with their tongues: that is, slaunder allwayes their opposites with
heresie; schisme, pride, obstinacy, disloyalty, sedition, et quid non:
hoping to get that by rayling, of which they haue no 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to get
by reasoning.
3. But to speake a litle of the accusation it selfe: How soeueuer I will
not meddle with their divisiō, neither iustifie his opposites in the man̄er
of their departure: not withstanding, al though he wipe his mouth, &
would make others, cheife authors of the breach: yet the truth is, he
& such which went ordinarilie unto false churches, with such as
iustified and abetted so vile a practice, were principallie the instru∣ments,
of that great scandall. It is a receiued Tenent amongst the
learned: Such are the causers of contention, that bringe new doctrines
into the Churches of God.
Pareus describes the authors of dissentions, to be men that adulte∣rate
pure doctrine by humane inventions, violate the discipline of the
Church, & seeke by sugred words, & counterfeit zeale to pervert others.
To the same effect writes Gaulter, Mornaeus, Martyr, Morton, f
Parker: yea some Papists too, as Cassander & others.
To apply this, seeing the Publisher and others with him, haue com∣mitted
apparent idolatry, meantained it in the Church, & sought
thereby, to pervert the right wayes of the Lord, and to draw the sin∣cere
into errour & sinne: it must follow necessarilie, that the strife &
contention which hath fallen out vpon it, either among brethren of
their owne congregation or else where, came cheiflie by their occa∣tion,
& meanes.
For the exclamation therefore, which he and others take vp against
the godlie, for their contentions, I mind it truly, as a great prophanes
in them. We would count him a most vile person, that would doe
whatsoeuer he could, to make another angry, and when he saw him
so, would reproach him for it, blaze it abroad, speake of it behind his
back, to his great disgrace. It were happy for some if they had ne∣uer
abused Gods people this way, by seeking (as it were) to anger
them in hearing vnlawfull ministers, marying their wiues by Popish
licenses, thorow justifying halters & neuters, comunicating spiritu∣ally
with Antichristians: & other such muddy stuffe found the valy: &
afterwards perceuing them to be stirred hereat, cry out with a full
mouth. oh what a contentious people are they, oh how scandalous, better
for aman to walke alone, then with such a compaine. And this shalbe
published in Gath & Askelon, that the enemies of the Lord may re∣joyse
& triumph.
But good it were, that these make bates did consider of that great
day, in which Christ shall appeare in the brightnes of his father,