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book_n	church_n	new_a	testament_n	6,695	5	8.0566	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10834	A iust and necessarie apologie of certain Christians, no lesse contumeliously then commonly called Brownists or Barrowists. By Mr. Iohn Robinson, pastor of the English Church at Leyden, first published in Latin in his and the churches name over which he was set, after translated into English by himself, and now republished for the speciall and common good of our own countrimen; Apologia justa et necessaria quorundum Christianorum, aeque contumeliose ac communiter, dictorum Brownistarum sive Barrowistarum. English	Robinson, John, 1575?-1625.	1625 (1625)	STC 21108; ESTC S102955	59,722	74

wall as sayth the proverb This balad-maker comparing the receaved religion in the Dutch churches to a tree the Sectaries in the countrie of which he nameth not a few to certayn beasts endeavouring this trees ruine and overthrow likens the Brownists to a litle worme gnawing at the root thereof and not having lesse will but lesse power to hurte then the residue Wee are indeed wormes and not men the reproach of men and despised of the people whom high and low and all that will may without daunger tread and trample under foot But to giue thee satisfaction Christian and indifferent Reader whosoever thou art that chusest rather to take knowledg of mens innocencie then to condemn the same unknown and that it may appear unto thee how alike unhonest our adversaries are in their accusations though of unlike condition in themselus We do professe before God and men that such is our accord in the case of religion with the Duch reformed churches as that we are ready to subscribe to all and everie article of faith in the same church as they are layd down in the Harmonie of Confessions of fayth published in their name one onely particle and the same not of the greatest weight in the sixth Article touching the Scriptures being conveniently interpreted and conformably to it self the generall judgment of the learned amongst them The scope of the Article is as appears in the margent to distinguish between the books Canonicall and Apocriphall as they are called Touching which Apocryphall notwithstanding it is judged and affirmed that they may be read in the Church Which if it be meant of their private reading by the members of the church we willingly assent if of publique pastorall and ecclesiasticall reading we are indeed otherwise mynded neither admit we any other books to that dignitie in the church then such as were penned by the Holy men of God moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1 21. And as the Apostle Iames testified of the Iewes that they had Moses read in the Synagogue everie Sabbath day so we think it sufficient for the Christian assemblyes that with Moses Christ that is the books of the new testament be joyned with the old and they alone be read Neither need we seek further or for other Arguments to confirme our opinion then the Article it self affoardeth us The words thereof are these Moreover we put a difference between the Holy writings and those which they call Apocryphal to wit so as the Apocryphall may indeed 〈◊〉 read in the church that it may be lawfull to take instructions from ●hem so far sorth as they agree with the canonicall books but such 〈…〉 hand is their authoritie or firmnes that upon their testimonie any doctrine of faith and Christian Religion may be founded much lesse that they haue force to infringe or weaken the others authoritie And first if the Apocriphall books be publiquely read in the Church as well as the Canonicall the difference which in word is professed seems indeed by this so reading them to be taken away since the selfe same religious act viz. publique reading is performed about the one and other although not altogether to the same end And if publique reading of the Canonicall Scriptures be commanded of God in his worship either the reading of these Apocripha books is a parte of Gods worship also which the Belgick Churches do not beleiv or els they must be unlawfull to be read publiquely in the Church especially comming together for that onely end of worshipping God Publiquely I say for the private reading of them as of other books comes not under the respect of worship properly but of an act and exercise preparati●● unto worship as both Law●ers and Divines speak Secondly in this verie Article the Canonicall bookes as opposed to the Apocriphall are called holy writeings The Apocriphall then are not holy as not being hallowed to this end that is not commaunded of God in the holy writeings of the Prophets and Apostles Now what haue the holy assemblies to do especially convening and meeting together for the solemn worship of God and exercising themselus in the same with books not holy that is not hallowed or injoyned of God for his most holy service● Thirdly seeing these books are Apocriphall that is hidden and concealed their verie name may put them in minde of their duetie in concealing themselvs within the vaile of privacie And surely no small immodestie it is in them which ought to conteyn themselus in private use and interteynment thus bouldly to