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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02435	A description of the Church of Christ, with her peculiar priuiledges, and also of her commons, and entercommoners With some oppositions and answers of defence, for the maintenance of the truth which shee professeth: against certaine Anabaptisticall and erronious opinions, verie hurtfull and dangerous to weake Christians. Maintained and practised by one Master Iohn Smith, sometimes a preacher in Lincolneshire, and a companie of English people with him now at Amsterdam in Holland. Whome he hath there with himselfe rebaptised. By I.H.	Etherington, John, fl. 1641-1645.	1610 (1610)	STC 12567; ESTC S118987	75,210	130

it the part of an humble daughter to aunswere her mother with mildnes and not disdaine And now Master Smith where you triumph and praise God you say in the end of your answer publisht against the obiections of one Master Clifton assuring your selfe of the trueth of your opinions so that neither he nor all the earth shall euer be able to wring them out of your heart and hands So and more then so I praise the Lord my God for that he hath assisted me against you and your lies and I haue receiued so much more assurance of the trueth of that which I haue written vnto you then you haue of that which you haue said as there is difference betweene a truth and a lie And I boldly in the name of my Lord and for his chosen sake chalenge not all the earth but you and all or any one of your company to answere directly and without colloring or painting to that which hath beene said or else to subscribe vnto it according to your promise Though these things be not ratified by you nor written in your bookes yet behold they are true and although they be but few and goe but simple yet they shall stand and be had in honour when much and many things shall faile not that I presume vppon the strength of mine owne arme for it is like a broken bow but my strength is the Lord and in him I will reioyce and that hee hath written my name in his booke of life for which grace and all other his mercies his name be praised for euer AMEN And thus Master Smith I thought Good to write vnto you and to the company with you of whom I haue great hope God wil deliuer them frō the errors and distractions of these times and that others falles will driue you to looke better about you and although I haue beene somewhat bould with you yet I pray you take it not in the euill part for truly God is my record that for his truthes sake and for his childrens sakes and for your sakes haue I written that you and we and all might perceiue the trueth and walke therein and for no other respect and howsoeuer these things may seeme strange vnto you yet if you consider them well you shall finde them not so strange as true And although those little ones be now more rare and more seldome seene then the truth in the fielde yet that which hath beene saide of them is true And let vs not labour any longer to cut and fashion the truth like our selues but let vs studie and striue to become our selues both in vnderstanding and in doing like the truth Let vs not deceiue our selues with shadowes for they fly away but let vs take hold of the su bstance and roote it selfe which is able to defend vs in the stormy day let vs stoope and put on the yoake of the Lord for he was meeke and of a lowly heart his dwelling was among the little ones and the least was the greatest with him yea he tasted his teares with them and wept also for those whose hearts could not affoord a teare for themselues hee sought out that which was lost and the broken did he binde vp This was our Lord let vs learne of him and these were his companions and on earth his dearest friends But now alacke where are these litle ones become Doe the high looke of these proud times make them ashamed to shewe their cast-downe eye Oh come forth ye habitation of the Lord althogh indeed there boldnesse may make you blush and shew your face for we haue heard that he which is with you is greater then he that is with them And what is the cause they are so seldome seene this day One thing is they are few Another thing is they that sought them mist the way that ledde to their Tents They sought them vpon the Mountaines and in the drie places but they were in the Valleyes among the water plashes filling the Lords bottle with Teares They sought them among the great but they were of the little ones They sought them among the learned and men of great study and long experience