build the Lord an house in Jerusalem did not force or compell all his people to set on that work but gave out proclamation saying Ezra 1 3. who is there among you of all his people his God be with him and let him goe up to Ierusalem which is in Iudah and build the house of the Lord God of Israel c. and the text saith afterwards Vers 5. Then rose up the chief of the fathers c with all them whose spirit God had raised to goe up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem With which agreeth the decree of Artaxerxes after that which he sent unto Ezra the Scribe saying I Eza 7 13. make a decree that all they of the people of Israell and of his priests and levites in my realme which are mynded of their owne free will to goe up to Ierusalem goe with thee For indeed this is a thing that must needs be done before the service of the house of God can be set in order to wit that there should be a people fitted and prepared by the Lord for the making of his temple these stones must be hewea in the mountayne they must be fitted and prepared before they can be joyned into the holy covenant Of this fitting preparing neither the K nor parliament can be competent Judges but they must be those workmen that have squared them for the building which must judge of their fitnesse they must be men learned and expert in the scripture which is the golden rod or rule the line and plummet where by the matter of this spirituall house is tryed that must be the masons and workmen that must be the overseers and chief rulers in this worke And when they are fitted ther must be a willing giving themselves to the Lord and adjoyning one to another to serve God with one consent they must not be drawen by force it must be the love of God that must constrayne them or all will be lost labour Wherfore the Jews when their adversaries would by fraud deceit have thrust themselves into the worke of building they would not permit it but said You Ezra 4 3. have nothing to doe with us to build an house unto our God but we our selves togither will build unto the Lord God of Israel as King Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us And be sure God will not neglect his owne worke but in his good time will inlighten the myndes of his elect and call them to the knowledge of his truth And for them that are not of that nomber what have they to doe saith God Psal 50. to take my covenant in their lips seing they hate to be reformed Thus for the Parliament to behave themselves in point of religion I doubt not but would be an espetiall meanes to bring peace to their Kingdome free them from that sin whereof the man of sin is declared guilty who sitteth as God in the temple of God oppressing and compelling the consciences of men by his laws and canons when the canon of the Scripture is neglected or receaved but in the second place and to make this the most renowned parliament that ever was assembled in that land It would ease them and the whole land of great trouble and expence if they would only looke to the Civile governement of the land according to the law of God and the just lawes of the Kingdome and take off that yoke of oppression which hath bin by former parliaments layd upon the consciences of the free-borne subjects of that Kingdome who have by the law of the land or by the misunderstanding of the Judges of the law bin excommunicated fyned imprisoned banished corporally punished yea and some put to death for dissenting and seperating from their Idolatrous and Antichristian assemblies Then should their fasting be accepted before the Lord and their prayers be heard on high or at least the prayers of God's people for them and I can not be otherwise perswaded but that then the Lord would soone be moved to turne away his wrath which now is burning against that nation for Isa 58 6. 7. 8. 9. 12. is not this thefast saith the Lord that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickednes to undoe the heavie burdens and to let the oppressed goe free and that ye breake every yoke Is it not to deale thy bread to the hungrie and that thou bring the poore that are cast out to thyne house when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine owne flesh Then shall thy light breake forth as the morning and thine health shall spring forth speedily and thy righteousnes shall goe before thee and the glory of the Lord shal be thy rereward Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answere thou shalt cry and he shall say Here am I. if thou take from the midst of thee the yoke the putting forth of the finger and speaking vanity c. And they shal be of thee that shall build the old wast places thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations and thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach the restorer of pathes to dwell in By this meanes also they should soone finde out who are the Achans that bring trouble upon the Kingdome and the lawes and Courts of justice might seize upon and punish them For liberty being thus given unto men or more properly men being left to the work of God's word and Spirit in matter or rather manner of religion and nothing imposed upon them by the State but only injunctions to walke orderly and justly