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 straÌ„g 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 â—oâ—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
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 Tâ—lâ—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 theÌ„ of the New also by the order which their coÌ„mon 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. Chaddâ—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
justly to be deposed But I gesse wherefore he hales-in these foolish positions it is probable he knew wel enough what gloses so ever he made sometime to the contrarie that their ordination of Preists Deacons by the Prelates is as his brethren say unlawfull and Antichristian and therefore he hoped now to justifie themselves in regard of their good services but this will not helpe him neither for if their administrations were right which are not yet would their ministerie be still false so long as they doe retayne that false calling which they tooke first of the Bb. they of the Pope and he from the devill Ans 1. As a man when in his answers he purposeth to deceive others his manner is to conceale that which should give special light unto the matter It is even so with Mr. Bradsh that he might meerely gull the reader he hides from him whatsoever should most serve for his true information about the point in dispute In pag. 7. he tould us that Pastors and Teachers may have divers accessarie parts of their offices c. not ordayned by Christ. Here he sayth that they may in divers and sundry particulars disobey Christ in his ordinances of worship and Government Now he doth not expresse in either place what these divers particulars are neither durst he I am perswaded for had he we should soone have joyned issue with him But to leave him in the midst of his idle words this I say when we understand once their meaning they shall have our direct answer unto it In the meane while I doe entreat them to consider advisedly of their owne Principles about their Worship Government Touching the first it is as they say contained in the booke of common prayer the which was taken out of the vile Massebooke full of all blasphemies lyes and abominations and the other is taken wholy and every part from the Pope 2. To let passe many thinges which he often affirmeth without any proofe I doe desire that they wil shew us in their next reply some good reason for that which he writeth in pag. 40. 41. viz. That ministers may execute the ministerie and Government of other Archbâ— Lordbishops besides Christ be Archdeacons parsons vicars read stinted prayers out of a booke and observe other humane inventions and have their Church Government according to Canons Courts c. which were never appointed by Christ and yet obey Christ in all the main essenâ—iall and substanciall points of his ministery worship and Government If they can prove all this I doe not see but the controversie may be easily taken up between them and the Bb. only then they have just cause to beg pardon of them for their pleas against the Prelacie and the many heavie accusations which they have put up both to Princes Parliaments against them But if they cannot as I know they cannot make good the thinge here avouched then let it ly as a blot for ever upon their cause for thrusting abroad such deceivable trash especially upon those which either were Authors of it or have since justifyed so hypocriticall and shamelesse a writing 3. He once more here rejecteth the Principles of the Nonconform and bidds them answere for themselves touching the Suits which they have putt vp to the Parliaments for the abolishing of their ministery Now the reason why I doe againe note it is because the reader may see how impossible it is for any of them to justify their standing and writings too the same beeing as unlike each to other as good is to evill For the Prelates laughing whereof he speakes in this place I have mentioned it before this only I add that never did Mr. Iohns by his simplicitie and sillinesse of witt give that occasion unto the Bb. of Mirth as he hath justly of sorrow to all his brethren by his dawbing and rotten speaches for truely in the wordes of Iacob they may say he hath troubled us to make us to stinke among the inhabitants of the Land yea to increase their greife as David said of Ahitophel Christ of Iudas so may they speake of him our familiar freind in whome we trusted which did eat of our bread hath lift vp his heele against vs. Answ 1. Mr. Bradsh sayth that there is no ordinary ministeriall office which Christ hath given to his Church but their ministers either have or by their Lawes ought to have the same I have proved before that this is untrue and therefore it is not needfull that I should make answere any more to his bold thredbare I sayes But observe here to use his owne wordes what a jugling method of reasoning he hath gotten Their ministers have such ordinary ministeriall offices c. Why because by their Lawes they ought to have them Now may not a man by the same manner of arguing prove that there are no Theeves Traitors Whoremoungers c. within the Kings Dominion in regard by the Lawes every one should be true loyall chast c. But this later I thinke would be laughed at of all notwithstanding to the very same effect is only the other or else it serves for no use at all but to shew that the man had more will to doe mischeâ—fe then he had either witt or skill to accomplish the same 2. I passe over againe his idle scoffing at Mr. Iohnson for quotation of many Scriptures Indeed Mr. Bradsh was careful to shunne this fault for he hath not from the beginning to the end of his book brought one proofe from the word of God to make good any one thinge whereof he speaketh but as if he were one of the illumated Fathers of the Familists delivereth his yea no alwayes upon his owne bare word 3. Many greivous errours are bound up in this invective of M. Bradsh but for lying here is one that surmounts them all namely that the Prelates doe not thrust them into a ministery but leave them to be called and chosen by the people or those Patrons vnto whose fidelity the people have committed this charge This as I have shewed is very false And truely it is strange to me that they should dare affirme so knowne and apparent an untruth for according to their law profession and practise whosoever is ordained by the Bb. hath immediately upon his ordination all the essenciall and substancial parts of a minister is I say as true in their understanding as these which have a people or have bought benefices of their Patrons yea although he should never have any particular congregation to administer unto Therefore welfare the Conform for howsoever their courses are starke naught yet they will owne their errours and not shift them off as these doe by groundlesse devises the which they can no more prove then that there is a man in the moone They have laboured these many yeares to get away this power of making ministers from the Bb. But seeing they
The great wickednesse of them p. 170. 171. 172. The ministery of England taken wholy from Antichrist p. 11. Proved to be false p. 219. 222. Their manner of making ministers p. 12. 13. 14 What they are for qualification p. 15. 16. and practises p. 21 Men may be unlawfull ministers though never ordained by the Bb. p. 68. 215 Vnlawful ministers not to be communicated with in any thing they doe p 26. Reasons for it p. 27 Conversion of men to God no note of a true ministerie p. 64 The Ministers of England of one constitution p. 56 True ordinary ministery tyed to a particular Assembly p. 10. A roving unsetled false p. 9 Musick in the Church unlawfull p. 111 N. The profession practise of Nonconformists how they differ p. 205. 206 Their Minors and the Conformists Majors lead to separation p. 179. 180 Not so true to their grounds as the Conformists p. 38. 241 O. Oath ex officio why unlawful pag. 140 No Obedience must be yeelded to the Bb. Government p. 148 Five kinds of ordinary Ecclesiastical Offices only belonging to every true Church p. 3. 4 Officers not simply necessary for the publicke administrations in the Church p. 135 The Church may depose her officers p. 130 Offences how to be suppressed in the Church p. 130. 131. and why p. 168 The Officers of the spiritual Courts in England described p. 137. Their places Antichristian p. 1â—8 Brethren out of Office may teach publickly in the Church p. 54 Order and forme required in the collection of all true Churches p. 186 P. Pastors are all equal by Gods institution p. 3 These are wanting in the English Assemblies p. 11 Parsons Vicars c. unlawfull officers p. 44. 45 Parents ought not to bring their children to be Crossed in Baptisme and reasons for it p. 96 Patrons places unlawful p. 242. To be present at Idolatrous worship unlawfull p. 119. 120. And namely where the Ceremonies are used p. 98. 99 Power given to every particular Church p. 257 An essencial property there of p. 149 Preaching of the Gospell no part or property of the ministery in Fngland but a thing casual p. 259 The manner of preaching there p. 248. 249 Neither preaching nor administring the Sacraments argue a true mininistery p. 232 Not enough to be Professours p. 251 Their Preists and Deacons take their ministery from the Prelates and no where else p. 241 They have not the essencial ministery of Pastors and Teachers pag. 214 Prelates why worse then the Papists p. 82 Of Pollution by other mens sinns p. 208. 209 Q. None must be chosen into any office but such as are wel qualifyed for it and reasons thereof pag. 9. 10 13. Questions propounded with request to be answered p. 262. 263 c. R. Reading Preists described p. 38. Their ministery unlawfull and reasons for it p. 40. 41. A sinne to communicate in their ministery p. 42. What service they doe p. 44. The greatest number of the English ministers are such p. 43 Every Officer must be Resident in his place and why p. 10 Rome and England how like in Church Ordinances p. 261 The judgement of the Reformed Churches no good argument to prove the Church of England true by p. 188. 189 S. Sacraments prophanely administered in the church of England p. 105. 172 More Sacraments then Christ ordained administered in their Churches p. 259 Sacraments administred in private houses unlawfull p. 105 Service booke a devised worship and reasons for it p. 80. 81. 82 The Scribes and Pharisees misapplyed to justifie the ministery of England p. 231 Sidemens office unlawfull p. 138 Our separation why p. 196. 207 Lords Supper how abused p. 103. 104 Surplices unlawfull reasons for it p. 94. 95 Scriptures how abused in the Church of England p. 108 T. Toleraticir of sinne in the Church hurtfull and why p. 168 V. Visitation of the sick as used in England Popish p. 112 Bb. Visitation described p. 142 143 W. Widdowes an office in the Church and reasons for it p. 6 God hath prescribed a perfect platform how he wil be worshipped p. 72 Reasons why he should be worshipped according to the same p. 74. 75 The worship of the church of England is contained in the booke of common prayer p. 78 Churching of Women unlawfull and reasons for it p. 99 The word of God the only meanes to fitt men for Church-estate Z. True Zeal will not endure any thing of Antichrists p. 107 FINIS ERRATA For Eder read Elder p. 9. lin 13. For honestly read honesty p. 14. lin 25. For as read at p. 28. lin 20. For thelr read their p. 103. l. 23. For nor read not p. 131. l. 2. For Hierom read Hieron p. 161. l. 29. For number 38. in marg read 61. after Arrow ag Br. p. 224. * Our Apologie Mr. Bar. refutation of Mr. Giffard A treatise of the minist of the Church of England Mr. Robinsons Iustification of Separ Mr. Penry of the ministery of England An answ to Mr. Stone ‡ I mean only in the point of Separation for in other things he bath answered D Burg. fully and laid him flatt on the grouÌ„d ‡ Hooker Eccles Pol. pref p. 34. Whitg 2. Treat c. 1. div 2. p. 81 Sutclif treat of Disc c. 15 p. 165. D. Bils perpetual Goverm ch 15. p. 339. Bancr Surv. of Disc c. 33 p. 430 431 432. Loe Quaerimon Ecclesiae p. 59 60. Answ to the Petition by the Vice Chanc. Heads of Oxf. p. 15. D. Morton D. Burg. ð„ Repl. to D. Mort. Sect. 14. p. 31. Defence of Petition to the K. p. 103. a Dayr Treat of the Ch. p. 41. b Mr. Nichols plea of the innocent p. 33 34 c The scurrulous Libels published under the names of Lawne Fowler Bullard c. ‡ Serm. on Rom. 12. p. 65 66. Sold. Bar. Abridgm p. 23. Cartw. Catechis p. 315. 316. Rev. 16. 15 Ioh. 17. Chap. 42. 43. ‡ he speaks thus by false ministers Prov. 14. 15 ‡ Yet we beleeve their principles to be true is there be no Nonc that will defend them we will ð„ ð„ ð„ ð„ ð„ Magis veritas elucet quò saepius ad manuÌ„ venit Senec. lib. de ira Pag. 5. Pag. 232. Necessit discip 38 73 74. Offer coÌ„fer pag. 2. T. C. l. 1. p. 22. l. 2 pa. 3. p. 5. 15. Demonst discip 46 Mr. Bates 27. Informat froÌ„ Scott p. 28 29. Necessity discip 71. Defen ag Slaund of Bridg. 127. Forme ecclesias govern p. 123 124 125 c. Demonst discip 53 54. Inform. froÌ„ Scott pag. 30. Forme eccles Govern 128 129 c. Rom. 12 8 â— Cor. 12 28. 1 Tim. â— 17. Mr. Bate 89 c. Demons disc p. 56. Inform. from Scot. p. 13. Eccles gover p. â—â—9 M. Bates p. 117. Answ to Bancr ser p. 14. T. C. l. 1. 190. 2. Admo p. 61. T. C. l. 1. p 190. disc Eccles 119 Infor. Scott 31 demonst discip 61. 62. c.
