by the great Prophet Matth. 7. 12. And as on the one hand you should avoid all such scurrilous and provoking speech as altogether unbecoming the Gospel so on the other hand withhold not any due respect and encouragement you are capable of giving to those who labour in the Word and Doctrine though they may not be in all respects of your opinion and way remembring that Christ's Disciples being capâ—iously offended with those that followed not with them and therefore provoked him to forbid them doing a good work they were in stead thereof rebuked for their labour Luke 9. 49 50. which is a teaching Example unto us as not to hinder so to further any service for God especially that in the Gospel tending to the eternal salvation of the souls of men Is it not very sad to think how many thousands of poor souls may perish for want of knowledge if the supply of all places depended onely on the preaching of some one way Let those then of every way be countenanced and encouraged who by sound Doctrine and dividing the Word aright may give to every one their portion in due season that if it be the will of God the weighty work of Conversion I mean from the power of Satan unto God may be more revived and made prosperous throughout all the dark corners of the land that all our strenuous strifes may be resolved into this who shall most excel in vertue and gather in most wheat of Gods harvest out of the field into his Garner And for my self wherein to some degree I have been in former time surprised with this common infirmity of harshness in judging others I do hereby publickly retract it having better learned to hold those opinions modestly about lesser matters wherein so many able and godly men may be of another mind And therefore in that particular without inconstancy to redeem my time in Moderating as far as my small talent and a pure conscience to God and men will carry me Wherein I have for some later years disposed my self not upon any sinister considerations which is known to the Lord but from Judgement Conscience and Affection which whatever success it hath had on others yet not without reflection of comfort to my self all which I direct to those aforementioned if it may be to reason them into no other then a Christian Moderation And the rather whereas some few of that name aforesaid far from concluding the generality being yet sowre and harsh against those called of the national way have cast upon them the names of Antichristian and Babylonish whom though I tender for that they may be otherwise godly yet let me say without partiality that this doth not proceed from the wisdom that 's from above that 's gentle and peaceable as well as pure Jam. 3. 17. and its different from the Tenour of that Declaration dated and published Decemb. 12. 1659. in the name of many called Anabaptists which however its harshly weakly and mistakingly interpreted yet is it well known to many wise observers that the matter and sober spirit thereof is no new thing but contrariwise a constant pursuance of the meek and humble spirit of the old confession of their faith and many other old Declarations to which they firmly adhere some particulars of whom should have been here recited had it not been for avoyding prolixity and tediousness to the reader save only this must be duely observed that even those persons first above mentioned do also acquit and discharge themselves from those aspersions about subjection to Magistracy and peaceable cohabitation among other men though somewhat severe against those of the national way and the more because they judge them of a persecuting spirit But with such who thus exert the harshness of their spirits in a girding censuring speech let me in few words expostulate you account those of the national way Babylonish Antichristian these are very big and ambiguous words easily spoken more hardly understood yet too commonly tossed to and fro upon disagreement in the smallest puncto's of opinion by those who never explain those words and things to demonstrate from the Word of God where and who deserves the Imputations But whereas you Impute those names may not they retort them back on you with other additions and you again on others and so run the circle for where will this end and to what doth it tend but to make many judge you all in Babylon c. and so run either to the Church of Rome or to Atheisme and prophaneness Further as Job saith What do such arguings reprove who will be ever the better or the wiser who is hereby convinced of an error or brought to the knowledge and acknowledgement of any one truth nay rather doth it not prejudice others against you and your differing opinions The like may be said on the other hand of those who use the words Sectary Fanatick c. upon every trivial difference as if that were enough to confute an opinion or make it ever the worse But would it not be a good expedient and better becoming wise men and sober Christians on all hands instead of giving foul and doubtful names to a reputed error in others to assert rather positively and modefily what themselves do hold for truth and then use the most pregnant arguments to convince thereof and the most powerful Motives to perswade thereto In which way men may kill three birds with one stone viz. convince of error informe in the truth and manifest to others you hold your opinions for conscience and not contention and if you must needs give error a name then call it error and well confute it and deal not oprobriously with any persons who may hold it which never will convince them but reflect the imputation of malice and envy upon your selves and stir it up in others whereby too commonly the truth it self between both is drowned and lost in jars and discords and persons gradually lose their spiritual savour and grow strangers to godly edifying by all which faults on both hands this follows that Ichabod is sadly written upon Religion the glory thereof being much departed Sect. 21. And because the fault of this kind is of both sides I shall therefore offer to both I hope it s well understood on both sides that the main of Religion and power of godliness doth neither only nor chiefly but least of all lye in those particular instituted matters which are the matters in difference why then the contest should be so hot and severe accompanied with so great alienations and oppositions on both sides for my part I understand not especially when I consider that the difference is not so much about the Doctrinal part as the manner of practising those particular institutions But the plain main things of Christianity then are summarily such as these wherein those called Puritans of old did excel viz. right principles of doctrine about God the Father Son and holy Spirit the
