Of free-will Exc. 33. 34. Of other mistakes of the Excepter Exc. 35. Whether no persecution may consist with love Exc. 36. 37. Of the fewness of believers c. Exc. 38. More of his mistakes Exc. 39. Whether the same Spirit may not now use the ancient Prayers and Responses which first brought them in or used them Exc. 40. Of my comparing Ol. Cromwell to Maximus and whether I dedicated a flattering Book to his Son Exc. 41. Of his imputation of levity The Conclusion with some advice to the Excepter and a lamentation for the decay of Love A POSTSCRIPT SHewing how far as Mr. Jacob and the old Independents so the New England Pastors and Elders and Magistrates are from approving of the Principles of Separation Reasons why I am against the new terms of Church-membership and the approaches of some Independents toward Separation Reasons why the Independent Churches should as much fear the principles of Separation as any THE PREFACE TO THOSE READERS Who are of the Excepters mind and are offended at my Book called THE CURE OF Church-Divisions BRethren why should I wonder at the fruits of those weaknesses which we are all subject to some more some less in this state of imperfection and which I so lately told you of at large in my Character of and Directions for Weak-Christians If a spirit of Infallibility and Miracles in Paul and other the Apostles of our Lord could not overcome these lamentable failings in their hearers and followers in the Primitive Church why should such as I look for more success If Paul thought his Galatians foolish and bewitched Gal. 3. 1. and his Corinthian Christians to be babes yea Carnal and not Spiritual because there were among them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 envying strife and divisions or as the words signifie zeal or emulation strife and separations or factions or dividing into several parties while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollos what wonder if we are no better now But our sins are not the less because that others had the like but the greater because we take not warning by them when the spirit of God hath so smartly reprehended them I have as little reason as you to be ignorant what provocations the present militating and exasperated parties do give each others and how fair pretenses uncharitableness hath obtained And I know but few of you that have either more openly put themselves into the breach and attempted more to have prevented both severities against you and the present divisions among us than I have done or that have undergone more wrath and calumny to mention no other kind of sufferings for such attempts than I have done you cannot justly think that it is for want of your provocations and temptations to discontent that I am not of your mind I have had as many and great provocations as most of you all And I am not naturally without those passions which would take advantage by such usage A multitude of fierce and reproachful Volumes are written against me many of them abounding with gross untruths in matter of fact to all which I have for peace sake been silent to this day And none that know me do think that it is to escape mens wrath that I have been more for peace and unity than you I will do that right to them that have done me but little as to testifie that I verily believe could my Conscience comply with their Opinions and wills I could as soon have their favour as most among you But God is still the God of Love and Peace and Concord and so must all his servants be He changeth not and we must not change from this which is his Image This is my Religion and if any mens provocations must change me from this they must change my Religion I am not for such fruits of suffering as some late eminent prisoners in London were who turned Quakers in prison and lost their Religion with their liberty nor will I pretend Conscience for the defiling of my Conscience and the forsaking of the sacred life of Love Do you not your selves condemn a Carnal state Remember then that they are Carnal who are contentious dividers in the Churches 1 Cor. 3. 1 2 3. You will I doubt not joyn with me in disallowing of a fleshly mind and life Remember then that the workes of the flesh are these as adulteries fornications c. So also hatred or enmities variance emulations wrath strife seditions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dividings into parties heresies envyings c. I know you will confess that if any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8. 9. Remember then that the Spirit of Christ is the spirit of Love Love to God and man is that Divine nature which God indueth all Christs members with The fruit of the spirit is Love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance Gal. 5. 20 21 22. When we think our selves wiser than those we differ from let us not shew it by masterly censoriousness or contempt but by being as much more Loving and peaceable than they are My brethren be not many Masters knowing that ye shall receive the greater condemnation And when other mens faults rise up before you watch both your passions and your tongues remembring that In many things we all offend And if any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man and able to bridle the whole body Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom But if ye have a bitter envious zeal and strife in your hearts glory not and lie not against the truth This wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual devillish For where envying zeal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and strife is there is confusion and every evil work Jam. 3. 1 2 13 14 15 16. Brethren no change of times will allow me to change from this which is my Religion No injuries from men will excuse me if I forsake it I hope I shall not be such a changeling in this which is the Great Command of the Gospel and the fulfilling of the Law and the very Heart of all Religion as to turn from it for a prison or a voluminous calumny and reproach I confess I must change but I hope it will be to turn still to more and more Love and Concord and not to Less It is not thank worthy to Love those that Love us nor to speak well of those that use us well nor to take it patiently when we are bussetted or punished for our faults But if we suffer for well doing and lose none of our Love or patience or integrity by our sufferings happy are we Alas how sadly do many mistake that fear only yielding to those whom they suffer by and do not fear those passions which would quench their Love and turn them unto sects
an exhortation and advice seem injurious or intolerable to you the Lord have mercy on your souls Is the matter of this prayer unlawful Or can he prove that I spake it jestingly when I took it to be the serious prayer of my grieved heart Or may we use no words as Lord have mercy on us c. which others use unreverently Or is it true doctrine that this is the foolish talk and jesting forbidden Eph. 5 What proof is there here of any one word of all this EXCEPT IV. p. 2. He doth very often and needlesly insist on many things that may tend to advance his own reputation The instances are added Answ. 1. I Confess Brother I am a great sinner and have more faults than you have yet found out But I pray you note that all this still is nothing to our Controversie whether we should advise men against Church divisions as contrary to Love 2. If a humble Physitian may put a probatum to his Receipt and say I have much experience of this or that I pray you why may not a humble Minister tell England that I and you have had experience of the hurt of divisions and of the healing uniting power of Love Did all the Independent Church-members whose Experiences are printed in a book take Experience to be a word of pride 3. And is it pride to thank the World for their Civilities to me in mixing commâ—ndations which I disown with their censures What! to confess the remnants of their moderation notorious in matter of fact the truth of which you durst not deny in the midst of their many false censures and calumnies 4. Or to tell you how unable I have â—ound back-biters to prove their accusations in doctrinals to my face 5. Or to tell you that some even Independents perswaded me when I was silenced to write sermons for some of the weaker Conformists such as are too many youths from the University to preach Where lieth the pride of these expressions Is it in supposing that there are any Conformists weaker than my self Whether think you this brother or I think meanlier of them Or set our selves at the greater distance from them 6. When I plead against charging forms with Idolatry I say that for my self it is twenty times harder to me to remember a form of words than to express what is in my mind without them If this be not true why did you not question the truth of it If it be why is it pride to utter it as a proof that I plead for Love and not for my own interest Is it pride to confess so openly the weakness of my memory I never learnt a Sermon without book in