power is of absolute necessity for the Churches of Christ an essentiall property therof and serves not onely for their well beeing but the beeing it selfe for without this there can be no coupling of the parts and members together And so much D. Ames testifyeth Now the assemblies of England were not gathered by any such power but in their first constitution wanted the same and had this false power which is exercised at this day as the Nonconformists doe aknowledge Our Arguments which we have used in this point have been to this effect Every true visible Church hath a power immediately vnder Christ to execute Church Government But the publike congregations of England have not any such power vnder Christ to execute Church Government Therefore they are not true visible churches What they will say to this I know not but hitherto they have either beene silent or answered to no purpose in the world For it is usually their manner to tell us how the Churches in Corinth Pergamus Thyatira c. neglected to execute discipline as though there were no difference betweene omitting to administer the ordinance and the want wholy of it yea and to have an Antichristian Divelish in the roome of it Indeed herein they well resemble children which being not able to read the lesson given them doe skip over and take another easie one So these leave altogether the point in hand which is to prove by Gods word that a true Church may want in it selfe immediate power under Christ to execute Ecclesiasticall Government and may be subject to that which was brought-in by the Romish Beast and talke of a matter which I thinke no man ever denyed It is true some have assayed to prove it but after many thoughts spent about it we have had nothing but wind from them namely of a city wiihout a wall of a vinyard garden Orchard c. Wanting a hedge fence bounds c. And such broken stuffe not worthy of any answere For where doe they read in Scripture that this power which Christ hath given to his Church is compared to a wall hedge c. But rather may be better likened to the power of the body which receives food and whereby excrements are purged and avoyded the want whereof were prodigious in nature neither could the body possiblie subsist and live And here by the way I thinke it convenient to answere breifly vnto some reprochfull passages writen by D. Laiâ—en against the Separatists he accuseth them of strange and vnsound conclusions but names nothing onely from M. Park Polit. Eccles he Englisheth a sillogisme in this manner If Discipline be so necessary and also vnchangable it is lawfull to separate from such Churches as doe not vse it say the Prelats but Discipline is vnchangablie necessary say the Separatist Ergo it is lawfull to separate from such Churches as doe not vse it The minor he grants to be true but denies the Major and to prove it false he gives this reason For want of an integrall part of the whole or of some essentiall part in it selfe though not of the whole is no sufficient ground for separation He might with more credit and good conscience have granted the Major also then sought to refute it by frothy empty and impertinent words for first he speakes as a man most ignorant of the nature of Church power for were he able truely to define it he should see that it is of such necessity as a people cannot constitute themselves in the right order of the Gospell without it as we have before expressed 2. If the Bishops Major as he termes it be wel vnderstood it caries this meaning discipline is so necessary that where it is not there can be no Church ordinances rightly administred no true ministery worship Sacraments Censures c. And it is certainly so and if M. D. have any thing to object against it let him speake out he knowes his liberty 3. If M. D. will but hold vp his words against the light he shall see they have not the face of an answere for let his words be graunted what is this to the necessity of discipline vnlesse he could prove that the same is not so essentiall but a true Church may wholy want it The which thing neither he nor any man is able to prove and therefore he only beggs baselie the matter but proves nothing and therfore for the warme cloathes whereof he speaketh he may even keepe them himself to cover the nakednesse of his Argument I will not here speake of his irreligious phrase comparing the holie way of God to hatching neither of his untruth to say that separatisme was not before B. Whitgift wrote for Ceremonies I think the man knowes better to wit that from false ministers worship c. the Saints have separated before Whit. either wrote or was borne If our practise be otherwise even by the testimonies of the Nonconf let it be manifested If this will not serve the turne let him then take knowledge of what D. Ames saith In the beginning of Queene Elizabeths Reigne there was a Company of honest men that for the Ceremonies refused to joyne with the Parish assemblies at London as appeareth in the examination of Iohn Smith W. Nixson extant in a booke called part of a Register We could prove if there were need in King Edwards Reigne that there were some good Christians which would not communicate with the Parish Assemblies but there is no use hereof seeing we have the word of God to justifie our practise There is one thing more which Mr. Dr. much talkes of and makes it even the burden of his song i. e. that the Bb. are the authors of the Separatists Scisme their practise butteth full vpon the others vnreasonable and vnsound reasoning But what if it appeare that Mr. Dr. Arguments doe lead rather to separation and that he speakes one thing and practiseth another Would not this be a strange sight especially to himselfe Now whether this be so we will here trie by some reasons in his owne mood and figure If the booke of common-Common-prayer vsed in the assemblies of England be an insectious Leiturgie Romish stuffe a devised service and raked out of 3 Romish Channells it is lawfull to separate from such churches as doe vse it say the Learned but the Booke of Common-prayer vsed in the Assemblies of England is an in sections Leiturgie Romish stuffe a devised service and raked out of 3 Romish Channells saith Mr. Dr. Ergo it is â—awfull to separate from such chuâ—â—hâ—â—â—s doe vse it specially when they continue obstinate and incorrigible in the practise thereof after due dealing and conviction as I suppose Mr. Dr. will freely confesse they have done even after due meanes used both by manie godly Learned from time to time now at last by himself If the ministerie of the church of England be vnlawfull and Antichristian it is lawfull to separate from it
are now out of all hope to gaine it they perswade the people that it is only but a leave libertie which the Prelates grant And touching the ministery itselfe they have it else where Oh horrible mocking and abusing of the world a meere invention of their owne haveing no shew or coulour of truth in it 4. If the Prelates doe not put them into a ministery but leave them to be called or chosen by the Patrons then it must follow necessarily that either they are made ministers by those Patrons or else they are none at all But this I will leave as another Quâ—re Moreover because my desire is to come speedily unto some particulars with them I doe therefore demaund some good proofe for the thinges which this bold man here affirmeth First that the people have committed this charge vnto the fidelity of Patrons 2. If they have whether the thing be lawfull or no And to give the reader in the mean time some information about the point this I would have him to know that howsoever here against us they plead for these Patrons yet in their writings against the Prelats they tell quite another tale for there they call them all Latrons and professe their places to be unlawfull and wicked and give many worthy reasons thereof And no doubt this is true which they say for indeed the bondage is intollerable which the poore enslaved people suffer at these mens hands If some one in a Parish had entayled to him and to his heires for ever the power of appointing husbands and wives to all the people therein the slavery were unsufferable although in a matter of a civill nature but how much more then unspeakably great is their sin which loose this spiritual freedome And greater those Patrons which keepe it and greatest Mr. Bradsh and such fellowes who labour what they can to maintaine so vile wicked a thing 5. Seeing he asketh what errours we can prove in their Church and is so audatious as to affirm that those set downe by Mr Iohs are pretended I will therefore give in som particulars for it were impossible to name them all published under their owne handes and professed of them to be the poysonsome Leaven of Antichrist 1. The Popish names and offices of Archbishops 2. Lord bishops 3. Their titles of Primacy Lords grace c. contrarie to the commaundement of Christ 4. Their visitations and power which they exercise over their brethren 5. Their Lordly Dominion revenues and retinew 6. Their black Chymâ—re or sleevelesse coat put vpon the fine white rochet with other Popish apparel 7. Chauncellours 8. Deanes 9. Subdeanes 10. Archdeacons 11. Officials 12. Chaunters 13. Commissaries 14. Prebendaries 15. Apparitors 16. Parsons 17. Vicars 18. Parish Preists 19. Idle readers 20. Vagabound ministers of no place 21. Chapleynes 21. Canons 22. Petty Canons 23. Virgerers 24. Rector Chori 25. Epistlers 26. Gospellars 27. Queristers men and boyes 28. Singing Clarkes 29. Organists 30. Organ blowers 31. Beadmen 32. Sextins 33. Impropiations 34. Ministers not made neither by election vocation nor aprobation agreable to Gods word 35. Deacons made to other purposes than the scriptures appointe 36. The horned cap. 37. The tippet 38. Surplâ—sses 39. Copes in great churches 40. The tâ—mporall offices of Ecclesiasticall persous 41. A dumb ministery 42. The Popes accursed Canon Law 43. The Prelates articles injunctions from time to time newly devised 44. The Church wardens eath to present to their courts all the offences faults and defaults committed in their Parishes against the aforesaid articles c. 45. The court of faculties from whence are had dispensations licences tolerations c. 46. Dispensations to eat flesh at their times forbidden 47. And licences to marie in any time of the year and in priviledged places by means wherof many are maried without their pareÌ„ts knowledg or consent yea and many stolen oftimes from their Freinds and so maried 48. Dispensations for boyes and dolts to have benefices 49. Dispensations for nonresidents 50. for plurality of benefices as they haveing of 2. 3. 4. or more Toâ—quot as many as a man will have or can get 51. Their institutions inductions proxes c. 52. Absolving the dead dying excommunicate before they can have as they call it Christian burial 51. Houseling the sicke 52. Private Baptisme 53. Godfathers and Godmothers 54. The ring in marriage 55. Bishopping of children 55. Churching of wemen 56. Prayer over the dead 57. Lords supper to be received kneeling 58. Lent fast 59. Crosse in Baptisme 60. Hallow eves 61. Imbring dayes 62. Frydayes and Saterdayes fast 63. The hallowed font 63. Marriage forbidden at certaine seasons of the yeare 64. The oath ex officio 65. Apccripha bookes which have in them errours lies blasphemies magick contradiction to the Canonical scriptures 66. an Antichristian discipline 67. Private communion 68. Their administring of it not with the words of Christs institution but with other taken out of the Popes Portuis 69. Reading homilies 70. Corrupting the scriptures in mistranslating many places adding to the text and leaveing quite out many parts thereof Many score of vile errours besides these I could name from their writings but this is enough for the time Only I request the reader to observe the bad dealing which is here shewed The corruptions which Mr. Iohnson mentioneth in his treaâ—ises to be in the church of England are only such which he tooke out of their owne bookes Yet see how they will beare now the world in hand that these are but pretended matters when indeed as I said they are only their owne Principles set forth by their owne hands and justifyed still upon all occasions when they deal against the Hierarchie It seemes therefore they are not willing that any saving themselves should say that their Bb. their Courts Canons Officers Ceremonies Service c. is Antichristian and unlawfull for if we say but word for word the same which they say before us They cry out pretended errours and yet the things are true when they speake them Now if this be not vnreasonable dawbing I know not what is But he asketh how we can prove that these things are taught in their Churches If a Papist should have thus replyed unto one which had written against their transubstantiation images holy water c. it would have been counted an idle and foolish put off for what if they be not allwayes taught yet these are their sinnes in regard they both professe and doe them and have them established by Law in their congregations The like may be said of the errours fore named as authority commaunds them so they are constantly practised and upon all occasions defended publikely privately Besides if any one shall open his mouth to shew the evill of them he is subject to be immediately silâ—need suspended excommunicated by the Lords the Prelates And to prove this let their terrible Canons beare witnesse for thus it is enacted
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 Prov. 31. 8. 9. Open thy mouth for the dumbe in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction And plead the cause of the poore and needie Ioh. 13 17. If ye know these things happie are ye if ye doe them Printed in the yeare 1634. To every one that seeketh after the truth in sincerity Salutations THere are extant allready so many bookes in the defence of our cause which never yet received any answer that it hath been in my thoughts a long time not to enter publickly the lists of contention about it with any man but to imploy that smal portion which I have in the knowledg of holy things more peaceably otherwise Not with standing perceiving of late the general fame which was given forth of Dr. Ames his booke and namely in his answer to the point betweene the Nonconformists and us as that it was so learnedly and absolutely done that it gave all men satisfaction the Separatists only excepted and that no man would ever be able to make any sound reply therein vnto it I thought it requisite to take a thorow view thereof which when I had so don and saw the sleightnesse of it to say no worse I conceived with my selfe that this common bruit must need arise either from some ignorant people who cannot judge of things which differ or from such as have mens persons in admiration and so like the shadow will follow them where ever they goe be it right or wrong It is knowne to those which know the controversies betweene the formal Protestants in England and the Reformists that the Principles of the later by the former are said to be the direct and plaine grounds of Separation sundry arguments and reasons they allege for it as the reader may see in their several treatises This thing by the other is not only denyed but withall they proclame themselves the main refuters of the Separatists and doe affirme that they never saw any Prelate to confute their opinions any otherwise then by rayling words But how wel they have confuted us it will appeare in the following dispute unto which I referre the reader Only I thinke good in breefe to give him here a sight of most of their weapons which they draw out vsually against vs and whereby they indeavour to conquer and quel us quite 1. Vile calumniations and bitter scoffes proclaming us to the world to be Schismaticks Brownists Donatists c. and matching us many times with the most notorious Hereticks and blasphemers that they can thinke vpon of purpose to make our persons and profession odious to all men 2. Raysing up many manifest lies untruths gathering together the faylings of some particular persons which had walked with us casting the same as dung in our faces 3. Braggs and boasts of victorie a notable instance for this we have in a certaine preface made to Mr. Hildersh booke on Ioh. 4. the author of it tels his reader there that Mr. Hild. had the best in the controversie betweene him and Mr. Iohnson notwithstanding it is well knowne he never made any reply to that which the other had published against him although he was by divers earnestly desired to doe it and this I write from the report of honest and faithful witnesses who are yet alive and will not I am perswaded willingly relate any thing but the truth 4. Grosse contradictions in seeking to justifie against us the very things which by sound arguments and reasons in their writings against the Hierarchy they prove to be evil and vnlawfull and this we have manifested in the answ to Mr. Bradsh book 5. And in a word falsisications of our positions cōtinual begging of questiōs larg proofs for what was never doubted of