rules and principles of their worldly artes But Beza for one tree hath got himselfe three namely speculations customes and inspirations and the ceremoniall worship In stead of philosophy which Paule calleth vayne deceipt he nameth curious speculations as if one should aske a Hatchet and he should giue him the helue Paule would roote out all their philosophie and Beza but some part c. A man would thinke there needeth no great labour to prooue out of these words that Browne holdeth both lodgick and all philosophy to be forbidden in the Scriptures but heare him further for soone after he taketh vpon him out of Timothy and Iob to reiect euery part of lodgick by name and therevpon follow these words But what say they is there no vse of lodgick what say you then to a thing and the cause thereof for the effect is knowne by the cause and the cause by the effect so they giue vs four sorts of causes but we returne them vpon them as the spillings of their drunkennes Againe They demaund heere whether definitions be vnlawfull we answere that to name the kinds and sorts of things and to name their natures is not vnlawfull but their idle arte of defining is vnlawfull and to thrust their definitions as misteries into our bosomes or to tearme the naming of things or their natures whereby they are called by the words of their vaine arte is wholly vnlawfull It is manifest that when he wrote these things he dissembled not as now he doth to professe the condemning of lodgick else let euen his next words following the last rehearsed wherein he pretendeth to answere an obiection against him be called to witnesse If they aske sayth he why me then vse the names and haue laboured also so much in defining we tell them that we returne their owne weapons vpon them not that we care for such weapons but because they feare them so much we haue tryed if they may dismay them in their folly and turne them to the truth Heere by the manner of his answere you see is nothing lesse then a denyall of condemning the arte which is now all the refuge the snared Foxe can finde If he could haue enioyed his supposed rest within the harbour of that answere there should his Ship haue remayned still but when he perceiued by the admonition that there was a rocke for his estimation to perish vpon because this cannot be denyed that whatsoeuer things are vnlawfull Christians ought not vse he rather chose this shamelesse denying of that which cannot be denied then that he would giue glory vnto God in acknowledging his fault and forsaking his errour wherein let all true Israelites iudge whether it appeare that the loue of himselfe and prayse of men be more pretious in his eyes then the loue of God and prayse of his glorious name To the 104.105.106 12 The second point wherin the admonition proueth his vnconstancy is this that he once held it a tempting of God for any that followed his course to tarry in England and since againe both himselfe is returned dwelleth heere heareth our Sermons and hath by priuate writings counsailed others so to doe These contrarie courses I say considered with this that notwithstanding hys later practise the man remayneth of the same iudgement against the English assemblyes which he helde before when he passed the Seas and called hys chickens after hym let the godly iudge whether his footesteppes may sauoure of the guiding of Gods spirite and so argue that same assurance in the conscience which the Apostle Paule calleth for in all our actions yea or no. Hys aunswere for thys is lyke the former euen with a cauterized conscience denying that which he knoweth to be true The bare quotations in the admonition made him bold but he ought to haue remembred that there might come a day wherein they should be enlarged and set downe to his shame Now that he prouoked to flee out of England let these his words be first considered Therefore thus saith the Lord I feed not my flocke at Paules Crosse in London or S. Maryes in Cambridge or in your English parishes O yee my sheepe goe yee not thither as though there were my folde and there I rested and fed my flocke for there be Shepheards and flocks also that follow them whith are not of Christ for they hold of Antichrist Also he sayth If in all England or in some more famous places of England whether great Cities or Vniuersities or the Court it selfe we see not the Kingdome of God maintained but persecuted and the true worship of God refused a false worship and idoll seruice wilfully suffered and many Popish abhominations vpheld and established from thence the Lord doth take away his kingdome as it is written The kingdome of God shall be taken from you and giuen to a nation which shall bring foorth the fruites thereof Yea none may continue to preach the truth vnto those when once they haue boldly testified it and they put it from them c. Afterward he sheweth his meaning more cleerely thus In Aegipt the whole Church was in bondage and it wholly departed yet did Pharao giue leaue there to worship God rightly but answere was made it is not meete