Account of Truth and Peace, Section 4
SECT. IV.
SEcondly, There is another thing we would ſpeake unto a little, that we may give ſatisfaction to others, for you can receive none from us, and we as little from you.
You enjoyned us to give you an account of our way, why it is not the ſame with yours, which is the ſame with the man ſo often mentioned.
This now we have done, according to the Talent, or two mites rather, the onelyonly wiſe God hath entruſted us with, in all "Godly ſimplicity. And now you returne to us againe and againe; That we have ſaid very much, but little or nothing to purpoſe, or concludingly. And That another might have ſaid much more and to more purpoſe in foure lines, than we have done in foure Treatiſes; And ſo ſay wee too; for there is ſuch a naturall power in our hands, that we could have ſaid very little, and yet leſſe to the purpoſe.
But yet Sir, we will not blame your little, nor ſhould you, we thinke, ſo much blame our much; OnelyOnly we take leave to tell you our Paſtors words (for though we doe not, yet you and he ſtand upon a levell, That he was young, and now is old, yet from his childhood to this very day, ſtill verſed amidſt papers all his dayes) he never ſaw ſo much thronged together in ſo little roomth, ſo little and ſo much; ſo little to the heart, he beleives of every truely godly man, ſo much to the heart of the wicked, who love to have it ſo, even as men of your way and perſwaſion would have it; Juſtifying Mr H: in every line, and reproaching the footſteps of the Lords anointed, we had almoſt ſaid, in every word, relating to that Controverſie. The one cannot be without th' other; he that doth th'one, doth both;—That's all wee were ordered to tell you, but from hence we will conclude in our owne behalfe.
Firſt, That it is not the muchneſſe that diſpleaſeth, but that it is much againſt the graine of our ſpirits; And then be it little or much, it is all one, it much diſpleaſeth. But ſuppoſe that much, which is ſpoken, is much after the graine of our Spirits; why, though there be not a graine of Salt in it, Yet, how pleaſing is it! as wine and ſtrong drinke is to the pallate of our bodyes, and as greedily taken-in as Mr Hs: Bookes are (to the heart of all the moſt vile and abominable in the Land) or as that graſſe is to ſheepe which rotts them. More and more of that, which is ſweete, ſaid Chryſoſtomes hearers, as hee tells us, more and yet more of that, though it "choake us; when a little of that, which is Croſſe-grained to us, as Truth is, doth not a little diſpleaſe us. It is not how much or how little, but how it goes with or againſt our Spirits, This renders it much or very little diſpleaſing. So we are concluded. And
Secondly, Thus we would conclude alſo; That, though All you and we have ſpoken is but in words, yet we doubt not, and you may hope the ſame of us, Your Eare and Endeavour was to ſpeake more than words, elſe they are nothing but winde; And then, as one ſaith, He that hath ſpoken but one ſuch word, hath ſpoken too many by one. Yet
Thirdly, In reference to a multitude of words charged upon us; we grant that, there may be plenty of words, but ſcarcitie of matter, and there may be plenty of matter in few words: Some have the skill of it to ſpeake much in a little, to contract, as it were, the Spirits of a point in to a few words, and ſo can give you much in a little a large matter in a narrow Compaſſe. But could wee skill of this thing, vvee vvould not ſhew it in our matters, vvhichwhich tend to informe them, that are as weake to apprehend, as hard and ſlow to underſtand, as vvee our ſelves are, not able to apprehend that, which is couched and drawne-up ſo cloſe together; Much may be ſpoken to us in a little, but vvee underſtand but little in much: All are not able to "drinke Spirits; but must have them infuſed into, and incorporated with larger diſcourſes and perticular demonſtrations. We, as all they that are the ſame with us, "Babes in Chriſt, muſt have "line upon line, and precept upon precept, that is, a multitude of lines and precepts. In a word, Better The Grammarian ſhould blame us, than that the people not underſtand us, was the old ſaying, and may plead our excuſe, as was hinted in our Epiſtle to you; vvhence it was That when you expected our Anſwer in ſeaven lines, we could not doe it in leſſe than ſeaven Treatiſes. And yet we expect not our matters ſhould finde acceptance for the muchneſſe or length thereof, nor yours perhaps, for the ſcantneſſe or ſhortneſſe of it; You and vvee muſt ſubſcribe to this Truth in Reference to our matters, Right perſwaſion proceedeth not ſo much from the Power of the ſpeaker, as from the diſpoſition of the hearer; if he be averſe from that he heares, or his eare be foreſtalled, ſpeake you much, or ſpeake you little, it's all one, you had as good ſpeake to a millpoſt, and bid it move and turne to you. And ſo much to that Objection.