Account of Truth and Peace, Section 1 – Section 2
SECT 1.
TRue is the Proverb, Sir, The beginning of ſtrife, is, as when one lets-out water, ſtirred quickly, not ſo quickly ſtinted; ſo like water it is of a ſpreading nature; or as like unto fire, which may breake-forth from a bramble and devour a Cedar. There is no ſuch feare of our fire, as you are pleaſed to call it, though being now let-out, it may ſpread like water; and ſo it ſhall doe, if wee can help the ſpreading of it, That it may appeare, how and where it began, with the riſe and originall of it, how it was raiſed, yea forced: From whence you may learne and ſtudie to be quiet, and meddle in your own matters, walking peaceably in your owne way, ſo pleaſing in your owne eyes; And not meddle with others in theirs, fully reſolved from the word of God to be the way of Truth and of Holineſſe.
Surely it had been no contemptible point of your wiſdome, and might have argued good Diſcretion, "To have left this contention, before it was meddled with, which to render according to th'originall, you may better skill of than we. OnelyOnly this we would ſay as to the ſtirring in this ſtrife againe, That wee did not uſe lightneſſe, nor did wee purpoſe according to the fleſh, never more to meddle therein, for ſo we ſaid to you in our laſt, intending it the laſt you ſhould ever have from us, either by Letter, word, or otherwiſe, in reference to thoſe matters under Debate. For as wee ſaid then, "To what end? we had given our opinion as you willed us, and there might have been an end. Wee have experienced this Truth, "That Errour is as binding upon the Conſcience, and as ſtrongly embraced by the affections as Truth is, binding of us, and Embraced by us, not in the name of an Errour, but of Truth; And men are therefore wedded to and in love with their owne Conceptions, becauſe (how monſtrous and hard-favoured ſoever in themſelves, yet) nothing is more beautifull in their eye, than they. "No man, ſaith the Apoſtle, ever hated his owne fleſh, but loveth and cheriſheth it: The fleſh of our minds (ſuch are all falſe principles and poſitions) is more loved and cheriſhed by us than the fleſh of our Bodyes. A light intimation (we proceed in his words upon Iob 22 verſe) or onelyonly the appearance of a probability, will amount to a proof againſt either perſons or doctrines, which we like not; But the cleareſt Demonſtration will hardly raiſe a jealouſie againſt what we like.
You have given, Sir, we feare, a very ſad experience of this very thing, For how ſtubborne and unmoved are you from Mr Hs: his errour in point of admiſſion of all (filthineſſe all over, and wallowing therein as ſwine in the mire, admitted notwithſtanding) to all Church-Communions, the Lords Supper and all, Though the ſtrongeſt winds of Truth have breathed, yea blowne hard upon it.
That you might not be willingly ignorant of this very thing, and withall to ſhew our deare reſpects unto you, wee told you, That foure Worthies of the Lord had Encountred with Mr Hs: about the premiſes, and with as much eaſe, (to phraſe it as one doth) and with like ſucceſſe, as the fire doth the dried ſtubble; and yet he ſtubbornely holds to it, for ought we know, we know you doe, remaining in the ſame minde with him, that foreforne man (Generally we think deceived by the Godly all over the Land) as a Mountaine unmoved to this very houre. Wee know not which is worſe, but leave it to you to judge, " Ʋnſetledneſſe in the Truth, and an Eaſineſſe to let it goe; or tenaciouſneſſe in an error, and an hardneſſe to let it goe. Nor doe we know well, which is worſe, a readineſſe to take up hard thoughts of our Brethren, or unreadineſſe to lay them downe; onelyonly this we know, Were the lawes of Zeale for God obſerved, and of Love to man, you could not, as we thinke, "Deſpiſe the day of ſmall things, or rhe leaſt breathings, or fainteſt endeavours of any, how meane and weake ſoever (as babes in Chriſt uſe to be) enquiring after Truth, and that old, but now forſaken way of holineſſe; Asking the way to Zion, with their faces thetherward, ſaying, Come—&c. Ier: 50. 5. And did you obſerve the Law of Charity to man, it would cauſe you to examine every ground of ſuſpicion againſt a Brother twice, before you did indeed ſuſpect him once: And you would rejoyce in any appearance of his innocence, whereby you might diſcharge your owne Spirit of all ſuſpicions concerning him. Theſe words, we hope, will not be as wind with you, though ours are and have been to this time Therefore, as we ſaid, we had ſorborne to ſpeak, nay we doe forbeare to ſpeake more unto you, unleſſe you happen to light on it, but forbeare to ſpeake we may not, we cannot, for thus it was as you very well know.
SECT. II.
YOu would needs point us to ſomething, your Son had written (for that Title better becomes us, though Childe better befits him) in our Treatiſe of prayer, as if you would have us take ſpeciall notice thereof, which indeed we have done, for ſo a providence caſt it, elſe we had not looked into it, having a Tranſcript of the ſame: but upon your motion, you telling us, where we ſhould find your ſon's hand, we quickly turned to it, and found as you ſaid, taking, as you willed-us ſpeciall notice thereof, Not becauſe your Son did write it, but becauſe you his Father ſuffered him ſo to doe, againſt th'old and knowne rule of Civility, as Schollars would ſay, and of all good manners too; which you could not have ſuffered to be done (it is our perſwaſion) had you not had a vile account of our Paſtour, who was chiefe, if not alone in that worke: See! when a father contemneth a man (but what is the Contempt of a man, ſuppoſe it little or much? or how ſmall a thing is it with him to be accounted vile in another's eyes, who is, we hope, yet more vile in his owne? but) ſee, when a Father vilifieth a man, his Son (indulget ſibi latius) will vilifie him much more, and venture (ſo arrogant and bold youth is) to paſſe judgement in thoſe matters, which he underſtandeth not ſo well now, as he, whom your Son ſo raſhly judgeth and dealeth ſo—as ſome would ſay withall, as to ſay, "He blaſphemeth, underſtood them before your Son was borne. But all this argueth your high Confidence, That the Truth in thoſe points, to which our Debate relates, is on your ſide. Be it ſo, though it be but your Confidence, the ſame with Mr H: yet to charge us, our Paſtour ſpecially ſo deeply for maintaining the Contrary; You giving a Charge to ſpeake our minds, and to make them legible in thoſe matters, is, as ſome have ſaid, but one peg at the moſt below impudence. And this is all we will ſay in this place, telling you what ſome ſay, and haply they would adde, though we forbeare. OnelyOnly we would leave you, after you ſhall have heard more, to paſſe ſentence on your ſelfe and your ſon for this behaviour. We will turne aſide from this a little, and returne to it at the laſt, ſo ſoone as we have taken-in three or foure things firſt, for ſo you have thought fitt, we had almoſt ſaid to face us, yea to force us.