Arrow Against the Separationists, Discourse · Chapter 19 – Introduction
CHAP. XIX. The Concluſion.
Hen. Ainſ.VNtoUnto your Concluſion I willingly aſſent, and by Gods grace ſhal endeavour ſo to doe: wiſhing the like in you. And vponupon this occaſion I ſhal put you in minde of that which in part appeareth in this your writing, and more fully in the diſguiſed pamphlets that come out of your congregation: how you take a ſpeciall delyte and think it for your vantage, to vpbrayd m…ns differences, to rake into particular mens ſynns and infirmities, yea though they be repented of, and to blazon them abroad to the world, for the diſcredit of the cauſe which they profeſse, or have profeſsed. If the arrowes of the Almighty did ſtick faſt in you, & you felt your owne miſerie: you would no: write after this manner. If a Iew or Iulian apoſtata ſhould gather and publiſh all the open profeſsed differences in Chriſtendom, yea among them that err from the trueth: what would this tend vntounto, but to the diſgrace of Chriſt; and yet help Iudaiſme nothing. But if the contentions and particular ſynns, I ſay not of all Chriſtendom, but of England or the Churches in Netherland, or the like, which you acknowledge true Churches, were thus blazoned: what a ſink of yll ſavour would be ſmelt. And are there no perſonal ſynns amongst yourſelves may vve think: that you take ſuch a courſe. If God herein ſhould reward you according to your works, where ſhould you appeare? I counſell you therfore to take a better courſe. Errour may be refuted by the word of God, without any ſuch leaven of maliciouſnes: and the truth needeth no ſuch fleſhly meanes to mainteine it. If you like not of this counſel: you may walk on in the light of your fyre, and in the ſparks that you have kindled: but my ſoule ſhal not come into your ſecret: though I ſhal not ceaſe to wiſh your welfare, ſo long and ſo far as I may.
November 9. 1617. Henry Ainſworth.
Anſwer.
Io. Pa.WHereas you take occaſion from the Concluſion of my former writing, to complaine againſt me that I think it for our vantage, to vpbrayde mens differences, &c. I cannot but marvell at your ſtrange partialitie, wherewith you begin, continue and end this your writing: for have not you yourſelf firſt endevoured to ſeek advantage by mFol. 4. B.vpbrayding me with the difference of Mr. Hu. from me, which I ſhewed to be otherwiſe? Have you not vpbrayded me with the difference of the courts of England wherevnto when as I had given you divets nPag. 33.anſwers, you reply not a word? And beſides many other differences of men which you vrge me with all in this writing, your other bookes do much more abound with the ſame, as I have ſhewed before. Remēber what Barow faith of the miniſters of England of the oDiſcov. p. 183. & 162. refut. of Giff. p. 138. 139.particular perſonal errours, which they in their publique doctrine and dayly miniſterie ſparſe abroad, even as that flood of bitter waters, &c. that there ariſe ſuch an innumerable heap of errours, ſo many divers, variable, inconſtant & contrarie opinions amongst them, that (as the ignorant Papiſts ſay) it is impoſsible to finde two of them in one mind and judgement, yea in any two Churches of the land to heare the ſame doctrines becauſe indeed they preach either their owne dreames and phantaſies, or els their lucuorations out of humane vvritings, &c. Thus hath God in his juſt judgement devided the tongues and confounded the language of theſe Babyloniſh builders, that they almoſt agree not in or vponupon any thing; one preaching one thing, another the quite contrary; one building after this ſort, an other after that: one calling or this law, this thing, an other for that. Thus is their Kingdome devided, their eſtate confuſed, and their houſe ſhall ſhortly be left vntounto them deſolate. Now vvhen thus you vvrite and print yourſelves, touching mens differences, and propheſy of deſolation to enſue therevpon; with what forehead can you condemne in others, this very thing which you commend in your owne practiſe? yea the differences as you record them are ſlanderouſly & vntruely ſet downe, but the differences which I note are ſuch as you cannot deny any one of them; and ſhall you have more liberty to publiſh falſhood, then we to ſpeak truth?
