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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16643	A plaine confutation of a treatise of Brovvnisme, published by some of that faction, entituled: A description of the visible Church In the confutation wherof, is shewed, that the author hath neither described a true gouerment of the Church, nor yet proued, that outward discipline is the life of the Church. Whereunto is annexed an ansvvere vnto two other pamphlets, by the said factioners latelie dispersed, of certaine conferences had with some of them in prison. Wherein is made knowen the inconstancie of this sect, what the articles are which they still maintaine: as also a short confutation of them. There is also added a short ansvvere vnto such argumentes as they haue vsed to proue the Church of England not to be the Church of God.	Alison, Richard, controversialist.	1590 (1590)	STC 355; ESTC S100153	67,007	148

in crying out they are slandered then wil it also be cōfessed that they are not persecuted Christians but vnbridled factioners For these are no slanderous positions as they say forged against them by the bishops but phantasticall assertions first deuised and now againe confirmed by themselues as by their seuerall handling of the seuerall Articles they do shew To the first Article therefore they say that neither the Lords Prayer nor any other praier in the scriptures may be vsed but by explication Also that they serue onely for instruction Againe That the verie forme of words as they are in these petitions was giuen and instituted as a set and stinted prayer we finde not in the scriptures Also to vse it for a set prayer is say they a stinting of the holy Ghost Now if these assertions do not agree with the Article and testifie that they do hold it they haue the greater cause to complaine but I see no difference betwene the one the other Now the folly of this Article is manifest in this that the Lords prayer was giuen for the same end y e other prayers were in the canonicall scripture but other prayers were not for instruction as hath bin shewed before pag. 23. I need not make the conclusion And as touching their denying the forme of praier which Christ gaue to his disciples to be his praier because we reade not that he euer vsed it And their accusing vs to be falsifiers of the text when we call it the Lords Prayer If it were not a strife about words I would say more whereas now I wil onely put them in minde that we haue learned this phrase of the holy Ghost who calleth the prayers which God hath taught and doth approue his prayers as Esa. 56. 7. I vvil make them glad bebeth tepillati in the house of my prayer for there it is called the Lords prayer not for that he vsed it but because he prescribed it And why then may not we in like sort cal this the Lords praier in as much as he hath taught it but of this enough lest it be said of vs para men gar hemin esti logoma chia c To the 2. article they say that the canonicall praiers commended to vs by Gods spirite haue this onely vse that they serue for instruction And that our morning and euening praiers are not onely a babling but apocriphall and idolatrous c. So that neither canonicall nor other praiers that are prescribed are deemed lawfull to be vsed for praiers in the sight of the Lord. Whereby it is made manifest that they are not vniustly charged with this Article Which notwithstanding is but a false assertion considering that sette praiers were vsed vnder the lawe are not forbidden in the gospell and are also vsed in all reformed churches vntil this daie To the 3. article they saie that our liturgie is drawen out of the Popes portuise is not onely idolatrous superstious and a deuised worship but a bundle of infinite grosse blasphemous errours a Pseudodiathesis a counterfet gospell an idoll and huge Chaos of long gathered and patched absurdities a new gospel a masse booke and what not How then are they slandered when it is sayde that they account our worship of God as it is now established to be false superstitious and popish But the best is these calumniations are not greatly to be regarded for if they need not to be ashamed of learning the truth of Donatus who was a schismatical heretique wee haue as small cause to cast awaie good things though it could be proued as it is not that we had taken them from an heretike And though no worke of man and so not our booke of publike praier can be free from all blemishes the Lord reseruing this glorie to himselfe that hee will bee acknowledged perfectly wise and his workes onely voide of imperfection yet so farre is this booke from deseruing these great reproches that it beeing compared with the best treatise that these disturbers haue brought forth the most grosse and blasphemous error which they cā proue therin may be iustified in cōparison of many that are deliuered for sound doctrine in