b sound doctrine, hath sins and great abuses in it." Assuming, even, that the clause "the sound doctrine" were wholly conceded; and seeing that Giffard admits, as above, that "the Papacy holdeth many things aright touching Christ," what is gained over" the Papacy' by the proposition as it remains? He indeed charges the Papists with holding sundry things" which overthrow the very foundation of the Faith;" but he is compelled to admit, in the body of his work,a "I know this is the usual speech of the learnedest Divines, the Church of God is in the Papacy,' . . but I take it a fitter speech to say, the Papacy is in the Church. . . The Church was before, and that cometh after, and entereth into or ariseth in it." Thus are we brought to the true position of the question, How much of what accords to the Papacy may be retained in the Church of England, and the sin of schism be Scripturally chargeable upon those who reject her communion? "I know," says Giffard, "it is complained of, that there be so many and so divers sects and heresies daily springing up, where the Gospel is preached; for it seemeth a foul disgrace both to the Gospel itself and to the preachers! There are, say some, at the least fifty several sects." So then, "Brownists" were not the only "heretics" of that age! With like propriety may it be remarked now, what was remarked formerly on Giffard, "If you have weighed our arguments no better than your Preface, it shall be grievous to make any answer."d Barrowe lost no time in publishing " A plain Refutation of Mr. Giffard's book intituled A short Treatise 'gainst the Donatists of England: Wherein is discovered, the Forgery of the whole Ministry; The Confusion; false Worship; and, antichristian Disorder, of these Parish Assemblies called 'The Church of England.' Here also is prefixed, A sum of the causes of our Separation, and of our Purposes in Practice. 1591." From a reprint, dated 1605, at the end of "An Advertisement," placed after the dedication, we there find that this treatise, with others "here ensuing, being somewhile since intercepted," was then " republished; together with a few observations of Mr. Giffard's last Reply, not printed heretofore." They constitute a volume of two hundred and sixty pages, quarto; the title-page bearing on it the contents of those of Barrowe's "Plain Refutation," and of Greenwood's "Brief Refutation." These united works have in their front an "Epistle Dedicatory to the Right Honourable Peer, and grave Counsellor," Cecil, Lord High Treasurer, &c. Prov. xviii. 17, is placed as a motto, and the Epistle begins thus ; • P. 54. "The best learned in our profession are of this judgment, That all the corruptions of the Church of Rome do not prove her to deny the Foundation directly; if they did, they should grant her simply to be no Christian Church." R. Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity, and other Works, Disc. of Justification, sect. 27. p. 409, vol. iii. ed. 1830. "I desire you to be circumspect, and to understand that Anabaptism, which usually followeth the preaching of the Gospel, is greatly to be feared in this Church of England." Dr. Whitgift, in his Answer to the Admonition 1572. 4to. p. 5. See Giffard, p. 21. Hitherto, Right Honourable, have our malignant adversaries had their full scope against us, with the law in their own hands; and have made no spare or conscience to accuse, blaspheme, condemn, and punish us; yea, to pronounce and publish us as 'damnable heretics, schismatics, sectaries, seditious, disobedient to princes, deniers and abridgers of their sacred power, &c.' to the ears and eyes of all men, openly in their pulpits, and in their printed books published by the consent and approbation of their church. No trial, all this while, upon any suit or complaint granted us; either civil, that we might know for what cause and by what law we thus suffer,-which yet is not denied the most horrible malefactors and offenders; or ecclesiastical, by the Word of God,-where place of freedom might be given us to declare and plead our own cause in sobriety and order; that so the means appointed of God for our recovery might be used, and we, wherein we should be found to err or transgress, might be convinced to our faces by the Scripture, and left inexcusable! "But, instead of this christian course, they have shut us up, now more than three years, in miserable and close prisons, from the air; from all means so much as to write,-ink and paper being taken and kept from us; and a diligent watch both by our keepers held over us, and also continual searches, upon one pretence or other, made,-where we were rifled, from time to time, of all our papers and writings they could find. And being thus straitly kept, and watched from speaking or writing,—their conscience yet giving them no rest in all their prosperity and pleasures, whilst we, the Lord's poor Witnesses against their sins breathed,-not to speak of their secret and indirect means, whereby they sought to take away our lives, they suborned, amongst sundry others, two special instruments, Mr. Some and Mr. Giffard, to accuse and blaspheine us publicly to the view of the world; each of them in two books: the one, labouring to prove us Anabaptists;' the other, 'Donatists.'