b

mystery of iniquity'a soon brought forth, first the foundations of this tyranny, and then, by degrees, the entire building... The ways for particular members to keep themselves from being leavened and involved in the guilt of such common sins-1 Cor. v. 8.-are but two: either first, the doing of that, for their part, which is their duty in such a communion; or, secondly, if that will not be suffered or will not prevail, to disclaim the holding of such communion and join in a more pure... Men fall into long disputes, and bring many arguments to prove that the ordinances are not made less comfortable; or the partaking in them, made sinful to one man; because of the sins of other men who partake with them. They set up a man of straw to contend withal, and fight against what themselves have framed. It is not the sins of other men, as they are their personal acts, that can cast guilt upon any but themselves; but it is the suffering of these sins and sinners to pass, without such censure as the Lord hath appointed to be pronounced against them by those whom He hath invested with power to that end, which makes these sins the sins of the whole body that so neglect their duty enjoined them; and hereby 'a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.' So that they either deceive or are deceived, that agitate with so much eagerness this, as they say, strange opinion, That another man's sins, should hinder any from partaking, comfortably, in the ordinances. It is not another man's sin that hindereth; but their own!.. Now, particular members are not suffered to discharge themselves by doing that duty which, in such a case,―of the church's neglect,-doth lie upon them to perform; or if they will perform it to their own acquitting and the church's edifying whereof they are members, they are no less certain to run upon ruin, in these times, than to prevail nothing at all with churches so constituted and consisting of such mixed multitudes as the most are... There is a necessity that doth lie upon many, to disjoin themselves from being members of divers churches in this kingdom,-that the obligation which, by reason of such a relation, will lie upon their conscience, may not press them when they cannot discharge the same ;—and to unite.. where they may-in doing, and submitting themselves mutually unto, all that Christ enjoineth them for his honour and their edification,exercise communion in the use of all the ordinances free from the mixture of human inventions and antichristian usurpations.

с

'Suppose a congregation in this land; some town or parish, to speak common road language, wherein a company of godly men, saints all, so far as man can judge, had united themselves together by mutual consent, to walk in all the ordinances and ways of the Lord, without admitting the linsey-woolsey mixture of human invention; and with resolution not to be the servants of men, but to cast off their yokes, in things spiritual, and exalt the Lord alone to rule and judge in them and by them, according to the guidance of his Word: if, finding this society and their course fully to answer the persuasion of any heart concerning the way of God, I should change my habitation and take a house in that town, that I might thereby join myself to this company

b 1 Cor. v. 6.

a 2 Thess. ii. 7. "This discourse was written some years since, when the times were perilous." Marg. See back, p. 235, note a.

in church-fellowship; because this is your dark and ignorant way of falling into fellowship here in this land, there would be no complaining, no out-cry of 'separation,' no whispering and muttering of forsaking 'the mother church,' no writing up and down to intimate the great fear there was of seduction and separation, and the scandal that would arise from thence; and yet I should come out, thereby, from holding external communion with one congregation, whose external communion I saw so many corruptions so weaved into, that I could not hold it, and be free from them, and [should] join myself in communion with another who exercised a communion between themselves free from such corruptions and bondage. And, should I, or others, do any more but the same thing, if, in one street of a town, we should join ourselves together in communion for spiritual ends; and separate ourselves from the external communion which is held in another [street], burdened with many superstitions, and submitting themselves to bear the yoke of bondage imposed by men who lord it over them in things spiritual: and all this, without breaking off from internal communion with any saint amongst them; consisting in the embracing and holding the doctrine of the same true faith and obedience, but separating alone from their corruptions and continuance in disobedience. Wherein, then, serveth the raising of so much noise and clamour of 'separation,' but to give up friends into the hands of enemies!

"I have, in my plain way, endeavoured to express my judgment in these particulars; desiring to be always ready to open my eyes to receive further light from whomsoever it shall be showed unto me: in the meantime, I must walk according to that I have; accepting no man's person, nor giving flattering titles to man. I pretend not to so much scholarship, that you should require of me exactness in method or expression; therefore, I pray you, stick not upon some expressions which you may conceive not so meet, to winnow and fan them by scholastic wit: neither quarrel with me for a loose discourse; I rest satisfied with expressing myself to be understood. But if there be any begged principles, or grounds wanting proof, or anything inferred from grounds too weak to maintain the same; stay upon these, and make that appear unto me, and I shall either make them good, and able to stand upon solid foundations,—at least to my apprehension,— or quit them. Any other way of answer but this only, will be received by me as the fruit of an acute wit, much exercised in controversial writing, and work no other effect.

