A Stay Against Straying, Part 2 · Section 16
SECT. 16.
OUR laſt Objection is laid downe thus: Seeing whatſoever is not of faith is ſinne, what word of God, and ſo of faith, is there for this practise.
To which he thus replies: Treat.Every Scripture that either commaunds the hearing of Gods Word,Mat. 7, 24. Luk. 11, 28. or promiſeth a bleſſing to them that heare and keepe it; Or that commaunds me to edifie and build up my ſelfe: To obey the Magiſtrate; or to follow after peace;1 Pet. 2, 5 Or to prevent offences; warrants, and in caſes enjoyns this practice.Tit. 3, 1, Heb. 12, 14.
Anſw. He that can make anything of this anſwer, I will ſay of him, as they ſay of the Pope ‡Papa ex nihilo potest facere aliquid. Extra. de Tranſlatione Epiſcopi quanto in Gloſſ. Ext. de conceſſ: praebendae propoſuit: in Gloſſ:; Of nothing he can make ſomething. For indeed it is as frothy & unſoled a ſpeach, as can be expreſſed. And if it carrie any force with it, 1 Cor. 10, 32.the frame muſt ſtand thus: If the Scriptures commaund the hearing of Gods Word, promiſe them a bleſſing which keepe it; Commaund men to obey the Magiſtrate; follow after peace, prevent offences; Then they warrant and enjoyne them to heare unlawfull Miniſters in falſe Churches. (In eodem haeſitat luto.) Jt is either thus, or it is nothing.
He reaſoneth here like one whom I well knew, who having accuſed another, alleadged 2. or 3. Sentences of Scriptures, for to prove his chardge; Now all men know, that the Scriptures could not teſtifie and witnes, that the perſon had ſo ſayd or done; But only condemned ſuch a fact, if it had been proved.
To as good purpoſe is this anſwer; He ſaith the Word of God commaunds us to edifie our ſelves, obey the Magiſtrate, follow after peace, &c. And hence verie handſomely concludeth, that the Word warrants this practice. He might have cited all the precepts in the old and new Teſtament, and from everie one of them, as wiſely have inferred this practice.
But the Reader needs not wonder to ſee the Scriptures ſo alleadged, for the truth is, either our Oppoſites muſt ſo apply them; Or leave them out; Conſidering there are not any authenticall records of the Holy Ghoſt, neither any inevitable conſequence grounded upon the ſame, to be produced for the juſtification of this practice. As for the 3. firſt precepts: (viz. the Hearing of the Word, with a promiſe of Gods bleſsing to it, and how wee are to be edified:) J have already ſpoken off; And therefore doe now paſſe them by.
To anſwer the other places: 1. He ſaith, Our obedience to the Magiſtrates doth warrant and enjoyne this practice.
I anſwer, we are not (throught Gods merciemercy) ſo ignorant of our dutie this way; But we know wherein our obedience conciſteth, and how it is to be limited in things Lawfull aParr. Expoſit. on Rom. 13. v. 1. p. 6.and not contrarie to the Word of God. As for the Oath of our Allegeance bCartw. Hom. in Eccleſ. c. 8 fol. 195, 166.to them, it binds us not ſimplie, but in the Lord; For we are entered ſo ſtrictly into a Covenant with God, as no authoritie of Man or Angell can breake it.cObligatio haec tam arcta eſt, ut nullius creaturae imperio poſſit ullo modo ſolui. Ame: de conſc. lib. 1 c. 3; p. 6.
Now, we are ſure it is againſt Gods Law, that Magiſtrates either of themſelves or by others, ſhould deviſe falſe wayesdBucer de regno Chriſt. lib. 1, c. 1, 2, 3. Martyr. in Iudg. 19., as Churches, Miniſteries, Worſhipp, Diſcipline, &c. For to ſerve Ieſus Chriſt in, and by them. But ſay they doe? We ſay then wee muſt not give any approbationeBaſt. Caſtalion Annot. in 1 Cor. 8., honour, or allowance unto them; No not ſo much as with our outward preſence and bodily geſture: For as their inſtitutions are reall and ſubſtanciall idols, ſo they are by bodily preſence and outward geſtures 3. wayes honoured and reverenced. Genuflectione, capitis apertione, & corporis inclinatione. By kneeling on the knee, uncovering of, the head, and bowing of the bodiefZanch. de redēpt. lib. 1. p. 401.
