A CHALLENGE Sent to Master E. B. A Semi-Separatist From the Church of ENGLAND.  
Now published by the Author, J. W.  1 PET. 3.15, 16. 
Be ready always to give an answer, to every man that asketh you a reason, of the hope that is in you, with meekness and reverence.  
Having a good conscience, that when they speak evil of you, as of evil doers, they may be ashamed which slander your good conversation in Christ.  
London, Printed Anno Dom. 1641.   

To the Reader.  
Christian Reader.  
IT is now three quarters of a year since I had a Parochial charge committed unto me; My first coming unto them was, according to my commission with Peace be to this House; but I found a multitude of them, De sit in bac mibi parte fides, nec credite factum, Which made them ready to battle. I will not tell thee what fierce spirits they were, how before they had known, either good or evil by me, They did begin to threaten to spend, some 200 l, others all that they were worth; since 500 l, and if that would not effect it, a 1000 l should not be spared, but they would remove me. Then did they discharge against me, whole volleys of opprobrious speeches, whereby my credit and estimation was made to bleed, my ministry disparaged, my calling scandalised and disgraced; and but that God hath set an hedge about me, my Person had been exposed to the invasion of insolent zeal, and ungoverned fury. Why should I report, how I am mocked by boys, scorned by children, judged unworthy of any place in the ministry, by such whose Academy was never other than a shop, & their learning borrowed from a Loom. Alas, how many of my Brethren, who have all their life time flamed like Beacons on these Hills, sunt p●ssi graviora, and sat down with silence! yet my condition is worse than theirs: Such blasts make them but shine the brighter, but are enough to put my candle out: besides they have been men of war from their youth, but I am but a stripeling: And that which makes it more intolerable to me, I never crushed with Hercules a Serpent in my cradle, but have until this time been a stranger unto strife, and now am forced at first to grapple with an Hydra. It was my resolution to have overcome this violence with patience, hoping it could not have held out so long, since no Intelligence, muchless any that is Divine can move them in it; and that like a boiling pot, the liquor would have either run over, and quenched the fire which heated them, or have been consumed, leaving them in the bottom nothing but repentance. But I find it is not only my first reach which hath proved boisterous, but a tempest is threatened me through out my whole passage; Nature hath not made me a shore, nor strength of friends a wall, to be able to resist it. It is my silence hath made them so insolent, and my patience hath concluded me for impotent, and cowardly: yet is not my complaint intended against these: They are too low to batter my resolutions with injuries, nor, were I ten times more provoked, would I take up arms against them, whom I have received to carry in mine arms. They are but seduced, and deserve to be pitied, that I may not say despised. There is a Master B. in their hive, whom they follow like swarms, with whom I would enter into the lists. He is one who pretends himself to be sent among them from God, as Simon Magus did, and yet hath nothing but an Enthusiasm of his own brain to show for it, and they cry him up for some great power,  
— Et quis velle recuset  
Os populi meruisse? 
Pers.   
His faith and zeal, are the wings on which he flies, and I will boldly say it, they are both of them, but presumption and passion: I will appeal to thy judgement Christian Reader, if I speak without just grounds. I have many credible Authors which will maintain, that his constant prayers and preach which he hath at a neighbour Parish Church, have been commendations of himself, and declamations against me. Indeed he palliates them under the glorious title of Christ and his Kingdom; as if my Church were the seat of Antichrist, or if there can be worse; so it hath been called, the devil's Church, against which he proclaims war: Nor do I much marvel at that, since the whole Liturgy, and the Government of the Church of England, of which mine is a member, is with many of them no better. For mine own particular, I will justify myself against all that dare accuse me, that I never brought in any thing of that, in the least appearance, which they can rightly call innovation; nor ever pressed upon them any thing in the performing of my service, which might stand with my obedience to unquestioned authority, to have dispensed withal. If I have erred in matter of Ceremony, it was only in this wish, that some of the innocent ones might undeservedly be sacrificed unto their fury. What their other exceptions are against me, I am so fare from petitioning their charity to cover, that with a reservation to malice and envy, I shall make it my suit to have them proclaimed. This is somewhat a digression, I return unto thee, Chrissian Reader. It was my desire to try the truth of these reports, and to be confirmed by being an ear-witness of him myself: I heard of his preaching at a private Fast, which (the place being a Church,) the Congregation of divers Parishes may entitle public. I cannot tell how well Authority may relish it: I was one in the Afternoon; I joined with him in prayer, till I was fain to act a Separatist in spirit, & betake me to my private prayers, that God would bless, though they did curse, and not turn their prayer into sin unto them. Nor was his temper better in his preach: That which I will only mention, is this, That the chiefest streams of his whole discourse were a perverting of Scriptures, and a wresting of such Texts, which did denounce Judgements immediately against the Babylonians and Edomites, those grand enemies of the Church of God, and applying them against his brethren: (if so be, we which are the sons of the Church of England, and do not separate with them from its Communion, may call ourselves so) and those he did press with so much eagerness, and violence, as did discover unto many that were present, the fountain of his zeal to be both salt and bitter. Nor 〈◊〉 I be mistaken in my apprehension, this one thing is enough to confirm me, which is common in the mouths of many of h●● disciples; That so many prayers and tears, which both in publi●● and private, the Saints of God have poured out against me, must needs be heard; That it is impossible I should continue long in my place; and that God will work a miracle, but I shall be removed. Tantae ne animis coelestibus Irae? I never yet now learned any cause of all, but this; because I was not called by them unto my place: The will of the Lord be done; but let not them have their desire, lest they be too proud.  
