wherevpon it followeth that the vniuersall Church cannot rightly cut off and vtterly abandon anye particular assemblies vnlesse it be for errors abuses which ouerthrow the faith destroy true Christianity The precept of S. Paul in that whervnto we are come let vs procéed by one rule to be like minded Phi. 3. is héer to take place I will now procéed more particularly The church of England euen as it generally standeth in the publike assemblies among al godly Churches which know the faith which she dooth openly professe and maintaine hath the place dignity of a sister They all giue vnto her the right hand of fellowship acknowledging her for a mother in Israel in as much as she hath not béene barren but hath brought foorth many deare children to God and not a few of them crowned with martyrdome Behold then the inordinate dealing and arrogant presumption of you Brownists Yea behold euen the top of your pride against God and man which professing to set vp discipline and glorying that you suffer for it do breake and vtterly abolish the rules thereof giuen by Christ by your vtter forsaking and abandoning all the assemblies in England for let it bee confessed that the errors the sinnes the imperfections the spots and deformities of our Church be many so that she is not in her generall estate so faire as the fairest of her sisters yet hath she héeretofore had and now hath many noble children richlye adorned with heauenly iewels and pretious gifts of learning knowledge faith and godlinesse And howsoeuer the Papists one way and the Brownists another way do aggrauate her crimes with pestilent slaunders yet shall they neuer prooue that either in doctrine or manners she is guilty of any fundamentall crime which separateth from Christ and destroyeth the life and being of a true Church yet you Brownists not obseruing the rule giuen by Christ doo vtterly abandon and cast foorth from their dignitie all our assemblies in England For ye haue condemned al of wilful obstinacy euē to particular members who hath giuen you this authoritie to thrust them out of Gods familie which the whole vniuersall Church cannot rightly doo Who could euer imagine that vnder the pretence of setting vp discipline the diuell should breath such pride into rotten flesh as vtterly to ouerthrow the whole substance of it for whereas all the Churches of Christ in these parts of the world doo know the estate of our Church and be able to discerne the gréeuousnesse of our errors yet doo they all acknowledge and reuerence our assemblies as holye sisters And you Brownists men voide of knowledge and discretion without authoritie without any calling or warrant euen vpon a frantike brauerie and without obseruing any rule giuen by Christ Iesus take vpon ye most presumptuously contrary to the iudgement of the Churches to cast foorth and vtterly to abandon the same What Pope hath dealt more proudly in violating the discipline If there were but this one thing against you it were sufficient to declare your cursed dealing but your furies are many first in your slaunderous accusations which now we come vnto The first principall crime obiected by the Brownists Transgres 1 The Brownists THey worship the true God after a false manner their worship being made of the inuention of man euen of the man of sinne erronious imposed vpon them To this I did answer that our worship is the imbracing of the holy Bible by the doctrine thereof we séeke to beléeue in God to call vpon him and to doo all good workes c. The Brow The first transgression we charge your assemblies with is that you worship God after a false manner your worship being made of the inuention of man euen of the man of sinne erronious and imposed vpon you You answer your worship is the imbracing of the holy Bible Thus begging the question you neither prooue your worship by the Bible nor answer one of the foure apparant reasons which we bring in our article where it is false and contrary to the Bible c. G. G. To the intent that mine answer and your accusation may stand the cléerer to be séene into and the better to be iudged of I draw your words into a syllogisme thus Whatsoeuer assemblies worship the true God after a false manner their worship being made of the inuention of man euen of the man of sinne c. the same are not the true Churches of God But the assemblies as they generally stand in England doo worship the true God after a false manner their worship being made of the inuention of man c. Therefore the assemblies in England be not the true churches of God I did not nor doo not deny the first part of this argument the proposition so that we vnderstand by false maner of worship and the same made of the inuention of man such a false manner as dooth ouerthrow the very ground and foundation of faith and make an vtter seperation from the Lord Iesus Christ Such as the worship is in popery where they teach and doo many things contrary to the principles of faith placing holinesse and the worship of God in their owne inuentions and séeking remission of sinnes and the merite of eternall life in euery beggerly supersticious obseruation and ceremony But if by false manner of worship yée vnderstand euery error fault corruption in matters of religion which though they be euill and to be condemned yet ouerthrow not the faith nor the very essence of Gods true worship but be in circumstances or in parts that may be maimed and yet the life remaine then I deny the proposition as most erronious false and hereticall For king Dauid with the princes the Préests the Leuites and people erred and that grosly contrary to the expresse law of God Numb 7. vers 9. when they carried the Arke vpon a Cart yet were they euen then the true Church of God It was a great offence that in the dayes of some good Kings of Iuda the people sacrificed in the high places but only to the Lord 2. Kings 11. 