my life I think I could not learn an hours speech sufficiently to utter the very words by memory in a fortnights time And is it pride for a man to say that he can easier speak what is in his mind Truly brother I was so far from intending it as a boast that I meant it as a diminâ—tion of the over-valued honour of present extemporary expression and to tell you that I take it to be so far from proving that your prayers only are accepted of God before a form as signifying more grace that I take it to be an easier thing for an accustomed man that hath not a diseased hesitancy to speak extempore what is in his mind than to learn a form without book And that they thaâ— do this do serve God with as much labour and cost as you do Do I boast or do I not speak the common case of most Ministers when I truly say That when I take most pains for a Sermon I write every word when I take a little pains I write the heads but when business hindereth me from taking any pains I do neither but speak what is in my mind which I suppose others as well as I could do all the day and week together if weariness did not interrupt them I seek by these words but to abate their pride that think themselves spiritual because they can pray or preach without book Like some now neer me that account it formality and a sign that a Preacher speaketh not by the Spirit if he use notes or preach upon a text of Scripture but admire one neer them that cries dâ—wn such and useth neither 7. Is it pride to say that thâ—se darker persons whom I have been â—ain to rebuke for their over-valuing me and my understanding would yet as stiffly defend their most groundless opinions against me when I crost them as if they thought I had no understanding If you do think that you cannot be over-valued or are not so do not I. And I thought my rebuking men for it had been no sign of pride And brother I am confident if you your self did not believe that my understanding and consequently my Writings are over-valued you would never have written this book especially in such a stile against me yea in the end you profess this to be your design to undeceive those that had a good opinion of me If those on the other side had not thought the same my late Auditors at Kederminster had never had so many Sermons and that by persons so high nor would so many books have been written to the same end even to cure the people of this dangerous vice of over-valuing me The matter of fact being so publick invalidateth your exception 8. The last expression of my pride is that I give this testimony even to Christians inclined to divisions that if they think a man speaketh not to the depressing of true and serious religion they can bear that from him which they cannot bear from one that they think hath a malignant end and that on this account in my sharpest reproofs my own auditors have still been patient with me Enquire whether this be true or not Whether I have not preached twenty times more against Divisions to a people that never once quarrelled with it than I have written against it in the book with which you so much quarrel And is this probatum given against malignity a word of pride too You proceed in your Charge that I have great thoughts of my self and have learned little of Christian or moral ingenuity and am unfit to be a Teacher of it to others Answ. 1. Do you not yet perceive that you also have a silencing spirit when you and those that you separate from are agreed that we are unfit to be Teachers because we gainsay you why do you pretend so great a distance even in the point of imperious severity 2. O how hard is it still to know our selves and what manner of spirit we are of Is it pride in me to think that I am righter than you or to express it Why brother do not you think as confidently that you are righter than I and do you not as Confidently utter it I differ no further from you than you do from me And why is it not
and plain answer to the Papists about our separation from their Church and remembred how many Volumes they have troubled the World with by obscuring our plain and ordinarie answer I told them that must have Volumes to hide the sense that if this answer seem not plain and full to them it is because they understand not Christian sense and reason and not for want of plainess in the matter or through defectiveness as to satisfie a reasonable impartial man This brother chargeth this saying to be insolent and from intolerable Pride because I dare so Charge another with want of Christian sense and reason c. Answ. 1. This is his eleventh untruth I only named sense and reason objectively not subjectively It is not because the Answer which I give the Papists and which Protestants commonly give is not full and plain or wanteth sense or reason but because the Papists understand it not He that hath sense and reason may be hindred from using it aright by interest partialitie and wilful negligences which it is no new thing for Protestants to think that Papists are too oft guilty of But how proud am I then intolerably proud that in several books have maintained that all Papists that hold Transubstantiation do make it an Article of Faith and necessarie to Salvation flatly to contradict all the senses of all the sound men in the World that shall judge whether bread be bread and wine be wine How much more insolent a Charge is this But brother Popish absurdities have need of a better defence than to call the adversarie insolent and proud 2. And is the thing I say true or false I prove it true The Answer of the Protestants about Luther's Reformation which I give is Christian◠Sense and Reason But the Papists or any that deny it seriously and take it not to be plain and full understand it not Ergo they understand not Christian sense and reason That is In this For I never said that they understand not Christian Sense and Reason in any other thing nor is there the least appearance of such a sense Now if this brother will deny either of the premises he may expect an answer Till then I adde 3. Are not you brother by your own censure notoriously insolent and intolerably proud if this hold good as well as I Do you not take all that you say against me or some part at least to be plain and full and to be Christian sense and reason And do you not suppose me to think otherwise of it And do you not think that this is because I understand it not Thus some mens hands do beat themselves 4. And do you not implicitly charge all or most Protestant Writers with insolence and intolerable pride as well as me Do they not all think their reasons against the Papists plain and full at least some of them And do they not think that the Papists denie them because they understand not the Christian Sense and Reason which is in them 5. And have not all mankind a deficiencie of understanding And is it pride and insolence to say so 6. But judge of your own spirit by your own rule Do not you think those that you before charged with persecution and making our dividing engines and whose Communion you think it a duty to avoid to be such as understand not Christian sense and reason in the arguings which I and others have used against them And is it not as lawful to think so of the Papists EXCEPT X. Answered I used the phrase of Local presential Communion in Contradistinction 1. To the Catholick Communion of persons absent which is by Faith and Love 2. And the Communion by Delegates and Representatives And our brother here 1. Calleth this phrase insignificant Iargon which was not said through any redundancy of Sense and Reason above othets Nor do I acknowledge his authoritie in the sentence without his reason 2. He saith Unlawful terms are imposed on us Answ. Brother Do you think men must trust their souls on your naked word Where in all this book have you done any thing that with an impartial understanding can go for proof that in all the Parish Churches of England that use the Liturgie that is imposed as a Condition of our Communion in hearing or praying which it is not lawful sometimes to do Answer this as to Mr. Nie about hearing and to me about Praying if you can and do not nakedly affirm 3. You say you do not so much separate as forbear Communion and your reason is for we were never of them Answ. I take you for a Christian and a Protestant Are you not so far of us Is not a member of the same Universal Church of Christ obliged to hold Communion as he hath a special Call or occasion with more Churches than that particular one which he ordinarily joyneth with If you purposely avoided and denied Communion with all the Independent Churches in England save one and wrote to prove it unlawful I think this were a separating from them as they are parts of the Church Universal that are neer you EXCEPT XI Answered 1. The word Sect though oft taken but for one party in a division was not by me applied to all the names before going but to the last named only and such other 2. I spake nothing at all of the truth or falshood of the Censurers words but of the requitals that Censurers have by other