if, after conviction, you shall forbear to do, upon what pretences soever, how will you be able to lie down in your grave in peace?" T. W. p. 68.

CHAP. LIII.

REPLY TO A. S.

FROM the "Observations and Annotations" of A. S. in our forty-eighth chapter, we have advanced here to " A Reply of Two of the Brethren to A. S.: Wherein you have Observations on his 'Considerations, Annotations, etc.' upon the Apologetical Narration.' With a Plea for Liberty of Conscience for the Apologists' Church-Way; against the Cavils of the said A. S.-Formerly called M. S., to A. S.-Humbly submitted to the judgments of all rational and moderate Men in the World. With a short Survey of W. R., his Grave Confutation' of the Separation; and some modest and innocent Touches on the Letter from Zealand; and Mr. Parker's from New England.-The Second Edition. Corrected and enlarged. Licensed and Entered, according

to Order. Lond. 1644." 4to. pp. 112. These "Two Brethren" commence with "A Word to the Reader, showing the causes of this Second Edition;" which was Not mere importunity of friends, though many; but to undisplease, if it may be, some of the contrary judgment, by blotting out some sharp expressions; though extorted, forced, and wrung forth, by the violent hammering and inculcating provocations of A. S." 'And, to tell A. S. why no names at length were put to their book; namely, because he did not put his name at length to his, nor hath he anywhere in print owned it, that we know of. Therefore have the Two Brethren, who, only for despatch joined in this Reply to A. S. forborne also, in this second edition, to subscribe their names."

The preliminary remarks are introduced thus; "If A. S.'s heart be 'rent' with discontent in 'two' pieces, as he saith in his Epistle, at the innocent bleatings of that wronged Lamb, the Apology; surely, our hearts more justly may be 'rent' in twenty pieces, to hear and see this roaring Lion-like Reply, with his many claws of Observations, Annotations, Considerations, and Notes,' rending and tearing that modest and innocent thing, and no man saying to him, Why doest thou so? .. How many Replies in a few weeks, appearingly, have turned the world, if not the church, upside down! Most men seeming to be resolved, before the arguments are solved! Believe it, it works more upon the spirits of the best men, than ever anything yet that befel this kingdom. Things, before, were irregular enough, but now, preposterous before, resolute enough; now, violent: before, the Body of the Kingdom, the Commonwealth, was sore sick; now, the Soul, the Church!"

a "Soul," in A. S.

"This one, single, simple, A. S., now starts up by himself, peremptorily to state and determine the Questions, for the resolution whereof the Parliament thought the Assembly of Divines few enough to undertake!" a "Yet James Cranford is quoted by the printer, in the page before the title, as approving it, and the book, with a licentious approbation." b 66 Mr. Cranford !.. ask your reason, ask the book itself, Whether there be one true clause in all that you have said? Are these 'Observations, etc.' of A. S., 'judicious?'.. Are they' at this time, necessary,' when the grave Commissioners of Scotland had, with far more prudence and solidity than A. S., said, by way of reply, so much to the Apology, nemine reclamante, none replying till A. S. was abroad?" c "Are they for the vindication of all Protestant churches,' whenas, in condemning the Apology, they condemn many, very many churches in England; many in Holland; generally all, in New England, notwithstanding some private Letters and Manuscripts sent over, to which we shall answer afterwards." "Are these 'Observations' for the defence of the authority of Synods, in opposition to the Apology? What Synods? Scripture Synods! Where doth the Apology whimper against them? Or, do you mean Classical ones? If so, that is the question! And so you proclaim a Defence of that which yet hath no existence: the question is not resolved!" e Well, Mr. Cranford, you have, by this, endeavoured to set Divines together by the ears more Ecclesiastico: your licentiating hath enabled men to give the second blow,' upon which the Common Law layeth the breach of the peace. And, notwithstanding you license these 'Annotations,' yet you say you' reverence the persons of the Apologists!' A pin for such a compliment! Love me, love the truth... Away with your dare verba, your frothy words... Stand by, Mr. Cranford, and hear A. S. tried; and, in him, yourself!" f

66

Proceeding to the Epistle of A. S., and beginning at the compellation; M. S.,-for here and in some other places his initials alone are set before the paragraphs,-tells A. S., "The authors of the Apologetical Narration desire more of your right,' though they have less of your reverence. Had I written a book with so much unreverence, I would either have blotted out my title, Right Reverend,' or else I should never have put in that episcopal style, Most Reverend,' and ' Right Reverend,' seeing that the Bishops are going! For, to stroke in the title, and strike in the book, is but flattery, if not gross dissimulation!" s