presse into publique assemblie They must therefore change either their names or their manners as women by their sex so they by their name well expressing their nature are inhibited all libertie of speaking in the church I●d and conclude out of our countrie-man M. Broughton that those Apocriphall books are so stuffed with trifles fables lyes and superstitions of all sorts that the midle place between the ould and new Testament as ill becomes them as it would do a Turkish slaue and leaper between two the noblest Princes of all Europe But to return whence I dig●essed Seing that as appears in the preface the intention of the Belgick Churches was as in divulging their Confession to render a reason of the hope which is in them and plainly to make known their perswasion in the matter of fayth so also in publishing the Harmony of Confessions to giue all men to understand and take knowledg of that most near conjunction which they haue with the sacred and truely Catholique church of God and all the holy and sound members thereof by what tight or rather injurie could we be excluded from the followship of the same churches who do 〈◊〉 better accorde and have greater congruitie with them in the matter of fayth religion then the greatest part of those whose confessions they do publi●● to the veiw of all men as the congnissance and badges of their Christian consociation And with what conscience of a Christian or rather licentiousnes of a Rhymer could that adversarie traduce us to the world as endeavoring the ruine of the reformed churches But perhaps that which may be is suspected to be by some which also the false accuser doth insinuate in his libell against us and that what in word we professe we denye in deed and what we would seem to build with our tongues we do as it were with our hands pull down If so it be and that in deed we be found to be such I doe freely confesse that no censure upon us can be too severe no hatred more greivous then we do deserv Now the guilt of this evill must cleav unto our fingers if at all one of these two wa●es either in regard of our selvs or of the reformed Churches For our selvs and our course of life for necessitie compelleth as it were foolishly to bable out that wherein modestie perswadeth silence and how we converse with God and men whether

I will be thy God and the God of thy seed Genes 17 9. and the seal of the righteousnes of fayth Rom. 4 11. and is one as there is one sayth and one baptism Ephes. 4 4 5. and therefore ought not to be administred to others then those within the compasse of the same covenant nor but upon fayth coming between either of the partie to be baptized or of one parent at the least If any shall answer that this gratious promise of God is not to be restreined to the next immediate children but is extended euen to those who follow a fa●r off I grant it except infidelitie or other sin come between by which the parents with themselvs break off their seed externally actually from the cōmunion of the church holy things thereof And if we be not to insist in the next and immediate parent why in the grand-father or great-grand-father and so for the rest till we climbe up as high as to No●h himself Whereupon it should follow that not the Infants of Iewes nor of Turks no nor of Gentiles neither should have baptism denyed them Surely the grace of Christ must needs be universall and wherein all have interest if the seal thereof apperteyn unto all Neither should the Church amongst whose sacred furniture Baptism is by this rule be any more the house of God peculiar to his children and servants but more like a common In whose doore stands wide open to all that passe by the high way 2. The Apostle 1 Corinth 7 14. upon this ground that the one parent is a beleever avoweth the childe holy which otherwise he pronounceth impure in respect of the Covenant and holynes thereof leaving unto God his secret judgments Now what have the impure and unhallowed to do with the holy things of God And what hath the Pastour and sheepheard in holy things to do with them who are no portion of the Lords flock What have I to doe sayth the Apostle to judg them that are without Do not ye judg them that are within So reverend brethren what have you to do to baptize them that are without do you not baptize them that are within and them alone In the number of whom yet you reckon not those infants though baptized by you nor belonging to your charge Whence also God knoweth it cometh to passe for the most part that they who are thus by you baptized into the name of the Lord are by their godlesse parents education made the servants of Sathan 3. The Baptism of Infants in all soundnes of judgment serveth and that immediately for the comfort of their godly parents whose hearts it filleth with no small joy whilst they behould the gratious promise of God made to them and their seed ratified and confirmed by this seal even as of ould the circumcision of Isaak was granted and injoyned by God unto Abraham his and our father first and immediately for the confirmation of his fayth Whence I conclude that the seal of the righteousnes of faith which baptism is doth no more belong to the seed of godlesse parents then doth the comfort flowing from