and aliud therfore not one thinge either Diuyne or Humaine or Mixt. Both eyes must exquire this Mysterie But the sword is on the lest ey of Manes on the right ey of Artemon and on both the eyes of our Appollinarists Thus while the Lord Carpenter is hewing out his tymber som logâ— proue not only crooked but knobby and knurry vnwilling to be cut and squared If they giue him Man they will not giue him God if they giue him god they will not giue him man or giue they him of God and Man it shalbe but a peece of god and a peece of Man and thus they peece vp A patched Christ amongst them Non est bonum ludere cum sanctis it is not good iesting with edg-loomes Maries son was Maries Lord and Lord and son was A handicrafts man a Carpenter in our Nature for hewing out A better ship then Noah hewed out of the Pynetrees Noahs Arke was precious stuffe so is this spirituall chest the church of gold and siluer and liuinge precious stones begotten by A seede as imâ—ortall as god himself 1. Pet. 1.23 by reason wherof they communicate with the Nature diuyne 2. Pet. 1.4 That Ark was One so is the Church wherein Christ dwelleth by his spirit vnto the worlds end though these heretiks wold with the harlot 1. King 3. haue the liuinge childe diuided into two nay into as many gobbets as their schismaticall sword can rut The soldiers wold not diuyde Christs coate but these dogs of the euening that go grinning about the city they make no conscience to teare it with their teeth in fitters In Noahs ship though one there were 3. roumes and herein be sondry Mansions Noahs ship rid vpon the waues and the Church must flote through all tempestuous miseries In it was a Cham and vncleane creatures and in this wilbe the lurking hypocrite and many vncleane sowles faring the better for the presence of our Carpenter That at the last rested vpon the tops of the Mountaines and shall not our Carpenters Church after all hurly-burlyes ariue at A hauen of happines hier then the Mountaines Oh blessed Carpenter when god himself is the Carpenter and oh worke ineffable when god in the nature of the worke must hewe out the tymber square it ioyne it polish it Thus the head of our nature and first fruites of our lump he followed the occupation earthly vntill he fell vnto the occupation heauenly In the first he was serviceable to the earthlie parent in the second to the heauenly but Being once adapted to the second he leaues of the first to teach men to cast aside earthly toyle when by ministring the ghospel they fall of building the Church The Apostles Act. 6. found by experience that they though endued with guiâ—ts extraordinarie could not attend both on the Word and Tables but our odde spirits wold haue vs to waite on the word and Stables And indeed metinge once or neuer in A moneth or two for they deride the Lord his day Ismaels seede for prophane mockinge it shalbe no great matter to followe a manuarie science though with som false stiches and then to fadge out A preachment speciallie suâ—h A sermon as the Cobler pulleth out of the Beasts hyde as full of diuinitie as Manes Christ of humanitie I despise not but commend the homeliest occupation but when the following of it must be preferred to giuing attendance vnto readinge and studie I despise it as A darkner of Christs learninge Is not this the Carpenter Maries son The Iewes hearing him speak so learnedly and powerfully they wonder it shold be in A Man that neuer had bene trayned vp in letters They had learned which I wold the fanaticall spirits had Learned that with man it is impossible to attaine to or comprehend great guiftes without such ordinary meanes as are left to man And indeed howsoeuer with god all things are possible specially when he will worke miraculously yet with man it is not possible and therfore must walke in the kings hy-way as Paul had who sat at the feete of Gamaliel and manie others that kept the schooles of the prophets 1. Cor. 14. Act. 13.1 But our fugitiue ytchinge spirits because ech of them wold be A teacher in Israel they skorne all learninge tongues arts and readinge and who so bolde as blynd bayarde Som odde Philosophers held that A man dying his sowle was conuaide into som other Man or Beast or for som excellency seated amongst the starres If this dreane had bene true I wold haue thought that the Emperour Licinius his ghost were mingled amongst these men He held Learning the Common wealths ratsbane and these cannot abide to heare of schooles of Learninge They magine their Brother learned inough if he can with som vnlettered ministers reason thus The Apostles were Fishermen Paul a Tentmaker therfore beloued brethren A figge for Vniuersities God hath chosen the foolish the weak to confound the wise and strong Therfore A rush for Beza Caluin ey for all the Greeke and Latin Fathers and Doctors And if this teacher can adde Peter calleth Christ the son of God therfore Christ is only God oh he shall haue A Comick applause he may put on the Tragick buskin and thensforth trudge from Conuenticle to Conuenticle in the office of an Apostle What if his neighbour Artemon shold step in and oppose with this argument Christ calls himself the son of man therfore he is not