A stay against straying. Or An answer to a treatise intituled: The lavvfulnes of hearing the ministers of the Church of England. By John Robinson. Wherein is proved the contrarie, viz: The unlawfulnes of hearing the ministers of all false Churches. By John Canne.

SECT. 13.

THE 13. Objection is laid downe in this manner: The Lords forbids Iudah going to Gilgal, or to Bethel. Hos. 4. 15. 16.

Treat: The meaning is plaine, & the words expresse, that they were not to goe thither to offend and play the Harlot, in joy∣ning to idols, Ver. 15. 16. This I grant‡ 1.1 is to be done in no place. But deny any such thing to be done in the hearing by mee pleaded for; The Scriptures every where forbid the going, or comming to such places, or persons, as in, by, or with them some evill is done, to wit, for the doing of any thing evill, or unlawfull in, or with them. This is all a primo ad ultimum.

Ansvv. When Children find any hard words in their Lesson; They wilbe sure to passe them quickly over; Hoping thereby to save themselves. I must needs say, the Treat. met here with a strong argument; And therefore it is no wonder, though he shew us a Scholers tricke: To wit, leave that speedilie, the which hee knew not how to answer* 1.2. If the Reader doe not see the weak∣nes of it (to say the best of it) I will set before him a glasse to vew it in.

For 1. He makes himselfe here an Opposite to science. 2. To Conscience. 3. To the truth; And lastly, to himselfe. And first of the first: They vvere nor (sayth he) to goe thither to offend. J professe in all good conscience, my desire is not to pervert his meaning, but to understand it; But how to understand it, J know

not; For his speach is much like the answer, which Pythius the Preist gave to Pyrrhus the King Epire.a 1.3

Ajo te Ae••cida Romanos vincere posse.

An answer so dubious & discrepant, as it cannot be gathered from it, whether He, or the Romanes should overcome. The Treat: answer is of the like ambiguitie and darknes; It is an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as the Philosopherb 1.4, speakes; For you cannot directly say, whe∣ther hee intends that Iudah might Law••ully heare Ieroboams Preists at Dan and Bethell, or not. You may take it either way, or no way; For it is (utroque nutans sententia) a speach like an Echo, and will say whatsoever you will say before it.

But it is no marvaile,* 1.5 though hee leaves the matter thus in a doubtfull sence. For I beleeve what Augustinec 1.6 sayth of him∣selfe, was here true in the Treat: hee durst not freely speake his judgement.

But in the meane time, this sheweth a wretched cause; For whosoever sees his cause to be good, hee will search and weigh ra∣ther what should be said plainly and to the full: then what may be said darkly and coulorable, and so to put it off with a shift.

2. If he meant to say any thing, his meaning then must needes be: that it was lawfull for Judah to heare the Doctrines of the Law Preached at Dan and Bethell by Ieroboams Preists. The which expositiō is an unsufferable perverting of the Text* 1.7, & leads unto great impietie; For to distinguish things in such a sort, is for all the World, as if one should say, the Law of God forbids adulte∣rie; True, but how? To satisfy lust, not to begit Children, as Sejanus didd 1.8.

Againe, the Law of God forbids perjurie, as how? As it tends to the shedding of innocent blood, but not to accommodate a freind, as Cicero merrily speakes of Cluniuse 1.9. I could multiplie instances this way of the same nature with his exposition: The Lord sayth expresly, goe not to Gilgal. But how say our Oppo∣sites; As to Offer Sacrifices; but not to goe thither to heare the Doc∣trines of the Law preached by the Preists of Jeroboam. Is not this horrible presumption to contradict* 1.10 the plaine Word of God?

For to establish their owne inventions: What Heresie held by any Heretick, may not by such bold distinctions be justified. I may say as a Learned man saythf 1.11: The words are without fault, the sence is in fault.

Of this corrupt handeling of the Scriptures, Bucerg 1.12 writes judiciously,* 1.13 and shewes what a wicked thing it is, to applie the Word of God, beyond the proposed matter. If it be an unjust thing (saith he) to streatch the Doctrines and answers of a wise and pruaent man, beyond the matter and question unto which they are given; But specially to apply them to the thing which he in∣tendeth not, neither doth it agree withall; Then much more is it, a vile thing to abuse the Doctrines and precepts of Christ in such a manner, &c.

Of such as doe so, that fitly may be said, what Hieromh 1.14 saith of one Rheticius, they may be wise men, but are foolish inter∣preters.

3. If the Prophets had so meant (as the Treat: closely insinuates, but durst not, it seemes speake it out,) viz. that the Hearing of the Word preached by Ieroboams Preists at Bethell, Dan and G••lgal, (able to open and applie the Doctrines of fayth by that Church professed) both Lawfull, and in cases necessarie for all, &c. They could easily have expressed iti 1.15; For they were filled with Spirit of God in all wisedome and Spirituall understanding; But the truth is, in plaine expressions, they speake the contrarie. And unlesse mens mindes be overcast in like sort, as were the eyes of Elymas, they cannot but see it.

