A defence of the churches and ministery of Englande. Written in two treatises, against the reasons and obiections of Maister Francis Iohnson, and others of the separation commonly called Brownists. Published, especially, for the benefitt of those in these partes of the lowe Countries.

H. IACOB his I. Reply to the 1. Excep.

THis his first Exception, is the 19. Article of this very book which we alleage, wherein a visible Church is discribed to be a Congregation, where the pure word is preached, and Sacramentes ministered, according to all those thinges, that of necessitie are requisite. Now this discription, he reiecteth not, but our practise (saith he) is con∣trary: and therefore we haue no true visible Churches, nor Christians.

I answer: wherin is it contrarie? in what things that of necessite are re∣quisite? doth not all this Christian world see & confesse, that our publike practise, is agreable to our profession in that booke? Nay (saith he) but proue you your assemblies to be such, and if you can proue them, where and what are your proofs? if you do not, you are confuted. A worthy confuta∣cion sure, & very Clercklike: As if my Tenaunt should deny me rent for my house & land, yea and go to law with me for the fee simple, which he hath holden in ferme of me these 40. yeares and I haue hetherto, quiet∣lie enioyed from my Auncestours, time out of minde: Now he suing me at law, for that which I thus possesse, faith, proue your right to this land which you haue; if you can, what, and where, be your proofes? let me see them: Or els I your Tenaunt will haue it: This were goodly dealing, were it not, and very lawfull. Euen so doe you, asking proofes of vs for that which we possesse, and haue possessed before you made any question a∣bout it, nay you your selues, held parte of this possession of vs and with vs, till yesterday, when you began first to lay claime in this sorte to the whole. Now your reason is, let vs proue it to be ours, where be our proofs? Or els you will not acknowledge vs any longer: see I pray you your owne equity. If this suffice not to make you desist, I leaue it to the Iudges to giue sentence.

Secondly note further: Our Article saith, A Church is where the word is preached, & Sacraments ministred according to all things that of necessitie are requisite. Where we plain∣ly insinuate, that many errors may be added, & truthes wanting in a visi∣ble Church: but nothing which is absolutely necessary: Now, what doth our practize, in Preaching, or Sacraments, want, that is absolutely neces∣sarie, without which, there cannot be any true preaching or Sacraments at all, shew it vs because we see it not our selues I assure you; vntill then, your first reason hath no reason in it.

F. IOHNSON his Defence of his 1. Excep.

HOw fit or vnfit the said discription of a visible Church (mentioned in the 19. Article of the said book) is, we neither did, nor doe examine. Onely because this is their owne profession, and wee see their practise is contrary vnto it, we did therfore from hence take our first exception, re∣quiring of them, to shew their assemblies to be such, or els to know, that their own discription, is a witnes against themselues.

Now in their reply, haue they according to the particulers of that de∣scription, iustified their Church-assemblies? nothing lesse. Let this there∣fore be first obserued. But what then haue they donne? Surely this. First pretending as if they repeated our exception, and their owne discription, they leaue out diuers perticulers, of speciall moment there expressed, as first, where the visible Church is discribed, to bee a congregation of faith∣full men, they leaue out these wordes (of faithfull men) belike knowing that their Congregations, which are holds of all foule spirits, and cages of euery vncleane and hatefull bird, cannot therefore iustly bee accoumpted congregations of faithfull men. Secondly, where the description speaketh, that the Sacraments be duely ministered: they leaue out the word (duely:) because it crosseth their womens Baptisme, priuate Communion, receiuing of the most prophane and their seede, &c. Lastly, where in the description it is reqaired, both for preaching the pure word and due administration of the Sacraments, that they be donne according to Christes ordinance: they leaue out altogither these words (according to Christes ordinance:) belike because this clause quite ouerthroweth both their Antichristian Prelacy, from which all the inferior Ministers amongst them receiue power and authoritie to preach, and minister the Sacramentes, and their Priesthood and Deaconery, wherein they all administer, and their stinted imposed prayers, exhortations, crosses on the forehead, questiones to the infantes, vse of the same wordes in English in ministering the Lords supper, which the papists vsed and still vse in Latine, not reteyning the words of Christs institution, and such like.

