A Dissuasive from the Errors of the time, Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The Original and Progreſſe of the BROWNISTS.
THe greateſt without compariſon,Satan is the great enemy of the Churches Reformation. and moſt admirable work which the hand of God hath brought to paſſe upon earth in theſe later Ages, is, the Reformation of Religion from Antichriſtian pollution and tyranny: No other could have been expected from the Prince of Darkneſſe, but extreme oppoſition to this ſo high a prejudice to his Kingdom: Incredible is the help which this unclean ſpirit hath made to Antichriſt his chief ſervant, for the upholding of his tottering Throne. How many Princes and States hath he ſtirred up to perſecute with Fire and Sword, to the cruelleſt deaths, the innocent Witneſſes of the Truth? How many learned Divines hath he bewitched with his Enchantments, to ſpend their ſpirits and time in maintaining by Word and Writings the groſſeſt abominations of that Romiſh Idol?
But the chief Artifice whereby this crafty Serpent hath moſt impeded the progreſſe of the Goſpel,His chief inſtruments always have been profeſſed friends to Religion. and kept the Triple-Crown upon the Popes head, is his powerful working in the midſt of the Children of Light: So cunningly hath he inſinuated himſelf into the counſels and actions not onelyonly of the Children of this World, but of the Sons of Sion themſelves, that by their hands, more then any other, he hath laid in the way of Chriſts running Chariot ſcandals inſuperable, impediments irremovable, by any humane might, till the Lord from heaven put them out of the way.
The Light of the Goſpel broke out ſo clear, the heat of Zeal,Reformation at the beginning did run with an impetuous current. the truely heroick and more then humane wiſdom and courage of the firſt Reformers, were ſo irreſiſtable, that all the power of Papal Princes, and all the learning of their Clergie, were not ſufficient obſtacles unto the Torrent of their ſpirit; all theſe humane Bulwarks were overflowed with the Flood of the Gifts of Gods Spirit in his Servants. The whole Kingdoms of England and Scotland, Denmark and Sweden, Ireland and Navar, were ſubdued to the Scepter of Chriſt; much of France and Pole, the moſt of Germany both above and below, the moſt of Hungary and Switze were pulled out of the Popes mouth; Italy and Spain were entred, and fair beginnings of a gracious day did appear to both.
What was its firſt ſtop.But behold, in the midſt of our Conqueſts and Triumphs, while all our enemies without were upon the point of fainting and deſpair, the Dragon and his angels got entreſſe in the heads of our friends, and by their hands drew us back from the purſuing of our foes, who were ready to have given over and ſubmitted; but remarking our unexpected halt, and turning from them one upon another, they got a time to breathe, and to gather ſuch ſtrength, that ever ſince they have been the purſuers; and as long ago they have regained much of their loſſe, ſo doubtleſſe, had it not been for the invincible ſtrength of our Captain, before this day they had totally ruined us.
To paſſe a number of ſtratagems whereby Satan hath diverted Proteſtants from carrying on their work againſt the Popiſh party, I touch but upon two, a double erroneous Principle, whereby he hath infatuated many a thouſand of men (otherwiſe not irrational nor ungracious) and brought divers whole Churches to ſuch perplexities and confuſions, that they lie to this day entangled, unable to diſengage themſelves of thoſe ſnares and fetters, that (as all piety and reaſon do command) they may joyn cordially their whole ſtrength with their Brethren againſt the common enemy.
The fountain of Proteſtant D…ſcord.In our flight from Rome, he got ſome perſwaded to ſtand too ſoon, before they had paſt the Territories of the Whore, and the Line of her Communication: Others he wrought to the contrary perſwaſion, he made them run on too long, not onelyonly to the utmoſt Line of Errour, but alſo far beyond all the bounds both of Charity and Truth: Hence our greateſt Woes, all our Diſcords and mutual Wounds have ſprung from theſe two Fountains: This is the true original of our diverſion from following the enemy, to attend the worſt of Wars, our Civil and Domeſtike Combats.
