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Socinians, etc.! There is another reason why it may so fall out in the Low Countries; because Presbyterial government hath not its free course there in Synods, but it is much disturbed over [what] it is in France, Geneva, Scotland. Whereas by the Canons and Constitutions in the Netherlands, there should be a National Synod once in three years, they have not, nor can procure one in twenty years and upwards. And whereas Provincial Synods should be yearly, they have them in some Provinces but once in five, and seven, years. Besides, there are other disturbances in Presbyterial government, which hinder the free course of it in Holland: many encroachments are inade upon the rights of their Church, due to them by virtue of their Discipline, and therefore established. In a word, that Anabaptistical and Familistical spirit in many; and the corrupt spirit and principles in others; with those principles of Toleration; do much check and stop Presbyterial government from having its perfect work, and bringing forth its full effects." a

To ward off what Edwards so deeply deplores and deprecates, near "the close" of his "discourse" he writes, "I humbly beseech the Parliament seriously to consider the depths of Satan in this design of a Toleration how this is now the last plot and design; and by it would undermine and frustrate the whole work of Reformation intended. It is his masterpiece for England; and for the effecting of it, he comes and moves, not in Prelates and Bishops, not in furious Anabaptists, etc., but in holy men, excellent preachers, moderate and fair men, not for a Toleration of heresies and gross offences, but an 'allowance of a latitude to some lesser differences with peaceableness;' this is candidus ille Diabolus, as Luther speaks; and meridianus Diabolus, as Johannes Gersonius and Beza express it; 'coming under the merits of much suffering and well deserving, clad in the white garments of innocence and holiness.' In a word, could the Devil effect a Toleration, he would think he had gained well by the Reformation, and made a good exchange of the Hierarchy to have a Toleration for it!"

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In the practical application of his "discourse," Edwards says, shall conclude this Antapology with turning myself to the Apologists. -Brethren, I beseech and exhort you to search and try your hearts and ways, both in what may be precedent to this 'Apology,' and with what spirit and intentions you writ it; that God should thus leave you to yourselves to make such an 'Apology!' Let your consciences reflect upon what is plainly laid down in this Answer, and do not seek shifts and subterfuges. Consider there is a special hand of God in it; and [that] it is not ordinary that both so many public and particular persons should appear in writing against a book, as have done against yours: the Churches beyond the seas; the Commissioners of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland; with three distinct Answers made by particular persons; besides, I hear another Answer is coming forth. Certainly, the Lord left you, to humble you; and that you might know what was in your hearts. Your great applause and being cried up by the People; your favour and power with many great

• 298.

Luther, in Loc. Comm class. v. p. 24.

P. 303.

persons; your great estates and abundance; your confidence of carrying anything, and saying anything; your wisdom and great parts, were too strong for you, and deceived you. Let my counsel be acceptable to you repent, repent of writing this 'Apology;' give glory to God, and recant; and testify your repentance by dissolving your churches and coming in to us!"

CHAP. LV.

PRYNNE AND BURTON, OPPONENTS.

IT would seem to be barely credible, so few as they were ostensibly, that the Apologetical party should thus have risen into the notoriety they had already acquired. So soon does it appear truly, that by the obstacles they interposed, they were preventing their countrymen, all they could, from escaping only out of one species of intolerable bondage into another. That being so beset on either side, they were, however, ultimately driven to measures which cannot be fully vindicated, was more the fault of their condition than of their intention; which, carried out faithfully, and unalloyed with the interference of civil authority, was calculated to secure to all alike, that most equitable principle by which all degrees of all classes can alone "stand fast" in the "liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free." The peculiarity of the opposition they had to endure may be judged of, in one instance, from "Twelve Considerable Serious Questions, Touching Church Government: Sadly propounded,-out of a real Desire of Unity and Tranquillity in Church and State,-to all Sober-minded Christians, cordially affecting a speedy Settled Reformation and Brotherly Christian Union in all our Churches and Dominions, now miserably wasted with Civil unnatural Wars, and deplorably lacerated with Ecclesiastical Dissensions.-By William Prynne, of Lincoln's Inn, Esq.-1644." 4to. pp. 8.

That this production was designed to serve a party, more than to serve Gospel Truth, will appear from the extreme positions which it advocates. Our own purpose in noticing Prynne's work, will be accomplished in what we shall produce in connexion with "A Vindication of Churches commonly called Independent: Or a Brief Answer to two Books; the one intituled Twelve Considerable Serious Questions, Touching Church Government:' the other, Independency examined, unmasked, refuted, etc.:' both, lately published by William Prynne, of Lincoln's Inn, Esq.-By Henry Burton, a Brother of his, and late Companion in Tribulation.-1644." 4to. pp. 72.

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After having recited from Prynne's title before the "Questions" the description of those particularly addressed, Burton tells him, in an Epistle, "Myself being one of these.. do, with the right-hand, take your propositions as made to me among the rest, craving your leave to return you a brotherly answer; and brotherly in nothing more than by

II.