their pamphlets if both of thē be right vnderstood To the 4. they say that it being subiect to the vvorship aforesaid cōsisting of al sorts of vnclen spirits atheists papists heretikes c. it is not a true mēber of the bodie of Christ. It is not thē blasphemy to charge thē with this 4. article And whether they haue cause to hold it vppon this ground or not shal be euident hereafter To the fifth article It is euident to al men saie they and confessed of our enimies that the ministers laws and other ordinances whereby the parish assemblies are gouerned are not such as Christ appointed to his church of pastor c. but by such officers courts and canons as are hatched from Rome Do they not then iustifie this article wherin as in others they cōplaine they are slandered yet in as much as they are constāt in it let thē proue by the word of God both their discipline to be good also our gouernmēt to be Antichristian which they will hardlie afford considering that before the time of papacy there were these offices in the church which these men terme Antichrististian as M. Caluin testifieth Inst. li. 5. ca. 4. se. 4. whose authoritie I vse with these men because I finde that they themselues haue alleaged the same To the 6. article they saie that vve neither hauing a lavvfull ministerie nor faithfull holie free people c. the sacraments in our assemblies deliuered are no true sacraments nor seales vvith promise How thē can these men without blushing put this article in the nūber of forged positiōs for cōsidering that they make their iudgments knowen concerning this point I maruell more they are not ashamed to denie it then I do that some of them Donatist like haue desired to be baptised again The answer to this wilbe easie by that which foloweth in the answer to the 3 brāch of the 5. argumēt To the seauenth they say that no godlie Christians separate from the false church ought to bring their infants to these parish assemblies to bee baptised into that fellovvship and profession c. These wordes do iustifie our Bishops in charging these men with this article The substance whereof seeing it doth depend vpon the former article the follies of it being perceaued the want of wisedom in this will soone be descried To the eight they say that all true christians vvithin her maiestie dominions acknovvledge her Maiestie to be the supreame magistrate and gouernes ouer all persons within the church and without the church yea ouer all causes ecclesiasticall and ciuill Which assertion if it had bene receiued of the whole sect then it had bene a slander in deed but in as much as in an assembly of aboue twentie persons it was concluded that her Maiestie is

faction crie out that the true church is without spot or wrinkle or grosse pollution take libertie to slaunder those that are in authoritie so to free themselues from all submission affirme that the Sacraments are no Sacraments Whervpon though the renuer of this schisme Browne I meane did not in plaine wordes require a baptising againe yet their succossors in their established Church attempted it haue taught that they being the Lordes free people the magistrate is not to deale in causes ecclesiasticall holde that men are not to be compelled to good duties binde one another with a vow to persist in this faction boast of suffrings c. yet detest the name of Donatisme though Donatus was the first deuiser of Brownisme though Brown was the only restorer of these fansies The forerunners it should seeme were grosse when their Disciples are ashamed to be accounted their schollers yet if anie grossenesse as yet vnnamed either in matters of faith or manner of dealing be found in them it will appeare in these also for it is no new fansie but an ancient heresie neither is there hope that they will be restrained but by an olde remedie For as the Donanists when councels were called conference was had and they were conuicted yet gaue it out with great glorie that they had put to silence all the learned and remained wilfull vntill that by the sharp laws of Honorius they were restrained yea and many of them by that meanes were brought againe to the Church so with our men all gentle meanes haue bene vsed in conference hard speeches haue onelie helped them yet remaine they obstinate and brag of victorie if the lawes of our christian Honorius doe them no good they are incurable No doubt the Phisition is irke some to a frantique person and a father to an vnrulie child the one in binding the other in striking and both in louing The dutie of a phisition and the nature of a father must appeare in the magistrate not in satisfieng the desires of the froward to cōtent them but in restraining their phrensie to profite them It may bee to the discontentment of some that anie punishment should be inflicted vpon them for their disordered stubburnnes I would not be mistaken I wish it not howsoeuer m. Greenwood