Parallels Censures, Title page – To the reader
PARALLELES, CENSVRES, OBSERVATIONS.
Aperteyning: TO THREE SEVERAL WRITINGES,
1. A Lettre written to Mr. Ric. Bernard, by Iohn Smyth.
2. A Book intituled, The Seperatiſts Schiſme published by Mr. Bernard.
3. An Anſwer made to that book called the Sep. Schiſme by Mr. H. Ainſworth.
WHEREVNTO ALSO ARE ADIOYNED.
1. The ſaid Lettre written to Mr. Ric. Bernard divided into 19. Sections.
2. Another Lettre written to Mr. A. S.
3. A third Lettre written to certayne Brethren of the Seperation. By Iohn Smyth.
Mat. 24.23.
Then if any shall ſay vntounto you, Lo, heer is Chriſt, or there, beleeve it not.
VſUs. 24.
For there shall ariſe falſe Chriſts, & falſe Prophets, & shall shew great ſignes & wonders, ſo that if it were poſſible they should deceave the very elect:
VſUs. 25.
Behould, I have told you before.
Mat. 7.15.
Beware of falſe Prophets, which come to you in Sheeps clothing but inwardly are Ravening wolves.
VſUs. 16.
Yee shall know them by their Fruytes.
Ioh. 10.1.
He that entreth not in by the dore into the Sheepfold but climeth vp another way, he is a theef, & a robber,
VſUs. 10.
The theef commeth not, but for to ſteale, & to kil, & to deſtroy.
2. Cor. 11.13.
For ſuch falſe Apoſtles are deceiptful workers, & transforme them ſelves into the Apoſtles of Chriſt,
VſUs. 14.
And no marvayle, for Sathan himſelf is transformed into an aungel of light.
Printed. 1609.
TO EVERY ONE THAT SEEKETH AFTER the truth in ſince…ity: Salutations.
NOt every thing, Gentle Reader, which a man writeth privately & ſodaynly to his frend is fit to be published openly to the view of the world: neyther did I think that this lettre written to Mr. Bernard in private vppon three dayes meditation ſhould have been made publique in print to every mans eye & cenſure: which had I thought ſhould have come to paſſe, I would with better advyſe & le…ſure & ſo with more mature judgment have conceaved & penned it. But ſeing it is juſtly occaſioned through Mr. Bernards importunity in his late published book intituled the Seperatiſts Schiſme, & his ſlaunderous miſconſtructions & miſreports vp & downe the country behind my back, that this lettre of myne is ſtrongly ſuſpected of error, bitternes, raſhnes, vncharitablenes, & imputations of thē like nature: & by reaſon thereof my ſe… falleth vnderunder the hard & vnknowne, & happily vndeſerved cenſure of many well affected to the truth: whe…eat I cannot but be much wounded, both in myne owne ſoule inwardly, & in my good name outwardly, which is alwayes better & mo…e to be eſteemed then a good oyntment: I thought it much more tolerable to adventure my ſelf, by expoſing this vntymely byrth, I meane this ſodaynly conceaved & penned lettre, to the variable cenſures of the multitude: thē by burying it in darknes & ſilence, like vntounto one ſtil borne to ſuperinduce a ſtrong preſumption of iuſtly imputed blame vppon my ſelf by reaſon of this preſent lettre: Therefore I doe earneſtly intreat every one frend, or other, into whoſe handes this preſent writing may come, to eſteeme it, as it is indeed, even a ſodayne private lettre of one frēd vntounto another: & not to reſpect it as it now falleth out to be a publique wriring proclaymed as it were vppon the houſe top: I cannot nor may not with fidelity alter one ſentence or word of it, but as Mr. Bernard hath it copyed in his hands, ſo have I published it word for word without any the leaſt chandg to my knowledg, leaſt Mr. Bernard ſhould ſay it is not the lettre he had from mee & that his ſlaunderous collections & aſperſions caſt vppon mee in reſpect of the lettre may be perceaved by them that read this lettre, & compare it with his book, notes, & ſpeeches: And ſeing necesſity enforceth the identity of this lettre without correction eyther of matter or wordes, I beſeech the Gentle Reader frendly & favorably to conſtrue all things, & interpret them in the better p…rt▪ promiſing that if any eyther error in matter: or tartnes of ſpeech be manifeſted vntounto mee as my ſinne, I ſhal willingly confeſſe & repent it before the world.
