Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	church_n	communion_n	perform_v	3,059	5	9.9633	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58653	Jerubbaal justified: or, A plain rebuke of the high (pretended humble) remonstrance and plea against Mr. Crofton his reformation not separation or, a plea for communion with the church under those corruptions, and by that disorderly ministration, to which he cannot conform, nor by it administer. Demonstrating, T.P. (alias D.) his grosse mistakes of Mr. Crofton his principle and argument: as also the fallacie and vanity of his pleaded necessity for his (confessed) separation from publique assemblies, which is found insufficient to acquit him of schisme. To which is added a position, disputing the lawfulnesse of ministers receiving an imposed liturgy.	R. S.; Crofton, Zachary, 1625 or 6-1672. Reformation not separation.	1663 (1663)	Wing S130	35,735	54

like part built on his own Judgement of the expediency of it it is reason he enjoy Page 15. his fancy in his own fabrick he abruptly assaults Mr. Crofton on the most gross and manifest mistake of the man the natur of his Book and the form and force of his Argument which could possibly befall and misguide any Antagonist whatsoever Sir This Gentleman mistaketh Mr. Crofton and the generall nature of his book he accounteth and that with more then ordinary heat and confidence Mr. Crofton the Mecaenas and Advocate of the Liturgy and Common prayer book and an accuser of the bretheren he apprehendeth Mr. Crofton's Reformation Pa. 14. 30. not separation to be a Plea for the Liturgy and an Indictment or accusation of the Saints cujus contrarium verum est how just sober or warrantable those his apprehensions are let all impartiall unprejudiced men judge Mr. Crofton an Advocate for the English Liturgy who can have the face to say it How will that appear hath he not preached and written against it did he ever retract doth he conform to it or consent to read it was not his known opposition to it apprehended to be the cause of his vexations and bonds he met with in Staffordshire in his late Travells can envy it self oppose Mr. Crofton to Mr. Crofton his enemies being Judges never was any man more square and stable to himsell then is Mr. Crofton these things do indeed give cause to call him Jerubbaal and make it suspicious he is the Gideon who threw down the Altar if the Liturgy must be so accounted of Baall on what ground could this pretender to reason and religion cry Mr. Crofton is the Mecaenas and Advocate for the Liturgy hath not Mr. Crofton's Contests actings and sufferings manifested him a Monument of Gods Grace and Truth and Sectarian rage and falsehood will men needs reproach him with that which none hath as he resisted Oh Sir Mr. Crofton hath pleaded for Communion in the Liturgy It is false sir he hath pleaded no such thing his Plea is for Communion with Gods Church in Gods Ordinances and worship though Administred by the Liturgy and that onely in case of necessity when we cannot otherwise enjoy solemn publique worship it is one thing to commnnicate in the Liturgie simply and abstractedly considered this supposeth an assent unto it and a personall acting in and by it as a Liturgy for this Mr. Crofton hath never yet spoken one word It is another thing to communicate in and Religiously attend Gods Worship Administred by the Liturgy in which the Liturgy is no more but the vehiculum instrument of conveyance and humane Ministration the formality of Mr. Crofton's Plea is this the Liturgie is a rude and disorderly Ministration an evil which ought to be abolished by which he cannot Administer but it is not an evil of that nature to visiate the Subject nullify and destroy Gods worship and so warrant the peoples withdrawing from that because of this Vulgus non distinguit that the over zealous vulgar should account this a Plea for Communion in the Liturgy is no wonder whilst a man of learning doth it with all confidence is a withstanding of an inserence which the premisses will not allow a justification of the premisses as true and good cannot a man plead men must in case of need drink water in unclean vessels or affirm Citizens must not loose all for want of asking by the rude dialect of their Recorder but he must be concluded the Mecaenas of Barbarisime and nonsence and Advocate for the Queen of Sluts may not Mr. Crofton deny such disorder to be a sufficient ground for Secession from Gods worship but he must needs be the defender of that disorder According to this sober Logick is Mr. Crofton tauntingly represented the accuser of the brethren and his Book branded as an Indictment against the Saints what cause is there for this high charge whom when where and whereof hath Mr. Crofton accused This Author calls him his accuser he shall do well to put him to shame by telling the world whereof