The Unreasonableness of the Separation Made Apparent 2, Title page – Preface 2
THE UNREASONABLNES OF THE SEPARATION; Made apparent, in an Examination of, and Answere to, certaine Reasons of Maister Francis Johnson; Whereby he laboureth to justifie his Schisme from the Church-Assemblies OF ENGLAND; By Maister VVilliam Bradshaw deceased.
Together with a Rejoinder, in defence of the said Answere, against the late Reply of Maister Iohn Canne (a Leader to a Company of Brownists in Amsterdam) thereunto, by a Freind of the deceased.
Prnited in the Yeare of our Lord, 1640.
THe intelligent Reader is to be desired in his owne observation of the scope of passages throughout this treatise to correct what Errata may be found in the printing, because there was noc Englishman to attend the Correction of them.
To all the ENGLISH PREACHERS & HEARERS Of Gods word (who are noe Brownists) whether continuing in their owne country or remooved into forraine parts.
REverend & Beloved. Give me Leave, I beseech you to mind you of that which after a speciall manner concernes you all: There are a Generation of your country, called Brownists, who glory in this, that they are of the separation, Brethren of the Separation they call themselves, & take it very ill, if any of you call them otherwise. Now you must know that in the judgement of these, it may be not of every particular man or woman of them, but of the Leaders of them, & the greatest part of them, I say in the judgment of these.
1. Amongst you who are preachers, if you have receyved any Allowance or Authority to preach from Bishops unlesse you have againe solemnly renounced what you hauehave receyved from them, there is not a man of you, who is a Minister of Jesus Christ. And marvaile not at this, for they have the same judgment of all, who have beene preachers before you in the like kind, though some of them have beene glorious Martyrs, others have beene famous writers in defence of the truth & others have had their preaching crowned with the happy conversion of many soules to God: yet not a man of them any minister of Christ. Ah poore England hath the Lord Christ so neglected thee aboue all other Protestant nations that to this day, he hath giuen thee not one of his Pastours & Teachers, which he hath sent abroad since his ascension, unlesse some, few Brownists?
2. Amongst you who are hearers of Gods word preached by any of these though otherwise you serue God in righteousnes and holinesse, before him all your dayes there is not a man or woman of you if the Brownists may judge, but you are all such, who live in manifest sinne and wickednesse by this your hearing of them. Even this very yeare one of them in Amsterdam, and an other of them in London have in print passed this doome upon you all.
Doth it not then concerne you all to inquire seriously, whether these men judge righteous judgement of you or noe? Reverend & Beloved, The Treatise following will helpe you much this way, if you will be content to read it, & observe diligently what you reade, which that you may the better understand, it will be requisite, you take speciall notice of this relation.
Long since one Maister Francis Johnson a prime Leader of Separatists in Amsterdam published divers arguments & reasons to proove it not lawfull to heare or have any spirituall communion with the present Ministery of the Church Assemblies in England. Sundry yeares after that, by an occasion, which you will find reported in this ensuing Tractate, one Maister William Bradshaw▪ a Learned and Godly divine of England answered those Arguments. And some few yeares past, one Maister Iohn Can: (who as I heare hath in a late printed booke styled himselfe Minister of the English Church in Amsterdam, as though there were noe other English Church there but he & his Company. whereas there is an other, and it approoved both by Magistrates & Ministers there, when as he & his Company are onelyonly tolerated there as Papists Anabaptists & some other sectaries are:) This Maister Iohn Can wrote a booke to proove from the Principles of English Non Conformists, that there ought to be a separation from the Church Assemblies in England, in which booke of his he labours to defend Maister Iohnsons arguments aganist the answers of Maister Bradshaw. Now you must know, that however this booke of Maister Can hath beene answered by some in private, to satisfy some weake in judgment, yet for some yeares it hath receyved noe Answer in publique onelyonly Maister Iohn Davenport▪ a famous preacher sometimes in London, hath professed in a booke of his, that he had many things to say in defence of Dr. Ames (whom in that booke Maister Can makes use of to his purpose) and withall affirmes that he had heard some others had under taken to answer him.Treatise betweene him & Maister Paget p. 282 283. But the truth is, I never yet knew or have heard that in print he hath beene answered and would you know the reason? surely I can give you noe other then this, That generally in England with the most Iudicious that booke of his hath not beene thought worthy of Answer, Learned men not judging it worth the while, to stop his mouth who barkes so loud, & bites so litle: yet now you may see heere that booke of his is answered, especially in the maine of it, & Maister Can himselfe may see, that he hath beene dealt with, as the spirit of God would have such persons as he is,Pro. 26.5.6. dealt withall.
