are at rest as Mr. Parker Dr. Ames Mr. Forbes some are absent as Mr. Hooker Mr. Weld Mr. Peter 4. that he so interweaveth his discontents against the Elders the complaints of the members with the passages which concerne me that in many things I could not cleare my selfe without saying some thing also in their just defence which I have done sparingly and but when it was made necessary by his joyning us together 5. that he hath so frequently mentioned my name almost in every passage that I could not make a satisfying Reply on myne owne behalfe without examining almost the wholl booke which I was constrayned to doe also more particularly and according to the order of his Sections then else I would least it should be thought that I had bene unable to answer what I had praetermitted Wherein what I have written the Reader seeth but he knoweth not what I could have added and therefore is to be intreated to suspend his censure concerning what I have said till he may understand the reasons whereby I am able to justifye such particulars 6. that for the helpe of the Reader in comparing the Reply with the Answer I have inserted his owne words every where 7. that I thought it unaequall to cause the Reader to lay out his mony and spend his precious houres upon a fruitlesse discourse of our personall concernments onely and therefore have added many things upon this occasion for his intellectuall advantage whereby the Reply is made much larger then else it should have bene The benefit whereof will I hope with Gods blessing recompence his expence of mony or time upon it Which I beseech the Father of lights and of spirits to grant for the advancement of his truth in the hearts of many Amen The faults escaped correct thus 1. Words or points to be altered p stands for page l for line r. for read P 6. l 7. r. all together p 25. l 25. r operantis p. 32. l 6. r. Emden for Ments p 46. l 2. r. answereth p 48. l 27. r holesom l 37. r up p 54. l. 14. r injury p 55. l. 27. r consequence p 56. l 3. r open p 58. l. 27. r specially p 61. l. 2. r of for to p. 62. l. 1. and. p. 70. l 7. r 20. for 21. p. 79. l 23. r that the Doct p 81. l 26. r held p. 88. l 11. r in ter Veer where he p. 89. l 4. r with arrogating p. 118. l 29. r to the. p 148. l 5. r yet p 174. l 2. r counsail p 177. l 27. r was for w as p 191. l 33. r against it for against it p 223. l 12. r impute p 242. l. 2. r the for th p 245. l 7. r was for wae p 265 l 23. r. injustice p 266. l 20. r devised p. 268. l 7 8. r further p 288. l 31. r these p 295. l 4. r either for neither 2. Words or points to be added a stands for add p 9. l 20. a about after satisfactioÌ„ p. 59. l. 8. a. secondly before Is. p. 61. l. 16. a. not after p. 82. l. 1 a. he after fit p. 106. l. 19. a the before Iesuits p. 113. l. 15. r. moneths absence p. 163. l. 36. a. of marriages after condition p. 165. l. 14. a. after day p. 183 l. 17. r. ministers p. 202. l. 1. a. that after not p. 213. l. 14. r. constitution p. 229. l. 3. a. is after it 3. Words to be blotted out d stands for dele p. 9. l. 15. d. h in where p. 56 l. 13. d. First p. 66. in the margin d. s. in epist p. 82. l. 31. d. s in places p. 86. l. 31. d. s. in Maties p. 106. l. 19. d. the before Machiavells p. 138. l. 10. d. be Other faults which doe not so much hinder the Readers understanding I leave to his owne observation As when t is put for c s for c ei for i for e u for n p for b. s for f. m for n. n for m. y for i. c. A Table added by a Friend wherein the Reader for his better understanding is to take notice that the first figure sheweth the page the latter sheweth the line in the page Action CHristian actions of a twofold nature 277. 26 Ames Dr. Ames defended 77. 12 Commended 79. 12 What workes hee was author of 80. 1 His fitnesse for Pastorall office 81. 12 His remoove from Franeker to Rotterdam justified 83. 1 Dr. Ames not for promiscuous baptising 160. 14 Dr. Ames opinion of Synods 224. 36 Dr. Ames judgement about the power by which the Church ought to be governed 242. 20 Answer Three things required to a right answer of complaints 1 Two things required to a true answer 1 Answerer Answerer defective in his answer in the requisites thereto 2. 31 Answerers subtill devises to prejudice the Reader 7. 20 Answerers fallacie in putting that for a cause which is no cause 9. 25 Answerers judgement and practise agree not 12. 20 Answerer found faulty from his relation of a father 20. 6 from the place 20. 35 from the time 22. 10 Answerer found guilty of depriving the Church of those whom they desired notwithstanding all his answeres for the clearing of himselfe 55. 1 Answerer diverteth the Reader 51. 5. and 64. 19. and 68. 18. and 209. 30. Answerer prooved guilty of sinne in opposing the persons whom the Church desired 65. 8 It hath bene the Answerers course to injury the Church 77. 7 Answerer not willing to accommodate the Replyer about promiscuous baptising 126. 1. and 130 22. Answerer obtruded a false translation of the five Dutch Ministers writing upon the Reader 129. 12. Answerer contradicteth himselfe and the Classis about the insufficiency of the Elders about baptising 169. 12 Answerer hindreth the agreemeÌ„t of the Elders concerning the Replyers preaching notwithstanding all his pretended answeres 218. 