Answer to the Narration of the Practices of the Churches in New England, Part 1 – Part 2
An Anſwer to the PREFACE.
IT would grieve a tender heart to heare this man call God and his Conſcience to witneſſe how highly he honours and loves thoſe that are in Church waies, and by and by to aſſault with horrible untruths, and bitter invectives the Churches of New-England, (whom God hath beene pleaſed to honour in the hearts of thouſands of his pretious Saints) which one would thinke hardly credible, that any that goeth under the notion of honeſty, much leſſe of godlineſſe, ſhould venture to doe.
He blames the Brethren of the Independent way, (as he ſtiles them) that were and are in London, for breaking a ſolemne agreement; to produce a narrative of their Doctrine and practiſe, and yet did not, yea would not perform… it.
1. Some of us profeſſe ſolemnely we never ſo much as heard of any promiſe, therefore were farre enough from breaking it; Anſw. why then doth W. R. lay it upon the Independent Brethren in London without exception?
2. What was done by any of them herein, was freely from themſelves (as I am informed by them) that by ſome manifeſtation of their Judgements and practiſes, they might cleare themſelves from miſapprehenſions and miſtakes; ſo that if they did it not, themſelves were like to ſuffer moſt.
3. This they made performance of in their late Apologie, ſo farre as might ſatisfie in a rationall way, but if hee expected more, where lies the fault?
4. If they did not this, ſo ſoone as hee would have had them, let him know, the extreame diſtractions of theſe times, and the publique ſervice of ſome of theſe brethren (who were imployed by the State, for a good ſpace together) might juſtly hinder greater things then this. Now, ſee what little cauſe the Narratour had to caſt ſuch a blot on the names of his Honored Brethren (as he calles them.)
Hee ſaith, Many w…re drawne aſide, their Churches and Ministry ſlighted, neglected, deſerted, — yea contumeliouſly and ſcornefully reproached as Antichriſtian, Babyloniſh, falſe and Null, &c.
Anſw. 1. Such contemptuous ſpeeches, & reproachfull carriages caſt upon our Brethren of the Churches here, neither are, or ever were allowed by us: yea our owne examples, practiſings, writings doe, and (we hope) ever ſhall beare witneſſe againſt ſuch looſe and laviſh ſpirits and practiſes: And can any man then juſtly impute them unto us?Pſal. 11.3. May we not ſay with the Pſalmiſt, If the foundations be caſt downe, what hath the innocent done?
2. They are not alone in theſe reproches, our ſelves alſo are fellow-ſufferers with them herein, from divers Sectaries now in London, whoſe uſuall tones & dialects theſe words (he mentions) are, & not the voyce of Independents.
That ſome of our way (contrary to our promiſe and Pactions) have impetouſly, both in Pulpit and Preſſe laboured to promote the popular governement, & to make all men diſreliſh and abominate the Presbyterian way.
Anſw. 1 A ſad complaint if true; But to ſhew how farre from this ſpirit and practiſe we have beene, conſider firſt how loath wee were to appeare in the caſe, who, though we had bookes of this ſubject ready for the preſſe, yet by joynt conſent ſuppreſſed them, (haply to the great detriment of our cauſe) for that wee were unwilling to blow a fire.
2. When we did appeare in Pulpit or Preſſe, whether it was without inſtigation or no, and how ſparing wee have beene, ever ſince, (untill ſome late forced replyes) and how inoffenſive in our carriages and preachings, we leave to all godly to judge.
3. Inſtance (but) in the Holland Brethrens Apologie; was it Impetuouſly done, was it A MOCK NARRATIVE, A MEERE GVLL? (as this man moſt abuſively ſtyles it) was it not rather full of Peaceableneſſe, modeſty and candor, and ſeaſonably needefull? as that Reverend man affirmed in Print.
4. Doth not W. R. know that about this time of promiſes and Pactions, or a while after our Brethren, of the Presbyterian way did write a Letter into Scotland with many of their hands to it, telling the Miniſters there they did approve of their Governement, and would joyne in the furtherance of it. Now for him to binde our hands, and ſeale up our mouthes, and then underhand at the ſame time to fore-determine the matter, and bee ingaged in that way before any ſolemne diſpute, and yet to accuſe us for breaking Pactions, ſeemes neither rationall nor faire. Other things I ſhall ſpeake to the Preface afterwards in anſwer to the booke: OnelyOnly this, he will make the Reader beleeve, (to foreſtall him) that there are ſome ſeeming contradictions in our Tenets & apparent repugnances to the letter of Scripture, or light of common ſenſe. But what reall contradictions are in his Narrative, and manifeſt repugnances in his Animadverſions, to Scripture rules, light of reaſon, and common ſenſe too, (by the helpe of God) I ſhall make to appeare, but with a ſad heart (I muſt tell him) that ſuch things ſhould be written by a Brother whom we have ſo much eſteemed and reverenced: but ſeeing now it is done (rather then ſo many pretious Saints and Churches ſhould ſuffer wrongfully) I am forced to uncover. If others be rightly informed and himſelfe convinced, I have my ends.
To the Narration in generall.
AS he ſaith, hee had laid by the thoughts of it a good while, through many diſcouragements. So (I conceive) if he had caſt them by for ever, & made the place of conception their grave, he had dealt better for the truth and himſelfe. But he is very angry for want of Narratives. One he muſt have, and one he will have, be it right or wrong, and if neither New-England nor Holland Brethren bee worth a Narrative, let him come, he will frame one himſelfe. And this ſhall be no MOCK NARRATIVE, NO MEERE GVLL, as the Holland Brethren produced, but a more ſolid thing: Now what it is will appeare if we weigh three things.
That the grounds on which hee builds it, are ſandie and inſufficient.
The manner of his proceeding, unloving and irregular.
The matter of it, 1. Full of groſſe miſtakes, contrarieties to the truth, and contradictions to it ſelfe. 2. His quotations abuſed extremely, and wreſted. 3. His Marginall notes, very ſcandalous and offenſive. And according to this method, we will proceede, and undertake to make all theſe particulars good in our anſwer.