14. 15. They should by Gods appointment haue doone it at Ierusalem onely yet were they neuerthelesse Gods people The Passouer was a principall part of Gods worship but they kept it not so precisely according to the law of a long time as they did in the 18. yeare of Iosias 2. King 23. 2. Chron. 35. The Preachers at Corinth did very euill in building Timber Straw and Hay vpon the foundation and so did the people which sorted themselues as it were by seuerall companies to follow them But yet because they held Christ the foundation in the true doctrine S. Paul saith their workes should burne they should suffer losse neuerthelesse they themselues should be saued as it were by fier 1. Cor. 3. Now to come vnto the second part of your argument the assumption which is that the Church of England dooth worship the true God after a
generally stande in England and come after vnto those former articles which conteine your association wherein ye conioyne your selues and enter into couenant with God as ye say to set vp all the ordinances of Christ for I take this to bee the fittest order Your syxt article which now must be first being expressed in these words And now that our forsaking and vtter abandoning these disordered assemblies as they generally stand in England may not seeme strange or offensiue to anye man that will iudge or be iudged by the word of God we alledge and affirme them heinouslie faultie and wilfullie obstinate in these foure principall transgressions To this I answered That Elias did sée outward idolatrie practised and saw none which did mislike and therefore complained of all It was an error but whereas Gods word is imbraced and multitudes abhorre Idolatrie and labour with sorrowfull teares to bee purged from their sinnes it is an intollerable pride and presumption of men to set themselues in Gods iudgement seat and to condemne all of wilfull obstinacie Let it be shewed where euer any led by Gods spirit haue dealt in this sort and especially in charging them most falslie as shall appeare The Brownists HEre you verye vehemently charge vs with vntollerable pride presumption and intrusion into Gods iudgment seate to be voide of Gods spirite to charge and condemne you most falsely as you say shall appeare How iustly you charge vs with these crimes or discharge your selfe and your assemblies of these present transgessions vpon the scanne of your answeres shall appeare c. G. G. All such as take vpon them to iudge and condemne whole assemblies that professe the Gospell and that with slanderous accusations as you do may right well be charged with intollerable pride presumption and intrusion into Gods iudgement seate séeing the Scriptures do cleerely warrant it For he that iudgeth one man to be no true Christian which holdeth the place of a brother and laboureth to please God professing the faith soundly in all fundamentall points either for some errors in iudgement or frailties committed in life proudlye aduanceth himselfe into Gods office who alone searcheth the heart and trieth the raines of the children of men What shall we say then of those which condemne whole multitudes amongst whom there be many vnspotted with grose errors and offenses But the ground of your dooing is from hence that such as commit principall transgressions and be wilfullye obstinate in the same the word of God dooth condemne them And then yée say that the assemblies in England be heinously faulty and wilfully obstinate in foure principall transgressions Ye boldly alledge and affirme but ye make proofe neither of the transgressions nor of the wilfull obstinacie Touching the transgressions what meane ye by principall If yée vnderstand great faults and grosse errors and holde withall that there is no faith nor regeneration among those which erre grosely commit great faults ye maintaine heresie which is conuinced by infinit places and examples of the Scriptures The best that euer were did know but in part 1. Cor. 13. The godliest were regenerate but in part Rom. 7. Of the strongest it was said who can tell his errors Psal 19. and in manye things we sinne all Iam. 3. If Noah Abraham Lot Dauid Solomon Samson and other holy men greatly replenished with the holy Ghost and with faithe did sometime fall into great sinnes howe many will be the errors the diuisions the frailties and offenses among the multitude in the church where with the stronger and such as haue the greater knowledge and godlinesse there are heaped vp together multitudes of weake and such as be carnall and but babes in Christ besides hipocrites and countersait brethren If by principall transgressions ye meane onely such as be fundamentall then ye doo most falsely accuse the Church of England which holdeth not any heresie or blasphemie against any one ground or principle of the holy Christian faith Yée must then either mainteine this heresie which is that where the true faith is there can breake foorth no great faults errors and