Short Reply to the Donatists, Title page – Prefatory letter
❧ A ſhort Reply vntounto the laſt printed books of Henry Barrow and Iohn Greenwood, the chiefe ringleaders of our Donatiſts in England: VVherein is layd open their groſſe ignorance, and foule errors: vponupon which their whole building is founded.
By George Gyfford, Miniſter of Gods holy worde, in Maldon.
Imprinted at London by Thomas Orwin, for Tobie Cooke: and are to be ſolde at the Tygers head, in Pauls Churchyard. 1591
To the Reader.
THere were (good Chriſtian Reader) foure haynous accuſatiōs laid againſt the Church of England, for which the accuſers hauehave condemned her, & all her publique aſſemblies, as moſt wicked Antichriſtian Idolatrons ſynagogues of Sathan. I ſhewed how falſely they doo accuſe, and howe preſumptuouſly agaynſt God they doo condemne: And that indeede they are the very ſame with the auncient Donatiſts. They hauehave replyed and publiſhed in print their defence, but their bookes are intercepted: yet ſome few hauehave eſcaped, and are diſperſed among theyr fellowes. Wherefore I hold it needfull to publiſh ſome anſwere, not dealing with eueryevery error and abſurditie, (for that would aske the trauaile of ſome yeares) but onelyonly with the chiefe grounds of their Schiſme. In this, I truſt eueryevery ſimple man that hath a Chriſtian heart, ſhall ſee the effectuall power of Sathan, when he turneth himſelfe into the likenes of an Angell of light, to ſeduce ignorant men, which are lifted vp in their mindes, with opinion of their knowledge: For being men vnlearned (onelyonly ſome little froth excepted, I ſpeake thus becauſe they peruert that little which they hauehave read in other means writings, in ſundry poynts) yet as if they were ſent from heauen with reuelations, or as great Apoſtles, they take vponupon them to confute, and controll, and condemne all Churches, and all the moſt worthy Inſtruments which GOD hath rayſed vp in theſe laſt times. For knowe this (good Reader) that the foure accuſations which they hauehave brought agaynſt the Church of England, to condemne her, … alſo (though with ſome differences) brought againſt all Churches in Europe, and that in expreſſe wordes in theſe their laſt bookes. For the preſcript formes of prayers, which all the Reformed Churches doo vſe, they condemne as moſt horrible and … blaſphemie. The people (they ſay) are prophane multitudes. They ſay, that in all Europe, & in all theſe knowen partes of the world there is no miniſter of Chriſt. The gouernment by Elderſhips, they condemne as a moſt proude thing, as being without any warrant of Gods word. Doo but readeouer theſe fewe things which I hauehave noted out of their booke… and iudge how fit they be for ſuch a work as they hauehave taken in hand, & whether it be like that GOD hath ſent them, euen as it were Moſes and Aaron, to conduct his people out of Aegipt, from vnderunder the bondage of Pharaoh, for ſo they take it; as appeareth by their owne wordes, ſpeaking of thoſe which cleaue vntounto them. Many they ſee by Gods mightie hand (ſay they) eſcaped, and marching with the banner of the Goſpell diſplayed, before all the inchaunters of Aegipt, and Pharaoh his troupes, pag. 5. of the Epiſtle. And if it ſeeme loſt time to ſtand vponupon ſuch groſſe things: yet take this profit, as to ſee how needfull it is not to be high minded▪ and preſumptuouſly bolde in Gods matters, but to feare and tremble with Humilitie.
To Maſter Barrow, and Maſter Greenwood.
YE complaine much of hard dealing offered you, and ſay ye are blaſphemed with odious tearmes. And if ye doo erre, your deſire is to be reduced by a Chriſtian manner. It is certaine when men are cleane aw…ye in ſimplicitie, & the matter toucheth but themſelues, they are to be dealt withall without ſeeking their diſgrace: But when they be publike and notorious ſeducers, defacing Christs Ministers, and many poore ſheepe of Christ are in hazard to be ſpoyled. They that take it to be vncharitable dealing, to diſcloſe, and to paynt out ſuch ſeducers in their colours, and to diſgrace them vtterly, to the end that the ſimple may not be ſpoyled by thē as a praie, doo want ſome iudgement. For as it is Chriſtian charitie in the Shepheards to deale meekely with the ſheepe, ſo is it high treachery and vnfaythfull dealing to Christ and his Church, when the VVoolfe dooth come in ſheepes clothing, not to pluck it off, and to let the ſheepe ſee that he is a VVoolfe. VVhy elſe did our Sauiour call the Phariſies, hypocrites, Serpents and generations of Vipers? VVhy ſayd S. Paule of the falſe Apoſtles, beware of dogges? Ye hauehave drawen many into an outragious preſumption against God and his people, flat contrary to the rules of his holy word, as ſhall appeare in the diſcourſe. Ye hauerent out of the hearts of many, all reuerence and louelove towards the preachers of the Goſpell, and led them into ſuch a preſumptuous opinion of their owne vnderſtanding, that if they become not heretikes, yet experience doth teach, that many of them growe into irreligious prophanenes. Maſter Barrow and Maſter Greenwood, I doo not know your perſons, and I proteſt vntounto ye, there is no priuate thing hath moued me to ſeeke your diſgrace, but indeede the care of Chriſts ſheepe. And let it appeare by the things which follow whether I hauehave done ye any wrong.