thee, I refer their revenge unto thy Glorious Head, who hath espoused thee to himself, in truth and righteousness: let him, whose thou art, right thee. In the mean time, we, thy True Sons, shall not only defend, but magnify thee. Thou mayest be black, but thou art comely. The Daughters have seen thee, and counted thee blessed; even the Queen, and the Concubines, and they have praised thee: thou art thy Wellbeloved's, and his desire is towards thee. So let it be, and so let thine be towards him for ever; and mine toward you both, who am the least of all thy little ones, JOSEPH HALL. Α COMMON APOLOGY AGAINST THE BROWNISTS. INTRODUCTION. IF Truth and Peace, Zechariah's two companions*, had met in our love, this controversy had never been. The severing of these two hath caused this Separation: for, while some unquiet minds have sought Truth without Peace, they have at once lost Truth, Peace, Love, us, and themselves. God knows how unwillingly I put my hand to this unkind quarrel. Nothing so much abates the courage of a Christian, as to call his brother, Adversary. We must do it. Woe be to the men, by whom this offence cometh †. Yet, by how much the insultation of a brotherly enemy is more intolerable, and the grief of our Blessed Mother greater for the wrong of her own; so much more cause I see to break this silence. If they will have the last words, they may not have all. For our carriage to them: they say, when fire, the God of the Chaldees, had devoured all the other wooden deities, that Canopis set upon him a caldron full of water, whose bottom was devised with holes stopped with wax; which no sooner felt the flame, but gave way, to the quenching of that furious idol ‡. If the fire of inordinate zeal, conceit, contention, have consumed all other parts in the Separation, and cast forth (more than Nebuchadnezzar's furnace §) from their Amsterdam hither; it were well, if the waters of our moderation and reason could vanquish, yea abate it. This little Hin of mine shall be spent that way. We may try and wish, but not hope it: the spirits of these men are too well known, to admit any expectation of yieldance ||. Since yet, both Otho Frising. ex Philon. Ur Chaldæorum. Ruffin. Eccl. Hist. I. ii. c. 26. § Dan. iii. || Vid. Treatise of Certain Godly Ministers against Barrow. for prevention and necessary defence, this task must be undertaken, I crave nothing of my reader but patience and justice; of God, victory to the truth: as for favour, I wish no more than an enemy would give against himself. With this confidence, I enter into these lists; and turn my pen to an adversary, God knows whether more proud or weak. SECT. 1. The Answerer's Preamble: Sep." It is a hard thing, even for sober-minded men, in cases of controversy, to use soberly the advantages of the times: upon which, whilst men are mounted on high, they use to behold such as they oppose too overly, and not without contempt: and so are ofttimes emboldened to roll upon them, as from aloft, very weak and weightless discourses; thinking any slight and slender opposition sufficient to oppress those underlings, whom they have, as they suppose, at so great an advantage. Upon this very presumption it cometh to pass, that this Author undertaketh, thus solemnly and severely, to censure a cause, whereof, as appeareth in the sequel of the discourse, he is utterly ignorant: which had he been but half so careful to have understood, as he hath been forward to censure, he would either have been, I doubt not, more equal towards it, or more weighty against it." It is a hard thing, even for those which would seem sober-minded men, in cases of controversy, to use soberly the frowns and disadvantages of causes and times: whereby, while men are dejected and trodden down, they use to behold their opposites mounted on high, too repiningly, and not without desperate envy and so are ofttimes moved to shoot up at them, as from below, the bitter arrows of spiteful and spleenish discourses; thinking any hateful opposition sufficiently charitable to oppugn those adversaries, which have them, as they feel, at so great an advantage. Upon this impotent maliciousness it cometh to pass, that this Answerer undertaketh, thus severely and peremptorily, to censure that charitable censure, of ignorance, which, as shall appear in the sequel, he either simply or willingly understood