his Sonne Regent from the Sunnes rising to his going downe the Sonne labours the plantation of this his possession by sowing the same Gospell which of yore was preached to Dauid to Abraham and first of all to Adam in Paradise For the which as Matthew produceth the Gospell from Dauid and Abraham because it was written in Hebrue and specially for the Iewes who altogether bragged of Abraham and Dauid so Luke respecting Iew and Gentile and all he ioyneth the Church of peculiar faithfull on the one hand with God and on the other hand with Iesus because without respect of person the Iesus was in Paradise first preached by God to Adam This Gospell not yea and nay but Amen Christ yesterday to day and the same for euer by it the Sonne of man begetteth sonnes for his Kingdome a Kingdome vnable to be shaken and remoued except that Christ her foundation can be remoued To omit common places here touching the Seede of God state of Vnregeneration Regeneration c. obserue wee here the fulnesse of time for Iaphets people the nations or Gentiles their comming vnto Shems tent whereof Noah arising as a Giant from wine by the abundance of spirit did fore-prophecie but this receipt of the Gentiles a graffing in of the wild Oliue is done oh the wisedome of God with a cutting off of the naturall Oliue Shems people who after the fulnes of the Gentiles be come in are againe vniuersally to be receiued into the open state of saluation That the Iew should first be exalted by reason of faith in Messiah and the Gentile glorified that way in the second place Irenaeus vnderstood it typically by Thamars twynnes The ancient Tertullian vnderstood the case to be figured vnder Rebeccaes twinnes The same doth Augustine As for Theodoret he conceiues also Lea and Rahel to be types of Iewes and Gentiles the latter to be more acceptable to our Iaakob Israel preuailer with God and in another place vnder Zara and Phares Thamars twinnes And vsually vnder Gedeons fleece floore the one deâ—ed from heaueÌ„ when the other stood drie the ancients vnderstood the same mysterie and thereunto doth Chrysostome applie the 6. verse of Psal. 72. And touching the recalling of the Iewes after fulnes of Gentiles come in as they were not ignorant so Gregorius Papa after whose time presently euen fully in the Lords yeere 666. Machomed in the East vniuersall Pope in the West that two horned power was exalted he is plentifull in this testimonie The Church being at first shut vp amongst the Iewes elder brethren by grace from Shem but Gentiles Iaphets people by nature now the Church was to enlarge her tents and to stretch her coardes vniuersally through the earth for which cause it is called Catholike and Vniuersall so it cutteth the throat of hereticall Donatists that would shut it vp in a corner of Affricke or in some chamber in London or in some citie of the Low-countries Nay let the Pope of Donatisme say that he hath some of his sheepe in the Low-countries some in diuers holes in England some in Ireland no Pastor or Biâ—â—op in England hath so large Iurisdiction yet for all this so long as we remember that article of faith I beleeue there is an holy catholike Church an article grounded on Scriptures enow wee dare not say but his Church is a faction gone out of the catholike Arke though our Sauiour forbids going out vnto such desart and corner Gospels and Christs and by reason of such schisme although with such arguments as were able almost to â—educe the elect couering their thorne and thutle schisme with sheeâ—ish skin or conuersation by reason I say of such schisme and vniuersal condemning all they depart from for onely visible limmes of Satan and Antichrist we must beleeue they in such estate are exposed to the ouerflowing wrath of God This Gospell of the kingdome as the Apostles had commission granted and giuen for sowing throughout the earth so the sound thereof went quickly through the earth And no maruell for now Daniels stone was to roule all abroad first for battering downe opposite power secondly for setting vp a kingdome which should neuer be destroyed the little stone so becomming a great mountaine And though we Brittaines tearmed of their word Brith painted because our people painted and dyed their bodies monster-like as indeede wee were a most sauage Nation though we were couched here in an vttermost coast yet it is registred to God his praise and our comfort that this Prouince was first of Prouinces in receiuing the Gospell openly as Sabellicus testifies Polydore Virgil maketh Coyl the king here a receiuer of the faith in our Lo. y. 182. But the holy faith planted in our land before by Ioseph of Arimathaea who with some others came hither obtained a mile of ground neere Wels afterwards called Glascon And this by ancient Gildas testimonie should be in the yeere of Christ 60. Who also saith that they suffered a notable persecution here by Diocletian Romes Emperour The excellent Theodoret writeth that the Apostle Paul presently after deliuerance out of his first captiuitie at Rome hee came then hither This Apostle in his second Epistle to Timothie