false manner their worship being made of c. I did deny that by affirming that the worship of our Church is the imbracing the holy Bible by the doctrine thereof c Ye say I beg the question and prooue not our worship by the Bible And I say if yée call it begging you beg the question would haue that graunted vnto yée as true which is most false For excepting imperfections wants spots blemishes faults which destroy not the true worship of God our Church dooth worship the Lord aright without heresie blasphemy or idolatry The doctrine of our Church is published if yée can take exception against any point to be heresie or blasphemie bring it foorth that it may be tried by the Bible Then next yée complaine further that I do not answer one of those 4. apparant reasons which yée bring why it is false and contrary to the Bible Well then they may now be considered Thus yée haue noted them with figures ouer the head our worship being made of the 1 inuention of man euen of the 2 man of sinne 3 erronious and 4 imposed vpon vs. I know not for what cause they should be called apparant vnlesse by a farre fetched trope of Metonymie because they manifest and make apparant your vanitie and Anabaptisticall error For the first thrée be no more but one bare affirmation of that principall transgression which yée charge vs withall For all false worship is mans inuention whether it be the inuention of the man of sinne or of any other man it is all one before God who respecteth not persons but the wickednesse of the sinne Also to be mans inuention in Gods worship and to be erronious is all one For whatsoeuer man inuenteth in Gods worship is erronious and whatsoeuer in the same is erronious hath béene inuented by man So that the thrée first are all one bare affirmation and the very same with your article Your Anabaptisticall error is in the fourth for yée challenge such a fréedome to the Church as that nothing may be imposed vpon the flockes no not any thing that the Church gouernours shall decrée by the word which dooth ouerthrow the discipline in a great part Then yée procéed and say for further manifestation of our worship in particular let the booke of Common prayer be examined by the word of God which yée terme a great pregnant idoll full of errors blasphemies and abhominations If the booke stand to be tried by Gods word there is no doubt but as all things done by men euen the best it shall be found vnperfect He that will haue it to be no true worship of God in which there be errors and spots holdeth the heresie of perfection which is very foule and detestable for it is as farre beyond our power to bee perfect in Gods worship as to performe perfect obedience in the second table of the lawe And touching the booke of Common prayer let the reader consider it is not the question betwéene vs whether there be faults in it great faults or how many but whether it be a great pregnant idol full of heresies blasphemies and abhominations I confesse that all men ought with vtter detestation to shunne our worship if it be such as you accuse it But indéed your accusation is false your slaunders are foule and impudent This shall appeare by following your words as they be set downe where yée name those blasphemous abhominations which yée charge the booke withall in their seueral rankes Yée aske vs where we find in the new Testament our Romish fasts our Ember daies Saints éeues and Lent I am indéed out of all doubt and most assured that if a man read ouer not onely the new Testament but also both old and new from the very beginning to the end he shall neuer finde any allowance of Romish fasts I say likewise of the Booke of Common prayer that there be no Romish fasts in it and that yée doo most iniuriously slaunder and belie vs in matching our Church in this point with the blasphemous synagog of Rome For that Antichristian Church de rogating in all things from the Crosse of Christ hath vpon certaine daies and at certaine times times appointed an abstinence from meates placing therein the worship of God remission of sinnes and the merite of eternall life The Church of England dooth vtterly condemne this as the doctrine of Diuels 1. Timoth. 4 pronouncing them enimies to the crosse of Christ which maintaine meritorious fasting We teach that the kingdome of God is not meat and drinke but righteousnes and peace and ioy in the Holy-ghost Rom. 14. And that there is no holinesse in eating or not eating but an abstinence whereby we may humble our selues and be more feruent in prayer The politike lawes of this land which appoint that vpon certaine daies men shall not eat flesh doo it in respect of the common-wealth as to maintaine Nauigation so much the better by incouraging men to fish and for the spare of the bréed of yoong cattle appointing moreouer a penaltie for such as shall take the daies to be obserued as meritorious Romish fasts Therefore let all men héere at the first consider how sophistically yée doo argue that the Church of England dooth absteine from flesh vpon ember dayes Saints Eues and in Lent therefore the Church of England dooth maintaine and obserue Romish fasts Thus dooth one cracke of your great ordinance vanish onely into smoake Then yée say your idol feasts your Alhallowes Candlemas seuerall Lady dayes Saints dayes and dedicating Churches vnto Saints Héere also yée thunder out terror as if the Church of England did worship idols and celebrate feasts in the honour of false gods and yet all is but a starke lie and a wicked slander And I would wish all men to obserue the boldnesse and eloquence which yée haue in this vaine For whereas the synagog of Antichrist denying the onelye mediation of our blessed Lord Iesus did set vp the Saints as mediators did praye vnto them worship them celebrate holy dayes in their honour and dedicate churches vnto them the Church of England for these and such like abhominations hath separate her selfe from them teaching by the holye Scriptures that there is one God and one mediator betwéene God and man the man Iesus Christ That the same only true God is to be worshipped alone and called vppon through the only mediation of his beloued Sonne in whome he is well pleased That Saincts are not to be worshipped neyther the blessed Virgin nor any other nor no dayes to be celebrated in their honour nor Churches dedicated vnto thē how bitterly then do you sclaunder Ye will reply that the Saincts dayes be kept in our Church yea but ye must shewe that they be kept in their honour which ye shall not be able to doo séeing the contrary is manifest the Statute expressing that our Church doth call thē Holydayes not for the Saincts sakes but for the holy exercises
c. These doo concerne the third and fourth accusation and therefore the Aunswere is included in the Aunswere to them Yet I tooke exception against the first that the Church may be holden by force from executing Gods commaundement touching externall Gouernment and yet be the true Church of God And for example I alleadged the Church that was held captiue in Babylon You according to your vsuall manner extend this to a wilfull violating of Gods commaundement And further you deale in that which yée demaund as if all your accusations against the Churche of Englande were true touching Idolatrous worship You should aunswere directly whether they be not the Church of God which are by force being willing kept backe from executing Church Gouernment You take your selues to be the true Church and yet yée are restrayned from setting vp those Orders which yée professe ye would I would knowe whether this bée not some bondage If yée say yet this is not to be subiect to any false gouernment To prooue that the Church may of ignorance and frailtie bée in some bondage of a false gouernment and yet bée the true Church I indeuored to shewe that Ierusalem from aboue is not in this world so fullie possessed of her fréedome but that shée and euerie one of her children bée in some spirituall bondage For proofe I alleadged that Saint Paule sayeth He sawe in his members a lawe rebelling against the lawe of his minde and leading him captiue to the lawe of sinne Rom. 7. You cry out and say yée will thinke me a carnall Libertine if I recant not this doctrine What Atheist say you would thus haue defended his grosse sinne I doo not meruayle that yée are moued so sore at this doctrine for if it bée prooued that the true Church and euerie member of the same is tyed in some spirituall bondage in this world it breaketh the mayne piller of Brownisme which they erect out of this sentence Ierusalem from aboue is free with her children and so their whole frame commeth downe this maketh you so hastely to thrust vnder a rotten proppe euen as it came to hand Ye say that Saint Paule neuer continued captiue vnto sinne after regeneration neither gaue place vnto euill thoughts no more doo any of you S. Paul saith that the law in his members did lead him captiue to the lawe of sinne He saith I do the euil which I hate I my selfe in my minde serue the law of God and in my flesh the lawe of sinne Was not Dauid regenerate and yet gaue place to euill thoughts so farre as to commit adultrie and murther If the