Parallels Censures, Letter 2
A Lettre written to Mr. A. S.
By Iohn Smyth.
Aiſter S. beinge requeſted by Mr. H. your kind frend & myne, as alſo, out of M myne owne inclination to doe you good, whome I heare to be ſtronglie caried out of the true way, & in reſpect of the auncient acquaintance which I had with you in the vniverſitie of Cambridge, I thought good at this tyme in few lines to ſalute you, hoping that you wil interpret this which I doe in good part. I deſier you would communicates this my writinge with Mr. B. our ould Frende, & with whomeſoever els you shal ſee cauſe, that you al whome I take to be the Lords people yet in Babilon, may come forth of her, that ye be not pertaker of her ſinnes, & that ye receave not of her plagues: you wrote to Mr. H. certaine reaſons provinge your Church a true Church, & your miniſterie a true miniſterie, this Letter Mr. H. hath loſt, & ſo the particulars ther of he cannot perfectlie remember: you wrote another Letter after vntounto him, wherin you triumphed before the victorie: I have adventred in this writinge to declare vntounto you, both the inſufficiencie of ſuch your reaſons, for your Church & miniſterie, as Mr. H. remembreth, as alſo the ſubſtance of that truth which we profeſſe; & for the which wee ſuffer bonds, loſſe of goods, banishment, & death, according as the Lord allotteth to vsus: Mr. S. I pray you be perſwaded that that which we do, we doe it not rashlie, nor vppon diſcontentment, nor in pride, or vppon any ſiniſter reſpect: no: we cal God to record to our foules that the evidence of the truth workinge vppon our conſciences through the Lords vnſpeakeable merciemercy, even contrarie to our rebellious nature, hath mightelye convinced & violentlie caried vsus to this truth we profeſſe & practiſe: heare our groundes, & then give ſentence, waigh al things indifferently, caſt prejudice into nether ballance, examine what I ſay by the worde, & leane not to any mans opinion, & I dare adventure my credit that then the light of this truth wils shine in your hart, & then I pray you put it not away: ſo with this preface I beginne to lay downe the groundes of our cauſe which is alſo the Lords everlaſtinge truth the groundes are theſe.
1. The covenant, the promiſe, Chriſt, is given to Abraham the Father of the faithful, & to al thoſe that are of the faith of Abraham, & to no other: as is plaine by theſe Scriptures. Gen. 17.7. Levit. 26.9.12. Luk. 1.72.74 Rom. 4.10 12.23.24. Iohn. 8.39.44. Mat. 3.9. Gal. 3.7.9.16.
2: This covenant is not limitted at the pleaſure of men, but it is abſolute, no Prince nor State can either ad to it, or take ought frō it, or alter the leaſt part of it, but God giveth whole Chriſt, al the promiſes, the whole covenant on his behalf to the faithful: & the faithful on the other ſide promiſe to be Gods people: wholly to deny themſelves & to obey God in every one of his precepts, even the leaſt, though it coſt them their lives, Gē. 17.1. Deut. 12.32. Mat. 22.32. Rom. 8.32. 2. Cor. 1.20. Mat. 10.37-39.
3. Two or thre faithful men have this covenant, promiſes, Chriſt, given vntounto them immediatlie from heaven, & not by meanes of any State, Prince, Prieſt, Prelate whatſoever: but wherſoever two or thre faithful people ariſe in the world, in what countrie or nation ſoever, at what tyme ſoever, there & then, the covenant, promiſes, & Chriſt is theirs, & with them, 2. Cor. 6.17.18. Mat. 18.20. & 28.20, Act. 4.12. Heb. 8.10. Apoc. 1.11. & 14.9.…2. 1. Pet. 1. 1 Act. 2.39. Aproc. 17.13.14.
4. Theſe faithfull people wherſoever they ariſe in the VVorld, muſt be Seperated from the VVorld, and from all vncleanenes whatſoever: For the faithfull muſt not draw the yoake with vnbeleevers, righteouſnes can have no fellowship with vnrighteouſnes, light can have no communion with darknes, Chriſt can have no concord with Behall, that is, with a Societie that is without his yoke, the beleever can have no part with the vnbeleever, and the Temple of God can have no agreement with Idols. 2. Corinth. 6.16.18. Apoc. 14.9-11. Deut. 22.10. & 7.2.3.6. Act. 19.9. Ephe. 5.7.11.