12 Answerers needlesse jealousies kept Mr. Weld out from preaching when the Elders desired him 221. 27 Answerer notwithstanding his answeres found guilty of subjecting the Church under an undue power of the Classis 232. 22. Answerer joyneth with the enemies in an old cavill what the due power is by which the Church should be governed 253. 15. Answerer injurious to Christ and to the truth while hee thinkes to leave the complaynants under suspicion of adhearing to some sect 236. 22 Answerer found guilty of giving unto the Classis power to keepe out such men as the Church desired 243. 31 Answerer found guilty of giving unto the Classis power of making lawes 257. 7. Answerer found guilty of bringing matters violently unto the Classis 264. 9 Answerer found guilty of subjecting the Church under the Classis without consent â—68 1 Answerers answers about his pulpiting against the Replyer examined 278. 19 Answerer armes his opposites against himself and all Non-Conformists 282. 23 Answerer describeth not the persons right whose infants are brought to baptisme 314. 2 Attersol Mr.
began to breake forth apparently at least the fuell might have bene subtracted and it suffered to have gone out and to have dyed of it selfe but in stead thereof oyle is cast upon it to make it flame out and the force and violence of it is by his booke as by bellowes or a strong wind driven upon the faces of those who have done and suffered much that they might extinguish it Alas what benefit could redound to the Church by such personall vindications published to the world seing a sufficient answer given in wrighting to their written complaints would have satisfyed their desire and ended all difference among them And what though these private wrightings were printed yet what necessity was there of printing any answer to them seing the Answerer had many wayes to have suppressed them at the presse being made privy to the printing of them by the printer himselfe which I was not and seeing I protested in print against the first part which concerned me and the Complainants professed theire dislike of publishing the other part of it How tender I was of the Answerers reputation my Protestation sheweth in part and my labour to have the booke suppressed more fully manifesteth For I procured that all the copies unsold might be bought up so that I am told about foure hundred and fifty of the five hundred were stopped How he hath requited me let his booke speake And howsoever he pretendeth that the printing of that pamphlet compelled him to print in his owne defence yet it is evident 1. that he declared his purpose of printing about these matters before any wrighting was made by me in myne owne defence or by them in way of complaint of their greivances 2. that his theatning to print an answer to their complaints which then were onely written and left in the Consistory privatly and the report of one who said that he had seene some of the sheets which the Answerer had prepared to print were the causes moving W. B. to print that wrighting 3. that himselfe declared in a letter which the freind to whom he sent it shewed me that he purposed to print an answer to that short wrighting which was left by me when as nothing had bene printed by W.B. Which proveth that the printed pamphlet was not the cause of his booke but that he tooke occasion thereby to publish that which he had before purposed 4. When he acquainted the ministers of the Classis with his purpose of printing an answer to that pamphlet they disuaded him yet he againe importuned them to consent to it threatning to get it printed in England if they opposed it here To conclude He so wearyed them with importunityes as if his life had layne in the doing of it that they left him to himselfe after they had advised him to leave out some passages which they disliked in his copy but still professed that as they did not hinder him so they would not counsail him to doe it This some of those learned prudent men have affirmed to some of the members of that Church whereby the Reader may see with how strong a bent of spirit he was carryed hereunto but upon what argument or motives I leave it to his owne consideration in the sight of God Yet if he would print needlesly ah that he had not done it so reproachfully sarcastically bitterly Not that I have cause to be troubled thereat in respect of my selfe who have in some measure learned to be content if God will have it so to be as a lampe despised in the thought of him that is at ease Iob. 12.5 Heb. 10.35 and to be made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflications by becoming a companion of them that were so used but for the truthes sake for the Churches sake for his owne sake whom I doe unfeinedly reverence and love in the Lord though I am by him compelled to this unpleasing contest I confesse that when I read his booke and considered how to answer it upon a serious pondering of passages I thought upon Herods short letter to Cassius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and if I had so written to him Philostr in vit Herod though I should have censured my selfe as not dealing according to the respect which I beare to his gravity and long standing in the Church ministeriall abilities c. Yet he could not answer as Paul