but they were sitting among the little children weeping with the tender babes And thus they sought but found not How hard a thing it is to suppresse those harts of ours Ah let vs teare them in peeces and intreat the Lord with thousand of teares to dissolue the drowsie fatnes that droppeth vpon them that we may find the way to the dwellings of his little ones where also his owne habitation is and see and enter into his Kingdome of heauen where also we may behold these his brethren and loue them and be knowne and loued of them whereby we shal all know that our names are written in the booke of life These things let vs striue for it is time now we should be established in the truth and not be carried about still with euery winde Let vs build vpon the Rocke and then though the floods come and the winde blow our building shall stand we haue pretended Discipline and Gouernement a great while but where is he that is corrected Where is the man that hath crucified the world to himselfe and himselfe to the world and hath mortified the flesh with the workes thereof Pharisees and Hypocrites can make cleane the out-side but let vs make cleane that which is within Wolues oftentimes goe in Sheepes skinnes but Sheepe neuer in Wolues skinnes There is a Controuersie this day in the world where Christ should be whereof he hath also foretold vs saying Many shal come in my name and say here is Christ and there but beleeue them not One saith I am the first and I haue beene of olde I haue kept the saith and haue not erred to this day Another saith Nay thou liest thou hast lost the faith and hast erred from the right way and art become a Cage of vncleane Birds this day but I haue recouered that which thou hast lost and I haue the right vse of the Word and Sacraments which thou hast polluted therefore he is here The third comes and saies Ye are both liers and Harlots and thou that spake last for thou art not gouerned by his lawes he is a King aswell as a Priest and a Prophet and therefore thou liest also but he is here with vs we haue his Ordinances and lawes and are ruled by them we haue also the word and the Sacraments in their right kind and so he is to vs a King a Priest and a Prophet The next stands vp saying Who is this that boasteth thus and reteyneth the baptisme of the Whore Must they not needes bee her children seeing they hold her baptisme sufficient and refuse to be baptised aright What Can their baptisme bee good and their Church and Gouernment nought Not possible wherefore ye are also deceiued and he cannot be in the middest of you as you suppose But hee is where Antichrist

concerning them They receiued the word with ioy and gladnesse Mat. 13.20 Acts 2.41 Luke 9 62. They tooke the Plough by the hand indeed The foule spirit was gone the Sowe was washt the blade sprung vp These things the Church did see and know was true in them and so farre it did approoue of them did yeeld vnto them the common things and were of one accord therein together The Church stones of life looked for fruit from them but fruit they neuer saw They hoped the best till they saw the worst They knew not the tree but by the fruit and that not till it had brought forth either good or bad But by their fruit they do know them as it is written Doe men gather Grapes of Thornes or Figges of Thistles can a good tree bring foorth bad fruit or a bad tree good fruit no not possible A good tree cannot bring foorth euill fruit Mat. 7.16.17.18.19.20 neither can a bad tree bring foorth good fruit euery tree that bringeth not foorth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire The Scripture doth neuer any where teach or speake like your Master Smith That euill trees may be knowen to be good trees by bearing of good fruit and yet be cut downe and cast into hell fire for bearing of euill fruit for you say that a tree which shall be hewen downe one that may fall away doth bring forth as good fruit as the good tree or good ground doth and that there can no difference be discerned by their fruits between them contrary to the Scripture which saith to the children of the kingdome Mat. 12.33 Yee shall know them by their fruits Meaning the good trees by the good fruit which they bring foorth from the trees that bring not foorth good fruit and from the euill trees which bring foorth euill fruite And as they knowe certainely the good tree by his good fruit and the euill tree by his euill fruit so they doe also know that those trees which growe in the Lords field Luke 13.6.7.8 standing as branches in the vine Iohn 15.2 