Mr. Crofton accused him Mr. Crofton doth in his book suggest groundlesse unwarantable Secossion Page 29. from voluntary non-communion in Gods worship is a private or negative Separation the first act towards a positive and totall Sepeparation but is this to accuse the bretheren cannot a Minister suggest the sinful nature of an act but he must be arraigned as an Accuser of the bretheren oh Charity oh Sobriety Sir Who readeth Mr. Croftons book and seeth not that it is so far from an Indictment or Accusation of others that it is a sober serious and necessary Apology for himself and his own practice most groundlesly unchristianly and incharitably accused by others and those some of the bretheren who never administred or attempted to reprove the things whereof they did accuse him in his whole Conflicts for Reformation he had protested he could communicate in Gods worship under that order by which he could not adminester comming to practice his principles what Calumnies what Censures did accuse him of defection and Apostacy and constrain these Letters by way of Apology for himself And this thus extorted by false accusations is most falsely accused to be an accusation of the brethren Oh! Charity Oh Sobriety Sir We cannot expect he should rightly take up Mr. Crofton's Argument who hath so grossely mistaken himself and the generall nature of his work let me observe to you his mistake in the very form and so in the force of what he is pleased humbly to tearm Mr. Croftons Doome Argument Page 15. Having passed his many needless distinctions he professeth himself a negative and partiall Sepatist he is best see to his Warrant least being loosed from the Harbour he be driven he knows not whither I am glad he disavoweth Positive Separation gathering a select Company into a Corner some who shreudly guess who this Author is think they durst presume to charge him as peccant in this respect but sure I am Mr. Crofton and other good men are no little grieved to observe some Presbyters not only absent from publique assemblies but also celebrate the Lords day by preaching and Ministration of the Lords supper to a select Company in private as if they were designed to verefie that Independant Calumny Presbiterated Churches are gathered Churches His Separation stated this Antagonist assaults Mr. Crofton's Considerations that he might fence with better successe he forceth the chief of them into this syllogisme according to his own fancy not Mr. Croftons Argument Communion with the Church visible in all acts of solemn Publique worship is an essential part of the Sanctification of the Sabbath or Lords day and indispensable Duty of every particular Pa. 15. 16. Christian to be onely superseded by an inevitable necessity c. This is indeed Mr. Crofton's proposition on which this man doth assume as that which he saith must be the assumption and accordingly

without sin and must therefore be shunned These distinctions most humbly slighted I wonder at that this Remonstrator should flie out so high as to cry out Mr. Page 24. Croftons instances of stinking fish pudled water and unclean vessels yield not the least satisfaction to me for it is evident to any impartial Reader his prejudice never suffered him to finde the form and therefore he could not feel the force of the argument for if the Liturgie be but a vessel though unclean this argument extrinsecal corruptions being consistent with Gods true worship will not warrant a secession or negative separation appeareth very cogent and is well amplified by the instance of pudled water or an unclean vessel Sr. These distinctions being not more manifest in themselves and to be used by Mr. Crofton in the plea which this Antagonist doth implead then to be Crisis of this Controversie the the hinge on which this great case of conscience doth turn I will presume on my friend so far as to present you with some short and plain Aphorisms concerning Gods worship and his peoples communion you may if you please call them Mr. Croftons Creed concerning communion with Gods Church I cannot but commend them to the observation of Gods people consideration of Gods Ministers as those which few sober men will deny to be true and being well understood would readily direct a godly mans course in the hour of temptation which is come upon us 1. The Church Catholick visible distributed through necessity and good order to particular Assemblies must sanctifie the Lords day by an holy Convocation 2. The Congregation of perticular Christians convened in full and open joynt Assembles to celebrate Gods solemn worship is the formality of an holy Convocation in which every particular Christian must make conscience to be present and continue from the beginning to the end of the ministration of Gods worship they must assemble on the sound of the silver trumpets and not depart without the Priests blessing 3. The