so to doe in this place for loe can we sacrifice the abhomination of the Aegyptians before their eyes and they not stone vs so also in England though the Magistrates should giue vs leaue to worship God rightly yet the true worship and reformation of the Church is abhomination to the Bishops and other wicked Preachers and people and what stirrings and hurly burlyes would they make but they say we must abide such troubles In deede we must heare them when we cannot auoyde them and in auoyding them we must take heed to hold still a good conscience but we tempt God as did many of the Iewes if when we may go out of Aegipt and auoide such troubles we will not or murmure against it Yet if this be not playne ynough that he vnderstandeth England for Aegipt let him remember where he confesseth He was accused of false doctrine by his owne company because he sayd that England was as Aegipt both for the outward bondage and oppression of the Church by Popish forcing lawes and penalties and for all kinde of wickednesse and because he sayd they did sinne which had a full purpose to dwell still in England when the Lord did call them away and they had libertie to depart Now when he accompteth them called away his owne penne also hath instructed vs namely in these his words following Yea though the Magistrate giue them leaue there to dwell as they liked yet the lawes and disorders abiding still the same they could not there tarrie Also in another place but if it be sayd what if some desire the truth must they also be forsaken I aunswere that if they desire the Kingdome and sell not all they haue to buy it 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
matter looke the 16. verse and the meaning thereof In this place we say that their preaching is not the word of message from God neither may we partake with them in the Sacraments But in steade of a thousand other places heare him as patiētly as you may this one sentence against all kinde of communicating with our assemblies of Englande thus blasphemously barking They hold still the Priesthoode of Antichrist which is the tollerating and dispensing with wickednesse by such wicked preachers to make Christ and Belial agree Therefore thus saith the Lord I feede not my flocke at Paules crosse in London or Saint Maries in Cābridge or in your English parishes O ye my sheepe goe ye not thither as though there were my folde and there I rested and fed my flocke c. Sith he still iustifieth all his doctrines and dealings to be fautles let him and his friends nowe see howe they can reconcile these things with his subscription His 4. interrogatorie was this VVill you promise also quietly to behaue your selfe and to keepe the peace of this church and that you will not preach nor exercise the ministerie vnlesse you be lawfully called thereunto To this also hee answered affirmatiuely and that he would perfourme the same accordingly The latter part of this interrogatorie Browne confesseth in his answere to my Admonition but the former part he hideth in his bosome His proud chalenge will not suffer him nowe to shrowde him selfe from shame in neither First therefore to beginne with the former part hauing bounde him selfe by the thirde article to frequent our assemblies according to lawe and to acknowledge the same Church of Englande which doeth consist of these assemblies to be the Church of God Now doth he in the fourth place tye him selfe to the good behauiour towardes this Church which hath necessarie relation to the Church before so mentioned This I so lay downe that the slipperie shifter should not thinke to escape me by drawing an interpretation from these wordes to his conuenticles at his pleasure There be 3. notes of difference that will not suffer these wordes this church to be vnderstoode of his conuenticles 1. That the title of the Church of Englande can not without great insolencie be attributed to any other then that which is established by the law of the land and that he sheweth him selfe to see well ynough in his 62. section of his Answere to my Admon where for the same reason though it helped his cause neuer a whit he quarelleth with me for calling the church at Corinth The church of Corinth 2. Their conuenticles can not be said to be frequented according to the lawe without the like insolencie of speach as in the former note For by this forme of wordes is alwayes intended the lawe of the land whensoeuer the law of God is spoken of it is euer set downe with those or the like plaine wordes of difference els let them shewe one instance to the contrary But the third difference is most cleare for hauing bound him selfe to frequent and hold the peace of our Churches he is taken faster then that any struggling can giue him hope of escape Thus hauing voyded the doubtfulnes of his subscription let vs nowe come and try how well his heart his hande haue gone together that I may rake no further in his filthie confusions whereof I suppose the reader would be as wearie as my selfe let the former cited places of his writings be