Inquiry and Answer of Thomas Whites Discovery of Brownism, Part 1 · Subpart 3
Of the third head of Th: White his Treatise.
THe third is, that he saith we condemne others, in those things that we would and do practise our selves. Which he pretendeth to shew in divers instances.
1. The first is, For communicating with open offenders. For which he refererth to that which is before shewed: and so do we: Adding this further, that our Church is so far from communicating with such, as it excommunicateth them, when once they are convinced and found obstinate: which himself knoweth to be true.
2. The second is, for making men swear to accuse themselves. A thing which neyther my self practised to I. L. (as here he falsely objecteth) neyther is at all practised among vsus eyther publikly or privately that I know of. And for the matter of incest so reproachfully divulged against Mr St. this man knoweth himself that Rose White his own wife was the rayser of that opprobrious report, that he had lyen with hi… wives daughter: and that she both confessed it vntounto me her self, & could not deny it here before the Magistrates, when she was by Mr St. now of late brought before them about it: as this man himself also is for a sclanderer, as I shewed before. For his not denying it for the clearing of himself, though he were requested for the satisfying of weak brethren so to do, he saith that he remembreth it not. But being thus dealt withal, he hath written this answer himself, which here I will annex out of his owne writing given vntounto me hereabout. The malice and envie of this T. W. (against me Da. Stud.) hath appeared to be exceding great, both in his often speaking of me in his book as he hath done, and especially in this place, where making an end of mentioning my name, he thought he vvould powre forth his rancour to the full, Therefore thus he saith, Yet would not their Elder Da. Stud. never so much as deny the matter of incest with his wives daughter, for the clearing of himself, though hee were requested for the satisfying of weake bretheren so to do. In these words of his, he would make the vvorld beleive as if some came vntounto me in frendly vvise to know vvhether I had committed incest or no, and as if they required my direct answere vntounto it for the satisfijng of weak bretheren. To vvhichwhich his vvords I answere: First thus: That there never came any so vntounto me as he falsely forgeth, and therefore herein he lyeth egregiously. Secondly I aske vvhy he did not set downe vvhat my answere vvas to such as he insinuateth came vntounto me. For if my answer vvere evil, no doubt he vvould not hauehave spared to sett it dovvn: if it vvere good, they vvould and ought to have rested in it. Further it is to be mynded, that he hath not named them that came vntounto me, vvhichwhich if he had done, himself saw that then his wickednes vvould the more appeare. Thirdly this I do affirm, That such as have spoken vntounto me (about this slander and reproch raysed of me) in any christian and orderly manner, I have answered them to their full satisfaction: and to such as disorderly and reprochfully have spoken to me thereof, I have, (mynding the persons as I esteemed them) eyther passed by them with silence, or else vrged them to do the vvorst they could vntounto mee, being ready to answere them according to their dealing vvith me, as I have now endevoured to do vvith this T. W. & Rose his vvife (the first author of this accusation) vvhom I have called before the Magistrates, for slandring of me. Fourthly being thus provoked by him, my answer now is, That if T.W. vvith his father if he vvere living (being reputed to have skill in the black art) had the help of him, and of all the divells in hell ioyned together, yet should he never be able to prove this his vvicked slander vponupon me. Moreover I vvould demaund these things of T.W. as followeth: First vvhether he vvill denye that his father spake thus of him, I misse my ayme if ever this my sonn T.W. do proue a good man. Secondly, vvhether he wil deny that he knowes not some that can tell of his evill dealing about Clokes. Thirdly vvhether he vvill deny that he hath not dealt yll vvith some about a Bible. Fourthly: vvhether hee vvill deny that he hath committed the like sinne as T.C. hath, vvhom he mentioneth in his book. Lastly I ask him, vvhether if he do not presently deny these things, or any the like, that by any shalbe demaunded of him, he be content to have it taken for granted that then he is gilty of them. If this be his iudgment, let him take it to himself, as vvise as he vvill be othervvise mynded. And thus I leave him & this his dealing and account thereof, to him that iudgeth righteously, and so end vvith this saying, An hypocrite with his mouth hurteth his neighbour, but the righteous shalbe delivered by knowledg,Pro. 11, 9, Da. St.
