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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	old_a	scripture_n	testament_n	10,292	5	8.2542	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17912	A necessitie of separation from the Church of England, prooved by the nonconformists principles Specially opposed vnto Dr. Ames, his Fresh suit against humane ceremonies, in the point of separation only. Also Dr. Laiton, Mr. Dayrel, and Mr. Bradshaw, are here answered, wherein they have written against us. With a table in the later end, of the principal occurrents in this treatise. By Iohn Canne, pastor of the ancient English church, in Amsterdam.	Canne, John, d. 1667?	1634 (1634)	STC 4574; ESTC S117015	174,263	303

was ordained by Pope Telesphorus in the yeare 136. and they keepe it England for the fame end that the Papists doe Iustlie therefore is it named a Romish Error a superstitious fast The service appointed for that time is against the seriptures and Gods name prophaned by the curses and adjurations then used For their other fasts they are said to be monuments of Idolatrie devised of Antichrist in all the rites and orders of them superstitious and directlie against Gods commaundements As for wendesdayes frydayes and saterdayes fasts Bonifacius is said to ordaine them in the year 315. And Pope Calixtin in the yeare 206. ordained Imber fastes And in the yeare 425. another Romish Beast ordained Saints Eves fasts And all this trash dung was first devised by Montanus that notable Heretick as Mr. Cartw. observeth from Eusebius and for what use serues all this trumperie but only to keepe out and hinder true fasting indeed The observation of holy dayes as Christmasse Circumcision Epiphanie Purification and all other of the saints is a breach of the second commaundement and herein some part of the abominations of the Romish religion is practised Such therefore as impose this upon mens consciences doe it without any warrant of Gods word and therefore the same cannot be kept lawfully Many good reasons for this are shewed in their writings as the reader may see if he please in the places noted Moreover they doe affirme that the whole prescript service appointed for these Saints dayes is idolatrous Antichristian Of the same nature are all their ordinarie collects Pope Gregorie Celasius they say ordained them and they have them word for word as they stand in the Blasphemous Massebooke I might here shew how some of their Collects are charged with Arianisme others with Poperie Arminianisme Many with lies and manifest contradictions But to be short they tell us in one word that the saying of them is not Praying but indeed wicked pratling As for the Letanie well naturing the name of a laborious service in the dust and durt for so Homer and others useth the same it is borrowed from the practise of the Heathen as Causabon out of Dionysius Habicarnasse observeth And is in verydeed nothing but an impure Masse of conjuring and charming Battologies whereby the name of God is highly prophaned his house and worship abused Gods people by it abandoned the sanctuarie and the prophane love no worship so well as it The Epistles and Gospells read in their Churches is a practise taken wholy from Rome and they use the verie same which the others doe This chapping hacking of the scriptures this rending of it a peeces one from another is contrarie to the order which God hath ordained and his churches practised from time to time and therefore the Nonconformists have desired that it might be taken away as an evill thing Againe in those Epistles Gospells which the Prelates cause superstitiouslie thus to be read There are sundry words and sentences of holy scriptures left out which were given by divine inspiration for the profit of the whole church and many words and sentences of their owne foolish braine added to the text as parts of it yea in many places such absurd things are put as no reasonable sence can be made thereof Besides very often the meaning of the Holy Ghost is perverted by a false interpretation of the text and sundry places applyed to the countenancing of some points of false doctrine All this is shewed largely by the ministers of Lincolne in the Abrigement and the like they say of the Psalmes in the booke of common prayer the prescript number whereof and Lessons as the English Preists now observe were devised by Pope Gregorie the seventh in the yeare 1073. That any of the Apocrypha should be publikely read the Nonconformists hold it utterlie unlawfuli 1. Because to use any word publikelie in the church beside the written word of God contayned in the Canonicall scriptures is condemned by the second commaundement 2. In the church of the Iewes in the Apostles time only Moyses and the Prophets were read 3. The scriptures are sufficient both for doctrine and manners and were given to that end 4. It is the proper office of Christ to be the teacher of his church and therefore no writing may be appointed to be read in the congregation for instruction of manners but only such as have been indited by his spirit 5. Many by this meanes are brought into a great error thinking that the same is scripture 6. These