The Churchs Quarrel Espoused, Conclusion
CONCLƲSION. THeſe Propoſals were Aſſented to by the Deligates of the Aſſociation, met according to former Agreement at B— Sep. 13th, 1705. to be Communicted.
Anſwer.
The Church of England has been wont to look upon us as men out ot our Wits, therefore they Term us Phanaticks, or Mad-men, but much more now. What! for men to break from the Government they themſelves have Eſtabliſhed by Conſent and Practice, and Arbitrarily to Rally together, And draw up a Direful Sentence (if not in Terms, yet Intent) for the diſſolution of a Country full of the beſt Churches of Chriſt in the World, and then (as it were) upon the bold ſound of a Trumpet, to excite others to Ratify the Dead Warrant, in order to Execution! What can this Import or Signify in the thoughts of Conſiderate Men, but a Vertigious Brain? We might have learned better, and more Caution, from that Mother Church of the Nation, if not from Common Reaſon; For though out Soveraign confides in the Loyalty of her Engliſh Clergy, Yet to maintain the Grandure of Government, and keep in good Repair that Common Fence, which Keeps every man in his ſtation, therefore, According to the Law and Cuſtom of England, The Convocation, both the Higher and Lower Houſe of that Learned and Auguſt Aſſembly, neither Debates nor Tranſacts any Matter whatſoever, But what our Soveraign by Commiſſion Expreſly alloweth of, according to her Prerogative; So that certainly to acquit our ſelves for Wiſe men you ſhould have done no leſs (in a matter of ſuch weight and Moment) then have Petitioned the Publick Authority for Commiſſion, before you had ventured this far.
Object. But poſſibly ſome may ſay, We have Petitioned Authority to Eſtabliſh our Councils, ſince we have drawn them up in form.
Anſwer. This is to be Prepoſtrous, and agrees with that illegal Way of Hanging men and then Judging them; But however, it ſeems they turned a Deaf Ear to your demands; and well they might, for they are too wiſe men to alter the Laws of the Province, long Cuſtoms and orderly Settlements of the Churches to gratify an Implicit Faith in the ſtark-naked Ipſe Dixits of any man; That unleſs you can Prove a Mandamus from the Crown, or a precept from a higher Court, which by its Divine Authority ſhall awe and direct them, you may alway expect ſuch Entertainment in your Precarious Addreſſes; for moſt certainly you beg at the wrong door. You Beg without a Brief.
To be Commended to the ſeveral Aſſociated Miniſters in the ſeveral parts of the Country, to be duly Conſidered.
Anſwer. And why not Commended to the General Court, as has been the Cuſtom of our Beginnings, &c. or why not Commended nextly to the ſeveral Churches? By the Queſtion propoſed, the Comfort, Support and Well being of theſe Churches was peculiarly pretended, Then why might not they be nextly adviſed with, for their Approbation or Eſteem? for if you Intend it for a new ſuit, or change of Apparrel, or a ſet of Armour for this Army in Banners, it muſt be the only way to try it on, it being now ſo near finiſhing; and if it be done Work-man-like, you will have the Credit and they the Comfort of it; but if it prove too Strait-laced, or ſhould they feel themſelves as David in Saul's Coat of Mail, and ſhould ſhrug at it, and ſay, We cannot go in theſe, We have not proved them; yet they may throw all by and keep to their own old Suit, which is not yet half worn, and the Worſt come to the worſt, you may by any Lawful Writ recover your Wages of thoſe who ſet you on Work to blow at their Forge.
That ſo what may be Judged for the Service of our GREAT LORD, and his holy Churches.
Anſwer. You acknowledge, and ſo do I, That theſe are holy Churches, & (through the Grace of their great Lord) they being ſo, Then why ſhould they be Interrupted in their Government and Diſcipline, which has been a peculiar means for the Advance and Promoting Holineſs amongſt Them? They are ſtrict, in their Government Curious, yet Charitable in their Admiſſions; in the Election of all Officers they are Nice, Cautious, Judicious, and in the main hitherto very Succeſsful. They are Egle-Eyed in their Watch; Duly hot, and impartial in their Proceſs and Exemplary Acts of Juſtice; and ſo Dependent and free from Arrogance, that they acknowledge themſelves accountable under the Eye of Conſociation, for their Adminiſtration & freely and without Covin, Render an account of their Actions, and are willing to receive advice &c. Then why ſhould you Diſturb Them?
You acknowledge them to be Holy Churches and you may well! Then Certainly they are the Bethels, where God dwells, and from his Grace and Preſence, ſo Illuſtrous in them, why mayn't we conclude, God has ſaid, This is my Reſt for-Ever; here will I dwell, for I have Deſired It? And will then any good man have a hand in Pulling Down theſe Tabernacles of the Almighty? No! Rather let every man Involved, ſay, as once Job did, I will lay my hand upon my Mouth; once have … ſpoken, but I will not anſwer, yea, Twice, but I will proceed no further, leaſt I am found ſighting againſt God; for it is moſt certain, all men will find themſelves over-matcht In ſuch a War.
Be Proceeded in.