not; and to brand a dear Church of Christ with Apostacy, Rebellion, Antichristianism. What can be more easy, than to return accusations? Confuted. Your Preamble, with a grave bitterness, charges me with, first, presumption upon advantages; secondly, weak and weightless discourse; thirdly, ignorance of the cause censured. It had been madness in me to write, if I had not presumed upon advantages: but, of the cause, of the truth; not, of the times: though, blessed be God, the times favour the truth, and us: if you scorn them and their favours, complain not to be an underling: think that the times are wiser, than to bestow their favours upon wilful adversaries. But, in spite of times, you are not more under us in estate, than in conceit above us: so we say, "The sun is under a cloud," we know it is above it. Would God overliness and contempt were not yours; even to them, which are mounted highest upon best desert: and now you, that have not learned sobriety in just disadvantages, tax us, not to use soberly the advantages of time. There was no gall in my pen, no insultation: I wrote to you as brethren, and wished you companions: there was more danger of flattery in my style, than bitterness. Wherein used I not my advantages soberly? Not, in that I said too much; but not enough: not, in that I was too sharp; but not weighty enough. My opposition was not too vehement; but too slight and slender: so, strong champions blame their adversary, for striking too easily. You might have forborne this fault: it was my favour, that I did not my worst: you are worthy of more weight, that complain of ease. The discourse, that I rolled down upon you, was weak and weightless you shall well find, this was my lenity, not my impotence. The fault hereof is partly in your expectation, not in my letter. I meant but a short Epistle; you looked belike for a volume, or nothing. I meant only a general monition: you looked for a solid prosecution of particulars. It is not for you, to give tasks to others' pens. By what law, must we write nothing but large Scholastical Discourses: such tomes as yours? May we not touch your sore, unless we will lance and search it? I was not enough your enemy: forgive me this error, and you shall smart more. But, not only my omissions were of ignorance, but my censures, though severe and solemn. An easy imputation from so great a controuler! I pardon you, and take this as the common lot of enemies. I never yet could see any scribbler so unlearned, as that he durst not charge his opposite with ignorance. If Dr. Whitaker, M. Perkins, M. Gyfford, and that Oracle of our present times Dr. Andrews, went away content with this livery from yours †, how can I repine? If I have censured what cause I knew not, let me be censured for, more than ignorance, impudency: but, if you know not what I censured (let all my trust lie on this issue) take both ig * Hier. Marco. Presbyt. De cavernis cellularum damnamus orbem. In sacco et cinere volutati, de Episcopis sententiam ferimus. Quid facit, sub tunicâ pænitentis, regius animus. Cypr. 1. iii. Ep. 9. Hac sunt initia hæreticorum, ut sibi placeant, ut præpositum superbo tumore contemnant. Harrison, once theirs, in Ps. cxxii. of Brown's Antichristian pride and bitterness. Bredw. Pref. M. Brinsly's Pref. to the 2d part of the Watch. Optat. Mil. de Donat. Collega non eritis si nolitis, fratres estis &c. Disclaimed by themselves. Answer against Broughton, page 21. + Separat. Schis. "M. Gyfford, an ignorant priest." Bar. p. 64. Confer. of D. And, and M. Hutchins, with Barrow. POLOVICAL WORKS. wxes má naice yourself Is your cause so mystiThe car 79 30 far my man's gorance? bat cooler or spinter leam of me nam adds of brownism Am I only a ange i Jerisalen - Fanow not all your opinions, pardon me: our pet lave 1ct recevet dis ilam cance; I speak boldly, not mazel Bay tay ng new concerts; and not one day teaches, crires mcce*. In must be more constant to yourselves, en you an inert grenace. I Fad I But, whether I knew your prime ince iras sicenty by a particular discourse, Vic wore I fear sice, is ʼn the lands of some of your cliver in TNS Sherty, am I ignorant? If I vez juscate I. 7 mg kg, va de sex gue, for me, Tour Dove sia res i Amsterdam. As I am. my want of tre mu si sl. I wore, use nothing of the rich by you: nor sfer your in pests upon ne face of God's Church, |