3. In the third, he hath againe cowched divers vntruths together. As when he saith we condemne the Dutch Churches, for baptising the seed of those that are not members of their Church. Which is not so: but we dislike in the Dutch Church of this towne, that they baptise the seed of them who are not members of any visible Church, and besides admit not the parents themselves to the Lords supper. Great difference there is between these two,Confess. with Mr Iun. letters. pag. 54. not to be members of their Church, and, not to be members of any visible Church. And this it seemeth himself perceived, and therefore kept not our words, as he had them set downe in the book alledged by himself. But yet more, in that he saith my self with the rest could offer to receive Mr Deuxburies child to baptisme, who neither was neyther would ioyne himself a member vntounto vsus. For Mr Deuxb. (who dwelt about fifteen miles from vsus) being desirous that we would baptize his child, we wrote vntounto him that we could not admit of it,And that we might & would, if he did thus. vnles he would make profession of the same faith with vsus, & be careful so to walk, eyther with vsus or with some other Church, in the same truth of the Gospel, as God for his dwelling & estate should give him opportunity. Which he not performing we baptized not his child. And of this refusal of ours, himself spake but a day or two before his death, to one of the mēbers of our Church,W. Simson. a soldier who was then with him in the army where he was slayne. Which things being so, how then should it be as he saith further, that we were offended at G: I. for withstanding it, when we our selves so wrote and dealt in it, as is aforesaid. Or how had he any hand in this busines, when Mr Deuxb. writing to one of the Elders, had answer from them all ioyntly, of whome he was none?
4. In the fourth, his bad dealing doth yet further appeare: it being a matter, wherewith himself is acquainted, and yet propoundeth not the case truely, as he knoweth it to be. VVe have indeed misliked in the Dutch Church (not Churches, as he speaketh) of Amsterdā that consisting of so great a multitude, it is but one, and yet meeteth in three severall places: by meanes whereof, the whole Church cannot come together in one; the ministers can not together with the flock sanctifie the Lords day; the presence or absence of the mē bers of the Church cannot certainly be knowen; nor any publick action be rightly performed. Which reasons we signifyed to themselves in our dealing with them heretofore. On the other side, we misliked also that a few people, being straungers together in one towne, of one language, of one profession in religion, & having not before tyme their peculiar officers, should in such case yet divide themselues into severall Churches: For which I required example or warrant out of the Scriptures, and alledged my self divers reasons about this question. And what contrariety now is there in these things, being laid together as they ought, with their true and due circumstances? Such perhaps as the false teachers would pretend against Paul, when he circumcised Timothee, Act. 16.1.3. and yet would not circumcise Titus, but withstood the false brethren that vrged it, Gal. 2.3.4.5.
The others he speaketh of, were himself and some other with him, who had left the Church of England, and came to dwell here. Touching whom, seing he pretendeth that they ioyned not to vsus for divers disorders amongst vsus, I wil here advertise the Reader a few things cō cerning them, and those also specially out of their own letters, which being as their owne children shall also be their Iudges. Whē they had left the Church of England, as having a… Antichristian Ministery, worship, confusion, &c. they first joyned in & to a Church in the West parts of England professing the same faith with vsus. A while after, they came over hither, & at first communicated with vsus: but afterward (being about twelve or thirteen) they ioyned themselues here as a body together, to walk in the same faith and way as we do; reputing and calling themselves a Church, distinct from vsus, and in their letters to the Church of the West countrey thus inscribed them, The Church in Amst. to our bretheren the Church in the West, partakers of the same heavenly vocation, &c. And in the letter wrote thus, For our consultatiō & resolution thus it is, To meet apart by our selves, aswell for the redresse of disorders that may arise, as also for the administration of the word, expecting the blessing of God which hath not chosen vsus for our multitude, seeing we were the fewest of all others. And againe in the same letter, for our own estate, though our hope to be a body distinct in our countrey vvere, yet is not our hope to be a distinct body in a straung countrey frustrated, but rather accomplished. And afterward againe speaking of vsus, and themselues, they say, For the other Churches estate, though that acknowledgment of them vvere graunted, yet all things considered, vvhether God doth not offer vsus occasion to increase the number of the Churches, and our selves to vvalk together in holynes to the Lord, vvho have had better experience one of another then of that Churches estate, that by this meanes the adversaries reproches, of one Church, and flocking therevnto, setting vp one head, may be stopped, is the thing vve pray you to ponder. Thus they wrote in a generall letter together.