regeneration and fréedome of Brownists from all spirituall bondage be such that they giue not place vnto euill thoughts they shall neuer haue any great company vnlesse it be of ranke hypocrites of such indéed there may be stoare Ye looke that I should recant But I say either you or S. Paul must recant for that which you say is flat contrary and opposite to that which hee saith Looke well to it for I tell ye he is too constant to recant If it please God to bestow his grace you may Ye say what Atheist would thus haue defended his grosse sinne And I say what Heretike could more bouldly speake flat contrary to the blessed Apostle and to the manifest doctrine of the Scriptures deliuered euery where then you doe it may be ye stand chéefely vpon the words of our Sauiour which yée alledge that no man can serue two maisters If the regenerate be held captiue in any part vnto sinne they serue two maisters This needeth to be opened We are most sure that Saint Paul in that hée saith dooth not differ from our Sauiour Christ and yet in shewe hee séemeth to speake quite contrary For where the one saith No man can serue two Maisters The other saith I my selfe in my minde serue the lawe of God and in my flesh the lawe of sinne How shall this bee reconciled is there no waye but to fall vpon the rockes of Brownisme and to imagine that the regenerate are so fréed that they be in no captiuitie vnto sinne nor giue place vnto euill thoughtes Yes verelye The regenerate doo fall into sinne not onelye in thoughts but in déedes not onelye of ignorance but euen against theyr knowledge as Dauid Peter and manye other in the holye Scriptures And therefore they may be said to serue sinne in the flesh that is in the corruption yet remaining in them not extinguished by the law of the minde that is the grace and worke of regeneration Yet the doubt remaineth for all is but one man so farre as he is regenerate and so farre as he is corrupt and therefore when in the flesh he dooth serue the law of sinne the whole man may be said to serue the lawe of sinne S. Paul dooth deny that and saith I doo the euill that I hate I consent to the lawe of God that it is good I delight in the law of God concerning the inner man it is no longer I that sinne but the sinne that dwelleth in me We sée then the same man sinneth and in some respect is saide to be in captiuitie and to serue sinne and in an other respect he is accounted with God not to serue sinne séeing he is by tyrannous forcing drawne to doo that which he hateth How standeth the fréedome then of Ierusalem and her Children I say her perfect fréedome with all her children is in the remission of sinnes Touching that she hath in this world it may thus be compared As if a man lye bound in chaines so that he cannot stirre any member and after his chaines be loosed he can rise and walke but yet his chaines hang vpon him and are a burthen hee cannot cast them off For by nature we are so fast chained that we haue no moouing at all in vs being dead in sinne But through the worke of regeneration we are borne we are raised our bands and chaines are loosed and broken we can rise we can stand we can walke though faintlye our chaines euen a lumpe of corruption in the flesh pressing vs downe so sore Then I conclude that seeing the Church in this life is in some bondage to sinne and yet the true Church And séeing there may be the true visible Church vnder some yoake of outward bondage let the Church of England haue that fauour which other churches haue had and not bee so rigorouslye condemned Thus much touching the first accusation together with your arguments against read prayer The second transgression The Brow 2 THat the prophane multitudes without exception of any one person c. The second fault is that all the prophane multitudes without exception of any one person are admitted and retained in the bosome of the Church Manye Churches in England want godly Pastours and there all are admitted It may be he that admitteth is the worst in the company But there be many greater and smaller congregations where
the name and I haue heard diuers say they go beyond Browne But whosoeuer shal reade his books and peruse all their writings shall well see that he deserueth to haue the honour if any be and to be called the Captaine and maister of them all They haue all their furniture from him they do but open his packe and displaye his wares They haue not a sharpe arrowe which is not drawne out of his quiuer Then next touching the question betweene them and me let the reader consider it is not about the controuersie in our Church as whether there be imperfections corruptions and faults in our worship ministerie and church gouernment nor how many great or small But whether there be such heynous enormities as destroy the verye life and being of a true Church and make an vtter diuorse from Christ I will lay it open more plaine by a comparison which the Scripture vseth The Church is like a man in whom there be many parts and members Rom. 12. If all the parts or members of the body haue their iust proportion be whole and sound and set in their due order the soule and life departed he is no longer a man to speake properly but the dead carcasse of a man But now if he be sicke and diseased so that all partes are feeble or if he be deformed with sores and maimes wanting hand foote eye nose or such like yet is he still a man so long as the soule and life remaine in him All men doo know this to be true yea euen the simplest make no doubt or controuersie about it Let vs see therefore whether it be a fitte comparison with the Church and whether it be so in it of necessitie and as manifest by the doctrine of the holy scriptures as this other is vnto our bodily senses To finde this we must first consider whether there be no true Church of GOD but that which is perfect in this worlde Wee knowe that there are none but Heretikes yea ranke abhominable heretikes which obstinately deny this cleere doctrine of the holy Scriptures namely that euen the most faithfull and the most godly are not perfect while they liue vpon the earth We know but in part 1. Cor. 13. In many things we sinne all Iam. 3. v. 2. And who vnderstandeth his errors or who can tell how oft he offendeth Psal 19. The perfectest members of the Church doo erre doo sinne are maimed are weake are spotted and deformed many wayes Nowe whereas all the members be in this case needes must the whole body which is composed of them be in the same estate Then we may not looke for a Church in this world which is not spotted deformed maymed and weake in some respects But the question must bee how farre it may bee deformed and maimed and yet remaine aliue and so a true Church of God Let all the partes bee ioyned together let there be all sortes of officers and offices yet if the life and as it were the soule of the Church be wanting it is but a dead carcasse Contrarywise let there be some members wanting some maimed all parts deformed and weake yet is it a true Church of God so long as the soule and life dooth remaine in it And what is the soule and life of the Church Iesus Christ apprehended by faith I liue now saith Saint Paul but not any longer I but Christ liueth in me Galath 2. ver 20. All the members of the Church are incorporate and graffed into Christ by faith and doo growe in him and through the operation of his spirite receiue the iuice and sappe of life from him Iohn 15. Whosoeuer beleeueth in the Sonne of God shall be saued though he be full of errors full of infirmities and deformities both in body and soule labouring to be purged But if a man or an assembly do hold that which ouerthroweth the faith in Christ they are gone there is no life remaining As the Papacie holdeth many things aright touching Christ but it holdeth sundry things contrary which ouerthrow the very foundation of the faith and so the Papacie it selfe is not Gods true Church Thus haue I laide open the question betweene mee and the Brownists wherein then are the Maisters and Capitaines of Brownisme deceiued And what is it in which they seeke victorie and glory They knowe there is no sinne no error no corruption nor no abuse but that if all the learnedest in the worlde would take vpon them to cleere and to defend the same they shall not be able Then they are desirous of victorie of triumphe and glorye ouer all both wise and learned Heere therefore they entrench themselues they make their Bulwarkes plant their ordinance set themselues in arraye and sound the Trumpet of defiance against all They presume none shall euer be able to driue them out of their holde And indeed he that condemneth an error and goeth no further can neuer be vanquished But heerein they are deceiued that out of this Forte they will batter downe the Church For theyr ordinance is ouer weake for that they stoppe in powder in great plenty for they laye on toong enough and so make terrible thundering crakes But the Bullets which come foorth and which should doo the deed are nothing but hereticall erronious and fantasticall opinions and so all vanisheth into smoake They must therefore at the last leaue their holde and take them to their heeles for Gods Church