mens Censures which may be sharp and passionate and a rebuke to the Censured and modally Culpable when the words are true Yet I am content to undergo the Censure you here cast out of me rather than to censure that a Papist cannot go beyond a reprobate unless you do as Mr. Perkins doth to make it good be so charitable to all the millions else among them as not to call them Papists except they practically hold the most pernicious opinions of their Councils and Divines I confess I affect none of the honour of that Orthodoxness which consisteth in sentencing millions and Kingdoms to Hell whom I am unacquainted with EXCEPT XII Answered Here we have first a meer magisterial dictate without proof that I speak triflingly about Scandal and shew how little I understand it But where 's his reason or Confutation 2. Why all is but this Paul would not eate flesh rather than he would offend his weak brother c. Judge Reader whether the bare citing of these words be any proof that in Scripture Scandal is not taken more for tempting ensnaring and laying before men an occasion of stumbling or sinning than for meer displeasing men which is the thing that I affirmed But sure Brother if you soberly review it you will find that you deal very hardly with the Scripture and the souls of men First the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translators turn make to offend you read offend instead of scandalize And 2. You bring a text against
The Lord give you a meeker spirit and a tenderer conscience And that I mean not an Independent as such for the Presbyterians will not suspect me I will stop your mouth with this sufficient proof 1. That the chief Independants have written excellently against separation as Mr. Iacob by name And they pretend that Mr. Bradshaw and Dr. Ames were Independants 2. That I rejoyce in the state of the Churches of New England since the Synods Concessions there and good Mr. Eliots propositions for Synodical constant Council and Communion of Churches as much as in any Churches State that I hear of in the World Though as to the form of Government my judgement most agrees with the Waldenses or Bohemian published by Lascitius and Commenius especially since the Magistrates late printed Order that all the Ministers shall take especial care to Catechize and personally instruct all the people under their Charge even from house to house at least 3 or 4 Families meeting together c. which I much rejoice in It is evident then that though a man may be a Divider that is Episcopal Presbyterian Independant or Anabaptist yet as such as their denominations signifie I mean none of them for many of all these names are no Dividers though a Papist is so by the essence of his Religion un-churching all beside his Sect. And if you had done me but common justice you would have noted that in my scheme in the end the second Proposition of the way of Love which I plead for is in these words Love your neighbours as your selves Receive those that Christ receiveth and that hold the necessaries of Communion be they Episcopal Presbyterian Independants Anabaptists Arminians Calvinists c. so they be not proved heretical or wicked Judge now of your Truth and Charity by these evidences EXCEPT XV. p. 8. Answered Here is the 13th visible Untruth He saith He speaks very slightly of Prayer in comparison of study for the attaining of wisdome calling it too cheap a way which sheweth you how little he understandeth the nature of true Prayer c. Answ. I love you the better for your zeal for the honour of Prayer though I had rather knowledge and truth had guided it Reader I intreat thee to peruse my book and if thou find there what he saith condemn me more than he doth and spare not I tell those men that will do nothing for knowledge but ask for it that God hath not promised you true understanding upon your prayers alone without all the rest of his appointed meaâ—s Nor that you shall attain it by those means as soon as you desire and seek it For then prayer would be a pretence for laziness c. That praying is but one of the means which God hath appointed you to come to knowledge by Diligent reading hearing and meditation and Counsel of the wisest is another And will any Christian deny the truth of this except the Enthusiasts Or should any Godly Minister rise up against it Is any of this true 1. That I have here one word of Comparing prayer and study 2. Or that I prefer study or reading or other means before prayer 3. Or that I speak lightly of prayer in Comparison of the other 4. Or that I make prayer it self an easie thing Is not this that I call his 13th Untruth composed of many When it is visible that I put prayer first that I only say that it is but one means and not all and that others must be added and that praying alone without other labour is too easie a way What should one answer to such dealing as this I beseech you brother preach not the contrary whatever you think lest you justifie the silencers while you blame them And if really you are against my words satisfie the World by experience how many you ever knâ—w that came to the understanding but of the Articles of Faith or the Decalogue or Catechism or Christianity it self that I say not to your degree of knowledge above me and such as I by prayer alone without hearing reading meditation or conference And why Paul bids Timothy give himself to Reading and meditate on these things and give thy self wholly to them And why Hearing and Preaching are so much urged And whether it be any great fault to silence you and me and all the Preachers in the Land if prayer be the only means of knowledge And whether you do not before you are aware still agree with them whom you most avoid who cry up Church-prayers to cry down Preaching And why you wrote this book against me if your earnest prayers against me and the people be the only means And when you have done I can tell you of many Papists and others that you your self suppose never pray acceptably who have come to a great deal of knowledge Though there be no sanctified saving Knowledge after the first Conversion without prayer I am sorry you put me to trouble the Reader about such things as these It follows Neither doth Solomon direct to any other way principally c. Answ. Did I speak one word of the principality or which was the principal way Did I not put prayer first and other means next This is not well brother Truth beseemeth our Calling and our work And yet he that said I was found of them that sought me not in my opinion which yet expecteth your reproach doth give so much knowledge as is necessary to mens first faith and repentance and conversion by the hearing or reading or considering of his word ordinarily to them that never first asked it by sincere prayer For I think that Faith goâ—tâ— before a believing prayer You adde We cannot but wonder that any dares so expresly go against the very letter of Scripture but that we have done with wondering at Mr. Baxter's boldness Answ. This I may well put as your 14th Untruth Reader try if you can find one syllable of what he speaks in all my book Doth he that saith prayer is but one of the means contradict the letter of Iam. 1. 5. If any man lack wisdome let him ask it of God O how hard is it to know what spirit we are oâ— That a man should go on in such dealing as this and make his own fictions the ground of such tragical exclamations when he hath done Yea he proceed For what follows in justification of his unwarrantable conceit exceeds all bounds of sobriety whither will not Pride and overweening carry a man He that had so trampled upon his brethren without any regard to their innocency or sufferings now speaks but slightly of our Lord Christ himself Answ. Your anger I pass by I like you the better for speaking against Pride For by that you shew that you love it not under that name But still How hard is it to know our selves I am sorry 1. That you are so sore and tender as to account it trampling on you to be intreated to Love your