abuses or this absurd manner of spéech which afterward yée vse that all errors and deformities in religion be heresies blasphemies and abhominations or els confesse that with intollerable pride presumption and intrusion into Gods iudgement seate yée haue taken vpon yée to iudge and condemne whole assemblies which professe the faith of Christ sincerely in all fundamentall points among whom there be many particular persons which study earnestly to please God mourning for their owne sinnes and are like iust Lot 2. Pet. ◠vexed and tormented to behold the wickednesse of others And now touching wilfull obstinacie how will yée prooue that to be in all the assemblies and in all members of the assemblies of England If ye say there be apparant transgressions in which they continue and therefore they be wilfully obstinate and so to be vtterly abandoned I answer that your conclusion doth not follow because the continuance in all sorts of errors and offenses in such as professe the faith doth not warrant men vtterly to cast them out as Heathen but where after admonition and conuiction the censure of the Church is despised The rule of discipline giuen by our Sauiour Christ maketh this verye cléere If thy brother sinne against thée tell him of it betwéene him and thée alone If he heare thée thou hast wunne thy brother if he heare thée not take one or two with thee that by the mouth of two or thrée witnesses euery word may be confirmed If he heare not them tell it to the Church if he heare not the Church let him be as an Heathen or as a Publican Math. 18. We sée that priuate members may not vtterly abandon and cast foorth any one brother that is one which professeth the true faith and for his profession hath the place and dignitie of a Christian nor iudge him so wilfully obstinate that he must be accounted as an Heathen vntill the Church haue so iudged and cast him foorth The same orderly course and rule of discipline is to be obserued in admonishing accusing conuincing condemning and vtter abandoning any particuler assembly which hath the dignity of a Christian church and doth offend so gréeuously and shew such obstinacie that it deserueth so heauy a censure In a particular Church there be errors and sinnes I will not saye in many but in all in as much as euery one hath his blindnesse and corruption erreth and sinneth continuallye one waye or other From hence it commeth that of necessitie there be alwaies in the Church diuersities of opinions discord diuision and dissention with many corruptions and abuses For if it be most manifest that the learnedest and godliest that liueth doth carrie with him his errors defects and corruptions what shal we looke for where the multitude is of learned vnlearned strong and weake altogether how innumerable will the frailties and corruptions now among all be
the Pastour doth keepe backe some for ignorance c. Heere you confesse that very many Churches in England want godly Pastours and that there all are admitted and that he that admitteth them is the worste of the company Thus you make the most Chuches in England in a very bad estate and so farre foorth you affirme your article But yet you know some Churches c. I did confesse and doo still with gréefe that in very manye assemblies in England all are admitted to the Table of the Lord which offer themselues euen the most prophane and grosse sinners I shewed also the reason of this gréeuous offence namely that the ministers which should repell such open offenders are many times the worst or at least negligent in that behalfe And moreouer that the Church of England dooth neither approoue such admission of prophane men to the Sacrament nor yet suffer it in practise wholy For touching practise there be many congregations in the land where sundrie for ignorance and open wickednesse are by the ministers kept backe and not suffered to communicate vntill they shew repentance And for not approouing such admission I said the booke of Common prayer dooth prescribe and commaund the repelling of notorious wicked offendours and also that some are excommunicated iustly not admitted to publike praier This was the first part of mine answer wherein I prooue your accusation false The other is that the godly are not polluted by the companye of the wicked which are suffered to communicate with them in Gods worship and the thing not in their power to redresse And for example I alledged the Church of the Iewes By which I prooue that if your accusation were true yet it destroyeth not the Church Now let vs examine how you ouerthrowe this by your replye Yée aske whether there were no more prophane in the parish besides those twenty or thirty which are repelled And whether those other prophane were not admitted I answer If there were yet the repelling of twenty or thirty in a flock dooth shew that you accuse falsely when yée say all the prophane without exception of any one person are reteined in the body and bosome of our Church But to prooue your article at once as yée say by a more direct course yée bring an argument And yée demand if I know anye in all the realme of England vnbaptized Is not Baptisme say you a Sacrament belonging to the Church by which all the faithfull and their séed doo enter into it Wherevpon yée argue thus All being baptized it followeth that all are receiued into the body of your Church Now being once receiued in they can no way be cast out