Account of Truth and Peace, Title page – Dedication
A juſt Account Upon the Account of truth and peace, given-in by Brethren, lovers of and fellow-helpers to both, wherefore they muſt open their matters to the view of the world, ſpeaking them, in their reſpective places, as upon the houſe-tops, which elſe had been ſpoken in darkneſſe privately, and as in the eare.
They take away the righteouſneſſe of the righteous from them. Iſa. 5. 23.
Every day they wreſt my words, Pſal. 56. 5.
Which they that are unlearned and unſtable wreſt, as they alſo doe other Scriptures, 2 Pet. 3. 16.
Wee are made manifest unto God, 2 Cor. 5. 11.
LONDON; Printed according to Order for Henry Cripps, in Popes-head-Alley. 1656.
TO THE READER.
WEE are angariated (wee make bold with that Perſian word, our Engliſh being ſo ſhort in our ſeeming to expreſſe the enforcement that lyeth upon us) compelled, as one was to beare the Croſſe, or as a tired horſe to goe his Stage: ſo we to put-forth our matters, as we intend to doe one after another, for others to judge betwixt us and a Miniſter of Mr Hs perſwaſion in Reference to the Diſcipline of Gods Houſe, free Admiſſion of all to all Church-Communions; It is poſſible, and but after the manner of men, and more ordinary with ſuch as we are, to judge amiſſe of our own performances, too partially and fatherlike (for libri quaſi liberi, books are like children) we over-look their faults, or we deal too tenderly with them, as others may too raſhly and rigedly. Therefore, as things now ſtand, the world must judge betwixt us, or as many of them as are fitted with patience to ſit out the hearing of ſo meane matters, as they are acted by us, as mean as the meaneſt, and may be preſented to their eye and eare in their order and reſpective places; Meane we ſay as acted by us, but in their relation to the houſe of God, the Church of the living God, the management of matters by the Stewards there, they may appear to be matters high and Glorious, just according to the manner they are mannaged, if after the due order, then high and glorious, if otherwiſe, then low and inglorious.
Now be not diſcouraged, Reader at our meanneſſe, though ſo meane wee are as thou canſt think us. We would gladly ſuppoſe thee a bleſſed man; the bent of whoſe Spirit is ſuch, that he cannot ſtirre or make the leaſt motion againſt the Truth. And then it is a bleſſed comfort to this bleſſed man (to thee, if thou be hee) that though wee ſhould put forth our ſtrength, not ingorantly onelyonly but wickedly (which through grace is as far from us, as wee would have that to be, which is an abomination to us) againſt the truth, yet we ſhall never prevail againſt it, which undoubtedly will be the great Conquerour at laſt, & is gaining every day luſter and Glory by our most inglorious actings againſt it. Queſtionleſs, it is ventilated winnowed and purged by the blaſtings of men of corrupt minds upon it; ſurely it is cleared from the droſs (which would cleave to it) paſſing through ſo many heated hands and fiery mouths, as ſo many fining pots, though intended by man utterly to extinguiſh and conſume it: oh the glorious advantages truth hath gained all along theſe feirce and perilous times, while errour ſate in ſtate, or as we may ſay in its Throne, like to be, as might be conceived by ſome, a perpetuall Dictator againſt it; It is the Lords doing, is it not marvelous in your eyes?
But to ſtay thee no longer, we come to our caſe, which, in brief, is this; we were deſired (ſo wee would rather ſay than charged or commanded, wee ſhould be judged elſe to walke by a fancy in the matters of our Lord) by a Miniſter of the ſame perſwaſion with a world (but argumentum peſſimum turba, commonly the moſt are worſt) of Miniſters, to give our reaſons for our diſſent from him in point of free admiſſion of all to all Church Communions upon account of their infant Baptiſm; As alſo to the declaring againſt the obſervation of the day wee will call, becauſe we would be underſtood, Chriſtmas Day, in reference alſo to forms of prayer, and in ſpeciall to the Lords prayer; and foure Queries thereupon; Theſe foure Treatiſes, (for ſo wee have digeſted them) with three Epiſtles, together with an introduction holding forth by way of preface, the way of Chriſt with His people, and their walke with Him, by the guidance of his good Spirit in the directions of His Word, theſe, wee were ſaying, wee ſent to the ſaid Miniſter one after another, as wee could take a tranſcript of the ſame; ſome two months after he returned us the Epiſtles, Preface, and firſt Treatiſe of Baptiſme, with ſome exceptions againſt ſome expreſſions or paſſages in all three; whereunto we thought our ſelves bound, upon the account of truth, to make ſome Reply, whereof you may be judge, if pleaſe you; For truely our Humours, or our principles, the one or both are ſo contrary, that though we are bound to judge our ſelves, yet neither muſt wee nor will wee be judged in our matters, though indeed we think them to be right, and well agreeing with the Word of God, if that ſaid Miniſter fixed in Mr Hs way, and firme to his perſwaſion, be in an errour as to theſe matters.