A. S. having generally alluded to "particular opinions, wherein ye dissent from all Protestant, yea, all Christian churches in the world," M. S. answers, "Now let the Protestant churches,' to whom ye say you submit, judge whether in these words there be not a notorious untruth. For wherein do the Five ministers and their churches differ from many churches in England, divers in Holland, and generally all within the Patent of New England, if you account these places Protestant?' It may be you will object Mr. Parker's Letter, and some Manuscripts from New England; and a Letter from Zealand.".. There is a Scottish Church, of which one Spang is a very busy d P. 4.

a P. 2.

1 lb.

b P. 3.

g Ib.

e Ibid.
h P. 6.

e P. 5.

agent, at Trevere [Campvere].. whence the Letter came... Most happily, by almost a miraculous Providence, in this nick of time, came two Letters from New England to countermand Mr. Parker's Letter thence, and the other from Zealand. The first, from Mr. Winthrop, Governor of New England, To his Reverend and very Godly Brother, Mr. Hugh Peters, Minister of the Gospel; These deliver in London.' -Our late Assembly, of about forty Elders, met; wherein the Way of our Churches was approved, and the Presbytery disallowed.-Winthrop, Gov., Dec. 10, 1643.' The second, from another of New England, to another minister in Old England, about the same time; wherein we have these passages: We have had,' saith he, 'a Synod lately, in our College, wherein sundry things were agreed on gravely; as, 1. That the votes of the People are needful in all admissions and excommunications, at least in way of consent; all yielding to act with their consent.-2. That those that are fit matter for a church, though they are not always able to make large and particular relations of the work and doctrine of Faith, yet must not live in the commission of any known sin, or the neglect of any known duty.-3. That Consociation of churches, in way of more general meetings, yearly; and more privately, monthly, or quarterly; as Consultative Synods; are very comfortable, and necessary for the peace and good of the churches.-4. It was generally desired, That the exercitium of the churches' power might only be in the Eldership in each Particular Church; unless their sins be apparent in their work.-5. That Parish Churches in Old England could not be right without a renewed Covenant at least, and the refusers excluded.' And, were not New England so far [off,] the churches in New England would soon send a third [Letter], punctually to approve the Apology; unless it be for their nearer compliance with them who, notwithstanding, have written against them !" b

Noticing the full title of the "Most Grave and Modest Confutation," it is said, "It cannot be forgotten, that the choicest doctrines held in England have been called pernicious' heresy. And therefore it is a high peremptoriness, in a general title, to call all those things pernicious evils,' some of which are truths. We have and do disclaim 'Separation' and 'Brownism' properly so called." d

"England was never quiet, but worse and worse, since it hunted away almost a little nation of Saints to New England; though W. Rathband, joining issue with A. S., will follow them with a blotting pen in print, even to that kingdom too. Yea, and take in his way many churches in Old England, and some that are, and lately were, in Holland; and then, have at New England! None comes amiss that have gone an inch in Reformation beyond W. R.'s Nonconformity... And all this work he cuts out for himself in his book he calls ‘A Narration, etc.' Oh, that all readers that will not be wilfully blind, would, by the way, observe how A. S. condemns the Apologists as guilty of dissenting from the churches in New England; and, W. R. condemns them for agreeing with the churches in New England! So that A. S. and W R. do not agree between themselves!" g

f

"The thrice-worthy Parliament had it in debate in the House," being put on by the Letter from Middleburg, in Zealand; and [but], upon the speech of learned Mr. Seldon, and others, they resolved, with a general acclamation, That the Apology was to be left as it was found, 'unblamed.' The God of Heaven in mercy bless the Parliament, as for all the good they have done, so for their uprightness therein. The joy of the churches is now as high as their sorrows would have been deep, had it been condemned! for it would then have been not only a doleful ante or anti, but anticipating' presage !" b

"I am informed," M. S. tells us, "that the worthy Commissioners of Scotland,-nobly done!-do utterly dislike A. S.'s book; from whom we have far more evident and effectual symptoms of their cordial love than the word Brethren,' which with A. S., in his book, is nothing but a complimental dissimulation;' for his Epistle begins as it were with kissing, namely, Right Reverend and Dear Brethren,' and his book is biting!"

