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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08981	Christian advertisements and counsels of peace Also disswasions from the separatists schisme, commonly called Brownisme, which is set apart from such truths as they take from vs and other reformed churches, and is nakedly discouered, that so the falsitie thereof may better be discerned, and so iustly condemned and wisely auoided. Published, for the benefit of the humble and godlie louer of the trueth. By Richard Bernard, preacher of Gods word.	Bernard, Richard, 1568-1641.	1608 (1608)	STC 1927; ESTC S113766	84,709	210

Ido●aters The honest conuersation of godlie men he calleth an outward shew of holinesse hypocrisie vaine glorie counterfeit shew of grauitie austernesse of ma●●ers and the outside of a good conscience To make vp this his sinning in a high ●egree the fruite of our ministerie our ●eaching and labouring he saith is the ●oysoning and stinging of euery good ●onscience the leauen of hypocrisie and ●uch as be reformed are Proselytes and ●ecome thereby twofold more the chil●ren of hel then they were before Thus ●orriblie blaspheming in saying that ●he preaching of Gods word and the ●pirits effectuall working maketh men ●he children of hell and two fold worse then before and yet he and all of the● if euer conuerted were conuerted b● those men which hee so raileth vpo● and by that blessed meanes which he 〈…〉 blasphemeth That he might leaue nothing vnto●ched he also abuseth the Vniuersities the Colledges he maketh like to the Sodomitical Monasteries and fellowship of the idolatrous Monkes and Frien● brethren of one birth euer by both parents that they haue euer been profess 〈…〉 and bitter enemies to Christs kingdo● Their exercises and orders he mock● at The Commencement he likens to stage play Disputers to Fencers or dogge and beare Master Vicechancelor he mocks naming him Masse Cha●cellor Morning prayer he saith is t●● reading ouer their geare and hee th● readeth the Chapter he cals the Bibb●● Clerke As was the worke managed so w●● his managing as was the spirit of err●● which inuented the one so was it him violent aboue measure carryi●● him in this maner of outrage to defe●● the same and disgrace whatsoeuer el●● With this mans sin and spirit of pro●hanenesse are all these in this way de●ed because neither hee while he li●ed published his repentance to the ●orld in print as he sinned in print nor ●et any of these haue declared their dis●●ke thereof vnto vs in publike but ra●●er indeede approoued thereof some ●●ying that it was his zeale that so led ●●m excusing his blasphemie with a ho●●e grace of Gods Spirit for they ●●eane zeale in the best sense Some ●●ing his words amongst vs accoun●●ng the preaching of the Word prayer ●●d catechising to be but a prophanati●● of the Sabbath another calleth it ●●e deceiueablenes of vnrighteousnes ●●luding to 2. Thes 2. Al of them by him ●●ue increased their dislike and great ●●ntempt of euery holie exercise and ●●acious duetie amongst vs. Till they 〈…〉 therefore publish his repentance or ●●ase to praise his such zeale temper ●●emselues that way ceasing in this and to partake of his ill spirit they ●ay boast of a holie constitution but ●ee may reiect them for that kind of ●●rsed corruption if they had no moe by their owne doctrine vntill they d● openlie shew amendment Lastlie their verie opinions whi●● The last sin is their Schisme consisting of manie errors are the verie matter of Brownisme 〈…〉 their own inuentions vpon which the doe build their constitution and b● which they haue made so grieuous rend and separation The verie mai● and principals thereof I will set down and answered that so they may eas 〈…〉 see them to be errors if they will not 〈…〉 preiudicial to their own selues throug● partialitie and so be blind when th● may see The opinions are these and such they hold and cannot denie being 〈…〉 readie auouched vnder their hands 〈…〉 as I know their assertions so will I 〈…〉 wrong them in setting them downe mislead any and that they may not uoid an answere with this to say I 〈…〉 stooke the cause The errors of the Separatists and the matter of their Schisme I. They hold that the Constitution our Church is a false Constitution I. Error I. They cannot proue this simplie by Answere ●ny plaine doctrine of Scripture and ●hat which they would proue is but only respectiuely as so and so considered and after this sort may we condemne any thing and their Church also in respect of all those things which are and ●ay truely be obiected against it See more for the answere hereto in the end of this booke II. It is against the euidence of the ●criptures which maketh the Word Matth. 