but no proving of the main point in questiō either by scriptures reasons or any ancient sound writers These and such like arguments have they used hitherto against vs And it is no marvel that they are such for what better should we exspect from them who seeke to put out that light againe which hath beene by themselves cheifly revealed vnto many I know what I say and have good experiēce of this thing for there is not ten of an hundred which separate from the Church of England but are moved first thereto I speake of outward meanes by the Doctrines of the Nonconformists either in word or writing taught to the people And indeed vpon their grounds how can any one doe lesse then separate if his heart be tender against every sinne seeing they confidently affirme that their ministery worship and discipline is from Antichrist and in their Church are swarmes of Atheists Papists Erroneous Hereticall Sectaries Witches Charmers Murtherers Theeves Adulterers Lyars c. Moreover All Popery say they is poyson the roote stalke and branches and we cannot be said sincerely to have repented of the Idolatry or superstition whereby we or our forefathers have provoked the Lord unlesse we be ashamed of and cast away with detestation all the instruments and monuments of it Againe whosoever partakes in the sinnes of Rome are also under the same curse So that we cannot in any sort communicate with them in their errours unlesse we will beare them company in their destruction also These are their owne testimonies and we know they are true and therefore in obedience to God and care of our pretious soules we have left our vnsanctified standings in their Assemblies and through the Lords mercy to vs doe walke in the holy order of his Gospell although dayly sufferers for it of manifould afflictions Notwithstanding all these things offend us not for we know whom we serve and are most certaine if we watch and doe Christs worke still in his owne way We shall have a sure reward for it at the resurrection of the just And to speake now a word or two vnto such as are commonly stiled Professours of the Gospell whether vnconformable or not The thing truely which I most wish vnto them is tender consciences and that the Lords house and his ordinances may be deare to their soules and that they may be able to deny the profitts and pleasures of this life for if these things be in them and abound my hope is that by their judicious reading-over of this treatise there will follow much reformation When some men take a little Phisick they have their health by it soone restored but if the same and a great deal more be ministred to others of an other
any true constituted visible church of Christ and they are all equal by Gods institution and are forbidden to exercise authoritie one over another or exspect any such title as may import it or affect preeminence His giftes properties and conditions in doctrine and manners are distinctly set downe in scripture He must be apt to teach exhort no yoÌ„g scholler able to devide the word aright Have a continuall care to watch over the soules of those for whom he must give an accompt Discerne their diseases and apply the word according to every disease and every time and occurrant Briefly he must love cherish defend his sheepe froÌ„ ravenous beasts feed them in greene and wholesome pastures of the word pray for them and seale up to them the promises of God by the Sacraments Secondly the Lord hath ordained that there should be in every congregation Doctors which is an Office they say different from that of the Pastor the reasons which they give are these 1. Because the Apostle doth so distinguish them one from another Rom. 12 7 8. Ephes 4. 11. 2. Their giftes appeare to be divers 1 Cor. 12. 8. 3. The Pastor is commaunded to take one course in teaching the Doctor another Rom. 12 7 8. 4. This distinguishing of them makes more for the building of the church then to unite and makechem one His office is to deliver sound and wholesome doctrine convince the gainesayers preserve knowledge and build vpon the rock which is Christ Iesus gold silver and precious stones c. The third Officers as they name them from the scriptures are Governors or ruling Elders who are to look to the manners of the people and to be assistant to the minister in Government This Office was established by the Apostles in all churches Act. 14. 23. and it serves to helpe forwarde the building thereof 1 Cor. 12 28. and without it the body can not be intyre Rom. 12 4 8. To justify this office many scriptures reasons testimonies taken from the learned are alleged by them Ignat. ad Trall Tertull. de Baptist. Ierom. cont lucrf Ambr upon 1 Tim. 5. Socrat. lib. 5. cap. 22. Bucer de reg Chr. l. 1. Pet. Mar. vpon Rom. 12. Cal. instit l. 4. c. 3. Sect. 8. These must be men of wisedome knowledge and sound iudgment sober gentle modest loving temperate c. Able to discerne and all wayes vigilant for the quietnes wellfare peace purity and good order of the Church Fourthly there ought to be in every congregation certaine deacons endued with those qualities whiâ—â— the word of God describeth That is they must 〈◊〉 men of good report indued also with the Holy Ghoâ—â— grave temperate not covetous c. To prove this office these Scriptures are alleged Act. 6. 1 Tim. 3. 6. Rom. 12. 8. 1 Cor. 12 28. Phil. 1. 1 And also these reasons for it 1. the Lord takes care both for the bodies and soules of men and therefore instituteth such offices peculiarly serving for that purpose 2. That the faythfull may be the more free from feare and follow their owne callings diligently 3. That the Church may be the more inriched with heavenly and spirituall blessings for she receives grace and gifts for the discharge of each calling 4. That men may be stirred vp to help the poore the more willingly considering that the Lord hath appointed a speciall office for that purpose 5. That their should be no complaints but that all the poore might be comforted against their poverty and wants Their office onely consisteth in receiving the liberality of the saints and distributing the same vnto the necessity of the poore and howsoever the English booke of ordering Preists c. Makes this a degree of the ministery yet the Nonconformists professe that that practice is naught and vnlawfull and the deacons office is not to medle with the word and sacraments but onely to collect the benevolence of the faithfull and faithfully to distribute the same and to prove this they render these reasons 1. By the Apostles institution these were onely to attend vpon the provision for the poore Act. 6. 4. The Scripture maketh it an ordinary distinct office 〈◊〉 others in the Church and not to be mingled with any other Rom. 12. 8. 3. No man can in any tollerable measure discharge the office of a minister and deacon also Act. 6. 2. 4. The ministeries of the word be perfect without it They have also to prove this thing the learned generally on their side Concill constant cap. 16. Chrisost vpon Act. 6. Bulling decad 5. ser 2. Buc. de reg Christ. 14. Pet. Mar. Rom. 12. Cal. inst l. 4. cap. 3. sect 9. Beza confess cap. 5. sect 23. Sixtly widowes or deaconesses whose proper office is to looke to the weake impotent and poore strangers and specially to helpe such who in their sicknesses have neither friends nor kins folkes to administer vnto them This office is proved of them by these Scriptures 1. Tim. 5. Rom. 12. 8. Rom. 16. The grounds or reasons which they bring for it are these 1. Wisedom to imploy such as being to receive maintainance from the church are fit for nothing but this and fittest for this 2. That none may lack any thing for their good and preservation 3. That men may be the rather incouraged to goe about the churches businesses having such to attend them These are the necessarie and onely ordinarie functions and offices which our saviour hath ordained in his church vnto the due administration whereof he hath promised his blessing to the end of the world and these are perpetuall and to continue for ever and beside these it is vnlawfull for men following the devises of their owne braine to institute and ordaine any in the Churches of God Now the election and ordination of these officers must as they say necessarily 〈◊〉 made by the free choyse of the congregation wherein they are to administer The Elders going before the rest are to manifest either by some outward token or else by their silence their allowance if they like of the action or gainesaying if they judge it not just and vpright Yea not onely may they gainesay it But if there be just cause of dislike make it altogether voyd and of none effect vntill at the last a meet one be chosen by the authority and voyces of the Elders and allowed of by the generall consent and approbation of the rest of Church And this was the Churches continuall practice in the time of the Apostles and therefore an ordinance of God to be followed for ever Moreover the thing appertaineth vnto all And it is a course most effectuall to bring the people to obedience when they shall see him teach or rule whom they themselves haue chosen Yea this procureth greatest reverence of the people to their officers It is also affirmed that this manner of chusing and making officers
heard of in the primitive church All authority is give into the hands of the Prelates alone their booke of ordination wherby they make Bishops Priests and Deacons is against the very forme of the ordination of the ministery prescribed in the scriptures and nothing else but a thing word for word taken out of the Popes Pontificall wherein he sheweth himselfe to be Antichrist most lively It will not be amisse if I here briefly relate in what manner and forme their Bishops make ministers as the Nonconformists doe describe it When the time say they of giveing orders draweth neere the B. Bull is sett upon the Church doore to give warning rhat if any be minded to receive orders that he repaire to the Prelate at such a time and place Now this Bull is in latin so that the people can not understand the sound of the trumpet neither indeed are they desired to come and object against the persons to be ordained c. When the day of ordination is com after an exhortation made and the communion celebrated the Epistle Gospell read and the Hymne veni creator sung or sayd the Archdeacon presents to the B. all those that are to take on the order of Priesthood that day with these words Reverend Father in Christ I present to you the persons here present to be admitted to the order of Priesthood Then after some demaunds and answeres of the B. and the other who are to be admitted he demaundeth of the people who are present there if they know any impediment which may hinder any of these present to be admitted to the order of Priesthood which is a manifcst mockage For it may be that none there present either heard or saw any of them or all of them before that day c. Then after the oath of the Kengs supremacie is taken there followes an exhortation again with other demaunds and answeres After this the people who are present are desired secretly to commend the businesse to God For which cause they are all silent for a little space This don the B. readeth a prayer which beeing finished they who are to be ordained sitting on their knees at the Bishops feet the Bishop and the rest of the Priests who are present lay handes severally upon the heads of every one of them the B. uttering these words Receive the Holy Ghost whose sinnes thou dost forgive â—â—â—y are forgiven whose sinnes thou dost retaine they are retained and be thou a faithfull dispenser of the word of God and of his holy Sacraments in the name of the Father c. Thus he commaundeth the ordained to receive the Holy Ghost as our Lord Maister did Now as well may they imitate his breathing as to vsurpe these words Is any of their curats after the pronouncing of these words either the holyer or more apt to teach And whereas he puts a Bible into their hands he might rather put their service booke for either they are ignorant and cannot preach or if they can yet may not till they procure by mony a licence from them When all this is don the company sing the creed and receive the communion together But it must here be observed that they ordaine not any man wholy at once to the office of preisthood but lead him by degrees vp to the pulpit for they must first be deacons as they call it for a yeare that is to say they must receive authority to say prayers read the Scriptures but in no wise administer the sacraments or preach without further licence then at last he is made a full minister This practise is professedly affirmed of the Nonconformists to be a vaine invention of mans braine taken from the manner of Popish orders and cleare against the expresse appointment of the Scriptures Moreover they will make ministers in their Galleries and Cloysters at their pleasure give orders to whome to how many they list without any triall either of their judgment in Religion or of their honestly in conversation and sometime make 60 80 or a 100 at a clap whereof â—o one is called or desired to any particular congregation and when they have done send them abroade as rogues vagaboundes or maisterlesse servants into the country giveing them their bull to preach in others mens charges where they list or else get benefices by freindship mony flattery where they caÌ„ catch them or if this faile they may goe vp downe like beggars fall into many vile follies or sett vp bils as many have don at Pauls the Royall exchange such like publick places to see if they can heare of some good master that will hyre them and vse their labour or to conclude tary in their colledge to lead the lives of loytering losels so long as they live What a horrible and wicked doing is this Indeed such times are spoken of in the stories of the Iudges when Ionathan the Levite wanting a high place and an Altar went roving vp and downe to let out his service to any that would hyre him But it is added in the same place that there was no King in Israel O Not without cause may they say if these things be true that all reformed Churches blush and are ashamed of them Yea and I am perswaded that if they were fully and truely informed hereof they would no more communicate with their ministery then they doe with that of Rome For if they did it would be certainly their great sin seeing both of them appeare to be false and vnlawfull Thou hast heard reader who makes their ministers and allso how they are made now in the next place thou shall heare what they say touching their gifts and qualificatioÌ„s if thou wilt in this beleive the Nonconformists Boyes and sencelesse asses are their common ministers for the most part yea notorious idolaters halting hypocrites openly perjured persons idle bellied Epicures manifest Apostates old munks and friars drunkards ideots idols such as know not a B. from abattle dore or the Lords prayer from the articles of faith nor how many sacraments there are For he that will weare a surplesse a cloake with sleeves a gowne a cap a tippet ornaments fitt enough for such deformed coxcombs read a gospel Church women bid fasting dayes and holy dayes Prophane the sacrameÌ„ts pray at the buriall of the dead pronounce a curse against sinners vpon Ashwensdday and at no time else ordaine a new sacrament of the crosse in the Prophanation of Baptisime visit the sicke with a wafer cake and a wine bottle read homilies pray for the prosperity of theeves pirats murderers yea a Pope a Cardinal an Archbishop a Lord B. or any other enimy of God and his Church he is a creature fitt enough to receive their orders and by his outward calling is bound to doe no more There are besides these others of them which witnesse the same to make ministers according to their fashion is nothing else
