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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	apostle_n	church_n	tradition_n	3,170	5	9.1818	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04542	A treatise of the ministery of the Church of England Wherein is handled this question, whether it be to be separated from, or joyned vnto. Which is discussed in two letters, the one written for it, the other against it. Wherevnto is annexed, after the preface, A brief declaration of the ordinary officers of the Church of Christ. And, a few positions. Also in the end of the treatise, some notes touching the Lordes prayer. Seuen questions. A table of some principal thinges conteyned in this treatise.	Johnson, Francis, 1562-1618.; Hildersam, Arthur, 1563-1632. aut	1595 (1595)	STC 14663.5; ESTC S117234	146,027	152

base a conceit of others who advise them better Secondly for yourself well may you think as we all ought that it is no disgrace vnto vs that our knowledg is imperfect and our judgment weak seing the Apostle saith even off himself as of all others now we know but in part and now we see through a glasse darkely Yet also would I desier Mr. H. remember and you to note it for your comfort that God so disposeth for his glory as euen the private members of the true Church yea women are found walking in the truth as we have receyved a commaundement from the Father when many deceyvers though men and in publick office are abroad in the world and false Church which confesse not in truth and in deed Iesus Christ come in the flesh that onely Prophett Priest and king whom God hath giuen to his Church forever Thirdly towching them whom God vsed as his instruments to draw you out off the bypa●●s of these assemblyes into the way of truth wherein you now walk as you have iust cause to blesse God for them so I pray you also regard not so much who they be as what they say And in any case take heed that you never have the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons neyther of Princes nor prelates nor any other though otherwise learned rich or famous any maner way Neyther let the heat of the adversaryes persecution nor the coldnes of the tyme servers swallowing vp all the abominations yet abiding among them nor the love of this present world nor the colourable perswasion of any though never so dare vnto you neyther any other thing whatsoever ensnare you to be wrapped in like errour with them but remember alway as is here well noted vnto you that the written word of God onely is to be the rule of our Life and Religion Lastly concerning Mr. H. who wrote this letter vnto you as you shall do well to take it that he erreth of ignorance and not of malice etc. as he desireth to be taken so of him I would desier for the taking away of this vayle from his eyes that he do heedfully look into the perfitt law of liberty not onely the better to see the filthynes of theyr corruptions that he may avoyd them but to behold also what orders and offices Christ Iesus hath sett in his Church to keep and observ them To which end he shall do well himself to Consider that which here he hath sett down vnto you concerning the writtē word of God According to which if he shall examine the particulars of theyr Church-constitution of which more God willing hereafter I hope he will no more say in this case that as of syncerity as of God in the sight of God so writeth he of these things but will rather acknowledg that whosoever go about to bring colour out of the Scriptures for them they do therein no other but make marchandize of the word of God And therefore will eyther stay his tal●● and lay his hand on his mouth or if he speak will speak to his own soule ād say Wilt thou plead Antichrists cause or wilt thou save him If he be of Christ let him plead for himself against them that by the word of theyr testimony destroy his ordināces Thus much to the entrance of this letter The rest of it is spent in laboring to disprove the writing which it seemeth you gaue him in defence of your separation from the ministery of these assemblyes Which after he hath well propounded in forme of reasoning he then bringeth some show of answer therevnto and of defence of theyr Ministery Wherein although I might in few lynes shortly have noted the subtilty and vnsoundnes of his answers yet have I chosen rather to write somewhat largely both for your sake and his own and for others also into whose hands these writings may co●● And this haue I thought to be the more needfull because he doth here so earnestly both protest the syncerity of his affection and make promise that nothing shalbe brought to perswade you but the word of God Now of the syncerity of his affection I make no doubt but do vertly thinck that he writeth and walketh as he is perswaded Onely where he promiseth and pretendeth to bring the word of God for the perswasion of your soule and performeth it not in deed and yet hath such obiections and pretence off Scripture and reason as greater in this case I thinck neyther have ben neyther can well be brought there●ore have I thought it best for better clearing of the truth to prosecute his annswers from poynt to poyut And although it wil be the more tedious yet to take this course therein first to sett down in his own words his aunswers to the reason you gaue him and then to examine and take them away by the light of the Scriptures For your self it shalbe your part as he desireth you to lay apart all sinister affection and with meeknes to receyv the word of truth grafted in you and able to save your soule Consider therefore well what is said and the Lord give you vnderstanding in all things Now to proceed it followeth in his letter to you thus Mr. H. his letter Section 2. The summe of the vvhole vvriting you gaue me is a reason to prove the lavvfulnes of your separation from our assemblyes because vve have no such minissters as you may lavvfully ioyne vvhithall and for plainenes it may fitly be cōcluded in this forme Whosoever he be that dealeth with the holy things of God and worketh vpon the Consciences of men by vertue of an Antichristian power office and calling him the people of God ought not to receyv or ioyne themselves vnto 2 Thes. 2. 