As for the publiſhing of the notorious ſcandalles of ſuch as continue in ſchiſme, and labour dayly to ſeduce men from the Church of God: (which you call a raking into particular mens ſyns and infirmities) you have not brought any one word of God to refute this courſe: Had you done it, I doubt not but I ſhould then have ſhewed how you had perverted the ſame. How can men beware of ſchiſmes, and diviſions; of offences & ſcandalles committed in the ſame, as the Apoſtle pRom. 16.17.18. Iude. 17.18.19.requires, vnleſſe they have warning and intelligence thereof? Are vve not taught to look vponupon the lives and qPhil. 3.2.17.18.19. 2 Tim. 4.14.15. & 3.1-11.walking of men, that profeſſe to be our guides? If need were I might produce vntounto you a multitude of examples from all ſtories divine and humane, of the ages paſt and of the time preſent, and even your owne examples both againſt others and againſt yourſelves, for your conviction herein. But this would require a whole volume: and more needes not, while ſo litle is alledged againſt it. Your maine ſins and ſcandalles, are not repented of, as you would inſinuate: the vnlawfull excommunications, and the notorious ſlanders publiſhed by you are not recalled: if ſome other faults be acknowledged by ſome, yet while you ſtand in open defiance againſt all the Churches of Chriſte, and proclaime a ſeparation from them all, is there not a cauſe to proclaime and blazon the iniquities of ſuch deceivers, that the ſimple may take the more heed? you ſpeak of diſguiſed pamphlets that are come out of our congregation: but the bookes which you ſeeme to ayme at, are ſuch as for the matter of them are taken out of your offenſive company, and do in part ſhew the diſguiſed practiſes of yourſeparation: for the perſons that publiſhed them, they alſo were ſuch as came out of your company, who leaving their ſchiſme, which they once profeſſed with you, were more fit to vvitneſſe ſuch things as they had heard and ſeene among you: for the helpers, which they had herein, they had (beſides others) Mr. Th. now an Elder of your congregation alſo (but then a deacon) out of vvhoſe rThe Hunting of the foxe. part. 1.vvriting vvhichwhich he communicated vvith them, they receyved ſundry things vvhichwhich they publiſhed, and many more vvhichwhich ſhould have bene publiſhed, had not their book bene miſprinted contrary to their mindes: for the maner of printing and publiſhing one of thoſe bookes, great injury hath bene done vntounto them, as hath bene noted before.
You ſay, If the arrowes of the Almighty did ſtick faſt in me, & I felt mine owne miſery: I would not write after this maner. But on the contrary, the more I feele mine ovvne miſerie, the more carefull ought I to be to deliver others from their miſerie alſo: and the declaration of the manifold evilles committed in your ſeparation, being a meanes and help to pluck ſome out of the fire and to ſave them from your miſerable ſchiſme, therfore ſhould this meanes be the more diligently vſed in ſuch caſe. If you on the other ſide did feele your owne miſery as you ought, you vvould not exalt yourſelf with the ſIudg. 9.15.bramble above all the trees of the foreſt, againſt all the Churches of God on earth as though none were vvorthy of your fellowſhip: if you had true ſenſe and feeling of your owne ſcandalles, you vvould be more humble & not maintaine ſuch a vaine ſeparation. Hawty Edom had his neſt among the ſtarres: but a neſt among the ſtarres will not content you. There is no communion with the worthieſt miniſters, the tRev. 1. & 2.lights and ſtarres of the Churches, that you can avvay vvith: Therfore have you got a higher ſphere of ſeparation above them all. But remember that the wandring ſtarres are uRev. 12.4drawne from the heaven, remember that you among the reſt have often fallen from your orb by Apoſtaſy: know yourſelf at length, that you fall not further.
You obiect, that if a Iew or Iulian apoſtata ſhould gather and publiſh all the open profeſſed differences in Chriſtendome, yea among them that erre from the truth: what would this tend vntounto, but to the diſgrace of Chriſt: and yet help Iudaiſm nothing, &c. I anſwer, 1. Suppoſe this would help Iudaiſm nothing, but be a further occaſion of offence vntounto Infidelles, yet might it be a great help vntounto the weak Chriſtians that were already members of a true Church to preſerve them from the wayes of falſe Chriſtians, vvhen they ſaw their differences and contradictions. 2. This might alſo tend vntounto the honour of Chriſte, to have falſe Chriſtes and falſe Chriſtians diſcovered, and might help the elect Iewes to bring them vntounto true Chriſtians, and keep them from Antichriſte. Yea when the time of their viſitation is come, that the Iewes ſhalbe called and grafted in againe, this knowledge of the differences among Chriſtians, may be a great meanes to direct them vntounto the truth: for the godly ſhall riſe by that thing vvhereat others ſtumble. 3, if it be an vnlawfull thing to publiſh the open and profeſſed differences of Chriſtendome, then is your ſin great in this behalf, as I have ſhewed already, and might eaſily bring an 100. more examples & inſtāces to prove the ſame: as for Iulian the apoſtata, though his apoſtaſy was the deeper, yet is he the glaſſe of your evill, & you may name him and thinke of him with feare and trembling: for the number of apoſtaſyes, I think you cannot ſhew that he hath apoſtate and fallen from his profeſſion ſo often as you have done: and as for contempt of the Church of God and true Chriſtians, for which he is moſt infamous, I dare vndertake to manifeſt that your ſeparation hath publiſhed more reproches and ſlanders of them, then you can ſhew that he hath done. 4. As for the contentions and particular ſins of true Churches, whether would a Ievv or Turk be more offended to heare of ſome vvicked and vnchaſt perſons in your company: or to heare you ſay of the Church of England, that vvH. Bar. diſcov. p. 182.there is not almoſt one among them that hath his wife chaſt, or their bed private: vvhether vvould be a greater ſtumbling block vntounto them to heare the ſcandalles of your company reproved: or to heare you affirme that xInquir. of T. VVh. p. 26.you could not without apoſtaſy ſo much as heare the word of God preached in any of the Reformed dutch and French Churches, if they be like vntounto thoſe in this citie? VVhether would a Iulian more triumph and be hardned againſt Chriſtianitie to heare of your apoſtaſy: or to heare you affirme (if he did with all beleeve it,) that yCounterp. 168.the reforming preachers were the greateſt deceyvers of the people, vnderunder ſhew of holynes: and that it is a bleſsed work of God that the moſt dangerous ſeducers ſhould thus firſt be diſcovered. Had you conſcience of the things that tend to the diſgrace of Chriſt and Chriſtianitie, then would you be humbled for theſe your writings, and revoke them with ſpeed.