worship celebrated in the holy Convocation for the matter and essential form by which it substantially existeth must he determined by the Lord and by him alone all other matter though in a form by God directed or the matter without the form by him appointed is supperstition to be avoided a dogs-head or Swines blood offered by a lawful Priest and with Levitical Rights and Incense in the hands of Chora Dathan and Abiram or a Lamb and Bullock offered by the lawest of the people at Dan and Bethel are eqully abominable to the Lord Baptisme by fire in the name of Father Son and holy Ghost or by water in the name of God the Father and time the Mother of all things is equally void and vile no worship of God 4. All worship of mens invention superadded to Gods apointment must be avoided abandoned by every of Gods people but Gods worship substantially existing with the same must not be disowned or declined the mountains of Israel the Temple must be frequented devoutly resorted unto though the high places be on the one and the Image of jealousy be in the other these superadded evils provoke God but the Simbolls of his presence continued bind his people to due and constant attendance the Crosse in Baptisme is to be if possible avoided but Baptisme formally existing must not be disowned declined because the other is superadded 5 Gods worship celebrated by and among men must be ministred and exist in an and by an humane mode and dresse suitable to and so fit to edefie such a Creature and society Gods word and Sacraments his peoples prayers must be ministred in and by modes methods words and actions invented by the minde expressed by the tongue and performed by the hands of men 6. The humane mode and dresse words and phrases by which Gods worship must exist and be ministred in and to the Church is not determined by the Lord but wholly left to the wisdom and faithfulnesse of them who minister the same hence it comes to pass that the substance of Gods worship continueth the same in respect of matter and essential form by and under various ministerial humane modes Gods word is preached though some times one way and sometimes another the Sacraments are formally administred prayers are truly made and the one and the other is Gods Ordinance the same unto all subjected to it though the ministration thereof doth varie according to the various Gifts of the administrator 7. The humane Ministerial modification of Gods Ordinances in and to the Church is the formall act of the Ministeriall Office to be fulfilled and performed by the Ministerial guifts the personall abilities of every individuall Minister who is guifted of God and ordained by the Church for that purpose Gospel Ministry is an office in Gods Church authorizing enabling its subjects not to institute any new worship for matter or forme but to Minister the worship appointed by the Lord in an humane mode and order such as may edefie the Church the matter is the determination of God the Ministeriall mode is the digestion of the man invested with an office to that purpose the word and the preaching of it is appointed by God the mode and tearms in which it is preached to reproof instruction or correction is the work of the officer ordained to preach he is guifted and authorized to dicotomize divide the word aright the case is the same in Sacraments Prayer Censures all which must exist in and too the Church by the Ministerial mode and order words and expressions in which the Minister entrusted with them doth exhibit the same to them herein each Minister must employ his Cinisterial guifts his personal abilities this is the service he must do to God and his Church he is a steward of the Misteries of God to distribute his masters Goods with the utmost of his skill and faithfulnesse dicotomization of Gods word modification of Gods worship is the work in and by which he must approve himself a werkman which needeth not to be ashamed in this he cannot without sloath and porfidie assume another mans mode or suffer himself to be imposed upon so as to vail his own received guifts and to administer by the modes and formes digested and composed by others 8. The ministerial mode and order of Gods worship being wholy humane determined by mens Wisdom and faithfulnesse it is and cannot but be subject to much great corruption in defect disorder rudenesse irreverence in expressions some Ministers are rash and inconsiderate unaffected with the Majesty of God to whom they approach in whose stead they stand in and to his Church unacquainted with the nature of the ordinance to be administred by him and the quality of the Church in and to which he doth minister which things are the only dictators of that mode by which they minister there are many times rude preposterous rash irreverent full it may be of nonsence and cautologies

