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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92173	A most grave, and modest confutation of the errors of the sect, commonly called Brownists, or: Seperatists. Agreed upon long since by the joynt consent of sundry, godly, and learned ministers of this kingdome, then standing out and suffering in the cause of inconformity; and now published in a time of need, for the good of Gods Church, and the better setling of mens unstable mindes in the truth against, the subtile insinuations, and plausible pretences of that pernicious evill. Published by W. Rathband, minister of the Gospell.	Rathband, William, d. 1695.	1644 (1644)	Wing R299; Wing M2893; Thomason E31_11; ESTC R209828	84,262	92

their separation concerne only the avoyding and taking heede of false Prophets blinde guides hypocriticall and prophane deceivers and therefor they can with no peace to their consciences ground their separation upon them till they have sufficiently proved that not some of our Ministers but all are not only faultie in their practise but teach also unsound and corrupt doctrine which they will never bee able to prove The third sort of their Testimonies b 2 Cor. 6.14.18 ●evel 18.4 doe indeed partly concerne that separation which Christians should make from Idolatours in the service of God yet doe they no wayes serve to justifie this their separation from us unlesse they could prove which they are not able to doe that those Assemblies which these Scriptures command a separation from were in the profession of truth equall to us or that the corruptions which are amongst us are equall unto such as were in those Assemblies Besides these test imonies they seeke by two reasons to prove the necessitie of their separation from us whereof the first is taken from the burt that may come to the true Christian by communicating with the wicked The other from the hurt he may doe to the wicked with whom he doth communicate Concerning the first they have these words in the 97. page of their refutation A little Leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe so one openly unworthy received to the Lords Supper maketh all the Communicants guiltie And in the 34. page of their discoverie The knowne and suffered sinne of any one member is contagious to all such as communicate in Prayers and Sacraments with such an obstinate offender and maketh them as guiltie in Gods sight as he himselfe is Whereunto we answer First That we have already proved by many examples in the answer wee have above given unto the last thing they object against the people and private members of our Church that the godly receive no contagion from the wicked with whom they are inforced to communicate in the true worship of God Secondly That their assertion may by reason appeare evidently to be most absurd for if the presence of the wicked should of its own nature make the action of the Sacrament and prayer voyd and of none effect to the faithfull that communicate with him then should we never without great doubting and wavering communicate in those holy exercises in such a Congregation where all that we joyne with are not well knowne unto us for feare their should bee in the company some open offendors whom our selves know not of If our knowledge and privity to his sin be the thing that maks his presence contagious to us especially when we haye admonished him a Ezec. 18.20 and by all meanes testified our dislike to his sinne so farre as in us lyeth Then how is the Prophet to bee understood when he saith the wickednesse of the wicked shall be upon his owne head but admit this was granted that the presence of the wicked in prayer and Sacrament did infect the godly how will they excuse their refusall to heare the Word preached in our Assemblies seeing it is so cleere by the Apostles speech b Cor. 14.24 25. that the preaching of the Word might be of force to doe them good though some that joyned with them in the hearing of it were Infidels To their second reason wherein they pretend a charitable regard of us who by their joyning with us in Gods worship may be hardened in the likeing of our corruptions and by their separation may happily be brought to Repentance We answer that the godly man who hath reproved the open offender shunned his private familiarity and hath gone so farre in testilying his dislike to his sinne as the bounds of his calling will permit is no way accessary to his sinne nor hath any fellowship with the unsruitfull workes of darknesse c Ephes 5.11 and if that any wicked man will imagine that the godly doe not much dislike him because they will not for his sake shun the publike worship of God it is an offence taken and not given and therefore such as wherewith the conscience of a godly man need not to be troubled Thus have we answered that which they pretend for the warrant and necessitie of their separation from our Assemblies And now least any should be justly offended by thinking that in this apologie we make for our Church wee doe any way plead for Baal or seeke to daube up the breaches of our Church with untempered morter and so runne our selves into the danger or that curse which the Lord denounceth against them that cal darknesse light and speake good of evill We therefore freely confesse that there are