A Treatise of the Church, Title page – Dedication
A TREATISE OF THE CHVRCH. VVRITTEN AGAINST them of the Separation, commonly called BROWNISTS. Wherein the true Doctrine of a viſible Church is taught, and the Church of England, proued to be a true Church. The BROWNISTS falſe doctrine of the viſible Church is conuinced; their ſhamefull peruerting of the holy Scriptures diſcouered, their Arguments to proue the Church of ENGLAND a falſe Church anſwered.
PROV. 13.10. OnelyOnly by pride doth man make contention: but with the well aduiſed is wiſedome.
PROV. 14.15. The fooliſh will beleeue eueryevery thing: but the prudent will conſider his ſteps.
LONDON, Printed by William Iones, dwelling in Red-croſſe ſtreete. 1617.
TO THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND GRACE AND peace from God our Father, and from our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
IT is not vnknowne to them that are acquainted with the writings of the Browniſts, how eueryevery where they charge our Church to be a falſe Church, an Antichriſtian Church, and conſequently the Synagogue of Sathan: and our particular or pariſh aſſemblies, falſe viſible churches. They applie vntounto vsus, and that often, 2. Cor. 6.14.15. & Reuel. 18.2.4. and ſo equall vsus, with as groſſe Idolaters as euer were, heathen and Antichriſtian We are darkeneſſe it ſelfe, wherewith the light hath no communion: We worſhip Belial, not Chriſt: We are if not a roote of miſcreants, Counterp. in the Epiſtle defence of the Church and Miniſt. of Engl. 6. Counterp. 266. and in the Epiſtle. Paralleles 26. Apologie 209.yet a miſceline multitude of beleeuers & infidels: We are the habitation of diuels, the holds of all foule ſpirits, and the cage of eueryevery vncleane and hatefull bird: Wee are Vr of the Caldees, Babylon, Egypt, and Sodome, out of which they muſt goe that will be ſaued. They tell vsus further that Rome is our mother, and our Church one of her daughters: And as is the mother, ſo is the daughter: both harlots. Shall we heare our Church which is the mother of vsus all, nay, the Churches of Chriſt, thus blaſphemed and euill ſpoken of, and that not in a corner, but vponupon the houſe toppe, as Abſalom abuſed his fathers Concubines: ſo as all men may heare; the preſent world; and the ages ſucceeding: and hold our peace? God forbid. So doing we ſhall ſhewe our ſelues rather baſtards, then naturall children. Can a ſonne endure to heare his mother ſtandered, and reuiled, and his bowels not be moued within him, and his tongue alſo to ſpeake in her defence? Verily he that is ſuch, honoureth not his mother, as the law of God, and nature doth binde him. And this is it my deare mother, reuerend, and holy, that hath thruſt me forward to write this Treatiſe in thy defence. I thought indeede with my ſelfe a long time that this would better beſeeme ſome of my elder brethren. I conſidered the ſtrength, skill, and forwardneſſe of the aduerſary to fight without weariſomneſſe: and mine owne great weakeneſſe,M. Iohnſon, Ainſworth, Smith, Ro…inſon, for againſt all theſe I deale in this treatiſe. that they with whom I was to hauehave this conflict were b diuers: my ſelfe but one, and that a little one: but ſuch (through the grace of God) was my louelove to this part of his holy trueth, and hatred to error, that I was able to ſtride ouer them all.
And beginning firſt with a litle Treatiſe againſt them of the Separation in the defence of our Miniſtery, Liturgie, and Diſcipline, (mooued thereunto by the continuall griefe and vexation my ſoule was in, to ſee ſo many round about me to ſeperate) I conſidered that they keepe much adoe about a true viſible Church, and a falſe, accuſing vsus euer and anone to be a falſe Church. Heereupon I thought it very requiſit rather to examine their doctrine of the Church, (which I found to be the very foundation of all that they hauehave written in this queſtion) and to make triall whether that were true or falſe.
I knowe that many will be apt to imagine, that I hauehave ſaide litle or nothing againſt the Browniſts and their Seperation: becauſe I doe not in this booke anſwere their obiections touching our Miniſtery, Liturgy, and Diſcipline. But theſe men forget, that the maine point of controuerſie betwixt the Separiſts and vsus, is: Whether our Church be a true, or a falſe Church. If the Church of England be a true Church, as wee confidently affirme: Then is the Browniſts ſeparation (by their owne confeſſion) ſinfull: the Scriptures alleadged by them to that ende peruerted; their ſpeeches againſt our Church blaſpheamous; and all their arguments concerning our Miniſtery, Liturgy, and Diſcipline, ſo many ſophiſtications. Then alſo, is their ealling vponupon men, to ſeparate from vsus, and to goe out of Babilon, no more to be regarded, then the barking of dogges in the ſtreete. But if our Church be a falſe Church, which they contend for: then we acknowledge their ſeperation to be lawfull, and their reaſons concerning our Miniſterie, Liturgie, and Diſcipline, to be found and ſubſtantiall. Herevpon then all doth reſt, as a houſe vppon the foundation: which being ouerturned, the whole houſe (we know) fales to the ground. To this end I hauehave in this Treatiſe endeuored two things principally. Firſt, by diuers argumentes I proue that the church of England is a true Church, and our pariſh aſſemblies (as they are conſtituted by law) true viſible Churches. Secondly, I hauehave anſwered their Argumentes, whereby they would proue it to be a falſe church, and namely thoſe which lately and at large are by M. Ainſworth enforced againſt vsus in his Count…rpoyſon.
Let none of my elder brethren be offended at this I hauehave done. What though this cauſe be not by me ſo well mannaged as it deſerues. Accept of it neuertheleſſe. I hauehave done my beſt: and God requireth but according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. Let not man deſire more. If any demaund of me, why I, the moſt vnfit and vnable of a thouſand, in the middeſt of ſo many great Diuines, famous for learning, hauehave vndertaken the defence of our Church, which had well beſeemed the chiefeſt of them: I anſwere, that ſeeing them ſilent, I could not hold my peace. And that I being by the prouidence of God caſt into the middeſt of theſe Separiſtes, that (towards the Northen parts) did lately ſpring vp, had thereby many more occaſions to mooue & prick mee forward to this buſineſſe, then other of my brethren hauehave had. Thus God who in his ſecrete counſell had purpoſed and appointed me to this ſeruice, made a way therevnto. And it will aboundantly content mee, if that whatſoeuer it is I hauehave performed, bee approoued of God, and acceptable to thee my reuerend and gracious Mother: whoſe next to my Father, wholly I am, deuoted to thy ſeruice.
IOHN DAYRELL.