And in another of theirs written in particular by this T. White & Tho. Pow. We (say they) through Gods mercy hauehave our meetings now apart from our bretheren the Church in Amsterdam, building vp our selves vvith that small ability that God hath inabed vsus vvithall &c. as also receiving such members as vve fynd meet and desirous of our fellowship. And afterward in the same letter, W… hauehave had one meeting already together, vvherein M. W. is ioyned. Consider that vvhichwhich is vvritten, Exo. 7.…. and pray vvith vsus that the Lord vvould s…nd the Northvvynd and the Southvvynd, the one cold the other hote, Luk: 12.55. that is, the liuely graces of his spirit in the preaching of his Law and Gospell, to blow vp that our garden may be fruitfull, Cant. 4.16. but not an Eastvvynd vvhichwhich vvithered Ionas gourd, Ion 4. Thus wrote they then of themselves. By which may appear, both what they intended, and for what. They intended to be a severall Church from vsus, though they were but a few, and of the same faith, living straungers together, in the same towne, &c. And the cause why they did it, That they might redresse disorders among themselves; that they might be a distinct body in a straung countrey, as they purposed in our native countrey, before they came over hither; that they might encrease the number of Churches; that they might stop the adversaries reproches, of one Church, and flocking therevnto, setting vp one head; that they might receive such mē bers as were desirous of their fellowship; and that they might also themselves be a garden, fruitfull, &c.
If these things were so as then they wrote, how saith he now in his book, that the cause why they would not ioyne to vsus, was for disorders amongst vsus? How do his letters and his Libell agree together? Specially seing in the same letters, at the same tyme, they write vsus to be their brethrē the Church in Amsterdam; of whose estate they had not that experience &c. Belike he had forgotten the old saying, Mendacem oportet esse memorem, A lyer had need have a good memorie. And further, if it were as he saith now, why did they not then so alledg, that we might hauehave insisted therevpon? why shrank they from the handling of the question between vsus, which we would have discussed by the Scriptures, had not they refused as they did? But (if some be not mistaken) there was an other cause then any of the aforesaid, which they will not make knowen, namely, that Mr Po. & this White might have bene Officers of that Church, whereof they had little hope among vsus to satisfie their desier: Which whether it were so or not, themselves know best. And howsoever, yet with what face can this hypocrite write as he doth, that they would not joyn to vsus for divers disorders among vsus, when but even a while after, they returned to the Church of England, which they knew certainly to have not onelyonly divers disorders, but even a multitude of the corruptions of Antichrist the sonne of perdition.
Well might he write of these things, as he did in another letter of his to Mr S. W. Respice finem, Look to the end. For as they sowed, so have they reaped▪ not having the wind of Gods grace to blow vponupon them that they might be a fruitfull garden, but the worme of Gods judgment to smite them that they might become a withered gourd. And this according to his owne prophecy (though as Caiaphas speaking more trueth then himself intended) when to the same Mr S. W. he wrote thus also, Certainly if God doth not worke mightily for vsus we shall come to desolation. Balaam even then when he would have cursed Israel, prophecied the truth, though against his will.
5. The fift is a meer calumniation, like the rest. In the place quoted, we blame in the Dutch (as we do also in the French) Church of this towne, that the rule and commaundement of Christ, Mat. 18.15.16.17. they neyther observe, nor suffer rightly to be observed among them. (If this man-pleaser could approue them herein, why doth he not?) For our selves we do carefully observe it, & think all the Churches of Christ are bound so to do. For deciding of matters which are of publick nature, they are made knowen and decided among vsus in & by the whole body of the Church, and not by the Elders alone. Yet therein we have this order, that all such matters be first signifyed to the Elders, to whom the oversight of the Church and affaires thereof apperteyneth: by whom likewise they are proprounded advised & treated of also publickly, as the cases do require. Of which points we have spoken sufficient (at least till we be answered) in our Apologie against the Oxf. Doct. pag. 63.64. Notwithstanding if any come to the Elders, eyther for our advise or to have some matters brought to the Church, we shew them what we think to be best as we are perswaded our selves: & yet debar not any from proceeding further, so as they will answer their doing to the Church, as there the case shalbe found to be. And this to be our practise and maner of walking, I think this man himself knoweth well.