.. Wherefore, we addressed ourselves, by such means as the Lord administered, and as the incommodities of the place, and the infirmities of our decayed bodies and memories would permit, to our defence; or rather, to the defence of that Truth whereof God hath made and set us his unworthy Witnesses, though as signs to be spoken against, and as monstrous persons in this sinful generation... "Beseeching your Honour's pardon for this bold presumption, the rather, because such necessity was laid upon us by the hand of God, through the importunate challenges and violent provocations of these our accusers; whose mouths must either be stopped, or else, through our default, the holy Truth of God which we believe and profess; yea, and our innocency be betrayed to the perpetual infamy of these our reproachful adversaries.".. Signed, "Henry Barrowe and John Greenwood, for the testimony of the Gospel, in close prison." With strange inconsistency, as appears to us, they say, in a preface of twelve pages, "We acknowledge that the prince ought to compel all their subjects to the hearing of God's word, in the public exercises of the Church;"a but we entirely concur in the words which follow those, "Yet cannot the prince compel any to be a member of the a See back, p. 25, notes (c, d.) Church, or the Church to receive any without assurance by public profession of their own faith; or to retain any, longer than they continue and walk orderly in the faith."a Alluding to the Church of England, they remark, "We condemn not their assemblies for some faults in the calling of the Ministry; but for having and retaining a false and antichristian Ministry imposed upon them. Such we here prove their whole Ministry to be, in Office, Entrance, and Administration. In like manner, we forsake not their assemblies for some faults in their Government, or Discipline; but for standing subject to a popish and antichristian Government: and such we here prove theirs to be in the Offices, Courts, Proceedings. Neither refrain we their Worship for some light imperfections; but, because their Worship is superstitious, devised by men, idolatrous,— according to that patched popish Portuis, their service-book, according unto which, their sacraments and whole adininistration is performed, and not by the rules of Christ's Testament. Such we here prove their Book, Worship, and Ministration to be." After remarking on Giffard's inconsistency in appearing in his present character, being really a Reformer or Puritan, they proceed,"Whilst Mr. Giffard standeth so much upon the name of a Church,' and giveth the same to the Romish synagogue, in their deepest apostacy, how will he escape himself, or clear the Church of England, from the blot of schism, for separating and withdrawing from the Church of Rome? Any excuse that he can make or devise, will clear us as well as themselves. Let him look, therefore, to the measure he meteth, lest it be measured unto him again with the same, not only in this matter of schism,' but even in that especial point of Donatistry,' which he, of a singular judgment above all others of this time hath espied out, and taken no small pains to compare and liken us unto them from point to point. Forgetting, in this heat of zeal, and accuminate pregnancy of his, how the papists have continually battered them with the same ordnance, with much greater advantage than he hath us... Turning from his person, as much as may be, as from a most unreasonable and unhonest man, with whom we would be loth to have further to do; fixing our eyes wholly upon the matter set before us; endeavouring to make proof and evident demonstration of these charges, for which, we forsake their assemblies, and have all this time suffered under their tyrannous hands; as also to clear our profession and proceedings herein of such calumniations and reproaches as this our malignant adversary defameth therewith; and this, in all charity, truth, and good conscience, as so variable and infinite a matter will permit: . . And if there be found, or rather abound, any imperfect or redundant sentences; let those be imputed. . partly to the inconvenience of the place, the continual tossings and turmoils, searches and riflings, and no peace or means given us either to write or revise that we had written."b Passing to the "Brief Sum of the Causes of our Separation, &c," Barrowe replies to Giffard, on his demanding, " You must show that God commandeth private men to set up the Discipline which Christ hath left," that the "Faithful are commanded to gather together in Christ's name, with promise of direction and protection, and with authority not only to establish His laws and ordinances amongst them, but faithfully to govern his Church thereby. For the Kingdom of God consisteth not in word, but in power. Now, this assembly of the Faithful, before they be planted and established in this order, consisteth hitherto but of particular private persons; none, as yet, being called to office or function. Therefore, we may well conclude that God commandeth his faithful servants,-being as yet private men,-together to build his Church, according to the pattern of Christ's Testament; without altering, changing, innovating, &c. And for this, we have the example of the Primitive Churches for our patterns and warrant, which sued not to courts and parliaments, nor waited upon princes' pleasures, when the stones were in a readiness, but presently having received the Faith of Christ, received likewise the Ordinances of Christ, and continued in the same. If they should tarry princes' leisure, where were