brethren and not â—o divide the Church of God 2. And that you say He regardeth not your sufferings who suffereth with you and writeth so much as that book containeth against your sufferings 3. And that you should call that your Innoâ—ency which I have proved so largely to be against the new and great Commandement and when you make so poor an answer to the proof I might number these with your Untruths but that I will choose out the grosser sort such as is the next 15th Untruth that I speak slightly of Christ. Is it slighting Christ to speak the words and undenied truth of Scripture Two things I say of Christ 1. That he increased in wisdom in his youth Do you not believe that to be true Surely Mr Ieanes in all his writings against Dr. Hammond of that point did never deny it 2. That he would not enter upon his publick Ministry till he was about 30 years of age Do you not believe that also What then is here that is a slighting of Christ The reason of this later which I humbly conjecture at and elsewhere express is that he might be an example to young men not to venture and enter too early upon the Ministry The reason you alledge from Num. 4. 2 3. I gainsay not though I think it far fetcht that Christ must not enter sooner upon his publick Ministry in his extraordinary office because the sons of Coâ—ah were numbred from 30 years to 50. But you insinuate another untruth yea express it while you flatly say I insinuate that Christ staid till 30 years old that he might be more perfect in wisdome I had no such word or thought My following words It had been easier for Christ to have got all knowledge by two or three earnest prayers than for any of us refer only to the first clause of his growth in wisdom and not at all to the later of the time of his Ministry But you deny that Christ had any addition of wisdom except as to manifestation I believe Gods word And with others he will be as pardonable that believeth it as he that denyeth it I did not expound it But if I must I will I think that according to the present frame of humane nature the incorporate soul receiveth the several objects it must know ab extra by the fantasie and that by the senses and that our acts of knowing exterior things are as Philosophers affirm objectively organical though not efficiently and formally that is that the Intromission by the senses and phantasie is necessary to the right stating of the object And therefore that in all those acts of Knowledge which Christ exercised as other men do 1. The Object 2. The Organical capacity and aptitude of the body were necessary not to the perfection of his humane soul in Essence Power Virtue Inclination Disposition but only to the Act of Knowing And so I think Christ when new born knew not actually as a man all that he aftâ—r knew no nor long after And that he increased in Actual knowledge 1. As Objects were presented 2. And as the Organs increased in Capacity and aptitude and noâ— otherwise Yet I believe that Christ prayed before his Organs and actual knowledge were at the highest and that he could had it been his Fathers will and his own by prayer have suddenly attained their perfection and that Culpable imperfection he never had any nor such as is the effect of sin in Infants now If this be an error help me out of it by sitter means than reviling You adde that Christ needed not prayer for himself but as a pattern to us c. Answ. Christ had no Culpable need nor as God any natural need But brother take heed of the Common error of them that think they can never say too much or do too much when they are once engaged for this is but undoing 1. Do you think that Christs humane nature was not a Creature 2. Do you think that all Creatures are not Dependant on the Creator and need him not 3. Do you think Christs humane nature needed not Divine sustentation in existence life and motion and Divine influx or Communication hereunto seeing that in God we live and move and be 4. Do you think that Christs body needed not created means as the earth the air meat and drink and sleep and rest And that he needed not drink when it is said he thirsted Ioh. 19. 28. I thirst And Ioh. 4. 6. being wearied with his journey c. ver 7. Give me to drink Whether he needed not cloathing and needed not ordinary bodily supplies when it is said that some ministred to him of their substance Luke 8. 3. As our Father knoweth that we have need of all these things Mat. 6. 8. 32. So I think that Christs humane nature needed them and that he gave not thanks at meat for his Disciples only and that he bid them speak nothing but the truth when he said Mat. 21. 3. Mar. 11. 3. Luke 19. 31. The Lord hath need of him And that it was for himself that he prayed three times that the cup might pass if c. though for our instruction Luke 22. 44. Matt. 26. 42. 44. Heb. 5. 7. Whâ— in the daies of his flesh whâ—n he 〈◊〉 offered up prayers and sâ—ppliâ—atiâ—ns with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared though he was a son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered and being made perfect c. I believe that when he was on the Cross he needed deliverance and when his body was in the grave it needed the Divine power for to effect his resurrection And how a man would have been formerly judged of that had denyed any of this You may learn by the severities of many Councils against the Eutychians Nestorians Monothelites c. I am so regardful of your sufferings that I would not put your mind to any needless grief But yet I heartily wish your Râ—pentance not only for your errors but that you should let out your unknown spirit to such vehemency in your revilings upon such pittiful grounds as when you adde So that to speak so lesseningly of Prayer and Christ to undervalue so much the unspeakable usefulnâ—ss the of one and the incomprehensible Majesty of the other becomes very well the spirit that Mr. Baxter writes with This is but a repetition of untruths EXCEPT XVI p. 9. Answered Having Dir. 27. given five proofs by which I knew many to be mistaken that expound Texts of Scripture by the Impressions on their own spirits I said Dir. 28. It is very ordinary with poor fanciful women and melancholy persons to take all deep apprehensiâ—ns for revelations and if a Text come into their minds to say This text was brought to my mind and set upon my spirit as if nothing could bring a text to their minds but some extraordinary
praying by habit Marvel not if it burn you within and without and when your own passions have scorched you other mens hatred of your prayers as you hate theirs do trouble you also And if you hate the quenching of these fires even when the Churches by them are all on a flame as sober men as you will be of another mind I tell you again brother you greatly wrong and dishonour God if you think that he layeth so much upon that which he never gave any law about or spake one word for or against as to tell the World that he hateth all prayer that is put up by a form or book And that he that denyeth this speaketh meanly of prayer The Lord teach you to know what manner of spirit you are of which request I shall reitâ—rate for you instead of praying with your earnestness The Lord rebuke him Have you the bowels of a Christian and the spirit of Christian Love and Unity and can you think that God hateth for that was my word all the prayers of all the Churches and Christians in the World that use a form Even of all the Greek Churches the Armenians Abassines Jacobites Syrians Copâ—ies Lutherans and Calvinists of all the English publick Churches and the prayers of such holy men as Dr. Preston Dr. Sibbes Mr. Perkins Mr. Hildersham Mr. Cartwright Dr. Stoughton Mr. Whateley Mr. Bolton and all such as they that used some the Liâ—urgie and some other forms And that God hateth the prayers of all Christian Families and Christians that use a form Do you dislike adding to God's word and will you adde to it so boldly as to say he hateth that which he never once forbad If you would make your reader think that I make God indifferent to all modes and words in prayer you would abuse him For though I never heard a man swear in prayer I think you curse in prayer a little before and I have heard many rail in prayer and traduce men for truth and duty and vent their own errors But I beseech you promote superstition no more and feign no Divine Laws which you cannot shew us And teach not this unhappy age to feign things necessary that are not and paint out the most holy gracious God as the patron of every one of their fancies Your words Doth not God regard the manner of our addressing our selves to him Must we not pray in the spirit Do still make me pray that you may know your spirit Do you well to intimate that I say the contrary When I maintain that God so far accepteth them that worship him in spirit and truth that he will accept their prayers with a form or without and hateth neither yea hath left both indifferent to be varied as mens occasions and use for either vary as he hath done a form or notes in preaching It is an easie thing to turn formalist either way by thinking God loveth our prayers either because they are in the same words or in various words The second part of this Exception calleth me a trifler that doth neither believe the Scripture nor himself but tries to abuse c. Because I say about a Liturgie 1. Certainly in Christs time both Liturgies by forms and prayers by habit were used 2. That it is like that the Pharisees long Liturgie was in many things worse than ours And yet Christ and his Apostles oft joyned with them and never condemned them Answ. 1. Let the Reader observe whether ever Christ his Apostles or the Pharisees medled with the Controversie about the lawfulness of forms Whether ever Christ condemned them 2. Let the Reader note that when I say that Certainly forms were used I say not whether in the Synagogue or Temple or House nor do I say that they were other forms than Divine But when I say that it is like in many things the Pharisees Liturgie was worse than ours I mean that it is like though not certain that part of it was of humane invention and used publickly And 1. The word Liturgie as Martinius and other Etymologists agree hath three significations 1. The largest is for any publick office of ministry and specially of distribution 2. For the publick service of God in reading teaching praying c. 3. For stated orders and forms of that publick service To which Bellarmine addeth a 4th as the narrowest sense of all viz For the sacrificing offices only which is no usual sense Now the second and third being the now-Common sense I thought there had been no question about them That the Jews had a Divine Liturgie in both senses as a service and as a prescript form I proved in my 5th Disput. of Liturgies many years ago 1. In the Temple they had most punctual prescripts for their sacrifices of all sorts and their offerings and the manner of performance and the actions of Priests and people about them In the Synagogues Moses and the Prophets were read every Sabbath day And the Psalms were purposely penned many of them and recorded to be Prayers and Praises for the publick and private worship and were committed to several Church-officers to be publickly used And David and Solomon appointed the Instruments Singers and order manner in which they should be used A form of prayer for the Priests is prescribed in three benedictions Numb 6. 