but by excommunication And it is manifest that the Parson and all his parish hath not the powre which Christ hath left vnto his Church to excommunicate any offender be he neuer so obstinate or notorious c. This being the onely reason by which ye stand to prooue the truth of your accusation I must bestow the more paines about it Thus it must be set in forme Where all are receiued in by Baptisme and no power to cast foorth any by excommunication there all the prophane multitudes are without exception of any one person receiued into reteined in the bosome and body of the Church But in the Church of England all are receiued in by Baptisme and there is no power to cast foorth any by excommunication Therefore in England all the prophane multitudes without exception of any one person are receiued into and reteined in the bosome and body of the Church In your proposition there are to be excepted such as are repelled from the Sacrament who are in some sort for the time remooued out of the bosome of the Church And also such Papists Heretikes and Scismatikes as depart out of themselues It is further also to be considered in it that all the baptized continuing outwardly obedient they cannot be iustly called the prophane multitudes Your presumption in which ye charge the Church of England with a principall transgression for receiuing in all by Baptisme and hauing no power to cast foorth any by Excommunication is with foule error and falsehood Touching the Baptisme of Infants this appeareth to be your iudgement that the children of prophane men which remayne in the Church and professe the faith of Christ belong not to the couenant and therefore ought not to be Baptised No doubt the Church doth offend when open notorious sinners are not Excommunicate and brought to repentance or at the least to such a shewe of repentance as that men can not further iudge them but as Brethren It is also an offence where such not being cast foorth their children are receyued vnto Baptisme and that without care to sée them brought vp and instructed in the Christian Religion and to leade a Godly life agréeable to the same But to say that the children of prophane men taking prophane men as you doo which professe Christianitie and remayne in the Church are not to be Baptised is a very wicked iniurie to Gods people and contrarie to the manifest doctrine of the holie Scriptures and can not without Heresie be mayntayned First touching prophane people it is certayne that all Heathen Heretikes all Scismatikes open contemners of the holie Religion and all obstinate wicked men whiche despise the censure of the Church that hath passed vppon them may be called prophane But you Brownists go further and condemne them all as Infidels and prophane which professe the faith of Christ because notwithstanding they doo it in some weakenes and infirmities which is a wicked presumption and intrusion into Gods seate and in which as I haue shewed before yée breake the rule of discipline giuen by our Sauiour Christ by which no brother that is none which professeth the true faith is for his sinnes and impenitencie to be iudged as heathen vntill he haue despised the admonition of the Church and so be cast foorth You take vppon yée to plucke vp all the Darnell yée are commaunded the contrarie least yée plucke vp the Wheate Math. 13. You dare and that in most sauage and desperate manner rend and teare vp the weake plants yée doo it vnto whole assemblyes in which there be many that vnfaynedly sorrow and mourne for their sinnes and studie to please God all that feare the Lord may tremble at this your intollerable wickednes But now to procéede Ye will not allowe the children of prophane men the Sacrament of Baptisme And what is your reason they bée not the séede of the faithfull In déede in this yée say true that none are in theyr infancie to be admitted to this Sacrament but the séede of the faithfull but when yée take it that the children whose next parents are hypocrites or wicked and prophane persons which yet remayne in the Church and professe Christ be not the séede of the faithfull at all and in any respect and so within the couenant and to be baptized
not deceyued but knowe for certaintie that they be full and rancke Donatists and Anabaptists in part I knowe it is complayned of that there be so many and so diuers Sectes and Heresies dayly springing vp where the Gospell is preached for it seemeth a foule disgrace both to the Gospell it selfe and to the Preachers There are say some at the least fifty seuerall sectes Behold say others how the people are lead without ground and haue no stay but are caryed without ende from one thing to another What is the cause is not the preaching is there any thing deliuered which is certayne are not the fruites of theyr Sermons factions and Schismes These speeches do so abash and trouble some that they are driuen backe and retyre into flat Poperie as into a safe hauen which yet in truth is the gulfe of all Schismes and abhominable heresies Others are so much displeased that they become Atheists and care not much for any Religion though of both they doo rather fauour the Poperie A third sort there be which did runne and now stand still and wonder they knowe not whether they were best to goe backe or forward Their loue and zeale is decayed and readie vtterly to be quenched It is wonderfull that there should be such blindnes in men and