indeed in our Church great corruptions and that is the great sinne of our Ministers that they doe not with so much zeale and courage reveale and shew their distike of them and of our people that they mourne not nor seeke by all homble and earnest meanes to God and the Magistrate for Reformation of them as they ought to doe And yet though many in this Land doe both know and mourne and make knowne also in their callings their great dislike unto those corruptions that are amongst us as much as any of these brethren with truth can doe we dare considently affirme that the corruptions of our Church are not such as for which an Christian may make separation from us and that we are hereby induced to avouch because wee finde that in the Old and New Testament as hath beene above said as many and as hainous corruptions to have beene in such Assemblies as from which no separation was ever taught or practised Secondly Though we did grant that upon warrant of some places that they bring there might lawfully upon due regard of some circumstances a separation be made even from our Assemblies yet do we affirme that for as much as they have failed in sundry of those circumstances that therefore their seperation is utterly unjustifiable for wheras they could not with any just warrant to their consciences seperate themselves from us till they bad found us obstinate in our corruptions and temptuous scorners of all good meanes used for reforming us as is evident by the example of such separations as are commended in the Word (d) Acts 13.45.46 and 19.8 9. we affirme that they have departed from us before they could with any charitie or good conscience be so perswaded of us And this we doubt not to prove to their owne consciences and to all that know them well by these reasons following First they separated themselves from us before that either by writing or any competent meanes they had soundly convicted us or manifested unto our judgement the dangerous errors we held wherein they have manifestly transgressed the rule of the word (a) Act. 19.3.9 2 Tim. 4.2 T●● 1.10 11. and 3.10 we grant indeed the truth and necessitie of the government of Christ prescribed in the word which hath beene

A Most Grave and Modest Confutation of the Errors of the Sect commonly Called BROWNISTS OR SEPERATISTS Agreed upon long since by the joynt consent of sundry godly and Learned Ministers of this Kingdome then standing out and suffering in the cause of inconformity and now published in a time of need for the good of Gods Church and the better setling of mens unstable mindes in the truth against the subtile insinuations and plausible pretences of that pernicious evill Published by W. Rathband Minister of the GOSPELL LONDON Printed for Edward Brewster and George Badger and are to be sold at the Bible on Fleet-Bridge and in Saint Dunstanes Church-Yard 1644. The Publisher to the READER CHristian Reader touching this insuing treatise bee pleased to understand that it was compiled so as now thou hast it without any adition or alteration many yeares since by sundry Reverend and Godly Ministers of this Kingdome who in their times stood out and suffered in the cause of Inconformitie to the Ceremonies and laboured the Reformation of things then and still in part remaining amisse in our Church therein both for opinion and practise endeavouring to keepe close to the Rules of Scripture and what in them lay to eschew all errors and exorbitances both of separation on the right hand and of superstition on the left Who the men were by name is neither now necessary to be published nor in respect of them all certainely known But what sort of men they were that made it and of what piety charitie modestie and abilitie for this controversie they were the treatise it selfe by its owne light will sufficiently discover to the unpartiall and unprejudicate Reader It is now presented to publike view after so long deteinment the rather because First The Presse is now more free and open then in former times to books of this nature which doe so oppose the Schisme of the Brownists as not at all to allow of the tyrannie and corruptions of the Bishops Secondly It seemeth now more needfull then formerly through the late lamentable increase of opinions and practises of separation and the dangerous rents alreadie made and likely to bee made thereby even to the utter ruine of this Church if by the mercie of our God and the wisdome of our King and Parliament some timely and effectuall remedy be not provided Thirdly Hereby good Reader thou maist see that the opinions and practises of those that way addicted now so much extolled wondred at and greedily embraced by many under the notion of new truths and a new and further light as if some new created Star bad now appeared to the world never seene before are indeed no other for substance but the old errors and dotages of Barrow and Greenwood long since by them published and by the godlie sober and judicious in those times opposed and exploded Save that now like rustie weapons they are newly furbished and being but the same mettalls and materialls are only cast into a new mould with addition of some things more of the same sort then they expresly held mitigation of others by them more sharplie and rigorously delivered and interlasing of others more