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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

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

thy brethren and seeke his loue as before with all courtesie and meekenesse of exhortation and if he still resist thy loue and vtter wordes of scorne against thee or reuile thee as enuie cannot hide it selfe Then can that one or two witnesse against him and will if that he will not heare them neither but first let them also admonish him that so euery word that he speaketh euill against thee or the light in thee may be confirmed And if he refuse to heare them tell it vnto the Church if he refuse to heare the Church also let him be vnto thee as an Heathen man and a Publican that is If hee still like a scorner refuse to giue eare and to receiue instruction at the handes of that one witnesse with thee or two tell it to the Church These he hath made Pillars in his house and they shall goe no more out Reu. 3.12 that is to those little ones borne of God being gathered together in my name who onely haue this priuiledge to be my Church and Pillar of truth for if there were fiue hundred brethren more beside the little humble ones yet none can iudge this cause but they This Church doth neuer condemn the inocent and let the guilty goe free This Church neuer decreed lies and condemned the truth And if he refuse to heare this Church let him bee vnto thee no longer as a brother and a fellow partaker in the common things of the kingdome wherein before he did and might take part with thee as a disciple of Christ but let him be vnto thee and vnto all the Church euen as a Heathen that beleeueth not the truth of the Ghospell and as a Publican that professeth the practise of sinne Verily I say vnto you Ver. 18 whatsoeuer you binde on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer you loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen for to you it is to whom I haue giuen the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen as well to binde them that sinne against you and the Conenant of loue written in you with the bond of death and to shut the gate of mercy and loue against them as also to lose the bonds of iniquity and the cords and chaines of their sinnes that do repent and to open the gates of my kingdome of mercy life vnto them so that whatsoeuer ye binde on earth is bound in heauen and whatsoeuer ye lose on earth is losed in heauen For if he escaped not that despised him that spake on earth how should he then escape that despiseth him that speaketh from heauen And as he died without mercy vnder two or three witnesses that despised Moyses law Much more lamentable and fearefull is the condition of him that despiseth that law and couenant of grace whereby his soule should liue resisting the voice of the bride and of her children which sought his good How much greater is his bondage and sorer shall his punishment be that is condemned by that Church where the Prince of the couenant doth sit of treason against his bloud by the testimony of two or three witnesses It had been good for that man if he neuer had beene borne And better for him after hee was borne that a milstone had beene hanged about his neck and throwne to the bottome of the Sea before he fell to despise the Lord in his Sanctuarie and to resist his spirit of grace in his little ones Againe verily I say vnto you That if two of you my brethren that beleene in me Ver. 19 agree in earth vpon any thing concerning my word and the meaning thereof either for the sentence of death to the disobedient or mercy and life to the returned sinner whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name if it be life for him that sinneth not vnto death or whatsoeuer else is necessary and good for the kingdome he will giue it you For Ver. 20 where two or three be gathered in my name there am I in the middest of you what will hee not therefore giue you for my sake Aske and ye shall receiue that your ioy may be full These are priuiledges belonging only to those little ones that are born of God who haue their parts in the first resurrection against whom the gates of hell shall not preuaile nor yet the second death But there was euermore an Israell after the flesh which persecuted that Israell which is after the spirit and shall be to the worlds end For this generation shal not passe away till the Lord himselfe come Mat. 24.34 And if there were not an Israell not of God Paul would neuer haue said To the Israell which is of God And if there were not an earthly Ierusalem he would neuer haue told vs of a heauenly Yea there were two Ierusalems in all times Two Israels in all ages two mothers two test aments two seeds euen from the beginning As Caine and Abell Ismaell and Isaack Esau and Iacob Two lands of Canaan heauenly and earthly Two rests carnall and spirituall As it is written saying To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts least ye enter not into this rest Euen then while they were in possession of the earthly rest Heb. 3.15.16.17.18.19 which by vnhardning their hearts and hearing his voice they might haue entred into Euen the same way which euer was still remaines and shall doe to the worlds end Euen the same rest the same heauenly Ierusalem the same congregation of the first borne the same holy City the same Church which hath had in it at all times the same power from God to binde and loose to remit and to retain sinnes And this is the bride the Lambs wife This is she to whom is granted to be cloathed in white aray And these are they that watch and are sober attending with their Lampes burning to meete the bridgeroome their husband These all vnhardened their hearts and heard his voice and entred into his rest The rest and peace with God rest to their soules euen that rest which is said to remain to the people of God Heb. 4.9 And whosoeuer entred into that rest did first heare his voice that is receiued the word of faith And whosoeuer receiued that word of faith did first vnharden his heart that is did first repent was lost and dead crying and bewailing with an vn-vtterable desire of life his sinnes death and these are the dead which heare the voice of the sonne of man and liue Ioh. 5.25 And this is that one baptisme spoken of and is called the baptisme of repentance Acts. 19.4 Mark 1.1.2.3.4 and the beginning of the Gospell the preparation to the word of faith That one faith spoken of and they that are borne againe of these two Mat. 3.3 Ephe. 4.5 haue all receiued that one spirit spoken of euen the spirit of adoption and are all seruants vnto that one Lord and children to that one God their

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