A Stay Against Straying, Title page – To the reader
A Stay againſt Straying.
OR, An Anſ… to a Treatiſe, intituled: The La…fulnes of hearing the Miniſters of the Church of England.
By JOHN ROBINSON.
Wherein, Is proved the contrarie, viz. The unlawfulnes of hearing the Ministers of all falſe Churches. By JOHN CANNE.
ESA. 57. 14.
And he ſhall ſay … ye up … prepare the way, take up the … way of my people.
Printed in the Yeare 1639.
ERRATA.
P. 2, l. 1. read they. l. 39. the wanting. P. 5, l. 28, r. Calfes. P. 11, l. 38, r. Miniſtry. P. 52, l. 6, r. doer. P. 57, l. 25, r. Claidon. P. 59, l. 11, r. reſorted. P. 83, l. 16, r. follie. P. 86, l. 2, r. foreign P. 88, l. 30, r. dicit. P. 120, l. 2, r. ſtreathned.
For other faults, if thou findeſt any, I deſire that thy love may be ſuch as to amend them thy ſelfe.
To all ſuch as deſire to receive and follovv the truth in Love, and vvith holines; The feeling aſſurance of life and peace, be vviſhed in Ieſus Christ.
Men Fathers and Brethren:
WHAT the Lord ſaith, touching the revealing of the Man of ſinne, 2 Theſ. 2, 8.and the conſuming of him by the brightnes of Chriſts comming: We may ſee (bleſſed be God for it) now accompliſhed in a great meaſure. For whereas in times paſt, many of the Profeſſors, have uſed both their tongues and pennes, to plead for their Pariſh-Churches, Miniſterie and Worſhipp; They now (beeing of ſounder mindes, and better informed) let thoſe things fall: Inſomuch, as there are few (if any) except Formaliſts and Familiſts (virtutem qui verba putant, ut lucum ligna, as Horace ſpeaketh) and men of corrupt minds, vvho ſuppoſe that gaine is godlines; That will appeare in the defence thereof. So that in likelyhood, for the time to come, there wilbe little uſe, for any man, to write any more, againſt that Church-ſtate, Miniſter ie, Worſhip & Government, ſeeing the falſnes thereof, is now ſeene and acknowledged, of the honeſter and better ſort every where.
Notwithſtanding as Pharoah uſed ſundry meanes, to ſtay Iſraell ſtill in Egypt, after he ſaw them deſirous to depart▪ So doth Satan labour what hee can, to hold Gods people in ſpirituall thraldome, after he perceives they are willing to obey Gods call, and come out of it.
And that he may bring to paſſe what he deſireth, hee uſeth moſt effectuall deluſions & deep deceits: Well knowing that the ſnares which he laid in our forefathers blind and ignorant dayes, are now out of date, and will not ſerve the turne, to beguile many people withall; But he muſt more tranſforme himſelfe into an Angell of Light; I ſay, uſe more artificiall and craftie deviſes, then formerly he hath done.
It is ſaid of Praxiteles *Clemen: Alex …in protrept.the Painter, that hee made the ſillie people worſhip the Image of his ſtrumper, under the title and pretence of Venus. Now ſure I am, in thoſe dayes, there are ſome, who under the name of Gods vvorſhip, doe cauſe many people to worſhip Satan and Antichriſt; And that men may the eaſier and ſooner be perſwaded to it; they ſet forth their lies and vanities in as plauſible & faire away as can be.
What man would ſeeme to deale ſo plainly as a Iugter: Hee will ſtrike up his ſleeves and make bare his armes, and open his hands and fingers, and lay all things before thee, and bid thee behold, and thou wouldſt thinke him to be a man of a faire carriage, and not imagine thou couldſt poſſiblie be deceived; And yet indeed, his whole ſkill and ſeeking, is nothing elſe but to deceive, and the more ſimplie and plainly he would ſeeme to deale, the ſooner and eaſier he doth beguile thee. For thou ſhalt thinke thou ſeeſt all, and ſeeſt nothing; Feeleſt it ſenceablie with thy fingers, holdeſt it faſt, canſt not looſe it, and yet ſhall open thy hand and finde nothing.
