Account of Truth and Peace, Section 5
SECT. V.
THere is a third thing you mention to us, wherein vve vvould give you what ſatisfaction vve can, before wee come to that wherewith vvee vvill conclude.
3. Our Paſtour is invited by you to tell Mr Ford in a Letter to him, his exceptions againſt ſome paſſages in his booke for Infant Baptiſme, that he may cleare them in his next impreſſion, which vvee vviſh heartily he may doe, if poſſible to be don
Sir, we will not gueſs at your Reaſon, why you deſire our Paſtour to deale vvith your Brother by Letter; You know, Sir, he alwayes declined this Conteſt, nor could he be perſwaded to have medled in theſe matters, but that wee were queſtioned by your ſelfe about them. And ſo, he ſtanding in that Relation unto us, he could not doe leſſe than what he hath don, and doe his dutie; ſo then to proceed, You may remember how fully and clearely vvee dealt with your Brother and your ſelfe in this matter.
Thus it was, to repeate things againe, ſo ſoone as our Paſtour eaſt his eye upon the 78, and ſo forward to th' 83 page of your brothers booke, he ſaw clearely, That the Tenets your brother holds-to there are the pillar and ground, "Free Admiſſion of all to all Church-Communions beareth upon: The very Tenour it holds-by; vvhereupon vve ſaw it clearely our dutie (for vvee vvere queſtioned about it, and not our Paſtour; ſo what he undertook and hath don, it was upon the account of Truth, and for our ſakes) after we had done our worke, in order to your ſatisfaction, to returne unto it againe, and to make a diſtinct Worke or Treatiſe of it. And hereof we gave you and him intimation in our Epiſtle to you, and in that other to him, and his fellow-brethren, as alſo in our firſt Treatiſe, by an inſertion there. And all this, that we might doe as becommeth all things according to the Goſpell Rule, and right order; vvee made tender of our booke againe and againe, that hee might have the fight of it, for vvee vvould rather offend our ſelves, than him or your ſelfe, or any good man. But upon what account, he and you beſt know, it was refuſed; And ſo after two moneths expectation, and then a flat deniall, together with ſomewhat more you wott off; We ceaſed, as in point of good manners, it was fit for us to doe; for vvhat could we ſay or doe more? Indeed we know not; we ſaw our papers that were ſent, returned with contempt and more, (They might fare the worſe for their Authour, For the counſell is ſeldome loved, if the Counſeller be not, though yet Truth is lovely, what ever the Speaker bee) The other three vvee prepared, we offered and yee refuſed them; We ſay againe, vvhat could we doe more? and being fully reſolved, we have done full-up to our duty; our Paſtour willed us to tell you farther, That whereas he purpoſed his ſaid bookes, and that ſaid Treatiſe (the ſixt in order) ſhould ſee the light not before the Authour thereof be carried to the place of Darkneſſe, That then his bookes may ſpeake for the way of Truth, fellow-walkers therein, and helpers of the ſame, ſo monſtrouſly oppoſed now adayes; and for the vindication of that, he We are taught to vindicate our Credit, when the Truth is wounded through the ſides thereof.accounts better than riches, when his body muſt be laid in the place of Silence; For why may it not be hoped, at leaſt, why not endeavoured, That when his body is laid to ſleep in the Duſt of Death, his Name may riſe from the Duſt of Debaſement? however the will of the Lord be done.
But ſo he intended and fully purpoſed in his heart then, and not till then to ſend that and other Treatiſes abroad into the world. But obſerving ſome ſignall providence, This (1) That Mr Hs: pleadings for free Admiſſion &c. ſhould be ſo pleaded for by a Miniſter of the Goſpell, and Steward in His houſe, a leading man and a Carrying man with the moſt of the profeſſors in the County he lives-in; And this after foure Worthies of the Lord have ſtood up in the might of God againſt him, ſpeaking ſo much and ſo clearely from the Holy Scriptures to that point of non-admiſſion of all, that it had been enough to ſtop the mouth of the Devill Preface to B. Cat: p. 68.himſelfe, which one ſaid of an eminently learned and godly man aſſerting the Truth againſt gain-ſayers. (2) And nextly to ſay the leaſt, and as little as can be, "The defaming of many Miniſters and people round about him. (3) And which pinches and preſſes yet more, if more can be, your pointing us to your Son's handyworke in his Treatiſe of Prayer, ſpecially the Lords Prayer, where he chargeth the Rev: Authour with Blaſphemy upon Blaſphemy, here one and there another, and there a third; for this and that, and the other: But (4) ſpecially for Truths-ſake, and the way of Holineſſe, which, as is conceived, ſuffers much herein, through the ſpewings, you have given too juſt an occaſion to be caſt thereupon, he will endeavour his utmoſt to give all, that will, a ſight of all that is written, making this Aſſuance withall to his Reader; Firſt, That how evilly-ſoever he is ſpoken off and dealt withall, yet he can doe nothing againſt the Truth, but in deſire and endeavour, all, he poſſibly can, for it, the promoting of the ſame in the hearts and lives of Gods people. And (2) That they, who are helpers together with him of That Bleſſed thing, ſhall be helped by him to the utmoſt of thoſe abilities his Lord and heavenly Father is pleaſed to Communicate to him. And he is perſwaded, That This God Whom he hath Truſted will, as He hath done hitherto, ſo to th' end, help both him and them; And in the laſt place, This he added more, That rather than he would, in the leaſt greive the Leaſt of the Lords little ones knowingly, he would his tongue ſhould cleave to the roof of his mouth rather, and his pen to his Fingers ends; That his hand ſhould fall off from his arme, and his arme from his ſhoulder-blade. We come now to the fourth and laſt, and Then we have done.