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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29432	A dissuasive from the errours of the time wherein the tenets of the principall sects, especially of the Independents, are drawn together in one map, for the most part in the words of their own authours, and their maine principles are examined by the touch-stone of the Holy Scriptures / by Robert Baylie ...	Baillie, Robert, 1599-1662.	1645 (1645)	Wing B456; ESTC R200539	238,349	276

crown'd with some shameful conclusion When the infamous practices of Master Smith are objected to his party they have no leaf of excuse wherwith to cover them H The other supporter of languishing Brownisme in its dying dayes was Master Robinson the most learned polished and modest spirit that ever that Sect enjoyed it had been truely a marvel if such a man had gone on to the end a rigid Separatist This man having gone over from England to Leyden with a separate Congregation did write for a time very handsome Apologies and justifications of that evil way but Doctor Ames and Master Parker compassionating the man and pitying that so excellent parts should be so ill employed laboured him so by Conferences and Letters that there was great appearance if his days had continued he might have proved a happie instrument for the extinguishing and total abolition of that Schism but God in his wisedom intending some farther use of that great evil was pleased to take him away in the beginning of his good Work He came back indeed the one half of the way he ruined the rigid Separation and was the Author of a Semi-separatism printing in his later times against his former Books the lawfulnesse of communicating with the Church of England in the Word and Prayer albeit not in the Sacraments and Discipline This was a fair Bridge at least a fair Arch of a Bridge for union but the man being removed by death before he could perfect what he had begun his new Doctrine though it was destructive to his old Sect yet it became an occasion of a new one not very good It was the womb and seed of that lamentable Independency which in Old and New-England hath been the fountain of many evils already though no more should ensue as anon shall be declared Onely here we observe that the last two best-gifted Leaders of the Brownists have been the reall Overthrowers of that Way for ever since the time of their conduct these of England whose humour carried them out of the bosome of their Mother-Church have turned either to Smiths Anabaptism or to Robinsons Semi-separating Independency These kindes are multiplied exceedingly but for the old Brownists their number either at London or Amsterdam is but very small and their way is become contemptible not onely to all the rest of the world but to their own children also even they begin to heap coles of contumelies upon their parents heads as may be seen in the Elogies which both Master Cotton I and the five Apologists are pleased to give them in Print K Yea so much are these children ashamed of their fathers that they usually take it for a contumely to be called after their name No Independent will take it well at any mans hand to be called a Brownist either in whole or in the smallest part The Testimonies A Robinsons Justification p. 50. It is true that Bolton was though not the first in this way an Elder of a separate Church in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths days and falling away from his holy profession recanted the same at Pauls Crosse and afterwards hanged himself as Judas did B Giffard against the Donatists about the beginning Whosoever shall read Brown his Books and peruse all his Scholars writings shall see that they have no sharp arrow but which is drawn out of his Quiver C Robinsons Justif p. 50. Now touching Brown it is true as he forsook the Lord so the Lord forsook him else he had never so returned back into Egypt as he did And for the wicked things which Master B. affirmeth he did in this way it may well be as he saith and the more wicked things he committed in this course the lesse like he was to continue long in it D Johnsons Enquiry p. 63. About Thirteen yeers since this Church through persecution in England was driven to come into these Countreys A while after divers of them fell into the Heresies of the Anabaptists and so persisting were excommunicated by the rest Then a while after many others yea too many though not the half fell into a Schism from the rest and so many as continued therein were cast out Also Robinsons Justification p. 51. True it is that George Johnson together with his father taking his part were excommunicated by the Church for contention arising at the first upon no great occasion whereupon many bitter and reproachfull terms were uttered both in word and writing It is to us a just cause of Humiliation all the days of our lives that we have given and do give by our differences such advantages E Smiths Differences p. 4. The reading out of a Book is no part of Spiritual Worship but the invention of the Man of Sin Books and Writings are in the nature of Pictures or Images and therefore in the nature of