The unhappy Principle of the Lut…eranes.By a very evil advice, Luther and his followers ſtuck at the later parts of Reformation; they could not down with the whole Body; and in this their ſenſible infirmity, they became utterly impatient of all contradiction: That Calvin and his Brethren ſhould go beyond them to cry down a corporal preſence of Chriſt in the bread of the Sacrament, to remove Images from Churches, to put out of the Worſhip a world of idle Ceremonies, it was to them a matter of high diſdain, and a Quarrel, which yet is not dead, but continueth tranſmitted from the fathers to their children of this our Generation. Who would not have thought that the rivers and ſeas of Germane blood which this laſt Age have run in a good part out of this ſpring, might have been more then ſufficient to have drowned all ſuch Quarrels in a much more implacable Nation?
On the other hand, Nicholas Stock and Thomas Muncer, And the more unhappy Principle of the Anabaptiſts.with their intemperate zeal, ran themſelves ſo far out of breath, that their followers to this day could never be content to be circumſcribed within the bounds of any moderation: They and their poſterity the Anabaptiſts, under the colour of extreme promoting even to praecipitation, have been the greateſt retarders of the work of Reformation; for beſide their own falling off, and ſeparating from all the reformed Party; yea, their cruel invading by Fire and Sword, without any mercy, all their diſſenting neighbours; their frantick extravagancies became ſo terrible ſcandals to the remnant of Papiſts, that no one thing did ſo much tie their heart to Rome, and avert them from entertaining any good thoughts of that Religion which to them appeared the root whence ſo curſed branches had ſprung up.
Both thoſe bitter roots were quickly tranſplanted from Germany to England, Somewhat of both theſe ways was entertained in England.where hitherto they have brought forth exceeding ill fruits, albeit not altogether ſo pernicious and plentiful as in that ground where the hand of the envious man at firſt did ſow them.
Cranmer, Ridley, The original of the Engliſh Ceremonies and Epiſcopacy.and ſome others of the prime Confeſſors and Martyrs of England, receiving their firſt light from Wittenberg, and keeping ſtill more correſpondence with their acquaintance in higher Germany, then with Calvin, or any of the French Divines, did follow the Lutherane Principle, howbeit not in the Doctrine wherein M…lancthon, Bucer, Martyr, and the reſt of Luthers beſt diſciples did at that time leave their Maſter; yet ſo much in the Diſcipline, Worſhip and Ceremonies, as that their great incogitancy hath coſt England very dear to this day; for this was the chief ſpring of all the wofull Diviſions which ſince have rent our bowels of all the grievous perſecutions which have undone many, and vexed more of the godly, and baniſhed far from their Countrey ſome thouſands of very precious ſouls; and at laſt, by the craft of ſome Sinons, this became the Trojane horſe, to carry in its belly, and let down in the midſt of our Citie and Temple, the whole Popery of Rome, and Tyranny of Conſtantinople, in a way of ſo deep policy and mighty ſtrength, that onelyonly the wiſedom of God was able to diſcover, and when diſcovered, his Arm alone was ſtrong enough to break that ſnare.
Whoſoever is unwilling to give to God this glory, we muſt ſay he is unacquainted with the counſels, and unattentive to the actions both of God and men, which theſe by-paſt yeers in this Iſle, upon a high Stage, have been acted, albeit ſometimes within, and ſometimes without the Curtain.
The original of the Separatiſts.The other Root of Anabaptiſm hath always been ſending up to us ungracious fruits, and at this hour is very inſtrumental to our Woes. When Cartwright, Hilderſham, Travers, and many other gracious Divines, by the bleſſing of God upon their great diligence, had undermined and well-neer overthrown the Epiſcopal Seas, and all the Cathedral Ceremonies; incontinent the Generation of the Separatists did ſtart up, and put ſuch retardances in the way of that gracious Reformation, as yet remain, and, except by the hand of God, will not be gotten removed.