23. Hezekiah commanded the Levites to sing Praises to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the Sâ—â—r 2 Chron. 29. 30. 1 Chron. 16. 7. On that day David delivered first this Psalm to thank the Lord into the hands of Asaph and his brethren Exod. 15. The song of Moses is a form And Rev. 15. 3. the Saints are said to sing the song of Moses and of the Lamb. Most Expositers think that the Hymne that Christ sung at his last supper was the usual form If not it was a new form Moses form at the moving and resting of the Ark is set down Numb 10. 35 36. Deut. 21. 7 8. There is a form for the people to use Iudg. 5. Deborahs song is recorded so is Hannahs praise 1 Sam. And Ioel 2. 17. there is a form for the Priests in their Humiliation And Iohn taught his Disciples to pray And when Christ was desired to teach his Disciples as Iohn had done his he gave them a form Now let the sober Reader judge whether the Jews had no form or Liturgie of God's appointment If he say I thought you had meant a humane form I answer If you will think that which I say not and choose rather to revile than observe what you â—ead I cannot help it 2. When I speak of a Probability afterward I do mean of a humane Liturgie of which I will now only say 1. That it seemeth very improbable to me that the Pharisees who so abounded with Traditions should not so much as have any humane forms of prayer or praise 2. When Christ speaketh of their long prayers I desire them on both
Consequences on your person but it 's easie to see that it will follow from this opinion that Christ was a sinner and consequently no Saviour and so no Christ. Alas whither would you carry the people of the Lord Nor do you prove Paul's Case to be like this Eating at the sacrifiâ—â—s in the Idols Temples was visible Corporal Idolatry forbidden indeed in the second Commandement as Idolatry interpretative visible external corporeal It was that very Act by which an Idol was outwardly worshipped Therefore it was a Professing-act interpretatively Symbolizing with Idolaters I have told you is Professing for a Symbole is a Professing sign But he that is present with a Church professing to worship not an Idol but the true God and that according to the Scripture and is united to the Church only in this profession doth not by so doing Profess Consent to a Ministers ill wording or methodizing of his Prayers or his Sermons which is the work of his own office 2. As for your charge of Blasphemy c. on me for intreating you to take heed lest you blaspheme by making Gods foreknowing of faults to signifie an approbation I pass it by and will not by so frivolous a return be drawn to enter further on that point EXCEPT XXII p. 13. Answered Whether it be bitterness fierceness fury or proud impatience to reprove these sins in an instance which your self presume not to contradict And whether the opinion that no truth is to be silenced for peace be fit for judicious peaceable men to own or be not fit to be gain-said I have long ago debated in my book of Infant-Baptisme pag. 218. EXCEPT XXIII p. 13. Answered If you dissent why did you answer none of the six Reasons I gave for what I said nor seem to take notice of them But only when I say It were easie to instance in unseasonable and imprudent words of truth spoken to Princes which have raised persecutions of long continuance ruined Churches caused the death of multitudes c. Upon which you put four questions To which I answer 1. The flattery of some will not justifie the sinful imprudence of others 2. If you should be guilty of the blood of thousands by one sin will it excuse you that another was more guilty 3. Elijah Micaiah and Iohn Baptist spake not unseasonably or imprudently Nor is all imprudent that bringeth suffering or death 4. Gospel Ministers may follow them that spake prudently but unseasonable and imprudent speaking is not following them I have recited elsewhere a saying even of Dr. Th. Iackson that It is not because great men have not sins and wrath enough that there are no more Martyrs under Christian Rulers but because there be not John Baptists enough to tell them of them to that sense But either by all this you mean to defend unseasonable and imprudent speaking or else you mean that there is no such sin or else you must needs contend where you consent If it be the first or third I will not be so imprudent as to sence with you If the second it is gross contradiction of reason and morality and of Christ himself Matth. 7. 6. 1 Tim. 2. 11 12. 1 Cor. 14. 28. 34. Amos 5. 13. Eccl. 3. 7. EXCEPT XXIV p. 14. He hath found out a new Cause of Separation and such as we doubt not the Pope will thank him for when he saies Almost all our contentions and divisions are caused by the ignorance and injudiciousness of Christians For it is evident that our contentions at this day are principally if not wholly caused by the pride impertinencie and tyranny of imposers which guilt Mr. Baxter would ease them of by charging it on the ignorance and injudiciousness of Christians Answ. These last words are your 17th Untruth 1. Where have I said a word to ease them of it May not two persons or parties be both guilty of Division Yea if one were guilty wholly that is of the whole yet he may not be guilty solely and no one with him 2. Have you or any of your party done so much to have stopt that cause of divisions which you accuse as I have done And did I ever change my mind 3. O that God would make you know what spirit you are of and what you are doing Alas brother will you leave England no hope of a Cure What hope while we are impenitent What Repentance while we justifie our sins Yea while the Preachers teach the people to justifie them and become the defenders of the sins which they should preach against and fight against their brethren that do but call mâ—n to â—â—pâ—nt What! is Godliness up and in honour among us while Repentance is down as an intolerable abhorred thing What a Godliness is that which abhorreth Repentance I am offended greatly with my own heart that melteth not into tears over such lines as thâ—se for England's sake and for Religions sake For the honour of God and for the souls of men Is that a new Cause of separation which hath been the Cause since the daies of the Apostles to this day Did ever man read the histories of the Schismes and Heresies of the Churches and not find out this Cause this old this ordinary Cause If you had remembred but what Socrates and Sozomene say of the Church of Alexandria alone what contentions what tumults what blood-shed these weaknesses and faults of Christians caused it might have told you it is no new thing O lamentable case of miserable England that even among the zealouser sort of Ministers any should be found that either vindicateth all Christians from the charge of Ignorance and Injudiciousness Or that thinketh these are no Causes or no culpabie Causes of divisions That have no more acquaintance with the people of this land And know no better them that they plead for That such should seek to flatter poor souls in despite of that open light and undeniable 〈◊〉 of all the Christian World That in an age when the weaknesses and faults of Christians have wrought such heinous effects among us they should be denied And when God by judgements hath so terribly summoned us to repent by silencing dissipations imprisonments reproaches and most dreadful plagues and flames alas shall we call to professors that have ruined us by Ignorance and Injudiciousness the gentlest names that their sin will bear and say Repent not Christians you are not ignorant or injudicious It is not you that are the causes of our divisions and calamities Our Contentions at this day are principally if not wholly caused by the pride impertinency and tyranny of the Imposers Believe not Christians that you are innocent Believe not that you are not ignorant and injudicious as you love your souls and as you love the land If once God deliver us up to Antichristian darkness and cruelties it will be cold comfort to you to think that you once were flattered into impenitency and made believe that you were not