Ceremonies and so by consequent the reading of a Book is Ceremonial The holy Scriptures are not to be retained as helps before the eyes in the time of Spiritual Worship It is unlawful to have the Book before the eyes in singing of Psalms The Presbytery of the Church is uniform the treeformed Presbytery consisting of three kindes Pastors Teachers and Elders is not Gods Ordinance but Antichristian and the image of the Beast F Bernards plain Evidences p. 19. Smith in his Epistle before his Differences because he is found so unconstant to wipe away the shame thereof and to cut off offence for afterward he without shame professeth to be unconstant and desireth that ever his last writing should be taken as his present judgement G Ibid. He hath founded a new Church he hath if ye will believe him recovered the true Baptism and the true matter and form of a true Church which now onely is to be found pure among a company of Sebaptists Master Smith will hold ever this word Se to himself for going into Brownism he was a Separatist he held differing opinions from them and now that he is in Anabaptism he is a Sebaptist he wholly goeth not with that heretical Sect. H Robinsons Justif p. 53. Master Smith his instability and wantonnesse of wit is his sin and our crosse I Vide caput tertium O. K Ibidem CHAP. II. The Doctrine of the BROWNISTS THe peculiar Tenents of the Brownists wherein they differ from other Protestants are many Those that occur to my minde from some slight and cursory reading of some of their Books shall briefly and plainly be set down but with this premonition That every thing mentioned be not taken for an Article of Brownism for it is needful at some times to interlace Tenents which are common to them with others for the clearing of those which they have peculiar Their differences run most upon the Constitution and Government of the Church They have also divers Singularities about the Circumstances and Parts of the Service of God also concerning the Magistrate and Schools and divers other things Without affectation or curious search of Method we

of the Churches infancy they were Idolatry false doctrine open profanenesse were then most abominable and more terribly punished then now by the totall destruction of whole Cities and Countries wherein they were entertained also the duty of mutuall inspection and admonition the contempt whereof is made the grand cause of separation was most clearly enjoyned in the Old Testament What here is replyed that all separation from the Iewish Church was simply impossible because then there was no other Church in the whole earth to goe to We answer that the Replyers themselves will say that a separation must be where there is just cause and where a person cannot abide without pollution and sin although there be no other Church for him to go to for they make it better for men to live alone separate from all then to abide in any Church where they cannot live without the participation of their neighbours sinnes We answer further That it was easie for the godly under the Law to have joyned together in the service of God and to have excluded the wicked thence and whereas it is said that this could not bee done because the Censure of Excommunication was not then in being We answer the Gospel makes it cleare That casting out of the Synagogue which was reall Excommunication was frequent in the Old Testament as also the keeping off from the service with a great deale of circumspection all who were unfit by any legall pollution much more by any known morall uncleannesse Kings themselves when polluted were removed from the Altar and put out of the Sanctuary Again I reason thus That which moved not Christ and his Apostles to separate from the Church of their time is no cause to us of separation but want of satisfaction by convincing signes of the true grace of every member of the Church was to them no cause of separation from the Churches of their times Ergo. The major is cleare except we desire a better pattern for our practices then Christ and his Apostles what ever carrieth us beyond their line must be high presumption and deep hypocrisie The minor is cleare by many Scriptures the Scribes and Pharisees were a generation of vipers Ierusalem worse then Sodom and Gomorrah Corasin and Bethsaida was worse then Tyrus and Sidon and to be cast lower in Hell then these yet the Lord did not give over to preach to pray to go to the Temple with them Iudas when a declared Traytor did not scarre him nor any of his company from the Sacrament After he went from the Table when his wickednesse was revealed that a Devill was in him yet none of the Apostles offered to cast themselves out of the body because this wicked member was not cut off Many members of the Apostolick Churches were so farre from convincing signes of true grace that the works of the flesh were most evident in their life In the Corinthians fundamentall errours open Idolaty grievous scandall bitter contentions profanation of the Lords Table In the Galatians such errours as destroyed grace and made Christ of none effect In the Church of Ephesus of Laodicea and the other golden