The paſſages of ſome men, in points of Religion, are carried much after ſuch a ſort: For one would thinke, to heare the ſmoothnes of their tale, and what integritie and plainnes they doe profeſſe; That it is all Goſpell they ſpeake, and that their cauſe, is cleare, and nothing is to be ſaid to the contrarie: Notwithſtanding when another comes forth, and replies againſt them, rips up their tale, weighs their reaſons, diſcloſeth the errour and weaknes of their pleading. Men wonder at their owne ſimplicitie and ignorance, and that ever they ſhould be ſo fond as to beleeve them. But ſeeing I am now to deale only in the point of hearing of falſe Miniſters: I will not therefore ſtep out of the beaten way to take in any by-diſcourſe; Only I thinke good to certifie, that I marvaile, that ſuch men who walke not as we doe in Church-way, but thinke us to cenſorious and over juſt: Why they doe not publickly anſwer our grounds and arguments publiſhed to the world, and ſo prove their nevv Principles in as faire and open a way; that either we may come to them, finding them to walke more agreeable to the Scriptures, or ſhew our reaſons to the contrarie.
For the matter here in controuerſie: That the Reader may profit the more by it, there are 5 things, which J deſire him to doe. 1. When thou ſetteſt thy ſelfe to read, ſet thy ſelfe as in Gods preſence, looke on with a ſingle and impartiall eye; weigh the arguments well on both ſides, not by ſhewes and ſhifts, but by the juſt Ballance of the incorruptible and unchangable Word of God; In judging, judge I beſeech thee righteous judgment; and let the truth be deare to thy ſoule; and doe not ſide with any ſide, becauſe thy minde gives thee, it leadeth moſt to eaſe, credit, profit pleaſure, or ſuch wordly reſpects, but to that which moſt tendeth to the glorie of Gods great name, the purity of religion, and to the moſt comfort and peace of thy own conſcience.
2. I would have thee to live by thy owne faith, and not build upon anothers fancie, it is a great fault in ſome, in that they ſee nothing, but by other mens eyes. What this man, or ſuch a man holdeth, that is their beleife; And beſides this, they can give no more reaſon for what they hold, then the Parrat of her ſpeaking. I need not goe farre for proofe; The point in controverſie cleares it ſufficiently. For as one‡Galen: Claſ. 2. lib. de cuiuſq: animi peccat▪ notitia at que medela. well ſaith: That which a credible perſon telleth, is eaſilie thought credible by ſuch as are well perſwaded of him. What hath drawn many unto this practice of Hearing unlawfull Miniſters? But taking the thing upon truſt, without due triall and examination. Sure I am, had men meaſured it by the Goulden Read of the Scriptures, they would ſoon have perceived, that it was never ſet apart by Gods appointment, for the ſpirituall building.
3. Be not wiſe in thy ovvne eyes. But rather deny thy ſelfe in thy own judgment, vvill, affection, reaſon, &c. And be contented to bee guided by the alone Word of God. What is the reaſon that ſome men doe ſeeke after the truth, as a coward doth his enemie, loath to find him? But becauſe loving their owne conceit (as Apes their yong ones) beyond meaſure, they are not willing to heare of any thing that is ſaid againſt it.
We ſee in nature, he that will heare well, muſt ſtopp his breath; It is ſo in things ſpirituall: if a man will not keep in his breath, I meane ſet aſide conceitednes & ſelfe-love, & be willing to embrace the truth, though it be contrarie to that which he formerly held he ſhall not profit by any thing, he heareth or readeth, but like Pharoahs… kine remaine lean & ilfavored ſtill.
Things in the earth will grow as they find roome; A Light in the dampes of mines, goeth out: Thus ſtands the caſe with men, when any good helpe is pur into their hands: If their hearts then, be free of ſelfe-love, ſpirituall pride, perſonall prejudice, baſe deſire of vaine glorie and humaine applauſe, &c. They will profit by it; Contrariwiſe if their hearts, like a deepe hole, be full of thoſe filthy Foggs & Miſts, the truth then (how clearely ſoever it ſhine) will dampe & quench in them, as a light in the mines of the earth.
4.Civile dig. 4. de legib. Senatuſ que conſult: Whereas the Civil Lavv ſaith, it is uncivil for any man not having vveighed the vvhole Lavv, to give advice or judgement ſome one parcel of it, alone propoſed. I doe therefore intreat the Reader, to forbeare his Cenſure, till he have read the whole booke over. And if it be ſo, that he thinkes, in ſome point I have erred (as who liveth & erreth not) I would not have him, for ſuch a particular fayling to condemne the whole. But let that beare its owne burden, and let the reſt be received, as (after due trial) the ſame ſhalbe found agreeable to the Word of God.