с

Under the head of "His Considerations," and remarking on the fourth, quoting those words of the Apology, that, since the change of times, from their "exile," they had "endured" that which to their spirits" is no less grievous, the opposition and reproach of good men, even to the threatening of another banishment;" d M. S. writes, "No doubt but the Apologizers know what they say, and what they can say, if called to speak out. Besides, if the people had let them alone, it should seem some ministers would not. Oh, it was an unhappy Anticipation,'-Oh, if the will of God had been to have prevented it,— that, in the very nick of time, before the Assembly met, two books should forestal the market; the one penned by a learned Scot, and the other by a learned Englishman, that set the tongues of men so awake!" e

"A. S. tells us of the honour the Parliament showed the Apologists, in calling them to be Members of the Assembly,' which was enough to justify their persons from all aspersions, without any Apology." To this, M. S. answers, "That they and their friends will ever acknowledge the Honourable Parliament's great respect to them... But," he says, "I think I should not cross the sense of the Parliament if I should not make it a universal major proposition, That all whom the Honourable Parliament shall call to be Members of the Assembly are ipso facto vindicated from all aspersions; and so to conclude, That all Episcopal prelatical men,.. if they should be called to be of the Assembly, were eo nomine vindicated from all aspersions!' I am sure, de facto, that some very learned men were called by the sweet indulgence of the Honourable Parliament, for the common good, to be Members of the grave Assembly, who since, upon better knowledge of them, are, by the Parliament, purged out of the Assembly,—a good rid! the Assembly is the better for their absence, and some are at Oxford; see how terse they be! And some, in prison; see how their Membership of the Assembly hath vindicated them! Be sure of it, that the choice of men

a "Mar. 13. 1643-4."

d Ap. Nar. p. 31.

And

for the Assembly was, to find men good, not to make them so. two worthy Parliament-men of a County may not know, at first, all the faults in every town, or the lint on every black coat; and, therefore, since that, the worthy Parliament hath well brusht some."a

“A thousand, and a thousand, good Christians were glad to hear, how the Five ministers dissented from the rigid Separation, and closed with the best Reformed Churches; the sole business of the Apology in effect." b

On the "Eighth Consideration" of A. S., M. S. writes, "We challenge it as your duty, that are Protestants, to allow us our liberty, that are Protestants, and hold with you in doctrine, and discipline also, in substance; the difference being an accident: First, the quantity; you would have it extended to Colloquies, Provincial Classes, etc., over every church; which appears not in Scripture, either name or thing. We would have it bounded within every particular church made up to competent hundreds, with a sufficiency of church-officers for parts and numbers. And, secondly, necessity of constraint; for, in appeals, you would cite and constrain men to appear before the said Colloquies and Classes, etc.; for which there is not the least in the Scriptures. We would have a free voluntary recourse, out of conscience, to the brotherly advice of neighbour churches, or a synod, dogmatically to declare Christ's mind to us; and, in case of refusal to submit to their judgment, having no ground in Scripture to refuse, the advising churches to renounce communion with the offending church; and the particular church to pronounce 'excommunication' against their offending brother. So that the difference is not in ente, sed modo; not in the thing, but the manner rather. We say, therefore, it is your duty to give us our own, our liberty, as much—if not more-as we to let you alone; while both parties avouch that they are unconvinced, as yet, of a possibility of a nearer agreement. We know not of the least chance of a sentence or piece of an example in all the Scriptures, for any to constrain men's consciences by outward violence, positively to act contrary to their principles conscientiously held; or for any to yield thereunto. We have many passages to the contrary in Scripture."

с

"We have seen the event of endeavouring to force conscience in matter of opinion or worship. On the one side, in England it made many thousands hypocrites, church-papists, time-servers, etc. and on the other side, in Holland and Scotland it justly caused State-insurrections; and for the same reason, we also are legally now up in arms to obtain assurance that we shall have the liberty of conscience and law."d

M. S. it seems set limits to Toleration, since even he did not "approve a toleration to the broaching of all opinions, or any toleration of some practices." But this he would have to be "only a suspension and intermission of the outward man from acting towards others; not a coaction or subversion of the inward acts of judginent and understanding in himself: and so, Jews, etc. may be permitted among Christians, so as they do not manifest their errors and defiance against the fundamental truths."

" f