but to make a service sayer or a reader of prayers out of a booke so that a starke foole or an arrant knave may fulfill all the conditions which they require of him It is certaine sayth Mr. Gilby he that will vse Antichrists ragges may be made an English Priest be he never such a dolt or villaine The truth is the conditioÌ„ of those men whome the Prelates for the most part thrust into their ministerie is so contemptible and base as they affirme that Ieroboom never made worse Priests of the refuse of the people to serve his goulden Calves Nay they say more If the devill did make and send forth ministers he could not finde worse men upon the earth and if he would have worse he must bring them out of hel Mr. Cartwright sayth of a certainty that all the Ecclesiasticall histories extant are not able to furnish vs of so many vnworthy ministers chosen by all the churches throughout the world which have beene since the Apostles time as have swarmed these few yeares out of the Palaces as out of the Troian horse of that small number of Bbs which are in England c. and there is as much difference betweene them and the ministers chosen in other congregations beyond the sea as betweene gold and copper or any other refuse mettal I have not yet declared what the Nonconformists write touching the most ungodly courses used by their Priests to procure benefices and how extreamely they tyrannise over the poore people and will be officers to them though they conseÌ„t not unto it nay howbeit they be wholy against it have good reasoÌ„ for it yet if the Patron whether Popish prophane or religious all is one the Bishop doe accord in the businesse they must necessarily put their necks under the yoak of this wicked usurper or remove their dwelling though it be to their utter undoing beside the congregation knowes not what the conversation is of him who by the arme of flesh is forced upon them neither his fittnesse in gifts for the ministery This cannot be denyed say they that there is not any one man or woman amongst 40 in any one Parish among 40 that can tell that ever he or she did see or heare of the minister appointed sent by the Ordinary to be parson or vicar of the Parish vacant before such time as he or shee did heare or see the Parish Clarke tâ— trudge with the Church doâ—â— keâ—eâ— to let in the Sâ—xtin to ring the bells for the sayd parson or vicars induction and reall possession Oh intollerable bondage that men should be thus bought and sould like beasts and yet there is little hope of reformation in regard too many will rather submitt to those slaughterous inhumane courses then seeke to redeem their pretious liberty by good and lawfull meanes And for that base and shamefull beggerinesse which they use to gett benifices it cannot be better shewed then Mr. Brightman hath truly done it Thus he writes Let vs take a view and make a generall muster as it were of the whole Cleargie and if you will let vs begin at the basest vnder lings The Curates as they cal them are both in very deed and in all mens account a company of beggarly fellowes In whom a man may see that verifyed which was threatned against the family of Eli men bowing themselves to the ground for a pecee of silver and a morsell of bread and craving to bee put into one of the Priests offices that hee may have a snappe at a crust of bread 1. Sa. 3. 36. Now for the rest those that by meanes of their more full purses walke more lustily such as wee call sturdy beggars what running vp and down is there among them what bribing what importunate and impudent begging what flattering offers do they make of all their obeisance and all duetifull complements that they may come by these Ecclesiasticall promotions You may see many of them that post vp to the Court or to the house of the right honourable The Lord keeper of the great Seale For these two places are like the beautifull Gate of Salomons Temple Act. 3. 2. Men come in by this way apace thicke and threefold and they are in great hope to carry away some good releife Others there are that become followers of Noble men and Peers of the Land whose Chaplines they become either houshould or retayners as I may call them that live vnder their potection for what end trow ye Even for this and no other that assoone as any Benefice as they call it shall fall voyd they might enioy it by their Lords gift And doth not this I pray ye soeme to be an honest way to get a Church-living no such base and beggarly one as you speake of But is not this currying of favour meere beggary Is it any whit a lesseâ—iltâ—sy thing to come to a Rectory that is of Gods appointmeÌ„t by favour then by money If wee will iudge indifferently it is all one fault to creepe inc whither it bee by bribing and Symony or by fawning and flattery The rest of the rout in the Country are diligent in attending the common sort of Patrones whose thresholds they by watching at whose wyves they brave and court as if they were their Mistresses whose children they cogge with whose servants they allure with faire words and promises to bee their Spokesmen and in every place and point they play the partes of miserable beggers Some there are that begg more craftily like to those that sit in the high wayes or in places where two wayes meete and there they offer pilled roddes to passengers to get a peece of money therewith as it were a penniworth for a peny So do these men make way for their suits by large giving of money in hand or els by compacting to give some of their yearely Tithes for a gratification But some man will say all this is not the corruption of lawes but the corruptnes of men Nay surely as long as that manner of conferring Ecclesiasticall charges taketh place which hath been in vse among vs to this day there can bee no remedy applyed to cure or prevent this beggerlines Doe wee not sufficiently finde it to bee true in experience In the late Parliament lawes were enacted severely against it but what came of that Nothing truely but that it made men deale more closely and cunningly to cosen the law Wee must not think to do any good with our laws where Christes laws are not observed But to proceede when once the living is by beggery obtayned from the Patrone what a deale of begging worke is there to come for those Sir Iohn Lack-latines that Institution might bee had from the B b. Here hee must supplicate not onely to the right reverend Lord B b but to Master Examiner to my Lords Grome of his Chamber his Register the yeoman of his Buttery and Larder yea the
concerneth and ordination or laying on of hands by these to whome it appertayneth is so required as if default be made either in the examination or election the whole action is disanulled and made voyd I desire the reader to note well what they say here viz. so necessarie is a right election and ordination to euery Ecclesiasticall office that without the same it cannot possibly be true and lawfull The same they doe againe affirme a little before the place cited Indeed if their evill had bin onely in life meaning Popish Preists or in some principall points of doctrine it were somthing but their defect is in the very calling For Christ beeing the doore and God that openeth to the Pastors that enter by it and all that enter otherwise are theeves and murderers We have also to prove the minor their owne testimony for they say directly that not any one of the forenamed officers are either proved elected called or ordained according to Gods word but after the old Popish order and for this cause doe confesse that they have not a right ministerie among them It was a great fault in Pharaoh when he had given his consent vnto the Israelites that they should freely depart out of Aegypt and goe vnto Canaan according to Gods appointment that he should afterward vse all the meanes he could to gett them back into their former miserable servitude I haue shewed by the Nonconformists grounds that our seperation from their ministery is with their leave and approbation and therefore they doe not well to seeke our bondage and misery again the same thing we shall prove touching their worship Government and Church in order and place If therefore they would have vs in earnest returne vnto them Let them first by the Scriptures justify the things which they haue condemned I say refute their owne bookes and build againe the thinges which they have destroyed and when they have made themselves transgressors if we be not able by Gods word to prove that the things which we refraine from are every way as evill as they have testified we will by his grace acknowledge our error and returne againe vnto them in the meane while we shall judge wel of our order and manner of walking and put vp our dayly petitions vnto the father our of Lord Iesus C. in behalf of all Gods elect yet in Babilon that they may com out from that vnholy state and doe the Lords worke in his owne way It remaines to speake now of their deacons office the which as the rest before is wholy condemned of the Nonconformists For they â—say that those ordained deacons in their Church Never purpose in their life to execute any part of a deacons office neither are chosen for that end but onely that within a short time after they may be made Preists nothing in the world differing from the superstition of popery where the office of a deacon was conferred onely as a step vnto Preisthood as though it were necessarie that every one which is ordained an elder should first be deacon and yet when he is made a deacon he is but an idoll yea scarse an idol of a deacon having noresemblance at all vnto a deacon indeed but that he is a man This prophaning of Gods institution God will not allwayes suffer vnpunished especially when it is not maintained of ignorance or infirmity but defended against knowledge vpon willfulnesse Others of them doe affirme the like That they have thrust vpon them a counterfeyt and Popish deaconship a meere humane institution Foolish and made according to Antichrists Canons without any ground for it out of the Scriptures nothing like the ordinance of God for the releefe of the poore And therefore they have desired that it might be vtterly abolished and taken a way That a man from those principles may inferre a lawfull separation from all spirituall communion in the ministerie of their English deaconship I think every one if he vnderstand what a principle is will freely grant it But if there be any that beleeves the former positions to be true and yet will vndertake to prove by Gods word that it may warrantably be joyned with I shall be willing to read what he can say herein promising if I live either to yeeld or reply againe according to the worth or weaknesse which I shall see to be in the writing for the thing And because he may not want matter to begin with I will lay downe this argument for him If the present deaconry of the Church assemblies of England be a meere human institution and no ordinance of God but an office taken onely of the Pope that Roman Antichrist c. Then it is not lawfull in the worship of God to have any spirituall communion therewith But the present deaconry of the Church assemblies of England is a meere human institution and no ordinance of God but an office taken onely of the Pope that Roman Antichrist therefore it is not lawfull in the worship of God to have any communion there with The proposition is evident and certaine and cannot be denied for no man can lawfully joyne in communion with a false ministerie As it hath bin formerly proved by Scriptures reasons and the testimony of the Learned The assumption is wholy taken from their owne writings The which if they should deny yet can we justify the same against all men It may be some will exspect that I should write somthing of their Lecturers And the rather because they in the judgment of many are thought to be the best ministers of their life and doctrine I say nothing but as for their ministerie surely it is new and strange as King Iames was wont to say of it For the original of their name manner of enterance and administration is vnknowne wholy to the Scriptures I thinke never before heard of till in these later broken and confused times Therefore it is no marvaile when the question hath been propounded to some of them as it was by the Pharises to Iohn Who art thou that they have not been able for their life to answere the point neither could agree among themselves what kind of ministerie it is that they have taken up and beeing hard pressed for resolution they have ingeniously confessed that unlesse they be Evangelists they could not see how their ministery doth accord with any ministerie mentioned in the New Testament This I write upon my owne certaine knowledge the persons I thinke are yet liveing whose names for some reason I forbeare to expresse Howbeit I can and will doe it if I see there be a just and necessarie occasion I doe not thinke it strange that they should thus speake For indeed I know not what they can say better in defence of their standing Pastors I am sure they will not say they are For first they doe not take any particular charge of a flock upon them 2. They performe not the
office thereof For they agree with the people only to preach not to administer either the seales or censures to them 3. Their comming unto the people is in a strange sort for they make a covenant each with other for some certaine yeares and when that time is out both parties are free and so may leave one the other and doe many times But a true Pastor may not doe so For if he should he were worse then an hyreling which leaves not the sheepe till he see the Wolfe comming But many of these when they see a richer lectureship comming toward them 4. He that is the parson or vicar is taken generally for the minister of the place And truly howsoever their calling be false and Antichristian as the Nonconformists say yet in many respects they doe better resemble a true minister then any Lecturer whatsoever Therefore not without just cause doe the Reformists utterly condemne this extraordinarie office of preachers and affirme that they are neither Pastors or Teachers which the scripture alloweth off And this may be easily proved That ministerie which is instituted and sett vp besides those which God hath appointed in his word is vnlawfull and false But â—he ministerie of the Lecturers in England is instituted and sett vp beside these which God hath appointed in his word Therefore that ministerie is vnlawfull and false The proposition is plain and undeniable and we have their owne words to confirme it For thus they say All the ministery is by the word of God and not left to the will of men to devise at their pleasure as appeareth by that which is noted of Iohn where the Pharisees comming to him after that he had denyed to be either Christ or Eltas or another Prophet conclude if he be neither Christ nor Elias nor of the Prophets why Baptisest thou which had been no good argument if Iohn might have been of som other function then of those which were ordinary in the church and instituted of God and therefore Iohn to establish his singular and extraordinarie function allegeth the word of God whereby appeareth that as it was not lawfull to bring-in any strange Doctrine so was it not lawfull to teach the true Doctrine vnder the name of any other function then was instituted by God Let the whole practice of the church vnder the Law be looked vpon and it shall not be found that any other ecclesiasticall ministery was appointed then those officers of high Priest Preists Levites c. which were appointed by the Law of God and if there were any raysed extraordinarily the same had their calling confirmed from heaven either by signes or miracles or by plain and cleare testimony of the mouth of God or by extraordinarie exciting movings of the spirit of God So that it appeareth that the ministery of the Gospell and the function thereof ought to be from heaven and of God and not invented by the braine of men From heaven I say and heavenly because although it be executed by earthly men and the ministers also chosen by men like vnto themselves yet because it is done by the word and institution of God that hath not only ordained that the word should be preached but hath ordained also in what order and by whome it should be preached it may well be accounted to come from Heaven and from God Againe to devise any other ministery then that which God hath appointed is condemned by the second commaundement The assumption is thus proved first if their Lecturers have taken ordination from the Bishops and exercise by that power onely then is their office false by the reasons before laid downe Secondly if it be objected that they never received the Prelates orders or have repented thereof I answere yet this proves not that they are therefore true ministers For as Iehu though he did wel to suppresse Ahabs idolatrie yet in that he followed the wayes of Ieroboam he himselfe continued still a grosse idolater Even so howsoever som may privately report that they stand ministers by no relation to the Bishop yet are they notwithstanding vnlawfull ministers seeing they were never elected chosen and ordained according to Gods word If any reply that they have their calling of the people I answere the thing is surely otherwise as shall be manifested presently But if this were granted yet I deny that any Church vnder heaven hath power from Christ to ordaine such a kind of ministerie and therefore if any people should doe it seeing it is against the Scripture it must needs follow that it is an vnlawfull ministery so consequently not to be communicated with and that it is so I prove it thus That ministery is vnlawfull which none may lawfully give but none may lawfully bestow the ministerie of a lecturer Therefore that ministerie is unlawfull The propositioÌ„ is evident by their owne principles The assumption cannot for shame be denyed if the nature of it be considered For as we but even now sayd their Lecturers take no charge of a flock vpon them they make covenant with the people but for a certaine time the peculiar works of a minister is not by the people laid vpon them neither exspected of them If any object that they preach the word To this Doctor Ames gives an answere fully that the preaching of the gospell is not a worke peculiar to a minister For such as are private men and out of office may and ought to preach the word as occasion is offered and not only privately but saith he in the publick congregation and for this thing he citeth these Scriptures 1. Cor. 14. 23. Act. 13. 15. And yealdeth many good reasons for it also Other of the Nonconformists affirme the same thing As the Church hath need of all mens gifts so all ought to imploy them at publick ordinary meetings yet so as good order be still observed SECTION IIII. THus reader thou seest how the present ministerie of the Church assemblies of England both the greater and lesser is by the Nonconformists professed and proved to be all and wholy false Now we com to the 4. point according to our division which is to answere the reasons laid downe by Doctor Ames in the defence of their ministerie and they may be cast into two heads or branches First what he speakes for it himselfe 2. The reference which he hath for helpe to M. Bradshawes booke entituled the vnreasonablenesse of seperation We will first treat of the Doct owne arguments Or rather argument For I find but onely one touching this thing in his booke The words are these we vtterly deny that the calling of our ministers doth essentially depend vpon the Bishops calling I know the word our here hath in it a misterie which every bodie knowes not For D. A doubtlesse meant to speake onely for som particular churches because in his later dayes he would not vndertake to justifie the standing but onely
