purpose Secondly where hee sayth The vnregenerate part is condemned though the man bee iustified in Christ it is all a like absurde but much more dangerous The absurdity that it hath equall with the former is in this that if his phrase of speech bee graunted sound yet the distinction he offreth thereby is in deed no distinction but a playne axiomaticall contradiction The whole is good a part is euil Browne is sound his braine is sicke Are not not here speciall contradictions and of the same force as if one should say a part of the whole is not good or Brownes brayne is not sound which if any mā should speake would not euery one of sense answere that if the latter be true the former is false and so on the contrary the like consideration receiueth his saying for if part of the man be condemned it cannot be said the man is iustified And contrarywise if the man be iustified it cannot bee said part of him is condemned but if any such thing were truely to be pronounced it must thus be deliuered part of a regenerate man is condemned and part is iustified Againe in that hee esteemeth a regenerate man to haue some part of him vniustified hee holdeth him no further iustified then so farre as his inward renouation or inhaerent holynes hath proceeded which neuer being perfect in this life maketh that no man is wholly iustified in this life and so consequently no man to bee saued in the life to come For after death commeth iudgement Here except the man can fetch fire out of Popish purgatorie I knowe not howe hee will dissolue these bandes besides if a man bee iustified no further then hee is renewed and so his iustification consist in the transmutation of inhaerent qualities then is that false which the Church of Christ hath euer holden that our iustification standeth onely in the free remission of sinnes and not imputing our iniquities through Christ but on the contrary his righteousnesse being imputed vnto vs as ours this imputation belike serueth nowe to the vse after wee are once regenerate Further if there bee any part in vs that sinneth not then is there some part in the regenerate man that fulfilleth the law in it selfe For that which in it selfe fulfilleth not the lawe cannot in it selfe bee exempt from sinne and if it bee not in it selfe exempt from sinne it cannot bee absolutely sayde not to sinne Beyond all this if wee be iustified but in respect that wee are regenerate and regeneration consisteth in good woorkes it followeth that wee are iustified but in respect of workes Nowe in this what difference is betwixt him and Glouer whom hee sayth hee confuted let the godly learned iudge as also whether I haue iniuriously inferred these conclusions vppon his assertions Let this also answere his 43. number To the rest from the 30. to the 47. thus much onely say I it is a wonder and astonishment that any should bee found so sottish as to admire and addict themselues to the teaching and leading of such a sencelesse guide and vngodly liuer To that which is from the 47. to the 57. 3 I charge him to haue set down this doctrine we must neuer forgiue our brother hauing offended vs except hee first repent thereof and seeke reconciliation Against it I oppose places of Scriptures which conteine some speciall contradictions thereunto which I vnderstoode in these two poynts first in that his deniall of forgiuenesse is vniuersall without all exception of inward or outwarde Secondly it is extended vnto all kindes of offences without exception The first is resisted by all the Scriptures I oppose the second by those which require a franke and absolute forgiuenes after the example of Gods gratious pardon to vs like as loue couereth a multitude of sins which things when hee sawe I ment as appeareth by his 31. Section yet he cauilleth as though I did as vniuersally contradict him and so disanull the doctrine of proceeding by reprehensions to the censures of the church in matters necessary His answere to the purpose is that the worde Neuer was not in his booke nor inwardly was not meant whereby hee would make you beleeue his proposition was not vniuersall Such shiftes serueth him to keepe many simple ones in his snare But the godly wise suspect him so much the more His wordes are these Christ hath giuen power to euery Christian to retaine the sinnes of euery brother whom he knoweth to trespasse against him not to forgiue him except hee see him repent The first contradiction to trueth is plaine in these latter woordes Not to forgiue him except hee repent hee confesseth the trueth is wee should inwardly forgiue him Nowe to forgiue not to forgiue or no forgiuenesse some forgiuenesse euery man seeth to bee contrary and his proposition also to haue bene generall Secondly the former part put downe in these woordes indefinitely to reteine the sinnes of euery brother is neuerthelesse too vniuersall especially being put downe by a distribution of publique and priuate sinnes in the next lines following and still without any exception Circumstance also doth further inforce it for whereas in the same place he vrgeth this practise of reprouing with so hard a penaltie as the losse of our interest in Christ if wee suffer our selues to be straited in the matter what place leaueth hee for suffering couering passing ouer any our brothers trespasses I would their owne practise did not too much confirme their iudgement in this to bee corrupt To that which is from the 57. to the 60. 