Theologicall axioms or conclusions publikly controuerted, discussed, and concluded by that poore English congregation, in Amstelredam: to whome H.C. for the present, ad-ministreth the ghospel. Togither with an examination of the saide conclusions, by Henoch Clapham. Here-vnto is added a litle tractate entituled. The carpenter.

Conclus. 11.

No Person may seperate fully in fellowship spirituall, from such a Congregation truly Christian wherof he hath bene a member, by peculiar profession, except such a Congregation be first conuicted of obstinate Re∣bellion, or else do vnjustly hunt after the spoile of such a member.

Examination.

FIrst / let the Congregation we speake of / be rightly conceiued: and then we shall speake of the seperation.

The Congregation we speake of / is such a fellowship of people (moe / or fewe) as is truly Christian: that is / not only professinge Christ / but professinge of him truly. And least anie Catharist (that speaks of perfection) do stumble at the word / Truly: we therfore notifie / that by Truly, we mea∣ne not perfectly (for we but se in part / and practise in a lesse parte / as in the 4. Concl. is proued) but a professinge of the true Christ vnto their full sal∣uation, as in the 1. Concl. buildinge vpon that foundation in a new and holy conuersation / so far as for the present they se and are enabled by god.

As for a Church whose prayers, preachinges, practises are laide vpon a false foundation / a new diuised Christ, from such a Congregation a person (at the first sight) may fully separate in spirituall Communion: only / seing God hath now opened his eyes / and there he was a professed member / it shalbe duty to Communicate that he seeth vnto such a people / that so they (to∣gither with him) may repent / and so lay a true foundation of faith. Reuel. 18.4. Ier. 51.6.9.26.

But prouided the Congregation be (as before) truly Christian / he can∣not symplie (that is / without all exception) fully separate / but he doth vio∣lence vnto Christ the corner stone of that groundwork. If he espie corruptions in faith or Manners: such Corruptions he must at the verie first insight sepa∣rate from / but keepe one with them in the part vncorrupted. By such sepe∣ration / he teacheth them both by word and practise (the beste Manner of tea∣ching that can be) to seperate also from Corruption: and by such an vnion with them / he shall also teach that all vnion is to be in truth and for the truth. Such seperation and vnion was in som of Sardi, Reu. 3.4. som of Thyatira, Ch. 2.24. In not seperatinge from such euell / they shold first syn presump∣tuouslie / secondly / strengthen the hands of the wicked: and by not keping such vnion / they shold be found first cruell towards the truth: secondly be demed vncharitable: thirdly / giue suspition of fallinge away from all truth in Reli∣gion / vnder a colour of hatinge corruption.

Two cawses therfore of seperating fully in fellowship spirituall / from such a Congregation as hath truly professed Christ / there semeth vnto vs (for the present) sufficient and lawfull. The one / if so they / haue bene orderly conuicted of obstinate Rebellion: the other / if so they seeke the spoyle (or lyfe of such a member / vniustly.

Touchinge the first / we se that after the Lord his prophets had conuicted Iudah and Israel, of obstinate rebellion (Hos. 2. Ezek. 16.52. Ier. 3.8.) They put the Bill of Diuorcement into their hands / and so cut them of: Hos. 6.5. vntill they returned by repentance. This course might the howse of Cloe. (1. Cor. 1.11.) Haue taken with Corinth / had they (after Pauls conuicting them) persisted rebellious in the matters conuicted. But as Cloe (and others of like spirit) did not presently reiect Corinth (though no doubt they had delt with them about their Corruptions / before they writ to Paul therof) but themselues not preuailinge / they louinglie sought further meanes for their Conuiction and vrginge repentance: so / euerie person that in his owne eyes / is presently righteous in his owne cawse (specially in matters disputable and doubtfull) is not redely to reiect the congregation for not ac∣cepting his admonishment / but charitablie seeke further meanes (if yet fur∣ther meanes be not dammed vp) for helpinge that which (in the body) is haltinge / to be turned in to the way and healed: And this may be a coolinge ••arde to our right Brownistes (if so any may rightly be so called) who (haue they no more substantiall knowledge / for discerning things different / then Tom skul, or Balaams Asse when he was at home in the stable) they vpon euery sly and vnstaied crochet / buzzing in their ytchinge eares / through the suggestion of Ahabs spirit / do fly the Congregation / grinninge and bar∣king like dogs of the Eueninge against all such as will not presently confor∣me to their Opinion: it may be / to slap vp a litle of their disgorged vomit. Let such reade / Heb. 10.24.25. and so to the end: suerly / our sowles haue no pleasure in such: and somuch the rather / as we cannot se thes Schismaticall Apostates com home by repentance: but seme to haue committed such a syn / as therfore the lord dammeth vp the way to repentance.

The other cawse is cruell persecution / when as such a member cannot stay in any communion with them / but with likly spoile and perill of lyfe. In such cases the prophets fled: 1. King. 18.4. end 19.3. The Apostles fled and were bid to flie: Math. 10.23. The saints fled: Act. 8.1. and Heb. 11.37. Many such / as of whome the world were not worthie / wandred vp and downe in sheepes and Goates skinnes / being destitute etc. Nay our sauiour himself diuers tymes (though he knewe his tyme of suffring was not yet com) he secretly fled: how much more in such case may we? If any say: few of these flights / were from such people as were not first God his church: Let it be so. If we may flie from an holy people by reason of outward persecution / then much more for inwarde persecution. And this ouerthwar∣teth such (I speak only of such) pharisaicall Prescisians as haue taught their people that Clapham and others such / may be knowen for false prophets / if but in this: they fly for feare of the sworde. If it be truth they teach, they wold stay & seale it with theyr blood.

Of pestilent locusts / faced like Men / but tayled like scorpions: We are willing (though not wilfull) to offer vp our liues when God will, we som∣tymes

fly hin the body / but stand by the Truth (though with som weakned) wherof god hath assured vs: Yow stay grazinge vpon the greene things with your bodies / but yow fly from the truth / wherof your tongues haue spo∣ken / and your fingers haue written / what tyme your consciences / were first there with conuinced. But yow must slubber your childrens bread ouer with a litle such counterfait hony / or else they wold not so easly swalowe the Lea∣uen of the Pharises.

The Arch-bisshop of Caunterbury (as I was told) sitting once in examination of som / he said / that if he were of Cartwrightes opinion / he wold be of the Brownistes practise. He plainly sawe your Opinions (I speak of many of yow) and your practises to be contradictorie. And suerly / were I of full mynd with som of your writers and teachers / I shold with the right Brownist deme euerie speaker and communicator with yow to be flatly visible Antichristian; where (as I cannot subscribe vnto yow in euery thing) I verily beleiue manie in that land / to giue such testimonie of Chri∣stian obedience grounded on sauing faith / as I neede not feare to beleiue them to be true Christians. Leaue yow your halting betwixt two: either practise that yow teach men: or teach men no more then (if your selues will not) yow can be contended they practise: Som of yow sent word into Scot∣land / that I fell from your Sect / twise to the Bishops twise to the Brownists (4. lies at a clap) if I had don so / first I had fallen to such as wherof there haue bene as true Christians as yow / at least: secondly / I sholde but haue plaid turne coate / as haue a nomber of yow: and so your brother in that / though not in other things.