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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02435	A description of the Church of Christ, with her peculiar priuiledges, and also of her commons, and entercommoners With some oppositions and answers of defence, for the maintenance of the truth which shee professeth: against certaine Anabaptisticall and erronious opinions, verie hurtfull and dangerous to weake Christians. Maintained and practised by one Master Iohn Smith, sometimes a preacher in Lincolneshire, and a companie of English people with him now at Amsterdam in Holland. Whome he hath there with himselfe rebaptised. By I.H.	Etherington, John, fl. 1641-1645.	1610 (1610)	STC 12567; ESTC S118987	75,210	130

the Cananites for Esaues and Ismalites but to Iacob his beloued he saith I haue giuen Nations for thee and people for thy sake And what was the condition surely the keeping of his couenants and walking in his testimonies I doe not meane the perfect keeping of the ten commaundements Iosh 23.16 giuen in two Tables of stone that fiery couenant which neither they nor their fathers were able to beare for therby the best of them were found euen as a bryer and the most righteous like a thorne but the testament and couenant that he made with Abraham when he saide I will bee they God and the God of thy seede for euer not his carnall seede but his spirituall seede not consisting of one Nation but of many Nations whereof God made him a Father commaunding him to keepe it saying thou shalt keepe my couenants thou and thy seed And this shall be a signe saith he of the couenant betweene you and me namely circumcision signifying thereby that if they vnhardened their hearts and harkened to his voice and Couenant of mercy and loue that he had made to him taking him for their God and louing him trusting him and putting their confidence in him which is the righteousnes of faith Then they should inherit the land and possesse it for euer and many blessings more they should haue they should sleepe lase and dwell in peace a Citie of peace they should haue no enemy should euer hurt them and not onely so but rest to their soules also Heb. 11.13.14.15.16 they shoulde haue and peace which is the liuing * By their earthly Canaan was intended the spirtuall Canaan the land of the liuing Canaan the land of the blessed the Citie of peace But if they hardened their hears and resisted his uoice despising his couenant of grace and fauour Iustifying themselues as their Fathers did in the wildernes of whom God saith I haue seen this people behold it is a stiffnecked people Heb. 4.8 9. wherefore God was angrie and saide to Moses Exo. 32.10 when he prayed for them let me alone for I will consume them But I wil make of thee a mighty Nation I say if thus they should harden their hearts and stiffen their necks and despise his couenant Deut. 28.16 17 18 19. then cursed at home and cursed abroad and his mercies should depart from them and as hee sware in his wrath that they which prouoked him in the wildernes with their stiffe and stubborne hearts should not enter into his rest neither earthly norheauenly So they prouoking him in like maner though they were in possession of that land of Canaan should neither inherit nor enter into the spirituall Canaan therby intended nor inioy it in peace but be destroyed and carried captiue into other Nations and their Countrie and Citie taken as a prey of the Heathen Leui. 16.31 32. And as the little spirituall stocke of Abrahams seed were kept fortie yeares long in the wildernes from possessing the land for Hagars stiffnecked childrens sakes So poore Daniell and the rest of Sarahs little spirituall house were carried captiue for the wicked Cananites sakes and also for that they were as good to liue seruants in a strange land as be murdered and persecuted for the trueth and righteousnesse at home for in Babylon they found more grace and fauour for their truth and wisedome yea euen with Kings then they found at home and also for that by affliction they were brought home from security to repentance But God remembring his promise made to Abraham his seruant after hee had corrected and resined them Ievem 29.10 brought them home againe and restored them vnto their former state But within a while the sonnes of Hagar encreasing his mercies were forgotten and his Prophets went to wrack againe and the Israel of God troden in the dust vntill the Messiah came which is called Christ who set his feete vpon that holy Mount and walked in the streetes of his Citie of peace bewailing the disobedience of Abrahams children in the flesh cried out Oh Ierusalem Ierusalem Mat. 23.37 thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that were sent vnto thee How oft saith hee how oft would I haue gathered thy children together as a Hen doth her Chrickens vnder her wings and you would not Beloued saith he thy house is left vnto thee desolate for thine enemies shall cast a banke about thee and keepe thee in on euery side And wherefore now was it Master Smith euen because they would not vnharden their hearts repent and heare his voice so often crying and calling vnto them by his Prophets from time to cime who still proceede in wickednesse notwithstanding and fulfilled the works of their Fathers in the highest degree and yet could say garnishing the Tombes of the Prophets which their Fathers had killed Mat. 23.29 Oh if wee had liued in the dayes of our Fathers wee would not haue done this and yet