But lest I should tire thee Christian Reader, with a private story, concerning myself; I will now tell thee the cause of my coming abroad. This Master B. whom my Parishioners follow in swarms, sometimes to other Churches most commonly to private Conventicles, is the Master of a faction: I may truly say of him, as Saint Austin did of two principal Leaders, Primianus and Maximianus, That Primianus had been Postremianus, and Maximianus had been Minimianus; so h●d Bright been dark, and his name been buried in obscurity, if with Thevas and Judas of Galilee, by boasting of himself to be some body, he had not drawn away much people after him.  
It cannot but be a grievous eyesore, to have Lupum in fabula, so busy in my flock. It was my desire at first, fairly to expostulate with him my just exceptions against him; but I found him altogether unfit for conference, by reason of his impediment in hearing.  
Magister artis Ingeniique largitor  
Venture, non babet aures.  
But then I received from his own mouth these words, That in all matters belonging not only to the substance, but to the Ceremony of God's service, there must be an affirmative precept immediately commanding them, or that they were not to be admitted; which seemed to relish much of the Saints belief, 
Turner's Creed.  and gave me sufficient matter of expostulating with him by writing, which I did the same day in Latin: Whereunto he returned me this short reply, That he would neither receive, nor answer any Letter. I leave it to thy judgement, Christian Reader, Whether for the matter, or manner of it, I did deserve to be so despised; yet did I not desist, every day I received some just exceptions against him; the impudence of many of his followers in sulting over me, and the weakness of many of my Parishioners; for whom I was afraid, complaining of him.  
I writ unto him certain questions in the nature of a Challenge in the English tongue, containing some few of our just grievances, and desiring satisfaction from him. After a quarter of a years expectation of his answer, I received this; That he cared not for me, nor any of my notes. These are they which I do now show unto the world; If it be his pride, I despise it; if his policy, I detect it; if his ignorance, I pity it. There is nothing in them worthy to be published, nor were they ever intended for any such purpose. My desire in doing of it, is this, That he may either defend his positions in public, that there may be no walking craftily amongst us or else desert them: either of these ways, our integrity shall be made known, as becomes the Ministers of the Gospel. If I be convinced of any falsehood, I shall with more patience submit to the shame of the world, than I can to be thus contemned in my place by him, and through his means.  
I have now vented, be the event what it will. I am confident there cannot be more danger in my speech, then hath been pain in my silence. Let me have but thy Christian Censure, if I do deserve it, and I shall rest most thankfully  
Thine in him, By whom I am, J. W.   

