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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A37371 A Declaration of the congregational ministers, in and about London, against antinomian errours, and ignorant and scandalous persons intruding themselves into the ministry 1699 (1699) Wing D655; ESTC R30977 18,241 80

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A DECLARATION OF THE Congregational Ministers In and about London AGAINST Antinomian Errours AND Ignorant and Scandalous Persons Intruding themselves into the MINISTRY The SECOND EDITION to which is Added The Testimony of some of the said Ministers LONDON Printed for John Hartley over-against Gray's Inn in Holborn MDCXCIX IT having been Reported and Industriously spread abroad That the Declaration against Antinomian Errours c. was not Considered and Approved of by the Congregational Ministers in and about this City which is in manifest Contradiction to the Title-Page and Preface We whose Names are hereunto subscribed to the end the Truth of Matter of Fact may Appear to the Conviction of Every Reader do Declare That Excepting Two or Three Ministers who go under the same Denomination with us to whom we thought not fit to Communicate the said Declaration All the Pastors of Congregational Churches in and about this City did Consider and Vnanimously Express their Approbation of it London Feb. 23. 1699. Geo. Griffith Matth. Mead. Stephen Lobb Richard Taylor John Nesbitt THE PREFACE SOME of us a while after the Heads of Agreement were Assented unto by the United Ministers in 91 Apprehending that the Doctrines of Christ's Satisfaction and our Iustification were in Danger 't was in a Brotherly way Endeavour'd that they might be Explained and Own'd as commonly held by the Reformed And after some considerable Time wherein 't was once hoped there had been a Sincere Renunciation of the Errours which too soon appeared to be otherwise a Paper containing a Right State of these Articles and a Disowning the Opposite Opinions was sent unto and Joyfully Receiv'd by us as what was Adjusted to Remove the Offence but at last laid aside for Another Paper that Encreased the Dissatisfaction Matters lying thus for several Months the First Paper with a brief Account of what had been done towards a Conciliation came to light and thereupon we were surprized with an Accusation not against a Person or two of Our Way only but against Us more generally and altho the Charge was of our being Tainted with Antinomian Errours yet was it not sent unto nor seen by us but in a Publick Print wherein we were treated not as Brethren but in a Way very Uncommon perhaps without a President by One of those Nine who had Subscribed that First Paper and in Conjunction with others sent it to us in a Letter Pressing us to Accept of it as an Expedient for Accommodation When we considered the Nature of this Charge and under what Countenance according to the Representation given of it in Print it appeared we had Reason to think that if our Accusers themselves did not yet the other Brethren would upon Reflection judge it to be both Equal and Fair that they who were in a Regular and Christian Manner first Accused should Vindicate themselves before they expected any thing of that kind from us Yea more that seeing they did so very well know our Principles to be Orthodox and Sound they would clear themselves from having any Hand in the Accusation if not save us this Trouble by Testifying their Dislike of those Unjust Aspersions cast upon us by some of their own Way in Point of Discipline But having waited a long while and nothing more done than the continuing the Clamour of our being Antinomians we have made the ensuing Declaration which has been Confidered and Approved of by us viz. The Ministers of the Congregational Perswasion in and about this City wherein we have been more full than our Accusers have in their Propositions desired us to be Now having thus Discharged our selves from the Groundless Accusations which have been against us on the one Extreme we cannot but at the same time express our Dislike of those Hurtful Errours about Christ's Satisfaction and our Justification on the Other Particularly such as are in the Writings of Mr. B r and his Followers wishing That what Persons soever have been charged would Declare their true Sense to the End we may know how to carry it towards them in the Exercise of Forbearance For altho we do with Luther think Truth to be of so Inestimable a Value That it 's better Heaven and Earth be Blended together in Confusion than that the least Dust thereof should Perish And that therefore it ought earnestly to be Contended for yet do we very consistently Agree with the Elders and Messengers at the Savoy who in the Preface to our Confession declared That amongst all Christian States and Churches there ought to be vouchsafed a Forbearance and Mutual Indulgence unto Saints of all Perswasions that keep unto and hold fast the Necessary Foundations of Faith and Holiness in all other Matters Extra-Fundamental whether of Faith or Order p. 6. 7. And seeing our Governors have by a Law Tollerated us we judge our selves the more obliged to bear with and Exercise that Compassion and Tenderness towards our Fellow Servants which we have had from our Superiors Our Prayer unto God is That the same Mind be in all which was in Christ Jesus that nothing be done through Strife and Vain Glory but in Lowliness of Mind ERRATA PAge 6. Line 7. for easie read easily l. 17. read some of us expressed a p. 32. l. 7. read whereof A DECLARATION c. ALtho' the Elders and Messengers of Congregational Churches who met in the Year 1658. at the Savoy after they had as themselves express it sailed through an Aestuation Fluxes and Refluxes of great Variety of Spirits Doctrines and Opinions which have been Accompanyed in their several Seasons with Powerfull Perswasions and Temptations to Seduce those of our way did Declare their Faith in the same Substance for matter yea Words for the most Part which other Churches and Assemblies Reputed the most Orthodox have done before them expressing their Approvall of the Confession of the Assemblie at Westminster and holding forth a Professed Opposition to the Common Errors and Heresies of those times And altho our Brethren in New-England who for the Substance Assented fully to the Assemblies Confession Zealously oppugned the Wild Notions of the Antinomians And also tho we our selves have frequently Signifyed our Approbation of the Doctrinal Articles of the Church of England and the aforesaid Confessions and many of our way have not only Preached but Written against them and never hath a Book Containing Errors of that or any other sort been sent forth under the Countenance of an Attestation of it's Soundness subscribed by any Number of us and altho our Orthodoxy be so manifest that we cannot want a Witness of it in the Consciences of our Accusers yet to the Dishonour of God and the Reproach of that Holy Profession which we with the rest of sound Protestants make of the Truth and in contradiction to the plainest Evidence are we traduced for being Antinomians and several upon this account pressed against their Attendance on our Ministry Whereupon in Faithfuness unto God and Compassion to the Souls of