A Treatise of the Church, To the reader – Table of contents
TO ALL SVCH AS PROFESSING THE FAITH AND OBEDIENCE of Chriſt hauehave ſeparated themſelues from the Churches of ENGLAND.
HAVING iuſt occaſion of late to looke into your bookes, I found that there are foure cauſes alleadged for your Separation, and that the principall of them all, concerneth the confuſion, and mixture of good & bad in our church. We forſake (ſay you) your Church for this maine corruption, Counterp. 3.that all ſorts of profane and wicked men, hauehave beene, and are, both they and their ſeede receiued into, and nouriſhed within the boſome of your Church, contrary to the firſt couenant of our Redemption: contrarie alſo to the example of all Gods Churches ſince the world began, who alwayes were ſeparated from the vngodly as the Scriptures ſhew. Thus ſpeaketh M. Ainſworth: and M. Robinſon after this manner.Anſw. to a Cenſorious Epiſtle 35. In theſe two reſpects principally, your Babyloniſh confuſion of all ſorts of people in the body of your Church without ſeparation, and your Babyloniſh bondage vnderunder your ſpirituall Lords, the Prelates, wee account you Babylon, and flye from you. Herevnto adde that which M. Smith ſaith, in his Paralleles:Pag. 23. All Churches or aſſemblies of men, whatſoeuer profeſsing Chriſt, and not ſeparated from worldlings are falſe Churches, and ſo without: onelyonly the ſeparated Churches are the true Churches, and are within. And in another place thus. A falſe worſhip, Daral. 14.miniſterie, and gouernment may be in a true Church, through ignorance and the like occaſions: Which thus hee amplyfieth.Ibid. 15. A true man may hauehave a woodden legge, an eye of glaſſe: ſo a true Church may hauehave a falſe miniſterie, and worſhip, or gouernement. Hauing therefore a deſire to reclaime you (if it be poſsible) and bring you back againe to our Churches, I thought I could beſtow my paines no way more profitably, then in diſcouering vntounto you how weake and inſufficient this is to ground your Separation vponupon. And this I hauehave endeauoured to doe in this Treatiſe.
I hauehave therein alſo both diſcouered and conuinced ſundry errors of yours, and your frequent and horrible peruerting of the ſacred Scriptures for the defence of them. And now I heartily pray you to conſider, That the ſoule of man is in very great danger by imbracing errour, as well as by yeelding to profaneneſſe. That errour in the minde, doth greatly hazard the ſaluation of mans ſoule; and that it is as fearefull and dangerous a thing, to bee carried about with eueryevery winde of doctrine, as to conſent to ſinners when they entiſe vsus. Hence it is that wee are not onelyonly exhorted, that wee ſholud not beleeue eueryevery ſpirit, but try the ſpirits whether they are of God; 1. Ioh. 4.1: 1. Theſ 5.21.that we ſhould try all things, and keepe that onelyonly which is good: but oft bidden to take heede that no man deceiue vsus; Mat. 24.4.5.23, 24.to beware of falſe Chriſts, which if it were poſsible, ſhould deceiue the very elect: and to beware of falſe Prophets, meaning falſe Teachers:Mat. 7, 15. which though they come in ſheepes clothing, with a ſhew of truth & holineſſe, that they may the rather deceiue:Act. 20.29. yet inwardly they are rauening wolues. I know this (ſaith Paul) that after my departing ſhall grieuous wolues enter in among you, not ſparing the flocke. Whereby wee learne, that as grieuous and rauening wolues doe prey vponupon and deſtroy the carkaſes of the ſilly ſheepe: ſo doe falſe Teachers the ſoules of men. From hence alſo it is, that our Lord Ieſus hath as well forewarned vsus to take heede and beware of falſe doctrine, Mat. 16.6.12. Luke 12.15.as to take heede and beware of couetouſneſſe. In both of theſe he vſeth a double caueat, becauſe both of them are very dangerous to the ſoule; ſo as we hauehave as great neede to beware of the one as of the