here likewise called to witnesse what a friende he is to the church of England and what peace he entertaineth with our assemblies As for his practise euen since his subscription omitting all that was before and namely his runnning ouer the sea and carying many with him the parish where he dwelt of late doeth testifie as is saide before that it is farre from a peaceable and quiet behauiour towardes the Church but much more the parish of Olaues in Siluerstreete a poore woman in the which he hath so strongly seduced that whereas my selfe sometimes had hope by satisfying her propounded doubts in writing to haue wonne her into our assemblies church exercises which of many in that parish was greatly desired he hath againe by so large a writing and heape of wordes ouerwhelmed the seelie woman who belike thinketh v. or vi sheetes of paper must needes confute one and confirmed her in her sottish separation so as at this day in respect of inferiour meanes we see vtterly no hope of her recouerie As for excommunication gone out against her she altogether contemned it before halfe a score of the parish and boasted of Bro. spreading of his writings against me to a hundreth miles distance from London Besides this somewhat later he hath disturbed the cōgregatiō at Dertford drawn away some railed opēly dispersed writings as of chalenge against the lecturer there for discouering vnto his auditorie the danger of that schisme Beholde is not this quiet behauiour and tending to the peace of this Church the latter part of his last interrogatorie being this that he shoulde not preach nor exercise the ministerie vnlesse he be lawfully called thereunto is aswell obserued and kept by him I warrant you I thinke hee dares not for the euidence of proofe that he knoweth to be against him deny that he hath since his subscribing preached in priuate houses namely amongst the rest one Lordes day not farre from Ludgate hauing a litle before in the same house earnestly contēded against in reasoning disswaded frō publique hearing He was at the same time by one M. W. soundly resisted in the same his schismatical dealing who rightly iudged it not meete in a time of the great assēblies of the church to the publike exercises of the worde and prayer to make priuate meetings for the same at our pleasure And M. W. after he had spoken in this matter what the Lord then gaue him departed with some others that went with him to the next sermon and left Browne with the rest that liked better to tarrie to their cursed cōuenticle Wherin Bro. tooke vpon him to exercise the ministerie of preaching howbeit he saith he was earnestly requested vnto it by those that were present Now that poynt therfore wil I leaue to the lerned to decide namely whether this was a lawful calling to that ministrie yea or no. Besides the subscribing to these interrogatories hee furthermore wrote his submission a point or 2. whereof I will likewise set in the vewe of the Reader Fiftly saith he I refuse not to communicate in the Sacraments For I haue one childe that is alreadie baptized according to the order and lawe and by this time in mine absence if God haue giuen my wife a safe deliuerance and the childe doe liue I suppose it is also baptized in like maner Further my seruants being three doe orderly come to their owne Parish Church according to the lawe and communicate also according to the
not prooue vnlesse some vnlawfull Arte be vsed with all He mistooke me much in iudging I vnderstood no differncee betwixt Discipline and Presbiterie I knowe the office and the officer is not all one but where the officer wanteth there the office also wanteth as touching the execution thereof And therefore where the Presbiterie wanteth which himselfe maketh the onely executors of the censuring discipline there that discipline also by his rule is wanting For whie else doth he say the Church of England is without this discipline if the same may bee graunted to be where the Eldershippe is not Nowe his answere explicating his seconde enunciation which I vrge agaynst the first sayeth His meaning was that a Church remayneth still though all the officers of discipline should die at once because forsooth yet still the office and right of gouernement shoulde remaine I replie that the gouernement which hee speaketh of in this case cannot bee sayde to bee actually but potentially And if he holde it sufficient to auouche the apparancie of a Churche whereof is and was the question in the conference alleaged by a potentiall hauing of discipline wee shall soone ende the controuersie for the assemblies of Englande But I may not heere omitte to note the dealing of this double faced Ianus In the conference which the Admonition citeth against him through the occasion of his writings agaynst the Church of England it was obiected to him that it seemed hee had condemned our Churches in that they were not guided by Presbiteries Hee denied his writings to import any such thing Hereupon they demaunde whether then hee woulde graunt that there may be a true Church