For a time hee hath not bene answered, least the Answerer of him should have seemed to bee like him, yet in time hee is Answered, least hee should bee wise in his owne eyes, and so Answered now hee is, That as the Learned and Reverend Authour of this Reioynder which followes, hath vindicated the worth and honour of his Deare freind Maister Bradshaw, from the weake Argumentations and unworthy Calumnies of Maister Canne, so hee hath discouered Maister Canne to bee a meere empty caske, not with standing the great sound, which hee hath made. It is long since even some yeares past, that this worke hath bene ready for the presse, and for that end out of the Authours hands, and however for some reason hitherto concealed, yet now thought meete to bee published.
1. In Regard of Maister Canne, that hee may no more complaine of Gnatts, which hee hath felt, but not seene, and of Trencher squibbs reaching no further then the end of the table, not so farre as to penne incke and paper, for answering him in a faire and honest way, Thus hee complaines in his late booke against Maister Robinson, Heere now hee hath an Answer prepared for him, the penne,Epistle to the …eader. incke and paper wherof may possibly bite him after another maner then these gnatts hee speakes of, and startle him some what more then these squibbs hee mentions. And is it not time that the man should have an Answer, seenig hee so calls for it?
2. It hath bene thou…ht the more seosonable now to print this worke. In Regard of some others, who have lately drawne many good soules, into wayes of s…paration and are (at is seemes) looking very wistly upon Maister Cannes way. It seemes hee takes it they are of his mind, For whence is it el…e, that hee so insults in that booke of his called a stay against straieng,Ep…stle to …. That now men are of founder judgment then to defend either the Church state, Ministerie, worship or Government of England as some professours formerly hauehave done the falsenes of these being now seene and acknowledged of the honester and better sort every where, so that none now except Formalists, Familists and men of corrupt minds, who count gaine godlines, will appeare in the Defence heerof. And surely some others besides Maister Canne have great cause to suspect that some of these at the least, however for a time they hover about, yet their purpose is in the end to meet with Maister Canne in the same center of separation. For it is commonly said, that some of their leaders Keepe great correspondencie with him in private, and when they or their disciples are occasionally in Amsterdame or the Lords day, they either altogether or for the most part frequent his Assemblie. Now heere also in this Treatise, unlesse their judgements bee to much forestalled▪ these may also meete with some what for their satisfaction and this may the rather bee hoped, because for ought is yet published by them, they have no other ground for their separation, especially from the ministerie of the Church Assemblies in England, then what Maister Johnson who is heere answered had formerly. There is jndeed a great noise in England at this day, and hath bene for these 3. or 4. yeares past of a New light and a New way, but where shines this light? surely if any where it is onelyonly in some darke lanthornes. Heertefore when Maister Johnson, Ainsworth, Smith, Robinson lead others in to separation, the like cry was then raised of a New light and a New way, but then those Ringleaders made knowne the light, wherby they were guided in to that way, but it is not so with these, who though they are in wayes of separation, yet further then by private letters and clancular manuscripts, thy hold not forth the light leading them in to their way. And this Maister Canne himselfe seemes to complaine of in some of them, who belike jumpe not as yet with him in every thing, It seemes hee expects they should bee in every degree of separation as hee is, and therfore beeing discontented, that they are as yet some what a loofe from him, hee blames them, That they doe not publish to the world their New principles in a faire and open way. But however hee fretts some what at these, it is probable hee hath better, hopes of some others amongst them, not onelyonly because of that Insultation of his formerly specified but because hee tells the world in that booke of his,,In the same Epistle. That hee is now in hand with a large Treatise of Ecclesiasticall Policie, even the whole externall Regiment of the church of God. Now it is not like that Maister Canne should bee the onelyonly oracle of his time to give satisfaction in such a matter, especially considering how this Reioynder discouers both his want of learning and indeed of honestie. But if some of greater strength, will yeeld him their helpe, choosing rather to vent their New Notions by his penne then their owne, then hee may have some encouragement to undertake such a busines, yet bee it so, I can say no lesse, but that it is very improbable, either hee or any other joyning with him in the like degree of separation, should perfect so high and difficult a taske, considering how many Arrowes have bene shott awry at this marke by former separatists, yet as famous in their time for learning and pietie as any who have now put themselves on in this fe…ld of separation. Truely it pitties mee to thincke, that some now who are indeed worthy of great honour for their excellent parts and abilities should yet by their wayes of separation.
