A Necessity of Separation from the Church of England, Title page – Dedication
A NECESSITIE OF SEPARATION From the Church of England, prooved by the Nonconformiſts Principles. Specially oppoſed vntounto Dr. AMES, his Freſh Suit againſt humane ceremonies, in the point of Separation only. Alſo Dr. LAITON, Mr. DAYREL, and Mr. BRADSHAW, are here anſwered, wherein they have written againſt us. With a Table in the later end, of the principal occurrents in this Treatiſe. By IOHN CANNE, Paſtor of the ancient Engliſh church, in Amſterdam.
Prov. 31. 8. 9.
Open thy mouth for the dumbe, in the cauſe of all ſuch as are appointed to deſtruction.—And plead the cauſe of the poore and needie.
Ioh. 13, 17.
If ye know theſe things, happie are ye if ye doe them.
Printed in the yeare 1634.
To every one, that ſeeketh after the truth in ſincerity, Salutations.
THere are extant allready ſo many bookes in the defence of our cauſe,*Our Apologie. Mr. Bar. refutation of Mr. Giffard. A treatiſe of the miniſt. of the Church of England. Mr. Robinſons Iuſtification of Separ. Mr. Penry of the miniſtery of England. An anſw. to Mr. Stone. (which never yet received any anſwer) that it hath been in my thoughts a long time, not to enter publickly the lists of contention about it with any man; but to imploy that ſmal portion, which I have in the knowledg of holy things, more peaceably otherwiſe; Not with standing perceiving of late, the general fame, which was given forth of Dr. Ames his booke, and namely in his anſwer to the point betweene the Nonconformiſts and us, as that it was ſo learnedly and abſolutely done, that it gave all men ſatisfaction (the Separatiſts only excepted) and that no man would ever be able to make any ſound reply therein vntounto it. I thought it requiſite, to take a thorow view thereof; which, when I had ſo don, and ſaw the ſleightneſſe of it, (to ſay no worſe ‡I mean only in the point of Separation, for in other things he bath anſwered. D Burg. fully, and laid him flatt on the groūd.) I conceived with my ſelfe, that this common bruit must need ariſe, either from ſome ignorant people, who cannot judge of things which differ, or from ſuch as have mens perſons in admiration, and ſo like the ſhadow will follow them where ever they goe, be it right or wrong.
It is knowne to thoſe, which know the controverſies betweene the formal Proteſtants in England, and the Reformiſts, that the Principles of the later, by the former are ſaid to be the direct and plaine grounds of Separation; ſundry arguments and reaſons they allege for it, as the reader may ſee in their ſeveral treatiſes.‡Hooker Eccleſ. Pol. pref. p. 34. Whitg. 2. Treat. c. 1. div. 2. p. 81 Sutclif. treat. of Diſc. c. 15 p. 165. D. Bilſ. perpetual Goverm. ch. 15. p. 339. Bancr. Surv. of Diſc. c. 33, p. 430, 431, 432. Loe Quaerimon. Eccleſiae. p. 59 60. Anſw. to the Petition by the Vice Chanc. & Heads of Oxf. p. 15. D. Morton, D. Burg. This thing by the other is not only denyed, but withall they proclame themſelves the main refuters of the Separatiſts, and doe affirme, that they𝄁Repl. to D. Mort. Sect. 14. p. 31. Defence of Petition to the K. p. 103. never ſaw any Prelate to confute their opinions any otherwiſe then by rayling words; But how wel they have confuted us, it will appeare in the following diſpute, unto which I referre the reader: Only I thinke good in breefe to give him here a ſight of moſt of their weapons, which they draw out vſually against vsus, and whereby they indeavour to conquer and quel us quite.