the persecutions you speak of? Princes never punish them that obey their behests !b "You charge us with matter which you find not in our Article: that we say all read prayer is idolatry;' terming it our stuff, spiritual fantasies directly overthrown by the holy Scriptures, &c.' From what spirit proceedeth all this? Find you this in our Article? If not, all these blasphemous reproaches must return to you again, with shame. You want a covert, when you fly into this bush to hide you! When you shall be better intreated of the Holy Ghost, and have learned what prayer is, you will not call spiritual prayers' spiritual fanatasies;' neither thrust your apocrypha-prayers to be read in the church of God, where only God's Word ought to be read... The Book of Common Prayer,' you say, 'doth command, that, &c.': here may not be let pass, that even your own mouth confesseth, that even the best of your churches and ministers stand under, observe, and uphold this Idol! Why? Is the Book of Common Prayer Christ's New Testament; that you must fetch your warrant and direction from that Idol ?d "We were persuaded, by the Word of God, that the true Minister of Christ could not be a minister of idolatrous and false Worship. Such, in our first cause of coming out from among you, we proved the worship in your assemblies to be. Then, we were persuaded by the Word of God, that a true Pastor could not stand a herd to the Lord's goats and swine, blessing them with the blessing of the Faithful, and delivering to them the holy things of God, as the sacraments, &c. Such, in our second cause, we proved both you, and your people, as they generally stand in your parishes, to be. And now, in this third cause, yourself, by but repeating part of our words, do give a strong and sufficient reason; namely, that your Ministry is thrust and imposed upon your churches; and not freely chosen by the Lord's faithful people, according to Christ's ordinance in his Testament." Leaving further notice of this preliminary tract, we pass on to the larger one, of a hundred and sixty-seven pages; the " Plain Refuta a P. 5. c P. 9. d P. 11. f P. 12. tion, &c." In this work, the question of the Scriptural foundation of the Church of England, is grappled with, and all the points in its Service Book are commented on with severity. It goes over the ground of the former work, the "Brief Sum, &c." as Giffard had: the whole makes up a mass of accusatory matter against the Church of England, and will continue to be as fresh and powerful as the Service-Book itself, even while the Service-Book continues to gather the dust of antiquity to obscure its inherent and essential deformities. Giffard was no niggard at abuse, and he could but expect to meet with a return, though he might not have been prepared for so severe a chastisement us is inflicted on him. "And now, being come to the proof and defence of his own ministry which he exerciseth, and of the whole ministry of their Church; instead of Christ's Testament, he bringeth us forth a fable out of Æsop, of 'the Ass in the Lion's skin.' And at the first entrance into this discourse, in the first page, within twenty-four lines, he convinceth us with these arguments, That we are prompt and plentiful in false accusations and heretical opinions, which must be admitted for reasons against their church; worship; ministry: that we are desirous of glory; presumptuous, bold, rash, ignorant, not to be encountered with great learning; sophisters;' nay, 'poor artificers and husbandmen' are the evenest matches to dispute with us. We have put on the lion's skin, and imagine that all learned men tremble at us, but they have espied our long ears.' That we impudently slander and belie the learned, who disdain to deal with mad frenzy: that we are without all care what we speak, &c.' Is it likely, that this man hath either 'care' or conscience what he saith, that through his whole book, from the first to the last word, thus raileth, inveigheth, accuseth, blasphemeth? Are these the sweet waters in his fountain; the best salt he can season us with? Or, do the Ministers of the Church of England thus use to reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine? Is this Mr. Giffard's country divinity, or university learning, or courtly, chaplainlike behaviour? He hath a precedent, what a goodly view Mr. Some makes in his colours. If he lighted into some hands that would take pleasure to lay open his shame, Mr. Some and his painter might give place in all railing and vitupery, where this man should appear. our purpose is not to meddle with his railings, so much as his reasons, leaving him to answer for the one, and endeavouring ourselves to answer the other... Whatsoever this bold champion may pretend, we cannot be persuaded, that ever the forwardest of preachers,' that some time laboured Reformation, ever gave their consents to this blasphemous book of his; except also, together with the author thereof, they have made shipwreck of faith and good conscience, and be wholly apostate and fallen from that small measure of grace and light they sometimes made show of. Neither shall those pontifical prelates, his lords, their horned clergy, or Romish associates, the civilians and canonists, to whom he is yielded and joined, give him any thanks, in the end, for all the pains he hath taken to defend their apostatical throne and proceedings; which these his writings are so far from But |