in it the formality of Schisme our Remonstrators inevitable necessity we have found before doth varlish on his mistake he must assign another and that from the nature and quality of corruption or impossibility of communion in Gods true worship without communion in the ministerial mode which is evident may be abstracted from the worship and Mr. Crofton doth affirme is a personal act though of a publique Officer to a publique end Sir the whole of what the Remonstrator saith in this point of Reformation is this Mr. Crofton saith the matter and he should have added the essential form for so Mr. Crofton saith Page 48 is good but the outward mode is bad and to be reformed this our Remonstrator very often and with great humility calleth Mr. Crofton's recocta Crambe and yet as often as it is boyled by Mr. Crofton it hath no good connection in this mans stomack all the nurture he draws from it is but like Scotch Keal which turneth into winde and vapour Sir our Remonstrator must yet have this crambe recocta it is the Crisis of this Controversie till it be digested this Case of Conscience cannot be resolved Mr. Crofton grants that the whole frame and constitution of the Liturgy is to be reformed removed but he deemeth it to be adulterate worship and affirmeth it to be only a desective disorderly ministerial mode of Gods true worship of which the people hath not publique judgment and by which they may enjoy Gods Ordinances capable of operation to their end without any communion in this mode which is personal in a publique Officer to a publique end and must therefore be reformed by the endeavours of all in their places and without unwarrantable secession negative separation formal Schism and so a sinne They who have made a Schism between Pastors and People by an act of violence and exaction of what must not be yielded must be pittyed and prayed for but not paid in their own Coyn by us or repelled by our personal sin and Schism I desire to serve God but God keep me from serving him by my sin where sin is Gods instrument judgment his strange work is his businesse and the fire is usually prepared for such Instruments when their work is done Our Remonstrator stumble●h on another Sentence of Mr. Crofton's Plea for indeed he no where taketh the scote or understandeth the form and force of any Argument he Page 5. faith Mr. Crofton saith I cannot without trembling consider the circumcised Sects in the Church of Corinth Colosse he meant are charged to have left the head by leaving the body This our Antagonist saith is a strange Argument unlesse his non-Communicants be proved to be circumcised Sects and guilty of such corruptions as will amount to a not holding the head Here Sir our Remonstrator who taketh no Argument right is run out into another mistake as if Mr Crofton did allude to the circumcised Sects for their corruption who alludeth to them for their separation not holding in the body and so not holding the head be the corruptions of any Church or People what they will a separation and unwarrantable separation from Gods true Church is a leaving the body and so not holding the head the estate of which is so dreadful that every good man cannot but tremble to see any in the least appearance thereof motion or tendency thereunto Sir What our Remonstrator doth urge in case of scandal is no contradiction in these to Mr. Crofton in what he hath asserted but in hypothesi he hath run on his old mistake Is communion in the Liturgy a positive duty is Page 53. his Quaerie Mr. Crofton saith No but communion in Gods worship ministred by the Liturgy is a positive duty to such who have no choice and cannot enjoy Gods worship in communion with Gods Church Catholique visible in a better ministerial mode and order 2. Saith he is not the Liturgy indifferent Mr. Crofton faith No it is not not as the Bishop told him because imposed but because a formal positive evil but yet it is not an evil of that nature and quality as to intercept the indispensible duty of communion in Gods true worship ministred by it when we have no choice 3. Saith he Will not scandal accrue by Mr. Crofton ' s communion as well as conformity in the Liturgy Mr Crofton saith It will but he denieth all communion in the Liturgy and his non-conformity is the act of non communion in his capacity as a Minister his non-personal acting in any the popular Responds Conclamations and groundlesse variation of Gestures is the evidence of his non-non-communion as a Member of the Church Mr. Crofton is sensible men and good men are and will be scandalized by his communion in Gods worship ministred by this mode but this is by accident not from the nature of his act but from the ignorance and weaknesse of those who take it and therefore are no bar to his duty indeed weak though good men may well stumble when this man of Learning hath no more brains then to confound communion in Gods worship ministred by the