4 10. But all the ministers that stand ouer the Church assemblyes in England deale with the holy things of God and work vpon mens consciences by vertue of an Antichristian power office calling Therefore the people of God ought not to receyv them or ioyne themselves vnto them The first part of this reason as I am not vnvvilling to yeeld vnto so do I affirme that the vvords of the Apostle vvritten 2. Thes. 2. 4. 10. are for the proof thereof vv●ested and perverted from the right sence For the Apostle there describeth Antichrist nor by his unlavvfull on●vvard calling or office that he should exercise in the Church but first by the false doctrine he should teach as appeareth plainely by the 10 and 11 verses and secondly by the authority he should vsurpe to give lavves vnto mens consciences and to rule in the harts of men as God as you may see in the 4. verse VVhich tvvo ma●ks of Antichrist as they may evidently be discerned in the papacy so admitt all the outvvard calling and offices in the Church of England exercised vvere faulty and vnvvarrantable by the vvord yet you in your ovvn Conscience knovv that these marks

man for an heathen or publicane though he be knovven to have grievously sinned Mat. 18 till such tyme as by despising all lavvf●ll meanes that can be vsed for reclayming him he shall be found to sinne of obstinacy then must it needs be a sinne for any private members such as you are to account an vvhole Church and so many famous assemblyes to be all as heathens and publicanes and Antichrists before theyr sinne hath ben manifested vnto them and they proceeded against according to the rule of Christ. Novv this hath not ben done vnto vs for many there are of the ministers in England that are not yet in theyr iudgement persvvaded of the discipline and many that do yeeld vnto it in iudgment and desier hartily the establishment of it ād the removall of all corruptiōs cānot yet see hovv they may vvith a good conscience forsake the callings and roomes they occupy for the vvant of the discipline If these sinne they sinne but of ignorance and therefore may not for this sinne be accounted for heathens and publicanes But admitt our sinne had ben manifested vnto vs by vvhom have vve ben ensured for it A private member may not be cast out till he have despised the censure of the Church though he have despised the admonition and counsell of sundry private Christians Then suerly an vvhole nation may not be cast out of the Church though it have not hearkned to the reproof of many private Christians till it shalbe found to have despised the censure of other more famous Churches professing the Gospell And vvhat such Church is there in the vvorld that ●ath censured vs Nay it is most evident that all those Churches in Christendome that have in most syncerity receyved and mainteyned the doctrine and discipline of Christ have alvvayes accounted our Church for a sister and given vnto her the right hand of fellovvship I deny not but a private Christian may ●●islike the corruptions that are allovved and practised by an vvhole Church he may refuse to subscribe or yeeld his consent vnto them he may by prayer and all other good meanes seek the reformation of them but that any one private Christian or some fevv severall assemblyes vvhereyn also there are some learned men may account all the Churches ●●at are in an vvhole nation to be either as heathens that is such as are destitu●e of the vvord and Sacraments and service of God or as publicanes that is such as vvith vvhom they may not lavvfully commanicate and ioyne in the said service of God that do I vtterly deny And vvhereas the chief thing vvhereof you boast your selves against vs is that you have Christs discipline practised among you vvhich vve vvant I affirme and date bynd my self to prove it that there is nothing practised amongst vs so contrary to the discipline as there is amongst you For proof vvhereof to omitt sundry of your practises and the extream confusion that is to be seen in your best reformed assemblyes let this suffice that hath ben already mentioned S. Peter calleth those Ievves that had crucified Christ breth●en Act. 2. 29. and 3. 17. And Paul accounteth the Galathians a true Church vvhen the errours that they vvere fallen into vvere matters fundamentall Gal. 1. 2. and 5. 2. And this account did these tvvo holy Apostles make of them because they had not ben yet convinced and reiected by the iudgment of the Church And vvhy should you or any of your company vvho for authority you knovv are not to be compared vvith those holy Apostles disdayne to call vs brethren and to account vs a Church till such tyme as vve have ben convinced of error and reiected by the iudgment of other Churches VVhen there grevv controversy in the Church of Antiochia the brethren thought it not fitt to proceed in iudgment against them of the circumcision though theyr errors vvere far greater then any are in our Church and though the belevers there vvere more in number and of greater graces then ever those vvere of your company Act. 11. 