they could take that great Prophet and Prince of the couenant and kill him stoning and killing his Apostles also and therefore I say and for that cause it was that Ierusalem was made desolate and the temple burnt with fire and not a stone left vpon a stone vncast down whereas otherwise if they had heard his voice and would haue beene gathered together like Abrahams spirituall seede and not haue resisted but embraced and kept his couenant and righteousnesse of faith which circumcision did signifie vnto them they had beene a Nation vntill this day and their land had yeelded her fruite vnto them their City had beene a City of peace till now and their Temple vndefaced But because they refused downe with it downe with it euen to the very ground Deface it for euer let their table bee made a snare and bow thou downe their back alway And now Master Smith whither will you goe to rest your selfe Canaan is taken from you Ierusalem is desolate there is no abiding place for you any longer you haue beene there a great while Will ye rest you at Amsterdam in Holland Indeede there was a people once not many yeeres agoe which came to Amsterdam with their wiues and children in ships with this beliefe and resolution that Holland was the land of Canaan and Amsterdam Ierusalem and therefore there they would inhabite I hope you are not of their minde therein as they were of your minde concerning baptisme Although Amsterdam Holland doe entertaine all sects of seuerall opinions suffering them there in rest and peace Yet is not Holland that land of rest nor Amsterdam that City of peace but if ye will be safe indeede and finde rest and peace to your soules Fly to mount Sion and to the City of the liuing God the caelestiall Icrusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the assembly congregation of the first borne which are all written in heauen and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits

Nations as Christ saith for his name sake Leaue these differences and controuersies and leaue all Then let vs take our pleasure and shake hands with the world and looke after preferments in the earth and promotions as others doe Answere Vnwise man whatsoeuer thou at that doest make this obiection and doest so speake For tell me must thou needs erre on the right hand or on the left Because the law of our land doth not persecute thee for righteousnesse sake wilt thou therefore be disobedient and suffer for thy sinnes Because a godly life and persecution cannot be seperated in this world asunder as it is written 2. Tim. 2.12 Whosoeuer will liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution and whosoeuer will be his Disciple must take vp his crosse daily and follow him wilt thou therefore because thou knowest not how to take vp his Crosse nor how to liue godly in Christ Iesus Take vp a Crosse of thine owne making 1. Pet. 2.12 13.14.15.16.17 and because thou wilt be sure to suffer speake euill of them that are in authority resist the ordinance of God and so suffer for euill doing If thou be one of the Lords iustified faithfull ones thou shalt finde aduersaries enow euery day though law and authority should bee on thy side and take thy part Hee is the Minister of God for thy wealth Dauid though he were King himselfe and none in the world aboue him but God yet could hee not preuent the mockes and taunts and drunken songs that were of him nor yet the manifold enemies that pursued his soule night and day wherefore he crucified himselfe and prayed oft with a broken heart and a contrite spirit to him that was able to deliuer him frō all those his ghostly enemies watering his cheeks and bed full many a time and oft with teares Learne therefore to take vp Dauids Crosse to suffer and to be crucified with him with Christ his Lord learne to be Christs Disciple and seruants as Dauid was and to loue the Lord and walke in his waies as Dauid did and thou shalt haue enemies enow wil find thee out both naturall and spirituall thou shalt not neede to goe seeke them onely take vp thy Crosse willingly and with patience and then if thou so suffer with him thou shalt be sure also to raigne with him Shew me one word in all the new Testament that requireth thee to suffer for those thinges that thou pretendest or tell mee which of the Apostles or Christians in the Apostles times did suffer for speaking against or disobeying the law of ceremonies except it were vniustly Act. 25.7.8 and then Paul when the Iewes laide many and greeuous complaints against him which they could not proue answeres for himselfe That he had neither offended any thing against the law of the Iewes Act. 24.14 15. nor against the Temple nor against Caesar onely he sought Christ Iesus in whom all those things which the Iewes called heresie were accomplisht and the vse of them no more of necessity but were then become all indifferent Ver. 18.19.20 I say shew mee one that euer did suffer for those or the like things that you our Reformists or Separatists or Anabaptists doe now pretende That God by his Gospell and new Testament doth approue and we will then acknowledge ye haue the truth amongst you and doe suffer for righteousnesse Or else know this that you are they the Scripture speaketh of Makers of Sects fleshly hauing not the spirit and despise gouernement speaking euill of them that are in authority Luk. 19.8 separating your selues from others being puft vp knowing nothing doting about questions and strife of wordes whereof commeth enuy raylings