An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

I hear the accusation very vehemently intended▪ but when I seek for the probation, of every part, I find none, but accusation followeth accusation. for still ye accuse us, that we are flatterers of sinners, that we take wicked men by the hand, that we heal them with this saying: there is none during this world, that can be known to be in the election, be he never so virtuous, nor any out of the election, be he never so unrighteous. after this manner (say you) do we heal them up, so that they need not to endeavour them selves to bring forth the fruits of lively faith.¹ These I say, be your accusations, the probation whereof, ye delay so long, that after the never remember it. And so must your authority stand in force both to accuse, and be admitted for witness. But we must except against you, for two causes most reasonable, first because ye are our accusers, and our party adversary. Secondarily because ye are venomous liars, persons defamed, and blasphemers of God. That ye are venomous and malicious liars, I have in divers places before sufficiently proved, how ye falsify, and pervert the plain Scriptures, how ye add to our words, and diminish from them, at your pleasure: and finally how that ye invent, and lay crimes to our charge, which ye be never able to prove, as here in this place, ye shame not to affirm, that we heal up the sores of those that be drowned in vices, with such words, as ye write. We have had offenders in deed amongest us, (I mean in the congregations which ye accuse) of diverse sorts and diverse estates. Let any convict us that ether in exhorting, admonishing, or in executing judgement, we ha•e used any such persuasion, or words to the offenders. But if the offender was to be admonished or exhorted, if we have not in gods name, exhorted them to walk as it became the sons of light: and if judgement was to be executed against ⟨p. 203⟩them; if we have not used the rule of gods word, judging of the tree, not after the secrete election of God, but according to the manifest fruits, pronouncing that member unworthy to abide in the body, whose corruption was able to infect the rest of the members, If this order I say, be so strictly kept amongest us that never sithence the days of the Apostles, was it more uprightly kept in any congregation. with what faces can ye say so that we take wicked men by the hand?