21. 26. and 15. 23. and so might vvith more cōsent and authority have ended the matter at home vvithout seeking further to other Churches yea though they had Paul and Barnabas men better able to decide and determine the matter then ever you had any in your assemblyes yet vvould they not I say proceed till they had made other Churches and na●ely that famous Church of Ierusalem acquainted vvith the matter and required theyr advise and authority to decide and overrule it Act. 15. 2. 4. And might it not asvvell have beseemed those of your company that first entended a separation from our Church a matter of so great vvaight and consequence to have sought the advise of the Churches of Geneva and Fraunce and Germany and Helvetia and Scotland in the matter and to have stayed theyr separation till such tyme as those Churches had proceeded against vs according to the rule of Christs discipline May I not vvell say as the Apostle doth to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 14. 36. Came the vvord of God our from you eyther came it vnto you onely And this I hope may be sufficient to shovv hovv vntrue that is vvhich is affirmed in the first part of the reason vsed in your vvriting viz Whosoever worketh vpon the consriences of men by vertue of an Antichristian office ād calling he is an Antichristiā Minister whatsoever truth he bringeth with him Aunswer to Section 5. IN this third exception according to theyr vsuall maner Mr H. taketh for graunted that which he should prove to witt that theyr ecclesiasticall assemblyes be the Churches of Christ sett in his order and constitution Which thing we deny And till they prove it themselves may see they can not thus reason from this Scripture of Mat. 18. as here he doth For although from thence it may be gathered that the Churches of Christ are not for corruptions arising in them to be forsaken but first theyr redresse is by all good meanes to be sought yet it followeth not therevpō that the Synagogues of Antichrist are in like maner to be proceeded withall and not forthwith to be avoyded This I say followeth not of the other any more then if one should reason thus A brother being knowen to have sinned is not to be accounted as an heathen or publicane till being duly proceded with he have contemned the voyce of the Church Therefore also one that is an heathen or publicane yet notwithstanding is not so to be accounted till he have ben likewise admonished and proceded withall As there is no consequence in this so neyther is there in the other The same Scripture which saith Do ye not iudge them that are vvithin saith it not also What have I to do to judge them that are vvithout Now then as we are to carry our selves after one maner towards particular men that are within and after another towards them that are without

blasphemyes and power was given vnto him to do two and fourty moneths And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemy against God to blaspheme his Name and his tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven Rev. 13. 5. 6. This book of the Revelation whosoever readeth over with a single heart and compareth with it the event of things partly come to passe already partly morefully yet to be accomplished considering on the one hand that the whore of Babilon hath made all nations of the earth drunk with the cup of her fornications that she hath already begun to fall and daily more and more inclyneth to her full desolation and destruction which yet can never wholy be accomplished so long as the Babylonish offices of Archbis●hops Lordbishops Archdeacons and the rest with theyr courts canons worship and procedings do continew And on the other hand that the Lord Iesus will by the light ād power of his gospell condemne and abolish that Babilo●ish whore with all her false offices and constitutions and will also raigne in his Church by his own offices and lawes with his crown of glory vpon his head ād his scepter of righteousnes in his hād vntill he give vp the kingdome to God even the Father that God may be all in all Who so I say readeth this book and considereth these and such like prophecyes therein cōteyned in part already fulfilled and yet morefully to be effected shall playnely see that this book of all other most playnely deciph●reth and condemneth the Babylonish Antichristian estate and constitution of these assemblyes as they now stand vnder this Prela●y and other false ministery of the land Now in particular for the place of this book here alledged that it likewise is verisfyd of theyr ecclesi●sticall estate ād dealings at this day as heretofore it hath bē in the Romane Empire and Apostasy elswhere may sufficiently be seen by that which hath before ben said towching Daniels like prophetyes where you may perceyv by the sp●rialtyes there expressed how these men in theyr estate at this day have a mouth that speaketh great things and blasphemyes against God to blaspheme his name in speaking yll of his truth and ordinances and his Tabernacle that is his Church which is the house of the living God ād Tabernacle wherein he dwelleth among the sonnes of men on earth and them that dvvell in heaven that is the Lords secret ones whose conversation is in heaven whiles