to Domestick and forraign enemies Our malady then is manifest as also the mortal and pernicious tendency thereof all sorts of men concentre and agree in this that animosities and devisions are our disease and will undo us And why might not all as easily agree in the remedy which when all is done will be found to be Moderation The crushing of this Sect and the violent subduing of that sort which many hot and hasty spirits cry out for as that which will mend all would prove a remedy worse than the disease tempting and provoking every man judging his own opinions right and his right to be free from others imposing to lift up his hand against his neighbour and render our wound more incurable I cannot here forbear citing that passage of a very learned man It was saith he a notable observation of a wise Father and no less ingenuously confessed That those which held and perswaded pressure of consciences were commonly interessed therein themselves for their own ends Religion and Reason the Spirit of Christ and the Gospel should rather be hearkened unto who all offer and usher in this remedy of Moderation so that it needs not any Epistle of commendation And did we strive to approve our selves Christians we should strive who should excel in this vertue and work How can this be put in use without some Publique Phisicians of value to be as Hee-goats before the flock leading Moderators And who should be the Moderators in these our publick discords but you our Senators and where should you begin with Moderation if not at your own hearts and house in the cases depending before you concerning Military Officers and other Gentlemen who have acted in your Interval Surely the more cordial voluntary and extensive you are herein the more honourable and I hope it may not be construed as a limiting or prescribing to propose that now it may be written upon you in legible characters so as to be read and known to all men Though this proposal come from an obscure person yet it is from one uninterested and who among others of your Subjects did disgust and ill resent the Act of your late interruption with all the preceding occasions thereof hoping your recession which is now effected might most effectually tend to our common safety and settlement which as it is my desire and prayer with submission to the will of God so that my endeavours may be somewhat conducing I humbly propose these few following healing considerations And although it be but a mite and like the Goats-hair to the publick work of the Tabernacle yet it s offered not with any willingness to go beyond my line or sphere nor presumption to be wiser than my teachers and therefore hope I shall not hereby make my selfe a pâ—ey as I do it with much submission so without the least intent God knoweth of imputation or evil reflection on any hand that may any way interfere with my present aim of Moderation in order to which I humbly offer Sect. 1. That humility is the direct and only way to honour Prov. 18. 12. It is a badge of honour in it self and in the acceptation of men the path ordained of God and pointed out with his finger to be blessed with that which is truely honour rooted in the inward affections and estimations of men This is applyed as adapting for the great work in your hands which is to deliver the Island Job 22. 29 30. God hath stained the pride of many publick persons in this Nation shewing himself to be above them Wherefore having by a strange providence once more invested you with power Behold the goodness and severity of God and be not high minded but fear Rom. 11. 20 22. God sitteth with an inspicious eye among the Gods who shall dye like men and shall fall like one of the Princes or like other Princes Psal 82. 7. When Ephraim spake trembling he exalted himself in Israel Hos 13. 1. but when he did otherwise he dyed like as Nebuchadnezzar for his loftiness was sent seven years grazing among the Brutes till he had learned to acknowledge that God ruled in the Kingdomes of men and pulled down and set up whom it pleased him Sect. 2. Nor is Humility so excellent but that Meekness Mercy and Clemency whether reckoned concomitants or fruits thereof they do bear an excellent proportion with it to the adorning of them in whom they are found What greater argument then that they are in the sight of God of great price who hath therefore instructed Rulers that its their glory to pass over a transgression Prov. 19. 11 12. And the throne shall be established as by righteousness so by mercy Prov. 20. 28. But without mercy such shall have judgement without mercy Jam. 2. 13. This is the more magnified and thank-worthy by how much there is an opinion of advantage and opportunity for the contrary and indeed this is most like God himself the similitude and imitation of whom is one principal reason why Rulers are called Gods who in this should be publick patterns and examples to the world and especially in this iron age and Nation Sect. 3. Nor are those vertues more worthy valuable venerable then excessive anger wrath revenge are the contrary A precipitant spirit will never hit the mark nor do the business Examples are infinite that it hath carryed to such actions and issues in haste by changing times persons laws as hath been repented of at leasure proving unretractable beyond first intentions or expectations God would make the passionate Prophet Elijah know that he was not in the whirlwind nor in the thunder but in the still and soft voice And when the Disciples would needs have had fire from heaven upon those who followed not with them our Saviour instructs them in the same lesson You know not saith he what spirit you are of And above all doth it least become grave Senatours to do any thing in rage and rashness witness that remarkable example of good Moses Psal 106. 32 33. That albeit its only noted he spake unadvisedly with his lips and although the people angred him and they provoked his spirit yet it went ill with Moses for their sakes this one hasty angry act judicially devested him of his dignity occasioned his fall and death in the wilderness and missing Canaan And although rigour and severity may sometimes be termed justice and done for security from like actions yet there is need of care that revenge be not in the root nor yet Lextalionis the rule of such proceedings nor rigour to be used in all cases till favour hath been tryed to effect the same just end for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God Jam. 1. 20. Sect. 4. An opinion of some kind of victory and conquest may have a potent influence to screw up the minds of men to a more then ordinary rigour towards the conquered either in order to their own triumph or their suppression may it