it would soone appeare who are the faithfull subjects who are they that are obedient to Kinges and those in authority who are they that wish most the good of the land and on the contrary who are they that deserve to be punished imprisoned and if their fault so require banished namely Psa 101 8. the wicked if the land those that live in ryot and drunckenesse in chambering wantonnesse in swearing cursing Idolatry Sabbath-breaking oppression and villanie for they are those who being left unpunished or countenanced by authority bring downe God's judgments upon a nation and not those that Eccl. 12 13. feare God labour to keepe his commandements and seeke to save their soules by Nom. 16 26. seperating from the Communion and society of such wicked persons as are before named For these are the righteous who by their prayers and teares upon all occasions doe turne away the wrath of God and save the City or Country wherein they dwell Job 22 30. Eccles 9 15. Gen. 18 25. c. Genes 30 27. Acts. 27 24. These few words have I uttered further out of zeal to God love to my native Country honour to my prince and that honourable Court of Parliament and for the discharge of myne owne conscience that it may not be at that day layd to my charge that I had once a time to speak and held my peace And I beseech Almighty God to turn away his fierce wrath from our land to give his gospell a free passage that the kingdome of his son may be increased and the kingdome of Satan and Antichrist be more and more consumed by the sword of his mouth and at 2 Thes 2 ◠length wholie destroyed by the brightnesse of his coming that we may with the Apostle John heare that great voice of much people in heaven saying Alleluja Rev. 19 1. 2. 3. 4. salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God For true and righteous are his judgments for he hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication and hath avenged the bloud of his servants at her hand And again they said Alleluja and her smoke rose up for ever And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell downe and worshiped God that sate on the throne saying Amen Alleluja FINIS Errata Pag. 1. l. 12. r In vindication pag. 18. l. 23. r stop pag. 33. l. 13. r warfare pag. 40. l. 14. r vers 5. c. pag. 53. l. 19. r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 54. l. 17. r nor pag. 61. l. 10. r watch pag. 64. margent r misericordia pag. 97. 8. is a mysterie pag. 117. l. 4. put out pag. 120. l. 2. r satisfaction pag. 121. l. 1. put out pag. 123. l. 16. r. men pag. 126. l. 26. r make his
of the gospell and not to this day called home again though they may say with the prophet Daniel that before God innocency was found in them and before the King they had done no hurt Dan. 6 22. wherfore the Lord hath preserved them unto this day and provided for them an hiding place from the stormie wynds and tempests of his wrath which are fallen upon our English Region And who can tell but this may be a scourge upon them for their banishing and cruell persecuting of the Saints whose cause the Lord doth to this day justifie by his gratious administrations toward them and whose righteousnes he shall bring forth Psal 37 6. 9. 39. 40. as the light and their judgment as the noone day for evill doers shal be cut off but those that wait upon the Lord they shall inherite the Earth For the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord he is their strength in time of trouble and the Lord shall helpe them and deliver them he shall deliver them from the wicked and save them becaus they trust in him In this treatise thou mayest plainly perceave if thou be not prejudiced by partiallity or worldly mindednesse how unjustly the people of that profession espetially those that sojourne at Amsterdam are charged of being disturbers of the Commonweale and enemyes to Kingly powers on earth whiles they approve such doctrine to be taught amongst them as hath bin alwayes their profession from their first separation from the Church of England as may be seen by their Apologie or defence published against the groundlesse imputations of the Oxford-doctors in the yeare 1604. and dedicated to K. Iames of famous memory By which Apologie thou maist perceive for whom it is that I make this defence not for all that are called Brownists for I must confesse with the * Ansvv to the K. decla concering his victory Oct. 3. 1642. honourable court of Parliament of England that there are many now a dayes that goe under the name of Brownists that come farre short of the principles which those which heretofore have only had that name cast upon them doe hold such as are Semi-seperatists as they are termed who can hold one foot in the Church of God and the other in the Synagogue of Satan partake of the Lords table and the table of divels and many forward professors whom I leave to stand or fall to their owne master knowing that God is also able to make them stand Rom. 14 4. but only for a small company of poore despised Christians who are constrayned to dwell in a strange Country a Rev. 1 9. for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ But blessed be the great God of heaven and earth the father of mercies the God of all consolation who