It is true, the malignancy of the Epiſcopal party, and emulation of the Separatists themſelves, would make Cartwright and his friends the old Unconformiſts, to be the Fathers of that Sect; notwithſtanding whoever is acquainted with the Times, or will be at the pains, with any conſideration, to confer the Tenents of both Parties, or who will advert the iſſue and ſequele of both ways, cannot but pronounce Cartwright and all his followers the Unconformiſts, very free from the unhappineſſe of procreating this Baſtard: That ill-fac'd childe will father it ſelf; the Lineaments of Anabaptiſm are clear and diſtinct in the face of Browniſm.
The Doctrine of the Anabaptiſts, who in great number fled over to England, when for their abomina…le and horrible Crimes, by Fire, and Water, and Sword, they were chaſed out of both the Germanies, is ſo like, and in many things ſo much the ſame with the Doctrine of the Browniſts, that the derivation of the one from the other, ſeems to be very rational.
Nothing more like then that as Morellius did learn from the diſciples of Muncer his Eccleſiaſtike Anarchy,Browniſm is a daughter of Anabaptiſm. whereby he troubled the Church of France, till by Beza and Sadael, in the General Aſſemblies of that Kingdom, he was confounded, and his Anabaptiſtike follies exploded; ſo that Brown and Bolton did learn in the ſame School, that very ravery of Morellius, and many other the like, by the which, about the ſame time, and ever ſince, they have pitifully vexed the Church of England.
That Browniſm is a native branch of Anabaptiſm, is alſo evidenced by the frequent Tranſition of many from the one to the other. The diſſolution of Ice, Snow, or any other vapour into water, argues ſtrongly for their original from that Element. The ordinary running over of Separatists to the Anabaptists, demonſtrates clearly enough who were their fathers of old, and who their beſt beloved Brethren this day.
But paſſing the Kinred and Pedigree,Bolton, the firſt known Separatiſt in England, hanged himſelf. let us conſider the Family it ſelf, and the perſons of greateſt note that yet have appeared therein. The firſt Separatist I read of, was one Bolton, a man by whom his followers can have ſmall credit; for the finger of Gods Juſtice ſtirring in his conſcience, made the ſenſe of his Errours ſo grievous to his ſoul, that not onelyonly he did publikely at Pauls Croſſe recant them, but thereafter was ſo dogged with a deſperate Remorſe, that he reſted not, till by hanging of himſelf he had ended his miſerable days. The truth of the Story is confeſſed by themſelves: That Bolton was a Miniſter of an old ſeparate Congregation before Browne: That he did recant his Separation, and hang himſelf, Robinſon ▪ the beſt Advocate for that party, doth liberally acknowledge in his Juſtification, p. 50 (A)
The horrour of this remarkable Vengeance did not deter Robert Browne, firſt a Schoolmaſter in Southwark, Brown, the ſecond L…ader of that way, …ecanted his Schiſm, and to his death was a very ſcandalous perſon.and then a Preacher at Iſlington …eer London, to take up that banner of Separation, which …od▪ as with a Bolt from heaven, had wrung out of the hands of miſerable Bolton; albeit that cauſe did thrive no better with him then with his predeceſſor.
When this raſh young man; for old he could not be in the 1580 yeer of God, when he was the prime Leader of that Sect, having but lately died: when he, I ſay, had gathered a ſeparate Congregation, and drawn up for the defence of his Way theſe Writings, whence ever ſince the beſt Arguments for that Schiſm are drawn; (B) they went over to enjoy their liberty to Middleburgh of Zeland: But behold the wrath of God following them at the heels; when there was no diſturbance from without, they fell to ſuch jarring among themſelves, that ſoon they broke all to pieces; the moſt turned Anabaptiſts, Brown himſelf returned to England, recanted his Browniſm, received a Parſonage at the hand of a Biſhop: The courſe of his life, to his deep old age, was ſo extremely ſcandalous, that more then ordinary charity is needfull to perſwade that ever he was led with a good ſpirit. I have heard it from reverend Miniſters, that he was a common beater of his poor old wife, and would not ſtick to defend publikely this his wicked practice; alſo, that he was an open profaner of the Sabbath; and that his injuſtice, in not paying the ſmall pittance he was indebted to him whom lazineſſe in his Calling made him to keep for the ſupply of the cure of his Parſonage, did bring him to priſon, in the which, for that very cauſe, he continued till death.
