Certain Questions, Answer 3 – Reply 3
Mr Ainſvv. his Anſvver. To Mr Broughton, Grace & ſobrietie.
HOw wel yow have juſtified eyther the vnjuſt reproch of me, or your blame of our Engliſh tranſlations, touching the queſtion of Silk; & how ſoundly yow hav prooved linen & woollen to be the matter of Aarons garments, or worm-wrought ſilk to be vnclean & vnlawful; I leav it to the iudgement of the diſcreet reader that ſhal ſee your writings. As for my ſelf, I rely not vponupon any mans aucthoritie, though I reverence & regard their help as is meet. The word of God (how ſhort ſoever it be written) giveth ſufficient light to the eyes, & vnderſtanding to the ſimple. By it I learne, that there grew*Exo. 9.3. flaxe in Aegipt, of wich linen properly is made; & that Sheſh was an other ſtuff, which the nobility of Aegipt ‡Gen. 41.42.wore in honour; whervpō I gather, it excelled our linen. foreign Techeleth which with vsus is blew ſilk, with you blew wollen, I find was the attire of then ”Eze. 23.6.Princes of Aſſyria & other nations; and with it & Purple, the hethens †Ier. 10.9▪adorned their images of gold: Scarlet alſo was matched with ❀Ier. 4.30▪golden ornamēts, which argueth theſe things to be neyther commune nor baſe, but rather as the ſcripture calleth them *Heſt. 8.15▪royal attire. In the Lords Tabernacle I ſee the broydered curtaines to be made of this Sheſh, which was naturally white; and 3. other colours, which reaſon wil teach were ſuitable to the ſame. Now what likelyhood ther is that the ‡Exod. 26▪ 6.4.golden taches ſhould be faſtned in loops of blew wollen threed; or the glorious breſtplate, ſhould be tied to the Ephod with ”Exod. 28.27.28.golden chaines & rings, & with blew wool; or that the ✚ver. 36.37.pure goldē plate with the holy graving vpō it, ſhould be faſtned to the miter of Sheſh with blew wollen threed rather then with ſilk, (vnleſſe it be meant the wool of the xylon tree, or ſome ſuch like ſilken wool, and ſo the ſtrife be but about words,) I refer to be judged of them that read this controverſie.
It is your ſelf that fayl in the Aequivocatiō, though yow wil not acknowledge it; for when the tranſlation giveth Silk, you conclude it to be of the worm: & now, to help your ſelf flee to the Copes, as if the Bible had been tranſlated out of the Popes ward-robe; and the interpretours had not looked to Moſes text, to expreſſe it in Engliſh, ſo neer as they could, by termes familiar to our Engliſh nation. Neyther yet ſhew you by the law of God, the ſilk of wormes to be vnclean, but refer to the reading of the Rabbines for proof of it & other your aſſertions.
If it be graunted vvorms ſilk was lawful in civil vſe, why may it not with as good reaſon be held lawful in ceremonie, as linen & woollē, which in civil vſe was ”Deut. 2….11.vnlawful? or why ſhould the worme, more then the purple fiſh which was vnclean ſeing it had not *…v. …ſinnes & ſcales, be ſhut out of the tabernacle? Or why excepted you againſt Silk, more then againſt our Engliſhing of Tachas the Badger, whoſe ſkin covered the Sanctuarie, though the fleſh was never Lev. 1. &cvſed in ſacrifice, neyther is it reckned amōg the clean beaſts, (Deut. 14 4.5.) for civil vſe, nor wil eaſily be proved to be clean, if it vvere ſuch as our Badger, hovvſoeuer the Rabbines hold it to be a clean beaſt, and I vvil not deny it.
And now that I hav ſeen your proofs, & vve ar come to this yſſue, I vvil freely confeſſe vvhat is the greateſt thing that hath moved ſcruple in me, cōcerning this matter of wool. The Apoſtle Hebr. 9.19. ſpeaking of ſprinckling of the blood of the covenant Exod. 24. mentioneth ſcarlet wool & hyſſoppe; which though they be not named in that place of Exodus, yet he might vvel gather from the like ſprinckling otherwhere, as in Lev. 14.4.6. vvher the hebrew being onelyonly Scarlet, vve ar taught by the Apoſtle to vnderſtand in that place, Scarlet wool, from vvhence it may be conjectured that al the Scarlet about the Sanctuarie vvas wool alſo. But vvithal I have minded, that Scarlet is general, & may be applied to all ſtuff ſo coloured, vvhither vvool, as in this place; or other thing, as is like of that ſcarlet cord, Ioſh. 2.15.18.21. & that vvool being fitteſt to ſprinkle vvith, vvas here vſed. Againe it is vncertaine what wool it was, ſeing that beſide the wool of the ſheep, the fruite of the Xylon & other ”Lanigorae, & laniferae a… bores. Plin l 12. c. 10. & l. 13. c. 14.wool-bearing trees, as Plinie caleth them, is wool alſo; & is ſo named of *Theophra. l. 4. hiſt. plā. c. 9. Plinie. Calapinus on Sericū & on Goſſipiū wher he caleth it both lana & linum. wool & linē: having himſelf ſeen the thing grow.Greek & Latine writers, yea (Sericū) ſilk it ſelf is ſo caled. Now Tremellius maketh al in the Sanctuarie Xylinum, & ſo, in this vnderſtanding the blew purple & ſcarlet might be vvool, & Ioſephus with other Ievves that cal it wool may be defended: & the rather ſeing the ſtuff vvas died before it was ſpoonn as appeareth Exod. 35.25. And this is al the probability for wool that I knovv in the Bible; vvhichwhich yet is far from proving the points before handled; that ſuch a divers mixture was in the Prieſts garments, or that wormes ſilk was vnclean; & much leſſe vvil it condemne the tranſlation of ſilk in general.