4 The admonition sayth Browne teacheth that any one of a Church may excommunicate if the rest will not ioyne with him For proofe some quotations are set downe the most were missed His answere bringeth some faire shewes to the contrary Indeede hee hath two notable trickes of an heretike one is ambiguitie of speech and deliueraunce of his minde The other is tergiuersation and colourable shrinking when hee is pressed with his falshode what reasons I had to iudge him a teacher of such doctrine I commit the viewe of them here to the consideration of the godly to whom in this and all the rest I submit my selfe In his booke of vnlearned and witlesse definitions against the lawe of veritie hee defineth the kingdome of Christians to bee their office of guyding and ruling with Christ to subdue the wicked and make one another obedient to Christ Nowe marke whereunto this tendeth hee sayth in another place answering this obiection that the sinne is the ministers in disordered administration of the Sacraments not ours wee aske them doeth not the Church partake with the minister and is not euery Christian a King and a Priest to rule with Christ by open rebuke if no other doe in season rebuke and by with-holding those from their communion and felowshippe which are without the couenaunt and yet more clearely speaking against the Bishoppes authoritie and
the Bi. authority shall still be holden in no better case then his books haue left it Againe he hath these cleere full words both for himselfe and his followers None of you all can shew any fault false doctrine or wickednes in vs. By this time therefore I beleeue the reader seeth that I haue left this wauering weathercock as naked of all defence to couer his shame euen as is my naile according to the prouerb But now let vs looke further also into his subscrip He confesseth that secondly he subscribed that where the word of God is duly preached and the sacraments accordingly ministred there is the Church of God But he dissembleth keepeth from the reader another fourme of words for that article which was offered him thus 3. Do you acknowledge the Church of England to be the church of Christ or the church of God and wil you promise to cōmunicate with the same in praiers sacramēts hearing of the word and wil you frequent our Churches according to law or no to this he subscribed affirmatiuely Heere againe let the craftie foxe turne him which way he wil and he is taken For howsoeuer he would maintaine quarelling vpō the first forme of words of Preaching the word duly ministring the sacramēts accordingly yet whē as he bound himself to frequent our Churches according to lawe he hath at one gripe choaked all his former writings Let the congregation of Toolyes Church in Southwarke testify whether for almost this two yeares space that he hath bin Schoolemaister there dwelt amongst thē he haue at any time cōmunicated with them in the Sacra and whether vpon their late vrging of him thereunto he hath not to defeate them remoued his dwelling into another parish left a troublesome stinke behind him in their Church Yet some perhaps will obiect that he doth sometimes cōmunicate with our assemblies in the word Heare the word sometimes I confesse but communicate with vs therein I deny that he doth How doth he heare as a censor to iudge not as a brother to learne as the Spider goeth likewise to the flower but not to gather hony as the Bee and thus the Deuill also may be said to cōmunicate in the word with vs. I confesse I speake vehemētly but I protest the loue of God constraineth me for before his subscrip Brown being about Stamford was earnestly intreated of M. Far. M. Har. Londoners that forasmuch as he had graunted thē it was not vnlawful to heare the Word in our assemblies that he would by some writing perswade his followers at London thereunto seeing they did at that time vtterly cōdemne hearing with vs. They obteined his letters which as they testify perswaded indeed to hearing in our assemblies not as children addressing thēselues to the sincere milke of the word to grow therby nor as mē plowing vp the furrowes of their harts to receiue the seed of the holy word to a perfect rooting in thē but in stead of these other cōditiōs of their hearing were put down as trying looking into iudging of the doctrine behauiour of the preachers and that so they might come as by occasion in the way of protestation for such respects Also he gaue them a special exceptiō of preachers which ouerthrew the whole matter for when they were to auoid all that opposed themselues to their course what a doubtfulnes must he needs bring vpō thē to heare any sith as they haue wickedly condemned our assemblies for no Churches of God so we cannot choose but hate and pursue them as enemies of all true peace sacred vnity saying with the Prophet Dauid Do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee and do not I earnestly contend with those that rise vp against thee c. Now also since his subscription in his Libell against me he putteth downe his distinction of hearing in these words VVhile they raile resist the truth for so he taketh his way doctrine only to be we may heare them as enemies but ioyne with thē as brethren we dare not And now I suppose you see how he heareth our Sermons and will graunt vnto me that this is not to communicate in the word with vs although he had giuen his hād promise therunto But alas who would iudge otherwise of this matter if he haue but a little looked into Browns bookes which he stoutly iustifieth to be without false doctrine or fault Euery where in thē hath he disclaimed both our praiers preaching Sacraments as none of the Lords and therfore how shall he be taken what shew so euer he maketh to cōmunicate with vs in any of them two or three places of his infinite number wil I shortly set down and so leaue this point also to the readers further consideration But indeed saith he is the Lords message a blind reading of seruice and though they preach yet is that the Lords gold which they bring when they take and leaue the flocke as the wicked bishops appoint them and neither can nor wil plant or refourme the church haue I sent them saith the Lord or cōmanded them whē they cause my people to erre