5. A few faithfull people ſtanding in confuſion with vnbeleevers, vnſeperated from them, being one bodie with them, in that eſtateſtanding are not a true church of Chriſt, which I prove by divers reaſons.
1. The faithful have the Spirit of Chriſt, the vnbeleevers have the Spirit of ſatan, how can theſe two contrarie Spirits, theſe two contrarie ſorts of perſons combyne together, 2. Cor. 6.14.15.16.
2. Ther is enimity put betwixt theſe two ſortes of perſons, ergo: they cannot combine together, ſee Gen. 3.15.
3. The covenant, promiſes, Chriſt, is the faithfuls only: how can vnbeleevers have any part in them.
6. Seing the faithfull being but few, have the covenant, promiſes, Chriſt, therefore they have powre to all the meanes whereby they shall enjoy Chriſt as the word, ſeales of the covenant, the miniſterie, the powre of binding and loſing, for all theſe are parts of the covenant, they are the promiſes, they are the meanes of pertaking Chriſt. Roman. 3.2. and 4.11. Act. 6.5. and 14.23. Math. 18.18.20. 1. Cor. 3.21.22. 2. Pet. 1.3.4. 1. Tim. 4.8.
7. As they have the powre of all theſe things, ſo they are commaunded to vſe al theſe helpes, and are bound to obey the Lord in uſing all theſe meanes for enjoying Chriſt, therefore they are bound to vſe the word, the ſeales of the covenant, the miniſterie, the cenſures for their owne mutuall good. Deuter. 5.31.32.33. and 6.17. and 12.32. 1. Corint. 14.37. 1. Tim. 5.21. & 6.13.14. Gal. 3.15. Iam. 1.19-22.1. Cor. 11.24. 25. Act. 6.3. Heb. 13.17. Mat. 18.15.17.
8. The faithfull muſt be Seperated from the wicked and vnbeleevers, 2. Corinth. 6.17. They muſt Seperate wicked men from among them by the cenſures, 1. Corinth. 5.13. Math. 18.15.17. 2. Theſſa 3.6.14. They muſt choſe, aprove & ordeine their owne Elders & Deacons, Act. 6.3. & 14.23. 1. Tim, 3.10 & 6.13.14. As wel as vſe the word and ſeales of the covenant.
9. If the faithfull either doe not Seperate themſelves from the wicked, or not Seperate the vnbeleevers from them: if they ſtill mingle with them they forfeite the covenant, they conſent to all the ſinne of the vnbeleevers, to all their prophanation of the Holy things: ſeing God hath given them power to reforme themſelves, and to keepe all wicked perſons from among their communion by the cenſures of admonition and excommunication, Apoc. 18. 4 Eph. 5.7.11, 1. Cor. 5.6. Mat. 13.33. 1. Cor. 12.17.22. Levit. 17.19. Mat. 22.39. Mat. 18.15.17.
10. If Kings and States forbid the faithfull to vſe any of theſe helps and meanes which God hath given and commaunded them to vſe, they are to loſe their lives rather then to forbeare, bicauſe they are bound to obey God rather then men, Act. 4.19. Deut. 12.32.
11. If Princes and States commaund the Church and faithfull to entertaine any other ordinances, then theſe before rehearſed, they are not to obey, but rather to leeſe their lives, 1. Tim. 6.13.14. Mat. 16.24.25. Apoc. 22.18.19.
Mr. S. theſe are the very grounds and principles of our cauſe, which is the Lords truth, there are divers other particulars which I thincke not fitt to relate vntounto you: They may be after diſcovered vntounto you vppon occaſion: Now I come to anſwere your reaſons for your Church and miniſterie: Firſt, you ſay you have a true church your reaſon is, for that you have the word truly preached, and the Sacraments duely adminiſtred.
I confeſſe that whereſoever theſe thinges are found there is a true Church, but I denie the word to bee truly Preached, and the Sacraments duely adminiſtred in any parish Church of England, which I maniteſt vntounto you after this manner.
1. Firſt, the people pertakinge in the ſeales of the covenante in prayer, and in the communion of Holy thinges: are not a people Seperated from all the vnbeleevers, open ſinners of the Land, but ſtand ſtill in conluſion with them, ſubmittinge to all the falſe Government of the Prelates, &c. Such a people ſo ſtandinge have no title to the covenant, to Chriſt, to the promiſes, ſee the firſt ground: ſupra.
