A Christian Plea, Title page – To the reader
A CHRISTIAN PLEA Conteyning three Treatiſes.
I. The firſt, touching the Anabaptiſts, & others mainteyning ſome like errours with them.
II. The ſecond, touching ſuch Chriſtians, as now are here, commonly called Remonſtrants or Arminians.
III. The third, touching the Reformed Churches, with vvhom my ſelf agree in the faith of the Goſpel of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
Made by FRANCIS IOHNSON, Paſtour of the auncient Engliſh Church, now ſojourning at Amſterdam in the Low Countreyes.
Eſa. 50.5.6.
The Lord hath opened myne eare; and I was not rebellious, neyther turned away back. I gaue my back to the ſmiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the haire: I hid not my face from ſhame & ſpitting.
Ier. 15, 19.
Thus ſaith the Lord, If thou returne, then wil I bring thee againe, & thou shalt ſtand before me: & if thou take forth the precious from the evill, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them returne unto thee, but returne not thou unto them.
2 Tim. 4, 7, 8.
I hauehave fought a good fight, I hauehave finished my courſe, I hauehave kept the Faith. Henceforth there is layd up for me a crown of righteouſnes, which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giuegive me at that day: and not to me onelyonly, but unto them alſo that louelove his appearing.
PRINTED, In the yeere of our Lord 1617.
To the Chriſtian Reader: Grace mercy and peace be multiplied in Ieſus Christ.
CHriſtian Reader, I do here preſent unto thee, three Treatiſes joyned together in one book: which I wiſh may proue as profitable to the Church and people of God, as they are needful for this age, & eſtate of things, wherein we liue. Whereabout there are ſome few things that I would advertiſe thee, before thou come to read the treatiſes thēſelues.
1. That thou wouldeſt obſerue, how our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, giving ordinances to his Church under the Goſpel, hath derived them from the practiſe & particulars had among the Iewes of old, varying therefrō as litle as might be, in ſuch a different estate. For example, as they had their Synagogues, ſo hauehave we our particular churches and aſſemblies, Pſal. 74, 8. Mat. 4.23. & 9.35. with Act. 20.28. Col. 4.16. Rev. 2.1. &c. They had in their Synagogues the miniſtration of the word of God and prayer: ſo likewiſe hauehave we. Act. 13.14.15. & 15.21. & 16.13. with Act. 2.42. 1 Cor. 14.3.15.16. 1 Tim. 2.1. & 4.13. They had for ordinarie Sacraments & ſeales of Gods covenant, Circumciſiō & the Paſſeover:See M. Brought. on Dan. 9.25, 26, 27. with that he alledgeth out of R. Moſes ben Maym. in Aſure biah perek 13. And Ioſeph. de bel. Iud. 6. cap. 31. And Paulus Burgenſ. in Pſal. 112. & Tremell. & Scaliger de emendat. tempor. l. 6. And Beza on Matt. 26.20. we hauehave likewiſe baptiſme & the Lords ſupper anſwering thereunto. Touching baptiſme alſo, our Lord took it (as ſome hauehave obſerved) frō the Jewes baptizing of Proſelytes, & waſhing of thēſelues frō uncleannes, which was knowen & uſual among thē. And the Lords ſupper likewiſe, frō a cuſtome obſerved among the Iewes at the Paſſeover: at the end of the celebration wherof, the fathers of families were woont to take a cake of bread, & after the bleſſing thereof, to break & diſtribute it to the cōmunicāts: as alſo after that, a cup of wine, in like ſort: Whereunto that may hauehave reference, which David ſpeaketh, ſaying: What shal I rēder to the Lord for all his benefits towards me? I vvil take the cup of ſalvation, and cal on the name of the Lord. Pſa. 116.12, 13. They had Sacrifices, which led thē to Chriſt, who was then to come to dye for our ſinnes: we hauehave in ſtead thereof the Lords ſupper, which cōfirmeth unto us that Chriſt now is come, & hath dyed for our tranſgreſſions: the memorial whereof we doe ſtil obſerue, ſhewing forth his death, til he come againe at that great day. Lev. 1. &c. Eſa. 53.7 — 10. Dan. 9.24.26.27. with Ioh. 1.29. 1 Cor. 5.7. & 10.16. & 11.23. &c. They had the Sabbaths and Feaſt dayes for the ſolemne worſhip of God, in ſtead whereof we hauehave the Lords day. Exo. 20.8. Lev. 23. ch. Eſa. 66.23. Zac. 14.16 — 19. with Act. 20.6.7. Rev. 1.10. They had Prieſts for offering the Sacrifices that were types of Chriſts death: we hauehave Paſtours for celebration of the Lords ſupper, a memorial of his death & paſſion now performed, and ſtill thankfully to be remembred. Exod. 28. Lev. 1. Num. 16. 2 Chron. 35.1. Ezech. 43, & 44. & 45. & 46, &c. with 1 Cor. 10. 16. & 11.23. Epheſ. 4.11.12. Col. 4.17. They had Prieſts & Levites; we Paſtours and Teachers for the work of the Miniſterie. Num. 18. Deut. 33.8 — 11. 2 Chro. 35 ch. Eſa. 66.21. with Ephe. 4.11.12. Rom. 12.7.8.