they live here on earth keeping the ●●mmaundements of God and having the testimony of Iesus Christ whom they look for from the heavēs for theyr full redemptiō But these things being before in the handling of Daniels prophery declared in many particulars it shall not be needfull here agayn to repeat them Onely in this place it shall be good to note this moreover that in this chapter and book Mr. H. might have sett down many other places describing the propertyes of Antichrist and that not onely in regard of his doctrine and deceit thereof but also in respect of his tolourable pretence to be of Christ and for him yet forcing all people to stand subiect to his own adulterate discipline ordinances and jurisdiction To which end it is to be observed that Antichrist is here described to have two hornes like the lambe pretending his ministery and authority to be of Christ ●nd for him but yet shall speak like the dragon in his false doctrines imposed traditions blaspheming the truth reviling the witnesses thereof and advauncing himself and his own inventions above God and his commaundemēts Moreover that he shall make all both small and great rich and poore bond and free to take his mark in theyr forehead ād hād and so to submitt to his ministery leiturgy courts excommunitations and the rest of the actions of his vsurped authority Or els killeth banisheth ād imprisoneth all such as refuse so to do not suffring them eyther to enioy any liberty o●priviledg in the world or to performe any worship to God but according to his own in ventions ād apostasy Which h●w true they ar● of the Prelacy and other Clergy of these assenblpes let theyr estate and daily actions be witnesses Hitherto also might be referred other scriptures of this book verifyed in them likewise for example that as the 〈◊〉 spoken of in the ninth of this book were like vnto horses prepared to battayle having on theyr heads crownes like vnto gold and faces like men and haire as womē and teeth as lyons ād habergions of yron and tayles as scorpions with stings in them having power to hurt for a season so the Prelates ād other Clergy of Antichrist are f●erce as horses to fight against the truth and people of God having rule and dominion with Lordly titles and princely dignities in outward face ād show pretending to be the Ministers of Christ and his Church but in deed being deceitfull entising and lascivious as harlots and ravenous cruell poysonfull and singing as Lyons and scorpions having powr to hurt and deceyue for a season albeyt their 〈◊〉 ād malice be limited ād repressed by the providence and power of the most High Agayne that as those locusts with mens faces were all of them vnder Abaddō their King the Angel of the bottomles pitt so the Prelates and other Clergy of Antichrist howsoever they pretend to be the Ministers of righteousnes are in deed the subjects of Sathan the Prince of dar●nes who yet transformeth himself into an Angell of light Moreover that they as well as other people and nations of the earth haue committed fornication vvith that vvhore of Babylon spoken of in this book and haue receyued of her names of blasphemy such as be the names of Archbishops and Lord bisshops and Priests when it is ascribed to an office of Ministery of the Gospell and haue drunk of her golden cupfull of abominations whence haue proceeded theyr Ministery book of common prayer book of ordering Priests and consecrating Archbishops and Bishops excommunications by Archdeacons and Lordbishops theyr courts of facultyes Commissary courts and such like among them and fina●● have ben made drunken vvith the blood of the Saints and vvith the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus So as these assemblyes in theyr ecclesiasticall constitutiō and procedings have showed themselves to be the naturall daughters of Babylon that mother of vvhoredomes and abominations of the earth howsoever as a Mystery it ly much hid and is not easily espyed vnle● Christ Iesus annoynt ovvreyes vvith ey salue that we may perceyv it and carry us forth as it vvere into the vvildernes in the Spirit to take a view of it by the light of his word ād not as it maketh show ād is esteemed among men in the world And thus much of this place ād book of the Revelatiō here alledge● Now before Mr. H. cometh to any other Scriptures 〈◊〉 this conclusion of the former that

such ministery and in such maner as he hath appoynted Thirdly by that which hath ben said it is evident these Scriptures show not that for which they are alledged that is prove not greater corruptions to have ben found in the Churches aproved by the holy Gohst then be now in the Church assemblyes of England I deny not but this sacrificing in the hy places was a great corruption And so the Spirit of God noteth it that the people herein corrupted themselves yea and that they had not prepared theyr heart to the Lord. But for these men by colour of this to defend the re●ayning and vsing of theyr Antichristian ministery in theyr seerall offices callings administration and maintenance with theyr popish worship and the rest of theyr abominations it 〈◊〉 not at all but is rather wholy against them inasmuch as in that Church of I●●KH the vnlawfull priest●ood and worship with other the abominations in former tymes vsed were now taken away this corruption of the hy places onely excepted and the true wor●ship of God in place thereof performed in such ministery and maner as he had ordeyned Neyther of which is yet to be seen in this land