2. Secondly, this people ſo mingled with the wicked of the Land, cannot be a true Church, ſeinge it is impoſſible for them to be conjoyned & combyned together into one bodie, as the true Church is. For as two diſparate ſeeds, viz: of an horſe and an aſſe, doe not produce either an Horſe or an Aſſe, but a mule. Geneſ. 36.24. So of the two contrarie ſeeds of the VVoman and of the Serpent, Geneſ. 3.15. can not proceede a true Church, but ſome thing of another nature, viz: a falſe Church: VVherefore in the falſe Church cannot the word be truly preached, & the Sacraments duely adminiſtred.
3. Thirdly, there is one only true forme of a viſible Church. Epheſ. 4.4. One bodie, which bodie is called Chriſt, 1. Corinth. 12.12. Galat. 3.16. This one body hath one Spirit, Epheſ. 4.4. This one body guided by this one Spirit, hath one Lord. Epheſ. 4.5. VVhichWhich Lord is Chriſt the onelyonly Lawgiver: It hath alſo one faith, which is the faith expreſſed in the writings of the Apoſtles. it hath alſo one Baptiſme whereby men are admitted into this faith, ſubmitted vntounto this Lord, baptized into this Spirit, incorporated into this bodie: and ſo have one God and Father: one hope of life everlaſtinge, to whome the promiſes and covenant is given: Now in the aſſemblies of England there are divers Faythes, one off the Puritanes ſo miſcalled, another of the Prelates, a third of the Papiſtes that come to Churche, a fourth of the ignorant perſons. go, they cannot be one, & they denye themſelves to be of the ſame body with Papiſts, Atheiſts, Prelates, witches conjurers, theves, murtherers, blaſphemers, drunckerds, vſurers, &c. Therfor they are not the true body of Chriſt, the true Church of God, therfore all the holy things are profaned, when they are ther adminiſtred, how then can they be ſaid, as you plead to be truly adminiſtred in the aſſemblies of England.
4. Add herevnto that the moſt forward Preachers & Profeſſors of the Land do not practize according to that which they know the Lord requireth to be practiſed, viz: in admitting of al to the Holy things good & bad, in neglecting the cenſures vtterly: in ſetching the Miniſters calling from the prelates whome they hold Antichriſtiā: in ſubmitting to their Eccleſiaſtical juriſdiction which is vnlawful therby yealding their conſciences to other Lawgivers then Chriſt: For their cannōs & Chriſts lawes are contrary: how can we ſay that they that thus doe, ſinning againſt their conſciences, in this manner, are Seperated from al ſinne, touch no vncleane thing, & ſo how can they be ſaid in that conſtitution the true Church, & ſo how can the word be ſaid truly preached & the Sacraments duely adminiſtred in that eſtate?
Thus Mr. S. you ſee your Church is proved not to be true, & your ſignes of a true church therfore not to be found in your aſſemblies. Your ſecond point foloweth, viz: that your miniſterie is a true miniſterie: I pray you how can ther be a true miuiſterie, where is a falſe Church: doth not the true miniſterie ariſe out of the true Church? can there be a true miniſterie & a falſe Church? I know not how theſe things can ſtand together.
But let vsus heare your arguments, to prove your true miniſterie.
Firſt, you ſay ther is a true miniſterie bicauſe men are converted thereby: I anſwere converſion is no ſigne of a true miniſterie: For Prophets, Preiſts, Apoſtles, Evangeliſts, ordinary Prophets, Paſtors, private men, private women have converted, Iohn. 4.39. Phillip. 1.14.15. 1. Cor. 14.24.31. Act. 9.1. & 11.19.21. Ergo: converſion apertaineth not only to miniſters nither is it a proper effect or adjunct of a true miniſterie.
Secondly, let your argument be framed after a true forme: it wilbe this: whoſoever converteth ſoules is a true Paſtor: The miniſters of the church of England convert ſoules go, they are true Paſtors.
I make another argument: whoſoever converteth ſoules is an Apoſtle, 1. Cor. 9.2. The miniſters of England convert ſoules, go: they are Apoſtles: The like arguments may be made to prove the miniſters of England, Prieſts, extraordinary Prophets, evangeliſtes, yea Chriſt himſelfe, Mat. 11.5. Ierm. 23.22. Malach. 4.6. Act. 8.12. Now Mr. S. judge whither your Argument be good, to prove a true miniſterie, yea or nay.