in the father and the Sonne Hence it followes that those which abide not in the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles but set vp other formes of worshipping God abide not in the sonne and the father Gods worship must be according to his nature heavenly divine and spirituall but all devised worship is according to the nature and disposition of the deviser foolish carnall vaine c. Therefore when God is worshipped not according to his owne will but according to the will and pleasure of man the true God is not worshipped but a God of mens invention is set vp Thus he Secondly there must be a true manner of worship which is to proceed from the very heart root and to be performed with the will the affections and all that is within us For this gives life and welbeeing to divine service as a well proportioned body if it want breath offends us and we desire to have it taken out of our sight For the noysome smel which it maketh in our nostrels even so every worship how outwardly glorious and formall soever voyd of uprightnesse displeaseth the Lord greatly and he bids such hypocrites to cary the same away out of his presence because it is noysome and abominable unto him Let every man therefore looke to this maine thing to wit that he worship God in the truth and sincerity of the inward man For in this God onely taketh delight and without this maine qualification he cannot abide either the person or action It is a thing common with men when they take a peece of worke to doe for an other and exspect to have a good reward for their labour to be carefull so to doe it as the Mr. for whome they doe it may have good content therein the like should be our care whensoever we take in hand any service of God and hope to be recompenced to perform the same in that sort as the Lord may be pleased to accept graciously of it in Iesus Christ In all this we do fully agree with the NoÌ„conformists are persuaded that no man can rightly beleive that his service is well pleasing unto God unlesse it be performed both for matter and manner as they have before truly expressed and therefore to our power we are carefull allwayes thus to doe And so much the more because herein we know our masters will and have promised to doe it so that if we neglect it both our trespasse and punishment will be the greater SECT II. IN the former Section we have heard what a true worship is Now it followes that we describe the worship of the English Assemblies according to the testimony given thereof by the Nonconformists This worship for the matter of it is contained wholy as was said in their Church Leiturgie in the handling whereof for the readers better information I will first shew what they say of the whole booke and afterwards of the particular parts and peeces thereof Touching the former they write thus The whole forme of the Church service is borrowed from the Papists peeced and patched together without reason or order of edificatioÌ„ yea not only is the form of it taken from the church of Antichrist but surely the matter also For none can deny but it was culled and picked out of that Popish Dunghill the portuis and vile Massebooke full of all abominations From three Romish Channells I say was it raked together namely the Breviary out of which the common prayers are takeÌ„ out of the rituall or book of rites the administration of the Sacraments burial matrimony visitation of the sick are taken and out of the Massebooke are the consecration of the Lord Supper Collects Gospels and Epistles And for this cause it is that the Papists like well of the English Masse for so King Iames used to call it and makes them say Surely the Romish is the true and right religion else the Heretikes in England would never have received so much of it For some have avouched it to my face saith the author of the Curtaine of Church power that the service there is nothing but the Masse in English others that it wants nothing but the Popes consecration These things thus retained it was also thought that Popish Kings and Princes would be the lesse offended what marvell seeing the Iâ—suites themselves are so well pleased with the ceremonies and service that I heard one of them God is my wittnesse herein make it his hope that the maintenance of them against the puritans would make England the sooner returne to Rome in the rest Mine eyes and eaâ—es saith Bishop Hall can wittnesse with what approofe and applause divers of the Chatholikes royal as they are termed entertayned the new translated Lyturgie of our Church Which is the lesse wonder seeing Pope Pius the 4. sending Vincentio Parpatia Abbot of S. Saviours to Queene Elizabeth offered to confirme the English Lyturgie by his authority if she would yeeld to him in some other things Indeed it pleased them so wel that for the first eleven yeares of Queen Elizabeth Papists came to the English Churches and service as the Lord Cooke sheweth others of them affirme the same thing namely their Churrh service pleaseth marvelous well the Romish beast and his vngodly followers Witnesse the pacification of the devonshire Papists in the time of Edward the 6. when as they vnderstood it was no other but the very masse booke put into English wittnesse also the assertion of D. Carryer a daungerous seducing Papist The common prayer booke saith he and the Catechisme contayned in it hould no point of doctrine expresly contrary to antiquity that is as he explaineâ—h himselfe the Romish service onely hath not enough in it and for the doctrine of predestination sacraments grace free will and sinne c. The new Catechisme and sermons of the puritan preachers runne wholy in these against the common prayer and Catechisme therein contayned c. And therevpon he comforteth himselfe vpon the hope of supply of the rest to this effect speaketh Bristow and Harding If these things be right why not the rest It shall not be amisse to marke one accurrence in Q. Elizabeths time who beeing interdicted by the Popes Bull secretary Walsingham tryed a trick of state pollicie to reverse the same He caused two of the Popes intelligencers at the Popes appointment to be brought as it were in secret into England to whome he appointed a guide beeing a state intelligencer who should shew them in Canterbury and London service solemnly sung and said withall their pompe and procession which order the Popish intelligencers seeing and so much admiring they wondered that their master would be so vnadvised as to interdict a prince or state whose service and ceremonies so Symbolized with his owne So returning to the Pope they shewed him his oversight affirming that they saw no service ceremonies or Church orders in England but they might very
in that vnholy worship which was don vnto him I might here instance Daniels forbearence of the Kings meats because they were defiled by idolatry Thirdly the reasons are these 1. It sheweth that the love and zeale of God is much in vs when our care is to worship onely in his own ordinances and to leave the contrarie 2. Men offer a blind and lame sacrifice when they communicate spiritually in a devised service who would be so foolish to cary trashe and dung for a present vnto a mighty Prince and hope to receive a favor of him what is a false worship but very dung and trashe yea worse too and therefore not acceptable to God 3. So long as men are willworshippers it argues they are vnregenerate and wicked and have not repented of their sinnes for one infallible evidence of true conversion is to see the filthinesse of idolatry and to cast away the same with reproach and disgrace and to goe from it as farre as it is possible 4. To communicate in a false worship causeth pollution to the soule If we would avoyd that which would make the body to be full of scabs and biles and so to be lothsome to mē much more should we detest this great wickednesse which causeth spirituall botches and sores to the soule and so is odious before God 5. By this meanes Gods holy name is Prophaned 6. Christ not suffered to reigne as King over the whole man but rejected 7. Such service is don to the devil 8. The Lord hateth vnspeakeablie all devised worship 9. Wrath and vengeance without repentance will be inflicted upon all the doers therof For society in sinne brings fellowship in punishment 10. In a word let Gods puritie and holinesse be considered and his charge given unto us to be unlike idolaters when we performe publicke service unto him And last of all if we joyne to no false worship but serve God according to his revealed will then is Christ obeyed as our King and Lord the reward wherof will be glory immortall happinesse 4. In this we have the consent of learned men generally Calvin sayth we are bound to seperate from all superstitions which are contrrry as well to the service of God as to the honour of his Sonne And a little after Let vs hold this rule that all the inventions of men which are sett vp to corrupt the simple purity of the word and to overthrow the service which God demaundeth and alloweth they are very sacrileidges wherewith a Christian man may not communicate without blaspheming of God that is to say without treading his honour under foot Pareus to the same purpose sayth that all kinds occasions and instruments of idolatrous service must be avoyded as a most abominable and hurtfull Plague with the mind and body Bullinger upon the Revelation sharply reproves those which will be present at false worship and saith that every ones duty is to fly from the same as farre as it is possible We must forsake saith Museulus the society of all unlawfull and superstitious services and joyne our selves with those that walke directly in the true religion of Christ The like speaketh Piscator Artopeus Bucer Pomeranus Erasmus Cyprian Hieron Augustine Pelican Rivetus To this the Papists assent also For speaking of false services shifted into their Churches in stead of Gods true and only worship they say that all Catholike men if they looke to have any fellowship with Christ and his members in his body and blood c. must absteine from them c. And among other reasons they give this viz. because Christ will acquit himselfe of all such as joyne in communion therewith But I need not to spend time to seeke abroad for witnesses For the Nonconformists doe grant the thing We may not say they have any religious communion or partake in divine worship with idolaters in their false idolatrous worship no not in body be present at idolatrous service but we must absteine from all participation of idolatrie yea from all shew thereof Heathen or Antichristian must separate and com out from among them The like speaketh D. Fulke Brinsley Perkins Cartwright c. and the author of the Post-script to Mr. Perkins Expositiō vpon Iude renders this as a reason of it not to absteine from communicating with them in their idolatrous services c. were no other but to expose and lay our selves open and naked to all manner of daunger of infection of our Soules defection from our God and in the end of all destruction both of body and soule Now from the last two Sections we may frame this argument If the worship of the English Service booke hath no warrant in Gods word but is a devised false and idolatrous worship then is it vnlawfull to be communicated with But the worship of the English Service-booke hath no warrant in Gods word but is a devised false and idolatrous worship Therefore is the worship of the English Service-booke vnlawfull to be communicated with I need not here take D. Laitons compasse to fetch the Bishops Major and the Separatists minor to make vp an entire Syllogisme of separatiō For both parts of this argument are the Nonconformists And I thinke they will stand to the justification therof if not against us yet against the Prelates if occasion serve But if any part be questioned I know it will be the assumption and therefore in the next Section I will further prove the same by more of their owne testimonies SECT IV. HOwsoever by the grounds of the Nonconformists laid downe in the second Section separation must necessarily follow from all communion with them in the worship of their church service book yet to have the point more fully proved I will here shew that every particular part thereof is affirmed of themselves to be idolatrous false Antichristian Touching the booke we may consider two things first the distinct services thereof 2. The ceremonies vsed in and about the same we will speake first of their ceremonies that is of the surplusse crosse and kneeling in the act of receiveing the Lords supper Against these many treatises have bene purposely written I will here onely observe some of their speaches referring the reader to their bookes if he desire more satisfaction Of all these ceremonies thus they say They were inspired by satan invented by man commaunded first to be practised by the Beast and his Bishops Therefore they are Idols of Rome Babilonish rites part of the scarlet woman her inventions Popish fooleries accursed remnants and leaves of the blasphemous Popish Preisthood knowne liveries of Antichrist God never planted them nor his spirit inspired them the holy Apostles never taught nor practised them all sincere professors are offended with them and detest them The defenders of these carnall and beggarly rites are tyranous proud Prelates Romish Champions