pleasing and plausible to make the rest rellish and vent the better Fourthly Hereby also thou maist perceive and take up the true judgment of the true ancient and present Non-conformists of this Kingdome in these points as from their own mouth and pen. Whereof by the help of God thou maist make these and the like uses First Thou maist cleare them in thy thoughts from the misrepresentations and imputations both of the Episcopall and Schismaticall partie Both of which would make the world believe that the Non-conformists have laid the foundation of Brownisme by their principles of Inconformity and that if this bee lawfull the other must needs bee necessary The former sort thus suggesting to lay the greater hatred upon them and the cause of Reformation which they promoted The latter sort to procure the greater credit to their owne irregular and unwarrantable courses thereby And would to God that some other brethren though of a farre better sort and such as have long groaned under their Conformitie had not beene or yet were not too credulous to such unlikely and unreasonable suggestions against their brethren 2. Thou maist see that the cause of separation may be confuted without relinquishing in one part the grounds of Inconformitie or leaning at all unto Episcopacie As the cause of Inconformitie may bee fully maintained without fetching weapons from or betaking our selves unto the Campe of Separation which thing I could wish with all my heart bad beene well observed by some otherwise godly and judicious brethren in these dayes who no sooner begin to distast and cast off their old burden of superstitious conformitie of late augmented and made utterly unprofitable by sundry other innovations but withall they begin to dislike all set formes of prayer especially in our Lyturgie as unlawfull to question their owne present standing in the ministerie as Antichristian and to abstaine from our worship especially our Sacraments as Idolatrous with other like unreasonable opinions and practises As if it were not possible for men to leape out of the Surplice unlesse also they leapt out of the Church and as if there were no middle betweene separation from the Church and true worship thereof and subscription unto or practise or approbation of all the corruptions in the same An error in some sort formerly excusable when oppression as Salomon saith Eccles 7.7 and persecution made even wise men themselves madde and sometimes in hast betweene feare griefe and anger in avoyding one extreame to fall upon another But now since that by the miraculous mercie of God the stings of those great Bees are pulled out and their hornes sawed off whereby they have so long afflicted and willingly destroyed this poore Church I say now mee thinkes wise men should looke before they leape and so warily eschew one errour as that they doe not unwarily run into another perhaps a worse Lastly thou mayest be somewhat stayed from hastie adhering or inclining to their courses of separation not onely by the Treatise it selfe but also by the consideration of the Treatisers For though no mans person whatsoever can be a sufficient bottome whereon to settle any opinion or practise in Religion but the Word of God and right reason alone yet is not these mens example or testimonie to be altogether slighted especially in this controversie wherein wee are sometimes almost deaffed with the praises of some of the seperators eminent learning pietie sinceritie zeale c. In which case I hope it need not bee offensive to any perhaps it may be profitable to some according to the Apostles example in a case not altogether unlike 2 Cor. 11.22 to oppose these mens learning pietie sinceritie zeale c. against the others Who as in all other things they were examples of holinesse so in this that they have ever not only for

societie They yet remember it is a part of wisdome to stay the full establishing of their Church and practise of the Ordinances thereof for a time that they may see what blessings of God bee upon it for the ratifying and approving of their doings for if it bee of God it will stand as an house founded upon a a sure Rocke if it bee of men it will come to naught A third sort to whom we commend this worke of ours are our stronger brethren which continue with comfort in the societie of their Church them wee intreat that if they finde any confirmation or strengthening unto their consciences by the pursuing hereof any increase of knowledge and ability to maintaine the truth of our Church Sacraments and word to defend the lawfulnesse of our ministerie and practise of Gods externall worship amongst us That first they praise God whose gift it is that any thing is spoken or written for their edification instruction and consolation and then bestow the same as occasion shall be offered to the reclaiming of those that are straied and holding them that are ready to wander Wee lastly commend this simple travell of ours to the Church of God whereof we are unworthy Ministers beseeching her to accept our poore endeavours the rather for that wee are not ignorant that the labours which we have taken in this cause will be diversly judged of according to the manner and affection of those men to whom this worke shall come Some as namely our deceived Brethren against whom we deale will hold