as these and yet do what you do himself 7. I do solemnly profess to you that I feel no malice against you much less a desire of your hurt in all this that I say which is against your Judgment but an unfeigned love to you and tenderness of your person 8. Lastly I again protest against the injustice of any one that shall charge your Opinions and Miscarriages on the Non-conformists when I know not two Presbyterians or meer Independants of your mind though too many so called in England have enclined to unjust separations And we are no more concerned in the opinions of them that are not Protestants though they also go under the name of Non-conformists than in the opinions of the Papists who are called Recusants And to Conclude I assure you that if you write any more at the rates as you have done in this Antidote I shall give you the last word as not intending to confute you if you shall maintain that Light is darkness nor plead any more a cause against you which needeth not much argumentation as to sober judgements but as to interests passions and byassed wills which are otherwise moved than by truth and reason and have but one eare And I fear not to encourage you before-hand by telling you that you shall see that I have somewhat else to do For it is a truth that I tell you with grief that he that will take out of your book 1. All the false doctrines 2. All the gross untruths 3. And all the impotent revilings together with the professed end or design to undeceive them that have a good opinion of me will leave so little as may contained in a very narrow room And he that seeketh in it for any thing that savoureth much of Judgement Repentance Love Unity or Peace must have other eyes than mine or be disappointed And I wonder not at that when the sound Principles of Love Unity and Peace are the things that have cast you into this displeasure and which you write against For where ever the Principles of Christian Love and Peace seem intolerable there are such contrary principles as will bring forth contrary effects which will prove indeed intolerable in the end As there is nothing in this World which God doth design more gloriously to manifest and magnifie than his LOVE and nothing which he so much obligeth mankind to especially Believers as the LOVE of Him and one another so there is nothing which the great enemy of God and man doth so much hate and seek to extinguish fighting by many sorts of weapons neither against small nor great in comparison of Divine and Christian LOVE And his common way is to present the persons to us as UNLOVELY or Odious whom he would have us hate And as their own predominant Carnality and Impiety doth give him full advantage with the ungodly to make first that Holyness which is contrary to them odious and consequently holy persons and God himself so with those that really Love God the Tempter findeth this double advantage to make their brethren seem odious to them 1. The great weakness and error of their judgements sometimes about the Things in difference and sometimes about the Persons through unacquaintedness whereby either through mistake of the Cause or of the Man they easily deny or extenuate all the amiable Goodness which is in him and think that the Love of God and of Truth and Godliness obligeth them to hate their brother as a supposed enemie to both And yet while they openly declare to the World an Aversation and a want of Love and a desire to make the person seem odious to others by their obloquy detraction and backbiting accusations they make themselves believe that all this is indeed no effect of Hatred or Malice but of Love because they can still say that they desire unfeignedly that the man were of their mind and way which they call a desiring of his Conversion and Conviction and of his own and the Churches good And thus not only the hereticks of his time but the very Jews were Lovers of Paul and of other Apostles No doubt but they desired that which they thought was their Conversion and their good And what hatred so great that may not have such a cover not only a feigned pretence but a real though erroneous desire Gardiner and Bonner exprest the like and no doubt did really wish the Martyrs had been of their mind And no doubt but many that wish'd this thought they wish'd but the persons and the Churches good The burning zeal which hath so much depopulated much of the World was in many a zeal of God though not according to knowledge He that can transform himself into an Angel of Light and his Ministers into Ministers of Righteousness and free Grace no doubt can teach them to persecute men in Love and to excommunicate them in Love To revile others in Love to hinder the Preaching of the Gospel in Love to afflict or to Divide the Church in Love Alas how much is the Serpent too subtile for the understanding that trusteth to it self and is not illuminated and guided by the spirit of Light and Love How easily can he hide from us that in our brother which we should Love and magnifie and multiply his faults into odious crimes and transform his very virtues into vices and his rightest judgement into errors In this brother I thank God that my principles give me that advantage of you that I think you not odious but weak 2. The other yet greater advantage that Satan findeth to kill the Love of most is SELFISHNESS one selfish man thinks that he may well account him bad and odious who is against his worldly wealth and honour And another thinks him bad and odious who is against his Learned or Religious reputation and would detect his ignorance or vice Another thinks him bad and odious who is against his Opinions and the words or manner of worshipping God which he is confident are best And he that hath once suffered spiritual pride to extoll his own understanding and his piety will make that so far the measure of his censures that all shall be thought so far to swerve from Truth and Godliness as they swerve from him But if we should suffer much by others and that for a cause which we take to be the cause of God how easie is it for selfishness to stir up those Passions which shall blind our understandings so far as to see no good at all scarce in them that we suffer by or to extenuate all that is Lovely in them yea to think hardly of almost all others of their judgement and party for their sakes And if we think we may once call them Persecutors yea or but such as Conform to the Persecutors waies we think it 〈…〉 yeth almost any thing which we say 〈…〉 to make them odious As thâ—se on the 〈…〉 side think they are justified in all 〈…〉 may say or do
the truth which I assert which is as plain for it as can well be spoken The whole Chapter shewing that the weake brother that Paul speaketh of was one that with Conscience of the Idol did eate it as a thing offered to an Idol and their Conscience being weak was defiled ver 7. 9 And it is one whose Conscience is emboldened or confirmed to eate those things which are offered to idols and thereby he may perish ver 10 11. And it is he that is not displeased but made to offend And the scandalizing which Paul would avoid is called becoming a stumbling to them that are weak ver 9. Emboldening to that heinous sin ver 10. Making a brother to offend v. 13. twice over Is this think you displeasing the innocent or rather tempting those that are apt to sin and confirming the faulty Read what Dr. Hammond saith of their weakness and what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth there and then further tell me 1. Whether you mean such weak ones that you would not have me offend 2. Whether those that are most displeased with us for Communion in the Liturgie be such as you will say are most in danger of yielding to sin 3. Whether you would do as Paul doth Call those weak brethren who to that day did eate in Idols temples and that as a thing offered to idols 4. Whether Paul commanded the Corinthians to separate from the Church because such men were in their Communion 5. Whether Paul himself in communicating with that Church did not that which you write against 6. Whether by this rule we should not take heed most of scandalizing those Christians that are aptest to sin 7. Whether this text which you so abuse well considered is not sufficient against all your Cause and for that which I maintain EXCEPT XIII p. 6. Answered Here is nothing but 1. His saying that He may well doubt of the truth of what I report viz. whether any or many faithful Ministers would so reproach their people and their honourable name which is upon them as to call them pievish and self conceited Christians Answ. 1. Are there any such