by their lyes their slatteries saying ye are his people church though ye be polluted abhominable haue these dumme dogs tollerating preachers my letters seales I neuer gaue them saith the Lord they are stollen counterfaite yea they haue the seales and licenses of their wicked bishops and if they haue my message why hold they their peace at the wicked B. discharging as if they had his message only be it therfore O ye Prelates that ye put Moses seate for Moses doctrine can you preach the Lords word doctrine or minister his sacramēts to preach some truth as wicked mē may do to preach the Lords word of message is not al one for his message cānot be without his gouernmēt Then a little after Ye haue not yet saith he cast off the yoke of Antichrist and receyued all things concerning my kingdome and gouernment Therfore because ye haue not planted builded my church saith the Lord that it may be visible nor purged clensed it frō open abhominations both ye all the works of your hāds with your praiers sacra are vncleane accursed Within fewe lines after this yet forsooth it is made great wickednes not to heare these preachers for they sit in Moses seat and are not blinde guydes Nay they sit in the seate of Antichrist and if they were blinde they shoulde not haue had this sinne c. Againe within fewe lines But yet these wicked preachers rise vp against this and cry out that they haue the chiefe they haue the worde and the Sacraments and as for the gouernement and discipline it is but an accessary and hangby needefull in deede but yet they may be without it and be the Church of God notwithstanding But for this
THE RASING OF THE FOVNDATIONS of Brovvnisme WHEREIN AGAINST ALL THE WRItings of the principall Masters of that sect those chiefe conclusions in the next page are amongst sundry other matters worthie the Readers knowledge purposely handled and soundly prooued ALSO THEIR CONTRARIE ARGVMENTS AND OBIECtions deliberately examined and clearly refelled by the word of God Isaiah cap. 57. ver 21. There is no peace saith my God to the wicked CONFIDITE VICI MVDV IOA IO. VHI TVA MORS VICTORIA 1 COR 15. CONFERET CAPVT TVV GEN. 3. ERO MORSVS INFERAT TVVS Oâ—… 13. IESVS CHRISTVS Imprinted at London by Iohn Windet dvvelling at Pawles wharfe at the signe of the Crosse keyes and are to be sold at the Rose in Powles churchyard 1588. The chiefe conclusions in this Booke 1 No man ought to depart the Communion for anie open vnworthie ones resorting vnto it 2 A faithful Christian may keepe himselfe free from the pollution of the knowne wicked at the Sacrament and yet not separate himselfe And how 3 Open notorious offenders not separated from a congregation of Christ doe not thereupon vnsanctifie the same so as to make it no Church of Christ 4 It may be a true Church of God that hath in it diuerse corruptions both in doctrine and practise 5 The Church of England is not more vnsound than diuerse vndoubted Churches haue beene from which no separation was counsailed 6 No man ought to separate himselfe from the Church of England for the defectes and corruptions that are therein 7 By fayth onely visible Churches haue their account and being in Christ 8 Discipline is not of the essence or being of a Church To the right worshipfull his verie louing cousin M. Thomas Hussey Esquire all encrease of Christian knowledge zeale and worship AS I haue made you a beholder vsed your name in my firste conflict with this kinde of men louing cousin so in my proceeding and to the verie ende which God shall giue wheÌ„ he seeth it good I trust I may be bold to continue the same course Wherefore now againe I returne presenting vnto you not Glouers matters in any of those points plainly and professedly which then were betweene vs but the generall and great heades of that schisme wherein he was first ouertaken and that specially betweene Browne the famous achbuylder of such ruinous foundations and me though others also are not omitted where opportunitie is offered For so haue these matters vpon the occasion of the Admonition growne somewhat large at length as now appeareth By my former writing I had stirred as it seemeth the hornets nest By this I hope I shall either driue them in again or els take away their stings so as they shall seldomer hurt any Those 8. conclusions wherewith you see I front the aduersarie are as so manie Canons to beate downe through the power of God the paper wals of his proude bulwarke The sielie defences that he maketh at euery assault entering of his breaches you shall iudge your selfe in this booke comming as it were to the very sight and view of the seueral actioÌ„s It may be you haue alredie heard somwhat of the course and behauiour of this people For though their ful swarme and store be as it is most likely in London and the partes neare adioyning yet haue they sparsed of their companies into seuerall partes of the Realme and namely into the West almost to the vttermost borders thereof For which cause mee thinkes I haue reason yet so much the more to bee confirmed in this choyce of my dedication sith so the rather as by your hand and meanes this benefit of discouering their iniquitie and making knowne their poison may more readily be communicated vnto many in those parts And as you are now in the seruice of your prince esteemed a worthy man to haue the leading training of so many to be prepared for the defence of your countrey and of this land against the bodily enemy so may that fauour be manifoldly greater which the king of kings shall in this seruice vouchsafe you by making you moreouer as an vpholder and deriuer of these defences of his truth into those weake parts of your countrey Whereinto such vndermining aduersaries haue entred caried away many soules froÌ„ the common means of their saluation namely the preaching of the Gospell which is called of the