LAY-PREACHING VNMASKED OR A DISCOVRSE TENDING to shew the unlawfulnesse of Lay-mens preaching in Publique or Private being A REFVTATION OF some Arguments brought for the Justification of the law fulnesse and uniuersall exercise of every mans gift publique and private By a well-willer to Reformation ROM 16.17 Marke them which cause division London Printed for W. L. 1644. TO THE READER THe holy Ghost in sacred Scriptures doth often inculcate by many iterations and perswasive expressions to the diligent and serious study after Truth and amongst them all there is one as I may so speake transcends the rest In the third Epistle Iohn 4. I have no greater joy than this to heare that my sonnes walke in verity a strong inducement to incite all men to such a proficiency 3. Epist Joh. 4. for as Solomon speaks Without knowledge the minde is not good because it deprives a man of the instrumentall means to the attaining of which his chiefest happinesse consists so unlese this knowledge be originally radicated in the principles of Truth Esay 50.4 it can never minister to a man as the Prophet speakes a word in due time for comfort and satisfaction which point if seriously studyed would prove a meanes to extirpate those Heresies and Schismes which do miserably devide the seamlesse Coate of Christ It is true the Apostle saies There must be Heresies c. but I may to this speech of the Apostle adde that of Christ Woe be unto them to whom such offences come Mistake me not Reader I doe not heare condemne the holy oppositions that accompany the sincere Ministers of Jesus Christ against the corruptions of the times no no farre be it from me to be such a Proctor for the devill or to maintaine his quarrell I onely speake against that blinde zeale which possesses abundance in the world that zeale that wants both knowledge and truth for direction and runns either upon conjectures or evill Enthusiasmes of which the Apostle aimes at that hath its Originall and breeding from a distempered braine and at length produces many exorbitant and giddy deviations from the sobriety and analogy of true Religion M. Bolton as a Learned Divine speakes this is that zeale which requires just censure and sound conviction What shall I say I onely wish that the God of heaven who hath all power in his hands and knowes the hearts of all men would bridle the outragiousnesse of his enemies and cure the errors of his owne people that we might all with one heart and one soule willingly submit to the Scepter of his deare Sonne endeavouring to keepe the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace c. LAY-PREACHING VNMASKED ARGVMENT That there is no private gifts nor private Christians that we reade of in Scripture ANSVVER THat this is otherwise may easily apeare for some actions are private and some are also publique and againe some persons are private and some are publique and so it followeth that some actions proceeding from men as private their actions are private also private actions have reference to private men and men are private in respect of there conditions and callings God hath set them in and private men may somtimes performe publique actions being by authority called there unto and this may not only hold in the Civill Stat but in the Ecclesiastique for Jesus Christ hath left Offices and Officers in his Church and those desinged to perticular places This appeares manifestly as may bee seene in Scripture To set downe one instance in Acts 6. verse 1 2. The Grecians complaining that their Widdowes were neglected the Apostles to remedy it called the multitude together and wished them to looke out so many men full of the holy Ghost to be appointed for this businesse Now ther is no man will deny but that this act was divine if so and that none could performe these actions but those who were publiquely ordained to that purpose then it follows That these men who were full of the holy Ghost by adivine ordinance were appointed to doe such Offices in the Church not only as they were Christians and so had a spirituall sufficiency to performe those duties but being private men were now publikely ordained to execut that which they were called to But it is worth while to consider what you understand by private Christians and private spirits for if you meane that every Christians gifts are not for private use but publike and in that respect to doe service to the whole and so generally to be assistant according to those gifts given him then your speech is true and so there is no Christian whatsoever that is a true member of Jesus Christ but hath a duty lying upon them to help to edifie the body in his place but if by private Christians and private gifts you understand that there are none such because that every one that hath gifts from the head may doe and performe any Office in the Church which is onely properly and peculiarly atribute to some and so not to be differenced out of any particular Office from him that is specially called to a certaine Office then your speech is untrue and tends the high-way to Anabaptisme besides your selfe tells us that in respect of Congregated bodies the more part are out of office now if the more part in this respect be out of office then they that are out of office cannot performe the duties of them that are in office for what doth the word