Liturgy with communion in the Liturgy and so conclude Mr. Crofton a Mecaenas and Advocate for the Liturgy Sir That which is the great stick and stumble with many though this acute Disputant doth not urge any thing against it is this principle which some men whose judgment should be better is pleased to call proprium Degma to himself viz. I can communicate in Gods worship ministred in that humane ministerial mode and order by which I cannot administer Sir The general reason of this his resolution is the modification of Gods worship in and to the Church is the personal act of the Minister If Sir this act be personal the Minister may not be imposed on all sins in the ministerial mode are his who ministreth and they extend not to the Church unlesse by accident through some defect of their own Sir this general might be amplyfied by these particulars 1. A Minister by his Office stands charged to modifie Gods worship by his ministerial gifts and personal abilities he may not therefore be imposed on be the modes imposed never so good he may as well admit composed Sermons as composed Prayers and forms for Administration of Sacraments 2. Every Minister hath a publique judgment of the ministerial mode by which he ministreth the worship of God and doth qua Minister as a publique Officer receive this and reject that so that if he receive a mode defective and disorderly the sin becometh his 3. Every Minister is personally active in the ministerial mode by which he ministreth so that he mangleth Scripture and doth personally act all that disorder which is in it These things are well illustrated by Mr. Croftons allusion to the Recorder of the Citie or Speaker in Parliament and shew good reason why he cannot conforme to Minister by such and such a ministerial mode But his ministry as to

in the modes by which he doth minister some are proud and curious and in their carnal policy compell an vniformity in ministerial mode not necessary yea sinfull restraining ministeriall guifts and the Churches profit by their variety these pretend to correct some mens rudenesse and irreverence by imposing their own prescribed composed formes and modes of ministration to the open violence and almost subvertion of the office of the Ministry these again met with men of sloathfull or slavish spirits who are idle and neglect their own ministerial guifts whilst others on pretence to peace and obedience to superiors do admit them the formes composed by others betraying the office they have received from the Lord no wonder to find defects and disorders in the ministerial mode of Gods worship whilst the same is wholly dependent on men of weaknesse subject to folly and infidelity the best of men and Ministers need a Priest to make attonen ent for their holy things 6. The guilt of all defect and disorder in the humane ministerial mode of Gods worship is immediately properly and directly personal charged on the Minister and on him alone not on the Church or any the members thereof The guilt is proportioned to the duty modification is a personal duty charged on the officer appointed to that office this guilt may indeed as other sins by accident be derived to the Governours of the Church who should but do not set up and ordain men to the Ministry and suspend and put down such who want ability well and rightly to modifie and minister Gods worship and Ordinances and to the peo ple and individual members when they observing defects and disorders in the Ministerial mode of worship donot grieve for the sin of others and complain of it as burdensom to themselves and in liberty of choice if they do not choose better but sit contentedly under the same Eli by the first brought on himselfe the sin of his sons prophane ministration and the God-fearing Israelites delivered themselves by the last but there is no common reason which can derive the sin of rude Ministration on the people 10. All defects disorders rude and impertinent expressions in the hnmane ministerial mode of Gods worship are corruptions circumstantiall and extrinseal in and by which Gods worship may substantially exist in matter and essential form capable of operation to its appointed end The Scriptures are read though in parts and parcels and in a corrupt imperfect translation all which are evil and abate the efficacy to edification but are not such evil on which we may conclude the Seriptures are not read or cannot edifie the hearers the word is preached and may profit the hearer though the Sermon be raw rude indigested immethodical and in wild and unfit expressions Prayer is presented to God though defective in some matter to be desired disorderly in the manner of expressions uttered with abruptions abreviations pauses and postings one again None of these evils do vitiate the subject or alter the matter or essential form of Gods Ordinance so as to destroy the substance