it damnable and execrable as being bestowed against the Church of Christ against the Saints and children of God against the holy Truth taught in the Testament of Christ yea and that contrary to the light of our own consciences and knowledge of our owne hearts To the first part of this their charge and accusation we answer That whether they or wee be the true Church of God whether they or wee have the Truth taught in the Testament of Christ is the matter in controversie betwixt us If wee be the Church of God and have the Truth of Christ as we hope shall appeare by this Treatise then have they written and spoken against the Church of God and that in most shamefull and fearefull manner If they be the true Church of God and have his Truth which we assure our selves they shall be never able to prove then have wee spent our labours against the Church of God But have we done it wittingly and willingly against the light of our hearts This is indeed the second part of their charge but who made them the searchers of our hearts and judges of our consciences that they should accuse us to Im other and quench the light of Truth which hath shined into our soules especially when they heare our protestations to the contrary where is that Charitie that thinketh none evill which hopeth all things we say therefore unto the second part of their accusation with the Apostle We say the Truth in Christ our consciences bearing us witnesses in the holy Ghost that we can say nothing against the Truth but for the Truth wittingly and willingly And in the Testamonie thereof we pray God that our tongues may cleave to the roofe of our mouthes when we endeavour to speake and that our pennes may sticke to the ends of our fingers when wee attempt to write any thing against the Church Children or Truth of God Some others Fathers and Brethren Ministers and Members with us of this Church finding by our manner of writeing of what judgemeut wee are will hold our paines requisite and necessarie to stay the course of these waters which wee have given passage unto and to make up the breaches wee have opened by speaking against the government established in this Church the Ceremonies used therein and other our unadvised dealings in the execution of our Ministrie To these men wee say first that as we have beene and are perswaded of the Truth of these things which we have delivered touching the defects and wants the blemishes and deformities of this Church So have we in the sincerity and uprightnesse of our hearts dealt for the redresse and Reformation thereof Wherein though we know nothing by our selves before men more then Truth will permit if they should have taken occasion by our doctrine which we perswade our selves to be the doctrine of the Truth to make this Schisme Yet were this no reason to reprove us unlesse those men which have set downe true positions be to be blamed as Authors of the false Collections and Conclusions which are inferred and gathered thereupon Secondly wee answer That our deceived Brethren do no lesse condemne those Churches of God as the Synagogues of Sathan where the doctrine which wee have taught touching the government of the Church and matters of Ceremonies is maintained and where all things which wee hold offensive in our Church are abolished then they doe the Church of England insomuch that they have written of the Church of Geneva which is holden to be the best pattern of a Reformed Church that it became a miserable president and pernicious example even unto all Europe whereby it is evident that they have beene brought unto this Scisme by some other inducements then the dealing of those men in-the execution of their Ministrie who are charged to be the occasions if not the Authors thereof Thirdly there is such difference and plaine contradiction betweene them and us in judgement yea in the matter of discipline and Church government besides many other materiall points of doctrine as we marvell any men should esteeme us causes of their defections from this Church much more that any man should write That between the Brownists and others he meaneth them and us there is no controversie as touching the framing of a Church by the word of God A third sort of our loving Brethren approving our care of Gods Church and desire to reclaime poore deceived soules will yet happily esteeme our labour altogether needlesse and superfluous as spent and bestowed both against a cause that hath so little shew of truth and semblance of probabilitie nay so evident appearance of falshood and vanity as it is rather to be despised then confuted and also upon men whose zeale and rashnesse so far prevailes over sound judgement and discretion that we shall rather sharpen and increase their humour by thinking them worthy answering to a further contradiction then either informe their understanding by sound reason or alter their affection by efficacie of any perswasion These Brethren wee desire to give us leave to dissent from them who judge far otherwise of this cause wee handle and hope much better of the persons against whom we deale for the cause it selfe we say that though it did appeare as it is indeed full of falshood and and vanitie unto these that have the gift to discerne betweene those things that differ and withall to temper their affections which