will not be battered downe by any assaults of Schismatikes Some will thinke hardly that I terme them Schismatikes seeing they be men that are accounted zealous and stand for good things But the truth is they be not onely a Schisme yea a vile Schisme rending themselues from the Church of England and condemning by their assertions the whole visible Church in the worlde euen as the Donatists did of olde time but also they maintaine heresies and some that touche the very foundation of faith and Christian religion they be vtter violaters of ecclesiasticall discipline they abridge the power of the ciuill Magistrate beside sundry fantasticall opinions For when as the life of the church consisteth in the apprehensson of Christ through faith it must needs be an heresie to conclude as they doo a nullitie a quite ouerthrow of the same from errors faults which are not fundamentall Faith and regeneration being vnperfect in all that liue vpon the earth it is heriticall to say that is no Church of God which holding the sounde doctrine hath sinnes and great abuses in it The stablenesse of Gods couenant towarde the Church being founded onely vpon his free grace it is detestable impietie to hang it vpon the works of men as the Brownists do when they affyrme that where there is any open sinnes suffered in an assemblie the couenant is disanulled with them all And if men consider well they shall finde that the whole Brownisme resteth vppon the heresie of perfection and Anabaptisticall freedome For from hence that it
is written Ierusalem from aboue is the mother of vs all and is free with her children They boast of such freedome as that touching outwarde orders the Prince and Church hath no power to impose any thing by Lawes and Constitutions Which is one thing wherein they do not onely abridge the power of the Christian Magistrates denying them the authoritie to reforme the Church and to compell their subiects to the true worship spoyling the Church of that comfortable ayd but also condemne all reformed Churches which haue orders and prescript formes of prayers imposed which these Brownists tearme Idolatrie a tradition bringing Christian libertie into bondage and therefore a thing most detestable Moreouer they hold such a perfect freedome from all spirituall bondage of sinne that they affyrme S. Paule neuer consented to wicked thoughts after he was regenerate But in an other place they affyrme that all men be Idolaters and can keepe no one Commaundement where they are both contrary to themselues vttering that which ouerthroweth the whole Brownisme and also speake grosely For albeit there is no man perfect in any Commaundement yet the holy Scriptures do not call them Idolaters nor adulterers They boldly gayne say the holy Ghost by affirming that the Psalmes were not to be sung vnto God And touching the discipline which is the thing they most glorie of as if they suffered for it let all men know for certaintie that they be not only ignorant what it is but also do in their practise breake and ouerthrow the very pith and substance thereof in the chiefe rules For they take vpon them to abandon and cast foorth whole assemblyes which professe the Gospell and haue their estimation and dignitie among all godly Churches without obseruing the rule giuen by our Sauiour Christ Math. 18. They intrude themselues without calling beeing meere priuate men to the erecting and establishing of a publike gouernment forgetting that which is written I haue not sent them and yet they runne They cut off also the power of the Church in a great part of the discipline as namely in ordeyning constitutions in things that are variable Finally touching this poynt I may say boldly the Diuell can no way almost more disgrace Ecclesiasticall gouernment then he doth by them for it is the Sterne of Christes Ship and requireth men of the greatest wisedome learning experience and sobrietie that may be for to guide it Now when the common Artificer the Apprentise and the Bruer intrude themselues and they will guide the same being ignorant rash and headie what worldlie wise man will not take it that discipline her selfe is but a bedlem Who will aduenture himselfe in that Ship where presumptuous ignorance and bold frensie doth sit at the Helme Shall that Ship escape the rockes If it would please God to giue Browne the grace to repent and to speake the truth he could best declare this thing For when he had with certayne other drawne some both men and women ouer the Seas and there spread his Sayles how soone did his silly Boate dash vppon the rocke and was clouen in two or three peeces Let not men be deceyued with euery vayne shewe for vndoubtedly he that obserueth shall finde that the end of Brownisme is infinite Schismes Heresies Atheisme and Barbarisme For what other fruites can followe of the disgracing and condemning the liberall Artes of bringing the ministerie of Gods Word by which the religion and godlines that is in men hath been â—rought into vtter contempt What can followe from immoderate outragious rash furie wrath and bitter zeale and vainglorious contention which are earthly sensuall and diuelish If men could stay themselues but a while and see whether the same things spring not foorth which came from the Donatists and Anabaptists it were well For it is to be wondred at that any which professe the Gospell should be seduced and called away not only from the Ministers of the Church of England that haue taught them but from all the most worthy men and Churches vnder heauen and that by the voyce of the Deuill in such furious blinde Schismatikes In deede there be two speciall causes of it the one that sundry men receyue not the holy Word of God in humilitie with feare and trembling with conscience to practise but are puffed vp and swell with opinion of their knowledge as soone as they can vtter a fewe words and growe vnto vayne iangling yea vnto bitter zeale and contention in stead of being quiet as S. Paule willeth and medling with their own busines 1. Thes 3. and also in stead of following after righteousnes faith and loue 2. Timoth. 3. He that seemeth most zealous in religion and refraineth not his toong hath but bitternesse in steed of heauenly zeale For wheras in steed of gentlenesse meekenesse patience mercie and loue yee finde wrath fiercenesse intemperat rage vncharitable condemning and slaundering know for certainty that the true zeale is not there The other cause of mens seducing is that in this corrupt age there be many stumbling blockes and greeuous offences where indeed it is the part and duty of euery true Christian man beside the taking heede to his owne wayes most instantly to offer vp praiers and supplications to God to intreate him to shew mercie and compassion vpon vs by increasing all heauenly graces and giftes of his holy spirit in our most noble Queene and in all Gouernours both ciuill and ecclesiasticall that there may be feruent zeale to purge the house of God and to take away the causes of contention that we may not alwaies seeke to deuoure one an other but that vnity and concord may florish holding this withall that it is also euery mans dutie that will feare God to giue him hearty thanks for the inestimable treasures and blessings which he hath bestowed vpon vs by meanes of the happy raigne of our gratious Soueraigne and to take heed of that malignant spirite of Brownisme which would carry vs to this wicked opinion that she bearing the Sworde of God hath doone no more for vs then an Heathen Prince might doo For if we haue no word of God no ministery no Sacraments nor visible Church but all idolatrous and antichristian what hath she done what honor can she haue for defence of the Gospell This is no small dishonour and iniurie to a Christian Prince thus to diminish the loue of the subiects The Lord giue them repentance and grace to cease from such impietie and let all men with modestie reuerence and subiection and not with reproch and contempt seeke the redresse of abuses at their hands which be in Authoritie and not aduenture like Corah Dathan and Abiram to intrude themselues without calling and warrant from God They cryed out are not all the Lords people holy and therefore Moses and Aaron yee take too much vppon yee The Brownist proclaymeth that all the Lords people are free and therefore freely to deale and not to haue any thing imposed by any Be
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
