Gainsayer Convinced, Title page – Dedication
THE GAINSAYER CONVINCED:
OR, An Anſwer to a certain ſcandalous Paper, ſubſcribed and ſent by certain ſeduced and ſeditious People to a Miniſter in the Countrey:
IN WHICH The Calling of the Miniſtry of the Church of England, the Nature of a viſible Church, the Power of the Magiſtrate under the Goſpel, the right of Tithes, with many other Points now in controverſie, are briefly, fully and plainly cleared, to the ſatisfaction of thoſe that are wavering; alſo much of the ſpirit and many of the Errours of the Anabaptiſts of theſe daies (who call themſelves Saints) diſcovered and confuted.
By T. T. Preacher of the Word at Kemble in Wiltſhire.
1 JOHN 2. 26.
Theſe things have I written unto you concerning thoſe that ſeduce you.
1 COR 14. 37, 38.
If any man think himſelf to be a Prophet, or spirituall, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you, are the commandments of the Lord. But if any be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
1 TIM. 6. 3, 4, 5.
If any man teach otherwiſe, and conſent not to wholſome words, even the words of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and to the doctrine which is according to godlineſſe;
He is proud knowing nothing, …t doting about queſtions, and ſtrifes of words, whereof cometh envy, ſtri…e, railings, evil ſurmiſings,
Perverſe diſputings of men of corrupt mindes, and deſtitute of the truth, ſuppoſing that gain in godlineſſe: From ſuch withdraw thy ſelf.
LONDON, Printed for Tho. Ʋnderhill at the Bible in Woodſtreet. 1649.
TO the Inhabitants of the Town of CIRENCESTER, Grace, Mercy, Peace and Love be multiplied, through the knowledge of God and our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
Beloved,
THeſe are the laſt and perillous times which the Apoſtle ſpeaks of, wherein 2 Tim. 3. 1 2, 3.men do abound in all clo…ked corruptions, having a form and ſhew of godlineſſe, but denying the truth and power of it: many give Chriſt but Iudas kiſſe, ſaying, Hall Goſpel, but doe betray it. There is a Scylla and Charibdis, two gul…s that are almoſt full to the brim of the bloud of ſouls: On one hand ignorance, impiety, prophaneſſe, drunkenneſſe, chambering and wantonneſſe, ſtrife and envy, &c. Theſe open vices (like a floud) carry down to hell multitudes of ſouls: on the other hand there is a more ſubtle device of Satan, whereby many thouſands are deſtroied, hereſies, errours, blaſphemies, ſchiſms, under the colour of truth and more then ordinary devotion, eat like a gangreen and canker, and run like a plague from city to city, town to town, family to family, perſon to perſon, to the overſpreading of the 2 Tim. …whole land, and that without any remedy. Now the loſſe of ſo many thouſand ſouls, which prophaneſſe and errours do daily deſtroy, will cry for judgement to heaven againſt thoſe who uſe not all their endeavours to ſtop theſe miſchiefs, and to apply what remedy lies in them to theſe heavy evils: Thoſe in the ſtate that regard it not, may in due time finde the civill inconvenience of the toleration of, or conniving at theſe things: But the Lord forbid that any of the Lords Watchmen ſhould be Gallios in this, to care for none of theſe things, that the loſſe of ſouls and the flouriſhing of Satans kingdome ſhould not touch their hearts. For my own part I muſt ſeriouſly confeſſe, I am ſo conſcious to my ſelf of my many wants and infirmities, that I was very willing to content myſelf to approve my doctrine to God, and the conſciences of my d…ar people committed to me (for whom I daily be…ge of the Lord that he would preſerve them, as (bleſt be his holy Name) he hath done hitherto from the infection of theſe times:) But being invited by your pious, painfull, worthy and faithfull Miniſter, and by many of you to beſtow my pains ſometimes amongſt you on your lecture day, I could not refuſe. And being very ſenſible and apprehenſive of your perill, by reaſon of ſome that are crept in amongſt you, and have already drawn away ſome of your town from your Miniſter, and indeed (as appears in their following paper which you may hereafter reade) from Miniſtry and publike Ordinances, I could not but doe what did lie in the fathom of my power, to prevent the imminent danger