Christian Advertisements and Counsels of Peace, To the reader – Table of contents
TO THE GODLY Reader, the grace of conſtancie, with the ſpirit of louelove and humilitie in well doing.
THe troubles of the Church muſt affect thee. A child pitieth the miſerie of his mother, & mourneth for that which he cannot amend. Hee that in ſuch a caſe is careleſſe, is growne vnnaturall and deuoid of grace. In times heretofore we reade, that the Church of God was in a verie high degree vexed: firſt, with bloodie perſecution: then by Antichriſtian ſuperſtition and idolatry. This cauſed by Antichriſt, who with Egyptian darkeneſſe obſcured the veritie of God, and obtruded a falſe word and worſhip vponupon the Church. The other by the ſtumbling Iewes, and fooliſh Grecians, in the firſt planting of the Goſpell; but both of the diuell. The firſt was to keep out the truth at ye beginning, by afflicting bodily death: the latter to deface it, being brought in by mens deuices, to ſoules damnation. The extreme rage of both is abated. Enemies yet muſt be, to keepe men watchfull; trials alſo, to ſee our own ſoundnes: but Satan is chained from riſing heereafter to the former meaſure of his malice; and Anti-Chriſts power ſhall neuer ſo preuaile as heretofore: thereof perſwade thy ſelfe. The decree of God is eſtabliſhed; let men conſult and intend what they pleaſe; in ſpight of man the purpoſe of God ſhall be permanent.
There remaineth neuertheleſſe an other miſchiefe, nothing leſſe dangerous; which is, Atheiſticall ſecuritie, carnall liuing vnderunder a generall profeſſion in an euill peace. This the Apoſtle foreſaw, (1. Tim. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.) and ſaid, it ſhould be: the ſame Chriſt himſelfe foretold by the example of the old world and Sodome in the daies of Noah and Lot, that ſcarce faith ſhould be found on the earth. This euill creepeth vponupon the world; pleaſures with peace doe nouriſh it, (Engliſh people the inſtance) contentions in religion breed it. VponUpon occaſion whereof, Satan ſuggeſteth, mans corrupt heart intertaineth, and ſo becommeth the worſe: one offendeth, and another there at ſtumbleth; but wo is vntounto both, and a miſchiefe enſueth thereby vntounto many.
Other nations are full of examples: and of this miſerie may we alſo lament: much ſin, and thereupon fearefull iudgement; but little ſorrow, and leſſe amending without greater inforcement. Dreadfull daies! Behold our ſecuritie in the middeſt of miſerie; vnderſtand and pray.
Papiſts on the one hand increaſe, though their cauſe bee curſed. The practiſe of their bloody intendments might make them odious, and teach vsus to walk more warily in vnitie: but we amongſt our ſelues do work our owne woe, by vncomfortable contentions; neither ſide yeelding, the euill groweth by partiall partaking. Oh that our Abrahams would ſomewhat yeeld a little in the ſmalleſt things, and know themſelues; & Lots alſo hearken to holeſome counſell, that both may bee vnited in peace: for the Cananites are in the land. Whileſt the victory is ſtriuen for, the generall enemie doth win ground, and Satan hath ſent a new companie on the right hand, leſt this his contentious worke ſhould ceaſe to be. The one ſort is iuſtly feared, and therefore as the generall enemie of many reſiſted: the other held contemptible, and therefore as baſe neglected, or for the fewneſſe deſpiſed: but the little Foxes eat grapes. Theſe muſt alſo be ſeene vntounto, and ſaid to; but without rigor and bitterneſſe. Through our ſilence, they proclaime themſelues Conquerours: they challenge all, and ſtill bid battell to the whole hoſt of Iſrael, as if they were inuincible, and had ouercome all: and yer Maſter Gyſhops booke, Maſter Bradſhawes challenge, Doctor Alliſons conſutation, certaine Miniſters reioynder to Maſter Smith, with other moe are not anſwered. They doe offer encounter vponupon certaine queſtions, as if therein were their owne cauſe propounded; when Browniſme is a thing differing from both Papiſt, Proteſtant, and Puritan, ſo called: for, ſaith the Papiſt, Chriſts ruling power is in the Pope; nay, ſaith the Proteſtant, it is in the Eccleſiaſticall gouernours, Biſhops: nay, ſaith the Puritan, it is in the Presbyterie: nay, ſaith the Browniſt, it is in the body of the Congregation, the multitude, called the Church. And in this beginneth Browniſme: the firſt ſtone of that ſchiſmaticall building, vponupon which are laid thoſe other errors mentioned in this booke. This (Reader) take notice of, to diſcerne where Browniſme beginneth. They propound the reformed Churches gouernment to allure thee, and our ſtate ſo, as they may make thee forſake it: when neither this is the ſimple reaſon why they depart, nor the other their cauſe properly, wherein they ſtand. By theſe they doe onelyonly make way for ſuch as know not their way, which they hauehave by thēſelues, to come to them: but the gouernement of the reformed Churches doe not they maintaine.