To be ſhort, this our refuſing to doe their unlawfull commaunds, is no diſobedience at allgperkins Comment. on Heb. 11 v. 23. Pareus Comment. in Hoſ. 5, pag. 514. Tom. 1. Taylor on Tit. 3. p. 549., becauſe the fift Commaundement, in this caſe ceaſeth to bind, and gives place to the Commaundements of the firſt Table which are greater. Some Papiſts are ſo reaſonable in this thing, as they ſay the Pope is no further to bee obeyed and followed, then it may be done without ſinne. So Felinus hDe Reſcriptis: Si quando ver: ſed nunquid.Hoſtienſis iDe Conceſſ: praebend. propoſuit., Alphonſus de Caſtro kAdverſ. hoereſ. lib. 1, c. 7., & others. A reaſon for it is given by Ambroſe lComment. in 1 Cor. 7: They are the ſlaves of men, that make themſelves ſubject to mens ſuperſtitions.
2. He ſaith, Every Scripture that commaunds them to follow after peace, warranteth and enjoynoth this practice.
Anſw. Our concord and unitie with men, muſt be held, (uſque ad aras,) not in errour and ſinne, but in truth and goodnesmParr: Expoſ. on Rom. 15. 6. p. 250. For if it be otherwiſe, it is no peace but warre nOrig. in Rom. 15. 5. Cyprian de lapſis Serm. 5.; Yea a mutual conſpiracie againſt Chriſt. I confeſſe, the name of peace oCicer. Philipp. 12., is ſweet, the thing it ſelfe both pleaſant and deſireable. But this is when it is with Puritie & Holines pZach. 8, 19. Rom. 15. 4 Heb. 12. 14. Chryſoſt. Hom. 30. in Heb. 12, Tom. 3 p. 64.nihil laeden pietatem, according to pietie, & in the Lord. If peace ſhould be made (as the Treat: here would have it) with Antichriſt and his adherents, that is, to worſhip God, in, with, and by their falſe Church and Miniſterie, it would be like the peace with Antonie qCicer. Philipp. 12.and his Mates, that is not a peace, but an agreement of ſlaverie to them; Yea truely of great impiety. Wherefore as Agamemnon (in a Greeke PoetrEurip: Iphigen. in aulid. did anſwer his Brother, of whom he was requeſted to ſhew himſelf a brother, in giving his cōſent to a wicked act. So doe J anſwer the Treat my Brother, who would have me to joyne with others in the fellowſhip of falſe Chùrches & Miniſters.
foreign.
My witts with thee J would retain,
But mad to be I doe not mean.aMelancth. in Rom. 14.
3. For this place, 1 Cor. 10, 32. which ſpeaketh of the preventing of ſcandals; It is as fitly brought, as if a man defending adulterie, ſhould bring for it, the words of the 7. Commaundement, Thou ſhalt not committ adulterie. For what is more directly againſt the thing he pleads for then it, if we conſider the many offences which are cauſed by it; And that the Reader may ſee how forceably the place is, to overthrow his owne cauſe. I will ſpeake here little touching offences.
The word foreign in Greeke, hath the ſignification * of breaking a Rule, Order, or inſtitution. In Hebrew it is named Miceſol of halting, or cauſing another to tripp or fall by ſomething caſt in his way. The Chaldee Takul, and Sireak Cheſhela, is of the like derivation.
In the Arabian tongne the word is Shuch ſo named of unſetling another. In propriety of ſpeach, it ſignifies the crooked peece in a trap, to which the bayt is tyed; at which a Mouſe, Rat, Wolfe, or any other vermine biting, the trapp falls down & catcheth the beaſt.
According to Tertullian, a ſcandall is Example of a thing not good, but evill, leading or emboldening unto ſinne. Or thus it may be: It is a Word or deed, either evill in it ſelfe, or in appearance giving occaſion of falling to others.bDaven. Quaeſt. 7. p. 40. Aquin. 2. Qu 43.