did a like though more unjust chalenge that he wrote the words of truth and sobernes Act. 26.25 For how untruely though I hope but by ignorance or forgetfullnes or misapprehension or inadvertency passages are reported I am compelled to declare in the severall answeres How unsoberly let the Reader judge without my raking into that finck which maketh the wholl booke the more unsavoury and uselesse This also remembring my praecedent admonition I would cover for the better moderating other mens censures by imputing it to some aptnes in his naturall spirit to causelesse jealousies or to the infirmity of his age or to his melancholy temper or to the instigation of others or to the violence of temptation or to a misguided Zeale as our love causeth us to impute unbeseeming carriages of our freinds in violent feavers c. to the disease not to the man As for me what reproaches soever I sustaine I hope the spirit of understanding and counsaile and the feare of the Lord will so guide me that I shall not by returning rebuke for rebuke 2. Pet. 3.9 Rom. 12.21 Aug. ad Catech give just cause of suspicion that I am overcome of evill But such a necessity is now layed upon me that I may say with Augustine Cogimur non tacere cum potius expediat flere quam aliquid dicere I am constrained to wright though in some respects it were more expedient to weepe then to say any thing My desire is to make a modest defence of the truth and of mine owne innocency without injuring or irritating any body Wherein I purpose to propound to my selfe excelent patternes whom I wish the Answerer also had imitated such as Basil and Nazianzen Greg Naz Monod in Laud Basil whose spirits were so sweetly composed in a difference betweene them that notwithstanding it they gave due respect each to other Basil calling Nazianzen Vas electionis puteum profundum os Christi An elect vessel a deepe well the mouth of Christ and Nazianzen winding up his invention to the highest streine in Basils praise as appeareth in an oration made by him for that purpose though he noate an unkindnes received from him which he could not well digest In like manner Augustine differed from Cyprian about rebaptization yet he doth not reproach him but excuseth his errour rather Aug. lib. 2. de bapt contr Donat Cap. 7 saying nondum erat diligenter ista baptismi questio pertractata That questiō about baptisme had not bene diligently discussed unto that time and honoureth his name with excelent titles Beatus
if it 2 neither did he keep private as mourners use to doe but came to the Consistory 3 neither did they apprehend the death of that mayd to be so great a cause of sorrow to him as is here intimated for reasons which are not worth the printing 4 that if it had bene so they cōceive that private greifes should not hinder the redresse of publick greivances and that by the sense 〈…〉 owne sorrow that day for the losse of one mayd servant he might have bene more affected with compassion towards them who had many dayes mourned for the losse of more then one Pastor whom God had by his providence brought among them almost cast upon them Secondly The same observation may be retorted upon himselfe both for the yeare and the moneth 1. The yeare wherein his booke was printed was the yeare 1635. A time when not only the Churches of Dutchland were in great affliction but also the Churches in the Low Countryes were in great danger the Prince of Orange being then in Brabant and the Armyes in some distresse by want of victuall a time wherein by speciall order from the States Generall all Churches were called upon to meete one day in a week in publick to heare the word preached and to pray for the good successe of the Prince and of the Armyes And we are commanded as in all prayer so particularly when we pray for those in authority 1. Tim. 2.8 to lift up pure hands without wrath c. 2 The moneth wherein it was published was Iune or Iuly a time when I was very weake having bene not long before very neare unto death at which time he laboured importunately with the Classis for their consent to the printing of this booke But from that death and from dangerous relapses afterwards into weaknes and distemper the Lord in mercy recovered me even when man cruelly added sorrow to my affliction But I wil aggravate that no further How well he performeth his purpose of not doing the least wrong to those against whom he wrighteth will appeare to the indifferent Reader in the examination of the following Sections in which if he had dealt accordingly I might haue bene happily freed from this unpleasing taske whereby I am now unwillingly detayned from more profitable imployments being compelled hereunto by necessity for the justifying of the truth wherein I doe humbly beseech the God of trueth who also is Love to assist me with the spirit of trueth and of love that I may be inabled in every passage to declare the trueth in love To conclude I leaue it to the Reade to judge whether so to contend be worthy of such a censure as this Answerer layeth upon it or of any blame at all for the matter of it and the thing done unles in the manner of it any unwarrantable distemper of affections or passions have appeared in the complainants which if it be found I will not justifye neither will they I hope justify it in them selves So much be noated for the vindication of theire complaints Secondly Now being called See more concerning that wrighting in Sect. 22. 