Againe you aſk, And are there no perſonal ſins amongst yourſelves may we think, that you take ſuch a courſe? If God herein ſhould reward you according to your works, where ſhould you appeare? &c. Anſw. VVe acknowledge our ſins to be innumerable, & all our owne righteouſnes to be as a defiled garment, and have no where to appeare ſave vnderunder the righteouſnes of Chriſte: but if according to your example, in the middes of our ſins we ſhould lift vp our heads ſo high, as to diſclaime the fellowſhip of ſuch as are farr better then our ſelves, yea of all the faithfull congregations in the vvorld: vvhere ſhould vve then appeare? If in the middes of my corruption, I ſhould exalt my miniſterie as onelyonly lavvfull to be communicated vvith, and teach the godly to abandon and ſeparate from al other miniſters vvhereſoever, as you doe: where ſhould I then appeare? Then might I feare as Mr. Robinſon notes concerning you in the refutation of your priuate ſchiſme, that zRelig. comm. p. 5.God would be provoked to ſuffer vsus to fall into ſuch perſonall ſins and evilles from which thouſands of others have bene preſerved, &c. Then vvere it moſt juſt that theſe perſonall ſins and ſcandalles ſhould be publiſhed for a warning to others, to keep them from the like preſumption. This is the poynt, which you cover and hide in your reaſonings. This I deſire that every Modeſt Chriſtian would conſider and judge of. And as for you, vvhere think you to appeare in the day of Chriſte? among the goatson the left hand you think not: among the ſheep on the right hand vvith vsus, it is contrary to your preſent ſeparation from vsus. If you expect a place in the Church triumphant, according to the place vvhichwhich you take vntounto yourſelf on earth, ſeparated from all the Churches militant here: then muſt you alſo look for ſome ſolitary place in heaven, ſeparated from the common Saints, and exalted above the reſt.
As for your counſell to me; it is ſuch as Chriſt Ieſus hath taught me not to embrace: for he hath taught vsus to bevvare of errour, & to knovv falſe teachers the better, by their ſcandalous and vvicked practiſes, vvhichwhich he aMat. 23.13.14, &c. 2 Pet. 2.3.10, &c. Rev. 9.7.8, &c.publiſheth vntounto men; This his practiſe in your language, is the leaven of maliciouſnes and a fleſhly meanes. My purpoſe and endevour is to follovv him that is light it ſelf vvalking in the middes of his golden candleſticks, vvhither you refuſe to follovv him. Into the ſecret of your ſeparation let not my ſoule enter: yea let every ſoule bevvare of that myſterie of iniquitie, vvhichwhich as a vvilde fire conſumes the communion of Saints and their loving ſocietie. By this ſchiſme you have ſhut out your ſelf from the ſecret of the righteous, and from their aſſemblie. The Lord ſhevv mercy vntounto you in rayſing you out of this pit, and keep the feet of his Saints from falling into this or the like ſnare. Farevvell in the Lord.
Decemb. 6. 1618. John Paget.
AN ADMONITION Touching TALMVDIQVE and RABBINICAL ALLEGATIONS.
Mr. Ainſworth, it was much beyond my expectation, when as I met with your allegations of Rabbines againſt me in this controverſy: Herevpon I enquired after your annotations on Geneſis and Exodus, which before this time, I had not ſeene; & there I ſaw them ſo frequently alledged, with ſuch pompe of glorious titles, and vnderſerved honour given vntounto them that I ſuppoſed both the puritie and ſufficiencie of the holy ſcriptures to be much eclypſed and empaired thereby. For this cauſe I have thought it expedient to note ſome things concerning theſe authors, for help of the Christian readers that they may be the better able to diſcerne and judge of them.
All vſe of the Talmud I do not condemne: There is ſome vſe of the Rabbines for vnderſtanding and learning of the holy tongue: And a principall vſe of them is, thereby to refute the Jewes themſelves from their owne writings; and not them onelyonly, but all ſuch alſo as dote vponupon their writings in ſuch maner as you doe. And to this end have I alledged them againſt you, which otherwiſe I would not have done: It was far from my thoughts, when I firſt vndertooke this controverſie with you. Your maner of quoting them, I cannot approove of: many ſcandalles and errours I do obſerve in your vſe of them.