For T. C. his matter, the Elders did not decide it (as he falsely saith) but shewed him what we our selves thought to be best according to godlynes, and required of him to do no otherwise in it, then he could answer to God and to the Church. Of the matter it self, as also of W. H. is spoken here before, pag. 33. And for that he saith here, seeing W.H. his wife put him away, who can constreine her or any other in like case to retein such if themselves be not willing.
For the bringing of matters in a third place to the Elders, as they have obiected: Mr P. himself & the rest of them have ben answered, that we do not so: but that when in the third place a matter is to come vntounto the Church by that rule of Mat. 18. this is the order we keep therein, that first knowledg thereof be given to the Elders, the overseers of the Church, then that they seing the matter to be such and so dealt in as is to come to the Church, it be by them publickly propounded and prosequuted as is meet: whereas otherwise both the Church might be troubled and mens names and private matters be brought in publick without iust cause. And this we do, not adding to that rule of Christ (as this man and his followers have still objected) but having that care and keeping that order in the observation thereof, as the Scriptures els where lead vsus vntounto. For which, see 1 Tim. 5.17.18.19.21.22. & 4.14. Heb. 13.17. Rom. 12.7.8.1. Thes. 5.12.13.14.27. Rev. 2.1.7.8.11.12.18.29 & 3.1.6.7.13.14.22. with Exod. 3.16. & 4.29.30.31. & 12.21. and with 1 Cor. 14.40.
By which also may appeare how frivolous it is, that he saith we alledge the same reasons for our practise, which we approue no… in …he Dutch. As if we should put no difference between the Eldership alone hearing and deciding the publick matters of the Church, & between the Elders according to their office having knowledg advising and propounding of such matters to be heard and discussed by the body of the Church jo…ntly together; Or as if the reasons which warrant a lawfull thing, should also beare out that which is vnlawfull; or that we should not therefore disallow them, when by any they are so applyed?
And for the abuse of that rule of Mat. 18. whether through evill affection in partiality and envie, or to an evill end to cover filthynes withall, if any do so as he saith (measuring others it may be by the length of his owne foot) they are to answer it to God, who knoweth the heart and tryeth the reynes to give to every one according to their works. Our duty is, for that which man may see & judge, to have that rule as all other the ordinances of Christ carefully observed among vsus: Whereat let him consider if his heart grieve not more then it doth that the Church of England, of which he is, neyther doth nor can in their estate observe that nor many other the ordinances of Christ: by reason whereof they cannot be esteemed a true Church of Christ in such constitution: As I shewed before, pag. 8.
6. For the sixt, which is about the worshipping of God in the Idol Tē ples of Antichrist, can he not put difference between the ordinarie publick worship of the Church in such places, and the occasionall receiving of a…mes therein by the poore? Neither between the benevolence of a Church to the Ministers or Saints of Christ (which is …he sacrifice spoken of Phil. 4.18) & the relief of a City given to the poore that dwell among them, be they of any religion whatsoever, one or other? Which I speak not, as discommending the care they have for the poore among them (which is very great, and much commendable) but to shew the nature of this action, & how it is performed. Nor will he discerne between the solemne appointed worship of God by the Church so assembled together, and the private duties of thankfulnes, of salutation, or the like? Or doth he think we hold it not lawfull to walk vp and downe in the Idol Temples, as they vse in Powles at London; or if we be walking there, to lift vp our hearts to God as occasion may be; or if we meet some there of whom we have received a benefit, to give thē thankes, Or if their Temples were made prisons (as in Powles aforesaid there are divers) and some of vsus committed thither (as heretofore sundry have bene by the Prelates) that we would not pray there, yea & preach also as there might be occasion? Or when we did so, would he therevpon inferre (as now he doth) that we cō demne others in those things which we would and do our selues? A senseles conclusiō: but wel beseming a Baals Priest, that hath a good will (if he had ability withall) to plead for Baals altars and houses.