Domine in Domino Dilecte,  
MAllem te scribendo quam loquendo convenire, hinc enim & tuae infirmitati ratio babebitur, & meo Sermoni; Latine autem scribo potissimum, tum ut brevior fiat & dilucidior oratio, & ut nullum babeam judicem praeter literatum. Quaestio à nobis nuper incaepta fuit circa obedientiam in rebus ad religionem pertinentibus; Praeceptum tu divinum, affirmativum, immediatum, in verbo Scriptum aliquod postulaere videbare, aut in praestanda obedientia non satisfactum iri tenerae aliquorum conscientiae. Quod si in omnibus flagitare perseveres & indifferentiam omnem & Magistratus potestatem eadem opera tolles. Vide quae so, quae & quanta neges. Primam, mandatum Divinum affirmativum, reddendo necessariam, tollit; Secundam, nihil relinquendo quod Magistratus praecipiat; quid enim si hic imperet, quod deus suo verbo prius imperavit, nosti hominum responsum, Non propter tuum dictum credimus, sed quia ipsum (Christum) audivimus; aliud nihil contra, sive praeter, quod ad obedientiam teneros obliget, illi permittitur: hoc enim mihi videtur sine dubio verum, non deberi illi obedientiam, in qua praestanda non potest satisfieri conscientiae. Non circa rem civilem sed religiosam disputo; hanc item, non ad articulos fidei, aut internum dei cultum pertinentem, aut ipsum cultum omnino intelligo; sed rebus gerundis deo non repugnantibus, exteriori religionis parti, formae, ordini, decori sub servientem. Locos quibus & Magistratus potestas suffulcitur, & Christianorum obedientia propter conscientiam ipsam imperatur, babes ad Rom. c. 13. & apud 1 Pet. c. 2. v. 13. Mitto quod nonnulli audent obstrepere, ad res tantum civiles illos spectare, quasi nimis insulsum, & Catholicis non approbatum, quod tu quoque for san non negabis: ubi autem Civili tantum Magistratui obedientiam deberi inde concludi statuis, vide ne potestatem omnem Ecclesiasticam e medio tollere videaris; & propriam, viz excommunicationem, & delegatam seu politicam; deinde miror quo Argumento fretus, transmarinas Ecclesias, quas non parvi pendis, stabilibis, Se eas omni potestate spoliaveris. Frustra item, dictum foret, Dic ecclesiae, si illius quam seniorum consessum ipse vocat Calvinus, nulla esset Authoritas. Qui ad Civiles id aetatis ordinationes, locum applicare videtur Beza, cedo quemvis arbitrum, num temporale faciens pr●●ceptum, solas eas intelligit; quae tu quae so arte Logica Vniversale affirmativum, Subjecti esto te 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, facies indefinitum. Esto autem, quod dum concedimus nostro jure cedimus, civilem tantum designari Magistratum; sibi videat Romanus Pontifex; nostrum nihil interest, apud quos sola valet, & semper valeat potestas regia; omnis qualiscunque sit secundi vel tertii ordinis authoritas, ab illo sive a capite tenet, ejus solius majestas in omnibus illucet; iisne omnibus, redi obsecro ad rem ipsam, qui ab illo mittuntur, obedientia sit pra standa, vel non? Si non, responde Petro ibid. v. 14. sin alias, hem tibi locum cui acquiescat conscientia; noli expectare aliud praeceptum positivum divinum, ne ut repetam, & potestatem & obedientiam subvertas. Vereor ne taedio tibi sim. Tenerae conscientiae non tuae causam agis: Age, vel tenerrimam hinc stabilire potes; credat? non potest: nolet potius dixisses: utrumque vitio suo factum, vel naturali vel acquisito: paeniteat? hoc nolit, nondum se peccasse senfit; doceo contra legem divinam & humanam, si hoc sit peccatum: secundo manifesto contradicitur, & in ea primae. Verum dubitat ne peccet; & eo dupliciter peccat. 1o. Scrupulosa dubitatione circa rem lege stabilitam, deo non repugnantem, in qua vel teste Cicerone, inest facinus. Off●e. l. 3. 2ᵒ. Neglecta vel contempta, quae ei debita fuit obedientia. Quis ferre potest quemquam adhuc regerentem, indeterminatam suam opinionem legi stabilitae & determinatae esse praeferendam? Laudo fidem quae ante credit observandum esse quam didicit in quit Tertul. de cor. c. 2. Det deus ut omnes unum studeamus & sentiamus, omni malitia, omni contentione, omni praejudicio valedictis, In unum corpus Christi mysticum coalescamus; neli judicare ante tempus, paveas ne pereas, quod & ipse deo juvante sequar  
Qui tuus sum in Christo. J. W.   

Certain Questions of no mean Consequence propounded to Mr Edward Bright, to which the Author partly for his own satisfaction, and the Consciences of many which are justly offended doth Demand a speedy answer, or is ready, to prove him a false reporter of God, a Seducer of souls, a Blasphemer of the Church of England, a , one that maketh gain godliness, and Merchandizeth the Word of God.  
