We go on daily in some proposition of the Confession of Faith: till this be ended we will not take in any more of the catechism. The psalms are perfected; the best that without all doubt ever yet were extant. They are on the press; but not to be perused till they be sent to you, and your animadversions returned hither, which we wish were so soon as might be. The Lord give our poor land the fruit of their grievous troubles, and haste their deliverance.
* * * *
To Mr William Spang.
We have had sundry meetings with them for accommodation both in the grand committee and sub-committees. We would, for peace’s cause, dispense with them in very many things; but they are peremptor they will not hear nor speak of any accommodation, but they will by all means have their separate churches. They plead for a toleration to other sects as well as to themselves; and with much ado could we get them to propone what they desired to themselves. At last they gave us a paper, requiring expressly a full toleration of congregations in their way every where, separate from ours. In our answer we flatly denied such a vast liberty, and backed it with reasons, and withal are begun to shew what indulgence we could, for peace sake, grant. Here Mr Marshal our chairman has been their most diligent agent, to draw too many of us to grant them much more than my heart can yield to, and which to my power I oppose. As yet we are not come to express our rash bounty, and some things have interveened from God, that I hope will stay the precipitancy of some whom I expected should have been more opposite to all toleration of separate congregations, than when it comes to a chock I found them. 1. Thomas Goodwin, the last meeting, declared publickly, that he cannot refuse to be members, no censure when members any for Anabaptism, Lutheranism, or any errors which are not fundamental, and maintained against knowledge, according to the principle in the Apologetick. This ingenuous, and most timeous, albeit merely accidental profession, has much allayed the favour of some to their toleration. 2. Some good friend has informed the city-ministers, that they in their meeting at Sion college, have resolved unanimously to petition the assembly against all such tolerations. 3. The other day Sey and Wharton moved in the House of Lords to adjourn, that is really to dissolve, the assembly. 4. The Independents are stickling too openly to have the common council of London modelled to their mind. 5. Instead of their long-expected model, they presented a libel of invectives as reasons why they would present no model to the assembly. This, underhand, they caused print; and when the assembly had drawn up a sober and true answer, and got an order from the House of Lords to print it, they make their friends in the House of Commons as yet to keep it in. All these are alarms to make us, if we be not demented, as many the best men here are, to be the more wary of their toleration.
We go on in the assembly now with pretty good speed in our Confession of Faith. We have passed the heads of scripture, God, Trinity, decrees, providence, redemption, covenant, justification, sanctification, free-will, sacraments in general, a part of perseverance, and of the Lord’s Supper.
* * * *
A Publick Letter. London.
However we wait daily on the assembly, yet our progress in the Confession of Faith is but slow. We have many diversions, many days of fasts and thanksgivings, with the days preceding them for preparation. The providing ministers to all vacant churches, even to remote shires, their trial and mission, lies on the assembly, and takes up almost every day too much of our time. The printing of the Bibles fashed us much before we could fall on the way to get them printed well for eight groats in octavo, with the marginal quotations, and for six or seven groats at most in 12mo unbound. This we hope will encourage poor people to buy Bibles. Also we are oft diverted with many by-questions from the House; yet we hope, by God’s grace, ere long to end the Confession. We stick long sometimes on scabrous questions; but that whereupon the eyes and hearts of all are fixed, is the settling of the government, and with it the toleration of sects. The greatest part of the parliament have been hitherto very __________ to do less in the one, and more in the other, than we could wish. Great struggling have we had, and yet we have much to do. God has helped us to get the body of the ministry of all the land to be cordially for us, and the city is now striking in; which we hope shall carry it, and get up a straighter government, and also exclude toleration of sects more than many men here do desire. We have had many bickerings with the Independents in the grand committee about an indulgence for their separate congregations. We have spent many sheets of paper on both sides. They have given in writs thrice, and we have as oft answered in writ. They are on their fourth writ. To these we must give a fourth rejoinder, and then come to debate verbally. For this point, both they and we contend tanquam pro aris et focis. Had it been God’s will to have made our army here this last year successful, we should have had few debates for any of our desires; but the calamities of our country, and weakness of our army, make the sects and their friends bold, and very insolent.
* * * *
To Mr William Spang.
This same day, the letter of our parliament is read; which, in high and peremptor terms, but yet wise and unchangeable terms, requires the settling of religion at last, according to the advice of the assembly, without all toleration of any schism.
* * * *
Publick Letter. London, December 2, 1645.
We make good progress in our Confession of Faith. It would be very satisfactory when the Lord gives it a conclusion. Our two great high businesses for the time, are the obtaining from the House a power to exclude all scandalous persons from the communion. We have stuck some months on that work. The city, both ministers and magistrates, have come down to put off our __________ __________ We expect, by God’s help, satisfaction in this. The other is our committee of accommodation, which will be a mighty business. The Independents here plead for a toleration both for themselves and other sects. My Dissuasive is come in time to do service here. We hope God will assist us to remonstrate the wickedness of such a toleration. Yet the assembly and city do cordially join with us in opposition to all such motion; and we hope the House shall never approve it. An accommodation in just terms we were well content with; but the Independents always scorned it. Yet ere long I think they will beg it when it will not be granted.