affirmeth that the magistrate ought to compell vnto the hearing of the word Only this I saie that the lesse these matters are cōsidered of the better may the men be conceiued of but view their writings examine their doctrine and marke their dealings and they will appeare the open enemies of Gods truth for in pretending to establish a church they ouerthrowe the church and vnder the colour of setting vp the discipline of Christ they seeke to plague themselues and others with their owne dreams which in this their treatise of discipline and in their two other treatises of certaine conferences lately by them published shall bee made manifest to the indifferent reader In answering of them al onelie the calumniations in the conferences excepted which concerne some particular persons whose cause I leaue to themselues who best know how farre they are abused and in regorde thereof can best answere the same I haue followed the authors method leauing the man and seeing into the matter not regarding who wrote it but what is the doctrine that is maintained by him As for the treatise of the visible Church it will appeare not tollerable inasmuch as it is impious abusing the Scripture iniurious to the Church in describing a false gouernment and daungerous to the simple who are readie to bee deceiued with euerie blast of vaine doctrine The other discourses are not onely like vnto it but haue in them many bitter speeches vngodlie slanders both of Church Magistracie Ministerie and all wherby it seemeth that the author hath not learned to rule his pen. In this mine attempt I haue small hope to satisfie those that are wedded to their will when Gaudentius was answered sufficientlie to his follies hee would notwithstanding returne his aunswere though he did the same nulla ratione respondens sed magis se nec respondere nec tacere potuisse declarans If our author wil replie let him labour to be vnlike to Gaudentius and his companie who with words and bitter speeches sought to vphold their cause if he vse the Scriptures let him applie them faithfully and then if he preuaile the controuersie will be at end In the meane while if these poore labours of mine might satisfie these discontented persons or failing hereof might staie the ignorant from beeing seduced or else might prouoke them that are better able to deale more substantially in these matters I shal be glad Finally I am to intreate the reader both to accept in good part that which in desire of his good is deliuered And also before hee beginne to reade this treatise to amend such faultes as by default in the printing were committed R. A. Faultes escaped in the printing The 2. pag. line 21. This read Thus. pag. 5. li. 5. read the sentence pag. 9. line 24. reade preaching pag. 13. in the margent Iudg. 4 reade Iude. 4. pag. 23. line 12. read Veliphnei Iehouah ijshpok c. pag. 30. line 14. dutie reade vnitie pag. 40. in the margent reade Bale in Apoc. 2. Iraeneus c. pag. 65. line 25. reade were not in the primitiue c. pag. 99. Tit. 3. is to bee placed line 11. and line 19. should be Deut. 13. pag. 108. line 28. reade for instruction onely c. pag. 110. line 23. reade Inst. lib. 4. c. pag. 117. line 2. reade ignorantiam A PLAINE CONFVTATION OF A TREATISE OF Brownisme published by one of that Faction the Title whereof is this A true Description out of the word of God of the visible Church The Answere to the Title THE departure out of the Church is rightly called the badge of an heretike to whom in his going out the Goates do flie for succour when the sheepe of Christ do seeke their foode in the Church of Christ. But because it is a lesser burthen to beare the marke then to haue the name of an heretike it falleth out that men in all ages when they forsake the fellowshippe of the saintes of GOD they doe professe a betaking themselues vnto the true Church of God Heerevppon it commeth that such as haue beene nourished with the milke of discontentment strengthened with the spirite of vnquietnesse and cloathed with the profession of a godlie conscience do now trouble and molest vs refuse to continue with vs and make a nullitie of our Church Their eyes they say are now opened who liued vntill nowe in blindnesse they haue found out the true Church whereof they labour to be members in seeking our good they publish and set sorth vnto vs a true description thereof and this shall bee confirmed out of the word of God This their knowledge their loue and their faithfull dealings are warranted vnto vs