of God without the Presbiterie He answered yea Nowe in his writing agaynst mee hee denieth not that hee answered so but declareth his meaning to bee otherwise than they tooke it So that if they had further vrged his writings agaynst his answere it nowe appeareth that he could cunningly haue turned the table vpside downe as the painter did who beeing hired to paint a tumbling horse made him running which when hee that set him a woorke found fault withall the painter turned the table vpside downe and then the horse which before appeared running seemed plainely to lie tumbling But what dealing was this for a diuine to a question propounded of the constitution of a church necessarie to the acknowledging of it as appeareth by this occasion of the question before rehearsed to make answere concerning an accidentall case of a constituted Church And this answere beeing but as the lining of his wordes the outside seeming altogether correspondent to their purpose So dealeth hee generally in all his writings and actions for this his schismaticall course and namely in most of the points of his subscription as that no childe can better represent the visage of his father that begot him than this man doeth the spirit of him that gaue those doubtfull answeres at Delphos 15 The rest I answere not till you come to his conclusion number 120. Whereunto thus much I say let it be O Lorde as this man hath desired namely be thou iudge whether of our wayes be approoued in thine eyes and whether of vs hath the strength of trueth in his mouth and bee mercifull vnto our iniquities for thy sonne Iesus Christes sake Psalme 8.2 Out of the mouthes of babes and suckelings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the enemie and auenger FINIS AT LONDON Printed by Iohn VVindet and are to be solde at the Rose in Povvles churchyard 1588. NON SOLO PANE VIVET HOMO Luke 4. Verbum Dei manet in aeternum Rom. 1.17 2. Pet. 3.1 Cantic 2.15 That this schisme may worthily take the name of Browne As appeareth in a writing that came from Brownes hand of this matter See further pag. 135. Pro. 10.11 1. Pet. 4.14.15.16 Rom. 14.23 Matth. 18.15.16.17 verses Ezech. 18.20 This at least is come to passe that howsoeuer it fall out with them 1. Cor. 11.22 Ephe. 1.22.23.1 Cor. 12. Ephe 4.15.16 Col. 2.19 Rom. 12.4.5.6.7.8 The likenesse is in qualitie not in equalitie 1. Cor. 1.1 Out of the places quoted before 1. Cor. 1.12.13 A lier hath need of a good memorie The lawes enforce not a confusion at the Lords supper Pag. 4. A discouerie of Brownes Discipline Rom. 14.2.3 Act. 13.2.3 Act. 14.2.3 1. Tim. 3.2.3.4.5.6.7 Compar with titus 1.5 1. Tim. 3.8.9 compa with Act. 6.5 That Christians may partake in the Sacrament with wicked ones and not be defiled with their sinne The playne sense of the question Matth. 18.15.16.17 The presence of the wicked in it selfe doth not hurt vs. Pag. 4. The presence of the wicked in respect of our knowledge of them hindereth not Pag. 5. Pag. 6. That I do not allowe him for ◠worthy member Pag. 7. The reason why thus I communicate Ephes 4.3 Ver. 15.16 1. Cor. 1.12.13 Heb. 10.25 Iud. 19. That there is no sinne in this maner communicating Pag. 6. Pag. 7 How it cōmeth to passe that I thus communicate How the mininister may deliuer the sacramēt to one that he knoweth to be vnworthie Ansvver to master C. pag 37. In his replie pag. 5. In his replie pag. 4. The sacrament not disanulled for the wickeds sake Gen. 32.28 Iere. 7.22 1 Cor. 1.17 vers 14.16 Verses 21.22.28 Verse 1. Verse 2. That is by the like euill behauiour Verse 18. Verse 19. Pag. 3. of his reply 1. Cor. 1.2 The Corinthian Church more disordred in communicating then the English assemblies Verse 27.29 Iude. 4.7.8.10 Verse 12. Verses 20.21.22.23 3. Iohn 9.10 Pag. 8. Pag. 9. That particular members can proceed no further then admonition Matth. 18.18 Sect. 6.9 In the Preface to the booke of the liues of Christians VVhether a particular man can cast off a whole congregation The Popish Church no Church of God 2 King 17. Ier. 3.3 Pag. 10.15 That the godly may not depart the Communion for the sinne of the Minister 1. Sam. 2.12.15.16.17.18.19.20.21 Matth. 23.2.3 Iohn· 10.4.5 Ansvvere to M. C. pag. 66. Sam. 2.17 Cap. 2.24 2. Sam. 12.14 Isai 52.5 Ezech. 36.20 Rom. 2.24 1. Sam. 1.1.2.3 Prou. 14.1 The true sense of those scriptures vvhich commonly the Brovvnists cite to proue their separation from the communion A dicto secundū quid ad simpl Pag. 12.13 2. Tim 3.1.2.3.4.5 Ver. 10. 1. Cor. 5.9.10.11.12 Title against par prea and hired lectures Answ to M. C. Pag 13. Ver. 9. Br. great place in the Epist to the Cor. discussed Ver. 10. Ver. 12. Act. 13.10.11 1. Pet. 2.12.13.14.15.16.17.18.19.20.21.22.23.24.25 chap. 3.1.2.3 ad 7. Matth. 5.31.32 Mark 10.6.7.8 Ephes 5.22 c. col 3.18 c. Eph. 6. 1.2 c. Tit. 2.4.5 1. cor 7.21 2. Thes 3.14.15 Ethes 5.6.7.11 Ephes 4.1.2.3 c. to the end of the 16. Heb. 10.25 Iud. 19. Also pag. 3. Pag. 13. Orderly communicating is not of the essence of the Sacrament Mat. 26.26.27.28 See the 6. Section Eph. 1.22.23 1. Cor.