these make Gods worship not so serious grave and reverend as it should be but these notwithstanding it doth truly fully formally exist Gods worship the third not second Commandement is hereby broken God's name is truly but not rightly used he is truly worshipped but th●se adjunct qualities which should attend his worship are wanting the want of reverence and right order in the ministration of his Ordinance doth provoke God but will not conclude he is not at all worshipped 11. Defects disorders and corruptions in the ministerial mode of Gods Ordinances fixed continued and reiterated are more sinful and offensive to God and his people then those which are present and transient but both these are sins of one and the same nature and quality and of equal influence on Gods worship ministred by the same Corruptions fixed and reiterated are more wicked because more deliberately and wilfully used more offensive to Gods people because foreknown like the rude ministrations of Elies sons they make the Lords people loath the offerings of the Lord but yet they enter not into Gods Ordinance so as to vitiate the same and make it cease to be his prayer is no lesse prayer when pronounced by the defective disordered forms which are fixed and reiterated then when expressed by the raw rude irreverent modes presently conceived by the Minister the last may be more excusable in the Minister and more comfortable to the people but prayer is as truly formally existent Gods worship under the first the fixed reiteration of a defective disordered ministerial mode of worship addeth to the degree but altereth not the nature and quality of the sinne 12. No defects or disorders in the humane ministeriall mode whether fixed and reiterated in and by imposed and prescribed forms or expressed in and by present transient conceived forms in and by which Gods worship doth substantially exist for matter and form his in and to his Church will warrant any Christians secession voluntary withdrawing from the holy Convocation or non-communion in Gods worship so ministred for these notwithstanding Gods worship doth truly fully formally exist capable of operation to its appointed end 2. This sin is purely personal chargeable on the Minister who standeth charged with the office of ministerial modification of Gods worship in and to the Church the people or particular members of the Church may and must passe on this as other personal acts a judgement of charity which doth direct them to grieve for the sin existent to complain of it and as they have opportunity to admonish the sinner though the sons of Eli of it and seek the correction and removal of the same but they have not of it any judicium publicum judgement of Office charged on them by the specialty of duty and armed with a just morall power of correction so as that the same should be the neglect of this publique duty become their sin and leave its guilt on their souls that Gods worship formally exist in every mode of ministration every Christian and member of the Church must judge and see for by this corruption the holy Convocation ceaseth and they worship not God but the mode it selfe is personally charged on the Minister the defect and disorder is an accident resulting from the sloth negligence ignorance weaknesse and unfaithfulnesse of the Minister and an adjunct separable from Gods worship existent by the same Sir I pray you take good notice of this that the private Christian and particular members of the Church have no publike judgement of office concerning the Ministerial mode of Gods worship for Sir it is a notion of much weight and use in this Case and it appeareth plainly true if the modifying of Gods worship be as it cannot be denyed to be the personal act of an Officer appointed to that end moreover Sir if the people have a publique judgement of the ministerial mode

exercise being superseded and he resolved into the state and capacity of a private member of the Church considereth 1. This ministerial mode is evil but not such an evil as vitiateth the subject Gods worship doth truly formally salvably though not comfortably or so prositably as by another exist in and to the Church by it and I cannot have Gods Ordinances in communion with Gods Church without it 2. In this ministerial mode the members of the Church are purely passive they according to their duty assemble to worship God the Minister charged with the bumane mode doth assume a Minister by this the which the members of the Church do not advise or choose nor any way act in but composedly attend the worship of God hereby ministred unto them and exhibited for their Amen so that the sin is personal not publique and common no way derived to me unlesse by my neglect to mourn for this as any other sin in another 3. Though this mode of worship do direct some acts to be done by the people yet I am Master and Judg of