28. 19. Mark 16. 15. 2. Cor. 5. 9. 11. 2. Iob 33. 23. 24. Act. 2. 14. 7. 38. and 16. 32. 33. the externall pro●●ssion Act. 8. 12. 37. 38. and Sacra●ents Matth. 28. 19. 1. Cor. 19. 16. ●he visible and true constitution of a ●ompanie so gathered and knit toge●her and so was ours constituted as this ●ooke doth shew and as in another Treatise ere it be long shall be plainly manifested wherein is handled the doctrine of the Church and the principles and inferences concerning the same set ●owne which is very necessarie to bee ●nowne that men may iudge better ●nd more rightly of this controuersie II. They hold our Constitution a reall II. Error ●doll and so vs Idolaters This is contrarie to the course of h●● Answere Scripture neuer taking an Idoll n● Idolaters in any such sense I haue p●● used many Scriptures and can see no● in that sense and Marlorat in his E●●chiridion setteth downe a Catalogue Idols mentioned in Scripture where●● reckoneth vp 47. in all and not one 〈…〉 them in this sense These men therefore as they bu● new Churches they will also make n●● sinnes as if man had not transgress 〈…〉 enough to lead him to hell But int● meane season they make an idoll their owne Constitution as a godd●● sanctifying the Word Sacramēts Pr●●er people and euery thing but wi●●out it the Word Sacraments pray●● almes repentance faith loue yea e●●rie ordinance of God is false and Ido●●trous Is not this then true so as th●● may as the Ephesians cried say grea● the Goddesse Cōstitution great is D●●na of the Brownists Let none blame● for M. Robinson held as much before fell in amongst them III. That such as are not of a parti●●lar III. Error constituted Church to wit such a 〈…〉 theirs is are no subiects of Christs king●●me I. The Scripture neuer setteth foorth Answere ●●y of Gods people by this marke then ●●re is a new note coyned as before a ●ew sin for new people must haue new ●●ings If they had said that hee which ●ay and doth not ordinarilie hauing ●eanes offered him liue in a Church ●●ghtly constituted that is in a true vi●●le Church of Christ doth liue out of ●●der and offendeth God it had been ●●ue for the godly are commanded to ●●me out of Babylon and to ioyne with ●●e Congregation and Church visible ●●thered together if possiblie they can ●uk 13. 37. Reuel 18. 4. II. It is contrarie to Calath 3. 7. 9. Ioh. 3. 14. 1. Cor. 1. 1. 2. Thess 3. 15. III. What may be said of Wickliffe ●●us Luther Bucer Melanthon and o●er yea of all our worthy Martyrs and 〈…〉 the people of God with vs of Lot ●●rsaking Abraham for the world Iob so and the people in

this trueth The second Propertie and the sacraments as banners displayed against the enemie Reu. 3. 8. Whence it is that the Church is called the pillar and ground of trueth 1. Tim. 3. 15. And this propertie ariseth necessarily from the forme and is an essentiall marke for when men doe vtterly leaue their open profession and partaking hereof they cease to be visible members for they haue reiected the visible marks of Gods presence and visible communion with him Now this marke also is in our Church for we doe hold out an open profession of the true word which is the word written in the holy scriptures not Popish vnwritten imagined veritie and also the true sacraments and none other and wheresoeuer these two be there are vndoubted markes of a true visible Church though no other properties be apparent and where these are wanting there is no true visible Church of God Thus we see how farre from all truth it is that they hold euerie of our congregations to be false Churches when it is manifest that with vs there are particular congregations which haue true matter true forme and true properties as euidently hath been declared from the word and is apparent by our profession and practise herein There is a third propertie which is The third Properti● care for the welfare of all and euerie one for the whole and each for other 1. Cor. 12. 25. And this property ariseth also from the forme through the vnion of all the members together making but one bodie Rom. 12. 5. 1. Cor. 12. 12. which propertie is very necessarie both for the present welfare and also for continuance of the bodie in good estate This care is either corporall for the maintenance of the bodie which is shewed in almes deeds and by which note also the Apostolicall Church is set forth Acts 2. 