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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04540	A Christian plea conteyning three treatises. I. The first, touching the Anabaptists, & others mainteyning some like errours with them. II. The second, touching such Christians, as now are here, commonly called Remonstrants or Arminians. III. The third, touching the Reformed Churches, with vvhom my self agree in the faith of the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ. Made by Francis Iohnson, pastour of the auncient English Church, now sojourning at Amsterdam in the Low Countreyes.	Johnson, Francis, 1562-1618.	1617 (1617)	STC 14661; ESTC S107828	395,581	331

and courses as they haue rashly runne into them And the more novv that they haue ben manifested againe and againe hovv ever hitherto they would not take heed to the instructions and vvarning giuen unto them 7. Finally vvhereas they say The outward washing need not be repeated and yet say also that they haue renounced the Romish baptisme as an impure Idol in their a●●se they use shifts and contradict themselues For if the outward baptisme be an Idol vvhy doe they reteyn it If it be not an Idol why haue they renounced it That vvhich they speak of their abuse is a shift not to the point in questiō as I noted before Difference is to be put between a●●ing that is abused betvveen the abuse thereof The Scriptures are the vvord of God and not an impure Idol to be renounced though they be abused by the Papists and themselues Wine is the good creature of God and not an impure thing to be renounced though it be abused by drunkards c. But of this God willing more hereafter This for the present may suffice to shew the fraud impiety of their dealing In comparison whereof the dealing of the Anabaptists vvho ●●ding it to be an Idoll and lying signe doe therefore indeed renounce it and receiue another is more conscionable and religious though yet ●●●ery deed it be most sinfull and ungodly For the Baptisme had in the ●●urches aforesaid vvhich they renounce is not an Idol and lying signe ●●●ction as they pretend but is in deed true Baptisme the ordinance 〈◊〉 ●he Lord which in mercy he hath giuen to his church for a signe of his ●●●enant hath stil continued it in the churches aforsaid unto this day ●●● may appear by the reasons here alledged before against the renoun●●●● of that Baptisme and the receiving of another and novv also by these vvhich here followe agreeably thereunto Reasons shewing That the Baptisme of the Church of Rome England is not an Idol and lying signe c. but the Lords ordinance and true baptisme and therefore may not be renounced or another receyved I. Because an Idol and lying signe and fiction is an invention of man in the worship of God Exod. 20 4. Psal 106 36 39. Ier. 2 28. Hos 13 2. 1 Cor. 8 4. and 10 7. Col. 2 18 23. Whereas Baptisme in those Churches is of the holy things of God a true signe of his covenant an institution of the Lord which the Church of Rome had in the Apostles dayes when Antichrist as yet was not seated there hath reteyned it ever since together with other Churches derived therefrom notvvithstanding their Apostasie and great impiety other wayes Rom. 6 3 4. with 1 7. 2 Thes 2 4. Rev. 11 1 2 19. II. Els those Churches the like should not haue a mixture of Gods ordinances with their owne inventions and so haue their thresholds and posts set by the Lords posts and thresholds among them but should be utterly deprived of all every one of Gods ordinances if the Baptisme and other like things among them were all Idols lying signes fictions But they haue such a mixed estate as is aforesaid though some far more then other like as Israel also had heretofore As both the Scripture and experience in all ages doeth shew it to be in all such churches For which see the Scriptures aforesaid and Ezech. 43 7 8. Hos 7 8. and 13 2 4. Amos 2 11. and 8 5. 2 King 7 3. 1 Tim. 4 1 2 3. Rev. 8 7 9 11 12. and 11 1 2 c. III. And if the Baptisme of such churches were in deed an Idol and lying signe and fiction a detestable and cursed sacrament then it should be the sinne of those churches to reteyne that Baptisme still and their duty presently to cast it away And we also ought to plead with them utterly to reject it For so both they ought to doe with all Idols lying signes and inventions of men brought into the vvorship of God and we should also provoke and stirre them up hereunto Ezech. 20 7. Esa 30 22. Hos 2 1 2. and 13 2. and 14 8. 1 Cor. 10 7 11 14. 1 Joh. 5 21. Rev. 21 8. Which if either they or we should doe it would be great sinne and impiety in us all 2 Chron. 29 18 19. with Ier. 50 28. and 51 11. 1 King 19 10 14. Ezech. 43 8. Amos 5 14 15. 1 Thes 5 21. Rev. 11 1 2 19. with Eccles 7 16 17. When Israell fell into defection the Prophets that blamed their idolatries exhorted them to leaue all their iniquities did then also reproue them for not observing religiously such of the ordinances of God as were still remaining among them Amos 8 5. with 2 8 11 12. and 5 4 5. Ier. 17 21 27. with 2 20 28. chap. Ezech. 