Apostle the power of God vnto Saluation to all that beleeue And thus also if in the mids of your weapons as it were you shal allot your times likewise to the preparing attaining skil weapons and strength to fight the Lords battails against your spiritual aduersaries happy happy again shal you be Your diligence watchfulnes in the seruice of your God and Queene in this life shall find rest perpetual peace quietnes herafter Yea your renoume increasing here on earth shalbe much more abundantly increased so as no earthly pen can describe it namely when the king of glory shall set a crowne vpon your head Thinke on these things most louing cousin as I doubt not you do and propound that worthy captaine Cornelius vnto your selfe as a companion to walke with or at least as an example to imitate And let that which others take for a reason to hold them backe bee a double spurre vnto you in this case Namely the generall contrarie practise of the multitude Remember that he that coulde not lie hath sayde it Narrovve is the vvay that leadeth to life and fevve there be that finde it And Striue to enter in at the narrovve gate A worde to the wise is sufficient And hereby I hope I shall but stirre vp your pure minde as the Apostle speaketh which is already forwardly running in this race Neuertheles I haue counted it my duetie alwayes and by all good occasions to put you in remembrance of these things For your wealth and good estate both of bodie and minde are of neere and deere accompt and price with me as the Lorde knoweth to whose gratious guiding and protection I most humbly commende you and all yours From London the 12. of the sixth Moneth Your worships euen in all the dueties of a louing kinsman S. B. ¶ To the Christian Reader The spirit of trueth and of wisdome in sobrietie through Christ Iesu ALthough Beloued the iudgement and practise of some men of speciall accompt in the Church of God haue to this day held this impression in me that I esteeme the captaines and antient bearers of this schisme vnworthie the honour of any set conflict and publique confutation yet is it come to passe by the prouidence of the onely wise God that I haue bene parte after parte and one occasion pulling on another drawne as it were by head and shoulders through the deepe of this businesse And the labour nowe accomplished I am so farre from repenting that I am in good assurance through the mercie God of a two-folde benefite to arise thereby the one is
and of ioyning with vs in the common graces both worldly and spirituall but not as in one bodie and couenant of the Church O mocker Let the Lorde iudge thy hypocrisie for no man can sounde it Concerning the disputation of both parties in this matter if I bee asked my iudgement this must I say Browne hath sufficiently ouerthrowne the maine assertions of his young maisters as hee calleth them in proouing our preachers to haue a calling because they bring the woorde that they preach the woorde because they beget fayth For examples in him and themselues they haue done it ergo c. And that The knowledge of reformation and discouerie of Church corruptions came first to them by their preaching ergo c. And as they number vp all the euils they can finde in the doctrine and practise of our preachers to prooue they can doe no good nor beget faith hee contrariwise by a full floud of their true doctrine and good fruits whereof he maketh a copious catalogue woorthily quencheth the furious flame of their slaunderous tongues Also by the sitting of the Scribes and Pharisees in Moses chaire and the commaundement of hearing them he verie sufficiently proueth that wicked men may preach Gods worde and being in such office charge and calling ought to be heard The cauils they make against these things are such as shew them wilfully to stoppe their eares least the sounde of truth shoulde smite their hearts In these pointes I testifie that Browne hath well confuted their furie But if one for Barow and Greenwood shoulde say these wordes vnto Browne Though they haue well deserued to bee thus quited and conuinced for their follie yet not at your handes I knowe not what he might well replie for I am sure if they had beene so well aduised as to haue pressed him through all their controuersie with his owne bookes writings they must needes haue made him as mute as anie fish And I doubt not but the Reader shall bee fully perswaded hereof before he come at the ende of this booke For as for Browne the masterworkeman of all their mad building notwithstanding that in this place vpon this present occasion there want not further matter to decipher him who maketh his religion alwayes proportionable to his owne humour and necessitie and so hath euer vsed to propound his owne last to make all his disciples shooes by yet will I referre the reader to the gathering of the proofe of these thinges out of other places in this booke specially amongst the rest where I lay open his honest and well meaning subscription Onely I will produce a testimonie or two of master Harrisons who in his life time was bewitched by Browne to his euident vndoing partly by fleeing with him into the lowe Countreys and partly by stretching his purse so wide to the printing of his booke In a certaine letter he writeth to one of London thus concerning the diuision that fell among Browne and them beyond the seas In deede the Lorde hath made a breache amongest vs for our sinnes haue made vs vnwoorthie to beare his great and woorthie cause M. B. hath cast vs off and that with the open manifesting of so many and so notable treacheries as I abhorre to tell and if I should declare them you could not beleeue me VVhich because this sheete and many moe woulde not suffice to rehearse I will meddle with no particular thing to declare it Onely this I testifie vnto you I am well able to proue that