1. WHether you do think, that you are bound in Conscience (according to the precept of Saint Peter, 1 Pet. 3.15. Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope, that is in you, with meekness and reverence, Vers. 16. Having a good conscience, that when they speak evil of you, as of evil doers, they may be ashamed which slander your good conversation in Christ: And also the pattern of Saint Paul, Acts 28.22. Who upon the like request made no more ado, but presently appointed a day for the performing of it) to give some reasonable satisfaction to their just demands, which take themselves to be offended at some of your bold affirmations which both, publicly and privately you have not shamed to deliver; which have tended only to the seducing of many ignorant, though well affected souls from their duty of Obedience, to the shaking of their Faith, and weakening their Religion, which they have been taught and iustructed in, in the Church of England, to the kindling the Coals of hatred and separation among their Brethren, to the sounding of the Trumpet to sedition and rebellion. Which I premise upon these considerations, following;  
First, Out of fear lest you should refuse it, having done the like already to a letter which I wrote unto you in Latin, because of your impediment in hearing; whereby I found you unfit for any conference, which you returned me again with this short reply, That you would neither receive, nor answer any; which seemed unto me contrary to the ingenuity of a Scholar, and the Discipline of a Minister, being it contained a religious dispute concerning Obedience, How far an ignorant man's conscience might be satisfied in performing it to Laws Ecclesiastical; and savoured either of pride, that you would not, or of ignorance, that you could not, or of underhand dealing, and most pernicious policy, that you durst not answer it, lest one way or other you had betrayed yourself unto the state, or been deserted of your Disciples.  
Secondly, Out of hope, that if you do it substantially and faithfully as you ought, it will confirm your followers in those opinions, they have sucked from you, in which they cannot walk doubtfully without danger to their souls; or if simply and slovenly, as I expect you should in so bad a cause, it will release them from the bonds of their captivity, under which your counterfeit holiness, Hypocritical zeal, forged insinuations have hitherto holden them, that they may return to their ancient liberty of conscience, and to the right path of Obedience.  
And thirdly, We for our parts shall from thenceforth cease to think or speak evil of your sect, or as you assume it, to slander your godly conversation, for if you prove them, our mouths shall be stopped; but if you fail in that, our say shall be found true and no slander.  
2. Whether you do believe that the religion of the Church of England, is the true Orthodox Religion, and in all the Articles of Doctrine, agreeable to the Word of God; because you have been heard to say in the Pulpit, that now was the time to change their Religion; by which saying you must either prove our Religion to be false, or yourself a seducer of souls from the truth.  
3. Whether you do hold, that any of the Ceremonies of the Church of England, which have been by unquestionable Authority commanded to be used in the service of God, be Idolatrous, or a worshipping of Baal, (for you have employed as much, when you said of the Defenders of them after an ignominious manner, Let Baal plead for himself;) which if you dare avouch, I demand farther, Whether they were not Idolatry ten years ago, as much as now; and if then, Whether you by practising of them, were not an Idolatrous Priest, and by holding of your peace, and not crying our against them until now, a cunning dissembling Idolater, when as neither fear, nor favour should have stopped your mouth, or restrained you from crying out against such a crime: and if you impute it (as some of your followers) to the times of your Ignorance, Whether did you not take yourself to have had your calling to the Ministry from God, before these years last passed; and if you do, whether such asin can stand with such a calling: And whether now you be deservedly counted so holy a man, so faithful a Preacher as the people cry you up for, having formerly been so odious an Idolater, and not yet acted your repentance upon the stage of the world, as such a crime doth require, nor been absolved by any Church, nor restored again unto your Ministry, as the Ancient Canon doth command: If you deny that ever in your Judgement the●e was any Idolatry in them, there are multitudes of your disciples will have the better opinion of them, and of the Church that enjoins them; but the worse of you; reserve not your determination till the times shall be more open for you, but as becomes a Christian Minister of God's Word, and one that it behoves to be resolute against fear or flattery, tell us plainly what we may trust to, to be your opinion.  
4. Whether do you hold, that Bishops are Antichristian, and that the order of Episcopacy is the spirit of Antichrist; which some of your faction have in their Pulpits affirmed, and unto which affirmation, Whether have not you among many others, which are reported to have done it, solemnly, and secretly entered into a combination, that you will never consent unto that Government again; And what do you think of all the Christian Churches which have been for 1500 years under that Government; and whether were those ancient Bishops of the Primitive times, and those of our Church in Queen Mary's days, Martyrs for Christ or no; and whether Antichrist could die for Christ, or those be saved themselves, having not first put off their Antichristian calling, or could they be saved thorough ignorance, having not repent them of their being in such an order; for either they did know it to be a sin, or did not know it: if the first, why did they not publicly confess and repent? if the second, how could they?  