As for the poynt it self, and the place of Deut. 12. we hauehave written already in other Treatises not yet aunswered.Apologie. Discovery. Refutatiō. Questions. Answer to Mr H. &c. Therefore need I not now write more about it here. But let the Reader obserue here how this Idoll Priest himself yeeldeth these places to be Idoll Temples, and the Temples of Antichrist: Yet bringeth no warrant for the reserving and appoynting of them to spirituall vse in the worship of God: but saith playnly, if the cōmandement Deut. 12. be moral (which he cannot deny, if he hold it morall for the Images and altars) that then no civill vse of them may be had at all, much lesse spiritual. And yet I suppose he will not deny, but Iehu the King of Israel put the house of Baal to a lawfull vse, 2 King. 10.27.
7. The seaventh is, that whereas we shewed the Dutch here, that they vse a new censure of Suspension, which Christ hath not appoynted: yet we ourselves suspended M. S. many moneths together before his excōmunication: But this he should have proved so to have ben. The Dutch suspend their members from the Lords supper, and yet admit them to participation of the word and prayer. so did not we. But the case was thus: The said Mat. Sl. having declined from the truth which before he professed with vsus to sundry errors of the Dutch here, it required many dayes to deale with him and convince him in them all, which we were carefull to do. Now when some of them being handled, he was admonished by the Church to repent and returne to the truth, and he notwithstanding obstinately persisted against the voyce of Christ so speaking vntounto him, there were some of vsus who thought it not lawfull to have any more spirituall cōmunion with him when he came to our publik metings. Whereabout there b…ing some question, and all the particulars being not yet finished, it was agreed for the present, when he did so come, to deale with him about the residue of the poynts yet remaining. Which being donne, and divers dayes (week after week) being so imployed for the convincing of him in all: the Church did then excōmunicate him, as here is said, and so he remaineth at this day: a man overcome with the love of this world (here called his preferment) and never a whit too good, when he was at the best, to be of our fellowship, which is in the Gospell of Iesus Christ. For which, he that thinketh any too good, is himself stark naught.
8. For the eight, about non residency, howsoever he speak of Mr Br. his absence fr…m the Church, and this without any leave thereof, yet himself knoweth that he with some others of vsus was vponupon speciall occasion sent by the Church into England, and there imployed a long time about that busines: Wherein also what good paynes he took & with what great carefulnes, even this White himself was often a present beholder & witnes. When he stayed there, vponupon other occasion, he saith it was not so long as here is deceitfully pretended, (though longer then he or we would have had it) and that he could not then possibly do otherwise, as things fell out. But I will not here insist to speake, what may be done in cases of necessitie or speciall occasion; or to put difference between factours, servants, and men agreing together on mutuall conditions; nor vponupon the difference that is between Ministers of the word and the Deacons; and specially the difference between one man having two three or fower benefices (as they call them) by reason whereof, though he be still with some of those Churches, yet must he needs be a non resident all his life, and between one Church having two three or mo Deacons, by meanes whereof though some be absent vponupon occasion, yet there are other vsually present to performe the duties apperteyning to the office notwithstanding. But of these things I will not stand. For that which we desier and approve is, that he which hath an office should waite on his office, Rom. 12.7.8.
9. Now followeth the last of his instances, but not the least for the lyes and sclanders conteined therein. The first particular here spoken of is about this, that we blamed in the Dutch Church of this towne, that they receive vnrepentant excommunicants, to be members of their Church: which by this meanes becommeth one body with such as be delivered vntounto Sathan. But this man had no list to set it downe in our owne words, because he hath no love to speak of things as the truth is. And if there were no other corruption but this onelyonly in the Church aforesaid, let such as are of judgment consider whether we have not just cause to put difference between it, & the other Churches of these countreyes that stand not in like transgression: (of which we spake before, pag. 25.) and whether we which know these things and have had dealing with them thereabout, may suffer the members of our Church to joyne with them in this estate, in any part of their worship and Ministration, be it the preaching of the word, or any other whatsoever. Yet notwithstanding it is false that he saith we excommunicated our owne members onelyonly for hearing the word preached amongst the Dutch or French: for those whome yet we hauehave cast out hereabout, it hath bene partly for their revolting frō the trueth which they have professed with vsus, to the corruptions of these Churches (which declining as they may shew in hearing the word preached among them in such estate,1 Cor. 10.18. so are we accordingly to esteem thereof) and partly for other sinnes withall, whereinto they have fallen. And a most shamelesly it is, that he saith we are our selves one body with an excommunicate from the French Church. The party whom he intendeth (now one of the Elders of our Church) was not excommunicated by them, but did himself leave them for their corruptions, after he had long & much dealt with them in all good manner to the vttermost of his power thereabout, & they persisted therein notwithstanding.