edifie the most simple approuing it to euerie mans conscience he must be of life vnreproueable one that can gouerne his owne household he must be of manners sober temperate modest gentle and louing c. Answere In this description of a doctor here is nothing differing from that which hath bin in the description of a pastor For as there no mētion was made of any ecclesiastical iurisdiction so here it is also passed ouer in silence as if he had neuer said that the pastor and doctor were gouerning officers And as there he requireth of a pastor the diuiding of the worde of God aright and the approuing of it to euerie mans conscience so doth he heere require the same in a doctor and both alike in the iudgement of our author are to execute their office without any difference either of the place or of the matter or of the manner of dealing then the which what can be more fond if he speaketh the truth in saying that these offices are limited seuered and diuers And lastlie as in the description of a pastor the scriptures were abused so in this of a doctor they are not friendly handled For these-places 1. Tim. 3. Tit. 1. 2. Tim. 2. 15. haue bene alleaged before for the pastor who being an ouerseer of Christs flocke hath not bene denied the vse of the Scriptures to decypher out his calling but in bringing the same in again for a Doctor it appeareth that the store is now spent wherof there was no spare in the beginning of this Treatise Also these 1. Cor. 1. 17. 2. 4. doe shew what Paul did in his Apostleship but the office of a Doctor is a distinct matter from the office of an Apostle therefore altogether impertinent vnto this matter are these testimonies vsed by the author Their Elders must be of wisdome and iudgement endued with the spirite of God able to discerne betweene cause and cause betweene plea and plea and accordingly to preuent and redresse euils alwaies vigilant and intending to see the statutes ordinances and lawes of God kept in the church that not only by the people in obedience but to see the officers do their duties These men must be of life likewise vnreproueable gouerning their own families orderly they must be also of maners sober gentle modest louing temperate c. Ansvvere The third sorte of gouerning officers in the Church are by our author called Elders concerning which name howsoeuer Caluine reporteth that in churches of former times some had this title giuen vnto them who onely were conuersant in the censure of the church yet is it generally in the Scriptures ascribed vnto them that laboured in the worde and sacraments as appeareth Tit. 1. 5. Act. 14. 12. 20. 17. in other places And therupon Caluin saith Quod Episcopos presbyteros pastores ministros promiscue vocaui qui ecclesias regunt idfeciex scripturae vsu quae vocabulaista cōfundit In that I haue without making difference named Bishops and Elders and Pastors and Ministers I haue done it according to the practise of the Scripture which confoundeth these wordes And Ierome sayth Veteribus eos omnino fuisse presbyteros quos Episcopos VVith those of ancient times the same men were Elders which were Bishops Therfore it is not so directly from the word of God as in the title of this booke is promised but from the practise of some churches that he hath taken this name Elder to giue it vnto those which beare office without anie further dealing in the ministerie of the word As the name Elder in this place is not vsuall in the word so the office of an Elder as it is here described hath neither warrant of the worde nor yet of any church whether ancient or of latter daies I graunt that certain churches haue made choice of men which shoulde deale onely in the censures of the church whom they haue called Presbyteros Elders But the most that they haue euer required in such an Elder was that he should be sound in faith in life vnreproueable able to discerne of the dealings of euerie calling in the church careful to see rightly into the same and readie to ioyne in correcting with ecclesiastical censure those that are vndutifull beeing helpfull vnto the rest But that it shoulde belong vnto them to discerne betweene cause and cause betweene plea and plea c. It is a plaine pulling of the svvorde out of the magistrates hand They meane no such matter they saie for they graunt the magistrate his authoritie ouer the persons though not ouer the causes of men This it is whereas her Maiesty hath appointed Iudges in the land to end causes decide controuersies to giue sentence vpon malefactors and shirifes to see the execution of that vvhich the Iudges haue determined the seat of iudgement must be brought into the consistorie of these Elders and the office of the Shirife must be onely lefte in the hande of the magistrate to see the decrees of these auncients put in execution Now tell mee if these men do not goe beyond Corah his companie as before vvas said yet I will leaue the further consideration of these matters vnto those whom they doe concerne onely let vs see vvhat warrants they haue out of the worde of God for the largenesse of this their commission Num. 11. 