Apocripha bookes containe a number of shamefull lies horrible blasphemies vaine vanities plaine contradictions ridiculous fooleries Athean Impieties Fables fitter for T●l●machus and Aeneas then for Gods people Notwithstanding though these bookes be thus false wicked and abominable yet in their assemblies many of them are commaunded to be read for first lessons yea under the name of the holie scriptures of the old Testament without any note of difference from the Canonicail as the lying story of Susanna under the name of Daniel 13. and in as great a measure for their proportion as the other Moreover many of the Apocryphall chapters are to be read twise in one yeare and some thrice but so are not any of the Canonical chapters of the Old Testament but a great part of thē of the New also by the order which their cōmon prayerbooke prescribeth are not to be read at all in their churches Lastly the Nonconf tell us that these idle Legends are read upon their great holy dayes when the church assemblies are wont to be best frequented and oftimes the holy scriptures must give place to them as tending more to edification and therefore may not be so well spared as the other Reading of Homilies in the church which is a cushion for idle and blind Priests to rest upon is said to be foolish fond and vnlawfull a practise never heard of in the church in the Apostles time neither indeed is it a meanes to beget faith but the instrument of foolish and idoll sheapheards As the Prophets therfore might not in calling the people together blow any trumpets but those which were made and set a part for that purpose by the commaundement of God so ought not the ministers of God to expound or read openly in the congregation any writings but onlie the Canonicall Scriptures which the Lord hath set a part and sanctifyed for that use Here by the way I wish the reader to note well the last words viz. that no writings ought to be read in the congregation but the Canonicall Scriptures This Position is often affirmed by the Learnedst of the Nonconformists namely Mr. Cartwright D. Chadd●rton c. Hence then it must follow that all formes of Prayer devised by men are unlawfull to be read in the congregation and therefore where ever this is practised men ought necessarily to abstaine from joyning therewith

well have been performed in Rome wherevpon the Bull was presently called in Moreover such is the vnholinesse of this idol booke as the Nonconformists generally have refused to subscribe vnto it affirming it to be such a peece of work as it is strāg any will vse it there being in it most vile vnallowable things And for this cause they have besought the peeres of the realme that it might be vtterly removed and many reasons they have given in severall treatises to prove their condemnation of it just and lawfull first because it is an infectious liturgie ●o●ish stuffe a devised service and in it are many Religions mixed together of Christ and Antichrist of God and the devil besides a booke full of fancies and a great many thinges contrary to Gods word and prayers which are false foolish superstitious and starke naught c. 2. They cannot account it praying as they vse it commonly but onely reading or saying of prayers even as a child that learneth to read if his lesson be a prayer he readeth a prayer and doth not pray even so it is commonly a saying and reading prayers and not praying 3. In all the order of it there is no edification but confusion 4. We read not of any such liturgy in the Christian Church in the dayes of the Apostles nor in many ages following till blindnesse ignorance and lazinesse occasioned a prescript forme to be made for idle and dumb Preists 5. If this were not many would make more profession of love to preaching and hearing Gods word but by this meanes it is neglected and despised for worldings vsurers drunkards whoremongers and other earthly and Prophane people away with nothing so well as English Masse and why but because it doth not sharply reprove them of their sins nor disclose the secret of their hearts but that they may continue in all kind of voluptuousnesse and all other kind of wickednesse and therefore rightly is it called their sterve-vs booke 6. God hath no where appointed that the Church should be tyed to read the booke of common prayer for his worship and therefore to doe it is an high transgression before him as great as the sinne of Nadab and Abihu and such are liable vnto the like or greater punishment 7. If this were praying and there were never an ill word nor sentence in all the prayers yet to appoint it to be vsed or to vse it as Papists did their mattens and evening song for a sex service to God though the words be good the vse is naught the words of the first chapt in Iohn be good but to be put into a tablet of gould for a soverainge thing to be worne the vse is superstitious and naught and so is the vse of this service Sundry other arguments of this nature are used of them to prove their Service-booke a false idolatrous unlawfull worship the which I purposely omitt because enough already hath been said about it Yet there is one thing which I thinke good here to note namely a comparison