20 7. with ver 12 13. c. So farre were they from accounting Gods ordinances reteyned in apostasie to be Idols and detestable thing And vvhen reformation vvas made in Iudah that they returned to the auncient syncerity of the Church they cast away onely the filth lothsome things that were brought into the Temple and not eyther the ●●mple it self or any of the holy things therof that had ben polluted but ●●●se they reteyned still as being the Lords notwithstanding al their de●●●tion and cleansed them from the pollutions thereof and such of the ●●●sels of the Lord as had ben cast away in that apostasie they also pre●●red and sanctified 2 Chron. 28. with 29 3 12 16 17 18 19. These things ●●e written for our learning and this president may serue both to direct 〈◊〉 in the trueth and to convince the erroneous opinions and sinful pra●●●ses vvherein so many goe astray some on one hand some on another ●●ndry vvaies IV. Baptisme in the defection of Christian churches is as circumcision vvas in the apostasie of Israell But circumcision in that estate was not an Idoll and lying signe a false or cursed Sacrament but the Lords ordinance a true signe holy Sacrament had in Israel before their defection and still continued in the time of their apostasie as hath also come to passe in the Christian church concerning Baptisme through the merciful and povverfull work of God Gen. 17 7 14. and Lev. 12 2 3. with 2 King 13 ●● 2 Chron. 30 chap. Jer. 9 26. Ezech. 23 ch and 32 24 26 29 30 32. Also Matt. 28 18 19. Rom. 6 3 4. with 2 Thes 2 4. Rev. 11 1 2 19. Which we ought therefore with thanks to acknovvledge and obserue to the praise of God and our owne comfort and not to deny so gracious a work of God or any way to oppugne it to the dishonour of his name and our ovvn unspeakable hurt and evill V. And the Covenant of God is an everlasting covenant which God continueth and respecteth euen in the times of apostasie yea and when he chastiseth the breach and

of Rome and other churches be Christian churches or not and then let all consider thereof indifferently that so the trueth may be found out according to the vvord of God whatsoever other opinions or prejudice vve haue had to the cōtrarie heretofore And hitherto of these expositions of this Scripture Next whereas upon the understanding of this Scripture aforesaid I brought in tvvo consequences shevving hovv it would meet vvith and convince the errors both of the Papists and Anabaptists c. this Opposite setteth himself to withstand in both what he can The first was this that by the Temple of God 2 Thes 2 4. understanding the church of God it vvil follovv that Antichrist should sit in the church of God and is there to be sought found and not among the Ievves Turks Pagans and the like as the Papists and others vvould perswade us To this he opposeth saying it is a fallacie from an insufficient division because all out of the true church are not Ievves or Turks or Pagans but there is a fourth to make up the mease euen popish Antichristians among whom the man of sinne is to be found c. Where omitting that he setteth not down all my vvords first I obserue that now he maketh the Popish Antichristians to be the Temple of God vvhere Antichrist is to be found and but erewhile he told us that by the Temple of God vvhere Antichrist sitteth as God is to be understood Gods church and people invaded and destroyed by Antichrist So as eyther he thinketh the popish Antichristians to be Gods church and people or els he forgetteth and contradicteth himself extreemely Secondly let him tell us vvhether the popish Antichristians of whom he speaketh be Christians in the church of God or not If he say they are Christians and in the church of God he giveth us the cause and doth but use fallacie to deceiue the simple by the terme of popish Antichristians our question now being of the Temple of God vvhere Antichrist sitteth and so of fynding him there among † How in other respects they are or may be termed popish Antichristians or otherwise I doe not here stand upon Christians and not among the Ievves Turks Pagans and the like If he say they are not Christians nor in the church of God hovv then will he shevv that Antichrist is to be sought found among them seing he is to be sought and found in the Temple of God Thirdly I aske vvhen and vvhere those popish Antichristians begun yet are of vvhom he speaketh Also whether they vvere popish Antichristians and not the churches of God before Antichrist invaded and sate among them or became to be such aftervvard If he say they were so before let him tell us vvho they vvere and shevv that such then was their estate If he say they became so aftervvard let him then tel us what they vvere before whether Christians and the church of God or not how long it vvas aftervvard ere they ceased so to be and