Anſw. I think we are Proceeding in the beſt Method we can for the Preſent, for the ſervice of theſe Churches. That is to ſay, The Criminal Propoſals Being now at the Bar, and having been Indicted upon ſeveral Statutes, and Evidence for proving Matter of Fact, being Legal and ſufficient, the Caſe is now to be delivered to the great Jury of Tryals, viz, The Impartial Reaſon of the Churches, and there having been no ſuch Deed done, or ſeen, from the day that this good People came up out of the Land, from the other ſide of the great Sea, unto this Day, Conſider of it, take Advice and ſpeak your Minds, Judg. 19.30.
And upon due Deliberation, if under the Conduct of Law and Reaſon, you ſhall bring in Guilty, Then I Petition for the Crown, That juſtice be done in this following Manner, not by Baniſhment, Praemunire or Perpetual Impriſonment, But that the Propoſals be Sentenc'd to Dye the Death of Heriticks, and their Aſhes be Expoſed to the four Winds; that the whole Scheme may, beyond all hope of Retrieve, be loſt in Oblivion. And let the Churches, according to their Platform, Recover and Maintain their Authority, Liberties and Luſtre ſo long as the Sun and Moon ſhall continue.
The Date,—November the 5 …h, 1705.
Anſwer.
Bleſſed! Thrice Bleſſed Day! Uphold and Maintain thy Matchleſs Fame in the Kalender of Time, and let no Darkneſs or Shadow of Death ſtain thee; Let thy Horrizon Comprehend whole Conſtellations of Favourable and Auſpicious ſtars, Reflecting abenigne Influence on the Engliſh Monarchy. And upon every Return, in thy Anniverſary Circuits, keep an Indulgent Eye open and wakeful upon all the Beauties (from the Throne to the Foot-ſtool) of that Mighty Empire!
And when it is thy Misfortune to conceive a Monſter, which may Threaten any part of the Nations Glory, let it come Crippled from the Womb, or elſe Travail in Birth again, with ſome Noble Hero, or Invincible Hercules, who may Conquor and Confound it.
The Laſt Binding Vote. At an Aſſociation Meeting the fore-going Propoſals were Read, and Aſſented to.
Anſwer.
Whether for a ſmall Juncto of Gentlemen, without being Orderly called (as a Committee of Wiſe and Learned men, to ſurvey an Old Government, and make their Report) by any Supream Authority, for them of their Own he…ds, to Meet and draw up Articles againſt, and in Imitation of the Higheſt and Moſt Regular State on Earth; To Vote up a Scheme of their own Inventing, and thereby ſign the Condemnation of) a grave Eccleſiaſtical Government, which has been Adjuſted by the Rules of Equity and Honour, and for the ſecurity of all Perſons and Parties Intereſted and Involved, and Regularly ſettled and Eſtabliſhed by all the Churches in the Province, and owned, Ratified, and Honoured by the Civil Authority of the Empire, And Eminently Bleſſed by GOD, thro' a long ſeries and ſucceſſion of years▪ now whether ſuch a Daring Action as this can be placed under any of the Topicks of Political, or Moral at Wiſdom, either of the Fear of God. Allegiance to their Prince, or Love to their Country? Or whether or no they don't (for their Defyance to the Churches, in this bold and terrible Vote) Rather merit a Page in the Chronicles of Time, and there in Capital Letters, be written, Not an Aſſociation of Wiſe, but A Faction of Diſorderly, &c. and Impolitick Men?
The Introduction to perſonall Signing. Preſent, —
A Council of War (by Adjournment met, without Commiſſion) Conſulting the moſt Plauſible way to blow up the Walls of our Zion. But where the place was, or the Perſons who were Preſent in this Randivouze, ſhall never be told by me, unleſs it be Extorted by the Rack. And tho' I have Endeavoured with freedom of Argument to ſubvert the Error, I will never ſtain their perſonal Glory, by Repeating or Calling over the Muſter Roll.
Therefore, as Noah's Sons caſt a Garment upon their Fathers Nakedneſs ſo (leaving them in the Crowd) their Names (for me) ſhall repoſe under a mantle of honourable Piety and forgetfulneſs.
Yet Wiſhing they may never more harbour ſuch Thoughts or Promote ſuch a Deſign as is Projected by theſe Propoſals, but hereafter, when Temptation makes its Signal, let them rather Treſpaſs upon Gravity, following the Hounds in the Forreſt, or by a more ſubmiſſive and moderate Way (to Baffle the Enemy, and wear off the Impreſſion) let them write on the ground, or with famous Domitian, ſpend the time in Catching flies, rather than Contrive how to ſubvert or alter the Government in the Churches, by ſuch Diſpotick Meaſures, eſpecially in an Empire and Province ſo Charmed with ſuch Inchanting Liberties as ours are. For otherwiſe, they may chance to bring, if not an Old, a New Houſe upon their heads, according to that ſaying, Debile fundamentum, fallit Opus.
A Work, if done, and no Foundation laid,
Falls on the Work-Mens heads; Thus they are paid.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Wise, The Churchs Quarrel Espoused (1713)