Concerning a Book by Christopher Lawne, Text 2
A COPIE OF THE vvriting, touching the diviſion made among us, vvhichwhich vvas ſent to a friend in England, By Mr. H. A.
BEcauſe you have heard of the ſorrowes that have befallen us here,M. Ainſ. Letter. whereby your grief is the more augmented, and becauſe the true report & estate of things perhaps is not ſo well knowen unto you, I will alſo briefly touch the ſmart wherewith God hath humbled us, & cauſed our breach to be as the ſea, which can not be cured. Manie daies of comfort God gave us here together, whilest in ſinglenes of hart we ſought him, in the mids of our pilgrimage with love & peace: But love of preheminence, which hath alwaies troubled the Church of Christ, hath alſo troubled us: whilest the Governours of the Church which ſhould ſerve it with meeknes, would rule it with Lordſhip.1. Confeſ. artic. 24. Apol. pag 26.63.
1 For whereas we had learned and profeſsed, that Chriſt hath given the power to receive in or to cut off any member, to the vvhole bodie together of everie Congregation, & not to any one or moe members ſequeſtred from the vvhole: Now we have been lately taught, that the Church which Chriſt ſendeth to, for the redreſſe of ſinnes, Mat. 18.17. is not to be understood of the whole bodie of the Congregation, but of the Church of Elders. And it being graunted of all, that with the Church is the power, the Elders being the Church, have the power, and ſo not the whole bodie of the congregation together.
2 We had learned,2. Tre…. of the Miniſterie of Eng. pag. 63. Apol. pag. 63. that everie true Church of Chriſt, hath this povver to caſt out obſtinate ſinners from amongſt thē, and this not onelyonly vvhen it hath Officers, but alſo vvhen it vvanteth them: But wow we were taught, that a people without Officers have not power to caſt out obſtinate ſinners. Which doctrine, amongſt other evils, overthroweth the conſtitution of the Church that ſo taught: for it was gathered and conſtituted by Chriſtians without Officers, receiving in the repentant, and caſting out the diſobedient: whereas by this opinion, they had power from Chriſt to doe neyther: for they that can not caſt out, can not receive in: one power is for both.
3 We had learned that everie Chriſtian Congregation hath povver and commandement to elect & ordeyne their ovvn miniſterie, according to the rules of Gods vvord,3. Confeſ. art. 23. & 35. Apol. pag. 46. and upon ſuch default in life doctrine or adminiſtration, as by the rule of the vvord depriveth them of the miniſterie, by due order to depoſe them from their miniſterie they exerciſed, yea if the caſe ſo require, orderly to cut them off by excommunication: But now it is by ſome mainteyned, that the Congregation can neither put into office nor put out of office, unleſſe they have officers to doe both: and can neyther for hereſie nor other vvickednes excommunicate or depoſe their Elderſhip.
4 We had learned that none may execute a miniſterie, 4. Confeſ. art. 21.but ſuch as are rightly called by the Church, vvhereof they ſtand miniſters, unto ſuch offices, and in ſuch manner, as God hath preſcribed in his vvord: But now thoſe will execute a ministerie, which have not rightly been called by the Church, whereof they ſtand Miniſters, according to their owne account and doctrine: which hold (as before) that a people without Officers have no warrant from God to make or depoſe Miniſters.
5 We had learned that it vvas groſſe error and notorious abſurditie, 5. Apol. p. 113. & 116 n. 112.either to hold the popish Church to be a true Church, having a true miniſterie, and true Sacraments, or els that men muſt admit of rebaptiſing: But now wee have heard, that the Baptiſme of the Popiſh Church is true Baptiſme (by which we are bound to communion) or els that men muſt be rebaptiſed: and that the Church of Rome is the Church of God, becauſe Antichrist ſhould ſit in the Temple of God.
6 We had learned that all particular Congregations are by all meanes convenient to have the counſel and help one of6. Conf. art. 38. another, in all needfull affaires of the Church, as mēbers of one bodie in the cōmon faith: yet here when differences had ariſen about our cōmon faith, and could not amongst our ſelves be cōpoſed, they would not deſire nor conſent to have deſired the help of our ſiſter Church at Leyden, althovgh it were inſtantly urged by many members, that their aſſiſtance ſhould be had.
And when without their conſent the help of that Church was obteyned, & they laboured our peace, & a waie of peace was agreed off between the Churches, this agrement and peace was not stood unto but reverſed by them, contrarie to our wil, & to the wil and liking of the Church at Leyden, as the ſame Church can teſtifie for us.
Wherefore after long diſputing theſe matters, when no waie of peace could by us be found to continue together in the truth & holynes. But lamentable Diſſipation of the Church & members began to growe, to the diſhonour of Gods name, & wounding of our harts, we followed the commandement of the Apoſtle which ſayd, I beſeech you brethren, marke them diligently which cauſe diviſions & offences, contrarie to the doctrine which we have learned, and avoyde them. Rom. 16.17. And have ſithens laboured to build up our ſelves in the holie faith, whereunto God hath called us, in love & peace, mourning for the great ſcandall and reproch which Sathan hath wrought by this breach amongst us.
Thus have I ſhewed you the fountaine of our ſorrowes, which God for our ſinnes hath brought upon us. He look upō us in merciemercy, & pittie the diſperſion of Sion. And you as you have knowen the truth, which is ſealed to your conſcience, ſo abide therein faithfull unto the end, knowing it is the lot of Gods people thus to be exerciſed with troubles in it ſelf, which if we beare with patience and conſtanſie & doe overcome, our portion ſhall be in the tree of life, which is in the midest of the Paradiſe of God.
H. A.