CERTAYNE REASONS and Arguments Proving that it is not lawfull to heare or have any spirituall communion with the present Ministerie of the Church of England Ier. 50.14.15 Put your selves in aray against Babel round about all that bend the bow shoot at her spare not arrowes for she hath sinned against the Lord. Cry against her round about she hath given her hand her foundations be fallen her walles be destroyed because it is the vengeance of the Lord take vengeance vpon her as she hath done do vnto her Rev. 18.6 Reward her even as she hath rewarded you and double vnto her doubles according to her workes in the cup wherein she hath mixed mixe her the double Printed In the yeare of our Lord 1608. To the Christian Reader grace and peace in our Lord Iesus Christ THe Reasons following I have published gentle Reader for thy good and for the truthes sake which we witnes to the world The causes of our separation from the Church of England are divers as in other Books already printed may be seen This treatise handleth purposely but one of them which is concerning their present Ministerie and was for the substance of it written long synce in nine Reasons which now I have revised and reduced to seven In the propounding and handling whereof I have both inserted divers things which I met with in some writings of Mr Iohn Penry that faithfull Martyr of Iesus Christ and annexed sundry testimonies and Arguments out of the Books of the forward Preachers now abroad in mens hands The third Reason which is taken out of Rev. 14.9.10.11 hath his weight according to the right vnderstanding of that place Concerning which as Mr Ridley that blessed Martyr of Christ †See hereafter p. 59. did in his time I will commit the judgement thereof and of all the rest to the spirituall man to be tryed and judged by the word of God which is the onely rule of truth and so to be received and approved as they shal be found to beare weight being layd in the skoales of Gods sanctuary not any otherwise or further at all The Reasons are set downe in the forme of Syllogismes And the two first which conteyne in them the grounds of the rest have more specially the confirmation of them also handled after the same manner A course that some have desired for the further tryall of our cause Which now I wish it may help them forward to yeeld vnto the truth And if thy self Christian Reader reapest any fruit by our labours give God praise and pray for vs the vnworthiest of his servants who are every where contemned blasphemed and oppugned for the Name of Christ Ier. 30.17 Mat. 5.12 and 10.25 Heb. 12.2 1 Pet. 4.12 c. As hath ben the lot of the Churches and servants of God in all ages yea and of Christ our Lord himself But it is ynough for the disciple to be as his Maister and the servant as his Lord. Therefore will we beare it with pacience and rejoyce in it wayting till the Lord our God bring forth his truth as the light our judgement as the noone day Great we know is the truth and strong is the Lord that will destroy Babylon and will mainteyne the cause and avenge the blood of his servants Rev. 17. and 18. and 19. chap. with Ier. 50. and 51. ch Now therefore let me exhort all both Preachers and people high and low to compare together the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles concerning the work of God and fall of Babylon past and to come and to take heed vnto themselves that they harden not their hearts but whiles it is called To day to hearken vnto the voice of the Lord who sayth vnto vs concerning the spirituall Babylon all her assemblies and worship Go out of her my people that yee partake not with her sinnes and that ye receive not of her plagues as of old he sayd to the Iewes concerning Babylon in Chaldea Go out of the middes of her my people deliver ye every man his soule frō the fierce wrath of the Lord. Rev. 18.4 with Ier. 51.45 And let there be heard * Ier. 50.28 with Rev. 19 ◠◠the voyce of them that flee and escape out of the land of Babel to declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God the vengeance of his Temple For it is written Thus saith the Lord of hosts The thick walles of Babel shal be broken downe and her high gates shal be burnt with fire and the people shall labour in vayne and the folk in the fire and shal be weary Ier. 51.58 Which how true it is wil be found in the Antichristian Babylon as it hath ben in the Chaldean let all that are wise observe make good vse thereof vnto themselves And in speciall as now I have occasion let me intreat the Preachers seeking reformation seriously to mynd the Books which many of them selves have written against their present estate with indifferency to judge whether their owne Arguments howsoever intended or alledged otherwise by themselves rely not vpon such grounds as are in very deed against their Ministery aswell as against their Ceremonies against the executing of the one aswel as against the vsing of the other withall against the keeping of communion with them in such estate albeit they have not hitherto so applyed or acknowledged it thēselves Which God in his tyme give them to do for their owne comfort benefit of others And the Lord guyde vs in these and all other things by his word and spirit in the way of his truth keeping vs from errour and every evill way and preserving vs to his heavenly kingdome by Iesus Christ who is the way