"I expect, upon your answer, to be put to make good these two; first, The constitution of a visible church under the Gospel; secondly, the power thereof; wherein will consist cardo questionis: all turning about, upon the determination of these. I shall make appear what I have said, I hope, not to be the fancy of Mr. Jacob,' as you please to say; a learned man, deserving not to be slighted; nor of any man, but the truth of God, having ground in his Word, and embraced for such not by shrubs in learning, as some may be thought to be, but by the strongest and tallest cedars of Lebanon' for learning and piety!"

a Job xxxii. 21.

CHAP. XLVIII.

ANATOMY of indepeNDENCY. THE ANATOMIST ANATOMISED.QUERIES. OBSERVATIONS, ETC. BY A. S.

WHO, with only the foregoing tract of the five Apologists in his hand, could imagine that it would cause so much excitement as it rapidly produced. The swarm of replies betrayed but the apprehension of their authors, lest the plot of substituting their plan of politicoecclesiastical machinery for that which the nation had, for the present, discarded, should fail? Many curious particulars are evolved in their pages, which enable us to penetrate far into the real condition of affairs, and the relative position of parties. The first that meets our view is intituled "An Anatomy of Independency: Or, A Brief Commentary, and Moderate Discourse, upon the 'Apologetical Narration, etc.' By Argument, laying naked the dangers of their Positions; and from Experience, discovering their Spirits and Ways.-1 Thess. v. 22.-Published by Authority.-Lond. 1644." 4to. pp. 52.

This piece is attributed to Alexander Forbes. The Preface asserts that "a main hindrance unto Reformation.. proceeds from a gross mistake, whereby all, opposing the ways of the Hierarchy, are judged by the ways of some, and equally and indifferently ranked in one rank, and delineated by one character, and under one notion of Puritan, Brownist, or Independent, if not of Anabaptist." Such being the case, as Forbes represents it, he adds, "It must be found a thing not only expedient, but also very necessary, to make a full discovery of men and their opinions and ways; that every man appearing in his own colours and livery, may be the better discerned and owned... These being the sincere aims and ends of this ensuing discourse,-though my weakness may perhaps in measure frustrate both me and it, of obtaining these ends;-yet I hope the integrity of these aims shall procure.. pardon for what may come short thereof; especially from these my brethren the authors of this Apology, since it is their main desire to be discovered and judged by experience of their ways and spirits: which is the work of this discourse.'

Forbes begins accordingly by commenting upon the "sudden and unexpected noise" which the Apologists advert to in their opening. This, he writes, makes him " suspect there might be some reality in such noises of unexpected and strange exclamations and expressions of Independents against Presbyterial government, as have come to our ears; which," this commentator construes "might be the cause of the suddenness of these exclamations" against the aforesaid Apologists! But, he adds, "that they should not have expected this 'noise,'—as it might seem somewhat strange to any who know how liberal they have been, from time to time, to vent their contumelious and scornful censures on Presbyterial government; and considers them standing at such a distance in their ways and government, from all Christian churches ;-so, on the other hand, it seems no way strange to me, that these, who are possest with such a conceit and confidence of themselves, their abilities in

a

searching and finding out new truths, and their ways, as is ordinary for most of their mould to be, and as this Apology shows they are; should not expect to hear any whisper against them, though they may censure others at their pleasure!" And he asks, in the next page," May it not seem strange that these our Brethren should be so averse from owning exclamations against Independency and Independents, as directed against them? Whereas they not only profess here in this Apology, what pains they have taken to find out and establish in their churches that 'government' which they know the world calls Independency; but know also, that they are looked upon generally by all, as the chief authors and abettors thereof in all England !" b

"They will not own the name of Independency,' yet, if we speak or preach against Independency, they will tell us we preach against them; as appeared in a late instance of one of these our Brethren's own fellow-labourers in the same congregation at Rotterdam, with some one of his flock, expostulating with another Reverend Divine for telling his people that that government which they sware to maintain in the Scots' Covenant, did exclude Independency; affirming, this was to preach against them.' This 'noise' enforced them to this Apology; and that by anticipation... This Apology comes forth when there was likelihood they should be frustrate of liberty; the desire whereof, is the conclusion and result... It shall, God willing, appear, that their main study here is to cover rather than 'discover' themselves: concealing most of their differences from us, and delivering some only in general terms—as, that the 'truth' of church discipline lieth in a middle way betwixt Brownism and Presbyterial government;' without telling us wherein this 'middle way' doth consist."