Christians or not 2. If they are should their fault be healed or cherished 3. If healed should it be reproved or concealed But I will answer this further anon when it comes in again 2. He doubts not but those that thus complained to me expected so much prudence and faithfulness in me as to conceal their Complaints and not vent them now when the state of affairs is so much altered Answ. Here are two untruths implied 1. That these complaints were only made in secret with an expectation that not only the persons but the case it self should be concealed But how did he know this Might not many of them be men that since conform and make the same complaint now openly Yes I could name you more than one such Might not some be such as have done the same in print themselves Yes Old Mr. Rob. Abbot was one who after removed to Austins London and died there before Mr. Ash. If you will but read his book against separation you will see thathe silenced not such matters but hath said more than ever you are able well to answer 2. It is not true that these Complaints were only made before the state of affairs was altered for I have oft heard it since with greater sense of it than ever before Nor is it any dishonour to a Minister not to be ignorant of Satans wiles The more they know them the liker they are to overcome them 3. In his conclusion are two more mistakes but because they are prophetical I will not count them with the grossest The first is that he hopes that hereafter all that fear God will be very careful how they make any complaint unto a Person The Second who will take the next worst occasion to revile a whole innocent and Godly Party by a malicious publishing of it Whereas 1. Since the writing of his book I have had complaints against such as he by many that fear God 2. And he cannot prove what he prophesieth I will do But yet two more untruths are implied in the prophesie 1. That I will revile a whole Innocent Godly suffering Party when I protested I meant no particular party but those of every party Episcopal Presbyterian Independent Anabaptist c. who through want of Love are aptest causelesly to condemn their brethren and avoid them unless he will call all the Ignorant Proud and Uncharitable of all parties by the name of a whole Godly suffering party 2. That I will revile them maliciously unless he mean that writing for Love and Unity is a malicious act against Satan and his Kingdom EXCEPT XIV Hereafter I must number them for he is weary of it Answered This hath little worthy observation but his 12th Untruth viz. that by mentioning the separatist as a distinct body of men from the Antinomian Quaker and Anabaptist it is evident I can mean no other but my Presbyterian and Congregational brethren which he follows with An Appeal to God against this Slanderer and earnestly prayeth that he would please to rebuke him Whether this earnest prayer be a Curse and whether it be like to that rule to pray for them that curse us and whether this brother himself doth not in these very words put his error into his earnest prayer even in print and so verifie what he would so vehemently gainsay to say nothing of the Common fame in London that he that is famed to be the Author of these Exceptions kept a day of Humiliation about me and my book I leave to the Readers observation And also whether this earnest prayer or Curse and this bold Appeal to God be not prophane and rather a fruit of passion than charitable zeal And whether he here knew what spirit he was of But to his Untruth I answer 1. I protested openly that my meaning was not what he affirmeth it to be And could he know it better than I 2. An Antinomian and Anabaptist as such are distinct from Separatists as such But doth it follow that therefore they may not be Separatists also that are Antinomians and Anabaptists Though the Errors whence the Sects are denominated be various 3. I have long ago in many books told the Papists that I mean them as the Chief Schismaticks and Sect and Dr. Hide for the first page of his book what I thought of him And the Lutherans that so resist all the endeavours of Dury Calixtus Bergius Lud. Crocius and many more in refusing Communion with the Calvinists that I mean them And here I profess that I mean no other party of men at all but the Dividers of all parties whatsoever even in the beginning of my Preface And yet alas brother did you not tremble first to publish so gross an Untruth and when you had done to ground your Appeal to God and earnest prayer against me upon it
remedy that the formal Hypocrites will either apply or endure That men would become Christians O that the truth of faith and the power of true Christian belief might be seen in the hearts and lives of those that knowingly put the neck in Christs yoak So far Eldersfield See also Dr. Patrick of Baptisme Dr. Hammonds words I have recited after my Treat of Confirmation They are very worthy of consideration But to leave this digression 2. My second reason why I dissent from them that will have other Tearms of Church-entrance than Baptisme and a stricter exaction of a Title to membership than a professed Affent and Consent to the tearms of that Covenant is because if in our very Church-title and Constitution we forsake the Scriptural and primitive tearms we are liable to the exceptions of all dissenters and cannot justifie our selves against their accusations nor well answer them that say It is long of us and not of them that they communicate not with us 3. Because we shall unavoidably injure many of Christs members and keep those out whom he will own and would have us own to the great injury of him and them 4. Because we shall lessen and weaken the Church of Christ which is already so small and so be injurious to it 5. Because we shall be alwaies at uncertainty on what tearms to go For if once we leave Gods prescribed tearms we shall never know where to fix But every Pastor will examine as he please and form such Covenant-tearms as are agreeable to the measure of his own private judgement and Charity And even among Congregational men we see already that the tearms of mens Titles do vary as the Pastors or Congregations differ in point of strictness 6. And this layeth a certain foundation for perpetual dissentions and divisions when there are no certain tearms of Concord And there is no Union when we depart from Christs authority And it is not in vain that Christ himself prescribed a form of Baptizing And if all his Churches since the Apostles daies have brought us down that Creed or those Articles of Faith and form of Baptizing used universally among them New waies and various waies even as various as mens degrees of prudence and charity will never be the tearms of the Churches Unity 7. And I am very much the more confirm'd against this extream by my long experience Having made it much of my work to know the minds and lives of all the people of the great Parish where I lived and since that having conversed with many of the inferior rank both for estate and profession of piety I have found that there is much more good in a great number of those that are not noted openly for special Professors of Religiousness than I did before believe For no man is usually noted now for Religious in this stricter sense 1. Whose knowledge hath not some readiness of expression in conference and in prayer 2. And who doth not come to private meetings and associate himself with the stricter and forwarder sort of Professors But there are abundance of things which may hinder some serious weak Christians from both these Dulness of natural parts and want of good education and use and teaching and company may keep mens parts and utterance very low And some young Christians for want of former use at their first true Conversion cannot speak sense in the very fundamentals which yet they have a saving sense and knowledge of but are like Infants and their prayers have little better expressions than Abba Father and the unutterable groans of the spirit And some never had the opportunity of profitable company And some are hindered from such converse by bashfulness And some by poverty and business or distance And some by the restraint of Parents Husbands Masters c. And some by ill company and scandall may have a prejudice against those Religious people who are neerest to them who yet may be real lovers of Christ. Having found in many called common people more knowledge though not beter utterance than I expected and more trust in Christ and more desire to be better and love to those that are better and more willingness to be taught crowding in publick or private when they have a full opportunity and affectionately hearing the closest preaching I am grown the more fearful of wronging Christ his Church and them by numbering such with those that are without when they are Baptized persons that never were proved to have apostatized nor to have lived impenitently in any sin so gross as the back-bitings proud-censoriousness and divisions of too many Religiouser people are 8. To which may