the truth and the life Amen Thyne in the Lord Francis Iohnson REASONS and proofes from the Scriptures and other testimonies Shewing that it is not lawful to heare or have any spiritual communion with the present Ministerie of the Church-assemblies of England The first Reason ALl are bound in the worship of God to hear and communicate onely with that Ministerie which Christ hath given and set in his Church for that work But the present Ministerie of the Church-assemblies of England is not that which Christ hath given and set in his Church for the work of his Ministery Therfore it is not lawful for any in the worship of God to hear or communicate with the present Ministery of the Church-assemblyes of England The proof and declaration of this Reason in the several parts thereof THe Proposition or first part of the Reason is evident and certayn 1. Because Christ hath given his Ministerie to his Church as a fruit and confirmation of his ascension into heaven whose gift therfore cannot therin be refused without denying or derogating from the truth and benefit of that his ascension Ephe. 4.8 12. with Ps 68.18 1 Cor. 12.4 Rev. 1.13.16.17.18.20 2. Because he hath set his Ministerie in his Church
to the testament of Christ they are for this cause evil intreated reviled and persecuted vnto death even by these who professe themselves to be Christians 2. Secondly in that their Prelacy Priesthood and Deaconry is the very meanes of thrusting away keeping out of the Church the Ministery and order which Christ hath appointed in his word Which some of themselves have heretofore acknowledged and written affirming that Lord Bishops Archdeacons Commissaries Officials and the rest Admon to the Parliam thrust away most sacrilegiously the order which Christ hath left in his Church and which the Primitive Church hath vsed Sermon on Rom. 12. That they rob the Church of lawfull Pastors watchfull Elders and carefull Deacons And that by the length of their vnlawful swords they keep out the lawfull members of the body of Christ which is the Church Neyther need we seek any further proof hereof then that which is daily felt and seen in their bloody opposition and proud exaltation above the holy things ordinances and servants of Iesus Christ Who being Lord over all will bring their wayes vpon their owne heads and when they have filled vp the measure of their iniquity will judge them according to their works The fourth Argument THe Ministerie which is such as in the nature and condition thereof IIII. of it perteyneth not to any body and estate eyther civill or ecclesiasticall but onely to the body and kingdome of Antichrist that is the Ministerie of Antichrists apostasie But the present Mininisterie of the Church-assemblies of Engl. is such as in the nature and condition thereof it perteyneth not to any body or estate eyther civill or ecclesiasticall but onely to the body and kingdome of Antichrist Therefore the present Ministerie of the Church-assmblies of Engl. is the Ministerie of Antichrists apostasie The Proposition none can deny And for it see 2 Thes 2. chap. with Rev. 13 11-18 and 14. and 16. and 17. and 18. and 19. and 21. chap. The Assumption is cleare to all that will open their eyes to see the truth of it in as much as their Prelacy Priesthood Deaconry the present Ministery of that Church is such in the nature and condition thereof as the civill estate of the Common-wealth may be perfect without them for they are ecclesiasticall functions the Church of Christ may be compleet without them and yet have all the offices appointed by Christ therevnto and the Turks and Pagans neyther have them nor require them Onely the body and kingdome of the Romish Antichrist cannot be full and furnished in all the offices thereof without them Which all men know to be true From which also an argument to the same purpose may be framed in this sort The fift Argument V. THe Ministerie which is such as the body of Antichrist the man of sinne cannot without it be compleet in all the members and Canonicall functions thereof that is the Ministerie of Antichrists apostasie But the present Ministerie of the Church-assemblies of Engl. is such as the body of Antichrist the man of sinne cannot without it be compleet in all the members and Canonicall functions thereof Therefore the present Ministerie of the Church-assemblies of Engl. is the Ministerie of Antichrists apostasie The Proposition is cleare and certaine The Assumption is proved by the Canons Pontificall and estate of the Romish Antichrist the man of sinne and by the constitution of that body in the members and functions thereof As all must needs confesse that have any knowledge of the conditiō of that Church and Officers perteyning therevnto The sixt Argument THe Ministerie of Deacons Priests and Prelates VI. which accounts it self to be Christs and yet in deed is such as the Kings and Rulers of the earth may and ought to suppresse and root out of their dominions that is the Ministerie of Antichrists apostasie But the present Ministerie of the Church-assemblies of Engl. is the Ministerie of Deacons Priests and Prelates which accounts it self to be Christs and yet in deed is such as the King may and ought to suppresse and roote out of his Dominions Therefore it is the Ministerie of Antichrists apostasie The Proposition is proved 1. Because there is no other such Ministery