vvho they are of whom thus he speaketh remembring still to distinguish betvveen Antichrist and the Temple of God vvhere he sitteth Fourthly let him remember how yll he took it when M. Sm. speaking of Rev. 11 2. applied the Court of the Temple to the assemblies of Antichrist Which interpretation then he called ‘ Def. of Scrip. p. 12 13 14 15. impietie dotage his fancie blyndnes of heart abuse of the ●ord of God c. If he could not endure that he should so interpret the court of the Temple spoken of by Iohn how is it that now himself thus expounds the Temple of God spoken of by Paul to be popish Antichristians If it were then impietie dotage a fancie blyndnes and abuse of Gods word so to expound apply it what thinks he it is novv Fiftly where he saith further that in the true church Antichrist the man of sin hath sometimes ben found raunging as a wolf but not reigning as a God which in his own Temple he doeth First I aske what true church it is whereof thus he speaketh that the man of sinne Antichrist hath ben found raunging therein as a wolf Secondly note how now he understands sitting as God to be reigning as a God vvhich here before he understood to be invading and destroying Thirdly how that vvhich the Apostle calleth the Temple of God he stil calleth the Temple of the man of sinne Antichrists ovvn Temple c. Where in vvhether he doe not use fallacie let himself consider others judge Finally touching this Scripture this clause thereof how ever he oppugne what we propound let him yet obserue how others doe understand and apply it Whereof I will here giue but one instance More may be produced hereafter M. Calvin vvriting upon these vvords in the Temple of God noteth this ‘ Calv. in 2 Thes 2 4. By this one vvord is their errour yea their sluggishnes sufficiently refuted who doe therefore account the Pope to be the Vicar of Christ because he hath his fear in the church howsoever he cary himself For Paul placeth Antichrist no other vvhere then in the very Sanctuarie of God For he is no outward enemie but an home-bred or household enemy which under the very name of Christ oppugneth Christ But it is demaunded how a denne of so many superstitions may be called the church which ought to be the pillar of trueth I answer that so it is called not because it reteyneth all the qualities of the church but because it hath somewhat remayning Therefore I acknowledge it to be the Temple of God wherein the Pope ruleth but profaned with innumerable sacriledges Calv. in 2 Thes 2.4 And thus doe other the best vvriters both old and new understand this Scripture of the Church of God So as his opposition is not onely against us but in deed against the best vvriters in all ages And hitherto of the first consequence which I inferred upon the understanding of this Scripture aforesaid vvhich more specially concerneth the Papists and others likewise mynded thereabout Another consequence also I inferred upon the same ground against the Anabaptists and such as incline unto them herein Namely that by the Temple of God spoken off 2 Thes 2 4. understanding the church of God it wil follovv that Antichrist should sit in the church of God and that therefore he is there to be found and doth not wholly take avvay the church of God every truth ordinance of the Lord as Anabaptists and such as are herein Anabaptistically inclined would bear us in hand To this he answereth Neyther did the Divel take away vvholly every trueth and ordinance of God from among the heathens but they reteyned many rites of Gods worship received from their Fathers as ‘ Animad p. 70. before is noted But vvhy now saith he not that the Divell took not away vvholly the church of God from among the heathens Why leaveth he out this

32. with 1 Machab. 1 16 45 51 55. and with Mal. 2 11. Ezra 9 1 2. and 10 10. Neh. 13 3 23 27. Also Hos 5 7. and 7 8. and 8 12. Amo. 8 5. with 2 Cor. 6 14. c. Which should not so be if they vvere not the people and church of God under his covenant and bound to the observation of his statutes and ordinances For the Pagans and such as perteyne not to the covenant of the Lord being not his Church and people are not in their estate bound unto these and the like Ordinances of the Lord vvhich he hath giuen to his church and people Psal 147 19 20. with Deut. 7 1 11. 7. The Apostle speaking of Antichrist in his Epistle to the Thessalonians describeth him thus There shall come an apostasie defection or falling away and the man of sinne shal be revealed 2 Thes 2 3 4. the sonne of perdition who opposeth and exalteth himself aboue al that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God c. 2 Thes 2 3 4. Here the apostle describing Antichrist speaketh of the Temple of God where he sitteth c. Novv that by the Temple of God in Israell vvas figured the Church of God among Christians appeareth by these Scriptures 1 Cor. 3 16 17. 