and bring not foorth good fruit are accursed like the figge tree Mat. 21.19 Mat. 3.10 must be hewen downe with the euill trees and cast into euerlasting fire But perhaps you will say Obiection these trees cannot be so distinguish't and knowne till the end for the Lord saith Mat. 24.13 He that endureth to the end shall be saued And the righteous man may fall from his righteousnesse as testifieth the Prophet and die Eze. 18.24.26.27 And the vnrighteous man turne from his vnrighteousnesse and liue So that there can be no such certainty as you speake of vntill the end Heere I would first know of you Answere what ende you thinke the Lord doth meane whether the end of the world or the end of their life in the flesh If you mean the end of the world then Moses Elias the Prophets and Apostles might yet perish for to that ende they are not yet come But they are and shall bee saued therefore that end it cannot be what then the ende of their life in the flesh that end is it which you intend I dare say Then indeed there is no certainty in this world to be had till the houre of death then is the Doctrine of your fellowes the Dutch Anabaptists true who affirme that the most righteous man lustified and borne againe from aboue may fal away and perish at any time euen till his last howre then should mans saluation depend vpon his last gaspe Then no man can reioyce that his name is written in the Booke life till he be dead or else they may haue their names blotted out againe after they be written therein as indeede they doe affirme But man may be certainely assured of reconciliation with God Rom. 1.38.30 and that his name is written in the booke of life and sealed there by an indelible couenant before the moment or houre or day of his death therefore that end it cannot be But stay Obiection may not the righteous man fall from his righteousnes then Such righteous men as I told you of before Answere may fall from their righteousnesse Euill Trees and euill ground which neuer brought foorth good fruit As from some the foules of the Aire catch away the seed that is sowne in their harts and they fall away Mat. 13.19.20.21.22 some by persecution are offended some the cares of this world doe choake And so the righteous man doth fall from his righteousnesse The washed sow is turned to wallow in the mire againe 2. Pe. 20.2 The dogge to his vomit againe He that tooke the Plough by the hand hath looked behind him and is made vnmeete for the kingdome of heauen for euer The vncleane spirit that was cast out Mat. 12.45 is returned with seauen worse then himselfe and re-entereth the house swept and the ende of this man is worse then his beginning It had beene better for him that he had neuerknowne the way of truth his condition was better before hee tooke the Plough in hand then it is now in this end of his wherein he hath giuen it ouer turned backe entertained his euill companion againe with seauen more worse then he Question But what is then the end which whosoeuer endureth vnto and doth attaine shall be saued The end therefore is the fruit as reaping is the end of Ploughing Answere And as wee looke for fruite after wee haue sowne our Corne in the earth So doth the Lord looke for fruit of the seede he hath sowne in vs. Such fruite as whosoeuer bringeth forth shall neuer be hewen downe and giuen to the burning fire But is like the tree planted by the riuer side Psal 1.3 which bringeth forth his fruit in due season whose leafe shall not fade And this is the plantation of God and these are his trees and the branches of his owne Vine Christ Iesues and euery branch that berareth fruit in him hee purgeth like a good husbandman Ioh. 15.1.2 that it may bring forth more fruit And if you aske what fruit that is I tolde you before yet if you will haue it againe It is Loue euen that new commaundement the perfection which the Lord commaundeth Mat. 5.48 saying Be ye perfect as your heauenly Father is perfect It is the first resurrection which whosoeuer attaineth is blessed holy for euer They that attaine to this end are blessed in their life Deut. 28.3.45.6 Mat. 9.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11 and blessed at their houre of death and blessed at the end of the world and blessed for euermore These righteous men neuer fall from their righteousnes their names are neuer rased out of die booke of life Mat. 18.14 but vnrighteous men may turne to their righteousnes And therfore these righteous men encourage all exhorte all hope all things endure all things forbeare and are gentle vnto all 1.