42. or spirituall touching the soule which standeth in admonition and exhortatiō so forth to the edifying one of another practised of the Thessalonians Epist 1. Cap. 5. verse 11. I say this is verie necessarie for the well being of the Church which also wee haue and If this third property were in a great part wanting yet might we be a true Church shew by practise but yet if this propertie were almost wholly wanting the Church could not therefore bee iudged a false Church Is a household hauing t●●e matter and forme and essential properties a false household because the familie ceaseth to care as they ought one for another Is a man consisting of true matter forme and essentiall properties of a man a false man because through follie or madnesse or wilfulnes he neglects the welfare of his bodie or any of the members thereof I hope no man will bee so senselesse to auouch it Why should any then cōdemne that congregation or Church for a false Church which hath true matter true forme and true essential properties of a true church because it wants some what or for that it is very defectiue in a thing necessarie for the wel being thereof This is an vndeniable trueth that the Discipline is not of the essence of the Church so as yet without it the same cannot be a true visible Church care for the welfare of the Church which containeth the censures also and the power of excommunication termed by the name of discipline cannot bee proued by euidence of Gods word to be such a propertie as is of the essence of the Churches being without which the Church must needes be a false Church the vtmost that can be made of it is that that Church is a defectiue Church a maimed Church by which it is also corrupt and may come to ruine but that a necessarie defect can make it either no Church or a false Church cannot iustly be maintained It is a necessarie propertie of a man to speake it is for his welfare to see to go but yet if hee can neither see go nor speake he is not therefore a false man This distinction of true false applied to our Church is altogether friuolous and vaine yet is it vpheld by them as we see against both Scripture reason and common sense To conclude then if a necessarie propertie may be in part actually wanting to a true Church yet such a want not make that a false Church which wāteth it then cannot the supply of it howsoeuer make that a false Church From all that hath been said we may obserue 1. That it is an error to make discipline so essentiall a propertie as the Church without it is no true but a false Church 2. To make our Church a false Church because discipline is so exercised with vs as it is contrarie to their new found popular Gouernment IX All our Ministers say they an IX Error false Ministers This also is as erroneous as the former Answere frō whence it ariseth If the Church bee a false Church the Ministers say they are false Ministers but we see that our Church is not false and therefore not the Ministers without exception They are true Ministers that are sent of Christ according to his ordinance in his Church and are not false Ministers for it is belonging to Christ to send Ministers Ioh. 20. 21. Matth. 28. 18. 19. therefore are they called Ambassadours of Christ 2. Cor. 5. 20. But such Ministers haue we as is manifest by this that they are qualified with good gifts they are called by the Church and such also as doe diligently and faithfully preach and so preach Christ as many thereby doe heare and beleeue euen confirming their calling by the blessed successe effect of their labours Rom. 10. 14. 15. 1. Corinth 9. 2. Conser these Scriptures with these quoted places 2. Cor. 3. 1. 2. 3. 13. 3. 5. And therefore the Apostle that is one sent proueth this sending by the seale of his Ministerie and it cannot be proued that Iesus Christ workes by false meanes it is their grant in their owne confession pag. 31. Priuate persons may conuert and therefore Obiection conuersion of soules proues not a lawfull ministerie I. The Apostle so proueth himselfe Answere an Apostle and why is it not a forcible reason for an ordinarie ministerie Neither can the deuice of some stand who imagine that by worke 1. Cor. 9. 1. should be meant an outward constitution of a Church which externally the Apostle planted but by worke is meant that worke which the Lord wrought by him euen their conuersion from idolatrie to imbrace the doctrine of the Gospell by faith as Interpreters expound it and 2. Cor. 3. 1 2 3. doth confirme the same II. For priuate mens conuerting as an ordinarie meanes to saluation cannot be proued by Scripture albeit that Iohn 4. 39. bee obiected where onely their dociblenes is called beleeuing which was not faith indeed But grant that she did conuert it must surely bee held extraordinarie that one priuate that also a woman preaching Christ