comparison seemeth to haue craued at his handes at the least some one example out of the Scriptures shewing vs when or where the spirite of God disauoweth any Church for the cause of some notorious wicked ones among them If I therefore in exemplifying against him shall bring a cloud of witnesses all of them testifiyng as with one mouth the flat contrary I hope I shall enclose the trueth of this cause more strongly then that any wylie or vndermining foxes shall bee able to enter in hereafter to violate the same And to beginne with the Churches of which wee haue the life and liuely voyce of our Sauiour Christ to testifie and after that to enquire of the Apostles it may not bee denied me but that in the Church of Ierusalem the Lorde did dwell and that there were offered the Sacrifices and performed the rites of his holy worshippe which he accepted at the handes of his seruantes in the dayes of our Sauiour his comming in the flesh Nowe in the outward body of this Church were corrupt Scribes superstitious Pharises and epicurish Sadduces this last sort denied the resurrection and the two former also corrupted many thinges in the doctrine and sur-charged the Iewish Church with importable burdens of traditions being indeed the ordinary teachers of the people but so yet the pestilent and notorious corrupters of true religion these are in your leaders comparison to be resembled by the poyson on the other side there were though of smaller nūber that in the middest of the same congregations paid their vowes vnto the Lord in the simplicitie of their heart being in the meane time openly mingled in one outward Church with such vnrighteous ones Of this sort we may reckon diuers by name as Symeon Zacharias Marie Anna Elizabeth c. Here therefore we should conclude by your leaders rule that those being the sweete water and not reseruing their worshipping of God religious seruices to separate meetings but performing them in the congregations of notorious wicked teachers very falsely instructed people were now also impoysoned become one wicked crewe together with the rest But I trust you will confesse that the scriptures are contrary so consequently therfore that your leader doth seduce you Again to be as briefe likewise as I may in the rest Our sauiour in his own words deliuered vnto Iohn that the Church at Thyatira had so that wicked Iezabel amongest them as that they were guilty of permitting her to teach seduce the seruantes of God making thē to cōmit fornication to eate meats sacrificed vnto idoles The Church at Pergamus was charged to haue amongst thē those that mainteined the doctrine of Baalam of the Nicolaitans Nowe by your leaders rule these had also so impoysoned the rest that not one amongst thē could be said to hold fast the faith nor keep the name of Christ nor serue him purely so as to be exempted frō the punishmēt that should light vpō the rest in the day that the Lord should visite but the word of the Lord saith directly to the contrary therefore your leader is found a blasphemous seducer in his cōparisō And that wee may touch likewise the Apostles testimonies When Iude acknowledgeth spots in the Church feastes are not those spots the wicked ones which he there inueigheth against If then he had approued your leaders doctrine hee would not haue written them preseruatiue instructions to keepe out their contagion for such mingling had nowe by his rule impoysoned all but it laye vpon his fidelitie to haue told them that whensoeuer it should come to passe that they so mingled they shoulde count themselues no longer Churches of God but infected and wicked companies euen all the sort of them The same doe I say of the Church wherein Diotrephes was But those Apostles writings are farre contrary hereunto Therefore your leaders comparison is abhominable I omit to speake of the Churches which Saint Iames not condemneth but expostulateth with concerning proud dispisers of the poore vnbrideled pratlers lippe Christians enuious men contentious prouokers vncleane liuers c. which were among them As also the Thessalonians who had their inordinate walkers busy bodies and such as laboured not duely in their callings Yea herein their blame being much the greater that they permitted such amongst them hauing bene admonished of that matter once before And nowe I come to the Colossian Galathian and Corinthian Churches these had in the middest of them such as seduced mightily and preuailed dangerously yea some in the fundamental points of religion and articles of our faith The Corinthians touching practise had such as stirred vp strifes emulations anger contentions commotions and tumults such as maried with infidels such as with open speaches depraued Pauls writings the sounder sort being guilty of harkening vnto and tollerating such as thus in their vanity and iniquity wrought his disgrace and in his the truths yea shall I say further not as delighting to blaze the sinnes and corruptions of these Churches but iustly indeuouring to extinguish this Church-firebrand which