Candlesticks divers members were so evidently faulty that the Candlestick is threatned to be removed yet from none of these Churches did any of the Apostles ever separate nor gave they the least warrant to any of their Disciples to make a separation from any of them A third Argument The want of that which never was to bee found in any Church is no just cause of separation But satisfaction by convincing Arguments of the true grace of every member was never to be found in any Church The major is unquestionable for what is not cannot have any operation non entis nulla sunt accidentia The minor is demonstrable from the nature of a visible Church it is such a body whose members are never all gracious if we believe Scripture It is not like the Church invisible the Church of the Elect. It is an heterogeneous body the parts of it are very dissimilar some chaffe some corne some wheat some tares a net of fishes good and bad a house wherein are vessels of honour and dishonour a fold of sheep and goats a tree of green and withered branches a table of guests some with some without a wedding garment in a word every visible Church is a society wherein many are called few chosen except therefore we will alter the nature of all visible Churches whereof Scripture speaks we must grant that in every Church there are some members which have no true grace and if so how can they give convincing and satisfactory signes of that which is not to be found Hypocrites may make a shew without of that which is not within but shall we lay an obligation upon every hypocriticall member of a Church to be so eminently skilfull in the art of counterfeiting as to produce in the midst of his gracelesnesse so cleare so evident and satisfactory signes of his true grace as may convince the hearts of every one of the Church that the thing is within the mans breast which certainly is not there The fourth Argument The want of that which cannot reasonably be supposed of every member of a Congregation is no just cause of separation from any Church but satisfaction c. Ergo. The major is cleare for if the want of such satisfaction be a just cause of separation from the Church Then the presence of such a satisfaction is very requisite to be in every member as a necessary meane to keep it in union with that Church The minor that such a satisfaction may not justly be supposed in every member of a Congregation for this would import these foure things all which are unreasonable First that every member of a Congregation is to have power to try all its fellow-members to let them in or hold them out according as in this triall he is satisfied This is a large limb of the Brownistick Anarchy putting the key of Authority and Iurisdiction into the hand of every Church-member if all the Independents will defend this let them speak it out plainly Secondly it requires a great deale of more ability in every member of every Church then can be found in any mortall man for not to speak of the impossibility of a grounded and certaine perswasion of true grace in the heart of an Hypocrite who hath no grace at all how is it possible to attaine unto any grounded certainty of true grace in the heart of any other man for the hid man of the heart and the new name are not certainly known to any but to such as have them The grounds of a mans own certain perswasion the act of his faith either direct or reflex the witnesse of his conscience or the seale of the spirit cannot go without his own breast all the demonstrations which can be made to another are so oft found false that in understanding men they

Cotton if not the Author yet the greatest promoter and patron of Independency we will go on with the way it self What Master Cotton and the Apologists his followers have testified of Gods displeasure and judgements upon the way of the Brownists O is as evidently true of the way of the Independents not onely because as it will appear hereafter both wayes really are one and the same But also because in the comparison of the events which have befaln to both wayes it will be seen that the miscarriages and because of them the marks of Gods anger have been more manifest upon this latter way then upon the former Independency brought to the utmost pitch of perfection which the wit and industry of its best patrons were able to attain having the advantage of the Brownists fatal miscarriages to be exemplary documents of wisedom being also assisted and fenced with all the security that Civil Laws of its friends own framing and gracious Magistrates at their absolute devotion could afford notwithstanding in a very few lesse then one week of yeers hath flown out in more shameful absurdities then the Brownists to this day in all the fifty yeers of their trial have stumbled upon The verity of this broad assertion shall be palpable to any who will be at the pains a little to consider their proceedings in any of the places wherever yet they had any setled abode for however much of their way be yet in the dark and in this also their advantage above the Brownists is great that in their Discords none of themselves have proclaimed their own shame none that