A Trial of Church-Forsakers, Section 4
SECT. 4. 2 The forſakers of our aſſemblies that would be accounted godly; and firſt of their name.
THere are others, who would bee accounted truely religious, who forſake the aſſembling of our ſelves together▪ and theſe have a name of pride, and a name of juſtice. The name of pride, which they take to themſelves, is ſeparatists. They read ſometimes in the ſcriptures of ſeparation, eſpecially when Paul (ſaith according to the prophet) come out from among them and be ye ſeparate. Eſ. 52.11. … Cor. 6.17And when they doe not wiſely obſerve our ſtate, which is not to be ſeparated from, but ſee with full contentment their owne vaine ſeparation, they will needs glory in the name of Separatists, as others doe of catholickes. The name of Juſtice is Browniſts; which though they love not to heare of, becauſe Browne, after his platforme of a new way of advancing Chriſts kingdome, upon wiſer thoughts, returned from them, yet how juſtly they muſt retaine that name may appeare in that which followes.
Wee reade of five introductions to this ſchiſme, before it was raiſed to the height it now hath: height I ſay, in mold, and opinion, not in members, which have beene ſo few this ſixteene hundred yeares and more, that we may demonſtratively ſay, it is a brat of mans braine, not a child of Chriſt, that ſo long growes not at all.
Firſt, about two hundred fifty three yeares after Chriſt, wee reade of one Novatus, Novatus rerum novarum ſē per cupidus, arrogantiâ inflatus, epiſcopis male cognitus, &c. C…ipri.wo firſt lived under Cyprian, next at Rome. Hee being willing to get himſelfe a name, denied repentance to them that had denied Chriſt, thorough heat of perſecution, though out of feare. Yea, he denied repentance to believers who after baptiſme fell into any groſſe ſinne. After by a ſtrong ambition hee had indeavoured to bee a Biſhop, and was diſappointed, he led many poore ſoules into his ſect: who becauſe they thought themſelves better then other chriſtians (upon the former conceits) called themſelves Cathari, or Puritanes. Theſe ſuffered their ebbe, and flow, for a time as pride and humility tooke turnes. I am ſure that your forſakers will not childe it from ſuch a father. Here was a ſeparation from the unitie of the church, but they will not have it theirs.
Secondly, about three hundred thirty and one yeares after Chriſt, or (as ſome write) ſomething lower, wee read of one Donatus, who, not being able to make his party good againſt Cecilianus his Biſhop, took ſtomach, and drew a ſtrong party after him for a time. They had this pretenſe for their ſeparation,In cōmunione ſacramentorum mali maculant bonos. that the wicked did defile the good in the communion of the ſacraments. They accounted the church to bee no where, but in Africk amongſt themſelves. They judged their time to bee the harveſt of the church, they being a choiſe remnant, like a little wheat in much chaffe. If they were preſſed to conformity by the authority of the Emperour,Quid Imperatori cū eccleſia? they cried out, what hath the Emperour to doe with the church? Being aſked, how they could prove that they onelyonly were the church? They replied, from the wonders of Donatus: from their prayers heard at the ſepulchers of the Donatiſts: and from the viſions, and dreames of the members of their church,Sacramēta ſancta & efficacia quando per ſanctos homines. They accounted ſacraments holy onelyonly, when adminiſtred by holy perſons. They account no true baptiſme, but in their church: and therefore they rebaptized all that came into their communion. They would runne into invited and unneceſſary dangers. This they called martyrdom, whether they ſuffered from themſelves, Circumcelliones.or others. I am ſure alſo that our forſakers will not owne theſe for their ſetters up in all points, if for nothing elſe, yet for this they had Biſhops. Heere was a ſeparation long and irkeſom, yet ſurely, they will not be of ſuch an epiſcopall ſeparation. Thirdly, Lucifer ſtomachabundus diſceſsit ab Euſebio: et qui ſe illi conjunxerūt ab eccleſia ipſi ſe ſegregaruntbeſides the ſeparatiō of Lucifer: who falling at odds with Euſebius Vercellenſis about the ordination of honeſt Paulinus, departed in choler from the peace of the church, and made a proud breach, wee reade about the yeare after Chriſt three hundred ſeventy one, of one Audeus a Syrian, who raiſed up by the cōmon opinion of his zeal, and integrity, a company of followers, who would not pray with other Chriſtians,Vituperabant epiſcopos, divites, ipſos appelantes. Quòd in eccleſia ferrentur faeneratores & impuri. Anthropomorphi…ae. and Biſhops, crying theſe downe as being too rich: who alſo gave this reaſon of their ſeparation, that in the boſome of the church, were ſuffered uſurers, and impure livers. Theſe ſometimes dwelt in ſolitary places by themſelves, and ſometimes in the ſuburbs of cities. They fained alſo great holineſſe and chaſtity, and dreamed God to have mans forme, and humane parts. But their ſect outlived not their perſons: and I am ſure alſo, that our forſakers wil not acknowledge themſelves to bee of this condemned breed.