Now thus hauing left out such perticulers as were of spetiall moment against them, they next demaund wherein their practize is contrary to their profession, and discription of a visible Church, in what things that of necessitie are requisite? We aunswere, in all the particulers of that de∣scription aforesaid.

For firste, their Church-assemblies, are not congregations of faithfull men, but a confusion of all manner of people though neuer so wicked and prophane. The“ Prelates and Formalistes affirme, that their Church is full of Atheistes, Papistes, Idolaters, Drunkards, Whoremōgers, & such like. The† forward Preachers likewise auerre, that in their church are swarmes of Atheists, Idolators, Papistes, erronious & hereticall sectaries, Witches, Charmers, Sorcerers, Murtherers, Theeues, Adulterers, Ly∣ers, &c. Finally, that a mā may be any thing amongst thē, sauing a sound Christian. These things being so, as both their estate and writings beare witnesse: let themselues iudge, whether their Assemblies can be accoun∣ted Congregations of faithfull men, or no: which is the first poinct of the description aforesaid.

Secondly, in the same description is required, That the pure worde of God be preached, according to Christes ordinance. But amongst them, are allowed besides the word of God, the Apocripha bookes: and in stead of preaching the worde, the reading of Homilies: as may appeare in that booke of Articles alleadged by themselues. Yet who knoweth not, that in those bookes, are diuers vntruthes, errors, contradictions, blasphemies, and such like? So farre are they from being the pure word of God, or agreeing therewith. Moreouer, when and where the worde is preached among them, it is done by vertue of a false office and calling, neuer appointed by Christ. And the Ministers that preach it, doe in their constitution stand alwayes subiect, to be silenced, suspended, excommunicated, and degraded by the Prelates and Ordinaries, to whom (when they are made Priestes,) they promise, and (when they enter vpon a benefice) they sweare, Canoni∣call obedience. Neither are they suffered any further to preach the word, and trueth of God, then agreeth with the Articles, Iniunctions, aduertice∣ments, and caueats, in that behalfe prouided. If any preach the worde of God anie further, they are subiect to be silenced, banished, & put to death. That these things accord with the ordinance of Christ, or with their owne description of a visible Church, we suppose themselues will not for shame affirme it.

Lastlie, in their description it is required, That the Sacramentes bee duely ministred, according to the ordinance of Christ, in all things, that of necessitie are requisite to the same. Nowe by the ordinance of Christ, in the administration of the Sacramentes, there are necessarilie required 1. A lawfull Minister. 2. A lawfull people. And thirdly, A lawfull administration, according to the Testament of Christ: In all which, their practize is conerarie to the ordinance of Christ, and their own description aforesaid. Their Ministers all of them are either Prelates, Priestes, or Deacons (which amongst them is a step to the Priesthood:) none of which Christ hath ordeyned in his Testament for the worke of his ministerie. Their people are not separated from the world, but stande in confusion with it, and in subiection to the Antichristian Prelates and Prelacie: And therefore can not be deemed a true church of God, & the people of Christ, vnto whom in such estate the Sacraments (which are seales of the coue∣nant of grace) doe apperteyne, and may be administred. Finally, their administration is acçording to the inuentions and precepts of man, with stinted prayers, exhortations, Epistles and Gospels: and besides those in Baptisme, crossing on the forehead, & questions to the infant: in the Lords supper, translating, and vsing out of the Masse booke, other wordes then the wordes of Christes institution, and such like, as may bee seene at large in their booke of common prayer, which is picked and culled out of the

Masse booke, full of all abominations, as“ themselues haue published heretofore.

These things we haue ben forced thus to mention at large, both because they twice demaund (as if they knewe not themselues) wherein their pra∣ctise is contrarie to that description aforesaid: and because they blush not to affirme, that all the Christian world seeth and confesseth their practize to be aggreeable to their profeession in that booke. Whereas the contrarie is most true.