and last Chapter he remembreth one Claudia an excellent christian woman then at Rome whom Martial the Poet affirmeth to be of Brittaine thus Claudia caeruleis cum sit Rufina Britannis edita cur Latiae pectora plebis habet c. In a word the ancient Registers haue so vniformely consented in this point namely that Britannia in the Apostles times it receiued the holy faith as also that the Ministers were maried nor after 600. y. what time Austin the Monke came hither from Rome could or would giue any hope of yeelding therein to Romes perswasion whose Cities Ministerie then was much gone out of the way this point I say is so vniformely witnessed as our Schismatikes may so well aske me what assurance I haue that here was a king Henry as demaund what assurance I haue of the other And this comfortable point I haue the rather vrged because some too ignorantly seeke the beginning of a Church here within these hundred yeeres and the Schismatikes impudently affirme that they themselues are the first visible Church sprung vp in England The founder whereof was Browne Which man if so he had been stirred vp by God to such a miraculous worke not onely he should haue been vpheld in that worke as Moses and Aaron to the old Church and the Apostles to the new Church for God neuer forsooke his principall Church-planters but also he should haue begun that worke with a better miracle then by alluring seruants from their masters children from their parents wiues from their husbands with whom they had smitten couenant although to their bodies hurt and affliction Thus the seed of the kingdome vniuersally preuailed maugre the malignitie of the
ANTIDOTON OR A SOVERAIGNE REMEDIE AGAINST SCHISME AND HERESIE Gathered to Analogie and proportion of Faith from that Parable of Tares MATTH 13. Aug. ep 3. Nullorum disput c. We ought to haue no men their disputations although men Catholike and praise worthie in that count as we haue the Canonicall Scriptures so that it should be vnlawfull for vs to improue and refuse some things in their writings if happily we finde that they thought otherwise then the truth hath Such a one am I in other mens writings and so would I haue others to vnderstand of my writings LONDON Imprinted by Iohn Wolfe 1600. Principall positions proued in the discourse of the Parable 1 That the kingdom of heauen Math. 13.24 it is not vsed for the state of the world but of the new Testaments Church 2 That the Church is Catholike and in some measure euer visible in this life 3 That the Church of Christ was planted here in England in the Apostles times and continued notably vncorrupted till about Anno Domini 600. 4 That Anti-christianitie or the marke of the beast it is not considered in separable accidentall corruption in faith or manners but in that is essentiall and fundamentall 5 That the Tares in this Parable are wicked within the Church and visible to the gouerners thereof 6 That the Tares are onely such wicked as cannot with Churches peace and safetie be pulled vp 7 That such Tares are of holy pollicie to be permitted and yet no defilement to spirituall communion 8 Brounistes outward ordination proued more against Christes rule then euer any was before 9 That difference of torment and measure of glorie abideth the damned and saued TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE HIS VERIE GOOD LORD SIR EDMVND ANDERSON KNIGHT Lord Chiefe Iustice of her Maiesties court of the common Pleaes THree mightie men bringing of Bethlehems waters vnto Dauid he powres it foorth before the Lorde not quenching bodies thirst therewith because it was purchased with liues hazard Vnto your Lordship I humbly present a moitie of waters drawne from mysticall Beth-lehem the house of Bread the Church of Christ Iesus and they not purchased with lesse then the hazard of my bodie and soules saluation If your Lordship shall deeme it good they be powred forth before the Lord for erudition to the soule it is that I couet and which some thirstie soules desire with great appetite Dutie calleth me to offer it and the experience I haue of your Lordship tendring my good it emboldens my presentation Pythagoras hauing instituted his Puple in the first place to worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the immortall God he in the second place inioyneth that he reuerence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preexcelling Heroiks Which Heroicall Personages are of auncient Hesiode couched in his fourth age after them of Golde Siluer Brasse but before that of yron obdured and determined for such as had care of executing iudgement and Iustice by Land and Sea maintaining and vpweilding the same by magnanimious and martiall valour for the which they are tearmed there Semi-Dijsts but in sacred writ Gods because his word is committed to such in his Church When I remember the vnion of your Lordships house with that of the right Woo. Moon-suns a family to whom I haue owed much from my young yeares I then methinks see Wisdome and Warre conioyned without either of which no common wealth can endure and by the continuance of both