Lastly in these Scriptures is to be observed both the different speaches concerning the Kings and concerning the people in theyr ages and that the testimony which the holy Ghost giveth of them is such as hath with it a note of blemish and default in them and that recorded to posterity not to encourage vs to fayle in like maner as they did but to be a warning vnto vs to take heed of being so overtaken as they were And thus have I showed so far as yet I see the true meaning and vse of these Scriptures and how they serve not at all to that purpose for which they are brought as they have ben also and still are wrested by the Papists to boulster out theyr most filthy abominations likewise though all in vayne For great and strong is the truth and will prevayle against all ad●ersaryes of it in the end The next Scripture is out of Mat. 15. where Christ reproving the Pharisees for transgressing the commaundement of God by theyr own tradition proveth it thus God hath commaunded saying Honour thy father and mother and he that curseth father or mother let him dy the death But you say vvhosoever shall say to father or mother It is or be it a gift vvhatsoever thou might be holpen vvith of me And shall not honour his father or his mother he shalbe giltles Thus have ye made the commaundemēt of God of no authority by your tradition Mat. 15. 4. 5. 6. Here we fynd a tast of that leaven of the Pharisees whereof our Saviour Christ bad his disciples they should take heed and beware and not that they should be encouraged thereby to be more corrupt as these men reason out of such places But let vs a litle compare this Scripture and theyr estate together and see whether is to be accounted more corrupt they then or these now First we see here the disobedience taught by the Pharisees was against the second Table whereas the disobediēce taught by these men in the poynts now controverted is both against the first and the second Table Against the first in teaching the people to wors●hip God by another ministery and after another maner then he hath appoynted yea by such ministery and in such maner as Antichrist hath invented and God most straitly forbidden Against the second in disobeying the Magistrates in deed whom outwardly in show they would seem to obey whiles at theyr commaundemēt they serue God by a false ministery and worship imposed by them For as true obedience to the Magistrates is alwayes in the Lord so is it disobedience rather then obedience vnto them to obey them against the Lord. Secondly the Pharisees taught the people to neglect the performance of a duty which they ought to theyr earthly parents in honouring of them But these men teach the people to neglect the performance of that duty they o● to theyr heavenly father in honoring fearing and worshipping him as he hath commaunded Thirdly the Pharisees taught the people to neglect man vnder colour of keeping a ●ow or doing a duty to God to witt the vowing or offering of that as an oblatiō to God by which they should have holpe● theyr parents But these men teach the people to neglect God and his commaundements vnder colour of yeelding obedience to ●an Fourthly among the Iewes this disobedience against man was taught by some not receyved by all But in these assemblyes theyr disobedience against God is taught and 〈◊〉 of them all Fiftly the Pharisees and other Iewes at that tyme as may appeare even by some places by M r. H. here alledged had not devised a new publik ministery and worship but retayned that ministery and worship which God had appoynted though they walkt therein corruptly But the ministers and people of these assemblyes at this day have such ministery and worship as was never ordeyned by God but devised by that man of sinne though otherwise they make some show of holynes and religion therein So as in this respect there is no comparison between these two Lastly it is to be observed that the testimony here given concerning them that so taught as is aforesaid is not an approbation of them therein but both a sharp reproof of them and an earnest admo●ition to others for this cause to let then● alone together with this generall sentence of Christ annexed therevnto Every plant vvhich myne heavenly father hath not planted shalbe rooted vp Let them alone they be the bl●nd leaders of the blynd and if the blynd lead the blynd both shall fall into the ditch Hitherto of this Scripture of Matth. 15. which we see being duly considered neyther proveth that for which it is produced neyther any way iustifyeth but rather condemneth theyr Antichristian estate Next he alledgeth Luk. 3. 2. where it is thus written When Annas and Caiphas were the chief priests the word of God came vnto Iohn the sonne of Zacharias in the wildernes Luk. 3. 2. This Scripture is directly agaynst them For here first it is playne that for the ordinary ministery among them they had not devised a straunge new one but re●apned that auncyent function of priesthood appoynted by God as the mention of chief Priests doth show And whereas Iohn Baptist did now exercise an extraordinary ministery among them it is noted he did it not without speciall warrant from the word of God therevnto Which is further proved both in the words follow●●● in this chapter and els where in this and the other Euangelists Now if then they might not have any eyther ordinary or extraordinary ministery but such onely as was appoynted and allowed by the word of God muchlesse may we now vnder the Gospell admitt of any ministery but such