right way of Justification by Gods grace through a lively saith in the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ in opposition to the merit of inherent righteousness or external works This rectitude in the point of justification as Luther calls it and Mr. Anthony Burgess likewise well it s both the soul and pillar of Christianity Together with the great work of regeneration by the holy Spirit cooperating with the Gospel likewise progressive sanctification chiefly consisting in a constant continued course of Repentance and Faith Mortification of sin and lust lively exercise of grace in all good and holy works viz. whether Practice of Piety in all Christian duties moral or instituted either publick or private immediately towards God Or righteousness love and mercy towards men either in propper and peculiar relations or in common towards our neighbour and all men even our enemies finally perseverance in all this to the second coming of Christ to raise the bodies of the dead and render to every man according to his works with eternal happiness in heaven or eternal misery in hell Forasmuch then as there is an agreement very much mutually known about all these and much more except only that one branch of institutions is there not a thousand fold more reason of Moderation and mutual tenderness and forbearance then of estrangedness and censurings and that of one anothers consciences even unto a kind of violence upon each others names reputations c. neither would I be mistaken I urge not the abating of one hairs breadth of either matter or form of an instituted ordinance neither dare I do it when I consider that the great fall of our first Parents and we in them was by the breach of an institution that they have Gods stamp upon them that he hath been always regardful about the smallest pins and eylet holes that his servants in Scripture were careful about them that they have an excellency in their nature use and ends that the Laws of God Natural Moral and Gospel yea and the nature of grace do all comprehend institutions in a general obedience to the will of God from all which I conclude none of them are to be despised undervalued neglected rejected as by too many now highly elevated they are nor yet violated by an undue administration of them But about this last viz. the manner of administration is the only question this is like the Gordian knot cut it we must not untye it we cannot at least not for another though we may each for himself Being thus brought to the only general point in controversie the next question is whether its either unlawful for truely most do carry it as if it were a vice and not a vertue or impossible for each cordially to love one the other and mutually forbear and Christianly correspond albeit neither be brought to own the others opinion In answer to which surely mutual love cannot be either unlawful or impossible among true Disciples as all are who believe in Christ and endeavour a purity of conscience seeing it is the grand duty of all such above other and character of such John 13. 35. as also agreeable to the whole tenour of the Gospel and judged very easily practicable by that excellent reconciler Jacobus Acontius in his discovery of Stratagems of the Devil and for my own part I do judge there is no other general impediments than those Stratagems of the Devil and the remaining corruptions in the hearts of good men which makes me wonder at the folly of those who boast of present perfection neither do I doubt but that all who can lay aside prejudice passion and private interest will judge it both desireable and without difficulty for his own part nor do I know how in this world its possible ever to come to an unity of mind in one common opinion of the truth without first a correspondency in unity of common Christian affection nor are the differences much more than the tithing of Mint Annis and Cummin in comparison with the weightier matters both of Law and Gospel which will well and safely admit of modesty and humbleness of mind on all sides without any hurt to the conscience Upon the whole where lyes then the Stiffeness and the stick who must begin first to love and to express it must not every one begin first and will not the foremen carry the greatest honour in the sight of God and Christians and what hurt or hazard can there be to the truth be it where it will thus to lay aside animosities prejudices evil surmises evil speakings and converse together in an amicable way without looking upon each other as Monsters and prodigies as too too much formerly making every trivial a bear and a lyon in the way to hinder the means of a right understanding and affâ—ction But if it be impossible contrariwise thus to walk in mutual love and forbearance improving each others gifts and graces as far as may be unless and untill both be resolved into one common opinion about every puncto of Institution then must it be by an actual complyance on the one hand or the other If so then this question follows which of the parties must be the Standard which and who will so arrogate and appropriate to themselves the Urim and Thummim as to whom all others must in every thing conform again this conforming on the one side or the other it must be either voluntary from change of mind or constrained by force the former is not probable to be because the way unto it seems to be barr'd fenc't hedg'd up by an exclusion of all Christian forbearance and amicable converse And for the latter viz. Coercion that ought not to be because both will and may plead an equal right of liberty in the Nation from being imposed upon by his neighbour and like equal right of liberty to judge which is the exactest way of serving God and the rightest and directest way to heaven wherefore the final issue whereto such a violent contest tends it is to make our Land an Aceldama a field of blood yea which is worst of all of Christian blood which as I desire God from heaven may forbid as he seasonably staid the hand of Abraham over his son Isaac and countermanded the Angels drawn destroying sword over Jerusalem at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite 2 Sam. 24. 16. So do I humbly propose that reason grace and the Royal law of love and charity may prevail upon the minds of both to meet each other in Moderation as the first step to Christian unity for you can never be swift to hear each other unless you are slow to wrath Jam. 1. 19. but if after all any shall retain their wrath and remain irreconcilable let such know that God knows how to restrain it Psal 76. 10. But were your affections thus united jealousies and evil surmises thus removed it would not a little obviate the clandestine designs of Jesuits among us