P. 305.

2 c

b Gal. v. 1.

a candid and christian dealing with you all along, and that also in a matter of such high moment as concerns the kingdom' and glory of Jesus Christ. The zeal whereof, is that alone which puts me upon this task; it being far beyond my thoughts that you and I, having been fellow-sufferers, and spectacles to the world, upon that tragical stage of antichristian tyranny, should ever come upon the theatre as antagonists, one against the other!.. And had not the book had your name in the front, my stomack had not stooped so low as to take it up or down : but because most men are apt to take all upon trust where they find Mr. Prynne's name engaged; and the Cause being so precious as it hath, by right, taken up my whole heart to become an advocate to plead the excellency of it; I could not, though the meanest of all, but for the love of Christ constraining me, and by his grace assisting, undertake this task otherwise unwilling in hoc ulcere esse unguis, as the Roman orator said in another case. And this Answer was brought to the birth soon after yours; but it wanted a midwife, whereof you have plenty; and I have had many interruptions: nor am I so quick of foot as you; but I may say as Jerome once, to young Augustine, Bos lassus fortius figit pedem; and so, in the spirit of love, I come to your book."

Burton commences by saying, "You are for a 'speedy accomplishment' of a Reformation ; and so am I. And so our late Covenant taken, binds every man to begin with himself, and those under him; and each to prevent other in the work. But yet this is sooner said than done: for, shall a Nation be born at once 'b Shall a corrupt, profane, polluted land, not yet washed from her old superstitions; not yet weaned from the Egyptian flesh pots;' not yet wrought off from the spirit of bondage; become, all on a sudden, a reformed nation? But yet, optandum est ut fiat, conandum est ut fiat,' to use Augustine's words, of the conversion of the Jews; it were to be wished, and should be endeavoured:' but as Rome was not built in one day, nor the mystery of iniquity' perfected in one day; so neither can Rome be so easily pulled down in one day, nor can England become a Mount Sion in one day! First, the old rubbish will require some time to be removed out of your church-walls; but how much longer time, out of men's hearts where they have [it hath] been so long, so fast, incorporated!.. England is generally ignorant of the mystery of Christ's Kingdom; the prelates usurped all, suppressed altogether, this spiritual Kingdom: no ministers durst so much as mutter a word of it. Who durst say that men's consciences are subject to none but Christ? That Christ is the only Lawgiver of his church? That the churches of Christ ought not to be burdened with any human ordinances:.. that all rites and ceremonies invented by men, and imposed on men, in God's service, are all a 'willworship,' condemned by the apostle ?d and the like. And yet we deny not, that every member in a church is to be subject to the officers thereof holding out the Word, for conscience' sake... A Reformation, therefore, such as God requires, will necessarily require longer time yet, that we may not go blindfolded about it...

"Had I been accounted worthy to be reckoned among those 'reverend

a Prynne, p. 2.

Col. ii. 23.

b Isai. lxvi 8.

Heb. xiii. 17.

e Exod. xvi. 3.

friends,'-to have been made acquainted with such a purpose,—I should have used all 'importunity' seasoned with strong reasons, to have dissuaded you from those subitane apprehensions.'-And seeing I come to know them, though somewhat too late,.. though I know you to be a very 'helluo librorum,'-of vast and indefatigable reading,—and to have a stomach proportionable, of a strong digestion; yet give me leave to tell you, as my loving and beloved friend and brother, that the subject you here deal with, is not of so easy a digestion, as that 'subitane,' or sudden, 'apprehensions' thereof may be well said to be digested!'..a

Passing along, Brother, I find your Questions turned into your own resolutions, so as, instead of debating them by sober-minded' men, you forestall them, and tell us that these Independents,' as you style them, are guilty of arrogancy, schism, contumacy; and liable to such