Satan in the throng of all our heapes of woes hath hurled amongst vs. Besides that I haue deliuered in the 11. Section it is certaine the Corinthian Church was outwardly mixt with such as by carnal eloquēce prophaned the temple of God vsed indifferent thinges with manifest offence to the weake esteemed fornication amongst indifferent thinges and committed no obscure kinde of idolatry in eating at the tables of Idoles meates sacrificed to the deuill Nowe then if these Churches by al this mixing were not become impoisoned and wicked crewes but remayned still of reuerend account among the Churches of God for the righteous sake which were not heerein impeached by the wicked then is your leaders comparison framed to the great fall of truth and himselfe prooued to be a pernitious schismatike by it But the Apostle cleereth the first in many places of those his Epistles so as I hope no man will aske me particular proofes thereof therefore the latter must necessarily be graunted of all sides And then by the way let me obserue thys one thing If a few holding the true worship of God in synceritie mixed with many bearing an outward profession with them but otherwise of verie offensiue life yea some notoriously wicked and not separated from amongst them haue beene notwithstanding rightly accounted Churches of God for faithfull men comfortably to ioyne vnto and no man exhorted to withdraw from their assemblyes then is there vtterly no cause for you and the rest to disclaime the Churches of England as you do and to separate your selues from vs for those impurities that are amongst vs therefore the fyrst being true by most of the examples aforesayd it remayneth by the latter that you labour to the Lord for mercy and so returne Lastly in my first answere touching the similitude of leauen I
case of want or bondage of this discipline Browne sayth I falsifie the case as though he had onely spoken of heathenish husbands frō whom it should be lawful for the wiues to go when they became in danger of persecuting by thē The reader seeth the issue here betwixt vs to be this whether Bro. hath taught that wāt or bōdage of discipline is cause sufficient for a wife to go away from her husbād These be my prooues out of his writings Let the reader iudge Speaking of a place of Paul to the Corinthes he hath these words And therefore hee teacheth the woman which beleeueth to abide with the vnbeleeuing man and the seruant which beleeueth to keepe with his master except they be froward persecute or the whole Church be helde there in bondage or they cannot hold the true worship and all Christian duties with the sufferance of other and the safetie of their liues For then they may flee c. Here his exception being disiunctiue putteth three cases wherein the wife may goe from her husband 1. For frowardnesse and persecuting by him 2. For the bondage of the Church where they dwell 3. As it seemeth to me if she be in daunger by others But I intermeddle onely with that wherewith I haue alreadie charged him If we will knowe what he meaneth by the bondage of the Church let other places of his giue the interpretation In his answer to M.C. pag. 37. shewing howe he vnderstandeth the discipline of the Church to faile he sayth Though some preacher or other person offende yet doeth not therefore the discipline of the Church faile or want except the Church be negligent or wilfully refuse to redresse such offences or is brought into bondage that it cannot redresse them Here he interpreteth bondage to bee when a Church cannot redresse faults In the 15. Pag. of the same booke hee sheweth what hee esteemeth the cause of that bondage in these words What is a church without this power we speake of yea what are those assemblies which in stead of it doe holde that Antichristian power of the spirituall courtes or rather are held in bondage by it Nowe if the wife ought to goe from her husbande where the Church is in bondage and that same bondage must bee vnderstoode when as a Church hath not power and free libertie to censure and redresse offences without restraint of anie spirituall Courtes it followeth to bee his doctrine as I haue charged him that a wife ought to goe away from her husbande if hee will not goe with her onely for the want or bondage of the outwarde discipline where they dwell Neither doe I by that word onely adde any thing that is not his For if the wife may goe from her husbande for this one cause amongst others it followeth and is necessarily intended that for this only she may goe from him His cauill at my word enforce is as witlesse for whatsoeuer is taught as a thing giuen in charge and commandement from God that same enforceth the conscience to a practise Whether Browne by a charge and commandement as from God doe enforce the wife to such dealing with her husband let these speaches of his be called to witnesse It or the Church must hold the true flocke and seeke the right shepheardes and depart from others This is commanded to all and therefore though the husband will not yet the wife must doe it or the husband though the wife be against it And by and by after For we shew that so farre we must be from hearing or receiuing of such pastours ministers and from dwelling in their Parishes that the wife may not tarie for the husband to flee from them if he be vntoward Also in the very place where he accuseth me for this matter his owne wordes do againe answere for me Browne saith he hath not one worde of enforcing but onely the husbande or wife in such a case haue libertie and it is their duetie Nowe where any thing is laide vpon vs as a duetie vnto God what libertie the conscience hath to choose the doing or not doing of it let all that haue any conscience iudge His Number 78. is answered To the 79. 