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A64237
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A history of the union between the Presbyterian and Congregational ministers, in and about London, and the causes of the breach of it
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Taylor, Richard, 17th/18th cent.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing T550; ESTC R9165
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24,526
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48
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of time would bring any of the Dividers to a more Peaceable and Uniting Temper but they waited to no purpose for the Return of them who shewed themselves to be Men of more Stiffness than to Re-call what they had done when it was for the sake of a Party This inflexible Temper was the more to be blamed in some of the Deserting Lecturers because they had given Encouragement to the Subscribers to hope that they would not leave the Pinners-Hall-Lecture but they disappointed the Expectations of them who thought they would not joyn with the Author and Promoter of a Scandalous Schism This shewed that as most of the Ministers at Little St. Helens had approved Mr. Williams's Book so the Chief of them would not forbear to stand by and encourage him in his Contentious Managements IT is said in the St. Helens Narrative That Four of the Lecturers were necessitated to leave Pinners-Hall The Answer to the Report c. Page 9. THERE is no Truth in this as to Doctor Bates Mr. How and Mr. Alsop unless the Composers of the Narrative mean That Doctor Bates Mr. How and Mr. Alsop who were all Intreated and Courted with great Importunity to stay at Pinners-Hall thought that their Concurring with Mr. Williams in the Anti-Lecture was so Momentous and Important that it made their departure from Pinners-Hall necessary IN January 1694. A Paper of Articles was sent from the Ministers at Little St. Hellens to the Congregational Ministers as a Test against Arminianism and Antimonianism This Paper was never publickly Read in the Meeting of the Congregational Ministers and it was so far from being considered by them that upon enquiry it cannot be found that above Two or Three of them have any remembrance of it when it was sent Both the Rebuker and the Contrivers of the St. Hellens Narrative make a great Noise about this Paper and with great confidence endeavour to fasten upon the Congregational Bretheren the Charge of Antinomianism because they were Silent about it but this Accusation is as groundless as it is uncharitable It was not any affection to Antinomianism that kept such of the Congreagational Brethren as knew any thing of the Paper from considering it but it was for other Reasons that they could not press their Brethren in general to take any notice of it 1. THEY did not think the Articles were Worded so fully and so clearly as they ought to be but were either Couched or Defective in some things 2. THEY did not reckon that the Congregational Brethren were under any such obligations to Purge themselves from the Suspitions of Antinomianism as most of the St. Hellens Brethren whose Names stood to Mr. Williams's Book were under to clear themselves from Errors too near a Kin to Arminianism because the Congregational Brethren could not be Charged with Subscribing any Antinomian Book 3. THERE was no mention made in this Paper of any dislike of the Errors of Mr. Williams and therefore such of the Congregational Brethren as saw this Paper of Articles wav'd it as that which was no sit Expedient for Peace when it said nothing of the standing Offence This is a true Accompt of the aforesaid Paper and when the Reader considers it he will then see that the Rebuker and the Framers of the St. Helens Narrative Blacken the Innocent to hide their own Deformitys and falsly Charge others with Antinomianism to cover their own Retreat towards the Tents of the Arminians WHEN most of the Ministers at Little St. Helens had upon every new Tryal given pregnant Proofs of their liking to Mr. Williams's Errors and when the chief of them kept up their separate Lecture at Salters-Hall all proposals for Peace would have been laid aside if the Industry of some had not surmounted the Difficulties which lay in their way and if they had not in the beginning of the Year 1695. got a few Ministers to meet together to try if they could find out any proper Means to heal the Breaches that were daily made wider When they had met together Twice the old Request at a Third meeting was urged That some of the Noted Subscribers to Mr. Williams 's Book would withdraw their hands from it They were press'd to do this as that which was necessary for them to do otherwise they would weaken the Authority of