They had for government, beſides Priests and Levites, Ruling Elders alſo, of the chief of the Fathers of Families among them: and we hauehave for government, beſides the Paſtours and Teachers, the Ruling Elders alſo taken out of the people, in that behalf. And ſo, as they had a Synedrion or Conſiſtorie of Elders, conſiſting of Prieſts, Levites, and Fathers of Families of the people among thē: ſo hauehave we a Preſbyterie or company of Elders, conſiſting likewiſe of Paſtours, Teachers, and Ruling Elders, choſen out of the people for the churches government. Deu. 19.17. 2 Chro. 19.8. Jer. 19.1. with 1 Tim. 5.17. Rom. 12.7.8. 1 Cor. 12, 28. Act. 20.17.28. Heb. 13.7.17.24. They had for the Treaſurie the Leviticall treaſurers & other the like, to whō that buſines was committed: we hauehave the Deacons for that uſe & ſervice in that church. 1 Chro. 26.20— 28. 2 Chron. 31.12. &c. Neh. 13, 13. with Act. 6. 1 — 6. 1 Tim. 3.8— 13. They had for cenſures, Niddui, Cherem, and Schammatha, Secluſion, Cutting off, & utter devoting to judgment till the Lords comming at that day. We alſo hauehave the uſe of Suſpenſion, of Excommunication, & of Anathema Maranatha. Num. 19 ch. Eſa. 66.5. Iude v. 14 22.23. Luke 6.22. 2 Theſ. 3.6.14.15. 1 Tim. 1.20. 1 Cor. 5.5.11.12.13. & 16.22. Finally, they had Ieruſalem, where God ſet his name, and the Temple where he dwelt among them, & whither he required them to come with their ſacrifices, &c. Which typed out unto us not onelyonly the Ʋniverſall church, but the particular churches alſo of Chriſtians, where the Lord ſetteth his name, & dwelleth among us by his ſpirit, calling us thither to eate at his Table, and in all things to worſhip & ſerue him according to his word, Deu. 12.5, 6.7. & 16.2. Pſa. 26.6, 7, 8. & 27.4. & 36.8 9. & 65.4. & 132. Eſa. 27.13. & 66.23. Dan. 8, 11.13.14. & 11, 31. with Mat. 28.19.20. 1 Cor. 3. 16.17. & 2 Cor. 6.16. 2 Theſ. 2.4. Rev. 3.12. & 21.2. &c.
By this may alſo appear, how M. Ainſw. in his plea againſt M. Smyth, about the Miniſterie, worſhip, & government of the Church, wrote once well (if he could hauehave kept unto it) whē he asked him, ſaying: What one thing hauehave we in the worship of God, which Iſrael had not before us? M. Ainſw. Defence of Scrip. pag. 10. Which being well obſerved, wil giuegive good light to many matters now in question. But I wil proceed to other things.
2. Whereas ſometimes I alledge many Scriptures together, my meaning is not, that each of them proue the point in hand; but that to this end they are to be compared & layd together, & corfirmation of the truth to be derived frò thence, by conſequence, & diſcourſe of reaſon, as in queſtions of religion is woonted to be done.
3. The questions that I ſet down are divers: & abort them there is great diverſitie of judgment. Touching ſome of thē I ſet down reaſons but one way, & anſwer the objections to the contrarie. For others of thē ſometimes I propound reaſons both waies: & ſo leaue al to be examined & judged of, according to the word of God. At firſt, I had thought onelyonly to hauehave inſiſted upon the points thēſelues, without mention of any adverſaries, or confutation of any Oppoſites by name. But afterward, upon divers waighty reaſons, I chaunged my purpoſe & courſe: & of manie Oppoſites hauehave named a few, & giuen a litle taſt of the manifold Oppoſition that is made againſt us: noting withall a few instances of the many ſhifts, errors, contradictions, & abuſe of Scriptures, into which they run & are caryed exceedingly.‘M. Ainſw. Animadv. &c. Where alſo I could mention (if I would) ſundrie manifest untruths publiſhed by ſome: which are ſo very untrue, as I need not produce any other proof or witnes herein, but the publike records of Amſterdam ſtil extant, & the testimonie of ſuch as were preſent, and heard and ſaw what was done: not excepting M. Ainſw. owne followers. Whom now moreover by this occaſion I doe once againe exhort to conſider their waies & eſtate in their heart: & to cal to mynd, both how they hauehave ben wanting in yeelding & bearing witnes to the truth, and how long now they hauehave continued in their ſchiſmaticall and ſcandalous Diviſion frō the Church whereof they were: and that both for the matter, time, and manner thereof: beſides many other ſinnes and tranſgreſſions, which they run into withall. A just recompence of their contumacie, frō vvhichwhich they would not be reclaimed by any meanes. Neither doth it availe thē, that ſome others joyned hand in hand with thē, becoming (as Simeon and Levi did) brethren in evill. In ſuch caſes we must ſtill remēber and obſerue what Iacob the Patriark ſaid, O my ſoule, come not thou into their ſecret: unto their †Or, Church as M. Ainſ. doth otherwhere uſually tranſlat the word KAHAL: which here he doth not ſo. Note it.aſſembly myne honour be not thou united. Gen. 49.5.6.