from the booke which also dooth instruct me the like may be said when the congregation dooth pray with their pastor they fetch not the cause of their sighing from him but are stirred vp by him Your next words stand thus The reasons why we disalow of read prayers in steed of spiritual prayers that though they may be read for meditation as any other mens writs yet is it Idolatrie to offer vp to God such manner of sacrifices either priuately or in the publike assemblies Yée are very angrie that I termed your reasons by which yée oppose read praier vnto spirituall praier spirituall fantasies But take you héed that they grow not to be worse Yée are also gréeued that I call them your stuffe but how good stuffe it is let the pure word try I said it is false doctrine to make read prayer serue only for meditation My proofe was this that Christ saith not when ye meditate but when ye pray say thus Our Father which art in heauen and héere ye fling about as if ye had Béez For first ye exclaime that I make smal conscience to sclaunder ye because I said ye make read prayer serue only for meditation which is false doctrine Meditation as I take it comprehendeth all that is done in studying and musing when one readeth the praying is another If ye can shew a third vse when one readeth prayer I will confesse an error otherwise though ye haue not expressed the word only yet ye haue in effect vttered so much when ye say read prayer is not to be prayed Secondly ye charge me to deny that read prayer serueth for meditation at all which is in deede false doctrine because I said Christ saith not when ye meditate but when ye pray say thus Our Father which art c. Do I not say truly that Christ saith not when ye meditate but when yée pray say thus Our Father which art c. How can you then but like Spiders sucke that poyson from thence Thirdly ye accuse me that I make no difference betwéene our owne Leiturgies and the Canonicall Scripture which is a most friuolous cauill séeing our question is about reading of prayer whether it be Canonicall Scripture or framed from thence according to the rules of godly prayer Thus haue ye answered nothing at all vnto that commaundement which I alleaged giuen by our Sauiour to vse that prescript forme of prayer but only by shift and cauill Then ye goe about to proue that euery sinne against the first Table of the Lawe is Idolatry but with no shewe of reason And heere ye scoffe because I sayd if euery sinne that is against the first Table be Idolatry who shall be saued and ye demaund who is frée from Idolatry an absurd spéech for the Scripture doth not call the godly either murtherers théeues idolaters or such like I thought we had not reasoned about the reliques of sin which remaine in the best so long as they liue héere but of such grosse idolatry as a Church is to be condemned and forsaken which is defiled therewith But séeing ye confesse that all men be idolaters that is touching the remnants of sinne it must néedes followe that there is no Church frée from all spottes for if all the partes and members be defyled the whole can not be cleane This doth ouerthrowe all the arguments which yée bring to condemne the Church of England which haue no force vnlesse yée will maintaine a perfection for if a Church and euery member in it can not but of necessitie be spotted and defyled with some remnants of idolatrie euen by your owne confession then can ye not reason thus this is a fault it is idolatrie therefore this or that assemblie which is spotted is no true Church but to be forsaken But ye must stand to prooue that the idolatrie is so grosse that it destroyeth the faith ouerthroweth Gods true worship and so destroyeth the verie life béeing of a Church Thus much about your preface now follow your argumēts No apocrypha is to be brought into the publike assemblyes All read prayer is apocrypha Therefore no read prayer is to be brought into the publike assemblyes In my first answere I did deale only with the assumption or second part of this Argument affirming that I could not sée how it can be proued and shewing sundry absurdities that would follow as namely that a prayer of the Canonicall Scripture being read when one prayeth should become apocrypha c. But you replyed that those absurdities grow from my mistaking your words and I sawe it was so for our question being about the reading of prayer and not about the matter it selfe I tooke it that although yee hold the Lords prayer and other prayers in the holy Scripture to be Canonicall in themselues yet being read to become apocrypha because ye say all read prayer is apocrypha and did not expresse it with this restraint all read prayer framed by men is apocrypha I must now take the Argument as you say your meaning is and deale with both the parts thereof First then touching the proposition no apocrypha is to be brought into the publike assemblies what can be more false Apocrypha is opposed vnto Canonicall if nothing may be brought into the Church but the Canonicall Scriptures then the Sermons and prayers of the pastors and teachers are to be banished I knowe your meaning is not at all to exclude these although your words taking apocrypha as it is in vse among vs do in déede shut them foorth and not only them but any paraphrase vpon the Scripture as the Psalmes in Metre Now to your assumption which saith all read prayer is apocrypha first it is false touching the Psalmes and the Lords prayer which be Canonicall when they be prayed Then further I sée no fitnesse in applying the name apocrypha vnto our spéech to God though it be vsed for that which is not his vndoubted word to vs. For by what name opposite to apocrypha will ye call those prayers which ye do allow ye will not call them Canonicall this Argument therfore is false and friuolous Argum. 2. We must do nothing in the worship of God without warrant of his word Read prayers haue no warrant of his word Therfore read prayers are not to be vsed in the worship of God To this I answer at the first that it is great audacitie to affirme that there is no warrant of the word for read prayer whē there be sundry testimonies to warrant the same vnlesse ye will make a difference betwéene that which a man readeth vpon the booke that which he hath learned out of the booke Further I said I do not remember that euer I haue read in the holy Scriptures that God commandeth the prayer shall be read vpon the booke for he commendeth this diligēce in all his people that they should throughly learne to vnderstand not only the matters but also the sentences and phrases which his spirit
hath not the heart béene first mooued with the word of faith why may not the heart be mooued againe with hearing or reading the word and so vtter true praier the heart is mooued when one heareth the praier of the minister and presently sendeth forth praiers together with him Do ye imagine that the heart cannot both be mooued and pray at the same instant Is it not possible for one to pray in singing a Psalme Argu. 7. We must pray as necessitie requireth But stinted praiers cannot bee as necessitie requireth Therefore stinted prayers c. To this I answered approouing the proposition and in the assumption I did distinguish of matters to be praied for as that there be things necessarie to be praied for at all times and of all men of these a prescript forme may be vsed at all méetings of the Church There be matters not at all times néedfull to be praied for touching these there can be no prescript forme to be vsed continually yea some things fall out so rare that it were hard for as it is a fault to omit that which néedeth continually and of all men to be praied for so is it a grose babling to pray for things whereof there is no néed And if yée obserue the prescript praiers of all Churches yée shall find the regard of these two things that nothing necessary be omitted y t no praier be for such things as fall out sildome but they are limited to the time And further that which falleth out beside the prescript formes the ministers of the word are to supply And in the Church of England the Preachers are not limitted touching the matters of their praiers But if I meane by the things which be necessary to be prayed for at all times the Sacraments or any such thinges as Christ hath set foorth in his word wee should thinke our Sauiour Christ you say to haue forgotten himselfe that when he did commaund them to preach and baptize that he did not prescribe some forme of wordes for their praiers before their doctrine and Sacraments To this I aunswer I doo not holde that for the administration of the worde and Sacramentes it is of necessitie there should bee a forme of praier prescribed for the Minister may conceiue the prayers at the administration of the Sacraments as well as at the preaching of the worde But prescript forme is for conueniencie Neither am I of the minde that one precise forme is of necessitie Therefore yée reason verye fondlye in saying wee might thinke our Sauiour forgat himselfe that he did not prescribe a forme of wordes for their prayers before their doctrine and Sacramentes Your nexte wordes that then I must further saye that all things necessarye in the worship of GOD are not conteined in the Canonicall Scriptures and so euerye waye vpholde the Papists are euen as farre wide For all things necessarye and conuenient in Gods worshippe bee conteined in the Canonicall Scriptures But are you ignorant of this that there be many thinges conteyned in the Scriptures which are not in particular expressed but to bee gathered from the generall groundes and rules of doctrine What if one should obiect vnto yée there is no commaundement nor example of the Apostles in the scriptures for anye prayer to bee made at the Preaching of the worde and administration of Sacraments Therefore it is not conteined in the Scriptures that there should bee anye and so a thing not necessarye Would yée