with may body I thee worship for herein the new maried man makes an idol Of his wife I omitt many other heathenish and Antichristian toyes which the Nonconformists relate to be observed herein whereby saith the author of the Admonition they make rather a maygaime of marriage then a holy institution of God As for their restraint of marriage in Lent and other certaine times they call it the doctrine of devils devised by Pope Nicholas in the yeare 871. And since vpheld by his vncleane birds for filthie lucre sake But here the Nonconformists would have vs to take notise that howsoever the Hierarchie forbid somtime this thing yet any man may have a dispensation for mony and then those holy times shall have no pollution by marriage such vertue mony hath with it or such powr it hath with these base caterpillers Concerning Burials this they say All prayers either over or for the dead are not onely superstitious and vaine but also are Idolatrie and against the plain scriptures of God No such thing was vsed in the Apostles time as for their prescript forme of service appointed for this businesse it is taken wholy from the stincking portuis and for this cause they name themselves Popish apes Beside prayer for the dead is maintayned and partlie gathered out of some of their prayers As for the white or balck crosse set vpon the dead corps ringing a threefould peale the practice is Popish mourning in Black garments for the dead if it be not hypocriticall yet it is superstitious and heathenish funerall sermons they also vtterly condemne because they are put in the place of Trentalls and many other superstitious abuses follow thereby To be breife the Preâ—sts meeting the corps at the Church stile with the clarke in their surplusses the manner of laying the dead in the grave viz. East and West that he may rise with his face to the East the Preist offering and mortuarie the bread and other thing given to the poore distinction of Burials as some in the chauncel some in the Church and some in the Churchyaâ—des all these are said to be naught idolatrous vnlawfull and therefore the Nonconformists will have the dead to be buried in this sort holding no other way lawfull namely that it be conveyed to the place of Burial with some honest company of the Church without either singing or reading yea without all kind of ceremony heretofore vsed other then that the dead be committed to the grave with such gravity and sobriety as those that be present may seeme to feare the judgements of God and to hate sin which is the cause of death and thus doe the best and right reformed Churches bury their dead witout any ceremonies of praying or preaching at theÌ„ We com next to their Sacraments which are as they say sinfully mangled Prophaned and wickedly ministred The prescript sorme of service whereby their Lord supper is consecrated and administred is taken wholy out of the Popish dunghil the masse-bâ—oke and such are theâ—â— inventions Prophanations and superstitions vsed in this ordinance as the Nonconformists professe that they eate not the Lords supper but playe a pageant of their own to blind the people and keepe them still in superstition farre from the simplicitie of Christes supper to make the seely soules beleeve that they have an English masse which is too true faith the author in the margent and so put no difference betwixt truth and falshood betwixt Christ and Antichrist betwixt God and the devil I might here lay dowe every particular thinge which they doe herein as the Preists standing at the North side of the table his begining with the Lords prayer and a collect rehearsing afterwards the ten commaundements and the creed then reading a short exhortation to those which are minded to receive their falling downe and rysing vp againe many times together their manner of consecrating the bread and wine taking it Kneeling the ministers going vp and downe to give it to every one with his owne hand his speaking in the singular number Take thou c. Theyr saying over againe the Pater noster with singing piping surplusse c. All these say the inconform are disorders superstitions Prophanation of Scriptures and don contrary to the practice of the primitive Churches and just after the manner of the Papists Their publick Baptisme is ful of childish and superstitious toyes and as for the prayers vsed therein they are either foolish or false And no marvaile seeing they are also taken out of the cursed mass-masse-booke The conjured font as they name it was brought in by Pius the first in the yeare 147. And Pope Higinus brought in Godfathers and Godmothers in the yeare 143. both which they call pecces of poperie the interogatories ministered to the infant a foolish thinge agreat mockerie of Gods service whereby an occasion is given to men to vtter a lie before the Lord. That the Godfathers and Godmothers shill promise that the child doth beleeve and doth forsake the devil c. Is a thing wickedly put vpon them and baptisme by this meanes exceedingly prophaned Of the crosse we have spoken before there is yet one thing touching it which the reformists wish vs to observe That is a most wicked practise of their vngracious Bishops these whelpes of Antichrist will have infants signed forsooth with the signe of the crosse In token that hereafter they shall not be ashamed to confesse the faith of Christ c. And to fight against sin c. Now marke what notorius mockers of God these are For if any one who is thus signed doth afterwards confesse the faith of Christ against Arminians and Papists and fights against the maine workes of the devill to weet the Popish Ceremonies goverment worship ministerie c. They will surely rayse vp against him the greatest persecution that may be he must either forsake his owne countrie or they will kill him in prison Moreover touching private Baptisme and ministring the Lords Supper in their houses this geare they say is repugnant and against Gods word in effect like to a Popish Masse a popish and superstitious practise foolishly and sinfully first taken up For the Sacraments were not ordained of God to be used thus as Charmes and Sorceries but left to the congregation and necessarily annexed to the scriptures as seales of the same yet not tyed to the material Churches made of dead stones but to the church made of livelie stones If therefore the congregation be in a wood house or cave the Sacraments may be administred in a wood house or cave but the same must be don in the sight of the assemblie for they are irrigiously handled when they are administred otherwise Baptizing by women they also condemne and hold it to be no more the holy Sacrament of Baptisme then any other dayly or ordinarie washing of the child Lent fast they say
idle ceremonies now marke reader how he pleads for his mother as touching the worship he saith nothing of it but of the rites onely which are evils a hundred fould lesse then the other Againe that every Church is not to be left which hath some thing in it by participation idolatrous I know no man holds the contrarie therefore I cannot tel for what end he speakes it much lesse why he puts a scismaticall conceit vpon the Rej. whose words if they be wel considered have substance and weight in them and not conceits to speake truely what I thinke D. Ames his conceit in framing this answer was not of the best For thus they seem to argue a Church which hath somthing in it by participation idolatrous is not to be separated from The Church of England is such Ergo. Now according to this argument no false worshippers should be left Papists Iewes nor Turkes who sees not the lightnesse of it Notwithstanding except it be this way applied for my part I cannot tell what to make of it If any object he meant that the ministerie worship and Government of the Eng. Assemblies is not so bad as to be separated from I answer this is yet to prove the which thing lay now full vpon him to doe if he would have taken the right point and not needlessly to tell us of that which no man either asked of him or doubted of 3 Though everie Church is not to be condemned c. Yet such may be the corrupt state of some as separation from them is both lawfull and necessary the Nonconformists say as much So the cause of seperation be good the separation from a companie where with we were first vnited cannot be blamed much lesse condemned of heresie The thing which the Rej. cheifelie insisted vpon was that the cause of separation from the Church of England is good if the Nonconformists principles be true what they are he names D. Ames neither saith they be true or false nor one word to any purpose vnlesse this be viz. it is not lawful vtterly to condemne and so to separate from a Church for everie thing therefore not for any thing 4. Touching the matter here insinuated against the person of D. Burg. as if he meant not to practice what he professeth I will leave it to himselfe to answer onely this I say if he and others are so minded as he writes certainly they shall find nothing in D. Ames answere to informe them otherwise But that they may safely retaine still the same opinion and separate from the Church of England when they doe beleeve the Nonconformists principles to be true 5. I wonder what moved the D. to mention onely ceremonies and to intimate as if the difference between them and the Bb. lay now mainly in this considering as he knew wel that these rites are very toyes to other things in question heare what they say The controversie betwixt vs and the Bishop is not for trifles as they would beare the world in hand as for a cap a tippet or surplusse c. But for great matters concerning a true ministerie and regiment of the Church according to the word which things once established the other would melt away of themselves Againe another thus the question is not as it is every day in publike Sermons uncharitablie upbraided about triffles and things of no weight as of variable ceremonies and matters of circumstances which yet are to be squared by the sacred Canons of holie Scripture but about matters of no small importance even about the great and weightie cause of Christs Kingdome by what lawes and offices his heritage is to be governed and protected that is of the whole disciplin of the church of Christ whether it be to be ordered by the vncertain deceivable weights of humane constitutions or by the infallible oracles of Gods most holie testimonies Others thus our principall greifes about the which alas brethren We have now too long and vnhappilie contended are that all false ministeries and false Government devised by men may be taken away and a lawfull ministerie and a right church-power restored as for the square cap and such other toyes which not without cause we disalow yet they doe not so sore wound vs as those greater and weightier matters doe from the which all the rest are derived and drawne To the like purpose Mr. Cartwright and others And are not those great and weighty things in question still Yes surelie and therefore for what reason D. Ames passeth them over without any words and speakes of toyes and triffles in comparison Let the reader judge Moreover he had little need to make himself so ignorant what the Rei meant by a principle what by separation for if he had had any list to the thing he could easilie have understood the same for in truth a child may perceive if he read the place that D. Burg. intended such principles as I before named from their writings to wit that they say they want a right ministerie worship and Church-government But the Proverbe is here true who so blind as he that will not see The author of the Preface to his booke speaketh much like thereabout this point a little there is added namelie that Christ our Teacher and his Aposiles did joyne in the Iewes worship vnto which were added many superstitions as vnlawfull as their Ceremonies Answ 1. I may use his owne words he doth not prove that which he concludeth For howsoever many superstitious traditions were used by the Iewes yet whether they were brought in and added to their sacred worship instituted of God as any parts therof is doubtfull and the contrary more probable 2. To say that Christ and his Apostles did joyne in that worship to which many superstitions were added is too presumptioeslie spoken and I wish men to be more sober and not so bouldlie to affirme such groundlesse positions to justifie a corrupt and halting practise I know D. Ames hath the like saying that Christ was present when the traditions of men were observed in Gods worship But he delivers this onely upon his owne word and therefore we may beleeve it accordingly 3. He saith these superstitions in the Iewes worship were as unlawfull as their Ceremonies What testimonie brings he for it as before none at all If such arguments will passe a man may soone have enough to fill a cart with But note here how greatly they contradict one another they said even now that their Ceremonies are such idolls as a man cannot lawfullie joyne with that worship where they are used yet here they say that they are not worse then were the superstitions in the Iews worship vnto which Christ and his Apostles joyned Now which shall a man beleeve of them not the later for he gives no reason for what he speakes but the others doe 4. If it should be all granted him howbeit he proves nothing yet it
stand under that which was taken wholy from the Pope yet it may be he thought that he had said enough hereof in the Addition of his first booke pag. 26. where he repeates certaine words which had beene before printed in his reply to D. Morton If Gaius saith he had made a separation from the Church wherein Diotrephes lived whether the Apostle Iohn had been the cause of that scandall because he condemned his abuse of excommunication This speach saith D. Burgesse is the weakest pretence that could be devised and truly so it is and therefore I marvaile seeing he was tould so much that he had not either said somethinge for his owne defence or blotted it out that so the weakenesse and impertinēcy of it might never have been seen Could not D. Ames perceive any difference betweene the abuses there noted by Iohn in Diotrephes and those which are mentioned by the Nonconformists against the Church of England we doe not read that Diotrephes is said to be an vnlawfull and Antichristian minister that he had brought into the Church a devised worship had sett up a false Government yet such are the faults which the Nonconformists have found out in the Church of England I wonder therefore that the Doctor should so much overshoot himself For though we doe not thinke that it was lawfull either for Gaius or any other member of that Church to separate because Diotrephes playd the Diocesan but they were to stay and seeke his reformation notwithstanding we thinke yea and doe know of a certainty that from a church where the ministerie worship and government is vnlawfull and Antichristian we may warrantablie depart and such is our Separation by the Nonconformists Principles Thus Reader thou hast heard the most and all which Dr. Ames hath said to maintaine the reputation of their grounds charged with Separatisme now if thou considerest how effectually he hath refuted the Rejoinder in the matter of Ceremonies but contrary wise about this point of Separation how he speaks either nothing or nothing to any purpose thou mayst well perceive that in the former he had the truth with him but not in the other although it seemes he was unwilling in plaine termes to give the case away CHAP. IV. THat the ministerie worship and church government of England is not lawfullie to be joyned with we have evidentlie allreadie proved by their owne Principles In this Chapter we will speake of their Church observing still the former order that is 1. I will shewe their Tenets touching a true visible Church 2. How farre their English Church by their owne testimonie differs from and is contrary to it 3. I will lay downe our inferences and conclusions 4. Answer to such Objections as may seeme to carie most weight against them To let passe the strict significatiō of the word church and also the sundry acceptations of it concerning true visible churches the Nonconformists say that there are none but particular ordinarie congregations such Churches and such onlie they affirme God erected but as for Nationall Provinciall Diocesan they are now of human institution altogether unjustifiable by the scriptures The author institutor and framer of every true visible Church is only Christ for he alone hath the disposing of the word vouchsafing it to some and denying it to others and it is his spirit which converteth mens soules and begetteth them to everlasting life and so they become stones for this building For the persons whereof the same are constituted they ought to be a Faithfull People called and separated from the world and the false worship and the wayes thereof Such I say as keepe the Commaundements of God and the faith of Iesus for how else should the Church be the House Mountaine and Temple of the eternal God his Vinyard Kingdom Heritage and enclosed Garden the body of Christ his spcuse love sister Queene a chosen generation a holy nation a peculiar people and the joy of the whole Earth Howsoever therefore there may be Hypocrites which beare the face of godlie men in the church whose wickednesse is onelie knowne to God and so cannot be discovered by men yet in the churches of Christ there ought to be admitted no drunkard no whoremonger c. at least which are knowne because the temple of God must be kept as neere as it is possible free and clean from all pollutions and prophanations whatsoever The meanes whereby men are made fitte for this Church of God is by the word when they have well proffited by hearing the same they are then freely and of their owne accord to present themselves to the Lord that is either to joyne themselves to some true Church already constituted or by voluntary profession of faith and obedience of Christ to knit themselues together in a spirituall outward societie or body politick Now everie true particular congregation assembled lawfully in the name of Christ is an independent body and hath by Christs ordinaunce power to performe all publick worship for unto it appertaineth the covenant the worship the sacraments and all ecclesiasticall discipline having also the promises of peace love glory and salvation and of the presence of God and his continuall protection and for this cause it is the dutie of everie faithfull christian to make himselfe actually a member thereof 1 In respect of Gods institution Matth. 18. 17. in which not onely the precept is contained but a certaine necessitie of the meanes 2. In respect of the presence of God of Christ For if we wil com to God we ought then to com to that place where his presence is in a speciall manner where he is to be found of all such as secke him with the whole heart 3. In respect of Gods glorie the which by this meanes is publikely propagated and advanced For as the name of God in the old Testament was placed in Ierusalem so now it is in the Churches of the Saints although not in this or that place 4. In respect of Gods covenant and promise for those which are in the Church are directlie as it were joyned to his blessings the which are there powred forth abundantlie upon them 5. In respect of our profession for otherwise it cannot be but those evidences will be darkened whereby the faithfull are discerned from unbeleevers 6. In respect of mutuall edification which necessarily followes upon our joyning together in the fellowship of the Gospell Touching the manner and order of this joyning unto true visible Churches the Nonconformists doe describe it thus He which is to be received first is to goe to the Elders of the Church to be well informed and instructed by them and to have his cause by them propounded to the congregation afterwards he is to come himselfe into the publike assemblie all men looking upon him with love and joy as upon one that commeth to be maryed and there he is to make a profession of Faith and to be
