Short Treatise Against the Donatists of England, Brownist position 1 – Brownist position 3
1 They worſhip the true God after a falſe manner, their worſhip being made of the inuention of man, euen of that man of ſinne, erronious, and impoſed vponupon them.
2 Then for that the prophane vngodly multitude without the exception of any one perſon, are with them receiued into, and reteined in the boſome and body of their Church, &c.
3 Then for that they hauehave a falſe and Antichriſtian miniſtery impoſed vponupon them, retained with them, and maintained by them.
4 Then for that their Churches are ruled by, and remaine in ſubiection vntounto an Antichriſtian and vngodly gouernment, cleane contrary to the inſtitution of our Sauiour Chriſt.
G. G. 1 IN my former anſwer vntounto theſe your articles which ye call A breefe ſum of your profeſſion, I kept the ſame order in which they ſtand. But now I begin firſt with your heauy accuſation of the foure heinous tranſgreſſions for which ye condemne and abandon all the aſſemblies as they generally ſtande in England: and come after vntounto 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 hauehave dealt in this ſort, and eſpecially in charging them moſt falſlie, as ſhall appeare.
The Browniſts.
HEre you verye vehemently charge vsus 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 vsus with theſe crimes, or diſcharge your ſelfe, and your aſſemblies of theſe preſent tranſgeſſions vponupon the ſcanne of your anſweres ſhall appeare▪ &c.
G. G. All ſuch as take vponupon 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 hauehave 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 onelyonly 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 hauehave taken vponupon 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, eueryevery 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 hauehave 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 eueryevery 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: wherevpon it followeth, that the vniuerſall Church cannot rightly cut off and vtterly abandon anye particular aſſemblies, vnleſſe it be for errors & abuſes which ouerthrow the faith, & deſtroy true Chriſtianity. The precept of S. Paul, in that whervnto we are come, let vsus procéed by one rule, to be like minded, Phi. 3. is héer to take place. I will now procéed more particularly. The church of England, euen as it generally ſtandeth in the publike aſſemblies, among al godly Churches which know the faith which ſhe dooth openly profeſſe and maintaine, hath the place & dignity of a ſiſter: They all giuegive vntounto her the right hand of fellowſhip, acknowledging her for a mother in Iſrael, in as much as ſhe hath not béene barren, but hath brought foorth many deare children to God, and not a few of them crowned with martyrdome. Behold then the inordinate dealing, and arrogant preſumption of you Browniſts. Yea behold euen the top of your pride, againſt God and man, which profeſſing to ſet vp diſcipline, and glorying that you ſuffer for it, do breake and vtterly aboliſh the rules thereof giuen by Chriſt, by your vtter forſaking and abandoning all the aſſemblies in England: for let it bee confeſſed, that the errors, the ſinnes, the imperfections, the ſpots, and deformities of our Church be many, ſo that ſhe is not in her generall eſtate, ſo faire as the faireſt of her ſiſters: yet hath ſhe héeretofore had, and now hath, many noble children, richlye adorned with heauenly iewels, and pretious gifts of learning knowledge, faith, and godlineſſe. And howſoeuer the Papiſts one way, and the Browniſts another way, do aggrauate her crimes with peſtilent ſlaunders, yet ſhall they neuer prooue, that either in doctrine or manners ſhe is guilty of any fundamentall crime, which ſeparateth from Chriſt, and deſtroyeth the life and being of a true Church: yet you Browniſts, not obſeruing the rule giuen by Chriſt, doo vtterly abandon and caſt foorth from their dignitie, all our aſſemblies in England. For ye hauehave condemned al of wilful obſtinacy, euē to particular members: & who hath giuen you this authoritie to thruſt them out of Gods familie, which the whole vniuerſall Church cannot rightly doo? Who could euer imagine, that vnderunder the pretence of ſetting vp diſcipline, the diuell ſhould breath ſuch pride into rotten fleſh, as vtterly to ouerthrow the whole ſubſtance of it: for whereas all the Churches of Chriſt in theſe parts of the world, doo know the eſtate of our Church, and be able to diſcerne the gréeuouſneſſe of our errors: yet doo they all acknowledge and reuerence our aſſemblies as holye ſiſters. And you Browniſts, men voide of knowledge and diſcretion, without authoritie, without any calling or warrant, euen vponupon a frantike brauerie, and without obſeruing any rule giuen by Chriſt Ieſus, take vponupon ye moſt preſumptuouſly contrary to the iudgement of the Churches, to caſt foorth and vtterly to abandon the ſame. What Pope hath dealt more proudly in violating the diſcipline? If there were but this one thing againſt you, it were ſufficient to declare your curſed dealing, but your furies are many, firſt in your ſlaunderous accuſations, which now we come vntounto.
The firſt principall crime obiected by the Browniſts.
Tranſgreſ. 1 The Browniſts. THey worſhip the true God after a falſe manner: their worſhip being made of the inuention of man, euen of the man of ſinne, erronious, & impoſed vponupon them.
To this I did anſwer, that our worſhip is the imbracing of the holy Bible: by the doctrine thereof, we ſéeke to beléeue in God, to call vponupon him, and to doo all good workes, &c.