From the matter of Silk, you turne to other contumelie & reproch-charging this cōgregation of vvhichwhich I am, to be no church but a ſynagogue of Satan: & that for 3. cauſes. 1 Our condemning al your Chriſtian churches as godles buildings ▪ this yovv cal our Iudaiſme, & ſay, it hath loſt al right of diſputing. 2. Secondly, our befooling (as yovv vviſely ſpeak) of ſaying the Lords prayer according to the expreſſe commaundement, & making phraſes of words to mean matter of ſuch effect. 3. Thirdly, our excommunicating for baptizing in the Dutch church: and for it, you cal me a wicked excommunicator, & ſay I hav given my ſelf over to Satan.
VntoUnto theſe points (paſſing by, for the preſent, the venim of your tongue) I anſwer. We witneſſe againſt the corrupt & falſe eſtate of your Engliſh Cathedral & pariſh aſſemblies, 1. as not being a cōmunion of Saincts, a people caled & ſeparated from the world, & brought into covenant with God; 2. as not worſhiping him aright in ſpirit & truth according to his own law, but after humane inventions; 3. a… not having the eccleſiaſtical regiment & miniſterie preſcribed in Chriſts teſtament, but an other received from the Romane Antichriſt. Of theſe & many other your particular tranſgreſſions derived from theſe, we hav publiſhed our proofs & reaſons in the Confeſſion of our faith, & ſundry other treatiſes: againſt which, if yow hav ought to obiect, or can any way defend your churches eſtate, yow not onelyonly hav libertie but may get your ſelf credit ſo for to doe. How is it then, that you leav theſe mayn matters, & medle with one particular of the Temples; which howſoever they be evil, yet vve thinck your preiſthood & ſervice in them ſet vp & vſed, are much worſe. But if they be too bad for you to defend, and the Temples, you thinck, wil more eaſily be iuſtified; we ar content you ſhal take your choiſe, ſo as you wil adde doctrine to your lips, and prove by Gods word that which you affirme. In this your writing you hav neyther convinced vsus of Iudaiſme, nor warranted your Temples by any lavv of God; onelyonly we hav your bare word, caling them Chriſtian churches, & holy buildings, and the old Popiſh argument of antiquity & hundreds of yeres. But for this latter, I leav you to trie your title vvith the Papiſts, who chalenge *… ſupp. to the king▪ reaſon of relig. 6. & 15your churches, & many other things as being their right, & by them erected. And for the former, I refer you to the ſcripture, which cōdemneth the antichriſtian worſhip, for idolatrie and ‡Rev. 9.20 2 Chro. 11.15.worſhip of divils, and maketh Babylon ✚Rev. 18 2the habitation of divils; and hath ❀1 Cor. 10.20.21.14. 1 Ioh. 5.21forbidden vsus al manner communion and fellowſhip with divils or idols; or reteyning & vſing any monuments *Exod. …3▪ 24. Deut. 7 25.26. Iſa. 30.22.of their abomination; and draweth their ‡Deut. 12.2.3.places within this compaſſe as vvel as their altars & images, and vvarranteth vsus not by any lavv or example of the Prophets or Apoſtles to vſe ſuch idol howſes for Gods worſhip, which ar appropriat to the worſhip of Satā, & a part of his childrēs devotion. It remayneth then vponupon you, to juſtify the vſe of theſe Maſſehouſes, & to diſcover our error (if ſuch it be) that reprove & condemne them.