Touching which, what themselues haue heretofore written to the con∣trarie: See in the Admonitions to the Parleament, Replyes of T. C. against D. Whitguift, Demonstration of Discipline, &c, And what the reformed Churches professe to the contrarie: see in the Frenche, Belgicke, and Hel∣uetian Churches, and in the Harmonie of cōfessions, Sect. 10. & 11. which would be too long to set downe at large in this place: Neither is it needfull, seeing it is most euident in the books and places alleadged, whether we re∣ferre the Reader.

Thus also it appeared, what iust cause wee had, to put them to proue their assemblies, to be such, as themselues discribe visible Churches to bee: Which, seing they haue not yet done, and seing their practice is contrarie to their profession, as now (at their request) we haue shewed in the perticu∣lers aforesaid: If they still bee minded as before, wee doe also still aske, where and what are their proofes, touching the perticulers mentioned in their owne description of a visible Church.

Their similitude of a Landlord and Tennaunt, is against themselues, so wortthy and Clercklike is their reply. If any haue vsurped, or other∣wise made a false clame neuer so long, to a piece of lād or other possession: may they not iustly be called vpon to shew their title & bring fourth their euidence? Let the Iudges giuē sentence. If I deny their clame and title to be such, let him shew their euidence from the Apostles writinges: Let vs from thence see their euidence for the offices of Archbs., Lordbs., Suffra∣ganas, Archdeacons, Chauncelers, Commissaries, Officials, Priests, Par∣sons, Ʋicars, Cnraets, &c: For their entrance into their Offices, according to their Cannons, and Booke of ordering Priestes and Deacons, and of consecrating Archbishops and Bishops: For their administration by their stinted imposed Liturgy, and by their Popish Cannons, Officers and pro∣ceedings: For their Churching of women, praying ouer the dead, Holy∣dayes to Saints and Angels, Fastes on their Eaues, &c. For their main∣tenance by Tythes, Chrisomes, Offerings, &c. For their confused commu∣nion of all sortes of people, though neuer so wicked, in the body of their Church, &c. Let them (I say) shewe vs euidence for those, from the Apo∣stles

writinges, if they deny their claime to bee such, as wee haue noted. Otherwise if they† speake not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them, neither any right to that they challendge.

Where they say, vve held part of their possession vvith thē heretofore: If they meane, that we with them receiued the beastes marke, and drunke of the cup of Babels abominations, we deny it not: but acknowledge Gods mercy, that passing ouer our sinnes, hath giuen vs grace and strength at his“ commaundement, to forsake that way of Antichrist, and to come out of that spirituall Babilon, to saluation of our soules, which mercy wee wish also vnto these men, that so being saued from this froward generatiō, they may become the sonnes and daughters of the Lord almighty in Christ our Sauiour.

Touching their Article, Preaching, Sacraments, Ministration, &c. enough is said before. Onely where they say, they see not themselues wherin they faile, touching Preaching or Sacramēts, in things necessary, It is too impudent vntruth, as their former writtings doe and will alwayes testifie to their faces, which wee will not stand here to relate. That shall suffice which we haue touched before, which till it bee aunswered, it will be found that our first exception hath both reason and weight in it what∣soeuerthey doe or can pretend to the contrarie.

Notes

• Reuel. 18.2.
• “

  D. Whithg last booke, pag. 176. and 178.
• †

  Sermon on Rom. 12. pag. 65. and 66. Demonstratiō in the preface.
• See Iohn. 15.19. & 17.14.16. 1. Iohn. 4.5, 6 Act. 2.40. and 19.9. Reuel. 18.4. & 14.9.
• “

  Admonitiō to the Parla∣ment, second treatis.
• †

  Isay. 8.20.
• “

  Reue. 18.4. 2 Cor. 6.17, 18 Actes. 2.4.
• Admonition to the Parlia∣ment: T. C. his replies in de∣fence thereof: Demonstratiō of discipline. Declaration & defence of Ec∣clesiastical dis∣cipline, &c.