24. maketh mention of three score and tenne men which were chosen by the appointment of God to bee assistants vnto Moses but these were temporall magistrates and not ecclesiasticall Againe it sayth not that Moses was discharged and the authoritie of iudging betweene plea and plea remayned in the power of these men onely As like to purpose is Act. 15. where there is neither anie such authoritie mentioned as aforesayd nor yet such an office as an vnministering Elder spoken of For the worde Elders in that place doeth signifie those that labour in vvord and doctrine as hath beene noted before As touching that of Paul 1. Tim. 5. 17. An Elder is worthie of double honour especially such as labour in the worde and doctrine From whence is collected that there were some Elders which did not labour in the word and doctrine I answere that there was a time as before was saide when such Elders were in the church but when they had their beginning how long they cōtinued how far their office extēded The author hath neither in this place nor els where shewed At the first they were not as by that hath bene shewed may appeare Afterward it should seeme that some such were appointed for the secret meetings of the faithful whiles they were vnder persecution but when the church increased and was dispersed into nations as now it is in England we reade not that such were continued in the Church nay the contrarie is flatly testified For as Ierome sayeth Idem est Presbyter qui est Episcopus antequam diaboli instinctu

studia in religione fieret diceretur in populis ego sum Pauli ego Appollo ego autem Cephae communi Presbyterorum concilio ecclesiae gubernabantur Postquam vero vnusquisque eos quos baptizauerat suos putabat esse non Christi in toto orbe decretumest vt vnus de Praesbyteris electus supponeretur ceteris ad quem omnis Ecclesiae cura pertineret An Elder is the same that a Bishoppe is and before that through the instigation of the deuill affection bare swaie in matters of religion and that it was said amongst the people I am of Paul I am of Apollo I am of Cephas the churches were gouerned by the common councell of the elders but after that euerie one thought that those whome hee baptized were his owne and not Christes it was deereed throughout the world that one of the elders should be set in the place of the rest to whome might pertaine the whole state of the Church If there be any help it must be had from the 2. Chro. 19. 8. for there it is thus writen Moreouer in Ierusalem Iehosaphat did appoint of the Leuites of the priests and of the chiefe of the families of Israel for the iudgements of the Lord and for strifes when they returned to Ierusalem By the iudgementes of the Lord are vnderstood those holy causes the knowledge whereof was committed to the priests Leuites by strifes are noted ciuil contentions the ending whereof pertained to the chiefe of the families of Israell This selfe same matter is expressed also Deut. 17. 9. If there arise a matter too hard for thee in iudgement betweene blood and blood plea and plea betweene plague and plague in the matters of controuersie within thy gates thou shalt then arise and go vp vnto the place which Iehoua thy God shall choose and thou shalt come vnto the priestes of the Leuites or vnto the iudge that shall be in those daies c. So that this disiunctiue or doth expresse a plaine difference betweene the office of the priest and the matters belonging to the iudge For althogh ve al hashpat be red in some translations to the iudge yet the twelft verse of this chapter doth end this controuersie where the disiunctiue or is set downe by an other worde That man that wil do presumptuously not harkning vnto the priest that stādeth before the Lord thy God to minister there o al hashpat or to the iudge shall dye For it is euident that bloud-shed pertained to the iudge the descrying of plagues vnto the priest Likewise contentions being about diuerse matters those that concerned ciuil affaires pertained to the tēporall iudge other matters of faith were to be decided by the ecclesiasticall cēsure so that althogh we shuld grant thē a seignorie yet all causes are not to bee brought into their consistorie In the meane time we see that these men being at defiance with popery haue here shewed vs a reason of it because the both of them would iudge all and would be iudged by none both wold priuiledge their owne deedes and haue the handling of the causes of all others and therefore as in the Papist so in these we may see a sottish ignorance with an arrogant and presumptuous spirit Brownist Their Deacont must be men of honest report hauing the mysterie of the faith in a pure conscience endued with the holie Ghost they must be graue temperate not giuen to excesse nor to filthie lucre Answere VVhereas the office of a Deacon is here mentioned as distinct from the former it had beene requisite for the author more fully to haue expressed his minde for as touching Deacons it is generallie graunted of all writers that they were in the primitiue Church such as our author doth here speake of One saith