visible Church and baptised Act. 8. 13. So the Church of Pergamus though it had grosser defects and corruptions in it then we haue any yet because it kept the name of Christ and denied not his faith was still called the Church of God Reuel 2. 12. 15. The description of a Church which they giue in the 67. page of their collection of letters and conferences viz. that it is a companie of faithfull people that truly worship Christ and readilie obey him is vtterly vntrue if it bee vnderstood as needs it must of the visible Church For if euery one that the Church may account a visible member be trulie faithfull how is our Sauiour to bee vnderstood when he cōpareth the Church or the ministerie thereof to a draw net which being cast into the sea gathereth as well that which must be cast away as good fish Matth. 13. 47. 48. and to a field wherein the diuell doth as busilie sow tares as the Son of man doth good wheate Matth. 13. 37. 39. How shall that difference stand which the Scripture maketh 1. Sam. 16. 7. Act. 15. 7. 8. betwixt the Lords iudgement and the iudgement of man if men may not account any to be members of the Church by their outward appearance and profession vnlesse they know them to haue true faith which thing the Lords eye only is able to discerne Thirdly we hold and teach maintaine 3 We hold and teach all truthes fundamentall against all Heretickes and aduersaries euery part article of Gods holy truth which is fundamentall and such as without the knowledge and beleeuing whereof there is no saluation Our Confessions Catechismes Articles of religion published and approued of in our Church may perswade all indifferent men of this Yet was not H. Barrow ashamed to write in the tenth page of his Discouerie That all the lawes of God both of the first and second Table are here broken and reiected both of the Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill estate and of euery particular person in both all things being innouated in both according to the lustes and pleasures of men the law and word of God being quite reiected and cast aside And in the 212. page of their refutation of Master Gyfford they haue these words We hold that you haue poysoned all the fountaines of sincere doctrine and peruerted the whole Testamēt and turned away the practise thereof by your damnable false Expositions yea that you teach not one point sincerely And in the 162. page of his Discouerie They are made so contrarie one A lying Spirit vnto another as it is an impossible thing to finde two of them of one minde yea or any one of them constant in that hee affirmeth they know not the doctrines euen of the beginnings of Christ. Adde hereunto Henrie Barrows words in the 12. and 13. pages of their collections of letters and conferences We wil not giue any answere to these speeches but onely desire the Christian Reader to consider whether euer Gods Reader consider well and the Lord giue thee vnderstanding to discerne of spirits Spirit taught any to write so slanderously not only against a whole nation the conuersion whereof they pretend to seeke but against the blessed truth of God and how vnlikely it is that they should be in the right way whose chiefe Leaders were guided by such a spirit that they should be the Lords building whose first founders and master builders had either so small skill or so bad a conscience Do wee not hold all the same bookes of Canonicall Scripture which they themselues hold Do wee not reiect out of the Canon of the Scripture all which themselues account Apocryphall Haue they any translation of holy Scriptures besides ours Do they themselues beleeue or reach otherwise in the article of the holy Trinitie of iustification or predestination then we do Hath euery member of their assemblies receiued that spirit whereby they are led into all truth as H. Barrow pag. 167. of his Discouerie affirmeth and is there not any one amongst vs that hath not quite reiected the whole word of God not any one that knoweth the doctrines euen of the beginnings of Christ Wee know no better way to conuince them in this then by appealing thus vnto their owne conscience which wee are sure will take our part against them Now this reason also is strong to Which none can do but the true Church proue vs a true Church for although the bare letter of the Scripture may bee found amongst the Iewes and Papists and other Heretikes yet was there neuer any other people that held maintained the true sense of the Scripture in all points fundamentall but onely the Church of God wherunto only this title belongeth to be the pillar ground of truth 1. Tim. 3. 