not flie to this that although it bee not expressed by anye commaundement that there should bee such prayers yet is it to bee gathered out of the doctrine conteined in the Scriptures How grosse are yée then in saying that this dooth vpholde the Papists But yée saye it were well I set downe what it is that may bee fitte at all times and for all persons to craue I maruaile anye should be so babling as to propound such a matter making doubt For can yée be ignorant that going through the whole Lords praier and opening the particulars there is no one petition but almost all branches of it are necessary to bee craued at all publike méetings and of all persons When will there bee a time and an assemblie in which it shall not bee fitte for all to make supplication that the name of the Lorde may bee sanctified that they may receiue the giftes and graces of the Holy-ghost to imbrace the true light of the Gospell to increase in knowlege faith and repentance to praye for Princes for the whole Church and for the ouerthrowe of Christes enimies to haue grace to obey and to walke worthy of the Gospell To craue all benefites for our necessary sustentation and the pardon of our sinnes with deliuerance from the deuill They bee all conteined in the Lordes praier but wee as children néede to haue them particularly expressed in that manner which may best helpe and guide vs. And touching praiers at the Sacraments they may verye well be the same séeing the thinges doo euer remaine the same which we are then to craue Vnlesse yée will maintaine that there bee thinges in administration of Sacraments at sometime to be prayed for and not at other Then so farre as prescript forme of prayer dooth fullye and fitlye expresse our néede it is no babling and so this your argument dooth not condemne it Read prayers were deuised by Antichrist and maintaine superstition and an idol ministerie Therefore read praiers are not tollerable c. Antichrist deuised manye blasphemous wicked prayers But to say that the reading or following a prescript forme of praier was his deuice is most false for there were leiturgies in the Church of olde before Antichrist was set in his throne And moreouer the prescript formes deliuered in the scriptures to be vsed and which were vsed and practised by the Church shewe that the thing is allowed by God Yée say I haue confessed that I neuer read in the scriptures any warrant to reade praiers vnto God and then it must néedes follow that it is antichristian I say you know that yée doo falsifie my spéech For I said and haue prooued that it is great audacitie to affirme that there is no warrant in Gods word for prescript forme of praier But I doo not remember that euer I read in the scriptures that God dooth commaund a man to reade the praier vpon the booke My reason is rendered that God dooth commend such diligence in all his seruants as to haue in memorie c. Will ye gather thus it is not expressely commaunded therefore there is no warrant it is not expresly commaunded that euer I read that the Minister shal make praier before and after his sermon Will yée charge me héerevpon that I say there is no warrant for it in the word There would sundrye inconueniences growe for want of prescript forme of publike praiers I did onely mention this that euery frantike spirit of which sort there may bee some in the Ministrie will not onely
all that doo ioyne together in that societie I might héere make an ende touching this second principall transgression but that there bée certayne particular reasons by which they stand to mayntayne theyr opinion First to this effect many doo speake If there be wicked men suffered to come to the Table of the Lord the Minister and Ecclesiasticall Gouernours doo commit so grieuous a sinne that they can not but be vtterly voyde of the true feare of God Then he which is a wicked man can not be a Minister of Christ and béeing no Minister of Christ there is no Sacrament of Christ deliuered how then shall a man communicate with that assemblie I haue shewed before that there be great sinnes and great neglect of dutie oftentimes where there is the true faith in weakenesse and so they sinne damnablie which take vppon them to iudge them no Christians The faithfull in Corinth were blinded in theyr owne faults and verie securely did the Pastors and Gouernours suffer the incestuous person to continue among them And whereas they say that if the Minister be vngodly he can be no Minister of Christ it is false for the man touching his owne person may be a reprobate and yet touching his ministerie a Minister of Christ Iudas was a Minister of Christ and baptized Iohn 4. ver 2. they were as truly and effectually baptized by him as by Peter and yet in himselfe a Deuill Iohn 6. vers 70. The two Sonnes of Ely were horrible wicked men 1. Sam. 2. ver 12. 22. and yet they are called not only Priests but Priests of the Lord 1. Sam. 1. vers 3. Ely himselfe did offend and was sharply punished that being not only their Father but also high Priest and Iudge he did not put them from the dignitie of the Office but did honour them with the same not regarding Gods honour 1. Sam. 2. vers 29. The Scribes and Pharisies who were not all of the Sonnes of Leuy for Saint Paule was a Pharisie and the Sonne of a Pharisie but yet of the Tribe of Beniamin were Ministers of the Church for Christ sayth They sate in Moyses Chayre and willed men to heare them notwithstanding they were blinde guides hypocrites prowde couetous ambitious and verie reprobates Matth. 23. Then next they alleadge that a little leauen doth leauen the whole lumpe 1. Cor. 5. Therefore where one open notorious Sinner is admitted to be a member of the Church all are leauened and polluted all doo fall from God I aunswere that Saint Paule rebuketh the Corinthes that they were puffed vp and did glorie when they should haue sorrowed for as many as had the power of the Discipline in theyr hands and did neglect were partakers of his sinne and not only they but of priuate members all that did not mourne and lament to sée such a foule matter wincked at As the Lord himselfe doth cléere all those which mourned for the abhominations of Ierusalem Ezechiel 9. so were they frée and not leauened which did mourne at Corinth for such abuses Moreouer it is verie false to say that whole Church was leauened or polluted with the sinne of that wicked man therefore they were not the Church of God For béeing giltie not only in that fault but in many other hée giueth them the honour of Gods Church writing to the Church of God which is at Corinth 1. Corinth 1. Then are obiected the words and commaundement of the Lord by Saint Paule If any that is called a brother be a fornicator or couetouse or an Idolater or a rayler or a drunckard or an extortioner with such see that yee eate not 1. Cor. 5. Some hold that this commaundement is giuen only against the eating with an open sinner at the Lords Table séeing we may eate common bread with such as be verie wicked Others doo argue thus If it be not lawfull to eate common bread with a wicked man how much more vnlawfull shall it be to eate with him that holie bread of the Lords Table as the Anabaptists lighting vpon these words of our Sauiour Christ but I say vnto ye Sweare not at all Matth. 5. do gather that it is vtterlie vnlawfull in any respect or at any time to take an oath and erre in not considering the circumstances whereby the words vttered in generall are to be restrayned vnto the particular abuse and rash swearing Euen so the Brownists taking the words as they stand and not waying the circumstances doo mayntayne absurdities They drawe theyr Argument of comparison from things in which the sinne or pollution is not for the sinne is not in the eating of the common bread neyther in eating the bread of the Lord with the wicked but in circumstances For I may eate bread with open sinners and offend thereby and I may eate bread with notorious wicked men and not offend therein yea I may grieuously sinne in refusing to eate with them I will expresse how If there be open grosse offenders and my familiaritie with them or my eating with them can not be but I shall eyther be partaker of their sinne or countenance and harden them in the same I offend if I doo not shunne their companie If any brother in the Church be conuict of foule sinne found obstinate and so Excommunicate euery member of the Church euen by the commaundement of God is to haue no fellowship with him that he may be ashamed 2. Thes 3. v. 14. But yet we are willed in the same place not to account him as an enimie but to admonish him as a Brother For if men should now in familiaritie receiue him to their table or go to his table it would harden him in his obstinacie and bring the censure and power of the Church into contempt This is that S. Paul dealeth about The wife of this man his children and seruants may eate with him or anye other where it cannot be eschewed for then it dooth not countenance him Now if I be in a ship vpon the sea among a company of vild wicked men or in a prison or in an armie and can haue no meate vnlesse I eate with them if I refuse I famish my selfe to death and so offend gréeuouslie We sée then it is not the very eating with them that dooth defile but the circumstances Euen so is it at the Lordes table where wicked men be admitted For such as doo admit them hauing power to repell do offend in eating there with them because they countenance them in their sinne But nowe a priuate member which is gréeued at this and dooth what lyeth in him to haue it redressed dooth not offend nor is not polluted by eating with them But as he that among the wicked in the ship in the prison or in the Campe doth offend in refusing his bodely sustenance so shall he if he refuse that heauenly foode of his soule for all the wicked cannot corrupt the same vnto him This man hath no fellowship with the vnfrutefull works of darkenesse