Caine dealt not so ill with his brother Abel as he hath dealt with me Againe towards the ende of that letter hee writeth thus Also I would admonish you to take heede howe you aduenture your selfe to be a meane to spread abroade any of that parties bookes except it were more tending to the glorie of God then it is For in the first booke there is manifolde heresie and the other vpon the 23. of Matthewe is a patterne of all lewde frantike disorder whose haue eyes to see it And I do not doubt but that the Lord will yet driue him on to worse and worse seeing he hath so notably fallen from him Giue not your selfe ouer to be abused the Lorde open your eyes and giue you grace to take profite by my writing euen as I do giue it with a well meaning minde to doe you good Also in his treatise vpon the 122. Psalme hee imputeth to Browne a leaning to Antichristian pride and bitternesse Mee thinke these testimonies from such a man as I haue named should set such a brand of shame vpon his forehed as that euerie man should abhorre the sight of him whilest he continueth so to be like himself And here perhaps the most of his sect will answere that they doe indeed acknowledge such thinges in him and therefore doe also worthily shunne him for a slidebacke O but why doe they not withall forsake the whole course which God hath so cursed yea vpon the which he hath set from the beginning so leageable a print of horrible successe not onely in the outward things thereof which were indeede of it selfe too weake an argument but also in the inwarde ruines and downefall of iudgement to the dayly corrupting of sound doctrine euen from worse to worse as I haue shewed Which beeing a proper and infallible note that God signeth the wayes of the wicked withall to be discerned argueth all outward misprosperings which accompanie it to carie likwise the same stampe of Gods displeasure vpon them O that you would bee wise therfore in time and learne vnderstanding ere it be too late Salomon sayth The mouth of the righteous is a well spring of life but violence couereth the mouth of the wicked And Peter sayth If any man suffer as a Christian let him not bee ashamed but let him glorifie God in this behalfe But withall he chargeth vs to looke to it that none of vs suffer as a murtherer or as a thiefe or an euill dooer or as a busie bodie in other mens matters If God haue made it a happie condition to be persecuted for righteousnesse sake then foloweth it contrarily to be a cursed and desperate condition to suffer imprisonment losse of goods or life for disordered wayes such as the worde of God cannot warrant If any thinke that by applying this to the Brownists I shall begge the question to him I hope shall the reading of this booke giue proofe ynough to free me from all suspect of such vniust presumption The Lord for his great mercy grant that all of vs in the Church of England from the highest vnto the lowest to whom the hearing of this controuersie shal come may not onely be directed in iudgement to the attaining of the truth herein but withall likewise deepely pricked at the hearts as the rather put in minde by the scourge of this schisme to search out our sinnes and humbly powre out our soules for them before the throne of
him and beeing builded vppon him by faith It is certaine there may be other wants and deformities where these essentiall partes are Now those deformities and wantes may bee both in pointes of doctrine and practise as may plainely bee prooued by examples of the Churches of God established in all ages For the leauen of euill and daungerous pointes of doctrine let the Churches of the Corinthes about the resurrection also counting fornication among indifferent thinges and the Colossians aboute ceremoniall obseruation of dayes and abstinence of meates and worshipping of Angels testifie Yea let the Churches of Galatia generallye infected with daungerous doctrine bee witnesse Wantes in pointes of knowledge and doctrine appeared manifestly to be in the Apostles the Church at Ierusalem touching the vocation of the Gentiles As for practise in gouerning and ordering the Churches if we search the times we shall easily find both deformities disabilities or wantes yea euen in the holsome censures of the Church which are here in question The Corinthians vnreuerent and scandalous yea almost prophane comming to the Lordes table is an example of a foule and corrupt behauiour of a Church Of wants and disabilities in the practise of Church gouernment let vs marke whether they may not be found euen in some Church which that most painefull Apostle Saint Paule laboured so plentifully to make perfect consider I say diligently and you shall finde that same famous Church of Rome where not long after Paule died for the testimonie of Christ so weake and defectiue in duties of gouernment as that they could not separate from them such as preached Christ contentiously and with so spitefull minds against Paule as tended to the cutting off of so good and faithfull a guide from amongest them You will not say they deserued it not nor yet that the better sort woulde not doe it for then also their faulte was worse You cannot say they knewe it not or it was secrete for Paule was in prison so as the knowledge therof coulde not come to him but by the information of brethren yea it is manifest by the same Epistle that the greater number of that Church did corruptly demeane and carrie themselues in the same Againe that pestilent chaire of ambitious vsurpation ouer the assemblies was crept into the Church whereof Saint Iohn maketh mention in these wordes I wrote vnto the Church but Diotrephes who seeketh the preheminēce among them receyueth vs not wherefore if I come I wil declare his deedes which he doeth pratling against vs with ambitious wordes and not therewith content neither himselfe