but Antichrists which accounts it self to be Christs when in deed it is such as the Magistrates ought to abandon and root out of their dominions 2. Because that which is in truth the Ministery of Christ no Princes may refuse or set against But in so doing they sinne highly against the Lord and provoke his judgements against themselves their kingdomes Rev. 17.12.13.14.16.17 with Psal 2.10.11 12. and Esa 60.10.11.12 The Assumption hath two poynts to be considered The one that the Ministery of the Church of Engl. is Ministery of Deacons Priests Prelates which accounts it self to be Christs which themselves cannot nor will not deny The other that in deed it is such as the King may and ought to suppresse and root out of his dominions Which we have shewed already both in †Treatise of Minist of Engl. p. 25.105.134 Answ to Mr. Iacob p. 163.197.199 The Apologie pag. 27.52.53.54.85 c. other Treatises and in the first Reason here before And the forward preachers among them have yeelded it in their suits to the Parliament to have it removed and taken away And if the Prelates and their conforming Priests affirme the contrary they are impugners of the Kings supremacy and excommunicated ipso facto by their owne Canons the words whereof be these in the second of their ‖ Canons of Anno 1603. Can. 2. last Canons Where first the Title is thus Impugners of the Kings supremacy censured And then the Canō it self followeth thus Whosoever shall affirme that the Kings Maiestie hath not the same authority in causes ecclesiasticall that the godly Kings had amongst the Iewes and Christian Emperors in the Primitive Church c. let him be excōmunicated ipso facto and not restored but onely by the Archbishop after his repentance and publick revocation of those his wicked errours From which Canon I reason thus The godly Kings amongst the Iewes had such authority in causes Ecclesiasticall as they might suppresse within their dominions any Ministeries not ordeyned by the Lord and therefore any false Ministeries whatsoever as Iosiah did the Chemarims the Priests of Baall them that burnt incense to the host of heaven c. Therefore also seing the present Ministery of the Church of England * As hath ben proved before Pag. 2. c. is not that which Christ ordeyned and gave to his Church and consequently must needs be a false Ministery the King of England having the same authority in causes ecclesiasticall as those Kings of Iudah had may and ought to suppresse and root out of his dominions this their Ministery and Prelacy of Archbishops Lordbishops Suffraganes Priests Deacons Subdeacons Archdeacons c. Like as King Henry the eight did the Abbats Monks Nunnes c.
because they pretend in show one thing to the Prince people and State and yet performe another thing in deed They pretend and seem to stand by the Princes lawes by the authority of their calling had from the Prelates for otherwise they could not stand Ministers in any of those assēblies and yet they practise the contrary if they stand not by this but by vertue of some other calling and authority as sometymes they affirme But let vs suppose that which is not namely that they had some other calling which were lawfull yet also receiving or reteyning this vnlawful calling of the Prelates this were but to halt between two opinions and to set their thresholds by Gods thresholds and their posts by Gods posts even their inventions by Gods ordinances Of which kind of worship the Scripture witnesseth that it is nothing els but to set a wall between God and them and to defile his holy name with their abominations Ezech. 43.8 with 1 King 18.21 Finally whatsoever they pretend of another calling ‡ Mr Hild. to Mrs N. Mr Iacobs comparison of mariage His Reasons for necess of reform p. 50. Offer of Conf. pag. 39. by their Churches or peoples chusing accepting willing subiecting to their Ministery c. yet it is evident that in very deed they preach the word minister the Sacraments and execute all duties of their Ministery by vertue of their calling taken from the Prelates As may appeare by these reasons following 1. Because they cannot stand publick Ministers of the Church-assemblies of Engl. vnlesse they receive of the Prelates the Deaconry Preisthood aforesaid And at their ordination they have this authority given them of the Prelates when the Bishop delivereth to every one of them the Bible in his hand saying * Book of ordering priests fol. 14. Take thou authority to preach the word of God and to minister the holy sacraments in the congregation where thou shalt be so appointed 2. Because that also by the law of their Church they are †Canons of Anno 1603. Can. 8. excommunicated ipso facto if they affirme that they who are made Bishops Priests or Deacons after their fourme of making and consecrating them are not lawfully made nor to be accounted by themselves or others to be truely Bishops Priests or Deacons vntill they have some other calling to those Offices 3. Because the people even the best most religious among them as now they stand in the confusion and bondage of those ecclesiasticall assemblies officers canons proceedings have not the liberty of the Churches of Christ nor power in that estate to choose and submit vnto the true and lawful Ministery appointed by Christ Of which point see further in the Treatise of the Ministery of the Church of Engl. p. 119.120.121 4. And