which they make betweene the Papists and Prelates in forcing the practice of this foolish stuffe Welfare the Papists say they for they shall rise up in judgement against you it is meant of the Hierarchie who like good fellowes yet in plain and open termes even bare faced as it were doe seeke to reduce vs and to draw vs to their false and idolatrous worship and service in poperie as namely by their Masse mattens ensong purification and other such like whereas you must daungerously and even vnder a maske or visard as it were and not vnlike to him that transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light doe goe about to draw and allure vs to the selfe same worship and service but by cleanlier names and honester titles c. Marke I pray thee reader what they speake here touching their likenesse and unlikenesse with the Papists For their worship Service it is they confesse the selfe same false worship used in Popere The difference stands in their Bishops beguileing of the people For they doe lay more cunning snares baites then the other to have their idolatrie submitted unto as for an instance The Papists call their trashe Masse c. the other call it divine service c. And why have they left out the first title but because they thinke few people would come to it if it did cary still the ould name of the Beast upon the forehead of it Nothing have the Nonconformists here said against that idolatrous book but we also doe assent wholy therto Indeed in practice we agree not For they will be present where the same is used whether they thinke it lawfull so to doe I know not but this I know that by their grounds laid downe against it every true beleever is necessarily bound to separate from it and not upon any occasion to joyne in communion therewith and this I will prove 1. By precepts 2. Examples 3. by reasons 4. by the testimonies of the learned Of all which we will treat in order in the Section folowing SECT III. THe Lord in scripture hath laid it as a straight charge upon all the faithfull to separate themselves from Idolaters and to be as unlike to them as may be specially in their religious observations and ceremonies The second commaundement proves this effectually for there is absolutely forbidden all participation in any feigned service whether it be to the true God or any other When Ieroboam had set up a false worship we reade that the good Prophets of that time and after called the godly Israelites away from it and bidd them in plaine termes not to joyne therewith but on the contrary to keepe Gods commaundements and statutes appointed for his service without adding any thing to them or taking any thing from them And this they must doe although the King had confirmed his new religion by act of Parliament or Counsell and therefore no doubt would persecute most grievouslie all the refusers therof The great Whore much spoken off in the Revelation hath devised an vncleane service to worship the true God by but what counsell gives the Holy Ghost to the elect concerning it very profitable even in these words come out of her my people Rev. 18. 4. that is forsake her detestable religion communicate in none of her vile odious devises what coulorable reasons soever her unblessed followers make in defence thereof Againe as this is a duety so the faithfull in all ages have practised it a memorable example whereof we have in 2 Chro. 11. 14. 16. There it is said that the Preists and Levites and after them of all the tribes of Israel such as sett their hearts to seeke the Lord Came to Ierusalem to sacrifice the like practice we read of in Hezekiahs time divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Ierusalem All will

Whosoever shall hereafter affirme that the form of Gods worship in the Church of England established by law and conteyned in the book of Common prayer c. is a corrupt superstitious or vnlawfull worship of God or conteyneth any thing in it that is repugnant to the scriptures let him be excommunicated ipso facto and not restored but by the Bishop of the place or Archbishop after his repentance and publick revocation of such his wicked errours Whosoever shall hereafter affirme that the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England by law established are wicked Antichristian or superstitious or such as being commaunded by lawfull authority men who are zealously and godly affected may not with any good conscience approve them vse them or as occasion requireth subscribe vnto them let him be excommunicated ipso facto and not restored vntill be repent and publickly revoke such his wicked errours Whosoever shall hereafter affirm that the government of the Church of England vnder his Majestie by Archbishops Bishops Deanes Archdeacons and the rest that doe beare office in the same is Antichristian or repugnant to the word of God let him be excommunicated ipso facto and so continue vntill be repent and publickly revoke such his wicked errours Whosoever shall here after affirm or teach that the form and manner of making and consecrating Bishops Priests and Deacons conteyneth any thing in it that is repugnant to the word of God c. let him be excommunicated ipso facto not to be