9. The admonition hath these wordes I heare besides that there is one among you who whispereth already in corners that we must not beleeue in the holy Ghost This I protest was no guesse or light coniecture of mine but a thing testified by two sufficient witnesses vnto me the man also I can name if it were conuenient and he was then in the same schisme with Browne for the matter of Discipline 10. To that which is from the 80. to the 97. I answere not To that which is from the 97. to the 104. 11 The reader must vnderstande that the admonition entreth 2. general accusations against Browne to prooue him a man not to be followed but forsaken one is vnsound and dangerous doctrine the other his wauering and changeablenesse The first and most grieuous I trust is now made manifest the latter needeth fewer wordes the proofe of it standeth in these iiii poynts 1. Whether he haue condemned the arte of lodgicke as vnlawfull for Christians and yet vsed it him selfe 2. Whether he haue heretofore prouoked all true worshippers to flee out of England as to auoyde the displeasure of God and yet both dwelleth here him selfe hath counselled a resorting to our sermons 3. Whether he haue subscribed 4. VVhether his two assertions concerning discipline haue in them that which is contrary yea or no. If these thinges be found true then it followeth that the man is mutable also euen as necessitie of time place do draw straine him As for the first point cōcerning lodgicke it is a wonder to see how the poore man rūneth frō one corner to another to hide his nakednes when he hath all done the best defence he hath is that which serueth him alwaies euen a face that cā neuer shew one token of shame or modestie in it O desperate impudencie doeth Bro. deny that he hath cōdemned the arte of lodgicke as vnlawful what can he say to induce any of his disciples to beleeue him thus he beginneth assone as he hath giuen me the lie In deed vaine lodgicke is named in the margēt and so is vaine philosophie named by sundry writers also vaine arts vaine false sciences that out of the scripture yet are neither those learned writers nor the scriptures cōdemned therefore He woulde haue the reader beleeue that there is a vaine lodgicke a good lodgicke that he spoke but against the vaine lodgicke This is to please a child with a plumme when he hath hurt him before with throwing him downe But his vaine epethite was in deede no distinction of lodgickes but onely as an ouerfilling of his furious penne and conceited forme of his malitious vtterance for all lodgicke and phylosophie is by him condemned as by the
Lawe Hereupon hee addeth To all these poyntes that they are true I do subscribe with mine hande and name this 7. of October Anno Dom. 1585. Here I obserue that he testifieth it to be orderly done to come to our owne parish Churches which is more then his writings can well beare howsoeuer he thinke to shift it Also in that he sayth he refuseth not to communicate in the Sacraments perhaps he stoppeth the crye of his conscience which telleth him he communicateth not in the Sacraments with our congregation by this foolish and deceitfull perswasion namely that he satisfieth his promise by communicating in the Sacraments though but in his owne conuenticles But his argument of fact that he giueth to bring credite withall vnto the same assertion as in these wordes For I haue one childe thas is already baptized according to order and Lawe c. this I say stoppeth vp that starting hole against him And then it woulde bee shewed in what congregation of ours hee hath communicated in the Sacraments since the day of his running ouer sea Nay if his behauiour bee truely obserued when hee commeth into our congregations I doe not thinke it can bee proued that hee hath since that day so much as ioyned with them in their prayers To this last place of the matter of Brownes subscription I haue reserued one thing which is good for al to know and some to prouide for and that is this Answering to my Admonition for that point of his subscription which I had obiected against him as a proofe of a vile conscience he graunteth that he had subscribed but he denieth that he had so subscribed as that he should be prooued against himselfe thereby in anie thing Thereupon he setteth me downe though vntruly as you haue heard certaine