want of wisedome to consider rightly of all causes and effects The Scriptures are cleere that light is come into the world and men loue darknesse more then light because their works be euill And what followeth heerevpon because they receyue not the loue of the truth that they might be saued God doth send them strong delusion to beleeue lyes that they may be damned 2. Thess 2. It is the heauie iudgement of God vppon the wicked world that Satan is let loose to seduce and leade into error Men are worthie of such a plague and it doth come vppon them to the full for they be not able now to discerne the truth but do reproch and blaspheme it seeking the disgrace of such as do bring it Moreouer the Scriptures do shewe that God hath an other purpose in sending strong delusion and the efficacie of error and that is touching his elect for they be clogged with the fleshe slowe and dull to search out the truth they be readie to leane to their owne wisedome and seeke not vnto God When Schismes and Heresies arise it doth awaken them causeth them to search more diligently yea to seeke vnto God and to depend wholly vppon him for light and instruction It causeth them to feare and tremble in humilitie and to make precious account of the truth when they haue once found it seeing the Deuill laboureth so mightely to depriue them of it by quenching the light I heare sayth S. Paule that there be Schismes among ye and I do in part beleeue it for there must be Heresies that such as are approued may be made manifest 1. Cor. 11. When we see it come to passe that through the malice and craft of the Deuill and his instruments such confusion doth ouerspread all let vs not loue the Gospell the worse let vs not blaspheme it but knowe it standeth vs vpon to be more carefull The blessed Apostles themselues had to encounter with Heretikes and false Apostles and full cunningly did Satan winde in himselfe in their dayes When they were taken away what troups of Heretikes did he send foorth what blasphemies and detestable furies did he vtter and spread by them how were all the auncient Doctors and holy Fathers in the Churches set on worke to confute them and to defend the true Christian people from infection Why then should we nowe be daunted or why should it be any reproch to the holy Doctrine now more then of old that the Diuell where any light is shewed doth followe it by and by at the heeles to worke disgrace Let the ministers of Gods Word looke diligently to theyr flockes and teach them the wholesome pure Doctrine and the way of Sanctification Let true zeale spring afresh which nowe suffreth great contempt because there is a mad bedlem risen vp which nameth her selfe by her name There be diuers which cry out against zeale very naughtely when it is most certayne no man can haue ouermuch godly zeale especially in these dayes wherein who almost hath any hote loue for the glorie of God and the saluation of his people If Christ should speake what other sentence can we looke for but that which he vttered of the Church of Laodicea Reuel 3. Thou art neyther hote nor cold But let vs come to the matter in hand A breefe sum of the profession of the Brownists _1 WE seeke aboue all things the peace and protection of the most high and the kingdome of Christ Iesus our Lord. 2 We seeke and fully purpose to worship God aright as he hath commaunded in his holy worde 3 We seeke the fellowship and communion of his faithfull and obedient seruants and together with them to enter couenant with the Lord. And by the direction of his holy spirite to proceed to a godly free and right choise of ministers and other officers by him ordained to the seruice of his Church 4 We seeke to establish and obey the ordinances and lawes of our Sauiour Christ left by his last will and testament to the gouerning and guiding of his Church without altering changing innouating wresting or leauing out any of them that the Lord shall giuevs sight of 5 We purpose by the assistance of the Holyghost in this faith and order to leade our liues And for this faith and order to leaue our liues if such be the good will and pleasure of our heauenly Father to whom be all glory and praise for euer Amen 6 And now that our forsaking and vtter abandoning these disordered assemblies as they generally stand in England may not seeme strange or offensiue to any man that will iudge or be iudged by the worde of God we alledge affirme them hainouslye faultie and wilfullye obstinate in these foure principall transgressions 1 They worship the true God after a false manner their worship being made of the inuention of man euen of that man of sinne erronious and imposed vpon them 2 Then for that the prophane vngodly multitude without the exception of any one person are with them receiued into and reteined in the bosome and body of their Church c. 3 Then for that they haue a false and Antichristian ministery imposed vpon them retained with them and maintained by them 4 Then for that their Churches are ruled by and remaine in subiection vnto an Antichristian and vngodly gouernment cleane contrary to the institution of our Sauiour Christ G. G. 1 IN my former answer vnto these your articles which ye call A breefe sum of your profession I kept the same order in which they stand But now I begin first with your heauy accusation of the foure heinous transgressions for which ye condemne and abandon all the assemblies as they