receyueth the brethren but forbiddeth them that would and casteth them out of the Church First here is as much deprauation of discipline as Browne can tell vs of Secondly it is plaine that the same Church remained then vnable to remedie it which the Apostle signifieth by purposing a time to come rebuke him which needed not if the Church according to his demerite could haue chastened him Thirdly hee yet intituleth them the Church whereby all men may see the Apostle was farre frō Brownes mind For he neither insinuateth that the Church was now disanulled by such corruption nor giueth any caueat for men to withdraw or withhold themselues from ioyning with the same which certainly had bene necessarie both for that time present and all posterities ensuing Consider likewise what I haue before obserued vpon the 11. to the Cor. in the 11. sect So that turne you which way you will this shall bee sufficiently proued alwayes that a Church that is to say an assembly consisting of the essentiall partes of a Church of God may bee chargeable of diuerse other wantes and deformities both in doctrine gouernment which being so the other bulwarke also which your leader had builded for you to perswade you boldly to go from vs is beaten downe to the ground namely that the failing of any necessarie point in the publique practise of gouernement breaketh the couenant of a Church Yeld your selfe therfore for here must you needes be taken 22 But nowe let vs come to applie this same generall question to our particular congregation which if it bee tried in the essentiall parts aforsaid shall vndoubtedly be found a Church of God howsoeuer in some other things impure and defectiue He excepteth but against his owne knowledge cōscience that we haue no power nor order in vse to separate the vnworthy First this is no way of the essence of a Church as I shall proue Also I haue saide before that we both may and doe discerne of the Communicants and debarre the vnworthie And I brought places of his owne writings that testifie the same If hee doubt whether wee doe it let him inquire If the reader woulde see where the lawe doeth warrant it let him reade at the beginning of the ministration of the Communion in the Church bookes there shall he see it His sophisticall fetch in making this discipline all one with Christs power gouernment is bowlted out in another place To holde the church of Englande to bee without Christs discipline is they vnaduisednes of him that putteth all vpon the spurre and neuer looketh at his way To discerne the worthy and vnworthy in the assemblies to admonish the inordinate to suspend finally excommunicate the vnruly ones which is the discipline wherof our question is all men know the church of England by law professeth and dayly practiseth therefore it cannot bee said to be without the very discipline of Christ this very discipline I say as touching all the parts and duties of censuring although not ordered administred by such a course as the worde appointeth Which if he consider better hee may more truely hereafter affirme that the church of England administreth the discipline corruptly then that it wanteth the same that the outward forme and ordering of the discipline is popish but not the substāce so How much we labor according to our places to recouer that libertie the word giueth to euery cōgregation for executing the discipline as it is vnpossible for you to report of it that come not among vs so it is a shame for him to define of it that otherwise knoweth vs not 30 But then he woulde haue vs crie out by name against those that restraine vs yea though it cost vs our liues I answer All men in this cannot be tied to one rule for the maner of proceeding neither in any other case of suffering for the truth but euery one is to be left brotherly stirrings vp excepted to the particular preparations and thrusting forth of the spirit Your leader therefore hauing such a particular feeling of so great a charge and bond of duty to venture his liuing life in this case and specially holding the discipline so deare aboue vs as he pretendeth cannot keepe backe himselfe in this case but with ranke cowardlinesse and being guiltie of
Church in Christ by faith but striuing for other groundes and essentiall causes thereof which the Lorde neuer acknowledged is in a heauie though iust iudgement compassed about with a strong delusion so as hee hath not abstained from defiling the verie couenant of life to his owne and all that follow after him most certaine destruction if the balme of Gods grace bee not sent in time to heale them For in the forepart of his answere to maister Cartwright he miserablie confoundeth the couenant of the lawe with the couenant of the Gospel Whereof the first hath the condition of workes a part the other is made simplie without condition of workes if we beleeue only He abuseth to his purpose a number of places all which proue that the establishment of the couenāt of grace hath necessarily good works ioyned withall as effects or fruits but not as causes and so any part of the couenant as he grossely supposeth Some sentences of his I will set downe for those that haue not his bookes It is written sayeth hee walke before me and be thou vpright and I will make my couenant betweene me and thee As who say one condition and part of the couenant is our vpright and good profession And this profession he telleth you what he meaneth by in another place where he sayth Our profession and submission to his lawes and gouernement is the keeping of our couenant by leading a godly and Christian life Nowe in the same place he defineth the couenant on our behalfe to be our agreement and partaking of conditions with God That he shall be our God so long as wee keepe vnder his gouernement and obey his lawes and no longer As for fayth the couenant thus beeing