Parallels Censures, Letter 1 · To the reader
An advertiſement to the Reader.
It may happily be thought that this treatiſe (by reaſon of the tartnes of ſome ſpeeches phraſes, & cenſures, paſſed vppon Mr. Be. the miniſters, & Church of England) may paſſe the bounds of Chriſtian wiſdom & charity: eſpecially conſidering that we of the Seperation cannot be ignorant, what great offence ther is taken at Mr. Barrowes bitternes in his diſcovery, & that we know how greatly the forward preachers & profeſſors of the land deſire to be mildly & gently handled, & to have a charitable cenſure paſte of them in reſpects of their Religious diſpoſitions to the truth: wel: For Mr. Be. let him know for his part that he is fallen into a deep pit of Apoſtacy from his formerly ſeeming ſincerity, & if men may be judged by that which is viſible, I ſee no reaſon why the forward preachers & profeſſors of the Lands should not eſteem of him as they do of Mr. Merbury, ſith Mr. Be. is now fallen to his gracious Lords as wel as the other: only Mr. Ber. caſe is ſomthing better in this reſpect, that he wanteth ſome of Achitophels pollicy, & Rabſakeh his rayling, & of Tertullus Rhetotick to oppoſe the truth: in reſpect whereof ther is hope that Mr. Be. ſinning through infirmity, ſimplicity, weaknes of judgment, & violence of affection may by ſome sharpe effectual ingredients, having vomited vp al his choler, & purged out al his evil humors, be reduced eyther to as good, or to a better conſtitution then wherin he formerly was & …o this purpoſe is al the sharpe phiſick adminiſtred vppon him in this preſcript: & ſo the Author doth intreath Mr. Ber. in his beſt love to interpret it: & to remember what Nathan ſaid vntounto David: thou art that man: & what David answered Nathan: I have ſinned: & what comfort Nathan preſently annexed: The Lord hath put away thy ſinne: This condition we vnfeynedly wish to Mr. Be. our old & kind frend: & for the forward preachers & profeſſors of the Land, they muſt vnderſtand, that our cenſure muſt be & is only according to that which is viſible in their communion: now in that reſpect ſeing the Church, Miniſtery, VVorship, and Government, of the English Eccleſiaſtical aſſemblies is judged & proved falſe, & Antichriſtian: how is it poſſible that wee should ſpeake otherwiſe of them as they are miniſters and members of that Antichriſtian body then as of falſe miniſters & falſe Chriſtians what would they have vsus ſpeak as the falſe Prophets did, Peace, Peace, where ther is no peace? would they have vsus proclayme, The Temple of the Lord: The Temple of the Lord: to the Synagogues of Antichriſt? this were to deceave them, & to daube the wal with vntempered mortar: but if the forward preachers duplicate page duplicate page & profeſſors of the Land do imagine that we condemne them, as perſons voyd of grace, as excluded from ſalvation by Chriſt or the like cenſures: we give them to vnderſtand that the Scripture teacheth vsus no ſuch thing, but rather forbiddeth ſuch cenſures, for we are not to judg before the tyme: & therfor concerning this particular we abſolutely leave them to the Lord, not doubting but he hath his thouſands among them: deſiring them to remember that it is one thing to apply the Scripture, to lay the ſalve to the ſore, to denounce judgment againſt the ſinne: another to pronounce the ſentence of abſolution & condemnation which Chriſt Ieſus alone (into whoſe hands the Father hath committed al judgment) shal do, & which for any man to vſurp is to intrude into Chriſts throne & ſeate of mercy & juſtice.
But if ther be any in the aſſemblies, either forward preacher & profeſſor that ſeeth this truth of the Seperation, & yeeldeth not in obedience to forſake that Antichriſtian way, & to walk in the truth, let him know, that ſeing his hart cōdemneth him, God is greater then his hart: & bleſſed is he that condemneth not himſelf in that which he alloweth: & thus humbly & hartily deſiring the Lord to shew the light of his truth more & more vppon the Land, & at the length vtterly to diſperſe al that myſt & darknes that overshadweth & obſcureth the truth, I ceaſe writing: wishing all welfare to the vpright hearted Reader.
FINIS.