2 Cor. 6 16. Ephes 2 21. Rev. 11 1 2 19. and 14 15 17. and 15 5 6 8. and 16 1 17. compared vvith Zach. 6 12 13. and is acknowledged by the best writers of all ages who also thus interpret and apply this Scripture in 2 Thes 2 4. For which see Amand. Polanus Symphonie chap. 23 thes 3. M. Clift Advertis pag. 100 113. So then from this Scripture I reason as followeth If the Pope of Rome with his hierarchie be the man of sinne here spoken off and the sonne of perdition vvho opposeth and exalteth himself aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped then is the church of Rome the Temple of God here spoken off vvherein he sitteth as God shewing himself that he is God But the Pope of Rome vvith his hierarchie is by † M. Ains Animad p. ●6 1●6 their owne graunt the man of sinne of whom the Apostle here speaketh c. Therefore the church of Rome is the Temple of God also that here is spoken off c. Or thus to like effect If the Church of Rome be not the Temple of God and consequently the church of God spoken off by the Apostle in this place 2 Thes 2 4. then is not the Pope vvith his hierarchie the man of sinne that here is spoken off and the sonne of perdition who opposeth and exaleth himself aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shevving himself that he is God 2 Thes 2 3 4. But the Pope with his hierarchie is by their ovvn acknovvledgement the man of sinne here spoken off c. Therefore also the church of Rome is the Temple of God and so the Church of God spoken off in this place 2 Thes 2 4. The consequence is necessarie as appeareth by the expresse words of the text it self and the comparing of them vvith the Scriptures aforesaid The reason also is so evidēt as vvhosoever hold not the church of Rome to be the church and Temple of God here spoken of neyther can they hold that the Pope of Rome with his hierarchie is the Antichrist man of sinne set therein as the Apostle here speaketh And they that acknowledge this must needs yeeld the other withall Where for further manifestation of the point note remember still to put difference betvveen the man of sinne that sitteth and the Temple of God wherein he sitteth Which not being observed aright besides many unsound speaches and assertions that haue passed such as are otherwise good writers much error hath risen hereabout and great confusion of things that differ See it for more evidence and confirmation hereof in some other like matters phrases of Scripture vvhich may fitly be compared herevvith and vvhereunto this may vvell be referred in divers respects In the historie of the Kings and Chronicles it is recorded that Manasseh king of Iudah who † 2 King 21 9 16. made Iudah to sinne in doing that which vvas evill in the sight of the Lord and seduced them to doe more evill then did the nations vvhom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israell set a graven image of the groue that he had made in the house of which the Lord said to David and to Salomon his sonne In this house and in Ierusalem which I haue chosen out of al the tribes of Israel wil I put my name for ever 2 Kin. 21 7. 2 Chro. 33 7. c. The application hereof we shall shevv hereafter The Psalmist also speaking of the Chaldeans saith O God the heathen are come into thine inheritance thy holy Temple haue they defiled they haue layd Ierusalem on heaps Psal 79 1. And Esay speaking of the king of Babylon saith thus How art thou fallen from heauen O ” or Day starre Lucifer sonne of the morning how art thou cutte downe to the ground which didst weaken the nations For thou hast said in thyne heart I vvill exalt my throne aboue the starres of God and I will sit in the mount of * or testimonie or appointment the Congregation in the sides of the North I will ascend aboue the heights of the clouds I will be like the most High Esa 14 12 13 14. Now that by the mount of † or Church the congregation at the sides of the North is meant Mount Sion on the north side whereof on mount Moriah the Temple of Ierusalem vvas built where also by the Lords appointment the people of God vvas woont to come together for the vvorship of God appeareth by this place compared with Psal 48 1 2. and 78 68. 2 King 19 21 31. 2 Chron. 3 1. Esa 8 18. and 10 12. c. And that thus the Apostles speach aforesaid fitly agreeth herewith vvho can deny Ezechiell the Prophet one of the captiues in Chaldea speaking of the Temple of God at Ierusalem and of the estate of the Ievves the Church and people of God in his time saith The spirit lift me up between the earth the heauen and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem to the doore of the inner gate that looketh toward the North where vvas the seat of the image of jealousie which provoketh to jelousie And behold the glory of the God of Israell was there c. Then said he unto me Sonne of man Lift up thine eyes now the way towards the North so I lift up myne eyes the way toward the North and behold Northward at the gate of the altar the image of jealousie in the entry c. Ezech. 8 3 4 5. with 1 1.

