly chooſe to fall into the ſame channell of popularitie and independencie, perhaps partly out of deſigne, to make a more conſiderable (I ſay not ſormidable) party, that ſo either for favour or feare, they may be the more indulged; partly becauſe it ſuites ſo well with mans proud nature; for every man by his good will would rule, and no man would willingly depend upon or be obnoxious unto another. 2. Moſt good mens affections are ſtrong, when oft their judgements are weake. 3. All men are ever apt to run into extremes, hence it is that whiles they fly prelaticall tyranny, they eaſily fall into popular Anarchy. 4. The noveltie of the courſe. 5. The peoples good opinion of the perſons that way ſiding and drawing. 6. And the advantage the ſaid perſons have had, whereby to ſcrew themſelves further and further into the peoples good opinion and affection, by being ever imployed in the chiefeſt work of the miniſterie in ſome of the chiefeſt of our Churches, although they have been ſo farre from acknowledging themſelves miniſters, as that they doe not ſo much as acknowledge themſelves as members of any of our Churches, but as to us (according to their own rule) altogether without.
Object. This ſeemes to reflect upon our brethren that come out of Holland, but theſe are not ſo rigid as the reſt; what is this Relation to them? Arſw. It concernes them I grant not ſo much, nor ſo directly, yet in ſome ſort it doth: 1. Becauſe ſometimes they tell us they are of the ſame way with the N. E. brethren. 2. Both their diſputes and practiſes ſo farre as they are knowne doe all look that way. 3. Their lying ſo cloſe lockt up and reſerved in many things makes them (I conceive not without cauſe) the more ſuſpected; For truth ſeeks no corners, no cloaks. If therefore now by this occaſion they would pleaſe to put out according to their promiſe, not a mock-Natrative, a meere gull, ſuch as the laſt was, but (as a true ſo) a full, perfect and plaine diſcovery of their opinions in theſe things from point to point, and from end to end, I ſhould heartily rejoyce, as in the much deſired fruit of this my poore labour; That ſo all miſunderſtandings and miſpriſtons being removed, and we rightly enformed of the juſt latitude of their and our differences: we might either more hopefully addreſſe our ſelves to ſatisfie their judgements, or elſe (if that cannot be obtained) the more willingly condeſcend to move (with them) for the favouring of their conſciences, according to the rules of Pietie and prudence, in ſuch things as are capable of toleration and indulgence. But leſt (good Reader) I ſhould be tedious to thee, I will ceaſe to purſue theſe things any further at this time. And praying the God of peace and truth to ſend down his Spirit into all our hearts to lead us into both, that we, with all his, may truth it in love, and may all ſerve one God with one heart according to one way, even his own will revealed in his Word. To him I commit thee.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Rathband, Narration of Some Church Courses (1644)