I ſpeake not this, as beeing privy to any known crime this way; But becauſe I am privy to many known wants & great weakneſſes in my ſelfe. Beſides, it is the manner of ſome, if they can ſpy ſome thing not well handled in another mans writing, to take ſuch advantage, as hereby they ſeeke to bring the whole under reproofe and condemnation. Of this ſhalbe all their talke, at this they will gird and jeſt; not beeing able in the meane time to take away the force of any one of the maine arguments. Neither indeed dare to attempt it, but like the ſnaile keepe in their hornes.
5. I thinke good to ſpeake here a little concerning the manner of this anſwer. And that no man may be offended as it; I doe profeſſe in the Word of truth, that it hath much greeved me all along the diſcourſe, to ſpeake ſo much of the Treatiſer, whoſe learning I doe much reverence; But the cauſe beeing the Lords, and I ſeeing how much it lay upon me, to take away the Maſkes and viſards, whereby many have been deceived, I have done my beſt to ſhew the abſurdities, contradictiōs, unſkilfulnes & daungerouſnes of that Treatiſe. And for this not ſparing but ſpeaking home, I have had ſome reaſons for it, as partly here follow.
1. Becauſe the Booke containes a pernitious & moſt hurtfull errour; and by how much it is caried forth, under a colourable ſhew of a pious and godly practice, by ſo much the more hath it cauſed many greevious & long laſting miſeries. I know there are many viler errours dayly maintained; But if we reſpect mens walking in the Holie Order of the Goſpell, this is a main ſtumbling block & barre in the way to it: There are ſome humours, which ſome where placed in the body, are quiet and doe little hurt, but in other places, ſpecially in the paſſage, they doe much miſchiefe. This errour, is as a corrupt humour, fallen into the paſſage of the bodie, the Church; and therefore it muſt needs be the more perilous.
2. I have ſpoken the more plainely againſt it, becauſe they ſay, there are manie in England and in other Countries, who hold it unlawfull to be preſent at their divine ſervice, and to receive the Sacraments in the Pariſh-Churches; and yet thinke it lawfull to heare the Miniſters of that Church. Now, if ſuch men have (as had David) tender hearts, and hearts that will ſmite them for a little; They will ſurely come off from this too. Seeing I have here proved, that the ground they build on, is very ſand, and their pleading for it, wants both Religion & reaſon.
3. Such a general fame is gone forth of the booke, as to be ſo learnedly & abſolutely done, that it gives all men ſatisfaction (ſome few riged ſpirits only excepted) & that no man would ever be able to make any ſound reply to it. And for my ſelfe, I have been by name chalenged (as it were) to anſwer, with much baſe inſulation, as if I d urſt rather eate my pen, then put my pen to write againſt it. And this both before my thoughts were ſetled on thing, and ſince too. Now, whether the worke be according to the praiſe of it, let all indifferent men judge.
4. Seeing it is given out (but me thinkes it ſhould not be true) that there are ſome learned men, which plead for the Hearing of falſe Miniſters; and upon the Treat. grounds; I have therefore diſcovered the ſleightnes of it (to ſay no worſe) the more: That ſuch (if there be any ſuch) may ſee their errour; If not, reply if they pleaſe & when they wil.
But for the perſon, or perſons that ſhall reply; Theſe 3 things I deſire may be conſidered: 1. That they change not the ſtate of the queſtion; which is not, whether it be lawfull to heare the Miniſters of the church of England, or of Rome, or of any Church; But taking it granted, a Church to be falſe, & the Miniſterie Antichriſtian; vvhether Hearing in ſuch a caſe be lawfull; For the queſtion now ſtands thus, & no otherwiſe.
2. J exſpect an anſwer, in a more honeſt & fairer way, then I had the laſt time namly, by a ſort of gnats, *It hath beē objected as I heare, that I ſhould anſwere dead mē ▪ now how ſo ever it is wel known that my former booke was both finiſh ed and at the Preſſe, before Dr. Ames death: yet ſay I had writen after his death: doe not all mē know, that in points of differē ces, we hauehave reſpect to the matter it ſelf, & no to any perſon on either ſide holding the ſame▪whom I felt but never ſaw: the Law of God and Light of Nature teacheth.