Thirdly I would know whither you thinke that the Miniſters of the Romish Church are true Miniſters, yea or nay: but it is manifeſt, Apoc. 18, 4. that Gods people are in Rome how came they thyther? ther they are converted: how was Luther, Huſſe, Ierom of Prage the waldenſes converted? how were they converted in King Henrie the 8. tyme? anſwere this if you can I pray you.
Fourthly, it is not the worke of the Officers of the Church to convert ſoules, but to ſede & edifie them being convertedia Paſtor doth not make shepe, but fedeth, guideth, & tendeth his shepe: the members of the true Church are al Saints, now Saints are converted already: and the Officers of the Church are converſant about the Saints converted, not about the profane vnconverted, you know a shepherd & a flock are convertible: therfore the place Ephe. 4.12, doth not ſignifie as it is tranſtated gathering or converting the Saints. But it ſignifieth the joyning of them as you may ſee, Gal. 6.1. & the mending of any thinge, Mat. 4.21.
Laſtly, how can you or any man prove to me out of the word that you convert ſoules by your miniſterie? men that are converted, are converted to the true faith, which is one, which true faith is only in the true Church, which is the body Chriſt, which is but one, Eph. 4.4.5.6. But your Church is not true, therfor your faith is not true, therfor you convert none to the true faith which Gods word doth declare vntounto vsus: I confeſſe that ther are thouſands which I am perſwaded aperteyne to the Lords election, but which they be in particular I certainly know not: I hope wel of you & manie more that I know.
Now that your faith is not true I prove thus: They which beleve not Chriſt to be their King, or if they know him to be ther King, do not ſubmit to his Kingdom have not the true ſaith, Luk. 19.27. But none of you in your aſſemblies beleeve Chriſt to be your King, or if ye do yeeld not to his Kingdome, which is his viſible Church, & the ordinances therof, ſeing you mingle with al the profane in the Land, reject his Officers, ſubmit to the Prelates vnlawful authoritie Eccleſiaſtical, neglect his lawes, ſtatutes & Iudgements, viz: the cenſures of admonition & excommunication.
Secondly, you ſay you have a true miniſteri, 1. bicauſe God hath ſent you, bicauſe he hath given you giftes, 2. you are allowed to exerciſe your gifts by ſome approved there vntounto, & 3. your gifts are approved by your people among whom you adminiſter, this is the ſome of your reaſon, where vntounto I anſwere many thinges, firſt to your firſt point.
1. That God ſendeth none ordinarily, but thoſe whome the true Church ſendeth, but your is not the true Church as is proved: therfor God ſendeth you not, ſeing you are not ſent by the true Church, which you have not: againe it doth not follow that bicauſe you have giftes, that therfor you are ſent, for ther be among the Popish Preiſts men that have excellent gifts, & yet you wil not ſay they are ſent: ſo among the common & civill lawyers, ther are men that have giftes, yet you cannot ſay, they are ſent: Laſtly, if you be ſent of God, how is it that contrarie to the L. commaundement you keepe ſilence when the Prelates ſilence you? For if God hath ſent you, who can forbid you?
2. To your ſecond point I anſwere thus: viz: 1. that the allowance you have, is not ſufficient for the true Church muſt & doth & can only give ſufficient allowance or powre to her Officers, which you have not.
2. The Prelates which are in vnlawful Eccleſiaſtical authoritie, can give no ſufficient authoritie or allowance to true Miniſters, for can good come from evill? 3. if you ſay you have your authoritie from the civil State, I anſwere, the civil State can not give Eccleſiaſtical authoritie, 4. if you chalenge your powre from ſome Presbyterie of Miniſters: I anſwer they muſt shew that they have powre to give you authoritie.
3. I ſay as before, that every particular viſible Church, which is a communion of Saints and faithful people, hath al powre Eccleſiaſtical with in it ſelfe, which your parishes can not have, bicauſe they are confuſed rowtes, mingle mangles of al ſortes, cages to hold every vncleane and hateful bird, Apoc. 18.2. contrarie to Deut. 14.2.3.11.12. vnequally equally yoaked contrarie to the Type. Deuter. 22. to. And contrarie to the truth, 2. Corinth 6.14. and therefore it is impoſſible that you should have a true callinge, from them who have no powre of Chriſt given them to enjoy the covenant, promiſes, Chriſt, or any meanes to partake Chriſt: as is already proved vntounto you, & ſo your third point all ſo falleth to the ground.