have fallen from them have of purpose put pen to paper to inform the world of their ways neither have any of them been willing to reply to any of the Books written against them that did put a necessity upon them to speak out the truth of many heavie imputations which with a loud voice by many a tongue are laid on them chusing rather to lie under the hazard of all the reproach which their unfriendly reports could bring upon them then to make an Apologie wherein their denial might bring upon them the infamy of lying or their grant the fastening by their own testimony upon the back of their party the Crimes alleadged against them Notwithstanding so much is broken out from under all their coverings as will make good what hath been said Hitherto they have had but three places of abode New-England Holland London That any where else they have erected Congregations I do not know Of their adventures in these three places we will speak a little In New-England when Master Cotton had gotten the assistance of Master Hooker Master Davenport and sundry other very worthy Ministers beside many thousands of people whom God in his mercy did send over to that new world to be freed from suffering and danger in the day of their Countreys most grievous calamities being there alone without the disturbance of any enemy either within or without What were the fruits of their Church-way First it forced them to hold out of all Churches and Christian Congregations many thousands of people who in former times had been reputed in Old-England very good Christians I have heard sundry esteem the number of the English in that Plantation to exceed Fourty thousand men and women when Master Cotton is put to it he dares hardly avow the one half of these to be members of any Church P But if we do beleeve others who were eye-witnesses also they do avow That of all who are there Three parts of Four will not be in any Church Q 1. To us it seemeth a grievous absurdity a great dishonour to God and cruelty against men to spoil so many thousand Christians whom they dare not deny to be truely religious of all the priviledges of the Church of all the benefits of Discipline of all the comfort of any Sacrament either to themselves or to their children to put them in the condition of Pagans such as some of them professe all Protestants to be who are not of their way Q 2. A second evil of their Way is That it hath exceedingly hindred the conversion of the poor Pagans God in great mercy having opened a door in these last times to a new world of reasonable creatures for that end above all that the Gospel might be preached to them for the enlargement of the Kingdom of Christ The principles and practice of Independents doth crosse this blessed hope What have they to do with those that are without Their Pastors preach not for conversion their relation is to their Flock who are Church-members converted already to their hand by the labours of other men before they can be admitted into their Church Of all that ever crossed the American Seas they are noted as most neglectful of the work of Conversion I have read of none of them that seem to have minded this matter Q 3. onely Master Williams in the time of his banishment from among them did assay what could be done with those desolate souls and by a little experience quickly did finde a wonderful great facility to gain thousands of them to so much and more Christianity both in profession and practice then in the most of our people doth appear R But the unhappinesse of these principles whereof we speak did keep him as he professeth from making use of that great opportunity and large door which the Lord there hath opened to all who will be zealous for propagating of the Gospel S Thirdly the fruits of Independency may be seen in the profession and practices of the most who have been admitted as very fit if not the fittest members of their Churches These have much exceeded any of the Brownists that yet we have heard of first in the vilenesse of their Errours secondly in the multitude of the erring persons thirdly in the hypocrisie joyned with their errours fourthly in malice against their neighbours and contempt of their Superiours Magistrates and Ministers for their opposition to them in their evil ways and lastly in their singular obstinacie stiffly sticking unto their errours in defiance of all that any upon earth could do for their reclaiming or that God from heaven almost miraculously had declared against them All this I will make good by the unquestionable Testimonies of their loving friends For the vilenesse of their Errours They did avow openly the personal inhabitation of the Spirit in all the godly his immediate revelations without the Word and these as infallible as Scripture it self T This is the vilest Montanism They avowed further with the grossest Antinomians That no sin must trouble any childe of God That all trouble of conscience for any sin demonstrates a man subject to the Covenant of Works but a stranger to the Covenant of Grace V That no Christian is bound to look upon the Law as a rule of his conversation X That no Christian should be prest to any