15. Wherein wee desire Note this the Reader to consider that a people may bee the true Church though they know not nor hold not euerie truth contained in holy Scripture but contrarily hold many errors repugnant to the Scriptures yet hath H. Barrow affirmed in the 167. page of his Discouerie Then is not he nor his followers the true Church and people of God for they maintaine errors amongst themselues obstinately and do grossely speake vntruths against vs now Gods Spirit is not lying 1. Ioh. that to the people of God and euery one of them God hath giuen his holy sanctifying Spirit to open vnto them and to leade them into all truth Whereby it is euident that he would haue none to be accounted the people and Church of God who either know not or practise not euery truth contained in the Scriptures In which opinion see I pray you how many grosse and dangerous errors are contained First that to euerie inferiour member in the Church there is as much reuealed as to the Pastours and chiefe members whereas the Apostle affirmeth Rom. 12. 3. Ephes 4. 7. 16. Colos 2. 19. that the holy Ghost is giuen to euery member of the bodie of Christ not equally but proportionally as the place which it occupieth in the bodie doth require Secondly that the promise mentioned Ioh. 16. 13. was made to euery member of the Church which in the last words of the verse appeareth plainly to be peculiar to the Apostles Thirdly that the Church cannot erre so neither were the Corinthians rightly called the Church of God when they iudged corruptlie of fornication and of the resurrection neither they of Pergamus when the doctrine of Baalam was maintained amongst them neither was Paul nor the rest of the Apostles true members of the Church who though in the exercise of their Apostolicall function they could not erre yet knew but in part and in many things were subiect to error 1. Cor. 13. 9. Another strange opinion is maintained in the 156. and 157. pages of their Discouerie viz. That euerie trueth contained An error full grosse with slanders and lies in the Scripture is fundamentall For

the present good which thou maist enioy to the vtmost and an experienced good before thou doest trouble thy selfe to seeke for a supposed better good vntried which thou enioyest not Dislike not things present as men doe discontentedly praise not things past foolishly and desire not a change hoping for better vainly V. Endeuour for things which are of necessitie wish also the well being of the same for conueniencie but for this contend not forciblie against publike peace lest in seeking for the bene thou doest vtterly lose the benefit of the necessarie esse VI. Doe not trouble thy selfe either to take part with or to be against that thing the holding or denying whereof maketh nothing for or against religion saluation or damnation VII In a common cause make one but after thy owne iudgement conuinced of truth and within the compasse of thy calling not for companie to make vp a number or for that thou wilt bee doing because other are so IIX Neuer presume to reforme other before thou hast well ordered thy selfe See at home then looke abroad redresse that which is faultie and in thy power to amend before thou doest meddle with that which is beyond thy reach Be not faire in publike and foule in priuate hate hypocrisie and auoid vaine glorie IX Receiue no opinion in religion but what the Word euidētly doth warrant beware of apprehensions out of thine owne witte but let the Word first giue thee sight and so entertaine it as thou art enlightened As thou maiest not of policie for feare of trouble by thy witte get thee distinctions to lose sinceritie where the Word is plaine so mayest thou not of scrupulositie imagine sin to trouble thy conscience and to vexe thee with feare of transgression where there is no law the one doth breed Atheisme the other is the mother of superstition X. Let thy owne knowledge ground thy opinions in thee and not in the iudgement of other see into the glasse of the Word by thy owne sight without other mens spectacles and hold what thou iudgest truth only in loue of the truth beware of by-respects so hold the truth as neuer to bee remoued but that which is erroneous in thee be willing both to see and to be reclaimed XI Witnes the truth for the truthes sake enforme others