preheminence among them receiueth vs not Therefore if I come I will declare his deeds railing at vs with malitions words and not content therewith neither he himselfe receiueth not the brethren and them that would he forbiddeth casteth them out of the church ver 9. 10. Dooth S. Iohn tell the Christians that this tyrannous oppression by Diotrephes did make them to be no longer Christes Church which remained vnder him Did he will them to seperate themselues and not to obey him any longer in any thing Our Sauiour saith the time will come that they shall excommunicate yée Iohn 16. ver 2. Antichrist himselfe sitting in the Temple of God seduced the reprobate but could not destroy the Church which yet he did gréeuously oppresse and kéepe in some bondage Whereby it appeareth that Solomon speaketh of that which should fall out often and be euen as it were the lot of the Church to be iniuried oppressed and kept in some outward bondage euen by those at whose hands she should finde most comfort holding the places of Pastors and Gouernours as we haue séene in the Church of Israell before our Sauiour came at the time he liued and also in the Church vnder the Gospell You bring in diuerse scriptures which prooue as you imagine that an outward oppression of the Church in externall gouernment dooth make an vtter deuorse betwixt her and Christ but he that considereth those things which I haue before noted and the sundry oppressions of the Church by her Pastors shall easily perceiue that Anabaptisticall fréedome which yée glory of For howsoeuer the Church with her Children are frée with God and receiue no yoake vpon their faith and conscience yet in outward things they may be oppressed You could abide well enough that phrase of spéech oppressed but to say the Church of Christ may be in anye bondage yée terme a blasphemous error Because bondage yée say is the badge of Antichrist the marke of the Beast c. Take héede of the saying that is written 2. Pet. 2. ver 19. That the seducers promise libertie and are themselues the bend seruants of corruption For you imagine and glorye of such a full and perfect libertie as that yée account it a blasphemous error to say the Church may be oppressed with outward bondage It is strange that there should be such a bolde spirite in rotten flesh as flatly to contrary the spirit of God For the Lord sayd to Abraham Thy seede shall bee in bondage and they shall oppresse them But the nation whom they shall serue will I Iudge Genes 15. He saith he brought them out of the house of bondage or of bond men Exodus 20. Will ye affirme that the Church was not oppressed with outward bondage in Egypt will ye deny that they were led captiue and held in outward bondage in Babilon cannot this word bondage which the holy Ghost vseth be allowed of yée must bondage of necessity be the badge and marke of Antichrist when the Lord threatneth by his Prophets that his people should go into captiuity and that there should be a yoake of bondage layd vpon them dooth he giue them ouer to weare the badge of Antichrist or so to be seruants vnto men that they could not also be his seruants Indéed the Anabaptists do holde that wee cannot be seruants vnto men in any outward bondage yet be the seruants of Christ grounding their heresie vpō the places which you alledge If all maner of bondage be the marke of the beast and the badge of Antichrist and a loosing of Christian liberty as you and the Anabaptists would haue it then how could S. Paul say Art thou a bond man care not thou art the Lords free man 1. Cor. 7 Let no man suppose that I charge ye ouer hardly with this grosse point of Anabaptistrie because our question is about Church gouernment and I speake of ciuill bondage for ye speake generally of outward bondage and denie that it can be the lot of the Church or of any member therof The worde bondage though it be outward cannot in anye sense be allowed by you to agrée with your fréedom Now for the places in the song My mothers sonnes were angrye with me they set me to keepe the Vines mine owne Vine I haue not kept In this place the Church willeth first y t they should not looke scornefully vpon her because she is somwhat blacke Then she sheweth that it is not her natiue colour but she is sunne burnt the sunne saith she hath looked vpon me There followeth the occasion that her mothers sonnes were angrye with her set her to kéepe the Vines Who these be whome she calleth her mothers sonnes is the greatest difficultie to finde Tremellius whose interpretation in that point ye follow doth expound it of originall sinne the lusts which she hath frō the wombe other take it more fitly of false brethrē which boast thēselues to be true worshipers children of the church which she calleth her mothers sonnes because they descended frō the ancient mother church were the degenerate children of holy forefathers for I take it somwhat hard to cal sins or concupiscences her mothers sons But take it whether way ye wil either of original sin concupiscences or of degenerate children among whom there were many euen of the Pastors gouernors yet ye cannot auoid but y t there is a violence an oppression some bondage for she saith they set her to kéep the vineyards Howsoeuer you would slily insinuate that it were but negligence that when she repenteth she is so cléered that she is in no bondage vnto sinne at all But when ye haue cauilled what ye can it standeth cléere by the scriptures y t the Church in her perfectest repentance euen with all her children is held in some spirituall bondage vnto sin but yet she is not obstinat I grant for she hateth the euil she doth laboureth against it I doe not gather from this that the Church either did or may kéepe Antichrists Vine as you demaund what a bolde falsifiyng of the place this is But I saye what a bolde impudencie is this in you so to falsifie my wordes For I alledge it to prooue that the Church is subiect to bee oppressed bable so much of Antichrist and his yoake Then let hym prooue that euery error abuse and great fault in discipline doth ouerturne it and make it become Antichristian yea Antichrists yoake so farre as to make it no Church which is subiect to such oppression It is most cléere that a Church may erre in sundrie poynts of Doctrine and not be Antichristian but the true Spouse of Christ And an error in Doctrine if it be foule doth approch néerer towards the ouerthrowe of faith then an error or an abuse in externall gouernment Moreouer if the execution of discipline by Byshops be the yoake of Antichrist and if all the Churches which doo stande vnder the same doo worship the Beast
and be no Christians it must néedes followe that such as did euer execute this power were Antichrists and no children of God at that time or before they repented But this is false euen by your owne confession which acknowledge that those woorthie seruants of God which sometime executed that power and after suffered death for the Gospell in the dayes of Quéene Mary were blessed Martyrs I conclude therefore that the Brownists can not but with heresies and most heinous iniurie and inordinate dealing condemne a Church as quite diuorced and separated from Christ for such imperfections and corruptions in Gods worship as be not fundamentall nor destroy the substance for that wicked men come with the godly to the publike exercises of religion for some wants in calling and ordeyning Ministers and in Ecclesiasticall discipline Article 1. The Brow We seeke aboue all things the peace and protection of the most high and the kingdome of Christ our Lord. G. G. The first Article is that which all true Christians doo séeke indéede But the kingdome of Christ or the kingdome of God as Christ sayth is within men it consisteth in righteousnesse and peace and ioy of the holy Ghost For the preseruation of this Christ hath ordeyned a Church gouernment They sinne against God which doo not couet and according to theyr calling labour to haue so great a helpe But to transport the name of Christs kingdome which is chiefely Spirituall in the heart vnto this which is but a part and as though the kingdome of God could not be in any vnlesse they haue this so they doo not wilfully despise it I say is false and the contrary to be proued by the Scriptures The Brow Our Article beeing by you confessed to be the bounden dutie of all true Christians wee see not with what equitie you can in this manner cauill at our words