god but bare man specially seing Christ must be credited before Peter what wold theire pseudo-Apostle say I feare if a third step not in and say both scriptures are true for Christ is true God and true Man the men wold goe nere to fyre the howse in their heat Sweet Carpenter thus they plowe furrowes on thy back all the day longe Though Eutiches and Manes shold with Thomas Didimus shoue their hands into thy side they will not beleiue thy humanitie Though Cerinthus and Artemon heare thy Apostle say In the the plenitude of the god head dwelleth bodiy they will not beleiue thy diuyne essence and though Apollinaris heare the say My sowle is heauy vnto the death as also Into thy hands I commend my spirit Yet he will not beleiue that the word God assumed with the body a Sowle or a reasonable sowle But rather in his followers make Christ an odde third thinge as is water and wyne mingled If the Carpenters are smite not home into the harts of such Diuiders of Iesus surely they are like to persist reproueable Tymber Is not this the Carpenter Yes Is not this Maryes son Yes When the Hearers were offended in him en auto not by him for the scandale was Taken not Giuen they then fall to Whats and Ifs and all sortes of disgracinge Interrogatories Had he with Noah Lot Abraham Isaac Iuda Dauid Ieremy Ionah Peter Barnabas Mark Had he transgressed with these they wold haue had it vp But wantinge Syn and therein he went before all Prophets they
graunt them the whole Argument viz. That euery Day that was ceremoniall is abolished what then I speake noâ— of a Day that was but of a day that is namely not of such a Day as was once Ceremoniall for the first day of the weeke was neuer such a Ceremoniall day but of a Day that now IS institutued in the new Testament Theyr wynd therfore shakes no haner Yet because such a spirit shall not haue his owne will to passe by the first proposition I demaunde of him what day it was that was so Ceremoniall was it the Day of Easter of Pentecost of Tabernacles new Moone months Yeares None of these I pleade for But it was the Sabaot or 7. day that he speciallie speaks of and this day he wold haue Ceremoniall from Colos. 2.16.17 and therfore to end in Christ. What then I speake not for that 7. day but for the Day after which is the 8. in regarde of 7. geingebefore and is the first day of the weeke in regarde of the weeke Yee as before to crosse the spirit in his way who enuyes not somuch the Day as the exercise becawse the standing and falling of Religion resteth in the precise obseruation of som Day I demaund of him how he proues that 7. day a Ceremonie He saith it was a Ceremoniall day because it enioyned Rest Then Rest is the Ceremonie and what signified that That Christ was our Rest and in him only we could haue Rest. Well said then when Christ the figured Rest is Com in the flesh we must no more obserue a Day of Rest for that after a sorte shold teach that Christ were vnâ—om But what if I shold say that it figured not only that Rest which we shold haue by his incarnation but also if not only that Rest which we shold haue by his repaire from heauens when in that glorified appearance he shall restore all things and so ther vpon I shold inferre a Day of Rest vntill his appearance though partly Ceremoniall wold not this on the other hand breake the head of the latter part of your first proposition I troe it wold But he thinks that the former place out of the Colossians proues that euery Sabaot is abolished by Christ his former appearance But if I shold say that the plurall nomber there sabaoths signifies all the days of sabaot ioyned with the Pasouer day which indeede liuelily set out the Rest and Lyfe we shold haue in the lamb Christe Crucified and that it signifieth not the weekly sabaot wold not this put the strainge spirit to a fowlâ— plunge But what if I denie the weekly 7. Days rest to be a Ceremoniall rest Nay what if I proue it thus All Ceremonies precise figuringe the sauiour to be slaughtered for our syn were instituted for Adam only after he had synned so stood neede of a sauiour But the 7. days rest was enjoyned Adam before he had synned Gen. 2. therfore no such Ceremonie if any Ceremonie HIere the aduersarie stands as hauing looked on Medusaes heade And now he demaunds this Questios If the 7. Days rest were not Ceremoniall how coms the day then to be chainged I answer by another questioÌ„ what if the nomber of seauenth was a figure and therfore chainged though not the Rest because it was no such figure remaineth still but translated vnto the next day after seing Bodies Rest is of absolute necessitie far the Churches spirituall exercises Syllie people why may not that days rest be translated now vnto another Day as well as the old Testament his laying of hands vpon Leui be translated vnto the Euangelicall ministry Thus the fanaticall spirit is euerie way hindred progresse it now remaineth to proue the First day a diuyne Commandement for such exercise and that thus That day was so sanctified by our saviour in his owne person by the Apostles and by the primatiue Churches accordinge to diuyne iniunction Therfore to vs a Commaundement diuyne FOr the Antecedent First our