their own Writings It was then desired of Mr. Lobb that for the Refreshing of their Memories he would draw out of their Writings some things that were Contradictory to Mr. Williams's Assertions which he did and was drawn to Publish them before there was another Meeting because of the following occasion Mr. Humphrey having got a sight of Mr. Lob's Paper did Print some part of it with his own Remarks to which Mr. Williams Answer'd This made Mr. Lobb address himself in a Printed Letter to the Reverend Dr. Bates wherein he made it evident that the Reverend Dr. was under a necessity either to withdraw his Subscription from Mr. Williams's Book or to disown what he himself had Written This and other weighty Reasons brought some of the Chief of the Presbyterian Brethren after much time spent in Mature deliberation to agree upon a Pacificatory Paper wherein they medled only with the bare state of Truths and Errors in Mr. Williams's Book because they said they never set their Hands to any more of the Book The Paper which they sent to the Congregational Brethren is as Follows WWHER AS Some unhappy Differences have arisen amongst us principally about the Doctrine of Justification occasioned by a Book Written by Mr. Williams Intituled Gospel Truth Stated and Vindicated to which some of our Names were prefix'd and against which several Exceptions were made by Mr. Griffith Mr. Cole Mr. Mather Mr. Chauncy Mr. Traile and Mr. Richard Taylor which if continued amongst the Ministers of Christ may be much to the Dishonour of God and Danger to the Souls of Men. ' For the Composing whereof as we formerly expressed our Approbation of the Doctrinal Articles of the Church of England or the Confession of Faith compiled by the Assembly at VVestminster or that at the Savoy as agreeable to the Word of God unto that Approbation we still adhere Declaring further that if any of us shall at any time hereafter be apprehended to have express'd himself disagreeing thereunto we will with Brotherly Candour and Kindness mutually endeavour to give and receive just Satisfaction herein Bearing with one anothers Infirmities and different Sentiments about Logical or Philosophical Terms or meerly Humane Forms of Speech in matters of lesser VVeight Not thinking it reasonable or just to Charge upon any Brother such Consequences of any Expression or Opinion of his which he himself shall Disown And We do further Declare with respect to the special matters in Difference amongst us that Altho Regeneration Repentance towards God Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Conversation are by Gods express VVord manifestly necessary to the Salvation of a Sinner yet that
none of these or any work done by Men or wrought by the Spirit of God in them is under the Nation of Subordination or under any Denomination whatsoever any part of that Righteousness for the sake or on the account whereof God doth Pardon Justifie or Accept Sinners or Entitle them to Eternal Life that being only the Righteousness of Jesus Christ without them Imputed unto them and received by Faith alone And whereas in the above mentioned Book it is said There is no Change of Persons betwixt Christ and Believers Page 37 40 41. which the Learned H. Grotius and the Reverend Dr. Stillingfleet now Bishop of VVorcester do not only Assert but Irrefragably Prove in Concurrence with the Common sentiment of Protestants in as much as we conceive the Doctrine of Justification and of Christs Satisfaction on which it depends cannot be duly Explained and Defended consistently with the Denial of any Commutation of Persons between Christ and Believers WE do therefore Declare our Disallowance of that Proposition in the general Sense thereof giving our Sense thus That as it is Apparent this cannot be a Physical Change by which Christ and Believers do in Substance become one another Nor again a Moral Change whereby Christ should become inherently sinful and Believers become immediately thereby Innocent and Sinless So we doubt not there is a Commutation of Persons in a Legal Sense Christ by Consent between the Father and Him Putting on the Person and coming into the Room and Stead of Sinners not to Repent or Believe for them which the Gospel requires tho He hath undertaken the Elect shall in due time be enabled thereunto but to Answer for them the Obligation of the violated Law of Works being made Sin for them tho he knew no Sin that they might be made the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 And what is contrary hereunto we Judge Erroneous and False AND as there is a Change of Persons betwixt Christ and Believers so the Guilt of our Iniquities being laid upon Christ the Father was displeased with him Not that He was ever moved to any Passion against Him which in the General