"Our Brethren's 'government' hath always been accompanied with sects and schisms, strife and debate, multiplying of churches out of churches; and the people's casting off their pastors at their pleasure by their Independent liberty: and if not casting them off, yet improving that power they assume, as due unto them to the utmost in reproaching, rebuking, and drawing up Articles against them. Whereof Mr. Bridge and others have found plentiful experience at Rotterdam... A great part of that church.. joined with others to the erecting of that church whereof Mr. Simpson was pastor, and were by him received without any more ado, notwithstanding that their schism... These two churches being of late, commanded by the Magistrates of Rotterdam to unite again in one; and that church whereof Mr. Simpson had been pastor, and Mr. Symonds d then was, being unwilling to join the other, unless some members thereof should first be put off, especially one,.. their Teacher must be forced, -as himself confesseth with grief of heart, having nothing to except against the person,-to urge him to take his dismission... Who knoweth not that holy and learned men, as these our Brethren are known to be, may hold forth a spirit of holiness in actions not approvable?.. As it was Dr. Ames, his prudence and charity, not to judge simply and abso

a

* P. 1.

b P. 2.

c P. 2, 3.

d See Brook's Lives of the Puritans, vol. iii. p. 40; where, as it appears that “Joseph Symonds" was returned to London, in 1641, so he might be the person intended by Baillie see back, p. 56. Steven, "Hist. Scottish Church, Rotterdam, &c. 1833," p. 335, had not heard of this Symonds.

lutely of Dr. Burgess, his spirit, but only of that spirit which God left him to put on, when he became a 'Rejoinder,' by the marks of his spirit in that work; so shall this be a fit place for us not to judge absolutely of our Brethren's spirits, but only to discover what spirit God seemeth to have left them to in this their plea and Apology."a

"That wherein they were to satisfy the world by this Apology, ought to have been a clear discovery of their opinions and ways wherein they differ from us; and a vindication of the truth and equity of these above ours... Whereto serves this Apology? Unless it be by big and plausible words to gain the affections of the unstable vulgar before they shall know their ways, which is to hold out a popular spirit... The confidence they have of their looking upon the Word of God 'as impartially, and unprejudicedly, as men made of flesh and blood are like to do in any juncture of time that may fall out:" surely, humility, and impartial respect to themselves, would have blushed to own such an expression, and have taught them to judge better of others than themselves!.. Might there not be some 'juncture of time' as much favouring others in this, as that did them?.. Consider we, the different eye wherewith they looked upon the writings and practice of other Reformed Churches and the old Nonconformists, and those of New England; and if they have looked no more 'impartially' on the Word of God, they shall appear to have been but flesh and blood! Here, first, One argument why they judge the Discipline of other Reformed Churches not so good as their own, is because they found that that Discipline was not so accompanied with the practice and power of godliness as they found even that in England, however accompanied with more peace.' Is not this prejudice and partiality, to respect a government, because they cannot discern those under that government to be proportionable in godliness' to those whom, I think, they will not say lived under a better, but, we may confidently say, under a worse; to wit, Episcopacy?.. Secondly, They but consulted with reverence' with the practice and writings' of other Reformed Churches; but they looked upon the 'light' of the old Nonconformists' as matter of advantage to them; and what 'they had written,' came more 'commended' unto them, not only because they were their 'own,' but because sealed with their manifold and bitter sufferings.' So, also, 'the ways and practices' of those of New England they propounded as 'examples' to themselves;-this is more than, 'with reverence, to consult' with them!.. Hereunto we may add, their partial and tender care and wariness of saving the credit of those of the Separation,' whom they will not call 'Brownists,' but whom, say they, 'ye,'-that is, we,-'call Brownists:' noways thus tender or careful of the credit of other Reformed Churches... Thirdly, If we will take a further scantling of their partiality and pride in this Apology, let us more particularly consider their aggravations of their 'miseries,'.. as, assuming so frequently the title of Exiles,-God's poor Exiles,-sufferers even to exile;.. 'the saddest days' of their 'pilgrimage on earth,' and so forth;.. but I have had occasion to be somewhat acquainted with their conditions there; and I profess sincerely, that, all things considered and compared, a man, in such a condition might be well content Ap. Nar. p. 3. Ib. p. 4.

P. 5-7.

d

Idem.