4 Things in defence of my wrighting 1. I must cleare the wrighting left by me from his unjust intimations against it For which purpose I will declare fowre things First that the wrighting qua tale is not to be blamed Suppose I had complained Is it unjust to wright downe a mans complaints Then downe with all courts of Iustice where suits causes are so transacted And my case was such as I could not be righted against many injurious reports purposing to leave this country otherwise then by wrighting Againe a man wrighteth with more deliberation and a more full recollection of his thoughts then he speaketh and so with more strength as the scattered beames of the Sun heate more intensly and vehemently being united in a burning glasse And lastly I would haue added that a man wrighteth with more composednes of mind and a better temper of spirit then he usually speaketh and so with more solid judgment the passions being somewhat quieted and allayed as the water is cleare and transparent after the mudd is setled in the bottom but that the distempered passions appearing in the Answerer and that in print are a reall confutation thereof Secondly Neither was the secret spreading of the wrighting a fault but rather an Argument of my tender care of his reputation that I desired that matters betweene us should not be divulged but only declared where it was necessary for their satisfaction who had bene praejudiced against me by untrue reports of passages Or if the delivery of a wrighting to a freind or two in myne owne defense was to be blamed what shall be sayd to him 1. Who provoked me thereunto both by private suggestions and by publick injuryes 2 Who him selfe did the same thing without being provoked thereunto by me For he wrote a large letter to one Mr. B. at N. in England dated Septemb. 26. in which moneth also he had revived contention in publick after I had satt downe quietly almost 5 moneths and with this he sent inclosed a copy of the wrighting of the 5 Ministers which I never did because I tooke it to be a private wrighting not to be communicated without their consent Thirdly Neither was that wrighting a complaint if actions be denominated from their ends but rather an Apology or true defense of my innocency against untrue reports about my letter to the Classis and about the question concerning promiscuous baptizing of all that are presented by whom soeuer and about passages betweene the Answerer and me being frequently importuned by some freinds to giue them myne answers to such objections that they might be inabled to satisfy others that were praejudiced unjustly against me So that in my intent it was an Apology if by accident it became a complaint who is to be blamed He that complaineth or he that gave the cause let the Reader judge Fourthly Here is an old fallacy Nō causae ut causae when my wrighting is pretended to be the cause of their complaints which was not For they complained of many of the greivances mentioned in that wrighting not only before my wrighting was seene but before I saw Amsterdam And though they make some complaints which agree with some passages in my wrighting yet they make many more also which are not in my wrighting Who watered those rootes So much shall suffice for the vindicating of my selfe from the imputation of contentiousnes and of my wrighting from the censure of watering evill weeds of unjust complaints Ans He sayth of our Church had he not exercised much patience and industry it would certainely have fallen from me c. But as he doth vainly prayse him selfe c. Here is a 4 fold charge layed upon me with bitternes enough Reply 4. Things unjustly charged upon me 1. Vaine selfe-praysing 2. Wronging him and the Church 3. Folly and
preaching as myne should have bene if this agreement had stood Againe suppose after the expiration of that convenient time I had accepted of the pastorall calling how could I have bene a Resistant to him in Baptisme if either the Dutch Ministers could in that time have convinced me of the lawfullnes of that custom in which case J should have yeelded to it or if I could have procured the laying aside of that question by their consent with me in establishing those meanes which I propounded for accommodation Fourthly That hereby the calling of another minister would be hindred But 1. the event sheweth the contrary For that convenient time which the Elders would have given me was but 12 moneths Now though upon this pretence the Answerer opposed that yet those 12 moneths were spent before they had any and 9 moneths more before one was setled with them 2. My purpose in that proposition was to worke in that time for the peaceable setling of any faithfull man whom they should make choyse of if I saw not greater likelihood of my comfortable setling there then hitherto had appeared Wherein my true intent was to prevent the trouble and procure the peace of the Church as much as in me lay The fifth pretenc◠is coincident with the fourth and answered in that Sixtly The Classis would have bene offended which had formerly disallowed such an agreement about Mr. H. But 1 consider as great a