When the wickedneſſe of this man is objected to Robinſon his Scholar, he is ſo far from denial, that under his hand he teſtifieth it abundantly. (C)
The humour of Barrow the third Maſter of this Sect.The third Maſter of this Sect was Barrow, the moſt bitter and clamorous Cenſurer of all the Reformed Churches of any that yet hath put Pen to Paper, chuſe whom you will of the moſt deſpiteful Jeſuites: let their Books which are moſt beſprinkled with Gall, be compared with Barrows Diſcovery, this to my taſte is nothing ſweeter then the bittereſt of them all: And yet there is ſmall reaſon why with ſo great arrogance he ſhould have taken in his hand the Cenſors rod, if all be true of him which his oppoſites object. However, before he could gather any formed Congregation, his invectives againſt the Faith, Baptiſm and Laws of England were ſo exceſſive, that Queen Elizabeth, impatient of his Contumelies,The ſtrange carriage of Johnſon and Ainſworth, the next two Leaders of the Browniſts. by the evil advice of the cruel Prelates about her, cauſed him in a morning to be hanged on the Tower-hill.
The fourth Leader of this Way was Maſter Johnſon, who, affraid at Barrows execution, got over, with the Church he had gathered, to Amſterdam, and there for many yeers was Paſtor to the firſt ſetled Congregation of Browniſts we read of.
This man, with Ainſworth his Doctor, ſent out to all the reformed Churches the Confeſſion of their Faith, in the yeer 1602. But long it was not till it appeared to the world that no better ſpirit did reign in that company then in the former Societies of this way.
For incontinent three ſhamefull Schiſms one upon the neck of another, broke out among them: Firſt, many of them turned Anabaptists, and were excommunicated. Secondly, Maſter Johnſon fell to ſo great oddes, firſt with his brother Maſter George, for ſmall matters, and afterward with his father, that he excommunicated them both, and was curſed by both, when he had rejected peremptorily the mediation of the Presbytery of Amſterdam for reconciliation. Thirdly, the remnant of the company, a little after, rent in two, upon needleſle Queſtions: Maſter Ainſworth the Doctor with his half, did excommunicate Johnſon and his half, who were not long behinde, for they alſo did quickly excommunicate Ainſworth and all his followers.
Hereupon, the War betwixt theſe two handfuls of people became ſo ſharp, that Amſterdam could not keep them both; for Johnſon, with his ſide of the houſe, got away to Emden, where, after his death, that little company, as I ſuppoſe, diſſolved and vaniſhed. Ainſworths's company, after his death, remained long without all Officers, very like to have diſſolved: yet at laſt, after much ſtrife, they did chuſe one Maſter Cann for their Paſtor, but could not agree, til very lately, upon any other Officer, and even yet they live without an Elderſhip, as they did before without a Paſtor. The moſt of theſe things are the confeſſions of the party, (D) the reſt are notorious, and will not be denied.
The weight and evidence of Gods hand againſt Johnſon and Ainſworth had ſo far diſgraced that Sect,The horrible ways of Smi… their ſixth Maſter. that in the opinion of the moſt no man would ever more look after it: Yet two other Divines of very good parts, did ſet under their ſhoulders to ſupport it for ſome longer time; but ſo, that in the end they did undermine and undo it, though in a contrary way.
Maſter Smith (a man as I have heard of right eminent parts) falling to that ſide, and writing againſt the uſe of the Lords Prayer, was convinced in a publike meeting by Maſter Hilderſham, and others, (for the Unconformiſts alwayes had the one eye no leſſe intent upon the Separatiſts, then the other upon Epiſcopacy) notwithſtanding Maſter Smith (for all his conviction, and open profeſſion upon his knees of his full ſatisfaction) did relapſe, and by his perſwaſion, moved a great company to follow him out of England to Ley in Holland.