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a Prynne had opened his Questions thus: "Having neither leisure nor opportunity to debate the late unhappy differences sprung up amongst us touching Churchgovernment; disputed at large by Mr. Herle, Dr. Stewart, Mr. Rutherfurd, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Dury, Mr. Goodwin, Mr. Nye, Mr. Simpson, and others; which much retard the speedy accomplishment and establishment of that happy Reformation we all earnestly pray for, and, at least pretend, cordially to desire, I have-at the importunity of some Reverend friends [!]-digested my subitane apprehensions of these distracting controversies into the ensuing Considerable Questions; which, sadly pondered and solidly debated by sober-minded, peaceably-disposed, men, of greater ability and vacancy for such a work, than I enjoy, may put a happy period to all our dissensions about this subject; and heartily unite our divided judgments [and] affections, the better to secure ourselves against the common enemies, who prevail most by our divisions."-Dury's tract intended, is probably, "An Epistolary Discourse, wherein, amongst other particulars, these following Questions are briefly resolved-1. Whether or not, the State should tolerate the Independent Government? 2. If they should tolerate it; how far and with what limitations? 3. If they should not tolerate it; what course should be taken to bring them to a conformity with the Presbyterials ?-Written by Mr. John Dury to Mr. Thomas Goodwin, Mr. Philip Nye, Mr. Samuel Hartlib. Published by a Friend, for more common use. -Julii 27, 1644. Imprimatur, James Cranford, 1644." 4to. pp. 41. This was followed by "Some few Considerations Propounded as so many Scruples by Mr. Henry Robinson, in a Letter to Mr. John Dury, upon his Epistolary Discourse. [London, Nov. 5, 1644. pp. 10.]" Being the first part of a pamphlet of forty-six pages, 4to., but all printed in 1646. It is not in our plan to give the particulars of the perhaps well-intended but certainly Utopian, pursuit of Dury, through a long course of years and with much employment of the press, to endeavour a pacification and agreement of all the Protestant Churches throughout the World, and during which pursuit he actually sustained in succession, in his own person, the respective ministries in Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and, according to Wood, Ath, Oxon, vol. ii. 4to. p. 420, Independent churches. We cannot but think, therefore, that though he temporarily staved off, as it were, the effects of the impressions produced by Robinson's "Scruples," yet their pungency was never allayed. See a curious paragraph respecting Dury, Scoticè Durie," in Baillie's Letters, No. 50; to Spang, April 19, 1644. One of his pieces is, "A Model of Church Government: Or, The Grounds of the Spiritual Frame and Government of the House of God. Showing, What the Holy Scriptures have therein delivered: What the best Reformed Churches do practise: What the Tender Consciences may rest in. For the better Satisfaction of such as scruple at the Work of Reformation, declared and appointed by several Ordinances of Parliament. By John Dury, one of the Assembly of Divines; who hath travelled heretofore in the work of Peace among the Churches. 1647." 4to. pp. 56. On the first page of the Preface, he tells the Reader, "I think myself bound to declare this, That I am under a Vow to prosecute upon all occasions, as long as I live, the ways of evangelical reconciliation amongst Protestants." He seems to have died a "Quaker." Wood, sup. p. 421, note 10.

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penalties as are due to these offences, in case they shall not submit to such a Public Church-government,-rites, discipline,-as a Synod and Parliament shall conceive most consonant to God's Word, etc.' And all along, your Queries are so digested' by you, as that they cast up a very ill scent, if not rather a judicial sentence, against those churches which, not honoris causa, you name 'Independents.'.. Thus much of your proem, or preface...

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"Let me premise this, as an airηpa which I must demand of you as due to my profession, That forasmuch as you are a learned lawyer, and able to speak much of laws, and customs of nations and churches; and myself am a professor of divinity, the rules and principles whereof are all of them laid down in the Scriptures unto which, alone, all questions about faith and religion are so reducible, and finally determinable,as whoso denieth this, denieth the faith and is not to be disputed with, as a denier of principles; therefore I require of you as a christian brother, to join issue with me in this point, That all your questions may be resolved by clear Scriptures, and reason evidently deduced from them; and this, with all brevity and perspicuity.

"Now to your first question; the sum whereof is,

'Whether every several nation, republic, and national church, hath not, under the Gospel, a liberty and latitude left them to choose and settle such an orderly form of church-government, discipline, and ecclesiastical rites, as is most suitable to their particular Civil government, laws, manners, customs;.. being not repugnant to the Word of God?.. This being, as I conceive, a generally received truth among all Protestant churches... And, whether some things in all church governments, discipline, ceremonies whatsoever,-are not and must not be left to human prudence; for which there is no direct precept, nor pattern, in sacred writ? Which truth, is assented to by all parties, churches, whatsoever, in theory or practice?..'

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"To your quotation [marginal note] of the Harmony, I will answer one for all. We condemn not traditions of holydays, of the Lord's day, of the nativity, of Easter, and the rest, for a politic end:' here, you see, they put the observation of the Lord's day among human‘ 'traditions;' which, I suppose, you do not approve! Again; they allow only such observations [observances?] as God, 'by the moral law and the voice of nature itself, commandeth. And, thirdly, That human rites be not imposed;' That men's consciences be not burdened.' And [now] in a word, to shape religion, in point of church-government, etc.,' to every 'nation, republic, etc.,' and so to 'human prudence,' as you say, what is it but to shape a coat for the moon? Whereas the Scriptures hold forth unto us but only one form of 'church government' and 'discipline,' which ought not to be altered according to the diversity of human laws and customs in all kingdoms and commonwealths, as you affirm. And whereas you make a proviso-'always provided'-every thing 'be consonant, and no way repugnant, to the Word of God;' to what purpose is this, when the very liberty you give of altering 'church-government'

1 Cor. xiv. 40; xi. 34.

Harmony of Confessions. Sect. 10, 11, 26. [16, in Prynne:] ["The very substance of the 34th Article of the Church of England." Ibid.]

Sect. 16, August. Confessio 4. "Traditiones de feriis, &c." d Observationes brevissimæ in totam Harmoniam. Sect. 19. . "Ne conscientiae onerentur." App. sect. 10.

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