strife and euill surmisings And are not those Luk. 20.21 that edifie themselues in the most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost and that keepe themselues in the loue of God looking for the mercies of the Lord Iesus Christ vnto eternall life Mat. 5.11.12 1. Pet. 3.17 And if ye suffer for these things blessed are ye Neither thinke that if thou giuest ouer thy contentions about these differences of thine and fightings with shaddows that then thou must needs take thy pleasure in this world and shake handes with it and looke after preferments in the earth and promotions as others some doe Neither take me as if I iustifie those that haue turned their heat into coldnes nor yet those that can play with both hands because they will keepe their credite with those that are zealous and not lose that neither which they gape for whensoeuer it fals who are fedde till they are grosse with fat and yet gape for more These are the cunninger sort of subscribing Reformers who speake euill of that in priuate which they conform to in publicke who vnder pretence of preaching the Gospell for the good of others preach and preferments who reigne in their spirits and word more like Lords then many of those whose places and titles and honours they spight and speake against because it is not theirs Neither do I iustifie any that hauing authority more or lesse doe raigne as Lordes ouer Gods heritage that loue salutations and greetings delighting to be called Lords affecting greatly the Title Rabby sporting themselues with the afflictions of Iacob that tread the holy Citie Ierusalem vnder their feete as the Popes and Lords of Rome haue done and doe For as I condemne no one for his greatnesse of place or Titles or power and authority whomsoeuer so no more doe I iustifie the euill workes of any but know and am assured that whosoeuer he be that doth loue the wages of Balam and doth post after Balakes preferment as Balam did is no better then hee And also whosoeuer doth the workes of the Pharisees and Scribes and of their generation the sonnes of the whore of Babylon shall be found as indeede they are the very of-spring of those Scribes and Pharisees and the children of that whore their moher though they disclaime her neuer so much and therfore thogh they come like sheep prophecying in the name of Christ preaching oftentimes his word and truth as Balam did and like those whom our Sauior speaketh of yet we must beware of them as of false Prophets And we shall know them hardly by their cloathing which is their preaching and doctrines for therein they can and doe oftentimes imitate the Sheepe But by their fruits saith the Lord yee shall know them And therefore especially this I iustifie wish and desire that all that professe Christ and his Gospell and the administration thereof would take heede they resist not the power seeing it is the Ordinance of God and that they would not bee high minded but feare And also that they that haue authority and power and haue a great place as they professe Christ and his Diuine word and the ministration thereof that they would doe the workes of Christ in meekenesse and lowlines of heart louing the righteous

A DESCRIPTION OF THE CHVRCH OF Christ with her peculiar Priuiledges and also of her Commons and Entercommoners WITH SOME OPPOSITIONS AND ANSWERS OF DEFENCE For the maintenance of the Truth which shee professeth AGAINST CERTAINE ANABAPTISTICALL AND ERRONIOVS OPINIONS Verie hurtfull and dangeroous to weake CHRISTIANS MAINTAINED AND PRACTISED By one Master IOHN SMITH sometimes a Preacher in Lincolneshire and a Companie of English people with him now at Amsterdam in HOLLAND Whome he hath there with himselfe Rebaptised By I. H. REVEL 22.13.14.15 VER ¶ J am Alpha and Omega saith the Lord The first and the last Blessed are they that doe his Commandements that their right may be in the free of life and may enter in thorough the Gates into the Citie For without shall be Dogs and Enchanters and VVhoremongers and Murderers and Idolaters and whosoeuer ●●ueth or maketh lies LONDON Printed for Nathaniel Fosbrooke 1610 ¶ The principall oppositions are these 1 THat the Baptisme of Children is the marke of the Beast 2 That euery member of a true visible Church must be baptised againe 3 That none ought to be Baptised before hee bee Regenerate 4 That the members of their Church are all so regenerate and baptised and is the heauenly Ierusalem 5 That some of these may fall away and perish 6 That there is no true Church to be seene in the world but themselues at this day With diuers other false Doctrines which are grounded vpon these principles TO THE CITIZENS OF THE HEAVENLY IERVSALEM INCREASE OF TRVETH And heauenly Wisedome be multiplied vpon you with Peace and prosperitie in these latter dayes And to all her well affected Friends that desire to see her Beautie and to dwell within her Gates happie successe A Friend of yours sweete Citizens vnworthy to take part with you in your riche peculiar things makes bolde to present vnto your custodie treasures which I haue found And also most earnestly intreates you to assist me against your many enemies who lay claime to your Citie and all your priuiledges Pray with me vnto the Lord your God that his truth may take place in the hearts of men and bee regarded and that all the hatefull enemies therof and their lies may be brought to confusion These things I entreat at your hands making no doubt of your diligence herein Goe but vp to the top