1. Vile calumniations, and bitter ſcoffes, proclaming us to the world, to be Schiſmaticks, Browniſts, Donatiſts, &c. and matching us many times with the moſt notorious Hereticks aDayr. Treat. of the Ch. p. 41., and blaſphemers bMr. Nichols plea of the innocent. p. 33, 34, that they can thinke vponupon, of purpoſe to make our perſons and profeſsion odious to all men. 2. Rayſing up many manifeſt lies & untruths cThe ſcurrulous Libels, publiſhed under the names of Lawne, Fowler, Bullard, &c., & gathering together the faylings of ſome particular perſons, which had walked with us, & caſting the ſame as dung in our faces. 3. Braggs and boasts of victorie; a notable instance for this we have, in a certaine preface, made to Mr. Hilderſh. booke on Ioh. 4. the author of it, tels his reader there, that Mr. Hild. had the best in the controverſie, betweene him and Mr. Iohnſon, notwithstanding it is well knowne, he never made any reply to that which the other had publiſhed againſt him, although he was by divers earneſtly deſired to doe it; and this I write from the report of honeſt and faithful witneſſes, who are yet alive, and will not (I am perſwaded) willingly relate any thing but the truth. 4. Groſſe contradictions, in ſeeking to juſtifie againſt us, the very things, which by ſound arguments and reaſons, in their writings againſt the Hierarchy, they prove to be evil and vnlawfull; and this we have manifeſted in the anſw. to Mr. Bradſh. book. 5. And in a word, falſiſications of our poſitions, cōtinual begging of queſtiōs, larg proofs, for what was never doubted of, but no proving of the main point in queſtiō, either by ſcriptures, reaſons, or any ancient & ſound writers.
Theſe, and ſuch like arguments, have they uſed hitherto againſt vsus; And it is no marvel, that they are ſuch: for what better ſhould we exſpect from them, who ſeeke to put out that light againe, which hath beene by themſelves cheifly revealed vntounto many, I know what I ſay, and have good experiēce of this thing; for there is not ten of▪ an hundred, which ſeparate from the Church of England, but are moved first thereto, (I ſpeake of outward meanes) by the Doctrines of the Nonconformiſts, either in word or writing, taught to the people: And indeed, vponupon their grounds, how can any one doe leſse then ſeparate, if his heart be tender againſt every ſinne, ſeeing they confidently affirme, that their miniſtery, worſhip, and diſcipline, is from Antichriſt, and in their Church are ſwarmes ‡Serm. on Rom. 12. p. 65, 66.of Atheiſts, Papiſts, Erroneous, & Hereticall Sectaries, Witches, Charmers, Murtherers, Theeves, Adulterers, Lyars, &c. Moreover, All Popery Sold. Bar.(ſay they) is poyſon, the roote, ſtalke, and branches; and we cannot be ſaid ſincerely to have repented of Abridgm. p. 23.the Idolatry, or ſuperſtition, whereby we or our forefathers have provoked the Lord, unleſſe we be aſhamed of, and caſt away with deteſtation all the inſtruments and monuments of it. Againe, whoſoever partakes Cartw. Catechiſ. p. 315. 316.in the ſinnes of Rome, are alſo under the ſame curſe: So that we cannot in any ſort communicate with them in their errours, unleſſe we will beare them company in their deſtruction alſo. Theſe are their owne teſtimonies, and we know they are true; and therefore in obedience to God, and care of our pretious ſoules, we have left our vnſanctified ſtandings in their Aſſemblies, and through the Lords mercy to vsus, doe walke in the holy order of his Goſpell, although dayly ſufferers for it, of manifould afflictions;Rev. 16. 15 Notwithſtanding all theſe things offend us not: for we know whom we ſerve, and are moſt certaine, if we watch, and doe Chriſts worke ſtill in his owne way. We ſhall have a ſure reward for it at the reſurrection of the just.
And to ſpeake now a word or two vntounto ſuch as are commonly ſtiled Profeſſours of the Goſpell; whether vnconformable, or not; The thing truely, which I moſt wiſh vntounto them, is, tender conſciences, and that the Lords houſe, and his ordinances may be deare to their ſoules, and that they may be able to deny the profitts, and pleaſures of this life: for if theſe things be in them, and abound, my hope is, that by their judicious reading-over of this treatiſe, there will follow much reformation. When ſome men take a little Phiſick, they have their health by it ſoone reſtored: but if the ſame, and a great deal more, be miniſtred to others of an other conſtitution there followes not the like effect: It is even ſo in the cauſe of the ſoule, ſuch as vnfeynedly deſire to know the truth, and have a conſcionable reſolution towalke in it, doe receive much profitt by the fruitfull counſell, which is given them, either by word or writing. But on the contrary: Thoſe which ſeeke the truth with no better affection than Pilate Ioh. 17.did, neither purpoſe to obey the ſame more then did the diſſembling Hypocrites in Ieremie: Certainly good adviſeChap. 42. & 43. given to them, is but as Pearles caſt before ſwine and dogs; therefore my deſire is, that the former ſort may be viewers only of theſe lines; and to them I ſay, in the words of the Apoſtle: conſider what I ſay, and the Lord give underſtanding in all things.