fourmes of the pointes whereunto hee did subscribe and there withall telleth mee what handsome interpretations of his owne wordes he can make whereby giuing one hand to the satisfying of the authoritie that then dealt with him with the other hee stroketh the eyes of his foolish followers that they might sleepe still in the opinion of his good meaning As though the dealings of Rob. Browne had not otherwise bene vile ynough except he had by this means shewed that he hath not one haire of an honest man about him Read beloued and then testifie The first article of his subscription he reporteth thus The bishops ciuill authoritie Browne did acknowledge lawfull in his subscription and their magistracie to bee obeyed Well how doe you thinke he maketh this agree with his bookes euen thus hee telles you that hee doeth by those wordes neither iustifie those for brethren which doe persecute nor allow an idle and Lordly ministerie in the Church as a part of the brotherhoode How the reader can conceyue this that he denieth vpon his subscription I knowe not but thus much I am sure this his explication certifieth that the BB. being by the Queene and her lawes allowed the titles of Lordes are accounted of Browne not to bee members of the Church And by this answere it appeareth he coggeth this imagination into his disciples that hee allowed the BB. ciuill authoritie but therewithall denied them their ecclesiasticall ministerie Howbeit in plaine wordes he subscribed to their authoritie To couer himselfe in the 2. article hee is faine to hide the trueth as I haue before discouered For the third though he vse the same craft yet in that hee cannot but confesse that hee subscribed that his childe was baptized according to order of lawe to salue his credite with his companions in this hee saith But yet it was done without his consent and contrary to an order he had taken and appointed for it was baptised in England he being beyonde the sea If it were contrarie to his purpose howe coulde it argue his not refusing to communicate in the Sacrament On the other side if hee tell his disciples true of his meaning herein that hee had taken other order for his childs baptizing but that his being beyond sea crossed his purpose how agreeth that with his neglecting of the same order taking for his later childes baptizing which euen at the time of his subscription he alledged by way of coniecture as if God had giuen his wife safe deliuerance to be baptized also according to lawe He was nowe in Englande when hee might haue taken better order if the first were such an errour But because he had no such colourable excuse for this he tooke a shorter way though no lesse shamefull in stepping ouer that part of the article as though there had beene no such thing Also for his alleaging his seruants comming to Church according to lawe whereby he perswaded vnto the BB. his owne conformitie that way he excuseth this to his companions to be for that he was not to force his seruants agaynst their conscience and custome being newly come to him Adding this beside that he neuer came to the same Church with them the parson beeing a common drunkard and infamous by sundrie faults Againe confessing he promised the BB. on the one side that he would come to Church according to order of lawe On the other side hee perswadeth his disciples that hee might well ynough doe so for that there was no lawe to force him to take such a parson for his lawfull minister neither to ioyne with him in the prayers and Sacraments Thus hath hee first manifestly mocked authoritie so as that place of Iude which hee had wrongfully writhen towardes mee returneth nowe againe with full force vppon his owne heade And secondly hee apparantly sheweth that hee continueth his olde course of seducing the seelie sheepe euen as heretofore In summe if all that is here sayde touching his subscription bee melted together as in one lumpe where shall wee find a more perfect image of a pestilent schismaticke and one more voide of all conscience than is this Browne though Rome it selfe be raked through to find him Howe well doe these notes which were long agoe obserued to be the verie properties of all heretikes agree with this mans maners namely to shrinke from their doctrines as ashamed when they are pressed with them and neuerthelesse still vnderhande to glorie in teaching such things Againe as an other testifieth It is not ynough to bee heretikes vnlesse they bee also hypocrites These are they that come in sheepes clothing Sheepe they are in shew foxes for craft but wolues in act and crueltie Neither is it in price with them to followe vertue but to colour vices as with a certaine painting of vertue To the 108. 14 No part of Church Discipline can bee wanting but the Church doeth straight way goe to ruine thereby Againe there may be a true Church of GOD without the Presbiterie These two axiomes will not well agree as the Admonition supposeth Browne sent me glewe which he sayde was strong ynough to holde them together I haue tryed it and it will