or with what conscience you can misconstrue and constrayne them as you doo seeking thereby to retract by sleight what you can not gaynesay in truth and taking occasion to contende about wordes namely the kingdome of Christ you make it only inward and vse Christ like one of the Phisitions Planetarie Signes assigning to him in hypocrisie your heart and soule to rule whilest in the meane whyle you yeeld your bodyes and whole assemblyes to the obedience and rule of Antichrist making no conscience to obey his lawes openly and to transgresse Christes thinking belike Christs kingdome so inward and spirituall as that he requireth no bodily nor outwarde obedience or because it consisteth in righteousnes and peace and ioy of the holy Ghost that there may be peace without righteousnes or ioy without peace or inward righteousnes where is such outward disobedience and wilfull transgression c. G. G. I did confesse and doo still acknowledge that this fyrst Article is that which all true Christians should séeke I hold that Christes Kingdome is chiefely inwarde and Spirituall and that the discipline is but a part thereof your selues haue repeated my words and yet charge me that I make Christes Kingdome only inwarde assigning the Soule to him and the body to Antichrist to be ruled I can not but wonder at your boldnesse in lying You say that to discusse how farre euery Christians calling and duty extendeth héerein were to dismisse all mine answers and to plucke away the mantle of shame wherewith we couer our nakednesse negligence and abhominations I meruaile why ye doo not then discusse it for we hold that no man is to labour beyond his calling to reforme any thing amisse in the Church and when it shall be declared vnto what bounds and limits the calling of priuate men is restrayned I am sure there will be no mantle nor ragge to couer the presumptuous dealing of Brownists which intrude themselues without calling Yée let this thing passe therefore and will only aske two questions The first is whether any which haue their calling of Antichrist be his marked Ministers and waged seruants can truly and vprightly couet and labour for Christs sincere gouernment which is his whippe wherewith he scourgeth out all théeues intruders and idle bellies out of his house The other question is whether to remayne wittingly and seruilely in the bondage and yoake of Antichrist xxix yeares be to labour for the gouernment of Christ faithfully in our callings Ye must graunt me some time to answer to these two questions and that shalbe when you answer these two which I propound The first is whether ignorant hereticall and rash Scismatikes be méete and competent Iudges to condemne all the learned Ministers in a Kingdome The other is whether false and lying accusations be to stand for due proofe Ye séeme to graunt that the Kingdome of God may be in the scattered faithfull which yet haue not the discipline I did not charge ye with the contrarie but only shewed how I did allowe the Article Yet remember what ye doo hold in this place Article 2. The Brow We seeke and purpose to worship God aright according as he hath commaunded in his word G. G. This second Article ought all men that will please God to approoue The Brow This article say you ought all that will please God to approoue How then seeke you to please God which continue in idolatrie and are a minister thereof which prophecie in Baal and plead for Baal or how approoue you it when yee condemne vs of schisme and heresie because we forsake your false and Antichristian worship and seeke to worship Christ according to his word G. G. When yée haue prooued that our worship is Idolatrie and that we prophesie in Baal and for Baal let men take yée to be no schismatikes nor heretikes But such as boast that they séeke to worship God according to his word and yet arrogantlye breake sundrye speciall rules thereof cannot but in their vaine bosting be liers as S. Iames saith against the truth Article 3. The Brow We seeke the fellowship and communion of his faithfull and obedient seruants And together with them to enter couenant with the Lord and by direction of his spirite to proceed to a godly free right choise of Ministers c. G. G. The third Article if it be taken in this sence that ye do set vp a societie seperated from all other within this land which make publike profession then I sée not when yée haue gone by your selues and set vp your officers howe you will cléere your selues from Donatisme If theirs were a damnable fact which God did accursse then take héed to yours For if it can be shewed that their heresies are not holden by you I will change my minde The Brow The words of our article being that we seeke the fellowship and communion of Christs faithfull and obedient seruants c. cleere vs of all schisme and heresie so farre forth so that if you would conuince vs of these crimes it had been expedient you had first prooued your assemblies as they generally stand by the euidence
polluted by the company of the wicked which worship together with them especially when they can not remedie the matter To ouerthrowe this Argument you must of necessitie prooue one of these two things eyther that the Church of Israell did not retayne the prophane multitude in her bosome and so the good and the bad worshipped together or else that they were not Gods Church when this was suffered but all that came so together fell from God You shift from this and speake of Idolatrous times in which it is most certayne that the godly did not mixe themselues with the wicked in idolatrous worship We doo not argue whether the godly did ioyne with the wicked in idolatrous worship for it is most cléere they might not nor did not But whether the wicked were suffered and did ioyne with the godly in the true worship and whether they were polluted by communicating with them and that so gréeuously as to disanull the Couenant let the Scriptures be iudge in both these If I should stand to recite all the testimonies and all the complaints which are made by the Prophets against the multitudes of wicked which worshipped together with the godly at sundrie times it would be long some fewe may suffice in a matter so euident He that readeth the bookes of Moyses touching the state of the Church for the space of fortie yeares in the wildernesse what shall he finde in the most but multitudes of prophane rebels against whome the Lord sware that they should not sée his rest whose carcasses also he ouerthrewe in the desert and yet they were not cast out of the assemblie nor separated from the rest so long as they liued nor their seede reiected If yee will see an epitome of their rebellions for that space and for the time of the Iudges looke vppon the 106. Psalme Afterward when the Kings of Iuda raigned euen vntill the captiuitie what gréeuous complaints are made against them A great part which came to worship in the Temple were as Sodom and Gomorrah Iesay 1. 3. Being the Lords Vineyard they brought foorth stinking grapes Iesa 5. Hauing committed thefts adulteries periuries and other abhominable sinnes they came together with the godly to worship in the Temple in so much that the Lord demaundeth if they tooke his house to be a Denne of théeues Ierem. 7. The Préests themselues were not frée from this horrible pollution for it is written they are all dumbe Dogges that cannot barke they loue to sléepe they are gréedy and giuen to Wine Iesay 56. The Prophets prophesie lies the Préests exercise dominion by their hand the people loue to haue it so Ierem. 5. ver 31. The Préests conspire together they are like a roring Lion they deuide the pray they doo violence to the law prophane the holy things and put not difference betwéene the holy and prophane Ezech. 22. What horrible things are these by which the wrath of the Lord was kindled But were they not still the daughter of Sion Reade for this the Lamentations of Ieremie After they were returned from the captiuitie the print of the rod being yet in their skrinne they were not fréed from such pollution for Malachi accuseth both Préests and people and that heinously They mixed themselues by Mariage with the Heathen and prophaned the Sabbaoth by kéeping market vpon it Esra 9. Nehe. 13. From the time that God raised them vp no mo Prophets vntill the comming of our Sauiour Christ their state grew woorse and worse not onely by Sects but also that the Préests prophaned the Temple Iohn 2. Math. 21. The Teachers which sat in Moyses chaire did expound the law corruptly in sundry points they mixed their leuen they were hypocrites blinde guides couetous and ambitious Matth. 