of mount Sion and you shall see your enemies round about you with their shields in their hands and their swords drawne but be of good courage feare nothing your God will deliuer them into your hands and their weapons shall you consume like straw with the fire of his word and the Citie shall be yours as it is and it shall not he taken from you nor the treasures thereof out of your possession The daies are come wherin truth shall preuaile And now deere friends to let you vnderstand my cause of writing to the aforenamed Master Iohn Smith and his company It fell out of late that I being in company with some of them had some conference with them wherein they seemed very well affected to the things that I spake vnto them One of them answering me in these words I could willingly let all these things which you haue said goe downe into me but onely the going to the assemblies another of them answered him instantly you heard what he sayd for that And so they requested me that I would set the things downe in writing which had beene said and they would either answere or subscribe vnto it which thing I thought good to performe And beloued friends though I be the least worthy of you all to plead your cause yet being mooued at their request I haue made bold and also seeing afterwards some writings of theirs published in Print I was emboldened the more perceiuing therein their desperate resolution proclaiming open war challenging al and therin the city of God I was encouraged seing it was his cause perswaded he wold be my protector in the defence of his owne Citie I therefore tooke his word and promise for my shield with this confidence that he would not leaue me till they were ouerthrowne other weapons I haue none except the sword of the spirit The skill of the learned disputers of this world looke not for that is not my profession Truth I hope yee shall find but vested in a very low and simple Coate Method I did forget matter onely was in my mind the enemy came so fast vpon me that skill was laide aside Truth I hope hath kept me company though I could not garnish it with Rhetoricall ornaments And therefore most noble and courteous Citizens I haue made choice of you before all other to Dedicate this measure of truth vnto because I knew although you be the noblest Citizens in the world yet are ye the poorest in spirit your hearts can stoope and your eyes can looke below you are come downe from the hilles of pride to the vallies of teares yet can goe vp to the top of mount Sion you looke not after the glory of this world nor the wisedome thereof It is foolishnes in your thoughts which are seasoned with heauenly wisdome if truth come you embrace it you looke not vpon the coate of him that brings it so that you iustifie I am pleased what others say and iudge for my part I passe not but for their parts I wish them to be aduised and to giue eare to the voyce of the Spirit and the Bride which crieth come whosoeuer is a thirst and whosoeuer will and take of the water of life freely And to the end your Mother deere Children of Ierusalem might a little refresh the spirits of her well affected friends that haue beene so long time wearied with the Iarres and contentions that haue beene about her visible state I thought good to publish this short description of her vnto the open veiwe that they might see her fruits what they be her light her priuiledges and her markes whereby shee may bee seene and knowne from the fleshly boasters of these distastfull times who hauing beene so long accustomed to earthen buildings cannot discerne nor tast that which commeth from aboue and although not onely the generall but specially the reformists and reformers will not onely distast like wayward children but euen spurne against yet will I not be discouraged for there is a little remnant that thirsteth for reliefe so they be refreshed I passe not for the rest for I know true wisedome which is alwaies from aboue hath beene is and shall be for euer iustified of her Children and they shall see Ierusalem to their great ioy whereas the other groping in the dark shall neuer behold that holy Citie nor pertake of her priuiledges for euer And although she hath cried oft and vttered her voice full many a time and few or none regard what shee saieth yet can shee not holde her peace but shee must pleade her Childrens cause against those that lay claime to their

to the end it shold bring any man to saluation by working thereafter but to make more plaine and manifest mans cursed and lost condition Deut. 27.26 Gal. 3.19 And the law of Ceremonies As circumcision the Pascall Lambe Gal. 3.21 The land of Canaan Ierusalem the Temple the Altar the Priesthood the Sacrifices and Ceremonies whatsoeuer Were not giuen them to the end that in them and by the obseruation of them they should gaine life and saluation But they were giuen for a time to teach Israel the substance contained in the Testament of life And did preach vnto the faithfull seed of Abraham the spirituall land of rest Gal. 4.2 which they entred into by vnhardening their hearts and hearing the voice and Testament of mercy with all the children of Hagar I meane the vncircumcised in heart vtterly reiected as they doe still to this day Mar. 13.30 Mat. 24.34 for the same generation remaineth still euen the bond-womans children and their mother also And I am in feare of you Master Smith and of your children for you haue runne your selues vpon the same rocks with thē iustifying your selues