which my simplicitie hath been sheltred and my innocencie shielded So that I if any haue cause to auow allegiance not Tam Marti quam Mercurio but to the Christian subiects of Wisdome and Valour The schedule I present it is an exposition of that Parable of Tares propounded by our Lord and Master Christ Iesus Wherein is considered first the glorious estate of the New-testaments Church first planted throughout the world by the Ministerie of the Apostles then secondly the corruption thereof through Ministers sleepie negligence yea the corruption so deeply setled therein as well it might be in these latter times Reformed but neuer quite purged of visible euill nor Replanted vntill the Sonne of man in his great day of haruest doe that by the ministerie of his Angels A doctrine so necessary as without the knowledge thereof a man shall either rush on the error of the right hand through desperate vn-bridled Zeale or on that on the left hand through a frozen cold securitie Such being my dutie and such my presentation I humbly so remaine Your Lordships dutifull Suppliant HENOCH CLAPHAM TO ALL SVCH SPECIALLY AS whose soules distressed with our ages controuersies doe desire resolution drawen from reason and experience IF he be accursed by the law that sets the blind out of his way what better is his state that heareth the worde of an oth and though he can will not giue in testimony of the truth Sure he shall beare his iniquitie These two lawes haue enforced me first publikely to preach then secondly to publish the sequell in print And so much the more as the former two decrees of mount Sion they concerne neerer then many In my first looking after religion my lot was to associate such onely as onely tasted and affected another kind of ministerie which as they said yet we had not in England And that they tearmed the ministerie of Pastor Doctor Elders Deacons Widowes due to euerie particular Church Those words I soone learned as also that the Pastor was to exhort the Doctor to teach or deliuer doctrine the Elders to gouerne and exercise the disciplinall censâ—res in common with Pastor and Doctor the Deacons onely to attend poore and loue-feastes the widowes to wait on the sicke That platforme once swallowed I then was easily perswaded that our Bishops their Ordinations and all ministerie standing vnder them it was Antichristian and an Image of the beast And looke how many corruptions so many markes of the beast which whosoeuer receiued in forehead or hand euen all such should drinke of the cup of the wine of God his wrath All this so hanging togither except I would practise contrarie to my perswasion as many deceitfully haue done out of the land I must as I loued my libertie I did so First into the Low-countries I went Afterwards into Scotland After that againe into the Low-countries Then again into Scotland And once againe into Netherland c. Sometimes haled by this faction sometimes pulled by that faction But the Lord being mercifull vnto me howsoeuer I was notablie distract about externall Church-gouernment yet as all my printed bookes will testifie I kept me euer fast vnto the maine point that is vnto the foundation of the Gospell I had before here receiued and had in Lancashire for some two yeares publikely ministred being before now some nine yeares since ordained fully thereto by Bishop Wicham then Bishop of Lincolne About some fiue years since it pleased God to giue me an earnest desire
new forme of Churches beginning Whereas alas it may be reformed and purged but no more is to be planted as at first it was by the Apostles For as the beginning of plantation was euer practised by miraculous ministers witnesse Moses and Aaron to Israel and the Apostles to the new Testaments kingdome so besides that it was to incommend vnto such Churches new lawes for the substance therof which before they had not As for vs Christians we receiued such a kingdome as for the substance thereof it hath euermore preuailed against infernall powers And gladly I would know of our Schismatikes if so the Being vnder Romes gouernment it simply or essentially caused all such to be limmes of Antichrist and that to be the beastes marke for the which all such should drinke of the wine of God his wrath I would then demaund of them First where the Church then for 1000. yeares hath been visible and so consequently what assurance they haue that their present faith for the substance therof hath preuailed They can make no answer but against all scripture Secondly I would know of them why the corrupt gouernment of Rome should make all vnder it Antichristian and then the Nicolaitans Balaamits Iesabels disciples and all Anabaptists they should not be to vs as well true visible Christians Seeing these were and are in the Brownistes iudgement vnder the true externall Church-gouernment of Christ Is Romes gouernment stronger for euill then Christes for good Either here they must answer blasphemously or else they must grant truly That the essence or Being of true Christianitie and Antichristianitie it resâ—eth not in outward Church-gouernment but in an obedience and subiection to a foundation of faith truly Christian or Antichristian And for this cause as Antichrist is 2. Thess. 