the Perfection of the Divine Nature admits not on any account whatsoever nor that he was in any Sense offended with him much less abhorr'd him considered as He was in himself for so he was most perfectly sinless but considered in Relation to us as our Surety bearing our Sins in his own Body so if by Displeasure or Wrath be only meant a Dispassionate Will to Punish the Lord Christ did Feel and Bear the Displeasure of God and the weight of his Wrath in the Punishment of our Sins transferr'd upon Him for it pleased the Father to bruise Him having laid upon Him the Iniquities of us all And we do further Declare That whosoever shall be found to express themselves in their Preaching or Writings agreeably hereto and the mentioned Articles and Confessions we shall esteem them to deliver the Sincere Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And it shall be remote from us to oppose or reflect upon But we shall to our uttermost Encourage and give Countenance to one anothers Ministry herein If therefore Mr. Williams shall concur with us in what we have declared touching the Doctrine of Justification and in the Sense we have given of a Change of Persons between Christ and Believers and of Christ's Enduring the Displeasure of the Father for our Sins and shall give Satisfaction about any thing else that any Brother excepts against in the rest of his Writings agreeably to the abovesaid Articles and Confessions We shall so far acquiesce therein as not to make them the Matter of further Publick Contest or Altercation amongst our selves We whose Names are Prefix'd to that Book do hereby declare They were generally given only to a short Abstract of Truth and Error which we had seen and now since is much enlarged and not to the Book it self which we had not seen and did not thereby intend to signisie our Approbation of every Expression or Opinion therein contained any farther than as they should be found to agree with the Articles and Confessions before-mentioned THIS Paper needs none to Praise it but it will speak for it self with them who are neither Heterodox nor Partial It was Sent and Recommended to the Congregational Brethren by a Letter from Seven of the Presbyterian Brethren which is here Inserted for the Reader 's Perusal Reverend Brethren WE have Long and Earnestly Desired and Endeavoured the Renewing of that Vnion among us which was formerly Agreed unto upon the most weighty Reasons as being plainly Required by the Gospel Rule to which we all Profess Subjection as conducing manifestly to the Glory of God to the Reputation of Religion our Mutual Comfort Helpfulness and Success in our Ministery and the Common Edification of the Churches of Christ under our Care and which we conceive cannot be discontinued without much Sin and Prejudice in all these Respects VVe have Enquired into the Causes or Occasions of that Rupture of our Vnion which has been too Notorious and which we had rather Lament and Heal than Represent or aggravate the Sinfulness and Pernicious Consequences of it And no other Reason has been alledged to us than that our Names stand Prefixed to a Book of our Brother Williams Entitled Gospel Truth Stated and Vindicated whence it was apprehended we differed from your selves and other Brethren in some very Great and Momentous Doctrines and Points of Religion VVe do therefore offer to your Perusal the Enclosed Paper that you may consider whether the Publication thereof with your declared Approbation will not be sufficient to clear this Matter to our Brethren through the Nation as well as our own Mutual Satisfaction and to the Re-Vnion of such as were Vnited And we desire your Opinion and Advice what may be Requisite to render an Vnion facil and acceptable to our worthy Brethren who have hitherto not Vnited with us and your Concurrence with us in such things as may render our Vnion for the Future Entire Vseful Permanent and Practical by Mutual Alternate Presence and Countenance of each other in the Vse of all the Ordinances of VVorship in our several Churches and Congregations and in the Endeavour that Meetings of distinct Parties for the Maintaining of one Party against another or the Exercise of Jurisdiction over one another and the very Distinguishing Names of Parties may cease and be Abolished Moreover we desire you to take into your Serious Consideration what may be Pre-requisite to our Appointing a Day of Solemn Fasting and Humiliation for the Vnited Pastors of Churches wherein we may without Mutual Crimination of one another each one Humble Himself to Lament our Late Divisions and Implore a Blessing and the Copious Pouring down of the Spirit of God upon our selves and upon the Churches Committed to our Charge and that this may be accelerated as much as is possible we crave your