of your ſouls, by endeavouring to diſcover ſome of their deceits. I endeavoured (with what clearneſſe I was able) to ſpeak a word in ſeaſon to every ſoul, and to hold forth to you from the Lamps of the Word, ſome r…ies of divine light for your direction in theſe dark and miſty daies, wherein 'tis as hard for many poor ſouls to finde out duty as to vanquiſh difficulty. You were my witneſſes (with God) that I delivered rothing but the words of truth and ſoberneſſe: but 'tis hard for whoſome doctrines and ſeaſonable reproofs to finde an open and obedient eat in theſe daies, wherein there are ſo many itching ears abroad, for you may reade in the following paper ſent to me, how many have charged me, which rayling, faction, ſedition, &c. (and yet I am confident moſt of them never heard me in thoſe Sermons:) But had the paper charged or aſper…ed me only, I ſhould have endeavoured with patience and ſilence, to have put up any thing, but finding the truth ſo charged as you ſhall finde it in their paper by them, I thought it might be my ſinne to be ſilent, and to ſit down and not contend for that. Therefore I was willing to ſet pen to paper, and to take a little pains to vindicate and clear both the truth and my ſelf, from thoſe falſe aſperſions and ſcandals caſt upon it and me: I was reſolved to have ſent them in my anſwer in writing only privately, and the Lord knows how unwilling I was to appear in publick: but being overperſwaded by many godly judicious friends and brethren (who had the peruſall both of their paper and my anſwer) that the publiſhing of it might conduce much to the clearing of the truth to many poor ſons, who are in theſe daies miſerably puſled by ſeducers in the things herein objected againſt us and anſwered, to the glory of God, and the good of the Church of Chriſt, in directing and informing ſome, convincing others, and pulling others out of the ſnares of Satan, in which they lay captive, being (I ſay) upon theſe ground… importuned by them, I could not deny the printing of it; And if it may (by Gods bleſſing) have any of theſe eff…cts upon any (though ſome may ſcoff and ſcorn) yet I ſhall not repent the publiſhing. Now becauſe the occaſion of this work was given amongſt you becauſe the gainſayers herein anſwered, do live among you, and are your neighbours, with whom you have daily converſe, and hereby your ſouls are in much danger of being ….infected with the ſame errours with which they are carried away ſo he…dlong. In compaſſion to your ſouls, I deſire to dedicate this my anſwer and labour to you, for the preſerving of you from further infection, and enabling you to reſiſt thoſe tempters you may meet with among you. Your loving acceptance of my former pains and labours in preaching amongſt you, aſſures me that this alſo will with the ſame love be accepted and received by you, as 'tis in love preſented to you from me. I ſhall ſpeak no more to you at preſent, but the reſt I ſhall ſpeak to God for you, that he would ſanctifie all means both preaching and printing, for the converting of thoſe that are unconverted amongſt you, for the preſerving thoſe that are yet ſound, for the recalling and reſtering thoſe that are gone aſtray, and are ſeduced to live in errour, and for the performing of that good work which is begun in any of you, that the God of all grace would make you perfect, ſtabliſh, ſtrengthen and ſettle you, and preſerve you by his own Pet. 5. 10.power, through faith unto ſalvation: If your ſouls reap any benefit by any of my poor endeavours, let the Lord alone receive all the glory and praiſe: all that I ſhall deſire of you is that which Paul ſo earneſtly deſired of the Romans, I beſeech you, Brethren, …. 15. 30.for the Lord Jeſus Chriſt his ſake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye ſtrive together with me in your praiers to God for me. And let me be known to you, as one whoſe deſires, praiers and endeavouss have been, are, and (by Gods grace) ſhall be, to the the utmoſt in my ſphaear, for the making up of the diviſions that are amongſt you, and the building up of your ſouls in your moſt holy faith, Ever reſting
The Churches and your ſervant, (though the weakeſt and unworthieſt of all) in the work of the Goſpel, Th. Th.