4. Now of the Anabaptiſts, & Arminians, I need not ſpeak particularly, Some of their opinions here following I hauehave noted and refuted,Gen. 37.9. Phil. 2.15. Iudg. 5, 31. Prov. 4.18. Dan. 8, 10.12. & 11.31.32. Act. 2.20.40. Rev. 6.12. both for the more clearing of the truth, & the further helping of others against their errors, which do now here ſo much trouble & endaunger the eſtate of church & Common wealth. The Reformed churches, may for the faith of Chriſt which they profeſſe, wel be eſtemed (as Iſrael was of old) in their meaſure & degrees, to be as the Sunne and moone, the lights of the world: Which ſhould therfore stil increaſe in al ſhining light of the truth, & holynes, shyning more & more unto the perfit day, yea til they go forth as the Sunne in his might: & should be the more carefull hereof, ſeeing the Scrtpture alſo teacheth, how euen‘Rev. 16.8. &c. Or, by the Sunne here, underſtand hotte perſecution. Sal. Song. 1. 6. Mat. 13.6, 21. upon the Sunne, shal a vial of Gods wrath be powred out, before the utter extyrpation & destuction of the Beaſts throne & kingdome: & that the day is a comming, wherein the moone shalbe confounded, & the Sunne ashamed, when the Lord of hoſts shall reigne in mount Zion, & in Ieruſalem, & before his auncients gloriouſly. Eſa. 24.23. Which whether it shalbe at the converſion of the Jewes to the Chriſtian faith (which now haſteneth on) time and the work of God will manifeſt: As alſo, in what manner shalbe verified that which the ſame Prophet hath foretold, ſaying: The light of the Moone shalbe as the light of the Sunne, and the light of the Sunne shalbe ſeuen fold, as the light of ſeuen dayes, in the day that the Lord byndeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the ſtroke of their wound.
5. In the meane time, who doth not obſerue and lament, that among the Lutherans and Reformed churches every where, there ſhould ſtill remain ſo many & great corruptions, errors, ſuperſtitions, & other tranſgreſſions, not redreſſed or amended in the worship of God, & converſation of men? Which threaten ſome heavy judgment of God, not to be far off, if we meete not the Lord with true and unfeyned repentance in time.
In which regard, al are to be exhorted, carefully & without delay, to think on their wayes, & to turne their feet into the Teſtimonies of the Lord. Buy the truth (ſayth‘Pro. 23.23. Salomon) but ſell it not: Part with any thing for it, but part not with it for any thing. Enter in at the ſtrait gate (ſayth”Matt. 7.13.24. Chriſt) for wide is the gate, & broad is the way that leadeth to deſtruction, & many there be which goe in thereat: but ſtrait is the gate, & narrow is the way which leadeth to life, & few there be that find it. Finally, let us all labour (what in us is) to grow in grace, & in the knowledge and obedience of the truth, in all things: not regarding the applauſe or displeaſure of men: but endevouring to pleaſe God more and more, & not onelyonly to know & profeeſſe in word, but to obſerue and practiſe in deed whatſoever the Lord hath commanded us: knowing that”Deu. 4, 1, 2. Matt. 28.20. Ioh. 7.17. & 13, 17. 1 Tim 6, 13.14. this hath the promiſe of bleſſing & acceptance with the Lord. Wherein if theſe my poore labours ſhal any waie help and further thee, giuegive praiſe unto God: and remember me in thy prayers to the Lord:
In whom I reſt and still shall remaine thyne: FRANCIS IOHNSON, Paſtour of the English exiled church ſojourning (for the preſent) at Amſterdam.
It was not an enemy that reproved me, then I could hauehave borne it; neyther was it he that hated me, that did magnifie himſelf againſt me, then I would hauehave hid my ſelf from him. But it was thou, O man, myne equall, my guide, and myne acquaintance: who tooke ſweete councell together, and walked into the houſe of God in company,
Pſal. 55.12.13.14
Bleſſed are ye, when men shall revile you, and perſecute you, and shall ſay all manner of evill againſt you falſely for my ſake. Rejoyce, & be glad: for great is your reward in heauen: For ſo perſecuted they the Prophets which were before you.
Mat. 5, 11, 12,