that Presbyteri Episcopi Diaconi hoc est ministri Christi Elders Bishops and deacons that is to saie the ministers of Christ were names giuen generally to those that had to instruct the people And for proofe thereof he alleadgeth that of Paul to Timothie Ten diaconian sou plerophoreson Fulfilling thy ministerie yet he was the disposer of Gods mysteries at Ephesus Annother saith Primum omnes docebant omnes baptizabant quibuscunque diebus vel temporibus fuisset occasio nec enim Philippus tempus quaesiuit aut diem quo Eunuchum baptizaret At the first all taught and al baptized when wheresoeuer occasion was offered neither did Philip staie for a time nor a daie wherein to baptize the Eunuch Athanasius expoundeth that of Paul 1. Tim. 3. 8. where the Deacon is willed not to be double tongued as if the deacon were a teacher in the word and he himself in describing how he fled for̄ the Arrians sayth thus Monui Diaconum vt recitaret Psalmum populum item vt auscultaret c. I willed the Deacon to reade a Psalme and the people also to giue eare Therefore although master Caluine saieth that Diaconi sub Episcopo pauperum essent oeconumi Deacons shoulde vnder the Bishoppes be prouiders for the poore Yet seeing they dealte in other matters also and were called Diaconi because they were ministers of the worde also our author should haue shewed vs when it was that these Deacons ceased to deale in other matters then in prouision for the poore onely or else hee shoulde haue tolde vs that there are two sortes of Deacons Diaconoi tou logou minister of the vvord and ministers or disposers of the goods of the poore And these thinges hee must haue prooued by Gods worde and then in this pointe hee had perfourmed his promise made in the Title of his booke and shevved himselfe to be so good as his owne worde but nowe by what authoritie hee hath affirmed by the same authority may be denied such an office as is here spoken of to be that Deacon which is mētioned in the places cited Act. 6. For Philip who was one of the Deacons did both teach and baptize Act. 8. which matter although we should graunt that he did it not as a deacon but being an Euangelist as some with this distinction would shifte off the matter yet must it bee confessed that the Deacons mentioned in the Actes were not discharged from dealing in the word onely to take vpon them the care of the poore Neither doeth Paul 1. Tit. 3. 8. speake anie thing to gainesaie this Yet I grant that in the Church of God a care of the poore must bee had and that there be faithfull men appointed for the same of whom the Apostle speaketh Rom. 12. 8. which place cannot bee referred vnto the liberalitie of al Christians in general as some haue taught For this is handled in the thirtenth verse of the same chapter which shoulde haue beene done if there were not a difference betweene the matter required in the eight verse which speketh of the publike officer and the thirteenth verse which extendeth it selfe to all Christians for

then blotted out Cain Esau Corah yea and Israel it selfe Againe is it true that all those which are not vnder this gouernement are dogs c. I will not aske what shall become of these men themselues but what is become of Peter and the rest that remained with Christ and of all the churches of Ierusalem Ephesus Corinth and the rest which had not this gouernement and all these offices at any time among them for some wanted Deacons some widows some vnministring Elders some Doctors To draw to an end The scriptures that are alledged to proue these matters are either promises of that full redemption which is obtained and shall be perfited vnto the church in the day of Christs appearing as Esa. 52. 1. and 35. 8. and Reuelation 28. 27. or else are they types thereof as Eze. 44. and the ninth verse and Zacharie 14. 21. VVherefore they cannot proue the truth hereof in the visible church of God Also Reuel 22. 15. sheweth the estate of the vngodly which in the day of that generall search shall be thrust out of the presence of God VVhich matter Paul doth plainly shew Rom. 2. 9. for hee threatneth oppression and anguishe vnto euerie soule that doth euill whether Iew or Greeke that is whether of the visible Church or not In this one thing these men may be commended that seeing their assertions cannot bee warranted by the woorde of of God they will doe the best they can to make their sayings true in themselues For surely they coulde not possiblie giue ouer themselues vnto a doggish disposition as they do if they were not perswaded that in so dooing the conditions of men which haue cast off gouernement should in thē be made manifest vnto the world VVee are therefore to desire for them that discipline may be put in practise if happely they may bee brought to some good order Thus haue we seene how the Author of this Treatise hath failed in the perfourmance of his promise made in the