louingly desire that they may see the truth but neuer vrge them beyond their iudgemēt neither take it grieuously if thy words doe not preuaile but waite with patience Beware of rash iudgement neither condemne nor contemne other that are not as thy selfe Thinke not to make thy gifts anothers guide nor thy measure of grace their rule for to euery man is allotted his portion XII Whomsoeuer thou doest see to do amisse iudge it not to be of wilfulnesse but either of ignorance and so offer to enforme them or of infirmitie and so pitie them and pray for them Be charitable so shall not his sin hurt thee and much shall thy charitie aduantage thy selfe in the end and adde this withall Be slow to anger let neuer another mans distempered passion bring thee to disorderlinesse in affection XIII Loue not to be in controuersies it argueth pride and a spirit of contention but if thou beest drawne vnto them and called thereunto vndertake the right and chuse the truth and in the handling 1. Neuer come to it with a preiudicate How a man ought to carry himselfe in handling of Controuersies opinion but with a mind to finde out the truth and not of contention 2. Take words doubtfull in the better sense as the cause and circumstances will beare euident truth embrace willingly manifest errorrs deny plainly likelihood of falsehood esehew friendly likelihood of truth bend them the best way peruert nothing wilfully acknowledge thy ignorance where thou art made to see and yeeld the victorie when thou canst not winne it without wicked Sophistrie 3. Bee sure in answering that thou hast the Authors meaning either by which or to which thou doest make answere Alledge no testimonie rashly and especially beware of this euill in quoting Scripture Wresting of Scripture is a great abuse of the Word and if thou be in error and doest by the Scriptures presume to maintaine it thou wouldest haue the truth to vphold falshood and wickedly doest make the holy Ghost a maintainer of a lie 4. Follow the matter strictly auoid idle excursions passe by weaknesse take heed of hasty passions and in defending a cause abuse no mans person XIV In things Indifferent make no How a man ought to carry himselfe in things Indifferent question for conscience sake so it bee that neither holinesse merite nor necessitie be put therein nor vsed for any part of Gods worship but for decencie order and edification If thou be in a doubt and thy conscience as thou thinkest doth trouble thee about the vse of a thing indifferent I. Quaere Whether this doubt ariseth Whence sem●pulositie of conscience ariseth simplie of a tender conscience from iudgement conuinced or that it be but a nicenes of dislike comming from a desire not to be troubled with them or for that thou hast not vsed them or because some cannot away with them or from a godly iealousie suspition only for frō hencefoorth will scruples arise so also from a cōtinued custome likewise from ignorance and the want of certaine knowledge and a setled perswasion of the lawfulnes of a thing If the ground Note well bee not a iudgement inlightened and conuinced it is not trouble of conscience but a dislike working discōtentednes vpon some of these former grounds which thou maist easily remoue by setling thy iudgement vpon the word and sound reason II. Quare Whether this doubting ariseth through thy owne default by looking out reasons to encrease thy dislike and neglecting to search for arguments to giue thee satisfaction If thus thou hast offended as many doe take a● great paines in Gods sight to resolue thy selfe as thou hast done to bring thy selfe into doubting else dealest thou bu● partially III. Quaere If it bee trouble of conscience What to do in perplexitie of conscience indeed and yet the thing be no● plainly forbidden nor so commanded why where a speciall warrant to a particular is wanting a generall rule or a generall commandement to obey may not giue thy conscience satisfaction else how to doe in such a case IV. Quaere Why a man should bee more scrupulous to seeke to haue warrant plainly for euery thing hee doth in Ecclesiasticall causes euen about things indifferent more then about matters ●olitike in Ciuill affaires Men in these ●hings know not the ground nor end of many things which they doe yeeld vnto vpon a generall command to obey authoritie and knowing them not to be directly against Gods will and yet euerie particular obedience in ciuill matters must be 1. of conscience 2. as seruing the Lord so must euery seruant his master which cānot be without knowledge and perswasion that we