corrupted howe should it escape the defilement of his fingers Therfore in a certaine place he defineth faith to be a conscience of our redemption and happinesse in Christ whereby wee wholy yeelde vp our selues vnto him in newnesse of life And vpon this he addeth So fayth cannot bee except wee bee so renued that no open grosse wickednesse bee in vs. Where indeede appeareth to bee the fountaine of all his grosse reasoning when he denieth the profession to bee good where it is not altogether good without mixture of corruption The opening of which things together in this place the like whereof I haue also pointed at otherwher I doe not for the disgrace of the man though that withal if he amend not shall iustly accompanie it but directly to disgrace falshood and lay open the way of vnrighteousnesse with the issue thereof vnto his folowers The cōmoditie of it I hope shall be great in two principall respects One that the same path of death which he hath beaten vnto them may be shunned of of al that loue the way of life And the other that no man hereafter maruell seeing this contrarietie in points of foundation that Bro. quarelleth with and separateth from the Church of England as of which he is in no wise worthy to be a member And now to cōclude in that he saith Faith cannot be except we be so renued that no open grosse wickednesse appeare in vs from his owne mouth this sentence must proceed against him that he is no Christian Doe you aske howe I can proue it Let the same his assertion be the proposition therhence I assume thus Browne hath open grosse wickednesse in him nowe the conclusion followeth Therefore Browne hath not fayth You will aske proofe of my assumption I giue it you thus Rayling reuiling and slaundering publikely sparsed abrode in writings agianst any is open grosse wickednesse but Browne hath committed these things witnesse this his libell against me omitting all his other writings at this time wherein I yeelde the iudgement to all that haue seene it whether they haue found the like vnscholerlike scolding such base reuiling so peremptorie without all proofe accusing and vnchristian beyond all charitie slandering both me and manie in the writings of any the vilest heretikes in our memorie To those that haue not seene it let these few places in stead of his multitude testifie His reuiling phrases are such as these but infinitely repeated num 53. O blind Pharisee or rather O froward heretike num 54. Thou blind Pharise num 60. O false tongued man shall not God plucke thee out of the land of the liuing num 78. Nay thine and thy partners hypocrisie ioyned with enuie outrage and crueltie shall be better knowne Thou teachest F. thy fogging Phisike and hee teacheth thee his lying diuinitie num 79. The wretch careth not what he forgeth against vs. And by and by after O caitife thou wouldest fayne heare of it that wee were all hanged num 103. Thou vnpitifull and gracelesse writer and falsifier c. These may giue a glimpse of his rayling Nowe for his slandering num 34. The hypocrisie of rayling F. and Bredwell with their partners is hidden in rich mens houses sometimes in deceytful fastings as though we should haue present reformation and somtimes in delicate feastings in bribes gifts shew of almes to the poore when all goeth into their owne bellies or purses num 75. If all were such persecuting wretches as Bredwell is they were not onely infidels denying the fayth but also woorse than infidels because they yet suffered the beleeuers to dwell in the same house with them but Bredwell and his partners would not suffer them to dwell in the same Citie with them no not in the same Countrey no not vpon the face of the earth num 77. Nay false hypocrite this word onely is thine owne addition c. It is thy maner and thy partners to force to threaten to make stirrings and hurlie burlies and to driue man and wife asunder Thine and their outrage cannot be satisfied with bloud Thine and their raylings slaunders and false accusations haue brought diuerse of vs to death some by the Gibbet some by long imprisonment some by flight and pursuit some by extreame care death and sickenesse some by seas some by necessitie and want some by chaunging aire dwelling and place The bloud of all these shall bee vpon thine and thy partners heades Three other places to wit num 115.116 117. Whether they conteyne grosse blasphemie not only agaynst men but against GOD and his worde I referre it to the consciences of all that haue seene them for I thinke it nor good for some respects to set them downe and appeale to the searcher of the hearts and reines for iudgement These things considered I trust I may with the Christian readers consent conclude that there is open grosse wickednesse found in this man from whence by his owne rule it followeth that he hath not fayth and so consequently is no Christian From the 74. to the 78. 8 So farre saith the Admonition he proceedeth in seducing that he saith the wife ought to go away from her husband if he will not go with her in the
