Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n
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A38702
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The defence of Iohn Etherington against Steven Denison and his witnesses their accusatons and depositions vvherein their whole proceedings and ground whereupon he was censured and committed to prison by the high commission court is in brief declared : which he having now opportunitie and speciall occasion also urging, thought needfull to publish.
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Etherington, John, fl. 1641-1645.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing E3384; ESTC R7935
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45,195
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66
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he hath often conversed with me c. yet nameth nothing that he hath heard me say or knowne me practice or doe in all this his said time of twenty yeares tending to that purpose or any other As it the Court would trust to their understandings of the discipline government and to their judgements and conceivings of my opinions and not heare the opinions nor a word or practise mentioned and so passe sentence for who can know a mans affections but by his words or deeds First for Dunne I will excuse him in this that he nameth neither word nor deed because the truth is he never conversed with me in his life nor I with him neither had I ever any kinde of dealing with him in my life except onely that about nineteene or twenty yeares agoe my wife having sore eyes he came by whose meanes I know not and laid something to them for which I payed him So that Dunne could not well name any thing upon the ground of often conversing with me yet he is a false witnesse neverthelesse and a foresworne man every way to his owne knowledge first in this That he upon his oath saith he well knoweth that which he knows he knoweth not and sets downe that for his reason and ground upon oath also which he knowes is false There are other matters wherein George Dunne hath upon his oath also testified falsly which because they are not taken for proofe of any thing conteined in the Sentence I passe them over untill some further occasion But for Thomson and Rogers they might have named what the opinions had beene for they heard me maintaine them they say It seemeth they meane by opinions those before mentioned against Robrowgh and Denison which Rogers calleth the received judgement of the said Church as holding their doctrine to be the discipline and government of the Church of England for such a devoted conceit have they of these two men and some other of their straine as if the Church of England doctrine government discipline and all matters else thereof did consist in them for it is to be noted that these words Now by Law established which are in the Sentence are not in any of their testimonies But I leave the testimonies of these men to the consideration of the understanding Reader to judge how good and sufficient they are and how judicially the Court hath proceeded against me to condemne me upon such evidence And as touching the second part of this second Article passed in the Sentence That I doe agree with the sect of the Familists and other Sectaries c. Rowland Thomson Thomas Rogers Henry Robrowgh doe testifie The testimony of Thomson That the said Etherington doth agree with some of the Sectaries articulate in many tenents and opinions which he this deponent knoweth in regard he hath been present when he the said Etherington hath strived to maintaine the same The testimony of Rogers That he the sayd Etherington doth agree in some points and tenents with the Familists articulate which he hath published in this deponents presence The testimony of Robrowgh That the said Etherington concurreth with the Separatists and Sectaries in private Assemblies which this deponent knoweth by report and also by his printed booke against Separatists where he sayth Caesar may command a place in publique so he forbid none in private Page 82. and he agreeth with the Familists in the perfect puritie of the soule after regeneration as one Iesop confessed to this deponent to be his and the said Etheringtons opinion My answer and defence Thomson pretends now to speake upon knowledge as well as Rogers their grounds are both one The one saith he hath heard me strive to maintaine the other to publish tenents and opinions and both of them like brethren in evill are still agreed to forbeare to tell what the tenents and opinions are least by naming them they should disable their testimonies to their purpose No doubt they are the tenents and opinions before mentioned which Mr. Denison had told them in his Pulpits was a sure mark whereby they should know a Familist and so they presumed upon his judgement and by concealing what the tenents are make them serve their turne for this as well as to be against the government and discipline how sufficient the testimonies of these two men are to prove the things in the Sentence and how concionably they have dealt I referre to the Christian Reader to consider My defence against Robrowghs testimony To the first concerning private Assemblies What Mr. R. knowes by report that he may safely depose and say So God helpe him I refer to the Reader to consider But where he sayth And also by his printed booke against Separatists c. I confesse I wrote such a booke which being allowed was published in the yeare 1610. where in Pag. 82. these words are Caesar may command a place for the publique so he forbid none in private yet neverthelesse Mr. Robrowgh hath shewed himselfe a very evill minded man in two respects first in that he leaveth out the words and matters going before and following after in the said booke which would have cleared my meaning more fully and taketh onely those words as may most seeme to make for his purpose And secondly in this that whereas my words are Caesar may command a place for the publique so he forbid none in private he gives it into the Court upon his oath Caesar may command a place in publique c. leaving out two of my words and putting in one of his owne in stead of them to alter the scope and intent of those few words which he doth take to make them serve his turne against me for who knoweth not that the leaving out or changing one word for another in a sentence doth oftentimes alter the intent and scope thereof as to build a house in a Citie and to build a house for a Citie are two differing things the King may build a house in the Citie of London for his owne use but if the King say I build this house for the Citie of London all men will understand he meaneth for the Cities use againe the King may command a place in publique for himselfe to come and worship God therein but to command a place for the publique is for the people also publiquely So whereas I say Caesar may command a place for the publique my meaning is that the King may lawfully with authoritie from God and warrant from his word command a place and places for the publique worship of God to all his Subjects in and throughout all parts of his Dominions which if the King may and that my words doe intend and expresse so much as I thinke no man that is wise and conscionable will deny then all the Kings subjects are bound to obey the King and come to the publique worship of God in those publique places and as it is for place so it is for time and other