the righteousnes of fayth unto the parents themselvs Whom as it would effectually move to more serious and sad thoughts of their own estate with God if they beheld their infants so dear unto them excluded thorough their default from the comfortable ●eal of Gods Covenant so can they not but by the undue administration of the same take occasion of hardening themselvs in their accustomed perversnes I conclude then with Tertullian speaking as Iunius interprets him of the children of such as were strangers from the covenant of God Let them come when they are grown to year●s let them when they have learned and are taught wherefore they come let them then be made Christians when they can know Christ. CHAP. III. Of written Leyturgies VVE cannot but mislike that custome in use by which the Pastour is wont to repeat and read out of a prayer-book certayn formes for his and the Churches prayers and that for these reasons 1. Because this externall mean and manner of worshiping God in prayer is no where found in the written word by the prescript whereof alone he is to be worshipped whatsoever either the Iewes fable of the Leyturgie of Ezra or the Papists of S. Peters or S. Iames Leyturgies Yea contrariwise I add for overplusse that it did not seem good to the Apostles the last penmen of the 〈◊〉 ghost that any such prescript form for such end should come in use in the churches And this seemeth unto me verie clear from the former Epistle of Paul to Timothy chap. 2 1 2. The kings of the earth in those dayes and such as were in authoritie under them being as it were so many sworn enemies of the name of Christ this conceipt might easily and it seems did creepe into the mindes of divers Christians that these kindes of men were raither to be prayed against then for by the servants of Christ. And now what was the medicine prescribed by the Apostle for this malad●e in that Epistle written to Timothy for that verie end that he might know how to converse in the church of God Did he now either send Timothy to any Leyturgie formerly let forth for his own and others da●●tion Or did he himself frame any for the purpose whose b●●ten troad the Churches following afterwards should not erre Nothing lesse although a more ●it and full occasion for that busines scarce be offered which without doubt Paul would ●o more have l●t slip th●n did the other Apostles th●t which was more light for the introduction of Deacons if ●t had seemed good to th● H. Ghost by whose singe● he was guided in the ordering of the Churches that any such book-prayer should have come into use Three things especially are objected which must here be cleared The first is that David and other Prophets penned the book of Psalmes for the mother Church of Israell The second that Christ himself delivered to his disciples a certain form of prayer commonly called The Lords prayer The third that Moses from the Lord Numb 6. gave direction to Aa●on and his sonnes in what form of words they should blesse the children of Israel I answer first generally that the consequence followeth not from the authoritie of Christ and of Moses and of the Apostles in ordeyning these and these forms of divine worship for the like authoritie in ordinance Bishops and Pastours to ordeyn other and divers forms for the same end What can be spoken more insolently Christ the Lord Moses the Prophets and Apostles being immediately and infallibly guided by the spirit of Christ have prescribed certain set formes of Gods worship therefore others though not immediately and infallibly guided by the same spirit may also prescribe them Why may they not by this argumentation as well frame us a new Canon of holy Scriptures considering that even th●se verie

we thus avow and stand for in matters truly publique and ecclesiasticall we do not understand as it hath pleased some contumeliously to upbraid us women and children but onely men and them grown and of discretion making account that as children by their nonage so women by their sex are debarred of the use of authoritie in the Church CHAP. V. Of Holy-dayes IT seemeth not without all leven of superstition that the Duch reformed Churches do observ certain dayes consecrated as holy to the Nativity Resurrection and Ascention of Christ and the same also as it commonly comes to passe where humain devices are reared up by the side of divine institutions much more holy then the Lords day by him himselfe appoynted And for this first we are taught by Moses thus speaking unto the people of Israel in the name of the Lord. Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep for it is a signe between me and you thoroughout your generations that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you that it appertayns unto God alone and to no man or Angel as to sanctifie whether person or thing so to institute the signes or means of sanctification of which number holy dayes are I ad if the Lord as lehovah and the God of his people Is●ael and supream Lawgiver do ordeyn the sanctification of a day in the decalogue how far should Gods servants be eyther Magistrates from takeing this honour of God unto themselves by commaunding a holy day or subjects by observing it to give the same unto any other save God alone 2. It was not the least part of Israels defection first in the wildernes afterwards under Ieroboam that they ordeyned a ●east to Ichovah whom they represented to themselvs by the goulden calvs which they had made 3. Seeing that every first day of the weeke called by Iohn the Lords day is consecrated by Christ himself and his Apostles to the memoriall of Christs resurrection and Gods solemn worship it seems too much for anie mortall man to appoint or make an anniversarie memoriall and the same most solemn and sacred of the same resurrection or so to observe it Lastly that you may see it was a man from whom this device came and so erred as one saith not to meddle with the uncertaintie either of the day of the month or month of the yeare in which Christ was born as it is most certain on the contrarie that this 25 of December cannot be the time what good reason I would know can be rendred why a day should be consecrated rather to the birth circumcision and ascension of Christ then to his death seeing that the Scriptures every where do ascribe our redemption and salvation to his death and passion in speciall manner CHAP. VI. Of the celebration of Mariage by the Pastours of the Church SIxtly and lastly we cannot assent to the receaved opinion and practise answerable in the Reformed Churches by which the Pastours thereof do celebrate marriage publiquely and by vertue of their office because 1 The holy S●r●pture divinely inspired that the man of God that is the minister may be perfitly furnished to every good work doth no where furnish or oblige the minister to this work 2. Marriage doth properly and imediately appertein to the family which is primarily framed of man and wife and Citties and other politicall bodies consisting of manie familyes Secondarily and mediately to the common wealth and publique governers of the same who therefore weighing their office and what concerneth them doe accordingly in the low countries comelily and in good order●●y that knott of marriage amongst such theire subjects as require it at their hands Neither did God as a minister joyn in marriage our first parents as some would make him but as their common father by right of creation and the chief maister of the marriage neither ought the Pastours office to be streched to anie other acts then those of religion and such as are peculiar to christians amongst which marriage common to Gentiles as well as to them hath no place Lastly considering how popish superstitition hath so far prevailed that marriage in the Romish church hath gott a room amongst the sacraments truly and properly so called and by Christ the Lord instituted the celebration and consecration whereof the patrons and consorts of that superstition will have so tyed to the priests fingers that by the decree of Evaristus the first they account the marriage no better then incestuous which the priest consecrates not it the more concerns the reverend brethren and Pastours of the reformed Churches to see unto it that by their practise they neither doe nor seem to advantage this popish errour And these are the points of our difference frō the Belgick churches which are nei●her so small as that they deserv to be neglected especially of them unto whom nothing seemeth small which proceeds from the gracious either mouth or spirit of the Lord Iesus nor yet so great as to dissolv the bond of brotherly charitie and communion If any now shal object that there are yet other things beside these in which we consort not so well with them nor they with us as for example 1. In the sanctification of the Lords day in which we seem even superstitiously rigid 2. In a certain popular exercise of prophesi amongst us 3. In our dislike of the publique Temples and sundry other indifferent things as they are termed besides that we are accused by some for not having in due estimation the magistrates authoritie in matters of religion I do answere and first that in the two first of these the same Churches do not differ from us in judgment but in practise as appears evidently by the Harmonie of the Belgick Synods lately published by S. R. Of the former of those two the author of the same book testifieth in his Preface to the Reader that the Synod held at Middleborough in Zeland 1581. did supplicate unto the magistrate that by his authoritie he would decree the sanctification of the Lords day abolishing the manifould abuses thereof That sanctification then of the Lords day which the reformed churches do endeavour unto and desire to have fortified by the magistrates authoritie that we considering it as immediately imposed by Christ upon his churches by the grace of God labour to perform being thereunto induced by these amongst other reasons CHAP. VII Of the sanctification of the Lords day FIrst the sanctification of the Sabboth is a part of the Decalogue or morall law written in tables of stone by the finger of God of which Christ our Lord pronounceth that no one ●o●e or title shall passe away Now if it be unpossible for one title of the law to be dissolved much more for a whole word or commandement and one of ten by which it should come to passe that Christians now were not to count of ten commandements of the moral law but of nyne onely