Breefly therefore to diſcover vntounto you the true callinge which is onelyonly one, for there is onelyonly one true way for Officers to enter into Office, viz: that way which is taught by Chriſt, for he is the dore into the Shepefold, and whoſoever climeth vp any other way (Chriſt ſaith) is a theſe and a robber, Iohn. 10.1.7.9, the true calling is this. 1. A company of faithful people, 2. muſt be Seperate from all wicked men, 3. joyned together into covenant to enjoy all Gods ordinances. 4. aſſembled with faſting, and prayer, 5. muſt choſe out from among themſelves, one or more able perſons, 6. muſt be approved according to the rules: mentioned by the Apoſtle, 1. Timoth. 3. and afterward, 7. charged & commaunded to adminiſter faith fully that this is ſo, theſe places witnes, Roman. 1.7. 1▪ Corinth. 1.2. Epheſ. 1.4. Apocal. 17.14. and 15.3. Apocal. 18.4. 2. Corinth. 6.17. Epheſ. 5.7. Deuter, 29.9.13. Ioſua. 24.25. Act. 3.25. Heb. 8.10. Act. 13.2.3. and 14.23. & 6.5.1. Tim. 3.10. Tit. 1.6.9.1. Tim. 6.3.14. Act. 20.28. 1. Pet, 5.1.3.4.
Now Mr. S. shew mee ſuch a Church, and ſuch a Miniſterie, in any parish Church in England, and I will acknowledg it a true Church, and that miniſterie, a true miniſterie: but if you cannot shew it, give vsus leave to doe as wee …oe accordinge to that which wee have shewed you warrant for our of the word.
And now I pray you examine theſe things carefully, and thinke it not labour loſt to ſearch and weigh ſeriouſly the Scriptures by mee quoted in every point. Know that the Lord will not be ſerved with halves, he will have all or none: I confeſſe you have much good doctrine among you: yea you have the doctrine of Chriſts Preiſthood pure in his Sacrifice and interceſſion, but you have vtterly caſt of his Kingdome, which as the true conſtitution of the viſible Church in the true cauſes eſſentiall thereof, viz: 1. the true matter which are only Saints, 2. the true forme which is the covenant to walke in al Gods wayes. 3. The true eſſential properties which is the powre of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt eſpecially in binding and loſing, without which it is impoſſible for the Church to continue a Holy communion among themſelves: al this you want, and therefore you in the aſſemblies deny Chriſt the King to reigne over you, you have rejected Chriſts Teſtament, for his Teſtament is that which he hath purchaſed with his blood: as you may ſee, 1. Corinth. 14.25. Heb. 10.29. For the Old Teſtament was abolished by the blood of his croſſe, and the new Teſtament ſucceded & in eſtablished in ſtead thereof by his blood: for Chriſt by his Preiſthood obteyned his Kingdome, & now in his Kingdom diſpenceth the vertue of his Preiſhood to his ſubjects: Mr. S. I pray you conſider carefully theſe things, I know they are the vndoubted & moſt cleare & evident truth of Gods word: & that wil I adventure further to prove before any witneſſes, vppon the hazard of my life if I may have audience: do not you now as you have once done in your Letter to Mr. H. take it granted that nether he nor his leaders, as you ſpeak, can anſwere your arguments, you ſee it is otherwiſe: I pray you doe not oppoſe againſt this truth in your pulpits till you have throughly ſcanned all thinges, & til you have had further paſſages with mee about it: I did thinke that I ought to doe many things againſt this way, but it pleaſed the Lord at the length to reveale his truth vntounto me, for the which I bleſſe my God for ever: I know if you once intereſt your ſelfe in oppoſition againſt the cauſe publiquely, it will be very hard for you afterwards to deny your doinges, & to pul downe that which you have built: Therefore be adviſed: raiſe vp your hart to enter into the cauſe, & be not afrayd of it, deny al, even wife & children, & life alſo: els you are not capable of this truth.
I pray you commend mee to Mr. B. and to your ſelfe moſt kindly: The Lord of his mercy vouchſafe to enlighten you with the evident brightnes of his truth: and the Lord open your hart to entertayne it in love: and the Lord guide your feete into the way of peace: ſo in all kindnes I take leave of you bidding you moſt hartely farewell,
FINIS