The next particular here spoken of, is about our dislike of them for that they observe daies and times, consecrating certaine dayes in the yeare to the Nativitie, Resurrection, Ascension of Christ &c. Which this adversarie himself knoweth we do not: though his conscience be so seared as he careth not how he bely vsus and abuse the Reader, so he may seem to say something against vsus. And straunge it is (if he were not impudent out of measure) that he is not ashamed to say that we observe their holy dayes as much as they do. A thing which is false, in both the instances which himself giveth hereabout: the one being about the shutting of shops, the other about our publick meetings for worship, on those dayes. For towching the first, such of vsus as shut their shops, do it not in respect of religion or with observance of publick worship as they do, but partly thinking it to be a thing civill which may be done at the Magistrats appointment, seing no spirituall observation is vrged vponupon vsus withall, partly chusing rather so to do then to pay the penalty whereto otherwise they are lyable, it being far more then in compasse of the day they could by their labour obteyn. Others of vsus do on those dayes follow their ordinary labour, & some have bene called and have answered it before the Magistrates, alledging divers reasons of their doing, in regard of Gods requiring but one day in seaven for publick worship, and permitting six for labour, & because of the popish and superstitious observance of these tymes still reteyned, and other the like. And what though in these things, being matters of such nature and question, we have differed in judgment?Act. 15. Rom. 14. Phil. 3.16. Is it any other thing then the Christians in the Primitive Churches, & at this day, & in all ages hauehave ben & may be in divers cases subject vntounto? For the second, it is a notable deceitfull vntruth, that we have our meetings for worship on their holy dayes: For although their Easter and Whitsunday falling alwayes on the Lords day, & the feast of Ascension of the fift day on the week called Ascension Thursday, we hauehave our publick meetings on those dayes, yet it is not at all in respect of their holy dayes, but because that weekly we have our meetings on those dayes all the yeare thorow. Besides, if we observed their holy dayes as much as they do, we should have a religious regard of them & have our publick metings for worship as they have, on Christmasse day & the morrow after, also on the morrow after Easter and Whitsunday. Which dayes together with the former he knoweth they observe, and we not. Yet shameth he not thus to write as he doth: as if his Lords the Prelates had given him a dispensation to lye and calumniate, no matter how, and that now he is growen so wicked and shameles that he counteth it nothing so to do, if thereby he may please his Lords or pleasure himself: God thus justly punishing his former hyprocrisie and present apostasy: & so matching his writing with his walking, as it should be an evident testimony in the sight of all how vndeniably his owne collections are true in himself, as in his Lords too, which so injuriously he would apply vntounto vsus; and how far he is behind the very heathen, even Medea her self which said, Video meliora probo que , Deteriora sequor, I see better things & approve them, but I follow the worse: wheras himself, after the example of his Patrones, though he see better things, yet doth not so much as approve them, but set himself to oppugne them what he can possibly; and for the worse things, doth not onelyonly follow them, but approve and applaud them most shamefully: yea and therevnto bringeth pretended allegation of Scripture, as if it were no sinne to take the Name of God in vayne, and make the Scriptures serve his owne fancy, yea his lyes & calumnies. For which certainly the Lord will not hold him guiltles.