other. If the Lord had onelyonly ſaid, Beware of falſe doctrine; hee had thereby intimated that there is danger in beleeuing ſuch doctrine: but hee iterating and doubling the caueat.Mat. 16.6. Marke 8.14. Take heede and beware of falſe doctrine (which is alſo noted by two Euangeliſts) doth thereby imply the danger is very great. It is alſo to bee obſerued that Ieſus compareth falſe doctrine to Leauen, Take heede and beware of the Leauen of the Phariſes and Sadduces: teaching vsus thereby, that as a little leauen ſowreth the whole lumpe of dough, ſo a little falſe doctrine the whole minde. Wee neede not goe farre to confirme this by examples. Who knoweth not that many among you, from Browniſme hauehave fallen into Anabaptiſme? Your ſelfe M. Iohnſon doe acknowledge this in your anſwere to M. White: And I my ſelfe doe know that M. Smith and thoſe of his Church, at the firſt receiued onelyonly ſome few ſmall and petty errours in compariſon, holding ſtill communion with vsus: but after in proceſſe of time groſſer errours growing vponupon them they departed and ſeparated from vsus, and are now by little and little fallen into a gulfe of errours, as plainely appeareth by ſundry of M. Smiths bookes lately publiſhed, and namely the Paralleles; The differences of the Churches, of the Separation; and the Character of the beaſt. We may alſo remember, that errour in the minde, is by the Holy Ghoſt compared to a Gangraine or Canker: 2. Tim. 2.17.which beeing in any part of the body, ſtayeth not there, but by little and little ſpreadeth it ſelfe further, and pierceth into the bones, not ceaſing to inlarge it ſelfe vntill it hath brought deſtruction to the body. Euen ſo it is with the ſoule, when errour inuadeth it,Tit. 3.10. Reiect him (ſaith the Apoſtle) that is an Hereticke, after once or twice admonition: knowing that hee that is ſuch is peruerted, and ſinneth being damned of his owne ſe…fe. As if hee ſhould ſay: There is little or no hope of reclaiming heretickes; ſuch as be contentious and obſtinate in their errours, but that all labour vſed to that end is in vaine and loſt. Their diſeaſe is almoſt incurable. For ſay that they be conuinced, and in themſelues doe condemne that which they contend for: Yet are they vſually ſo peruerſe and obſtinate as they will continue ſtill in their ſinne, maintaining their opinion againſt conſcience. Yet notwithſtanding ſaith Paul, let them be admoniſhed once or twiſe, if hapily they will amend: Which if they doe not, after admonition thus giuen, hauehave nothing to doe with them. And doe we not in experience ſee, how hard a thing it is to draw men from error, to the louelove and imbracing of the truth? Be they Turkes, Papiſts, Anabaptiſts, Familiſts, or whoſoeuer that bee wrapt in errour? Certainely it is as eaſie a matter to draw couetous men from the deſire of riches, voluptuous men from the louelove of pleaſure; the proud man from his pride, and the drunkard from his drunkennes: as to bring a man intangled in errour, to receiue and acknowledge the truth. Of the former ſort of theſe, if they hauehave continued long in their ſinne, the Prophet ſaith thus: Can the Blacke-Moore change his skin? Ier. 13.23.or the Leopard his ſpots? Then may ye alſo doe good, that are accuſtomed to euill. The ſame is no leſſe true of all ſuch who hauehave dwelt and abide long in their errours. Beware therefore and feare (my deare brethren and countreymen) to continue ſtill in your ſchiſme and errours, and hearken to the counſell of Salomon: Pro. 19.27.My ſonne heare no more the inſtruction that cauſeth to erre from the words of knowledge. Goe not, I beſeech you in the name of Ieſus, one ſtep more forward in the way you are in. For I call heauen and earth to record, that it leades to deſtruction. And why will ye die, O ye children of men? It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God: for our God is a conſuming fire.