Sauiour that day arisinge and therfore called the lords day Reu. 1.10 he preacheth from Morninge to late nighâ— and that 5. sondry tymes Secondly the Apostles the same day conuened as also the 8. day after it being the same day seauen-night what tyme onâ— savior omitting the week days he schooled Thomas who the former Lords day had bene absent Thirdly the first churches so meeted Actor 20.7.11 Least this Trine-presedent seme notwith standinge to leaue it as a thing indifferent for vsually the observacom of the day is lefte to the liberty of the Church we must vnderstande that Blessed Paul had incommended the religious obseruation of the day vnto the Churches as 1. Cor. 16.1.2 where flatly he nombers it among the Ordinances he had enioyned vpon the Churches and I troe Paul was A master builder and that a skilfull 1. Cor. 3.10 and if other Ordinances as estaelishment of Elders Deacons etc. were Diuine and commaundements from God because deliuered vnto the Churches by these skilfull Mr. Builders suerly we must hold them very vnskilfull Builders that either abrogate this Ordinance or do teach the observation of this Day to be indifferent and humaine Such vnskilfull builders haue bene a cawse of such absurde heresies Blessed Iohn Reuel 1.10 c. being in the yle Parmos exiled and alone it semeth he religiouslie obserued yt Yea the Lord then and no other day deliuereth the new Testaments prophecies vnto him he being fittest to be rapt in the spirit what day he specially set apart for spirituall contemplation Why shold the Apostle be so precise in mentioninge the day if it were not to teach vs specially that day to addict our mynds to spirituall speculation that so specially that day we may be from aboue endued with Reuelation If there be not not one day of Seauen by diuine ordinance to be imposed on the Church then wype out the Decalogues fourth commaunde and so there remayneth one lesse in the Lords kalender Will they neuer learne that the equitie of euery Commaunde is so far from giuing vs liberty as it â—â—eth vs more strictly vnder Christ vnto all exercises of the spirit And euen herein must our righteousnes exceede the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises else we are vnfit to enter into this kyngdom This is the Lords day and it is maruelous in owr eyes 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 Rebellion 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
THEOLOGICALL AXIOMS OR CONCLVSIONS PVBLIKLY CONTROVERTED DISCVSSED AND CONCLVDED 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 Dej est non errare Hominis errare Sapientis vitare Insipâ—entis perseuerare in errore M D XCVII EPISTLE To al such in the church of Englande as vnfeignedly seeke Iesus Christ in incorruption Grace Peace be multiplied vnto their Consciences Amen MAny Spirits conceiued in the Canicular days hatcht in the wayning of the Moone vnreasonable men and as yet reprobate to the faith gone ouâ— from amonge vs as being neuer truly of vs They abroade in Englande and elswhere as Hollands Nightingals I meane frogs go croaking abroade to the diffamation of all such as professe Christ in syncerity In their Songue that I call it not a Black santus one with Mâ—â—itheus and the â—okits syng an hy troble Christ is only in effect God and his body phantasticall Another helps Arius he that voyded his guts at a Priuie in Constantinople to syng as low a Basse Christ is only a Creature and because they will haue somthing by themselues One saith Christ was made the first day another saith his beginning of days was from Mary and meere man Betwene these steppeth in Affricks Anababtisme and his next neighbour Catabaptista and cozen Germaine Polybaptista they synge an hoarse Tenour to the former but a Contra-tenor among themselues the orderly Meane none of them can keepe by reason of which vntunable harmonie many take occasion to scandalize me and my brethren saynge loe these haue had such a man their Teacher with such a people they walked past question Teacher and all of them are infected with these heresies But past question they are deceiued if so it please them to giue vs leaue being old inough to speake for our selues It is sayd of Eunomus that one of his instruments strings breaking as he was playinge a Grashopper sodainly skipped vp to his Citherne and fell of singinge in her kynd as willinge to supplie the string lacking It were to be wished that when Dauids spirituall harp that spiritually syngeth in the eares of the beloued what tyme there is som breach by Schisme or Apostacie som one of Iohn Baptist his grashoppers wold rather adde tongue and hand to heale the breach then becawse of such untunable startback spirits to disgorge their mawe vpon the whole harpe This lesson of Charitie our Englische teachers at Midleburgh had not learned what tyme they writ their letters into Scotland to lessen their loues there to me and my brethren They tolde the preachers there I was a Brownist etc. Som preachers beleiuing yt They insinuate it in the pulpits I wished therupon a tryall to be taken of my faith A Convocation was had Clapham cold be conuicted neither of heresie nor errour Mr. Go. Bruice thervpon reparired