Againe, Touching offences, they are given 10. wayes. 1. When falſe Worſhip is practiſedcEze. 23 33. Pelarg Quaeſt. Evang. in Mat. 18. p. 205. polan. Syntag. Theol. l. 6, c. 3. p. 339.. 2. Bad counſell givendMat. 23, 22. Hunnius in Mat. c. 18. p. 606. Melancth. in Evang. feſt. 5. Mich. p. 552.. 3. Weake Chriſtians cauſed to goe a ſtrayeWillet. on Rom. 14. Quaeſt. 3. p. 641.. 4. The ſtronger greevedfEckius Hom. feſt. Mich. p. 700. Tom. 5.. 5. Evill men hardened in ſinnegZanch: prae: 3; p. 539. Aret: in Mat: 18; p: 643. 6. New opinions broachedhPareus in Rom: 14 v. 13; p: 173. 7. The Goſpell cauſed to be evill ſpoken offiEze: 36 Cent: 1, l: 2; c. 4; p: 448:. 8. Our duties neglected to the BrethrenkAmes de Conſc: l. 5; c. 11; p: 286, 287; Chriſost: in 2 Dom: advent: p: 309. Tō 6. 9. Ill Example ſhewedlAuguſt; cont: Adimant: c. 14 fol. 136, 6,. 10. Conſent or approbation given to unlawfull thingsmPerkins on 1 Mat: 5; p. 58, Tō: 3.
The hearing ſtood for, cauſeth ſcandals in everie one of theſe particulars; For it breaketh the Holie Order nSee Par: Rivet: Calvin, Mercer; Comment; in Hoſ: 5, 10;, which the Lord hath ſet and ſetled in his houſe; makes way unto down-right halting between Chriſt & Antichriſt; drawes many aſide from their former carefull walking. And ſooke as whē a man ſets up & baits a trap, we ſay now woe to rats & mice; woe to Foxes, Wolves & the baggage vermine; So when this ſcandalous ſnare was firſt laid, men might have ſaid, woe, woe, woe, conſidering how many would be enſnared, catched, deſtroyed, and killed thereby. Againe, what is it, but a will-worſhip, a pernitious & moſt hurtfull advice; a readie way to perſwade weake onesoDaven; Quaeſt▪ 7; p: 40., to thinke that the falſe Church is not ſo bad, but that they may goe back unto it. Hence are many righteous hearts made ſad: Idolaters countenanced & made beleeve, that ſuch as come to their worſhip, doe like their way well enough… in their hearts, but for ſome by reſpects differ a litle from them.
For the practice it ſelfe, it is that which Paul never planted pChriſoſt: de in comp: nat. Dei Hō: 3.nor Apollo watered, nor God increaſed: Of it I cannot ſay as one ſaid in Sophocles qSoph. Anti.: It is no Child of two dayes or yeares birth, but hath been, no man knoweth how long ſince. For if we looke beyond the Treat: there wilbe found no footſteps of it, either in the Exāple of former churches, or among the Orders, rules, & commaundements of our Saviour Ieſus Chriſt & his Apoſtles, or in any learned mans writing; either ancient or moderne; So that I may ſay of it, as onerLeo Epiſt: 97; c. 3; ſaid, How are th…ſe new deviſes brought in, that our forefathers never knew▪
To be ſhort, our Profeſſion for it lies under contempt & reproach; witnes, Mr. Pagets, sArrow ag: Bro…; p. 59.paſſage in his booke againſt us, where he ſcoffingly writes, that the Treat. firſt book, being his Iuſtification of ſeparation, ſick of Iehorams incurable deſeaſe, the guttes of it fall one day by day, yea he openly plucks out ſome of the bowels thereof with his owne hands.
Againe, what watch can the Saints keepe each over other, when ſome are in the true Church, other at the ſame time in the Sinagogues of Antichriſt. Finally, ſeeing we have not one Example for it in all the Scriptures, we may wel ſay, it is a bad Example; and he that alloweth of it, allowes that which the Lord never allowed. For the reſt in his writing, ſeeing it concerneth not the point in hand; I will not therefore meddle with it. But for the preſent will here conclude; deſiring the Lord to ſhew merciemercy to ſuch as have offended in this hearing of falſe Miniſters; & with the right hand of his power to rayſe them out of this pit; and to keep the feet of his ſaints from falling into this or the like ſnare.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Canne, A Stay Against Straying (1639)