The following Principles (touching a true Church, Miniſtery, Worſhip, and Government, as alſo hew quite contrary hereto the Engliſh is,) are not taken out of our writings, but from the Nonconformiſts, yea even from the cheifeſt of them, which for learning, Zeale, judgement, holineſſe of life, &c. have ever held that cauſe. Moreover they are not barely affirmed, but ſufficiently confirmed; and therefore it ſtandeth every one vponupon, to take them the more to heart; for elſe, not one, but many of themſelves, even Prophets of their owne, will condemne them.
I know, the devill vſeth many meanes, to keepe people in curſed ignorance; and among other, one ſpecially is, by diſſwading them from hearing ſuch perſons, and reading ſuch books, which might ſhew vntounto them their evil & ſin; and this he doth vnderunder a pretence of doeing good vntounto them. Oh! (ſaith he ‡he ſpeaks thus by falſe miniſters.) you muſt beware of falſe Prophets, and not hearken to that counſel, which cauſeth to erre, avoyd the companie of all deceivers, and not once looke into their books, &c. Now, by ſuch Syren ſongs, the crafty Serpent keepes them fast aſleepe, till he have brought the poore ſoule into the pitt of endleſſe perdition▪
We would thinke that man to be ſenceleſſe, who (taking his enimies counſel) would ſhutt all his doores & windowes, in hope to get the more light into his houſe thereby. The devil dayly makes many thouſand worſe fooles in the world, in cauſing them to ſhutt cloſe their eyes against the ſaving light of the Goſpell, in exſpectation that their ſoules by this meanes ſhalbe filled with the more wiſedom and ſpiritual vnderſtanding. It is not my meaning, that any one ſhould beleeveProv. 14. 15 things ſuddenly & raſhly, but I would have him as Salomons counſell is, to looke wel to his going; and as we take gould by weight, Corne, Cloth, &c. by meaſure, ſo to receive the doctrines of every man by due examination; And this is onelyonly the thing which I doe request of thee (good reader) whoſoever thou art, be thou but pleaſed to put the Principles & inferences here written, vponupon their proof, & to hold that only faſt, which (after good triall by the ſcriptures) thou findeſt to be good and it is ſufficient, and I have my deſire of thee to the full.
One thing more I deſire others to take notice of, namely, That I judge not my ſelf bound ſo much, to justifie their Principles, as our Inferences from them. Jf therefore any ſhall deny them to be true, my purpoſe is to give place to ſuch, whome it more nearly concerneth to write in the defence thereof.‡Yet we beleeve their principles to be true, & iſ there be no Nonc. that will defend them, we will. But if any ſhall oppoſe vsus in the Concluſions, I would have them (leaving all by matters) to follow the truth in love, without gall and bitterneſſe, that ſo things may come to a happy and ſpeedy iſſue. It is wel ſaid of a Heathen man,𝄁𝄁Magis veritas elucet, quò▪ ſaepius ad manū venit. Senec. lib. de ira. the oftner truth commeth to hand, the more the l ght therof appeareth. I hope this wilbe verified in the point now in controverſie: for howſoever I doubt not, but we have ſaid here enough, to juſtifie the matter undertaken; notwithſtanding much more I could have alleged from their writings, concerning theſe things, but for the preſent I content my ſelf herewith, till there be a further juſt and neceſſarie occaſion given thereof.
I. CANNE.
A MANVDVCTION To the following TREATISE.
HOwbeit not any religion ſhould be judged the leſse true, becauſe few embrace it: neither the ſooner to be followed, for the generall good liking and approbation which it hath among men: notwithſtanding having now ſo juſt and neceſſarie an occaſion to vrge men to practiſe what they profeſse; I ſhall indeavour (by the grace of God) clearely to prove, that this our Waye is of the Apoſtolique primitive inſtitution, even frō their Tenets, which walk contrary to it. Among other crimes charged upon Nonconformiſts, (as they are called) by the Prelates and their Favorites, one chiefely is, that their Principles layd downe againſt the churches of England, doe lead vntounto ſeparation, and therefore if they were true to their owne grounds, they ſhould not▪ communicate in the church aſſemblyes of England. Many of the Biſhops paraſites heretofore have thus accuſed them, and of late one Doct. Burgeſſe most confidently maintaines the ſame againſt them. The which by Doct. Ames is vtterly denyed. Now which of theſe two Doctors in this thing have the truth, J hope it ſhall evidently be declared in this treatiſe following.