title thereof A MANIFESTATION OF THE INCONSTANCIE of Brownisme grathered out of two Treatises lately dispersed throughout the land AThanasius speaking of the Eusebian hereticke saith that if once he tast the Arrian schisme he will neuer refraine his tongue from vngodlinesse He noteth it also as a common disease in all heretikes that they will be constant in a peeuish wilfulnesse least they should be condemned of those whom they haue seduced yet in all other things inconstant Nunc probantes quod dicunt mox vero vituperātes quod dixerunt ac rursum approbantes quod paulo ante calumniabantur It is no maruell therfore though the factioners of our age hauing auouched their owne dreames to be the truth of God do now cry out y t they are blasphemed abused slādered if the same be laid to their charge yet in discoursing vpon the self-same matters they wil not stick to iustifie their first conceipts al which may appeare to him that readeth the two pamphlets lately by them published the one intituled A collection of certaine slanderous Articles and the other A collection of certaine articles and conferences c. For in these bookes we shall finde the certaintie of doctrine what it is amongst conceited diuines And that the truth may be more euident I wil set downe first their Articles which sometimes they did hold and now are charged with Secondly the sore complaints that they make of being slandered with them by our Bishops Thirdly what small cause they haue to complaine considering that they are now resolute to defend the same Articles vnto the death And lastly the fondnesse of their assertions which for the auoiding of tediousnes shalbe done either by referring the Reader vnto those places where these matters are handled elsewhere or else by plaine and euident proofes The Articles which are so iniuriously imputed vnto them as they themselues haue published are these 1 THat it is not lavvfull to vse the Lords praier publikelie in the church for a set forme of praier 2 Secondlie that all set and stinted praiers are meere babling in the sight of the Lord not to be vsed in publike Christian assemblies 3 Thirdly that the publique praiers and vvorship of God in England as it is by lavv in the church of England established is false superstitious popish and not to be vsed in anie Christian congregation 4 That the Church of England as it is novv established is no entire member of the church of Christ. 5 That the gouernment of the church of England as it is novv established is no lavvfull gouernement nor christian but antichristian and popish 6 That the Sacraments of baptisme the Lords supper as they are administred in the church of England be not true sacraments 7 That infants ought not to be baptised according to the forme of baptisme ministred novv in the church of England but are rather to be kept vnbaptised 8 Manie of them make scruple to affirme that the Queenes maiestie hath supreame authoritie to gouerne the church of England in cases ecclesiasticall and to make lavves ecclesiasticall not contrarie to Christs lavves 9 That the lavves ecclesiasticall alreadie established by the authoritie of the queene realme be not lavvfull 10 That if the Prince or magistrate vnder her do refuse or defer to reforme such faults as are amisse in the church the people maie take the reforming of them into their ovvne hands before or vvithout her authoritie 11 That the presbiterie or eldership maie for some causes after admonition if there ensue not reformation excommunicate the Queene 12 That the Church of England as it novv standeth by lavv established professeth not a true Christ nor true religion that it hath no ministers in deed nor Sacraments in deed Now they complaine that they are much abused in being charged with these matters for the title of one of the Treatises is A collection of certaine slanderous articles giuen out by the bishops against such faithful Christians as they now vniustly detaine in their prisons c. The Epistle saith that there are spersed abroad throughout the land certaine articles of the bishops owne deuising against these men to bring them into hatred vvith the vvhole land The Author in answering the said Articles termeth them forged positions Again God forbid saith he that our Magistrates should be guiltie of our innocent blood by such slanderous reports To be short master Barrow as he himselfe reporteth complained to Doctor Androwes that he hath bene greeuouslie slandred blasphemed and accused by spearsed articles c. therefore a great fault there is in those which offer these persecuted Christians for so they terme themselues this great iniurie or else in them who if the Black-amore could change his hue would deny their owne opinions but if they giue the lie vnto vs without iust cause as it shall appeare that they do by that which followeth and maintaine these things which thus confidētly they haue denied