lastly because without against the peoples consent by whose approbation and subjection to their Ministery they would seem to stand they are by the Prelates alone silenced deprived and degraded from exercising any Ministery in those assemblies Whereby even themselves professe to the world that they have their Ministery from the Prelates that they exercise it by vertue of their calling received from them that they still remayne in bondage vnder their Antichristian authority Not to shew further in particulars how their estate is such whatsoever they think or pretend otherwise as both themselves their Ministery and people stand all of them subiect to the Prelates and to their Antichristian Courts suspensions excōmunications absolutions and all other their proceedings officers canons and constitutions ecclesiasticall In the Scriptures wee read that the Apostles being true Ministers of Christ would not at the commaundement and threatning of the lawfull Magistrates and Rulers leave of to preach in the Name of Iesus Act. 4.5.6.7 8. c. And why should not these preachers if they were in a true Ministerie much more refuse to leave it at the appointment of the Prelates who are vnlawfull vsurpers of the jurisdiction which they challenge and exercise in the Church Yea if so be their offices and authority were lawfull yet when they forbid that which God hath commanded all the Scripture teacheth in such cases not to yeeld obedience vnto them any more then the Apostles did to the Rulers of Israel in the matter afore said If it be said that the Apostles had an immediate calling of Christ and therefore refused to obey the Rulers We answer that they had in deed an immediate calling of the Lord but they made not this the ground of their refusall neyther might so have done if the Magistrate cōmaundement sayd vpon them had ben lawfull Here therfore two things are to be observed First that in all lawfull things the Apostles aswell as any other Christians were bound to obey the Magistrates in the Lord. And so they both did themselves and taught others to do saying Let every soule be subiect to the higher powers Every soule aswell the Apostles and Prophets as any other whosoeuer Rom. 13.1 1 Pet. 2 13-17 Secondly the Apostles being at that tyme so injoyned and threatned by the Governours of Israel layd this for the foundation and ground of their answer and refusall that they ought to obey God rather then men Act. 4.19 and Act. 5.29 Which is a duty as necessarily required of all Ministers and Christians as it was of the Apostles namely to obey God and not Man when Man forbiddeth that which God commaundeth or commaundeth that which God forbiddeth An example in deed there is of Uriah the Priest who at the commaundement of the King of Iudah made an altar after the fashion of that of Damascus and sacrificed thereon 2 King 16.10.11 But therein he sinned greatly notwithstanding that he offered vpon that altar to the Lord such burnt-offerings meat-offerings peace-offerings and at such tymes of the morning and evening sacrifice as God himself had appointed And if in that tyme of the Law he ought not to have done this though the King of Iudah commanded it but should rather have lost his life for refusing it much lesse may the Church-Ministery now vnder the Gospell at the appointment of any Princes Christian or other beframed or exercised after any new maner devised by Man and least of all after Antichrists that Man of sinne Yea though in that Ministery many doctrines of the Gospel be taught and such Sacraments administred as Christ hath ordeyned For the other was but contrary to an ordinance given by Moses whereas this is contrary to an ordinance given by Iesus Christ who being the sonne is worthy of more honour then Moses the servant Heb. 3.3 And here agayne concerning such as plead that they teach the truth and many excellent points of doctrine It is to be observed that yet none may therefore heare their Ministery vnder colour of learning the truth and receiving comfort from them neyther may for this cause cōtinue in subjection to their Ministery and ordinances because that
although men heare much truth from them yet in yeelding to heare receive it from Antichrists Ministery they defile the Temple of God in themselves if they be the Lords even their soules and consciences and become the subjects of Antichrist the sonne of perdition Not to speak of the many errors and falsehoods which they also teach and mainteyne And for the truth which they preach it is no new thing as we have shewed before that the Ministers of Antichrist should in divers things teach and bring the truth with them For when Sathan cannot by falsehood vtter his wares merchandize ordinances Ministery worship c. he will be glad to vtter the same by teaching the truth He is beyond measure skilfull in framing delusions and making them meet that they may be received therefore when he perceiveth that he cannot get men to submit thēselves to his ordinances by heresies falsehood he yeeldeth himself to bring the truth with him to the intent that his ordinances may thereby be received which otherwise would be rejected and to the end they may be had in estimation and obyed even for the truths sake which they bring with them Of which thing see what is further spoken here before in the other Reason Pag. 66. c. And Mr Beza against Saravia hath a good