I know you perſwade your ſelues of better things, and ſuch as accōpany ſaluation. You think that the way you now are in, is the only way to life. But what if you miſtake it? Chriſt telleth vsus, that many ſhall ſeeke to enter in at the ſtraight gate, Luk. 13.24.and ſhall not bee able. Which cannot be vnderſtood of men minding earthly things, whether it be their profits, or pleaſures. For they neither deſire, nor ſeeke after any ſuch thing. But of heretickes, Schiſmatickes, and ſectaries. You will ſay (I know) that you are no ſchiſmatickes: becauſe you ſeparate from a falſe Church onelyonly, and ioyne to a true, in deede if that which you teach of the viſible Church were true, then were all our congregations falſe Churches. But heare and marke well what I ſay. Such a viſible Church as you require, and pretend to be, there is not in the world, neither euer was: You teach in this point that which is repugnant to the Scriptures, and a thing vnpoſſible in it ſelfe to be. Such a ſocietie as you ſay a true viſible Church is, is not viſible, cannot poſſibly be ſeene or diſcerned.
But ſome of you will ſay: are not our Miniſters learned? Yes. That lets not but that both they may, and indeede doe groſſely erre in thoſe things wherein they diſſent from vsus, and from all the learned in the world. Who knoweth not that among the Papiſts there be many of great learning and gifts: which hauehave very great knowledge and skill in the arts, in the languages, are of excellent vtterance, expert and ready in holy Scriptures; can ſpeake and write truely, agreeing with the Scriptures, of ſundry of the ſecrets of the Kingdome of heauen: as of God, his nature, perſons, attributes: Of Chriſt Ieſus his incarnation, his birth, life, preachings, ſufferings, comming to iudgement, of the Reſurrection, of the life to come, with many more of this kinde: and yet notwithſtanding in thoſe points wherein they differ from the Church of England, and all other true Churches: they are blinde as beetles.
But you will obiect further, that what you of the Separation hold is proued plentifully out of the word of God, I acknowledge indeede that you abound and ſuperabound in your allegations of Scripture, Neuer any men contending for lyes, did therein goe beyond you, nor equall you neither. If hereunto we adde their externall holineſſe: wee may ſafely ſay, that in no faction or ſchiſme that euer yet was in the world, Satan did more transforme himſelfe into an Angell of light then in this. But what? Their Scriptures being peruerted, as the truth is, and ſo tending to the deſtruction of the Reader: all this is but ſheepes clothing,Mat 7.15. whereof Chriſt biddeth vsus to beware. Horrible and fearefull is your abuſing and wreſting of holy Scripture, and to ſome incredible. It had been well for you if you had been more ſparing in your quotations: then had yee leſſe taken Gods Name in vaine: who will not hold you guiltleſſe for the ſame, except ye repent.
And now dearely beloued: behold, Chriſt Ieſus ſtands at the doore and knockes aloud, tarrying and abiding there, as one very deſirous to come in, and loth to be kept out He that hath the keyes of the houſe of Dauid, who ſhutteth and no man openeth: and openeth, and no man ſhutteth: open the doore of your ſoule, that you may let Chriſt enter in. And to that end open I humbly beſeech you the eyes of your minde, that you may bee able to diſcerne betweene things that differ, and know truth from falſehood: and reiecting and abhorring the one, which is from the Diuell; may imbrace the other, which is from God.
And here my deare countrimen, who lately are gone out from vsus, and become Anabaptiſts, I beſeech you, conſider of this one thing with me. When you firſt ſeparated from the Church of England, did not you highly eſteeme and reuerence the Church of Amſterdam, euen as the deare ſpouſe and body of Chriſt?I meane the Browniſts Church there. Would not you then gladly hauehave had communion with them if poſſibly you could, when you refuſed the ſame with vsus? Did not then all of you aſſure your owne ſoules that that way which then and ſtill we call Browniſme, was the onelyonly way to life wherevpon in that way you would needs walke, come on it what would, impriſonment or baniſhment; life or death? Did not then ſome of the chiefe of you in my hearing, magnifie M. Fr. Iohnſon, and their bookes ſpecially the Apologie, aboue all bookes next to the holy Bible? And in all this you reioyced exceedingly. How commeth it now to …aſſe, that ſo quickly, not onelyonly our Churches, but the aforeſaid Church at Amſterdam, is likewiſe become an Harlot and Babylon? That you abhorre now as much to hauehave religious communion with them, as with vsus? How commeth this (I ſay) to paſſe, but becauſe that which the Apoſtle ſaith generally of all deceiuers, is and muſt needs be in the particular true of you, your ſelues being deceiuers: That you wax worſe and worſe: deceiuing, and being more and more deceiued.