5. Whether do you hold, that your justifying yourselves, and condemning of your Brethren, doth stand with the charity of a Disciple of Christ, or rather the vainglory of a Pharisee, since the Apostle saith, 2 Cor. 10.7. If any man trust in himself, that he is Christ's, let him consider this again of himself, that as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's; have you by any Divine Law, Commission to judge others, which stand or fall to their own Master; or to sever the Wheat from the Tares, seeing it is our Master's Command, that both be let grow together until Harvest, when he will appoint his Angels to do it? or to dissubject (as you call it) any one from Christ? And because you once proudly told me, that I (which am by the law of this Land rightly invested in my Parish Church, whereto you never had any title at all) was not called thither, either by God or Man, but that you were by both, whereby you have disparaged my Ministry in the place where I live; I require you to give satisfaction to these particulars.  
1 Whether you can tell the secrets of the heart, and the preparations of the same, wherein doth consist internal Vocation, which are known only to God; or whether can you be justified in judging them not to be at all, ubi non constat de malo; in both which you commit no small sin, but either against Christian Charity, or of Arrogant presumption.  
2 Whether do you hold our external calling now practised in our Church to be unlawful, a nor coming in by the door as you call it; and so condemn all the Ministers thereof for Thiefs and Robbers.  
3 Whether your first coming to be a Curate to this place, being by the commendations of one private man, your admission by entreaty gained from the former Incumbent, your approbation gotten among some Mechaniques only, ignorant and unlearned Tradesmen. Women and Children, (there being divers, Gentlemen and Scholars in the Parish, whose consent you neither have had, or must ever look to have hereafter) be either a sufficient warrant for you to presume your own calling is from God, or prove that you are lawfully called by the people.  
6. Whether do you hold that there is any obedience for conscience sake due to the temporal Magistrate in matters Ecclesiastical which tend only to the Ceremony of Religion, and are no ways repugnant to the Word of God: if there be none, you deny the King's Supremacy: if there be, why do all your Disciples (whom you must either disclaim being yours, or else learn another lesson) pretend so much their conscience against their obedience? either you must substantially prove them repugnant to the Word of God, or be reproved yourself for suffering so long their erroneous conscience, in a matter of such consequence, as obedience is: And whereas you told me, that in all matters belonging, not only to the substance, but to the Ceremony of God's Service, there must be an affirmative precept immediately commanding them in Scripture, or that they are not to be admitted; It behoves you to clear this necessary Question; Whether things in their own nature indifferent may not be commanded by the Magistrate, and of necessary consequence challenge, obedience for conscience sake, according to the precept of the Apostle, Rom. 13.5. Which if you deny, you take away all power from the civil Magistrate, which can be only versed about things indifferent (all things that are commanded or forbidden in Scripture, being to be obeyed without any respect to the Magistrate at all, and immediately binding the conscience:) if you confess you shall make many return to their obedience, which stand at this time seduced from it; wherein you shall do God and your Country good service, for from you they will sooner receive satisfaction, of whom they have so good an opinion; or else you shall make them to forsake your society as being yourself now, no Minister of faction, and declaring that such which will not be satisfied, but perversely stand out, are not worthy to retain any Communion with you; for in matter of such importance, as you are to satisfy the weak, so you are to reject those that are refractory, and wilfully contentious.  
Lastly, I do think it a work worthy such a Minister of God as you would be, to declare openly unto the world, what that conscience is, which is so much pretended against Obedience, and wherein it consists, that we may know whether it be not false and erroneous; because I find the consciences of others which are much better informed to make no such scruples; which makes me think it may in many of them proceed ex ignorantia aut vitio; and also what that Idolatry is, with which they charge all outward service of God, and lay horrible blasphemous imputations upon the Church of England, which are not to be endured by any of her sons. I do but desire to know whether you be right in your determinations, that I may follow you also; or wrong that I may help to restore you: you, and I shall not be benefited alone, but many others shall be confirmed with us. Let not fear, nor favour, nor gain, which are by a true Minister, to be counted base respects, deter you from this work; It will tend undoubtedly to God's glory, to settle so many doubtings, which like furies walk up and down in so many of our breasts; you cannot pretend your want of leisure, since you have no cure of souls to attend unto. Wrong not yourself so much, as to refuse it, there will many imputations lie upon you if you do; and if you do it, whether well or ill, we shall be confirmed and a multitude of souls with us, either with you or against you; if the first, we shall return to unity; if the second, we shall go on with constancy, with true faith to God, obedience to the Magistrate, and good conscience towards all, which unfeignedly desireth to do  
One that should be Your Brother in Christ, James Wilcock.  
FINIS.