There he perſevered not long in concord with his Elder Brethren of the Separation, but quickly accuſed them all of Idolatry in their worſhip, for looking upon their Bibles in the time of Preaching, and on their Pſalters in the time of ſinging; (E) and of Antichriſtianiſm in their Government, becauſe in their Presbytery they joyned to Paſtors, other two Officers, Doctours and ruling Elders, which to him were humane inventions.
Neither here did the ſpirit of errour permit him long to ſtand: But as in the Preface of his Book of difference from the old Separatiſts, he profeſſeth a reſolution of inconſtancy: (F) So accordingly he did practiſe, falling from Browniſm to Anabaptiſm. And as ordinary Browniſm, when he was a Browniſt, did not pleaſe his taſte, without his own refinings; ſo turning Anabaptiſt, the common ſorts of that way did not pleaſe him; (though of the Anabaptiſts there be more kindes then of any other Sect this day extant) yet by none of them all, would his conſcience permit him to be Rebaptiſed; but he needs muſt Rebaptiſe himſelf, and ſo draw on the juſt infamy of a Sebaptiſt (G).
The fearful end of Smith his wandrings.For a recompence of this wantonneſſe in erring, behold how the juſt Lord permitted Satan to lead him, yet one ſtep further: It is not onelyonly a common report, but I have heard it from the graveſt and moſt approved Divines of the Kingdom, That upon his death-bed he became a Preacher of his own perfect righteouſneſſe, if not a profeſſed Arrian.
A remarkable vengeance upon an erring ſpirit.An example full of horrour which God hath ſet forth, if men will be ſo wiſe as to be diſciplined in the perſons of others, to bridle the petulant wits of this age, who make it, if not their paſtime, yet their exerciſe and glory to impugn, by their Sophiſms, the ſetled Tenents and practices of all Chriſtians before them. Maſter Smiths progreſſe and end ought to circumſcribe their luxuriant ſpirits within the circle of ſome moderation, leſt all the glory of their new inventions be crown'd with ſome ſhameful concluſion. When the infamous practices of Maſter Smith are objected to his party, they have no leaf of excuſe wherwith to cover them. (H)
The other ſupporter of languiſhing Browniſme, in its dying dayes, was Maſter Robinſon, the moſt learned, poliſhed, and modeſt ſpirit that ever that Sect enjoyed: it had been truely a marvel if ſuch a man had gone on to the end a rigid Separatiſt.
This man having gone over from England to Leyden, Robinſon the laſt grave and learned Doctor of the Browniſts, did in the end undermine his Party.with a ſeparate Congregation, did write for a time very handſome Apologies and juſtifications of that evil way; but, Doctor Ames and Maſter Parker compaſſionating the man, and pitying that ſo excellent parts ſhould be ſo ill employed, laboured him ſo by Conferences and Letters, that there was great appearance, if his days had continued, he might have proved a happie inſtrument for the extinguiſhing and total abolition of that Schiſm: but God in his wiſedom intending ſome farther uſe of that great evil, was pleaſed to take him away in the beginning of his good Work.
He came back indeed the one half of the way; he ruined the rigid Separation, and was the Author of a Semi-ſeparatiſm, printing in his later times againſt his former Books, the lawfulneſſe of communicating with the Church of England in the Word and Prayer, albeit not in the Sacraments and Diſcipline: This was a fair Bridge, at leaſt a fair Arch of a Bridge for union; but the man being removed by death before he could perfect what he had begun, his new Doctrine, though it was deſtructive to his old Sect, yet it became an occaſion of a new one not very good.