restored vntill he repent and publickly revoke such his wicked errours 6. Where he demaundeth what one truth of religion we can name that is not or hath not beene when just occasion hath been offered taught by some of their ministers Although this be not much materiall touching the point in controversie seeing none of them teach true doctrine but in a false and Antichristian calling which is utterly unlawfull to be done notwithstanding if we will beleeve the Nonconform he had small cause to bragg thus of their preaching For first their ministers for the most part are ignorant asses and loytering idle bellyed Epicures which either cannot or doe not teach at all 2. A number of those which doe are prophane and heathenish Oratours that thinke all the grace of preaching lyeth in affected eloquence in fond Fables to make their hearers laugh or in ostentation of learning of the latin their Greek and Hebrew tongue and of their great reading of antiquities when God knoweth most of them have little further matter then is in the in the infinite volumes of common places and apothegmes called to their hands 3. Howsoever some of them deliver many sound truths yet they doe not lay the axe to the root of the tree I mean seeke to suppresse such evills as raigne most among them We would repute that Phisitian unwise which hath a patient under cure sicke of a great fever and he gives him a medicine which serves only to heale the gout or dropsie Now in truth such vnwise Phisitians are the best of them for the main disease which cleaves to the foule of the people is false worship But what course take they about it Thus they doe they administer good things to purge out pride drunkennesse c. But leave all the while this Capitall disease alone by which meanes many persons perish and are utterly cast away Now these have not the Prophets for an exāple for it is marvelous observable when the ten Tribes fell away from the true worship of God that all those Prophets whome the Lord then sent early and late after them applyed their doctrines even alltogether as it were against the sinnes of Dan and Bethell as the spiritual sicknesse of Israel was idolatry so they gave them constantly such souveraigne medecines as served best to cure the same And indeed this course of teaching is onely profitable for as a small stroake downe-right upon the naile is better then a thousand besides it Even so a little home matter against the present evils of the people as namely their devised service false ministery Antichristian Government c would profit them much more then all their lowd long crying out of judgement judgement only against swearers drunkards usurers whoremoungers c. because the former faults are more generally committed and have taken deeper roote in the hearts of old and young 7. Concerning the defence which he makes for reading their booke of Articles and Canons in the church a few words will serve in answer to it 1. If it were true which he saith that they doe not this thing ministrially yet their fault is not the lesse But he speaketh falsely herein for this is laid upon them as a proper part of their Office and none else but they by their Law either doe or may doe the same 2. If they doe not teach them for truths then it must be for lies and errours if so their evill is the greater and proportionable thereunto without repentance will Gods vengeance be upon them for it 3. His answere here is quite beside the point and he seekes meerly to cozen the reader that which Mr. Iohnson mentioneth is their Articles Canons very vile and wicked things by their owne confession To this he replyeth may not a man in the weakenesse of his judgement and in infirmity at his first entrance into a calling conforme and subscribe to some things not so warrantable and true c. Note how punctually he speakes and comes up as neere to the matter as Yorke is to the Lands end a man in the weakenesse of his judgement c. may doe some thing c. Ergo he may conforme to the damnable Canons and articles read them to the people c. By the same manner of arguing he may be a ●ew a Turke a Heathen any thing And not only in this place but such sencelesse shifts are common with him throughout the booke for whereas it is proved in Mr. Iohnsons writing that their ministery is ●nlawfull Antichristian because neither their Offices calling nor administration is according to Gods Word but as they say themselves all taken from Antichrist He childishly tells us that true Pastors Teachers may want some accessarie parts of their Offices c. which answereth nothing to the point nor is more to any purpose then if a convicted traitor would seek to prove his cause to be otherwise for that he wants som accessarie parts of a true subject 4. Touching the distinction which he puts betweene reading the Canons to the people and not teaching the ●rrours contained in them I shall leave it as another Demaund how they can proove that these falshoods and lies may be read in the manner that they are and yet be neither taught nor justifyed Answ 1. If it be vnlawfull as he sayth outwardly and but in appearance to joyne with Idolaters in their Idolatry then hath he shewed himseIfe all this while