Fourthly, when the thoughts of the beſt chriſtians were taken up with more weighty matters, and the neceſſity of times had invited them to faith and doctrine, or the vaile of darkeneſſe had covered too many hearts, theſe pettie ſidings beganne to vaniſh, and were at laſt utterly extinct, till the light of the Goſpel ſhined upon the church with fuller glorie againe. Then, as the enemy troubled the wheat with blaſted corne, Matth. 13▪our forſakers ſay they had a church againe. In king Henry the eights, and Luthers dayes they finde (ſay they) ſome congregations upon their bottome. And indeed wee finde in ſtories, that ſome of their vaine opinions crept into the heads of ſome right godly perſons, in other points who were ready to ſuffer for Chriſt, and did ſo: for it is hard not to fall from one extreamity to another,Gal. 6. if ſound judgement (according to the rule given) doe not poiſe the lightneſſe of affections. But theſe in Germany, were crowned with the name of Anabaptiſts, whoſe doctrine, and practiſe, to overthrow the Church, and ſtate, are well knowne, and as well confuted and condemned, by Luther, Calvine, Zanchius, and an whole army of others. But our forſakers (I am ſure) will not own theſe in all points, neither will they owne them, becauſe they forſake them alſo in ſome.
Fiftly therefore, wee muſt goe lower yet: and if wee come to the daies of bleſſed Queene Elizabeth, after divers ſtrugglings for exceſſes (which ſurely is no friend to the Goſpel among variety of judgements,1 Cor. 13. which know but in part), wee meete with one Browne, who firſt raiſeth a new platforme of all the tenets of our forſakers (if yet, by time, and age, they have not made them worſe). This man, after hee had infected ſome by preaching, found meanes to poiſon others by writing of his Eſtate of true Chriſtians, and other pamphlets. His conceits, within this laſt age, have lived and died by turnes, as they have been the objects of diſcontēted, or quiet ſpirits. If humble ſoules have met with them, they have ſeene in them the poiſon of peace, the renting of the ſeameleſſe coate of Chriſts church, the building upon a covenant of workes, and the hindering of the progreſſe of the Goſpell in faith, and love. But if they have beene caſt upon a raging ſea of an unquiet, and diſjointed heart, they have bred Barrowes, Greenwoods, Penries, Robinſons, Iohnſons, Aynſworths, and Smiths, the onelyonly men (ſo farre as I know) of that full ſtraine, who have taſted of more or leſſe learning ill placed, from Chriſts time downward. Seeing therfore, Browne is the firſt full-father of our forſakers, who raiſed up their building to that height they would faine maintaine it at: ſurely, they can have no other name of juſtice then Browniſts, which they muſt hold, except they can prove that theirs is a newer way.
Indeed Browne did afterward fall away from them, and his owne tenets, for the moſt part.
But ſeeing the firſt authour juſtly gives the name (as that carpenter that builds an houſe for the building of it, though afterward hee burne it down) therefore I cannot bee ſo unjuſt, as to ſuffer them, by mee, to bee called by any other, then that they received from him in his new chriſtianity.
The iſſue of this diſcourſe.If now, you aske the iſſue of this diſcourſe; it is to draw to this concluſion, that this church of theirs was never heard of till Brownes time; and ſo I argue thus. That which never was a true church from Chriſts time to the daies of Queene Elizabeth, was not a true church then, nor is a true church now:Matth. …6. for the gates of hell must not prevaile against it. But the Browniſts church was never a true church from Chriſts time to the dayes of Queene Elizabeth: Therefore it was not a true church then, nor is now as they would have it,
Object. Sol.If they ſay, that ſome of their opinions were of old: I confeſſe it is true. But let them ſhew but one church, which either poſitively in all points which make their church (to them) a church; or negatively, in denying contrary tenets held by the true church, and then they ſhall bee the true church for mee.
Object. Sol.But it may bee they will ſay, that the church of Rome thus diſputes againſt us▪ It is true: and ſo doe wee againſt them about their church built up by the late councell of Trent: affirming confidently that there was never one church but was under the curſe of that councel, if it had beene of force before. But when they plead ſo againſt us, wee goe to that which made true viſible churches in the Apoſtles dayes, and ever ſince, that is profeſſed ſubmiſſion to the rule of faith in the ſcriptures,Act. 2. Act. 10. Matth. 16 and a profeſſion of faith in the trinity, eſpecially in Jeſus Chriſt our Lord, that rocke whereupon the church is built: and ſo long as we have this, wee feare not their plea.
If they ſay,Object. Sol. that they doe thus much to make them a true church alſo. It is true, they doe it, as wee doe; and yet they denie us (ſo doing) to be a true church except wee be of their new covenant. If therefore, they cannot finde a church of that covenant till Brownes daies, how can they bee a true church which hath never failed, nor ever ſhall? Let them duely conſider this iſſue, and God give them underſtanding in all things.