Touching praier, we hold it to be a powring out ✚Pſ. 62.8.of the hart before God, by making requeſts or giving of thancks according to the preſent need & occaſiō; through the help & working of the *Rō 8.15.26.Holy ghoſt which God hath ſhed into the harts of al his children. We find that al the holy men of God, vſed thus to pray in the ſpirit, without reading or ſaying by rote any number of words, & have plentiful examples herof in ❀Gē. 15.2… 8. & 17.18 & 24.12.27. & 25.21. & 32.9 Exod. 5.27. & 32.11. Ioſ. 7.6.7. 2 Sā. 7.18. & the book of Pſalmes throughout. 1 king. 8.22.23. 2 Chrō. 14.11. & 20.5.6. Neh. 1 4.5. & 9.5 …. Dan. 9.3.4. &c.Abrahā Iſaak & Iſrael, Moſes & Ioſua, David & Solomon with many other Saincts. We find it promiſed, that at Chriſts coming, the ſpirit ſhould be more plentifully powred vponupon the church, even the ſpirit ”Zech. 12.10.of grace & of ſupplications; which he graciouſly performed both †Mat. 6. Act. 2.by doctrine & ſpiritual gifts wherwith he furniſhed his diſciples; who accordingly ✚Act. 1.24 & 4.2prayed, not with preſcript words, but with ſuch as the ſpirit gav them to vtter, God ❀Pſ. 10 …preparing their hart, & bending his ear. According to theſe rules & examples in ſcripture we offer vp our prayers in faith; acknowledging that forme, caled the Lords prayer, to be a moſt perfect patterne given for our inſtruction; & that it is lawful and good to vſe any of thoſe or other words of ſcripture fitly applied to our preſent purpoſe. This yow profanely cal our befooling of ſaying the Lords prayer, and like not, as it ſeemeth, of ſuch praying, but would bind vsus to the ſaying over of thoſe very words, without ſhewing any proof by doctrine or example for that you ſay, ſave that you mentiō onelyonly th'expreſſe commaundement. As if we might vnderſtand any commaundement contrary to the Analogie of faith, & whole tenour of the ſcriptures. It is the true meaning of Gods oracles that muſt be regarded. Otherwiſe we know the Papiſts, hav as expreſſe words *This is my …odie. Mat. 26.in ſhew for their real preſence in the Sacrament, & think they hav as good warrant from Luk. 1.48. to ſay the Ave Maria, as you for the Pater noſter. But if you wil needs vnderſtand & require a pronouncing of thoſe words in praying, ſeing the commaundement is general for al times & perſons; you muſt firſt caſt away your own popiſh leitourgies wher you teach men to ſay other words, & by which you check the Lord Ieſus & his ſpirit, taking vponupon you to giv lawes & formes for prayer, other then his Teſtament alloweth. You may as wel reduce preaching to the reading over of the 10. commaundements, as praying to the reading of Our father. And as your preſcript leitourgies, ſo your conceiving of prayers otherwiſe, at your ſermons & other times, ſufficiently refuteth your own doctrine. You ſhal do wel therfore better to approve of your own doings, & to convince ours by the word of Chriſt, before you perſwade people to your cuſtome, & ſpeak evil of the way of truth with ſuch bitternes.
For our excommunication I anſwer, 1. That my ſelf alone never excommunicated any, but togither with the church wherof I am, in the name & by the power of Chriſt, who hath *Mat. 18.17.18. 1 Cor. 5.4.5.13.given vsus this charge and authoritie to caſt out from amongſt vsus al wicked perſons. This hav we done to divers, and God hath confirmed it in heaven, & we hav ſeen it with comfort, in the converſion of many, & hardning of others that they hav grown worſe & worſe. 2. And wher you charge vsus with excōmunicating for baptiſing in the Dutch church, we in deed miſlike the faults that are in this Dutch church about baptiſme, & wil not ſuffer our members that hav ioyned in covenant with vsus, to run into thoſe ‡Luk. 17.3 …ev. 19.17.iniquities, or partake with them, (though we have not hitherto caſt out any for this particular you mention, but for other tranſgreſſions that deſerv cutting of, as we by Gods word ar ready to prove.) But if you wil take vponupon you to defend the corruptiōs of this Dutch church, in baptizing the children of them that ar of no church, & their other tranſgreſſions in their conſtitution, goverment, vvorſhip &c. wherof we hav admoniſhed their overſeers, and which things ar publiſhed in our anſwer to Mr Iuni…, and ar neyther amended among them nor approved by him or themſelves, we ar willing to hear what you can ſay, & vvhen you hav iuſtified them by Gods word, then may you iuſtly blame vsus for condemning them.
But more cauſe hav you to look to your ovvn practiſe about excommunication th…n thus to revile vsus. You gav out the curſe *1 Cor. 16.Maranatha againſt your right reverend Father in God Iohn VVhitgift Archb. of Cant. and vainly boaſt that you killed him. Who hath committed that cenſure vntounto you, & by vvhat authority proceeded you againſt him? Ar the keyes of the kingdome of heaven put into your hands alone? and vvil you take vntounto you papal povver? Vnleſſe you can approve of your actions by the lavv of God, it vvil be found that your ſelf are the wicked excommunicatour.