Quickly after the receite of this our Reply to his exceptions, as aforeſaid, he returned, together with that Reply, the three other Treatiſes (all he had or would receive from us, whereas there were three more in our hands, in a readineſſe for him) with ſo much heate as might argue his ſpirit ſomwhat diſcompoſed. Notwithſtanding though ſome might think here was ſome offence given in returning our Papers, wee expected no more than wee doe the returne of our waters where they neither ebb nor flow, yet truely there was no offence taken, they were received, and little regarded by us, having, as wee ſaid, a tranſcript of them.
Some three weekes after, the ſaid Miniſter asked one amongst us whether wee had looked into our papers he had returned to us? anſwer was made, no; he bad us look into our Treatiſe of prayer (wherein our endeavour and care was to be ſtudiouſly curious) and there wee ſhould ſee what his ſon had written. Wee did, as hee deſired, and quickly found his ſons handy work for ſome leaves together, as pleaſed him, or him that appointed him, falſe gloſſes, unjuſt conſtructions, the blackeſt lines did that young man draw-over ours in many places; and, at length, down-right blaſphemy charged he upon us. Whereat we were ſtartled a little at preſent, not becauſe the ſon of that Minister charged us ſo deeply; for he was, as ſome ſay, very youthfull till of late, when the hands of the Presbytery were laid upon him; what change was wrought upon him at that time, or ſince that day, they ſhould know, who live neere him, heare his Doctrines, and ſee his practiſe; But youthfull he was, as is ſaid after the manner of young folk; and then as Paul ſaid, all in him, or don by him was childiſh while he was a child: ſo happely in the next ſtep of our life which is youth, he that is a youth thinks as a youth, ſpeaks as a youth, acts as a youth, all in him, or don by him is youthfull, that is, ſubject to miſcarriages and miſtakes, therefore wee, as wee were ſaying, regarded little what the ſon ſaid ſpeaking of his own, nor can wee think it ſtrange, that a youth ſhould act like a youth (every age of our life having ſomething peculiar to its ſelf.) But this we think ſtrange, That the ſon charged our book ſo in the preſence of his father, and where two learned and pious Divines, as is meete for us to judge, were preſent at the ſame time, whoſe names wee ſhall mention in the enſuing papers. You have heard our caſe, wee will detaine thee no longer, when wee have added this, That having offered our matters ſucceſleſly to that Miniſter, returning them with ſuch a—caſtigation (as the like, wee think, hath not been heard or read) though wee were charged by him to give him our perſwaſion, and the reaſon thereof, in reference to the matters aforeſaid, we find our ſelves conſtrained to make our matters publick; which we doe the more cheerfully, being confident of this thing, That there is nothing here, or in that, which may follow after, which is againſt piety or charity; for wee had rather our bones ſhould be ſcattered like chips about the hewing-place, than that our pen (which hath the advantage of the tongue, more hearers) ſhould as others doe in this ſcribling age ſcatter errour and wickedneſſe among the people, as the Scorpion its poyſon.
Wee truſt the Good Hand of Him (our onelyonly leane-to, and that leads into all truth) ſo far, as that wee hope you ſhall find Truth all along, and mannaged in our meaſure, as becometh ſons of truth, and fellow-helpers of the ſame; This Good Spirit direct your heart to the love of Christ, which onelyonly is conſtraining to love Truth and peace; and to keepe both as thou keepeſt the apple of thine eye, or thy chiefeſt Treaſure. Amen.
In the Name and by the appointment 10. 5. 55.of their Paſtour, HEZEKIAH WOODVVARD.