1. Wound that good cause of old Non conformitie in England, by confirming many there, in that Auncient yet common mistake of Non conformists that they are all Brownists in heart. I may well call that a Mistake, remembring how many Non conformists hauehave written against Brownisme as Maister Cartwright, Gifford, Hildersam, Darrell, Brightman, Ames, Bradshaw, Paget, &c.
2. Dishonour that Auncient and Approoved course of Church Governement, by Presbyteries Classes, synods, which hath bene and still is used amongst the Protestant cantons in Helvetia, in the Protestant Churches of France and Belgia, and in the Church of Schotland also: It is an easie thing, to say this was Caluins devise; and to cry out of classes as fowle things, when yet they who cry out so, know not what they are. But if this Governement bee good, for any to cry it downe as evill, may proove a course drawing woe*Esa 5.20. with it.
3. Carry on so many precious christians of all rancks in to courses, which may very probably wast their estates, expose their posterities to miserie and want, plunge themselves in to various errours and Heresies, and at the last breake them into pieces by schismes amongst themselves, as it hath come to passe, with many heertofore, who howeuer when they were in their first louelove of that New way, they supposed, they found such rare and extraordinarie comforts in it, that no Disswasions then could take them of, yet such became their Deplorable estate, that many of them came home againe by weeping crosse, and others still abiding in forraine parts, fell upon such inconveniences as have bene named. It is therfore much to bee desired, that if these men have any thoughts of leading on their Disciples into the same degree of separation with Maister Canne, that they would looke well before they leape, and for that end, take along with them the help of this Treatise, which may bee like through the blessing of God upon their humble and pious inquirie after the trueth, to satisfie them in that maine point of the Ministerie of the Church assemblies in England.
As both in regard of Maister Canne and those other menti…ned, the printing of this ensuing worke is conceived now to bee most seasonable, In regard of you all, who are by Brownists judged No Ministers of Christ, if you bee preachers, and if private Christians, yet such as liue …n an unlawfull way and course, by hearing these preachers. If you now Reverend and Beloved shal with honest hearts read this booke and seriously compare every Argument with the Answer to it, and every Reply, with the Rei…ynder to it, there may bee good hope, that God wil bee pleased so farre to enlighten you, that you who are faithfull and conscionable preachers, shall bee able to see, that you have the substance and Essentialitie of a lawfull calling, notwithstanding all circumstantiall defect which may bee found about it so that whatever Brownis… affirme to the contrarie, you are Messengers of the Churches and the Glory o… Christ. And you who are Hearers of Gods word from these preachers shal be… able to discerne, That as you have lawfully and to your great comfort hear… these, so you may lawfully still doe it, and waite on God for a spirituall blessing upon the Ministerie of these, what ever John Lilburne out of his prison o… John Canne out of his presse, have this yeare written to the contrarie. I will say… no more, but the Lord give understanding in all things.
Dr. AMES HIS PREFACE to Mr. Bs. Answere.
To the well-meaning Reader.
THinke not evill, if thou meanest well. wee intend not to insult over him that is down, or to pursue a man that is flying of himselfe; but to lend him a hand, that knoweth not well which way to take. Mr. Iohnson indeed is rather to be pittyed, then much opposed. wee need but stand stil as lookers on, he falleth willingly on his owne sword. But that his fall may be a rising againe, not onelyonly to himselfe, but to others also, both armour-bearers & followers of his; it was judged necessary to guide them a little while their heads are dizzy, & bring them fairely from of the bog they have stood on.
It is not M. Iohnson that is dealt withall alone. For change the name onelyonly & put in Mr. Ainsworth, or any such: themselves wil not say, but the Reasons are theirs, and the Answere to them as well as to him. It may be, that they having lesse acquaintāce with Logical formes of dispute, wil looke for large discourse, or heaped quotations out of Scripture. But reason wil tell them, that many words do rather hide, then untie the knot of a Syllogisme: and much quoting may prove something; but answereth not directly to any thing. Now the writers meaning was, not to gather proofes; but to point at the weaknesse of such as these men have gathered. Reade therefore with understanding, & learn a mean betwixt all & Nothing.