alwaies causeth them to b 2 Cor. 2 14. tryumph in Christ and hath c 2 Cor. 1 4. comforted them in all their tribulaâ—ion and made them able to comfort others that have bin iâ— trouble by the comfort wherewith they themselves are comforted of God For the substance of the treatise â— hope thou shalt find it agreable te the a 1 Pet. 4 11. word of God for I desire to utteâ— nothing in publike but what the scripture hath first spoken or endited to me by which b Rev. 2 29. the Spirit speaketh unto the churches But beautifull oâ— loftie stile to please humane phantasies thou mayst not expect from onâ— that is no scholler in humane sciences and studyeth for no greater learning than to speak the truth in plain English nor such sobriety and gravity as dotâ— befit so weighty a subjeâ—t from one thâ— is so tender in age and hath bin buâ— foure yeares in the schoole of Christ and is full of like c Acts. 14 15. passions and humane infirmities as other men are Wherâ—fore if any thing be let fall through mâ— unadvisednesse herein not beseeminâ— the gospell of Christ and the ministery of the same I know those that feare God will not rejoyce in it and the wise will lovingly reprove me for it and I by God's grace shal be ready to acknowledge it and an other time to amend it if I can I have bin moved to the publishing hereof by the divers speeches and declarations which have bin given out on all handes in these troublesome times wherein those that feare God and seperate from sin as much as in them is have bin inveighed against as a companie of scismaticall and troublesome spirits to the State Yea writings have bin published in the name of the King 's most excellent maiesty whom we ought all under God to reverence as the father of our Country and God's vicegerent in his dominions wherein have bin great imputations of evill against such under the name of Brownists as if they and Anabaptists with the assistance of K. Declar. against the Parl. assessing dat Dec. 8. 1642. Pag. 5. vitious and deboished persons of desperate fortunes take upon them to breake up rifle houses as publike avowed ministers of a new invented authority c. and afterwards it is said whilst Scismaticall illiterate and scandalous preachers fill their pulpits churches with blasphemy irreverence and treason and incite their auditors to nothing but murder and rebellion c. And again pag. 7. These are the men who joyning with the Anabaptists and Brownists of London first changed the governement and discipline of that City would undoe the Kingdome c. And some thing I have read in some former writings striking at the godly people at Amsterdam also as if they were the originall of these stirs and tumults when as it is nothing els but for the sins of the land that God's hand is stretched out against them Wherfore it is imputed as a blame to the Parliament and city of London that they maintaine countenance Brownists c. See declar of vict Oct. 3. 1642. and his Majesties answere to the Cities petition for peace read in a Common hall c. Now the law hath required me not to revile or d Exod. 22â— 28. Acts. 23 5. curse the ruler of my people neither can I easily be brought to think that these expressions proceeded originally out of his princely heart which if yet they did farre be it from me to censure him for them in my e Eccl. 10 â— 20. thoughts I have also heard and understood and the current of writings maketh me somewhat to credit it that it is a common practise of their parsons and vicars in their pulpits that they may curry favour with the bad counsillers about the King to inveigh against Brownists and Seperatists as the only seditious and rebellious persons of the Kingdome But by the following treatise thou majest plainly perceave gentle reader that whosoever are guilty of those faults yet that poore Congregation for whom I plead who have their habitation in a farre Country are free and innocent of the
of Rome and honour the pope as head of the Church c. So I also take that generally the common people in England and elswhere doe understand by Brownists or Brownistically affected seing the name can not agree to anie point of doctrine such as doe follow that doctrine and discipline which one Browne was a prime author witnes and constant maintayner of by word and writing which to prove concerning the doctrine and discipline professed by those who seperate from the church of England as a false Church not daring to have any communion with her for feare of defyling their garments and hold the discipline of every true church to be independant would be hard for any of those that so call them be they never so learned history-graphers to doe But indeed thus much I confesse that I have both heard and read of one Browne who lived about the latter end of Q Elizabeth or beginning of K. James his raigne and had receaved once some tast of the good word of God and made some profession of the truth but afterwards revolted from the countenanceing of the way of God it seemeth for the 2 Tim. 4 10. love of the world and turned like the dog to his old vomit for he tooke againe upon him his Antichristian ministery and countenanced the Church of England to his death though I have also heard that when he hath bin