right and inheritance challengeng them the field and setting vp a flagge of defiance against the Citie of truth and the God of Israell Behold here comes one the least of ten thousand that doth accept the challenge seeing others doe hold their peace and although hee know not how to beare armes in the field as the manner is yet he promiseth in the name of the God of Iacob with a sling and a stone to bring their champion on his knees for all his stout words that his army who trusted in him may be glad to take their flight and you enioy your Citie in peace And thus most noble Citizens farewell Your faithfull friend till death I. H. To M. IOHN SMITH and to the Companie with him at Amsterdam in Holland AH Master Smith I would for your owne sake you had not written with such affirmation Many things which you haue also made so publike the which you can neuer call home againe although you your selfe doe finde them false whereby also you haue made your selfe more vnable and vnwilling to reuoke them though they be proued so Much better therfore had it bene for you to haue left that Paper vnstained by your hand that should paint forth an vntruth and neuer haue set Pen to write but to the vnchangeable truth of God of which you neuer neede repent and whereof the Church of Christ is the piller Considering also how great a danger euery one doth fall into that is found to adde or diminish from or to the intent and purpose of the word of God I would therefore you had beene better aduised before you had published your bookes You thought your selfe as fully satisfied when you were of another minde You know or at the lest there be that know them that haue three foure nay fiue times changed their Religion that thought themselues as fully satisfied euery time as you thnike your selfe now what they are now some of them I wil not say And if euery man should publish bookes so often as they change their mind how many Religions then should spring from one man and he perhaps be author of so many sects what heapes of bookes are there at this day of seuerall opinions Make therfore no more matter for the fire there is straw and stubble enough already Speake truth for the day of burning is at hand And whatsoeuer you do looke to the maine leaue not the foundation as some haue done Hold fast the beginnings least you neuer come to the endes And I pray God deliuer you from the Curse of Sinai and her sonnes Hagars children And bring you all vnto the blessings of mount Sion and into the rest and freedome of her children euen Saraes sonnes and daughters Your friend I. H. ¶ The Contents of that which followeth 1 A Description of the heauenly Ierusalem with her priuiledges and of her stability and of her Commons and intercommoners 2 A veiw or search of Master Smiths Church with a discouery of the vnsoundnesse and Ruinousnes thereof 3 An examination of a principall answere of his wherevpon many of his other reasons doe depend against the Baptisme of Children and the confutation thereof with sufficient reasons and proofe for the lawfulnes of Baptizing them and that the Baptizing of Children cannot be the marke of the Beast 4 Of the Commonalty and Commons of Christians in generall and wherein specially they are to be distinguished and how the Commoners ought to carry themselues toward the little speciall ones and how the speciall do and ought to walke towards the Commoners 5 Of Christian libertie and of the lawfulnes of the Authority of Magistrates and how all subiects are bound to obey 6 Of Faith and Repentance 7 A Reprehension of Master Smith for his bold Challenge 8 An exhortation to him and his company 9 A short description of the contentions of these times 10 Of Sions Restauration the fall of her greatest enemy and of her euerlasting glory To Master IOHN SMITH and to the Companie with him at Amsterdam in Holland ANd least I runne into your fault and fall into the same daunger with you as of my selfe I haue no strength to stand more then you By the grace and assistance of my God I will take heede and though I haue not the skill of the learned Disputers of this world yet I hope the Spirit of Trueth will so direct me that I shall rather say I know not then set downe and affirme that for trueth which shall be found a lie This therefore I say and write not respecting what you haue said nor regarding your many Arguments to the contrarie That the Church which the Lord doth build consisteth of liuing stones 1. Peter 2. Mat. 16.18 And the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against that Church or any one of the stones thereof Reuel 20.6 but it shall stand and preuaile against Hell and the snares of the second death so that not one shall perish that is of this holy Temple For this Church of Christ and euery stone thereof 1. Pet. 2.4 7. is framed and fashioned from aboue he himselfe is the foundation and chiefe corner stone And all the stones of this building are his brethren reborne and made a new not in shew but in very trueth not for a time but for euer not one of them shall euer fall off They are all of them euerlasting as is their foundation whereon they rest and whose strength doeth stay them vp Matt. 16.19 Great priuiledges hath this Church aboue all other for to it hee hath giuen the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen to open and shut to binde and loose And where two or three of this vniuersall Church of Christ Matt. 18.18 20. consisting of stones of life are gathered together in his Name hee hath promised and will not faile to be in the midst of them And whatsoeuer they binde in earth is bound in heauen and whatsoeuer they loose on earth is loosed in heauen And where two of them shall agree in earth vpon any thing whatsoeuer yee shall desire it shall bee giuen you saith he of my Father which is in heauen This Church is one Ephe. 4.5 6. the Faith is one the Baptisme is also one and the same in euery stone thereof not on the skinne but in the heart Their Rocke is Christ that their one Lord he is the Prince of their Faith and Hope and his Father is their one God and Father alone who is aboue all and through all and in them all praised for euer Gal. 4.26 And this is Ierusalem from aboue which Saint Paul saith is the mother of vs all and is free And this and all of them are those little ones whom the Lord said whosoeuer shall offend It were better that a Milstone were hanged about his necke Matt. 18.6 and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea so precious in his sight are they all And whosoeuer shall giue but a cup