matter as this hath bene done there without the leaue of the Classis when the Answerer had a mind to it Was not Mr. D for a yeare and more assistant to the Answerer in the same Church in preaching without leave or consent of the Classis 2. If the Classis would be offended for this it would be an offence taken but not given For what though they had formerly disallowed such an agreement of the Elders about the intertayning of M. Hook May not the Church doe such a thing without their allowance What rule is transgressed thereby If any Let the Answerer shew it If none then the Classis disallowed that act and would be offended at this causelesly 3. At most this would have bene an offence but to the spirits of the Classis who would have bene angry at it as a neglect of them only not as a sinne against God But the hindering of this agreement by their Pastor and the Classis is an offence to the consciences of some of the Church who are greived at it as a sinne against God both in the Pastor and the Classsis who have hereby streightned the liberty and weakened the power which Christ hath given the Church in procuring such spirituall helpes for their aedification as they find proffitable and desire with a generall consent especially there being no danger of haeresy and schysme whereby themselves or other Churches should be infected thereby Now compare these two offences together and it will appeare that the latter offence in this case was more carefully to be heeded and prevented then the former The seventh and last pretence is that he esteemed this agreement as an act of intrusion for me which he needed not to have feared nor would have by so injurious a course prevented if he had knowne me as he might have done by my wholl carriage in this buisenes Himselfe reproacheth me for standing so much upon his desiring me and now he feareth least I had some purpose of intruding my selfe How will these stand together One while he telleth the Reader that I would not accept the call another while that I will not be dismissed A strange case that I am so averse that they can not get me in and yet so intruding that they cannot get me out By this it may appeare that his spirit was much distempered by needles Iealousyes and groundles surmises which in these passages have caused much disquietment to himselfe and disturbance to others The 3. instance And that it may appeare that I wrong him not in saying thus his owne words about the third instance which they bring to prove that he depriveth the Elders of their power in governmēt for the good of the Church declare the same For speaking of Mr. Weld whom they accused him for hindring from preaching without leave of the Classis though he professed he had nothing against him he telleth the Complainants that he had some thing against Mr. Weld If they desire to know what he readily telleth them and all the world that he had something against his behaviour in generall which was an offence and trouble unto him It had need to be some great matter some will thinck that so farr sett him off from Mr. Weld as he there intimateth To prevent all wondring at the matter he roundly relates more dislikes then one But if you come to examine them they will appeare to be grounded upon needles jealousyes in his owne mind For his first dislike was because Mr. Weld refused to declare himselfe and to shew his opinion touching their present controversyes And have not others carryed themselves in the same manner as well as he which were greater strangers to him then Mr. Weld being not of his nation whom yet he hath not only willingly received to preach but also bene willing to have joyned with him in the pastorall office His second dislike of Mr. Weld was that he saw him most familiar with those that were his cheifest opposites So then there was opposition amongst them before I came and this opposition was raysed to such an height that the Answerer accounted it a trouble and offence to him that any minister should be most familiar with those whom he accounted his opposites and that upon feare least Mr. Weld should strengthen and animate them against him he was unwilling to have him preach That this feare may not seeme altogether causeles he telleth his Reader how Mr. H. preached against that in the afternoone which he taught in the fore noone The truth concerning this passage I have heard from diverse witnesses and have seene the noates of boath their sermons as they were taken by those that heard and doe find so farr as I can discerne by what I have heard or read that the Answerer tooke offence at Mr. H causelesly for that and that Mr. H. was called and in a manner compelled to say what he did at that time But that I may returne to Mr. W. was the Answerers feare of him retayned in his owne breast No he telleth us in his second answer that he desired the counsaile of the Dutch Consistory about this matter and their advise was that he should bring it to the Classis Thus the Answerer is troubled the Dutch Consistory is troubled the English Church also is troubled and all about his feare of Mr. Weld But was this feare well grounded was there sufficient cause for it Let himselfe speake and he will tell us yea he hath already told us in his third answer that upon further conference with Mr.