such like circumstances as in the 83. Pag. of the said booke against Anabaptists is also set downe alwayes provided as it must be understood that it be the true worship of God that is commanded and not any idolatry or heathenish superstition as is now in the Church of Rome commanded and practised these things being so then I reason thus further If Caesar or our King Law and Authoritie may command a place and places times c. for the publique worship of God that is to say for the assembling together of the people of God to prayer preaching reading and hearing of the word of God the administration and participation of the Sacraments praising and giving thankes unto God for all his benefits c. and that all true Christian Subjects are bound to obey the King Law and Authoritie and come to the publique worship of God in those publique places times c. then no Christian subject may separate or schisme therefrom nor make any private assemblies speake practise or doe any thing in opposition or contradictory thereunto Nay but on the contrary every Christian subject young and old is bound to be thankfull unto God day and night that hath vouchsafed to dispose the hearts of Kings Princes and Authoritie of that Nation whereof he is a member and a subject to set their helping hands to build the walls of Ierusalem to cast out the abominations of the Heathen and of Antichrist and restore the morning and evening sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving as in the former time and in the dayes of old which the Kings Princes and Authority of this our Nation have in some good measure done to the great benefit of the same thankes be unto God therefore So that taking my words right as they are Caesar may command a place for the publique and this will be the true and necessary consequence of them and then these words so he forbid none in private will receive of all charitable minded Christians a more favourable construction then to tend to the maintaining of the private assemblies of Familists Separatists or other Sectraies but onely to preserve the libertie that every Christian hath to worship God to pray unto him and doe him service at all times and in all places every where even in our secret chambers with humble and contrite hearts lifting up pure hands as the Scriptures speake Ioh 4. 23. Mat. 6. 6. 1 Thes. 5. 17 18. 1 Tim. 2. 8. and as it is in Psal. 111. 1. How false and deceitfull therefore Henry Robrowgh hath here sworne and dealt I refer to the indifferent discreet Reader to consider And secondly in that the chargeth me to agree with the Familists in the perfect puritie of the soule after regeneration and onely upon the report of one Iesop as himselfe saith I refer also this to the wise to consider how safely he may depose the same of me upon the report of another whereas for my part whatsoever Iesop hath said or holdeth I never held any such thing but doe hold the soule of the holiest man living to be impure and although as Paul faith of himselfe a regenerate Christian doth in his minde serve the law of God yet neverthelesse through the law and strength of his corrupt members he even his soule is led captive to the law of sinne and of death and so is a captive to sinne but not a servant Neither did I ever agree with the Familists or any other such like blasphemous sect in any of their tenents and opinions but have opposed and disproved them according to my abilitie as in the aforesaid booke against Anabaptists is to be seene and as some can testifie so that herein also Mr. Robrowgh is a false witnesse how rightly I have been condemned by the Court for these things upon these testimonies I refer to the discreet Christian Reader to consider Their third Accusation as it is in the sentence of the Court according to Mr. Denisons fourth Article That the said Etherington within the time aforesaid hath also maintained and published that the Church of England is no true Church of Christ and that it teacheth false doctrine To the first part that the Church of England is no true Church of Christ Rowland Thomson Thomas Rogers and Henry Robrowgh doe depose and testifie The testimony of Thomson To the fourth he deposeth and saith that he this deponent hath within the time articulate heard the said Etherington maintaine or publish some of the opinions articulate viz. that the Church of England as it is now by Law established is no true Church of Christ The testimony of Rogers To the fourth Article he deposeth and saith that the said Etherington hath within the time articulate and since the 20 of December 1623. held and published in this deponents and his precontest Thomsons presence that the Church of England as it is here by Law established is no true Church of Christ The testimony of Robrowgh To the fourth Article he deposeth that the articulate Etherington hath of this deponents knowledge within the time articulate maintained and published that the Church of England as it is here by Law established is no true Church of Christ because he teacheth this true Church to consist of the regenerate onely as in his booke against Separatists Pag. 15. My answer and defence Thomson and Rogers they as two confederates keepe close together in their conspiracy against me for although I neither published nor spake to or in the hearing or presence of them or any other that the Church of England as it is now by Law established is no true church of Christ nor any thing to such purpose yet these two Joyners as well acquainted before hand with Mr. Denisons Articles and being with Henry Robrowgh the chiefe of his counsell in the inventing and making them to confirme what they had begun by a secret equivocation they depose upon some words which I spake in answer to their questions and demands that I had published as aforesaid and because they will be sure to agree in one tale they come both together to the office to be examined and there Rogers standing by Thomson while he was examining which is the reason why the Examiner calleth Thomson Rogers precontest as being examined immediately before him and in his presence and hearing which my selfe comming to the Office the same time saw let not the Reader therefore marvaile that they so well agree They name no time place nor person to be present besides themselves Rogers and his precontest when I should publish this thing and I was never in company with these two men alone at any time Christ sayth He that doth evill hateth the light and he that doth well commeth to the light c. wherefore if these mens consciences had not accused them of their false and evill dealing and that they had not feared their evill deeds to be discovered they would no doubt have named both time and place and some of the