But to presse them downe with authority, for the preventing of errour in the simple, and for caveling in such as desire to contend. We will here set downe the judgement of the most Learned, touching this thing. The Prophet (saith Zanchyk 1.16) sayth not Sacrifice not at Bethel and Gilgal, but simply and plainly com ye not thither, noting that they were interdicted not onely from sacri∣ficing

there; BVT JNDEED THAT THEY SHOVLD NOT THITHER COME AT ALL. Rivetusl 1.17 under∣stands it of such a keeping away: As that they might not be bodily present at any spirituall exercise there performed. So Calvinm 1.18 Pareusn 1.19, Oecolampadiuso 1.20, Lyrap 1.21, Brocardusq 1.22, Lutherr 1.23, Brentiuss 1.24, Fabritiust 1.25, Mollerusu 1.26, Osoriusx 1.27, Shaddaeusy 1.28, Sedeliusa 1.29, Cramerusb 1.30, and others.

Moreover, of the same judgement are the Iew Rabbines, as Mercerc 1.31 noteth. He that desires to see more, let him read what the Lovanistsd 1.32, have written about it.

4. Jf we may not come, to such places, or persons, for the doing of any evill and unlawfull thing with them, then I conclude from his owne mouth, that the practice he pleads for, is sinfull; And so I have alreadie manifested unto all men, except some men will contend without cause, and against reason, out of a Spirit of contention and contradiction.

Notes

• ‡ 1.1

  Nos qui Chri∣stiano nomine gaudemus dicemus nos abjice∣re Deos a∣lienos, & verum co∣lere, cum pars ido∣la defen∣dat, ado∣ret, colat, breviter divinis honoribus pro sequa∣tur. La∣var. in Josh. c. 24 Hom. 71. p fol. 81.
• * 1.2

  See the like answer to our 1. Object. It is Antonies precept in Tullie, if men be troubled about a hard question, to say no∣thing to it. De Orat. l. 2.
• a 1.3

  Cicer. de divin.
• b 1.4

  Arist. 1 Seph. 4.
• * 1.5

  Hoc neque prophetae predicave∣runt, ne∣que Domi∣nus do∣cuit neque Apostoli tradide∣runt. Iren. l. 1. c. 1.
• c 1.6

  Libe∣rius impro∣bare non audio. ad Ian. Epist. 119.
• * 1.7

  Sua si docere ve∣lint, nolite audire, no∣lite facire; certe enim tales sua quaerunt, non quae Iesu Christi. August. in Iohan: Tract. 46.
• d 1.8

  Tacit. Annal: Lib. 4.
• e 1.9

  Pro Q. Rassio Comaed.
• * 1.10

  Sua si docere ve∣lint, nolite audire, no∣lite facire; certe enim tales sua quaerunt, non quae Iesu Christi. August. in Iohan: Tract. 46.
• f 1.11

  Verba sine crimi∣mine sunt, sensus in crimine.
• g 1.12

  Impi∣um esse, verba Christi ultra pro∣positum materiam extrahere. de regno Christi, l. 2. c. 29. p. 149.
• * 1.13

  Hilari: de Trinit: lib. 2.
• h 1.14

  Rhe∣tius elo∣quens qui∣dem est, sed inep∣tus inter∣pres. Hie∣ren. ad Mar∣cellam:
• i 1.15

  We ought not so much, as to know the things, which the Booke of the Law conteyneth not. Hilai: in Psal. 132. The Scripture de∣nyeth it what it noteth not. Tertull. Lib, de Monog.
• k 1.16

  Com∣ment. in Hos: 4, 15. p. 82.
• l 1.17

  In Hos. 4. p. 156.
• m 1.18

  Prae∣lect. in Hos. 4. p. 52.
• n 1.19

  In Hos. 4. v. 14. p. 504. Tom. 4.
• o 1.20

  In Esa. 2. l. 1. fol. 20.
• p 1.21

  In Amo. 4. 4.
• q 1.22

  In Levit. 10. pag. 69.
• r 1.23

  In Amo. 4.
• s 1.24

  In Amo. 4.
• t 1.25

  In Hos. 4.
• u 1.26

  In Hos. 4.
• x 1.27

  In Hos. 4.
• y 1.28

  In Amo. 4.
• a 1.29

  In Amo. 4.
• b 1.30

  In Hos. 4. 15.
• c 1.31

  ibid:
• d 1.32

  An∣not. in August. Brevic. Collat. cum Donatist: Collat. dici. 3. c. 9. And Annot. in August: Post: Collation: ad Donatist: c. 20.