saying concerning this point which he sheweth by the practise of Christ and his Apostles spoken of in Mark 1.24.25 Luk. 4.34.35 Act. 16.16.17.18 vidz vide licet that although Antichrist teach that which is most true as sometimes he doth to the end he may vnder colour of the truth more easily seduce men to beleev his lyes yet the truth is not to be heard and received from his month but even then ought we to stop our eares least vnder this pretence talking with him we be deceived by him for the truth is not to be received from the spirit of lies and vntruth And I would to God saith he that this were diligently observed of those wise Mediatours who think that composition and agreement may be made with Antichrist seeking a mean there where it is not at all to be found Beza contra Sarav cap. 25. p. 193. Moreover who knoweth not that Antichrist and his Ministers have bene and still are in show hypocriticall frends but in deed great enemies of Iesus Christ even vnder the name of Christ fighting against Christ Which thing how could they do if they did not professe and teach many truthes of the Gospell of Christ For if they should deny every truth thereof and say plainely that they were not the Church and Ministers of Christ then were they presently espyed to be such as they are who would follow them any longer But Babylon is * Rev 17.5 2 Thes 2.7 a mystery and therefore not easily perceived or avoyded till God reveale it and draw vs out of it And whosoever will aright discerne the condition of Antichrists apostasie must with Iohn be caried as into the wildernes in the spirit that we may look vpon it not according to the show and account it hath in the world but as it is in deed esteemed of the Lord and discovered in his word Rev. 17.3.4.5.6 And when it is shewed vnto vs yet are we in our selves like Lot lingring and finding delayes till God being mercifull vnto vs take and draw vs as it were out of Sodom whereas we should be like mynded as David who said I have considered my wayes and turned my feet into thy testimonies I made hast and delayed not to keep thy commaundements Psal 119.59.60 with Gen. 19 1-16 Rev. 11.8 and 18.4.5 The sixt Reason IF the present Ministery of the Church-assemblies of Engl. be a straunge Ministery then is it not lawfull in the worship of God to heare it or have any spirituall communion therewith But the present Ministerie of the Church-assemblies of Engl. is a straunge Ministery Therfore it is not lawfull in the worship of God to heare it or have any spirituall communion therewith The consequence of the Proposition is necessary and cannot be denyed 1. Because Christ setteth it downe as a property of his sheep to be observed that they follow not straungers but flee from them for that they know not their voyce Ioh. 10.5 Rev. 2.2 2. Because he that ministreth in the Church being a straunger presumptuously approcheth to minister before the Lord and polluteth the Sanctuary and holy things of God Num. 16. chap. and 18.4.5 Ezech. 44.7 with Rev. 17.1.2 and 19.2.20 3. Because by having spirituall communion with such we embrace the bosome of a straunger and so commit spirituall whoredome against the Lord. Prov. 5.20 with Num. 15.9 Psal 106.39 The truth of the Assumption is manifest if we consider what a straunge Ministery is namely that which is not by the Lord ordeyned and given for that work As some of themselves have published heretofore that the holy Scripture accounteth such for straungers in the Ministery which have not their offices limited by the prescript of Gods word And it is all new which is straunge and straunge which is not commaunded by the word of God T.C. his 2. reply pag. 438.439 And here before we have proved * Reason 1. that their Ministery is not appointed by Christ in his word Which themselves also have confessed and published writing in an Admonition to the Parliament ‡ Admon to the Parliam treatise 2. section 20.21 that they have an Antichristian hierarchie and popish ordering of Ministers straunge from the word of God and the vse of all well reformed Churches in the world Where also they call all the Ministers made by the Prelates and others their Church hath none by the name of New creatures And in †Sermon on Rom. 12. another treatise speaking of divers of their chiefest offices they write that the Apostles never knew them Sion hath not heard of them Ierusalem which is above will not acknowledge them that the watchmen being a sleep they crept into the city of the Lord and have no title nor interest in the Church as publick members but are rather members and parts of the strumpet whoore of Rome then of the pure virgin spouse of the immaculate Lambe Thus was their judgement heretofore If now they be otherwise mynded eyther they must shew out of the word of God the offices entrance administration and maintenance of their Church-Ministery or els seing this cannot be done the sheep of Christ must and will account them as strangers and therefore flee from them and the tents of their assemblies least otherwise they perish in their sinnes Ioh. 10.5 with Numb 16.26 and 18.7 Rev. 18.4 And to the end this thing may the better be observed let vs here a little consider the history and conspiracy of Corah Dathan Abiram recorded in the book of Nūbers ch 16. When God by the hand of Moses had appointed Aaron his sonnes to the office of the Priesthood Corah a