vpon your carnall obseruations framing a carnall regeneration and faith which may faile men like vnto them which put confidence in works and obseruations of ceremonies which neuer could saue them And as the bondwoman and her children did increase and get the vpper hand in the Church of the Iewes so that the bondwoman got the name of the married wife and of child bearing and the free woman with her children troden in the dust and as a widow forsaken was she accounted and as a woman that had neither husband nor children euen so it is now And as Ierusalem that then was did an swere to Sinai and Hagar the mother of bondage In somuch as her children did match theirs in hardnesse of heart and vnbeliefe persecuting the sonnes of the free woman as Ishmael did Isaac and Esau Iacob Gen. 21.9 Gen. 27.41 and as they did in the wildernesse whose carcases fell I say as Ierusalem persecuted the Prophets and killed them scoffing and deriding the free womans children Yea though hee were their King euen Dauid Luke 23.35 Mat. 23.29.30 or Christ himselfe the free womans eldest sonne and is therefore saide to bee in bondage with her children as Hagar was with her sonne And as they doing the same workes that he did were cast out with her sonne from inheriting the promise with the childrē of the free woman euen so it is now For the Serpents seed is yet aliue the bond-woman hath many sonnes though the free woman hath few or none to be seene Ismaels brethren haue had the vpper hand a great while euen among Christians as they had among the Iewes And their mother hath the praise of child-bearing still as shee had then And Ierusalem from aboue the free woman and her children despised and troden vpon like a streete as they were wont to be Reu. 11.2 by such like obseruers and Pharisaicall boasters who pretend obedience and sacrifice as much as euer did they who are likewise in most cursed bondage and must also bee cast out with them and shall not inherit with the free-womans children nor enter into rest with them But lerusalem from aboue is free As she euer was from the beginning and is the mother of vs all euen of Abell Henoch Abraham Dauid the Prophets the Apostles and all that euer are and shall bee saued And although shee be as no body and no where in comparison Esa 5 4.1 Yet as Esaiah said vnto her in his daies and as Paul said vnto her in his time Gal. 4.27 so be it said now and still Reioyce thou barren that bearest no children breake forth and cry in ioy thou that bearest not for the desolate hath many moe children then she that hath an husband And this is the trueth of the matter These are the two Testaments And these are the two seeds To wit the law of Commaundements giuen vppon mount Sinai which gendereth to death and bondage And the law of life giuen on mount Sion which gendereth to rest and liberty And the cursed generation of Caine and Ismaell the seede of the one and the blessed generation of Abell and Isaack the seede of the other And so the Scriptures and truth is the same from the beginning to the end of the world And the two Testaments do remaine still yea euen that Testament figured by Hagar and Sinai and the children of bondage figured by her sonne And the curse also doth still remaine and is not taken away by the Crosse of Christ from any of Hagars children But onely from the children of Sara the faithfull seede And Circumcision was not a seale nor signe of any other couenant whatsoeuer but of the Circumcision of the heart and the righteousnesse of faith and mercy couenanted first to Adam then to Abraham and so from time to time renewed And at last confirmed by the Mediator himself and by his death vpon the Crosse who hath made all things cleare and manifest vnto vs if we had but spirituall eies to see them But hee came to saue and to seeke out all the lost sheepe leauing the ninety and nine euen all Hagars proude sounes who thought them selues wise and safe enough Euen so now This is the iudgement which the Lord hath sent into the world Ioh. 9.39 and it is meruailously seene this day The blinde doe see and they that see are made blinde Not the rich nor the full but the poore and the empty receiue the Gospel And now Master Smith whereas you would disproue the argument drawne from circumcision to proue the baptising of children by your doubtfull speech of mistaking the couenant and by your vnsound distinguishing the two Testaments which is your first and principall ground whereon many of your other reasons doe depend It may now be well seene that you are the man that doe mistake For I pray you tell me where you will bestowe circumcision and of what Testament will you make it a seale If you take it away from the new I estament made with Abraham and his seed by promise Will ye bestowe it on the law of commaundements giuen on mount Sinai and the sonnes therof I pray you then which doth it seale vnto them perfect holinesse which they neuer had but altogether the contrary Or did it seale the curse which saith Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all these thinges to doe them which indeede most iustly did belong to all such seruants to sinne and bondage and rebels to grace As all Abrahams carnall seede borne after the flesh were I think you dare not affirme any of these But it should seeme you meane it sealed a blessing vnto the carnall seed and not a curse Say you so M. Smith Then where are you now you haue left the olde Testament For therein lieth no blessing But cursed is euery man