the voyce of Antichrist The church of God doth keep the doctrine of the Apostles Prophets without addition alteration or corruption thus the Conformists But the Church of England keepes not the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets without addition alteration and corruption say the Nonconformists see pa. 108. Ergo she is not the church of God No society can be termed Gods church which retayneth not Gods true worship thus say the Conformists But the church of England doth not retayn Gods true worship say the Nonconformists see pag. 78. to 113. Ergo she cannot be termed Gods church The true church consisteth not of feirce Lyons Wolves Tygers and such like wild and feirce beasts but of sheepe and Lambes which learne of Christ and are meeke humble gentle c. so say the Conformists But the English church doth consist of Lyons Wolves Tygers and such like wild and feirce beasts and not of sheepe and Lambes which learne of Christ and are mâ—eke humble gentle c. thus affirme the Nonconformists see pag. 31. c. 145. 169. 170. therefore it is not a true Church Here the reader seeth clearly how the Conform majors and the Nonconform minors make up intyre Syllogismes of Separatisme And how they will be able to unlose these knots I know not except by revoking utterly their owne grounds which if either of them doe yet I doubt not but we shall well enough be able to maintaine them against men SECT IV. NOw we come to take a view of such exceptions as may seeme to cary most weight against our former conclusion And these are laid down cheifly by Mr. Dayrell in his treatise of the Church this man made a shift to fill up there with words above thirty sheets of paper The which subject if some men had tooke in hand they would easily have comprised all the matter of it in 12. or 14. leaves My purpose is not to follow him in his idle repetitions neither to speake much of his contradictions absurdities but in short to give a full answer to his tedious tyresome discourses Touching the description which he makes of a visible church he saith thus All that be and remaine vnder the voyce and call of God that is the ministerie of the word c. be of the visible church Answ This is a false and prophane errour for first then the vilest Hereticks that ever have beene in the world may be members thereof as the Appellites Cerdonians Macedonians Paternians Patricians c. such as held two contrarie beginnings or Gods the one good the other evill such as held that Christ is not rysen from the dead denyed the Holy Ghost to be God affirmed the bodie to be created of the devill c. 2. Then may excommunicate persons be of the church before they acknowledge their sinnes yea Tuâ—â—es Iews and Infidles 3. Whereto leadeth this Position but indeed to make the Church a very stincking ditch to receave all filthinesse and to be like the whorish woman which openeth her knees to every passenger contrarie to the patterne given us of God Rev. 21. ult 4. If this were true then should no man for any offence be censured so long as he remaines vnder the voyce and call of God For that which is enough to state one in the Church is enough to keepe him there still if he retaine it 5. He speakes contrary to the judgement of all Reformists and Conformists that ever I have heard or read of and contrarie to his owne writing in other places for in pag. 22. 35 c. he defines a Church to be a company called out from the rest of the world and such as doe submit themselves to the true worship of God Now there is a great difference betweene this calling from the world submitting to the true worship of God c. and onely to be under the ministerie of the word 6. I cannot tell from whom Mr. Dayr receaved this strange doctrine unlesse it were the Heretick Eunomius which taught that so men were of his religion it was no matter what their conversation was nor how many sinnes they committed He doth often affirme in his booke that it is not Faith and repentance but the Profession thereof which is necessarie to the making of a member of the visible Church Marke how blasphemously he speakes intimating if men with their mouth speake some few good wordes they may be taken lawfullv into the Communion of the Saints and partake with the rest in the Sacraments and Prayer All be it knowne to be notorious murderers theeves traitors sorcerers witches whoremoungers c. and so resolved to live and continue It is very likely this Mr. Dayr had a great Church seeing he made the doore unto it broad and wide just like the way to hell I could here lay down many grosse absurdities which might be truly concluded from his words viz. that a Church cannot cast out some obstinate sinners neither is she and the world to be distinguished c. but because the vanitie and evill of this speach is enough allready shewed I purposely passe them over We have seene one of Mr. Dayr definitions now followes another Let there be an assembly joyned together in prayer hearing the word and receaving the Sacraments according to Christs institution and it is a true visible Church Answ It is so indeed and hence this argument against them may be framed If in the Ecclesiastical Assemblies of England there is neither prayer preaching nor sacraments administred according to Christs institution then are they all false Churches But the first is true therefore the second The proposition hath sufficient confirmation from their Principles before named the assumption is certaine and manifest by the doctrine and description which he here makes of a true visible church and there lyeth against it no exception In the next page he delivers a Paradox viz. that men outwardly may submitt to true worship and yet be irreligious and prophane Now this is either falsely or foolishly spoken If he meane of visible prophanesse and irreligion then it is a contradiction and indeed plaine Nonsence for to say that a person may outwardlie submitt to God and yet outwardlie be prophane and ungodly If he intended of secret and inward irreligion of the heart In this sence it is true but answereth nothing at all to the matter for which he brings it Here also he layeth downe Mr. â—insw wordes as he saith unto which he makes no direct reply but runnes to another matter whereof he had now no cause at all to speake He denyeth that either the Papists or Anabaptists doe professe true Religion although they professe some true and sound doctrine What moved him thus to thinke I know not unlesse it were because these have many errours in their religion Now if this reason will stand firme and good against them then it must needs follow that the Church of England professeth
visible Church which is a company of people called and separated from the world by the word of God and joyned together by voluntary profession of the faith of Christ in the fellow ship of the Gospel Before we â—ome to examin the reasons if they may be so termed which he alleageth against this definition I desire the reader to minde it well that we herein do say no more then what in effect is fully acknowledged by the Nonconformists Conformists the Church of England the learned generally and all the reformed Churches upon earth as is to be seene in their books here named Yea Mr. Brad. although no friend of the Separatists yet confesseth the whole as it is here laid downe to be true and good Notwithstanding this man commeth boldly forth against us as if he had been either asleepe all his life time or lived in some unknowne parts of the world and so could not tell what any body had said about this thing And now for his reasons in which he is as confused as is the subject for which he pleadeth notwithstanding such as I finde here and there disorderly written of him I will reduce into some particular heads The maine and chiefe argument wherewith he fighteth against us for saying a true visible Church is a company of people called and separated from the world is because hypocrites and reprobates may beein the Church And to proove this he is very large and tedious for I dare say more then halfe of his booke is spent about it in alleaging for it Scriptures Examples and Reasons But a few words will serve for answer to it in regard he talkes of a thing which neither helpes him nor disadvantageth us for the question betweene them and us hath ever beene about the true and naturall members whereof Gods Church is orderly gathered and planted and not about the decayed and degenerate estate thereof But of this he saith nothing onely reasoneth much to this purpose If a mans body may have sores boyles broken limmes c. then is not the body whole and sound in the definition If in a garden vineyard or orchard after the constitution there grow weeds thornes and thistles then cannot the same in the description be said to bee planted at first of all good herbes vines and trees But the first is true therefore the second Now if such Philosophie be to be laughed at then truely much more is Mr. Dayr Divinitie here to be pittyed for he denieth our definition to wit that a true visible Church in the first collection consisteth of a people called and separated from the world and why because forsooth afterwards some of them may fall into unlawfull and sinfull courses If all our writings should bee read over yet will it not be found that ever we have denied but many hypocrites may be in the true Church yea open and vile transgressours but here lyeth the poynt if any shall affirme that the same may be first gathered of knowne lewd and unconverted men that indeed wee deny utterly and can proove the contrary or if they shall say that obstinate and incorrigible sinners may lawfully be suffered therein this also we affirme to be untrue But if they say that in a true visible Church there may be great evils committed yea and a long time tolerated wee assent unto it Howbeit it is certaine as Dr. Ames saith this forbearance is a grieveus sinne before God If Mr. Dayr therefore had well understood what our negative and affirmative positions are hee might have spared most of his writing For throughout his booke he hath most falsely reported of us by insinuating as if we held all of the visible Church to be saved and that no wickednesse therein can be committed now our words tend onely to shew what a Church is and how every member ought to walke but if in some respects they bee not so yet may the Congregation notwithstanding be true and good Mr. Dayr tells us verie often of the sinnes committed in the Iewish Church so in Corinth Pergamus c. If he were alive I would aske him whether they did well herein If he should say yea then were he a blasphemer if nay then he gave us the whole cause and so might cast his booke into the fyre For the thinge which we affirm is that every member of the church ought to be holy not that they are allwayes so but should be so and it is their great fault they are otherwise And here the reader may observe how greatly he hath mistaken the matter For whereas Mr. Barrow Mr. Ainsw and others doe shew from the scriptures what a true Church is whereof gathered how every member should walke how abuses are to be reformed c. He either through ignorance or mallice or both still inferreth from their writings that they held perfection of Churches that there can be no Hypocrite or reprobate in the Church c. Things groundlesly collected of him Of the same nature are the reports which many of them publish dayly in their Sermons and Bookes namely that the main cause of our Separation is because wicked men are suffered in their church But this is untrue for howsoever as I said before such a tolleration can not be justified yet this is not properly the reason but because their Parishes were at first constituted as now they stand of the members of Antichrist to wit the idolatrous Papists and of all other kind of most notorious sinners as whorems witches atheists swearers usurers cursers scoffers at religion c. This prophane multitude without any profession of faith and repentance were forced and compelled by human authority in the beginning of QElizabeths raigne to be members of their Church and so have continued they and their seed ever since contrary to the expresse word of God and this is so evident and certaine as the Nonconformists acknowledge it most true beside we leave them in respect of their ministery worship and Church government which is also prooved unlawfull and Antichristian by their owne testimony Another exception which he taketh against our description is because we say a people called by the word of God this he denies to be true and affirmes that men may come to be members of the visible Church and not be called by the word and therefore verie unfitly is it placed in the description of a visible Church pag. 62. 63. Ans We need not wonder when a man undertakes to justifie a bad cause that he useth ordinarily vile and profane arguments for it First this which he affirmeth is directly against the Holy Scriptures of God 2. Contrarie to all example in the old and new Testament 3. Wholy against the doctrine of his brethren and fellow Preists and the learned everie where c 4. The Scriptures which he names are both untruly and unadvisedly applyed of him for first touching that in Exod. 12. 38. Howsoever many Egyptians
be the true Churches and people of God 5. Touching his comparison it is a begging foolishly of the question for first let them prove themselves to be in the house and then they shall heare what we we will say of the window and backdoore From Pag. 212. to 237. he attempteth to prove that men may Lawfully joyne in divine worship with the wicked Touching this thinge although it concernes not much our matter in hand yet I will write a few wordes in answere to his long talke in this Chapter First he sayth that the Apostles had religious communion with infidels But this is a false doctrine for a man may preach the word and yet not have spirituall communion with all which are present and heare the same and this must necessarisy be so because otherwise it would follow that every one when he teacheth communicates with the devill for in likelihood he is constantly there with the rest indeed Mr. Dayrels words import no lesse but I hope he hath not left any behind him of so corrupt and vile a judgement 2. He sets downe a manifest untruth for we doe not affirme that there can be no religious communion but with Members of a visible Church our profession and practice daily is otherwise yet so that they be such persons howbeit not in a Church state yet to be judged to bee in the faith by their gracious and holy walking 3. Whereas he affirmes that we separate from them because wicked and prophane people are suffered to come unto their worship this also is untrue for we leave them rather because the worship it selse is wicked and prophane as we have from their owne writings already shewed 4. In page 220. he speakes enough to justifie our practice for thus he writes We may not have religious communion or partake in divine worship with Idolaters in their false and idolatrous worship Heathen or Antichristian but must separate and come out from among them And a little after he gives a reason Idolaters and false worshippers in their worship doe not worship God but indeed the devill not Christ but Belial c. If this be true in what a fearefull case then are the people of the Land who serve Christ by that idoll booke considering the same is affirmed by the precisest of them to be an idolatrous and false worship yea and I am perswaded that this Mr. Dayr would have said as much too if he had written of it against the Prelates 5. By his owne confession they are all levened through the iniquity one of another For thus he saith The open sinne of a man and impunity thereof defileth them that have authority and power to punish the delinquent and doe it not that is maketh them also guilty of sinne or to partake in that sinne Now compare with this their positions in page 134 c. where it is acknowledged that the authority and power to punish the delinquent belongs wholly to the whole Church and not to the Bh. Chancellours Officials Seeing therefore most horrible sinnes are openly committed among them and no meanes of reformation is used by those which are thereto onely called It must needs follow if Mr. Dayr and his brethren speak the truth that all their parishes are defiled and they are guilty of each others sinnes and doe constantly partake in the knowne transgressions one of another 6. Whereas he would have us to proove that the place in Hag. 2. 