put upon it in discourse to shew reasons against the way which he did so discountenance he could say little or nothing yet becaus of the flesh pots of Egypt the garlick and the onyons wherewith his belly was filled and having it may be tasted or seene the poverty of the Saints and hatred of men against them which is one of their Ioh. 16 33. badges here in this world he was loth to leave it by personall seperation Wherfore I see little ground why the professors of seperation should be called after his name as if they were his disciples But rather I conceave I have the witnes not of man but of God in my behalf that he returning againe to the state of the Church of England and dyeing in the testimony thereof countenanceing it by his communion and society therein and being a preacher thereof hath thereby manifested to the world and to men that 1 Ioh. 2 19. he was not of us for if he had bin of us he would no doubt have continued with us but he went out from us that he might be made manifest that he was not of us Whence I conclude that they may according to the signification of the word more properly than any be called Brownists who for the love of their earthly benefits and to avoyd the hatred of men doe continue still in or returne againe unto the countenanceing of the Antichristian estate wherein the Church of England was at that time and those indeed are they that are Brownistically affected i. e. affected as Browne was Wherfore my hope is that whensoever the high court of Parliament shall proceed to their well setled reformation though I expect not that by the ordinances of men the truth of God shal be ever established in the sincere profession thereof and that becaus the Lord himself saith Psa 110 2. that his people shal be voluntaries in the day of his power and our Saviour plainly declareth that no man Ioh. 6 44. can come to him but whom the father draweth for it is not Zach. 4 6. by might or armies nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of hosts they will manifest to the world their utter dislike of P. Ansvv to the K. declar of his vict Oct. 3. 1642. pag. 10. Brownisme according to the reall and proper signification of the expression that is those that follow Browne in the countenanceing and approving of the man of sin his Antichristian Hierarchie And to this understanding of this nick-name they are necessarily bound by the rule of charity upon their owne grounds for if they hold seperation from the Church of England to be an error and that Browne was once in that way then when afterward he returned from that and gave them such satisfaction as that he receaved again his ministerie he repented of his former error Now for to make him a patrone or father of that whereof he repented and which he cast off is a great breach of charity not beseeming such as accompt themselves ministers of Christ to put upon their follow-labourers I have spoken thus much upon this slight occasion only for this end that the professors of the truth all that are well mynded may take notice that there is at this day no religion heresy sect or faction that doth so unjustly and improperly beare the name wherewith they are usually named by their opposites as doth this poore despised people But let them be comforted that it is for Christ's sake their seperation from the unfruitfull works of darknesse that they are so named and happie are they therein for great shal be their reward in heaven I have perceived also now in these dayes of England's trouble the presses to be imployed more freely than they have bin in times past and many are bold to publish their conceits and opinions in matter of Religion and to be counsillors admonitors to that high honourable court which is the great Counsill of the Kingdom how they should behave themselves and what they should inclyne to in their reformation of Church-goverment Which mē doe seem to me to spēd labour and trouble that Court in vain for if they did rightly consider the nature of Christ's kingdome they need not seeke unto men but if they be servants of God they need only to seeke unto him who is the Nom. 27 16. God of the spirits of all flesb to send forth his word with the power and demonstration of his good Spirit which would be as indeed it is the onlie and suffitient way and meanes for planting and establishing of his true Church and only advise the Parliament to approve themselves the ministers of God in suffering his truth to flourish and cherishing the professors of the same and to restrain by their power the malice of wicked persecutors as did that noble King Darius of Persia who commanded the enemyes beyond the river Ezra 6 6. 7. 11. 12. to be farr from hindering the Jewes from building the house of God yea whosoever saith he shall alter this word let timber be pulled downe from his house and being set up let him be hanged thereon and his house be made a dunghill for this And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all Kings and people that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem and to make such wholsome and good lawes as might inable and authorise the civill magistrates and Courts of justice Mr. Nevvcomen in his serm before the Parl 5 November 1642. pag. 44.