because the iudges and officers of the court do wrest Gods law by their popish canon law and respect persons take rewards which is forbiddē in Deuteronom and by their profession they must needs do so or else they cannot hold their office how shall any make complaynt vnto them for church matters which can be counted none of the Church And seeing Christ hath commanded to complaine to the church against the sinner how shall Christes ordinance be broken by complaining vnto such wretches Furthermore seeing the scripture sheweth that the church hath nothing to do to iudge those that are without how shall any complaine of such a number of wicked men as neuer were worthy to be counted the Church Againe seeing no godly man may seeke iudgemēt vnder the vniust as Paule sheweth if he haue a matter against a brother why should we seeke to such for iudgemēt Again because those canon officers are strāgers neither knowne to the churches nor dwelling among thē no maruaile though Christ say that his sheep will not follow nor seeke to strangers but will flee frō them Moreouer because they bring the churches into bondage as it is written because they deuoure because they take their goods because they exalt thēselues and as it were smite the people on their face cast thē in prison they do all these things besides the church gouernment and therefore ought to be reiected in no case to be suffered So he concludeth Thus it is manifest by the word of God that such prowd Prelates and Antichristiā vsurpers haue no authority nor power of the church neither is their suspēdings to be counted suspensions by the Church nor their calling of Ministers a calling by the Church Hauing then thus condēned our Bishops authority disauowed as vtterly vnlawfull to meddle with their courts and officers How strange is this that he seeth not his subscription to the B. authority to haue gainesaid all his writings yea how monstrous is it that he should thus fetter other men frō any way vsing or applying themselues to their courts officers and yet himselfe of late being iustly called in question by the Minister of the parish where he dwelt for not communicating according to the order appointed made his speedy recourse to a Doctor and iudge of such courts and by his meanes cut off and forestalled the intended proceeding of the minister congregation there against him O worthy Captain guide of so vnworthy a schisme But perhaps his Proctors will pleade for him that his subscription and late practise haue now cancelled all his former writings so as they cannot henceforth in any equity be vrged against him No no let thē know that I hold him heere faster than that all of them can be able to wring him out of my hands I answer therefore that since the time of his subscription first he hath written that which is against both the Bi. and their authoritie as in these words Thus your writing condemneth you of iniquity that speake not one word in the pulpit against the restraint by popish discipline that ye cannot separate How sore do you labour and how much do you suffer that dare not speake a word by name against those officers and courts neither name nor protest openly against those wicked against whom you would haue vs protest particularly and by name And by and by after But why labour you not also to charge them openly though it cost you your life and liuing Also in his Libell against my admonition he hath these words Thou hast written it heeretofore that there is no Aegipt in England and hast thou now found vs out to be in Aegipt Doest thou not perceiue that thou and thy partakers abusing your knowledge to persecute those which are come out of Aegipt are worse then Aegipt yea princes of Sodome and people of Gomorrha looke thou to it that thou remain not in Aegipt Thou hast confessed that we were once come out of Aegipt thou canst not say so of thy selfe if still thou iustifie thy Aegiptian doctrine pollutiōs as is to be seen by thy pamphlet Let the reader now bethinke him what Bro. calleth Aegiptian doctrine sith my booke containeth no doctrine but the doctrine of the church of England and so it was iudged alowed by authority Also whether he accompt Englād as Aegipt which he would deny in another place whether he exclude the Bishops frō the number whē he calleth me all my partakers that do persecute him and his followers Princes of Sodome and people of Gomorrha Again when my admo demandeth what gaine their departing frō our church heer in England hath gotten thē he denieth not that they are departed but answereth thus We haue gained by fleeing from persecuting wolues not wealth nor bellycheere nor fauour in the world but losse imprisonment all maner euil speaches and death it selfe Nay he is so far frō recanting his former course as that he thundreth iudgements and inuocateth vengeance euen the bloud of all those of his sect that haue died any way by pursuite of law vpō the heads of all those that haue been meanes and partakers to their trouble these are his words It is thy manner and thy partners to force to threaten to make stirrings and hurly burlies and to driue man wife asunder thine and their outrage cannot be satisfied with bloud thine their railings slander false accusations haue brought diuers of vs to death some by the Gybbet some by long imprisonmēt some by flight and pursuite some by extreame care thought sicknes some by Seas some by necessity and want some by changing aire dwelling place the bloud of all these shall be vpō thine thy partners heads These places are sufficiēt being writtē since his subscription to proue that he still continueth to oppose himself against the authority gouernment of our Bishops as also to the vnity peace of our Church Secondly to those that obiect his subscriptiō to cut off the allegation of his former writings against him I answere that Brown hath in writing since his subscription iustified all his former cause doctrines in euery point therefore hath again cancelled his subscription and reuiued all his bookes This I lay down by his own euidēt words in two places of his libell against my admo let the Reader consider iudge Glouers popery saith he or popish heresies being long ago by many diuines refuted needed not Bredwells childish refutation wheras the cause wherin Bro. hath stood as yet is refuted by none Now the places aboue cited shew that a chiefe part of Bro. cause is touching the authority proceeding of the Bishops which he vtterly detesteth And seeing then he auoucheth his cause to stād as yet vnrefuted he intendeth not that his subscriptiō should any whit empaire the same for then he could not say so but meaneth therfore that