5. and 15. and 16. and. 23. These resisted Christ and would excommunicate those that should confesse him Iohn 9. And yet the godly did not onely worship together with them in the Temple but also our Sauiour dooth will they should heare them teach Math. 23. If they had béene polluted by worshipping together with them he would haue commaunded to separate themselues This were enough to shew the grosse heresie of the Brownists in this point but yet I will adde somewhat of the Churches founded by the Apostles In the Church of Corinth Saint Paul reprooueth many things There were factions and schismes among them The Preachers did set foorth the Gospell with humane wisdome The Pastors and Gouernours did not execute the discipline but suffered the incestuous person They straue one with an other in the law before Heathen Iudges They feasted in the idol Temples at the feasts which were kept in honor of the idols and so were partakers of the cup of Deuils They prophaned the holye Supper of the Lorde they abused spirituall gifts There were among them which denied the resurrection of the dead A Brownist will héere replye that this Church did repent being reprehended by Saint Paul as he witnesseth of them 2. Cor. 7. I aunswer that they were Gods true Church before they repented 1. Cor. 1. and also that they did not all shew repentance as that second Epistle which he wrote vnto them dooth declare and especially these wordes I feare least when I come I shall not finde yee such as I would and I shall bee found such as you would not least there bee strife emulations wrath contentions backbitings whisperings rumors tumults least when I come againe my God abase me among yee and I shall bewaile many of those which haue sinned before and not repented for their vncleanesse fornication and wantonnesse which they haue committed 2. Corin. 12 vers 20. 21. The seauen Churches of Asia Reuel 1. were not in euery respect commended for in some of them the Nicholaitans were suffered and they that taught the doctrine of Balaam and a wicked woman which made her selfe a Prophetisse was suffered to teach and to seduce the seruants of God One Church neither hote nor colde Another had but a fewe in it which had not polluted themselues Reuel 2. and 3. Yet are these named the Churches I conclude therefore that the not seperating of some wicked ones out of the Churche although it be euill yet is not such an euill as destroyeth the Church and that the godly are not polluted by the wicked which come together with them vnto the publike exercises of the holy religion Thus haue I prooued your article or your accusation partly hereticall and partly false I haue also made manifest that if yée did accuse rightly yet the consequence is to be disalowed as hereticall in as much as we sée that very often it hath come to passe that heapes of vngodly men haue worshipped together with the godly and they not polluted by them It may be some will thinke hardly that I account it hereticall that the Brownist concludeth after this sorte they haue open sinners and men prophane in life which doo worship together with them as members of their Church
therefore the couenant is disanulled with them all I will therefore prooue that I haue said by strong arguments the first shall be this Whosoeuer maintaineth that where any grosse sinnes breake forth and appeare there is not any true faith in the parties which offend he doth contrary to the expresse word of God maintaine flat heresie for we are taught euery where that regeneration which consisteth in putting of the old man and putting on the new is by degrées wrought in Gods elect Whervpon the holy Ghost compareth the spirituall birth with the naturall A man is borne a poore weake babe not able to go alone or yet to stand vpright hee is nourished and fed with milke and so in continuance dooth growe vp by degrées vnto mans estate We are borne againe not of mortall but of immortall seed euen the word of God which indureth foreuer 1. Pet. 1. wherefore he willeth that laying aside all maliciousnes deceipt hypocrisie and such like we couet the sincere milke of the word that we may grow thereby 1. Pet. 2. ver 1. 2. The regenerate are in many places exhorted to put off and to mortifie euill and vncleane lusts to forsake their wicked sins Rom. 12. Ephes 4. Colos 3. Iam. 1. And if in many things we sinne all Iam. 4. Yea euē such as are grown vp in Christ to mans estate How many shall we then suppose are the falles of poore new borne Babes if Dauid Solomon Samson and many other replenished with great grace did fall gréeuously how shall we looke that other shall be frée Let the Church of Corinth be for an example in this point euen the teachers and people together vnto whom S. Paul writeth thus I could not speake vnto yee brethren as vnto spirituall men but as vnto carnall men as vnto babes in Christ I gaue yee milke to drinke and not meate for yee could not beare it neither can yee now for yee are yet carnall for when as there are among yee emulation contention and discords are yee not carnall and walke as men when one saith I am of Paul an other I am of Apollo are yee not carnall 1. Cor. 3. ver 1. 2. 3. 4. Is not the matter as cléere as the Sunne that he calleth them carnal burthened with the flesh and in that respect prophane as their open sinnes did declare and yet babes in Christ regenerate through faith and the déere children of God It is said of our Sauiour Hee will not breake the brused reed nor quench the smoaking Flax Math. 12. ver 20. Saint Paul following the steps of his Maister in care in loue in mercie and compassion toward the poore weake babes in Christ behaued himselfe in the Churches as a nursse vnto hir little infants 1. Thess 2. ver 8. But the fierce Brownists doo maintaine contrary to this manifest doctrine of the Scriptures that where corrupt manners breake foorth in those that professe the Gospell they be not onely vtterly voide of faith which offend but also that all they which worship together with them though neuer so much gréeued at their sinnes are fallen from the couenant most cruelly by this meanes thrusting downe all the weake and casting foorth all poore babes I may say the strong together with them therefore the Brownists doo maintaine heresye Euery faithfull man is to follow the example of blessed Paul in that which he dooth testifie of himselfe how he forgat the things which were behinde and pressed forward toward the things which were before euen towards perfection Phil. 3. ver 14. But yet it followeth in the same place neuerthelesse in that vnto which we are come let vs procéed by one rule to be like affected Shall the strong when all are to take the iourney together runne away and leaue the babes and the féeble behinde them nay rather let them leade them by the hand carie them in theyr armes and vpon their shoulders Let the Brownists alone who as if they were ayrie spirits disburthened of all lumpe of the flesh mount vp aloft and leaue poore heauie loden sinners crawling vppon the earth The other argument by which I prooue them to maintaine Heresie in this their second accusation is this Whosoeuer maketh the stablenesse of Gods couenant towards his people and with his Church to depend vppon the works of men he mayntayneth flat Heresie for albeit the words of the Couenant be these I will be your God and you shall be my people which implyeth a true sanctification required to glorifie God and to be thankfull yet the Couenant is wholly and altogether of mercie yea euen of the riches of his frée grace who hath promised and sworne vnto vs to declare the stablenesse of his counsell that we might haue strong consolation Hebrewes 6. vers 17. We are saued by grace and not by works Tit. 3. As the Couenant was made vnto Dauid in some particular so was it to Abraham and his séede in generall Then thus it is written I will make him my first borne higher then the Kings of the earth I will keepe my mercy for him for euer and my couenant with him shall be stable I will set his seed for euer and his throne as the daies of heauen If his children shall forsake my lawe and not walke in my iudgements If they shall prophane my Statutes and not obserue my commaundements I will visite their defection with the rod their iniquitie with plagues But I will not disanull my mercy towards him nor falsifie my faith I wil not prophane my couenāt nor alter the thing which is gone out of my lips I haue once sworne by my holines I wil not lie vnto Dauid Psal 89. v. 28. If the couenant made with Abraham and his séede did not stand after the same sort stablished vppon the frée promise of grace and vppon the oath of God how could it be said after all the defections and rebellions of the Churche of Israell reckoned vp and after hée had chastised them that hée remembred his couenant with them and he repented through the multitude of his compassions if it be sayd they repented and so returned agayne into couenant with him and obteyned mercie I answere they repent not but by his mercie and grace which he bestowed vpon them because they were within his couenant Now the Brownists in affirming that by open grosse sinne committed by any if they remayne still in the Church the couenant is not only disanulled to them but vnto all that doo communicate with them and so make the stablenesse of Gods couenant not to depend vpon mercie and frée grace promised and bound with an oth but vppon our works yea and in a more tickle estate euen vppon the woorkes of other whome we must iudge Therefore the Brownists mayntayne verie wicked heresie when they crye out that those assemblyes where any open sinners are not cast foorth they be no longer the true Church of God but the Couenant is disanulled with them