You cal me a blaſphemer of the Chriſtians & their church. I require proof of your accuſation▪ ſhew in vvhat vvords or vvriting I hav blaſphemed any Chriſtian: if you can not; bethink you vvhat vvilbe the revvard of lying lips.
Hovv vaine *Iam. ….26.is your religion, that refreyn not your tongue, but let it looſe vntounto ſuch vituperie and deſpite? taunting & diſdeighning them that never did you evil; tvviting other learned men that hav ſo vvel deſerved of the church by their vvritings, exſpecting thanks you vvote not for vvhat; & affecting popular prayſe. Knovv you not ‡Iam. 4.6▪that God reſiſteth the provvd, & giveth grace to the humble? Hovv contrary ar you to Chriſt, vvho ✚Ioh. ….4.received not prayſe of men? & hovv can you beleev aright in him ❀verſ. 4 …vvhichwhich ſeek honor of men, & not the honor vvhichwhich cometh of God alone? And for your perſecuting of this poor church of Chriſt, making vsus the mark for your ”Pſ. 120.4ſharp arrowes, & thincking becauſe we ar deſpiſed of the world, that you alſo may tread vsus vnderunder your feet, be ſure the Lord wil bring yovv vntounto judgement.
As for me, I never expected honor from yow, I know the *Pro. 29.27.vpright of way is abomination to the wicked, I account it my honor to bear evil mens reproch. The beſt glorie of my ſtudie, is to know Chriſt & him crucified, & to be made partaker of his ſufferings that I may reigne with him. And behold in this your reprochful writing, I ſee how he is crucified againe in his members, vvhipped with the ſcourge of the tongue, & peirced vvith nayles & ſpeers, even bitter vvords: for which I wiſh yow may find repentance, & mercy vvith the Lord, otherwiſe I leav yow vntounto his rebuke, who vvil reward you according to your vvorks.
Prov. 11.12.
foreign
Henr: Ainſworth.
Mr Brough. his Reply. To Mr Ainſworth, conſideration of his deſperate & Satanean condemning of all Christians.
ONe Ebrew ſentence in your long writing vvas from God: to make you, as all heretiques, damned of your ſelf. He that deſpiſeth his Neighbour, wanteth wit. You that cannot tell whether the Ebrew characters were all in the two Tables, as now wee have them; nor whether the vowels were aequaevae with the conſonantes; nor how to expreſſe the Ebrew ſoundes: as why Boſor, ſ, for v, 2. Pet. ſhould be Balaams father; nor dare determin why Ioakim is left out, Math. 1. as your wiſdom is charged: & deſpiſe all Chriſtendome, muſt nedes be counted witles. Your doings ſhew that. I accuſe you that you put coloured ſilk for coloured threed; & white ſilk for linen. You prove that I ſay true: & think by much babling to clok… your ignorance. And you would be taught of the worme. Yf you had a minde you might ſone learne that. For the Archb. you ſay I did excommunicate him. How, otherwiſe then citing him to Gods iudgment, & my ſelf. May not any to any do ſo? I did ſo 6. yeres agoe: and aſſured the Readers that they ſhould ſee him or me pay the price. So I excommunicate you. And for your befooling of vsus for our Temples, ſobrietie ſhould be more in you then to require one man to teach you, where all Chriſtian lawes would put you to death. G. Iohnſon for whom I wrote to the B. of Dureſme, that I thought him tractable, & deſired that he might be ſuffred to come hither, vvas accuſed of turning the ſubiects from obedience, vponupon contempt of our churches. And is dead: as one of New Castle vvrote, returning a letter ſent to him. In this caſe no ſubiect vvill diſpute, one for all Chriſtians againſt you, vvheras you are leſſe then a vvorme, to all Chriſtendom, what ioy can a man have to tread dovvne ſuch: vvho preſently turne your coate, & ioyne vvith your adverſarie. Art vvould ſuffer in you but this: eyther to confeſſe your blindenes that denyed wooll to be in the Ephod; or to reſiſt directly: & not to bring a Satanean doubt. So for linen: vvhether you ment ſilk by it; or, as a dottrell, miſſed. In tvvo vvordes this might have ben done. You ſhake your ſelfe like a reed; and yeeld: & vvould be taught. Knovv you not that lavves kill you for your diſturbance paſſed, vnles you can perſvvade your Iudges, that is, all Chriſtendom, that they vvere Satanean. As I have made you yeeld in this, for woollen & linen, ſo you vvill turne your coate in every thing. Novv Archb. Wh. is the M. R. Father: confeſſe your errour, as he did: ſending M. Geffrey K. for Baſil, & you ſhall find ſome prayſe of ſobriety more then you have. But although I have made you yeeld, you thank me not: but fayle as Rabſekeh. Goe into the coals vvhichwhich thou haſt kindled.