And where he pretendeth against vsus as if he could declare false and impertinent allegation of Scripture, and yet passeth by it vndeclared: the Reader observing his purpose and dealing may easily gather, that if he thought himself able to do it, he wanteth no will therevnto. That which he referreth vntounto in a book already published, will not prove it so much as in part; A Discourse of certaine troubles & excom. &c.no though himself with all his ayders do joyne withall. The point is about the Scriptures alledged by vsus against the yearely chaunge of the Elders in this Dutch Church, and not continewing in their office according to the doctrine of the Apostles and practise of the Primitive Churches: Which Scriptures be these, Rom. 12.4.5.6.7.8. 1 Cor. 12.11.12. &c. Act. 20.17.28. 1 Pet. 5.1.2.3.4. and Numb. 8.24. &c. Where there be many reasons expressed and included, plainely disproving the yearely chaunge and dismission aforesaid: As namely, the authority and work of the Lord making them Overseers of his Church, and placing them as members in his body; the duties of wayting on their office, of feeding the flock cō mitted vntounto them, of attendance, care, and watchfulnes therein; the account to be given thereof vntounto the Lord; and the reward to be hoped for from him according to his promise at that day; and other the like. Neither can any example, or reason of sound consequence, be shewed frō the Scriptures for warrant of their practise. But I need not speak further of this point, vnles some would vndertake their defence against vsus in the particulars wherein we have had to deale with them. Which neyther themselves could performe, nor any other would yet so much as attempt for them, though some great learned men have had just occasion therevnto, if they could have done it.
As for that he saith of the book aforesaid lying vnanswered, we have divers reasons for so leaving it. 1. It is but part of a book, printed before the rest was finished: And to see the whole, might be of speciall vse if an answer should be given vntounto it. 2. Synce the writing thereof, it pleased God to visite him with sicknes that he died: And seing he is dead, we do so leave him: forbearing now to write what we could: a… is well knowen to many. 3. He did not, like as this man, leave or contrary our generall cause and testimony against the Church of England: but held it so himself, as of late going into England he was there taken and put in prison for this cause, where he died vnderunder their hands. These reasons among other we have of not answering it: Being notwithstanding alway ready (as there is just and needfull occasion) to answer for our selves, & to defend the trueth and equity of our cause & dealing, or wherein we hauehave erred to acknowledg and amend it, as we have often signifyed heretofore.
Now for that wherewith he cōcludeth, even false accusations of whole Churches, & would shew it by comparing the 7. accusation in our letters to Mr Iunius, Confess. with Mr Iun. letters. Pag. 54.with the practise of the Dutch Churches: it is to be observed, that the particular corruptions there noted whereof we have advertised the Eldership of this Dutch Church, be ele…ē in all: so as this enemy graunteth himself ten of them to be true: And for the other, that one whereof he speaketh, namely their yearly chaunge of Elders, it also is so true, as the Ministers themselves deputed among them to deale with vsus, & knowing best their owne estate & practise, did never so much as once offer to deny it; and their continuall practise (if they have not left it of late) avowcheth it against all gaynsayers. Yet this flatt…rer (to speak somewhat for them) shameth not to say that is false which is very true: like as here before against vsus he affirmed those things to be true which are very false. A fit servant for his Lords the Prelates, with whom it is cō mō in all their dealing against vsus, to account & give out of the truth that it is falsehood, and againe of falsehood that it is trueth: That in himself and his Masters may be seen verifyed that saying of Plautꝰ here alledged, Iustum non iustum, non iustum iustum, quod vobis placet. Let them therfore consider their wayes in their heart, and lay their hands on their mouth: Els let them know that out of their owne mouth they shalbe judged, according to those denuntiations & reproofs here spoken of, both by the Apostle, Rom. 2.1—9. and by the Prophet, Psal. 50.16—22. and by Christ himself, Mat. 7.1—5. Luk. 19.22. Which I leave this hypocrite with his fellowes to ponder and apply to themselves: and will now conclude this third head of his Treatise, and our answer to his false accusations, with that saying of Apuleius, Insimulari quivis innocens a quovis nebulone potest: Or rather with that answer of Nehemiah,Nehem. 6.8. Prov. 24.28. It is not done according to thes… words that thou sayest: but thou feynest them of thyne own heart. And with that of Salomon in his Proverbes, Be not a witnes against thy neighbour without cause: for wilt thou deceive with thy lippes? And hitherto concerning the third head of his Treatise.