Quod tibi vis fieri, hoc facias & alteri.
Indeed it is a very unbeſeeming thing, that men who doe profeſſe Religion & learning, ſhould diſgrace other mens worke, behinde their backs, ſhunning in the meane time the open light, whereby their deeds might be made manifeſt. As for ſuch Replyers, whoſe arguments are Trencher-ſquibs, and reach only as farr as to the end of the table‡Not ſoe farr as to pen, Inke & paper, to anſwer in a faire & honeſt way.; well they may ſatisfie men of the ſame humours; But with men fearing God they ſhall finde no acceptance.
3. I exſpect plaine dealing; Truth is like the glaſſie ſea before the throne, which is bright, cleare, not a clouded bodie or covered with the vailes of mens fond fantiſies & dreames. Let ſuch Childiſh toyes be kept for Children. I require the voyce of the Shepheard, read it me out of the Prophets ſhew it me out of the Pſalmes, read it out of the Law or Goſpell. For without this mens judgments have no credit.*Ego vocem paſtoris requiro, lege haec mihi de Prophetis, lege de pſalmo; recita de lege; recita de Evangelio; recita de Apoſtolo. Auguſt. de Paſtorib. cap. 14.
Before I end my ſpeach, I thinke good to mention you my Brethren, with whom I am in ſpeciall communion, & over vvhom the Holy Ghoſt hath made me overſeer. This anſwer will ſerve to cleare us, from ſuch untrue reports, as ſome malitiouſly have rayſed up, as if we were declined from our ancient profeſsion, Now, what we hold concerning the fallacies & fantaſies newly broached, I deſire all the Churches of God, here to take knowledge off, for our clearing & juſtification.
I thought when J firſt began with this Treatiſe, in ending of it, to have ended with publick controverſies; and ſo have followed a more quiet kind of ſtudie; But ſeeing, what the truth ſuffers in regard of adverſaries to it on both ſides, the love of God conſtraineth me not to be ſilent, but according to that meaſure which the Lord hath dealt unto me, & as my ſmal abilities are, to cōtend for the faith, againſt dexteriores & ſineſteriores, adverſaries on both hands, & to deliver it from the evill report which both have ſought to bring upon it.
And as I have made way now for Gods people, to enter into the ſweet order of the Goſpell & covenant o… the Lord; So J purpoſe very ſpeedily to publiſh ſomething for their ſtay and preſervation therein.
You know (my Brethren) for the diviſions of Reuben are great thoughts of heart. Lord, how are we ſpoken of in Gath & Aſkalon, for the rents & Schiſmes amongſt us. In truth, I doe not know, for what our profeſſion, is beholding unto, in reſpect of ſome men, but only to be diſpiſed & reproached for their idle & giddle courſes*Of certaine turbulent ſpirits it is ſaid: Illis quieta movere magna merces videbatur. Saluſt. They thought the very diſturbāce of things quietly eſtabliſhed an hyre ſufficiently to ſet them on worke. But that the truth of God may no longer ſuffer, but the ſinne & ſhame lie where it ought; I will by the good hand of God aſſiſting me, cleare our Religion, as that it leads not to Schiſmes & Church-breakings; but ſuch things are rootes of bitternes & curſed taires, planted & ſowed by the Envious man, in the unſanctified hearts of ungodly people; Beſides, I purpoſe to ſhew from the Word of God, why men ought to keep themſelves with true Churches. Howbeit, in their opinions very corrupt, & how. Againe, how farre particular men have libertie to deale with a Church; & when they are to reſt, & how, a why; Moreover, how farre a Church-Covenant binds every member of the body to that bodie; & wherefore there muſt not be diviſions, neither from, nor in the bodie. Againe, in caſe there be a diviſion in Church, I wil ſhew by what ſignes & tokens, the Church may be known from the Schiſmaticks. In a word, I will ſhew how farre the Office of the Elderſhip extendeth in matter of Government; and how farre obedience is due unto them of the people. Theſe things & many more of the like nature, you ſhall ſhortly ſee them handled; For J purpoſe to publiſh a large Treatiſe of Eccleſiaſticall Politie, even the whole externall regiment of the Church of God. And thus commending you to God, J take my leave; and will during life alwayes reſt
Amſterdam, MonethMonth 1. day 28. 1639. Yours in what he can, to doe you ſervice I. C.