be added the sad experience of this age of the dreadful miscarriages of the more noted sort of Professors turning Infidels Ranters Quakers Socinians Antinomians and too many scandalous in life and such as have destroyed Order Government Unity Reformation when there was scarce an enemie able to hurt it much besides themselves Which is no dishonour to the Profession of Holyness much less to Christ and Holyness it self But it seemeth to me a notable rebuke of our common over-valuing the meer Parts and utterance and extemporate performances of the people and of Ministers flattering such Professors and over-looking all of Christ which is in many that have had no such helps for gifts and utterance as they 2. The second Point in which the New-England Synod agreed was the stated Consociation of Churches and use of Synods And herein saith the Defence p. 99. there appeared no Dissent or dissatisfaction in the Synod Where they adde also as to the point of Separation We never said nor thought that there should be a withdrawing from other Churches upon differences errors or offences of an inferiour and dubious nature yea though continued in We are far enough from hastyness or harshness in that matter being professed adversaries to a spirit of sinful and rigid separation And that Apostolical man Mr. Iohn Eliot hath printed a draught for stated Synods for Counsel and Concord which is their proper use which will go far enough to satisfie moderate men in that point and saith more for such Synods than ever I said 2. Having said thus much of the Iudgement of Congregational men in New-England against Separation I shall adde somewhat of the second Assertion That it concerneth the Congregational Party as much in point of Interest to be against it as any sort of men whatsoever 1. Because their Churches have no other bond of Concord here but voluntary Consent And if that break they are dissolved 2. Because their members being usually neither so low as to be ignorant of matters of Controversie nor so high as to be able solidly to Resolve them are most like to be quarrelsome and fall into divisions And honest people that have a zeal of God and for Truth and Unity and not knowledge enough to guide it steadily are likey to contend and trouble one another than either they that are
more careless and have less zeal and therefore like swine will leave such pearls to any that will take them up or they that have sound knowledge to guide their zeal 3. And the power which too many of them give the people over the Pastors and themselves will do much to increase these divisions and cause their dissolution And that this is the sense of New-England appeareth 1. In their banishing Lyford first and the two Brownes after lest they should be divided about the Prelacy and Liturgie 2. By their common judgement against dangerous Toleration 3. By the History of Mrs. Hutchinsons business in Sir Henry Uane's daies 4. By the History of Mr. Williams business 5. And of Gorton's 6. And of the Quakers of late All which I shall say no more of but only transcribe some of the words of Morton's Memorial about Mr. Williams p. 78 c In the year 1634. Mr. Roger Williams removed from Plimouth to Salem He had lived about three years at Plimouth where he was well accepted as an assistant to Mr. Ralph Smith then Pastor there But by degrees venting of divers of his own singular opinions and seeking to impose them upon others he not finding such a concurrence as he expected desâ—red his dismission foreseeing that he would run the same course of rigid Separation and Anabaptistry as Mr. John Smith the Separatist at Amsterdam had done the Church consented to his dismission and such as did adhere to him were also dismissed or removed with him or not long after him to Salem But he having in one years time filled that place with principles of rigid Separation and tending to Anabaptistry the prudent Magistrates of the Massachusets jurisdiction sent to the Church of Salem desiring them to forbear calling him to Office which they not hearkening to was a cause of much disturbance He being in Office proceeded more vigorously to vent many dangerous Opinions as That it is not lawful for an Unregenerate man to pray nor to take an Oath and in special not the Oath of Fidelity to the Civil Government Nor was it lawful for a godly man to have Communion either in Family-Prayer or in an Oath with such as they judged unregenerate And therefore he himself refused the Oath of Fidelity and taught others so to do Also that it was not lawful so much as to hear the godly Ministers of England when any occasionally went thither and therefore he admonished any Church-members that had done so as of heynous sin Also he spake dangerous words against the Patent which was the foundation of the Government of the Massachusets Colony Also he affirmed that the Magistrate had nothing to do in matters of the First Table but only the Second And that there should be a general and unlimited Toleration of all Religions And for any man to be punished for any matters of his Conscience was Persecution Staying at home in his own house he sent a Letter which was read in the publick Church-Assembly to give them notice That if the Church of Salem would not separate not only from the Churches of England but the Churches of New-England too he would separate from them The more prudent and sober part of the Church being amazed at his way could not yield to him Whereupon he never came to the Church-Assembly more professing separation from them as Antichristian And not only so but he withdrew all private Religious communion from any that would hold Communion with the Church there Insomuch as that he would not pray nor give thanks at meals with his own Wife nor any of his Family because they went to the Church-Assemblies Divers of the weaker sort of the Church-members that had been throughly levened with his Opinions of which number were divers Women that were zealous in their way did by degrees fall off to him Insomuch as that he kept a Meeting in his own house unto which a numerous company did resort both on the Sabbath day and at other times by way of Separation from and opposition to the Church-Assembly there Which the prudent Magistrates understanding and seeing things grow more and more towards a general division and disturbance after all other means used in vain they passed a Sentence of Banishment against him out of the Massachusets Colony as against a disturber of the Peace of the Church and Commonwealth After which Mr. Williams sate down in a place called Providence and was followed by many of the Members of the Church of Salem who did zealously adhere to him and cryed out of the Persecution that was against him Some others also resorted to him from other parts They had not been there long together but from rigid Separation they fell to Anabaptistry renouncing the Baptism which they had received in their Infancy and taking up another Baptism and so began a Church in that way But Mr. Williams stopped not there long For after some time he told the people that had followed him that he was out of the way himself and had misled them For he did not find that there was any upon earth that could administer Baptisme and therefore their last Baptisme was a nullity as well as their first And therefore they must lay down all and wait for the coming of new Apostles And so they dissolved themselves and turned Seekers keeping that one Principle That every one should have liberty to worship God according to the light of their own Consciences but otherwise not owning any Churches or Ordinances of God any where upon earth So far the History To which I adde that this man was one of the great instruments after all this of sublimating the English Separation to the same height and gratifying the Papists by raising up the sect of Seekers who said that both Scripture Ministry Church and Ordinances were lost And had they not now broken the Church sufficiently and made it small enough when they had made it none God forbid that I should transcribe any of this with a desire to bring reproach on any mens persons but only to help our dear brethren that are in danger to profâ— by the warning of other mens falls For to this end was the Scripture written historically with the falls of the Saints inserted in it The same History pag. 139 140. thus describeth Mr. Thomas Dudley a Principal Founder and Pillar of the Massachussets and often Governour dying 77 years old that His zeal to order appeared in contriving good Laws and faithfully executing them on Criminal Offenders Hereticks and Underminers of Religion He had a piercing judgement to discover the Wolf though cloathed with a Sheep-skin These following are the conclusion of a pious Copy of Verses found in his pocket when he was dead Let men of God in Courts and Churches watch O're such as do a Toleration hatch Lest that ill egg bring forth a Cockatrice To poyson all with Heresie and Vice If men be left and otherwise Combine My Epitaph's I dy'd no Libertine But