And ſo vppon hope of a favorable conſtruction I deſire to advertiſe further that Mr. Bernard had in his hands this lettre of myne ſix or ſeven monthes before he published this his book intituled the Seperatiſts Schiſme▪ which book as may be perceaved by this letter, compared therwith, is principally directed in oppoſition & reprehenſion thereof: but how litle cauſe Mr. Bernard had ſo to doe, may now appeare. For he ſhould have anſwered before he had oppoſed: but that which he doth oppoſe is indeed anſwered already in the lettre by prevention & anticipatiō that I ſhal not need to make anſwere a freſh to Mr. Bernard, he being now twiſe anſwered, once before his book was published, & now againe ſince by Mr. Henry Ainſworth: Only I deſire the reader to be advertiſed that ther are ſome particulars wherein Mr. Ainſworth hath leſt mee & the truth in the open playne field to ſhift for our ſelves: In regard whereof, as alſo bicauſe of Mr. Bernards miſaledging & miſconſtruing divers parts of my letter written vntounto him, I have thought meet, not barely to publish this lettre, but parallele-wiſe to compare Mr. Bernards book▪ Mr. Ainſworths anſwer, & this my lettre together, as alſo to annexe a few animadverſiō … & obſervations aperteyning therevnto, that by this meanes the agrement & difference being diſcovered, the truth may appeare where it is.
Now although it be a greevous thing vntounto me to raiſe vp adverſaries againſt me without cauſe, eſpecially brethren of true Churches: yet ſeeing I am neceſſarely intereſſed to defend the truth manifeſted in myne owne writings, which I cannot poſſibly doe but by way of oppoſition, the…for it commeth to paſſe that will I, will I, I muſt needes anſwer the opponent, left I betray the truth which by due order I am particularly called & ſingled out to defend. Wherfor for more evidence ſake I have cauſed this lettre written to Mr. Bern. to be divided into 19. Sections, & in every Section wher need required, I have made parallels, animadverſions, & obſervations for ſeverall purpoſes as the reader ſhal perceave in peruſing thē: Finally vppon perſwaſion of frends▪ & for further cleering of the truth I have annexed two other lettres, the one written to Mr. A.S. a Miniſter of the Church of England conteyning certayne principall & mayne groundes of our cauſe which I deſire may diligently be conſidered of every one that is willing to ſee the truth: the other written to ce tayne brethren of the Seperation for the confirming & eſtablishing of them in the truth, againſt the aſſaults of Sathan transforming himſelf into an aungel of light therby the better to deceave the ſimple: & howſoever it be needleſſe to publiſh any thing further for the cleering of the truth of our cauſe out of thoſe myſts & foggs which ſubtil diſputers & pleaders for cor…uption have like jannes & jambres thoſe Egiptian jugle…s caſt before mens eyes, that they cannot readely diſcerne a true ſerpent from a …alfe: yet bicauſe new adverſaries ariſe dayly with new ſhifts & cavils therfor it is not amiſſe to diſcover their forgeries alſo that at the length it may evidently appeare that the truth hath devoured error as Moſes Serpent did the Enchanters: So deſiring every one that loveth the Lord & the truth eſpecia…ly Mr. Ainsworth & Mr. Bernard to judg wiſely of my courſe, & not to take any thing in the evil part which is a ſtrong fruite of the flesh, I ceaſe, wiſhing the truth may be honoured though men be ſhamed, Amen.
IOHN SMYTH.