For this cauſe (Reader) that thou maieſt not be deceiued hereafter, either with their pretending of ſuch trueths as be not their owne, or yet with their equiuocating renunciation of Browniſme, I, a little one amongſt others, and in the preſence of my Brethren; not with Sauls armour, but with a ſtone in a ſling▪ euen with my meane mediocritie, hauehave nakedly diſcouered vntounto thee this way. If thou doſt affect it, before thou runne, vncaſe it; take from the Iay, other birds fethers: ſet it before thee as it differeth from all other Churches, then behold it with both eyes, iudge by deliberate conſultation, and take as thou by the word haſt warrant.
I hauehave ſought out and found, and after my iudgement leading will I goe, and not runne after affection: as I am perſwaded, ſo would I hauehave other, if I be found in the trueth: if otherwiſe, I promiſe not to contend for any victorie. Confidence in our cauſe, (that here is a true Church of God, from which wee may not make ſeparation) hath made me aduenturous: and the ſpirituall iniurie which ſome of late hauehave done to mee, more then to many, hath called me hereunto. They hauehave taken away part of the ſeale of my miniſterie. Mine owne with them may hauehave Inſtructors, but no Fathers; for in Chriſt Ieſus I hauehave begotten them through the Goſpell. I wil claime them, though vnnaturally and vnkindly they diſclaime me; in louelove doe I follow, and ſo will, albeit they flee from me with hatred. Friendly Reader, when thou haſt read this huc and crie, ſend it away by thy approbation thereto, and report the cauſe to other for diſcouerie thereof, as thou ſhalt thinke fit. If thou happily doſt find any meeke ones of them in thy way, rebuke them louingly, intreating the Younglings gently for the Lords ſake, and ſend them backe againe. For in a ſchiſme many may be, who are not therof: many affect that where of they cannot iudge, & ſo are miſlead; yet without any intendmēt of euil. The humble that are of a tender conſcience, are very reclaimable: but the ſtrait hearted opinionate are not ſo recouerable; yet I hope of both: for it is the Lord that worketh the will and the deed, both when and as he will.
Thus (louing Reader) thou ſeeſt what I only intend: how men will take it, I well know not; how they ſhould, I know. If any thing be ſet downe which may any way giuegive offence, as not ſeeming to be without ſome gall of bitterneſſe in the manner of handling, and nothing doth touch the matter of the argument; I profeſſe, as I looke for a bleſſing, I hauehave not intended to abuſe any mans perſon, but to open the cauſe. I leaue men to iudge, the wiſe as they find, the peruerſe as they pleaſe. This I onelyonly craue, that no man take ill any thing without iuſt cauſe, and that eueryevery one expound well a mans meaning, as charitie ſhall leade him, and right reaſon perſwade him. And ſo I commend thee to God. Iune 18.
Thine in the Lord, R. Bernard.
THE CONTENTS of this booke.
I CHristian counſels tending to peace and vnitie. pag. 1-20.
II. Diſſwaſions from Browniſme. pag. 21.
I. By great probabilities, that that way is not good, and they are in nūber ſeuen: 1. The nouelty of it. pag. 21. 23. 2. The agreement thereof vvith ancient Schiſmatikes. pag. 24. 3. The ill meanes by which it is maintained, viz. by abuſe of Scripture, and that diuers vvaies, as alſo by deceiueable reaſoning. pag. 25-29. 4. The vvant of approbation of the Reformed Churches. pag. 30. 5. The condemnation thereof by all our Diuines. pag. 30-32. 6. Gods iudgement against it. pag. 32-42. 7. The ill ſucceſſe it hath had. pag. 42-44.
II By Reaſons, vvhichwhich are threefold: 1. Taken from the euill of the entrance into that way. pag. 44-47. 2. From their perſons ſo grieuouſly ſinning in that vvay. pag. 47. in condemnable vnthankfulnes to God and men. pag. 48. 49. in ſpirituall vncharitableneſſe. pag. 49-65. in abuſing the Scriptures. pag. 65. in obſtinate perſisting in Schiſme, from all the Churches of God in the vvorld. pag. 65-70. in rayling and ſcoffing aboue all other. pag. 70-78. 3. From their opinions, the matter of their profeſſion, vvhichwhich are altogether erroneous and falſe, as they ſtand (and ſo differ in their v… from all other Churches) in Browniſme: diuers errors of theirs are here mentioned. and the principall anſwered at large. pag. 78. 79. 80. 82. 83. 88. 102. 109. 128.
Beſides theſe here is maintainned for truths againſt them: 1. That our Church vvas truely constituted, and from vvhichwhich men may not make ſo vvicked a ſeparation vvith ſuch condemnation. pag. 79. 109-128. 162. 163-176. 2. That a particular viſible Church is a mixt companie. pag. 87. 168. vvhere is noted, hovv and vvhy ſuch a companie are called Saints. pag. 85-87. 3. That popular gouernment is vtterly vnvvarrantable. pag. 90-94. 100. 102. 103. 4. That, Tell the Church, Matth. 18. 17. must be expounded, Tell the Church Gouernours. pag. 94-100. 5. That one man is not polluted by the ſinne of another. pag. 103-109. 6. That vve hauehave true Miniſters of Ieſus Christ. pag. 128-144. but their Ministers are not lavvfully made. pag. 144. 145. 7. That our vvorſhip is not a falſe vvorſhip, much leſſe idolatrous; for order, it is after the Iewiſh ſeruice, and warrantable in the New Testament. pag. 146-150. Lastly, that ſtinted and ſet prayer is lavvfull. pag. …2. 193.