13. 14. doth signifie spirituall pollution and that the Apostle in 1. Cor. 5. 6. by a little leven c. meaneth that the whole assembly may become guilty and defiled by open sinne I answer These Scriptures are not onely by us thus interpreted but also by D. Ames and other learned men and therefore herein he hath them as much as us against him The like might be said of other Scriptures which he accuseth us of perverting if it were needfull I could shew how expositors do apply them as we do and so do the Nonconformists in all their writings against the Church of England notwithstanding this man casteth out of his mouth stoods of reproaches after us But this will appeare to be no new thing if we take a view of their writings which have stood for error and falshood for when the truth hath brought for her defence the evident Scriptures Papists have beene wont to carpe at the allegations and interpretations of them and challenge their adversaries for corrupting them the formall Protestants in England have done the like against the Reformists and they now use the like colour against us but how truely let him judge whose heart desires to know the truth in sinceritie Onely I would have it observed how prettily he prooves the Separatists to pervert the Scriptures to wit because he understandeth them otherwise then they doe Concerning other passages in his booke I judge them not worth an answer If there be any I am willing that he should take them for his advantage which undertakes to make a reply unto the things which I have here written CHAP. V. WE heard in the first Chapt. of the reference which Dr. Ames had unto Mr. Bradshawes book intituled the vnreasonablenesse of separation now as my promise there was so I will according to the measure of knowledge and grace given me in this Chapter make answer unto it that so the godly minded may judge whether the Separatists or he are most vnreasonable That the reader might not exspect to see any thing in the booke proved by the word of God the publisher therefore of it after some scoffing at Mr. Iohnson and others tells us that it was not the authors meaning to gather proofes c. and much quotation may prove som thing but answereth not directly to any thing Answ 1. Whosoever meanes to settle well the conscience especially in a main point of faith and religion ought necessarily to bring good proofes from the scriptures for the things whereof he speaketh For otherwise either men will give no trust unto his words or if they doe it must be unadvisedly And howsoever he putts Gods word here sleightly by notwithstanding others have otherwise esteemed of it Augustine was of mind that Councells Bishops c. ought not to be objected for triall of controversies but the holy scriptures onely Another saith I yeeld the scripture a witnesse of my sence and my exposition without the Scripture let it be of no credit Yea hereto accord the very Papists We are rather to beleeve one private faithfull man than a whole Councell and the Pope himselfe if he have the Word and reason on his side As D. Ames therefore said so doe we say we esteeme not any thing like of a thousand objections fetched from testimonies subject to errour as we would have done of one plaine testimonie divine if it could have been produced 2. That quotation of scriptures should not answer directly to any thing it sounds in my
their ministers may take vpon them civill Magistracy any true Pastors may take vpon them the same authoritie To this I say in his owne words what a shamelesse man is this to affirme such vntruths for concerning the first he slaundereth the state and in the other he puts the lie on the writings of his brethren which testifie otherwise 3. Whether they be made civil Magistrats by the favour or grace of Princes as he speakes or any other way it is nothing to the purpose seeing the thing in it selfe is every way and alltogether unlawfull 4. When they have proved themselves to be true Pastors Teachers then there will be a fitt place to shew whether the admitting of a civil officeâ— doe change the nature of a Church ministery or no. Here Mr. Bradsh in plaine termes casteth his brethren off and good reason too for he sees that either he must wholy renounce their Principles or conclude with them that their ministery is unlawfull But he tels us that he is not bound to their opinions Well neither I thinke are they to his And now seeing he and they are thus parted let us a little consider whose of their opinions in likelyhood are the truest and best to be embraced Touching the former I mean the Nonconformists to say nothing of their number zeale learning knowledge sufferings for the truth c. In all which they farre exceeded him not onely doe they affirme their ministery to be false but as I have often said and also shewed out of their bookes they prove by good arguments the thing to be so But as for Mr. Bradsh he delivers his opinion upon his owne word and if we will not take that we must have nothing nay truely many times we cannot have his word sor he turnes his tale so often forward and backward as no man can tell where when or how to beleeve him For instance somtime all their ministers are true with him otherwhile they which be qualifyed only such as duly execute their office Thus he is like to one that hath a mad dog by the eare and knowes not whether it be best to hold him or let him goe For Mr. Barrow Mr. Greenwood as we will not bind our consciences to their opinions so neither will we rashly reject the grounds which they have taught and given reasons of unlesse we be able to shew better although Mr. Bradsh hath dealt thus ilfavouredly with his brethren There are fishes name Sepiae as writers report who least they should be taken of their pursuers do cast behinde them abundance of blacke matter and so escape out of sight By such a wile Mr. Bradsh thinkes here to get away from us for with his shifts and trickes he puts quite by the matter in hand But to answer briefely 1. There are many hundred Priests in the Land which have no particular places to serve in Is their ministery therefore unlawfull Indeed he seemes here to grant it as the rest of his brethren doe 2. Seeing not all as he confesseth but some of those that have offices are bound to bee members of true visible Churches I will leave it in this place as a Quaere Whether such as neither are nor by law are bound to be such are true Pastors or no for Mr. Bradsh had so much forecast as to say nothing about this thing howbeit it was the maine point in question 3. He takes it for granted that their Churches are true but brings no proofe for it and except we will give him all this at once there is nothing which he speakes to any purpose in the world But this we cannot give him though he beg it shamefully because the thing is otherwise as their owne writings manifest 4. What if their Priests be not in all points answerable to their lawes are they then members of a false Church indeed either his words cary such a meaning or to me they seeme non sence 5. Have not some in the Church of Rome dispensations to have more cures then one Yes surely now doe these speciall dispensations make the action lawfull such an inference Mr. Bradsh words have or else the man talkes he knowes not what 6. Howsoever the matter be not much whether the Governement which the Bb. excercise in civil and ecclesiasticall cases doe impaire the dignity authority or supremacy of the civill Magistrate seeing the same is unlawfull and Antichristian as we have before prooved Notwithstanding this thing is confidently affirmed of the Nonconformists and they give sundry instances thereof and therefore the boldnesse of this man is notorious that he should dare in this manner still to dawbe up the vile things which his brethren pull downe with both hands Some men in matters of controversie care not as one saith though they loose the peace of conscience so they may gaine their supposed victory If Mr Bradsh in judgement came the nearest as it is reported of all the Nonconformists to the separation surely his soule could have small comfort in this writing it conteining nothing for the most part but what is quite contrary to all their sayings otherwhere To let passe his idle scoffing as imputing it to a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 necessarily attending that pen which undertakes the defence of such a cause In these pages he sheweth himselfe a miserable informer and setler of the consâ—ience for his counsell is much to this effect so a man hold some thing it is no matter what it be nor how ungroundedly taken up to answer his ifs and thoughs and what 's particularly First What if some saith he shall say that our Archbb. and Bb. have the Pastors Office Answere Then they shall speake untruely or else you your selves doe beare false witnesse against them in affirming that they are not Pastors and Teachers neither any true ministers at all in the Church of God 2. What if one hold they are not Pastors but named only so metaphorically as Princes are so called c. Answ This were to hold a thing which is contrarie to their Law and directly against their profession and practise 3. What if one hold that the ministers of our particular congregations are Pastors Answere He hath no reason for it because they have no true calling unto that office neither doe performe the substanciall duties thereof When Dr. Burges stiled himselfe Pastor of Sutton Coldfeild Marke what Dr. Ames writes in answere to it It is saith he such a name or title as by the Prelates rules is not admitted and our booke of ordination acknowledgeth no such Pastors from whence also it is that in our convocation church language we never heare of a Pastor of one Parish alone None of our divines in the Synod of Dort would take to themselves that title though most others did in their subscription D. Andrewes an Archbishop in esteeme censureth this title for a Noveltie 4. What though one hold that our
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 exaÌ„ple 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 â—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 â—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 â—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
be foolish false and superstitious But I desire the reader to observe how wittily he confirmeth the Assumption It shall be sufficient sayth he that we can set forth vnto him such a ministery in sundrie of our Church Assemblies of which all those points may be truely verified Who would have thought that Mr. Bradsh having blotted many leaves of his booke with meere scoffing at Mr. Iohnson about his Logick should so grossely overshoot himselfe in termes of reasoning For what wise man but he would have laid downe a Position that comprehended indefinitely generally all the ministers of their Assemblies and to prove it saith we can shew some such It seemeth then that those some such must make all the rest true Intruth so he inferres or else his argument as he saith often of Mr. Iohnson is crackt braind and lacks not truth only but sence also There are some merchants who to put off the false wares which lie upon their hands will shew the buyer a little that is good and by this meanes cunningly shift all the rest upon him and so deceive him The like subtilty useth Mr. Bradsh here and often in his booke that he might perswade the reader to beleeve that all their Ministers and Churches are true he sheweth him some of the best in hope that under these he shall craftily put all the rest upon him I mention these his deceiveable shifts the oftner that we may have hereafter more honest dealing If they will justifie all their Ministers and Churches let them say so directly If but som few as in their writings they still intimate I desire them to speake it out plainely and not to cary the thing so covertly as if they would have the poore people to beleeve that they meant all when themselves are perswaded the greatest number are false and Antichristian Another reason which he brings to prove their ministery Lawfull is because they professe the Pope to be Antichrist renounce all Ecclesiastical homage to him and maintaine all the members of the Church of Rome to be Hereticks and Idolaters c. To this I say quid verba audiam cum facta videam It is true I know many great errours of that Church they opppose and have left notwithstanding they retaine the selfe same Ministery Church Government Service Courts Canons c. which they brought out from thence uphold them still I say to the uttermost of their strength and power and hate revile imprison banish kill c. those which will not conforme thereto And hence it is the Papists say that from their treasure house the religion now established in England hath learned the forme of Chrining marying Churching of women visiting of the sicke burying of the dead and sundry other like as the book translated out of theirs declared So Iacobus Gretzerus alleadgeth against the Reformed Churches their Service-booke for their Popish holydayes Dr. Tucker and their Late booke of Canons both for the signe of the Crosse for kneeling in the act of receiving the Sacrament For the whole Hierarchy from the Archbishop downewards divers other their superstitions So Cornelius Scultingius citeth Whitgift and taketh whole leaves out of him for defence of their Hierarchie Stapleton also useth the foresaid Doctors arguments to uphold thereby their discipline and professeth that they are built upon one foundation I could multiply authors of this nature but it needs not only let it be here minded that all these testimonies are acknowledged to be true of the Nonconformists Is not therefore their profession great against the Pope they clal him they say Antichrist and the Beast c. Yet notwithstanding in respect of many maine and foundamental Orders and Ordinances of his Church they wallke along hand in hand with him So that they are much like to one which cals a woman c. Whoore Whoore and lyeth with her all the while in the bed and commits folly with her Nothing is here said but the former thinges againe repeated Indeed he undertooke to answer certaine demaunds but he kept himselfe off so covertly from the points that he hath left them farre more obscure darke then they were before For this cause I have thought it necessarie to propound unto them 13. questions all gathered from Mr. Bradsh shifting answeres idle putt offs with request that they would answere them directly and sincerely and from the scriptures and so doubtlesse the controversie betweene them us will be brought the sooner to an end 1. Whether the office of Lecturers in the Ecclesiastical Assemblies of England be not new and strange from the scriptures If not whether they be Apostles Evangelists Pastors Teachers Elders c. 2. Whether the civill Magistrate hath power to set over the Churches of Christ in his Dominions such Commissioners and overseers as the present Hierarchie is or no 3. What be those Ecclesiastical Officers which some true Churches in England have these many yeares beene without either all oâ— cheifest of them 4. Whether the calling enterance administration and maintenance of any of the publicke Ministers of the Church of England be unlawful and Antichristian or no 5. Who are those Ecclesiasticall Officers in the Church of England which neither in name nor in deed are true as he himself confesseth 6. Whether it be lawfull for the Ministers of the Gospell to be maintained by tithes and offerings c. in the manner and forme as it is practifed now in England or no 7. Whether all the Parish Assemblies of England be true visible Churches or no 8. Where are those Churches in our Kingdom from whence we have separated which doe consist as now they stand of a companie of people called and separated from the world and the false worship and wayes thereof by the word of God and are joyned together in the fellowship of the Gospel by voluntarie profession of faith and obedience of Christ 9. What are those parts and parcells in the booke of Common prayer which is not the true worship of God whereof he speaketh 10. Whether it be Lawfull to have communion with the English Leiturgie as it is ordinarily now used in their Churches 11. If the true worship of God be prescribed in the booke aforesaid we demaund then in what part thereof the same is contained 12. Whether those which joyne to the Ecclesiastical Ministerie Worship and Orders of their Cathedral or Parishional Assemblies in those things which are not performed therein according to the true meaning intent of their Lawes doe sin or no 13. What is the true intent and meaning of these Lawes and to whom doth it properly belong to give the interpretation of them Thus having finished what I purpose to write for this time I commend now the same to the best acceptance of every wel disposed reader Beseeching God to make us more and more of one mind in the truth and to give us all hearts to walke sincerily in it untill