vnto the right wo. Mr. Bowes our English embassadour and signified vnto him I had bene vniustly charged Thus my contrymen at Midleburgh serued me and thus the lord serued them The lord giue vnto them more loue towards such who loue christ as suerly as they though not so rich and glorious as they But Satan vnable to subuert vs he labours to ouerthwart vs and gird vs with virulent speaches And so all Satans sectarie spirits of how contrarie mynds soeuer thâ—â— meete all in this period vex the faithfull and roote them out of the land of the liuinge They iumpe all in one end to work wickednes Whosoeuer therfore wills well to Ierusalem ruined and on heaps let them manifest the will in workinge well or like the sluggard with his handes in the bosom let them stand by quiet and not discourage much lesse hynder those that are willinge to beare the burden of the day But if Sanballat Tobiah and the residue of their mates wilbe wicked we haue learned to beware of men as also to do all our endeuour to further the lord his worke not doing it negligently What my brethren herein haue breifly concluded I haue laboured to make playne by an homely examination If there be anie errour herein and we are passinge suspitious of our Earth it is so prone to bring forth weedes though without sowing or settinge that if it shall by the word of the lord appeare such I hope seing we contend for nothing somuch as the Lords will we shal quickly stoope But if there be nothing but naked truth wherof we hope then let not our symplycity pouertie weaknes etc. be any cawse of not acceptinge the Lord his will to propine his golden treasure by earthen vessels And that oftentymes by such as the glorious world demes vilest I purposed next to my Bibles breif which I also lefte in another land to be published in diuers things bettered and augmented though this xij month I heare not therof to haue diuulged a work of som more worth yer now By myne elbowe it lieth dead because as yet som Mynt-oyle is lackinge for cawsing the Printers presse to slyp Till the Lord giue that passage accept of this Modicum for a litle recreation And if thow fynd thy self anie thing helped therby for the ways of holynes giue the glorie vnto God So let it be Thyne so far as thow art the Lords Henoch Clapham XII THEOLOGICAL AXIOMES or Conclusions togither with their Examination Conclus 1. A visible Christian. He is to vs a visible true Christian who 1 beleiueth that Iesus Christ the Sonne of God is com in our nature for the full saluation therof and 2 vpon that foundation buildeth in a new and holy conuersatio though with infirmitie so farre as the Spirit of God by the ministery of the ghospell reuealeth thensforth vnto him that vnto the praise glory of God Examination WHo is to vs a visible true Christian is a Question in these days not a litle turmoylinge the heads and hearts of many Yea the crosse Conclusions that mainy do thervpon inferre either giueth in effect to all or taketh from all professinge and confessinge the name IESVS the title of True Christian. To auoyde therfore the errour of the right and lefte hand and to sayle betwene these rocks of extreames seyng our Dauids kyngdome must remayne as fixed as the Son end Moone in the heauens materiaall though somtijmes by clowdes end the schadowe of the Earth obscured to the ey of the Earths inhabitants we I. say therfore haue concluded that Person to vs a visible Christian who 1. holdeth and 2. buildeth to the praise of God on the corner stone Christ Iesus First the Person beleiuelh what That Iesus Christ the Son of God is com in our nature for the full saluation therof First he beleiuelh that God is Hebre. 11.6 secondly that Iesus Christ is the Son of God according tho the Apostles their confession Math. 16.16 Thirdly that he is alredy com and
that by Truly we meane 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 saluation 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 togither 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 cannot symplie that is without all exception fully separate but he doth violence 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 separate from but keepe one with them in the part vncorrupted By such seperation he teacheth them both by word and practise the beste Manner of teaching 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 presumptuouslie 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 Religion 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 accepting his admonishment but charitablie seeke further meanes if yet further 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 â—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 barking like dogs of the Eueninge against all such as will not presently conforme 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 ouerthwarteth 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 somtymes 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 spoken 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 Leauen 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 Christian 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 Scotland 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