2.4 termed Anti-kâ—imâ—nos a a layer of an opposite foundation so it is his false fundamentall doctrine which is his marke euen as it is not outward Church-gouernment which marketh therfore out a true Christian for heretikes oft haue that skin of the sheepe but a firme biding by the foundation as the Apostle noteth to the Corinths And this ground is it wheron Master Caluin staÌ„deth wheÌ„ he beleeues the saluation of diuers Ancients liuing in too to corrupted ages But here the Romanists will say Then you Protestantes are gone out of the Church inasmuch as you are departed from vs. I answer we departed but from a notable foundation of faith opposite to the very grounds of the gospell Which opposite ground as it was long in laying so it was fully setled by theÌ„ in that infamous Councell of Trident. Besides we doubt not but we haue left some true Christians in that Church witnes such as amongst themselues they daily persecute euen as the many thousands of Iewes left Daniel and some others behinde in Babell what time they returned vnto Ierusalem But as those of the returne could not be called schismatikes from Daniel first because the time of captiuitie was expired secondly because Daniel should haue done better to haue followed them then they to haue returned vnto him euen such is our case First it was decreed and experience will manifest that how we should be for 1260. yeares captiued then that the beast should begin to kill faster then before the reason was because now the Prophets were more zealous then afore whereupon a tenth part of the Beasts Citie or congregation should fall away from him their kings and rulers now hauing in their heart to be auenged by fire on that purple whore which before had made them drunken as swine Our King Henrie began that worthie worke his princely son Edward continued it happily but our soueraign Queen Elizabeth hath not only brought her own people vnder the banner of Iesus but hath lent her princely hand vnto Churche's all abroad countenauncing and assisting them with monâ—e men and sacred counsaile So that it was well said of M. Penry in Scotland that the Gospell was more beholden vnto Queene Elizabeth then vnto all the Princes in Europe Against which Elizabeth who so shall arise let their forehead with Miriam be smitten with leprosie and not for seuen daies but seuen yeares yea for euer let them be abandoned the Commonweale of England This briefly for the Churches perpetuitie and for essentiall Christianitie touching faith manners euen through the midst of Antichristes pride and tyrannie Other things will be necessarily met withall in the comparison following So much for the thing compared Like to a man which sowed good seed in his field c. Not to vrge here the care good householders should haue to see their fields vineyards gardens sowen and planted with that which is good that so they may not onely returne peeces of siluer to themselues as the vineyard of Baal-Hâ—man did vnto Salomon but also propound hereby good vnto the countrie as resemblances of God his care to create all good verie good passing by that let me directly come vnto the precise sense of the Parable For the vnderstanding whereof let vs heare what exposition our Sauiour himselfe giueth hereon In verse 37. he saith He that soweth the good seed is the sonne of man And in the next verse And the field is the world and the good seed they are the children of the kingdome A certaine poore soule once ignorant how any open wicked might vpon any occasion be suffered once to grow in the Church he makes such an exposition here as whereby he may shut Tares quite out of the Church for thus he writes Did not God at first make the world and all things in the same good was it not corrupted c. to this question I answer it is true he did so but this is not consonant to this place for the Sonne of man is not God the Creator but God the Redeemer neuer called Sonne of man vntill he was incarnate So that here is no speech of worlds Creation but of Christ Iesus incarnate who by his owne ministerie and the ministerie of his Apostles did plant the childreÌ„ of the kingdome or new Testaments Church in the face of the whole world and this by preaching the word of the kingdome termed also the immortall seed of God For here is no comparison framed to the world but to the kingdome of heauen the state of the new Testaments Church Where he addeth and all our Schismatikes from him that here is no speech of the Church because our Sauiour saith And the field is the world I would first demaund what they meane by the world By the world they can not vnderstand the wicked seeing before they say God made the world c. But God made not man wicked except to Brounisme they adde Manichisme therefore by the worlde they must meane the circuite of the earth wherein Christ planted his Kingdome from one corner and sea vnto another Touching the tares that in his own place The Father hauing from mount Sion proclaimed