It was the womb and ſeed of that lamentable Independency which in Old and New-England hath been the fountain of many evils already, though no more ſhould enſue, as anon ſhall be declared:Robinſon the author of Independency. OnelyOnly here we obſerve, that the laſt two beſt-gifted Leaders of the Brownists, have been the reall Overthrowers of that Way: for ever ſince the time of their conduct, theſe of England whoſe humour carried them out of the boſome of their Mother-Church, have turned either to Smiths Anabaptiſm, or to Robinſons Semi-ſeparating Independency. Theſe kindes are multiplied exceedingly; but for the old Browniſts, their number either at London or Amſterdam, is but very ſmall; and their way is become contemptible not onelyonly to all the reſt of the world, but to their own children alſo; even they begin to heap coles of contumelies upon their parents heads, as may be ſeen in the Elogies which both Maſter Cotton (I) and the five Apologiſts are pleaſed to give them in Print: (K) Yea, ſo much are theſe children aſhamed of their fathers, that they uſually take it for a contumely to be called after their name. No Independent will take it well at any mans hand, to be called a Browniſt either in whole, or in the ſmalleſt part.
The Teſtimonies.
(A) Robinſons Juſtification, p. 50. It is true that Bolton was (though not the firſt in this way) an Elder of a ſeparate Church in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths days; and falling away from his holy profeſſion, recanted the ſame at Pauls Croſſe, and afterwards hanged himſelf, as Judas did.
(B) Giffard againſt the Donatiſts, about the beginning. Whoſoever ſhall read Brown his Books, and peruſe all his Scholars writings, ſhall ſee that they have no ſharp arrow but which is drawn out of his Quiver.
(C) Robinſons Juſtif. p. 50. Now touching Brown, it is true, as he forſook the Lord, ſo the Lord forſook him, elſe he had never ſo returned back into Egypt, as he did: And for the wicked things which Maſter B. affirmeth he did in this way, it may well be as he ſaith; and the more wicked things he committed in this courſe, the leſſe like he was to continue long in it.
(D) Johnſons Enquiry, p. 63. About Thirteen yeers ſince, this Church, through perſecution in England, was driven to come into theſe Countreys: A while after, divers of them fell into the Hereſies of the Anabaptists; and ſo perſiſting, were excommunicated by the reſt: Then a while after, many others, yea too many, though not the half, fell into a Schiſm from the reſt; and ſo many as continued therein, were caſt out. Alſo, Robinſons Juſtification, p. 51. True it is, that George Johnſon, together with his father, taking his part, were excommunicated by the Church for contention ariſing at the firſt upon no great occaſion; whereupon many bitter and reproachfull terms were uttered both in word and writing. It is to us a just cauſe of Humiliation all the days of our lives, that we have given, and do give, by our differences, ſuch advantages.
(E) Smiths Differences, p. 4. The reading out of a Book, is no part of Spiritual Worſhip, but the invention of the Man of Sin. Books and Writings are in the nature of Pictures or Images, and therefore in the nature of Ceremonies, and ſo by conſequent the reading of a Book is Ceremonial: The holy Scriptures are not to be retained as helps before the eyes in the time of Spiritual Worſhip: It is unlawful to have the Book before the eyes in ſinging of Pſalms. The Preſbytery of the Church is uniform: the treeformed Presbytery conſiſting of three kindes, Paſtors, Teachers, and Elders, is not Gods Ordinance, but Antichriſtian, and the image of the Beaſt.
(F) Bernards plain Evidences, p. 19. Smith in his Epiſtle before his Differences, becauſe he is found ſo unconſtant, to wipe away the ſhame thereof, and to cut off offence for afterward; he without ſhame profeſſeth to be unconſtant, and deſireth that ever his laſt writing ſhould be taken as his preſent judgement.
(G) Ibid. He hath founded a new Church; he hath, if ye will believe him, recovered the true Baptiſm, and the true matter and form of a true Church, which now onelyonly is to be found pure among a company of Sebaptiſts. Maſter Smith will hold ever this word Se to himſelf, for going into Browniſm; he was a Separatiſt, he held differing opinions from them; and now that he is in Anabaptiſm, he is a Sebaptiſt, he wholly goeth not with that heretical Sect.
(H) Robinſons Juſtif. p. 53. Maſter Smith his inſtability, and wantonneſſe of wit, is his ſin, and our croſſe.
(I) Vide caput tertium O.
(K) Ibidem.