my own action and can with-hold and refuse it so that in the whole ministration I act not but in my Amen to the prayer thus modified and my attention to the worship thus ministred and the sinful mode is by and to the Minister and him alone Sir Let not any infer that on these grounds we may attend a Masse and be innocent For Sir the corruptions in a Masse are such as vitiate the Subject and destroy the worship of God 1. It is celebrated in an unknown tongue and so doth not exhibit any worship it is to the people vox preterea nihil it is a frivolus objection I understand Latine when the Church who understandeth it not is the subject of the worship to be done to God the Question is of publique communion not my private and personal adoration 2. The Masse doth pray to the Saints a wrong object in the name of the Saints a wrong ground for some unlawful things wrong matter of prayer Gods worship is not herein existent but destroyed 3. The Masse maketh the Sacraments Sacrifices for the quick and dead transubstantiateth the Elements and so changeth the nature of the Ordinance in the very nature and esse thereof We are Sir at last arrived at the last quarrel our Remonstrator picketh at Mr. Croftons Plea in which he is exactly square to his mistaken self Mr. Crofton saith I am not without the caution and conduct of sober godly learned promoters and pursuers of a perfect and compleat Reformation To this the Remonstrator saith It is strange Mr. Crofton Page 54. should argue from communion amongst distinct Churches against the non-communion of present members of one and the same Church since that is a communion not by participitati●● and joint fellowship How Sir not by participitation and joint fellowship that is strange though not by constant participitation personal by their individual members yet by joint fellowship in the same substantial worship and occasional perticipation reciprocally each with other by their particular members cast into this or that Country Sir can other Reformed Churches hold communion with England if her worship be no worship of God will-worship Scripture-bitten will-worship Moreover Mr. Crofton observed Reformation not Separation the Reformed Churches disowned not on occasion declined not never advised their travelling members to decline communion with England her Liturgy notwithstanding they sure concluded Page 43. Gods worship was therby ministred Again this Remonstrator telleth us Mr. Croftons instance in the primitive Non-conformists is wide of that of the modern it is true and Mr. Crofton tells us in his Plea He was sensible of it they administred by this ministerial mode which Mr. Crofton saith He can better excuse than justifie yet the distance is not Page 44. so great as this mans wild fancie doth dream they were under the same corruptions for kind which are returned upon us yet Hildersham Ball Nichols Hind and others maintained the duty of communion in Gods worship under in and by them against Brown Barrow and other Rigid Separatists who urged this mans grand Argument it was not Gods worship and it was will-worship I know our Remonstrator disowns relation to these men and their Sects yet sheltereth himself under their shield and fighteth with no weapon but what was forged on their Anvil and in their Shop only he addeth ours is an estate of relapse that is indeed true and aggravateth our sin but altereth not the nature and quale of the corruptions if these corruptions returned do vitiate the subject and destroy Gods worship they did so when first inovated or continued in the first Reformation for as I have before urged it is only the quality not the degree of the evil must vitiate Gods worship to make it poyson express poyson Sir I have done with this Remonstrator when I have told him Mr. Crofton is a Peter who can receive the rebukes of a brother Paul but the rebukes of a Zeal mistaking matter of fact doth only retort on the Censurer with a what doth your arguing reprove I am Sir Your Obliged Friend R. S. Febr. 13. 1662. POSTSCRIPT Worthy Sir YOu cannot but have heard that Mr. Crofton in his late travels had a Paper taken out of his pocket it was a rough Draught of his high-way thoughts which he committed to paper to communicate to a now Conformist a good friend of his himself had not another Copy for whilst it was in his hand it was never transcribed by himself or any other I having with some difficulty procured a Copy thereof from one relating to the Gentleman who took it from Mr. Crofton have presumed to send it you that if you think good you may make it publique and thereby capacitate our conforming Clergy to resolve if they can one of the great Scruples which barreth Mr. Croftons Conformity and Ministration by a Liturgy however the world will see what a Mecaenas and Advocate he is for Liturgies This Paper being since his Plea for Communion Vale. FINIS