Thus hauehave I in few words, by way of commination, exhortation, dehortation, and ſupplication indeuoured to perſwade you my brethren of the Separation, (ſpeecially my countreymen, who are lately entred into this way,) to renounce your errours, and to breake off by repentance your grieuous ſinne of ſeparating, and all the ſinnes accompanying it. If this I hauehave publiſhed preuaile not thus farre, (though not with all, yet with ſome of you) as to bring you to the ſight and acknowledgement of your erronious doctrine concerning the viſible Church, and your peruerting of holy Scripture for confirmation thereof, as my hope is it will. I for my part doe confeſſe that I vtterly deſpayre of doing any good of you: and ſay to you as I hauehave learned from the Apoſtle to ſpeake in this caſe: If any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. I ſhall alſo hold it vaine, to contend any further with you.1. Cor. 14.38. & 11.16. If any luſt to be contentious, (ſaith Paul) wee hauehave no ſuch cuſtome, nor the Churches of God: And ſo I end, leauing the ſucceſſe hereof, both with you and others to the Lord: whom in Ieſus Chriſt I beſeech, to accept of this my poore and weake ſeruice, and to grant that it may proſper to that end, wherevnto by me his moſt vnworthy ſeruant it is intended: euen to the glory of his great Name, and edification of his Church, Amen.
IOHN DAYRELL.
A SVMMARIE OF THE CHAPTERS.
THE FIRST BOOKE.
OF the Church: triumphant and militant. And ſundry Titles in holy Scriptures given to the ſame, specially to the Militant Church. Chap. 1. pag 1.
The Vſe of the former doctrine. Chap. 2. pag. 14.
Of the Viſible Church, and the diverſe acceptations of the Word Church. Chap. 3. pag 20.
The viſible Church is a mixt companie, compounded of Chriſtians true, and falſe: the greateſt part being the worſt. Chap. 4 pag 23.
Of Religion: what it is, and how diſtinguiſhed. Chap 5. pag. 32.
That the Profeſſion of Religion, maketh one a member of the viſible Church. Chap. 6. pag 3.
That the Church of England, is a true Church: and our pariſh aſſemblies, true viſible Churches Chap. 7. pa. 41.
THE SECOND BOOKE.
A Confutation of H. Barrow his deſcription of a true viſible Church. Chap. 1. pag. 51.
A confutation of another deſcription of the true viſible Church, giuen by the Browniſts: Where much is ſaid concerning the firſt gathering of a Church; and commixture of good and bad in the Church. Chap. 2. pag. 60.
Of the matter and forme of the viſible Church. Chap. 3. pag. 161.
Whether thc Couenant of life and ſaluation which God made with Abraham and his ſeede, where made with the viſible, or inuiſible Church. Chap. 4. pag. 186.
The titles which the Separiſts aſcribe to the viſible Church, are to be vnderſtood of the inuiſible Church onelyonly. Chap. 5. pag. 197.
The Churches of the Browniſts by their owne doctrine are falſe churches: and therefore men ought to ſeparate and come out from among them. Chap. 6. pag. 215.
The controuerſie betweene vsus and the Browniſts concerning religious communion is here debated. Where is ſhewed. Firſt, that wee may lawfully ioyne in diuine worſhip with them which are not members of the Church: Secondly, with the open wicked: And that thereby neither the faithfull, nor the holy things of God are polluted. Chap. 7. pag. 217.
The Arguments of the Browniſts whereby they would proue our church to be a falſe church: and the anſwere vntounto them. Chap 8. pag. 229.
How the Separiſts to iuſtifie their ſeparation from the Church of England, doe ſhamefully peruert the holy Scriptures. Chap. 9. pag. 257.