to this head another new head wherupō it is called papal or popish wherin it may likwise rest with al. The calling is to God alone in the church of Rome there is calling to others with God the calling upō thē There the calling is by the spirit Scripture alone whence it receiveth the ministerie delivereth nothing more then that which it hath received from the Lord here it receiveth a ministerie from the spirit of Christ and of the Pope from the Scripture and the ragged traditions of men there finally the persons things and actions are caried according to the doctrine of the spirit and the Scripture onely here all things are taken and exercised out of the Popes changeable shop and at his beck as they say they stand and fall So all the marks on Gods behalf are in it but for it self on it own part as they say there is no mark intire no marke that is not corrupt by the papall poysonfull sorcerie and the order of all things most miserably perverted For which cause in Lyons in France a certain Frier did merrily preach to the people when he sayd the Hugonots for so they are called in France did consent with the church of Rome in all their articles of saith but there was one shrewd word the word Onely at the crack whereof war was in ●indled for they beleeue onely what the rule of faith hath out of the holy Scriptures but the church of Rome requireth more unto faith then is eyther conteyned in the rule of faith or in the holy Scriptures because such is the authoritie of the church And this also These things being well understood all men will easely perceiue how that Church in respect of God or on Gods part is yet a church but of it self is most corrupt and verie neere to destruction But here doe arise two doubts and difficulties by which the minds of many are troubled The first doubt is what we are to judge of the members of that church The latter what the dutie of them is who are in that church and see the great corruptions thereof To the first question we answer on this manner A threefold judgment had need meet together in this cause And this the first of trueth the second of charitie the third of prudence or wisdome The judgment of trueth is of the common condition of the church by which we judge from the calling of God that as yet she is a church The judgment of charitie is of the severall members of the church by vvhich we presume they be members of the church whiles they be called with the calling from God and are in this way as David calleth it Psal 2. The judgment of prudence or wisdome is that by vvhich we discerne and distinguish persons things actions divine from humane good ones from evill true ones from false and the degrees of these also amongst themselues For as of things and actions so also of persons some are corrupting through ignorance infirmitie or malice wholly or in part others are corrupted euen in the simplicity of their hearts as the Scripture speaketh and of these there are a great number of whom it were ungodly to esteeme that they were not of the church of God Of such as doe corrupt we must take heed Mat. 7. of the corrupted who are corrupted yet still we must haue compassion But the Church verely is not to be judged of the maner of either of these for Christ saith not ye shall not know the church but by their fruits of doctrine and life ye shall know them Mat. 7 20. And without doubt they doe very unwisely who judge of the trueth of a church by the particular life or doctrine of any men who ever they be especially of private men for the calling of God maketh the church not the assenting answer of the men that are in it as on the other side the Church ceaseth not to be a church for the refusall or deniall of men wheresoever the calling of God is Now let us come to the second demaund What is the duetie of those wilt thou say that are in the popish church and see the grievous corruptions of it And some clauses here Their dutie is such as of those children which dwel together with their adulterous mother for God hath used this similitude in Esay and Ieremie as we haue seen before A wise sonne vvill euen from his heart abhorre the sinne of his mother he will with speach and signe call back his mother from evill and he will absteine himself from it and in all things he will cleaue to his father he will stand to his judgment he will obey his will and while he can by reason of his mother he will cleaue unto her next after his father but when and whiles by reason of her he can not doe it with good conscience for the spiritual and bodily injurie of her he will betake himself into the chamber of his father Closet or inner room where also is the church the mother of us all Gal. 4 26. For this is not a good consequent if one depart from this or that church therefore he doth altogether depart from the church He doth but trifle that doth so from a particular conclude universally A part of the flesh if it be divided or cut asunder from another part by a wound received is not straight way to be thought to be separate or cut of from the whole body for it is cut asunder and the mouth of the vvound openeth but neyther part is therefore disjoyned from the bodie A godly sonne therefore ought to cleaue to his father and mother jointly so long as with good conscience he can but because he cannot with sound faith and conscience haue fellowship vvith the unfruitfull works of darknes Eph. 5 11. he rather leaving his mother cleaveth to God his father and our Lord Iesus Christ then that he vvill defile himself with those foule deeds of his mother And these passages following to the end And this did our auncestors religiously whom the popish tyrannie for some ages hath exercised The godly which were at Rome and other where in the Church which they call the Romane church abusiuely first learned to abhorre euen from their soule the sinnes of their mother when once they began to haue right understanding by words and signes they modestly called her back from her naughtie deeds whiles she would beare them they carefully absteyned themselues from all communion of evill yet in all things cleaving to their father from whom in whom by whom and for vvhom are all things standing to his judgment and obeying his will finally they did so long cleaue to their mother next after their father vvhilst by her they could so doe with intire faith and conscience and their owne salvation But when they could not longer with good faith and conscience so doe by reason of the violent tyrannie the spirituall