Office import but onely a calling to and a performing of certaine duties that pertain either to the civill State or the Church and none can perform these duties but only those that are designed thereunto and if there be these differences in those that are in office and those that are out of office I would knowe of you upon what grond you can affirme that there are no private gifts nor private Christians if in the first sense you acknoledge it it is granted to you if in the second sence which you must assent to or else you do but daily then shew us better proofes then these or else cease to be so universall in your conclusions untill the premisses be better for every member that is out of office may be sayd to have private gifts and private spirits because they are not to execute and performe those actions in a publike way which others may but in private as Vrsinus writes Furthermore in things pertaining to the Church and as every member stands in relation one to another and are members of that head from whom they receive life so there is distinctions of these members in their severall operations The Apostle in 1 Cor. 12.4 sayes that there are diversities of gifts flowing from one and the same spirit and although he doth diffuse severall gifts to those members for a mutuall benefit and to profit withall vers 7. yet these gifts that are thus given and the persons to whom they are given are to be differenced
in their proper operations for the gifts make the members and not the members the gifts and to this purpose the Apostle speakes very pertinently are all Apostles are all Prophets have all the gift of tongues doe all prophesie c. Hence then it followes that as some gifts consist in the performance of some things and some of other things so also those persons in whom those gifts are are to be differenced likewise and this the Apostle doth clearely intimate in 1 Cor. 12. for speaking of the gifts of the Spirit and their diversities of operations vers 6. he proceeds by way of comparison that as in naturall bodies one member cannot performe the office of another and the distinctions of their operations in the body so also Christ Jesus being the head of the spirituall body hee hath communicated severall gifts to severall members and hath designed certaine peculiar offices to some of those members now not onely the severall gifts but also the severall functions in the body Ecclesiastick proceed from Jesus Christ and therefore the Apostle sayes vers 28. And God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers c. and although in the generall the gifts may concurre in one man yet there are some particulars affirmed of one which cannot be spoken of another and therefore the Apostle againe vers 29. Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers c. but you say these (a) For â—s a 〈…〉 being both living things are severed one from anâ—â—her by their seveâ—â—l prâ—â—peâ—â—es â—nd speciall diâ—â—erences â—s they be câ—llâ—d 〈◊〉 the Lâ—gicâ—◠〈◊〉 ever 〈◊〉 Apostles Pâ—â—pheâ—s Evangelâ—sts Pastors and Doâ—â—ors being all Preachers of the Gospell are severed by that wherein they differ one from another and as he can be no man which have none of these differences wherby a man is severed from living things so he cannot be Prophet or Apostle which hath nothing whereby hee may differ from a Pastor Doctor or Evangelist Cartwright 1. Part of his Reply to Whitgift Pag. 380. offices were extraordinary true but yet by them and after them the ordinary offices have the same distinâ—â—ns as thus Pastors Elders and Deacons are not these â—â—stinct offices from all which that hath beene spoken it is a necessary conclusion and issuing from these premises to wit That as God hath set downe not onely a distinction of those Offices and Officers which are extraordinary but also ordinary and that even in these ordinary Offices which should succeed perpetually in the Church the least of them cannot take that publike Office upon him without the call of the Church as was instanced in these Deacons Acts the sixth it followes invincibly that there is an absolute and plaine distinction betweene and a difference in a publike and private Spirit and so of those persons in whom there are and that when such places are void no man can take upon him that arrogancy unlesse in case of necessitie to execute them unlesse called thereunto Againe that there is difference betwixt the spirit of a Minister publikely called and a private man to whom God hath given the gifts of the Spirit is proved from Saint Paul where he sayes the Spirit of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets and not to every private man as Master * In his Cases of Conscience Perkins sayes and hee shewes also that God doth give a larger measure of gifts to Ministers and publike dispensers of his Word and Sacraments then to ordinary and private men (b) The Vertues of the third Commandement consists in the propagation and spreading abroad of the true doctrine of Gods Essence not that publication which is done by the publique Ministry and which belongeth to the publique function of the Church but that propagation which pertaineth to every one because every one privately in his place is bound to bring others to the knowledge and worship of God Deut. 4. 9. Luke 22. 32. Col. 3. 16. 1 Thâ—ss 5. 11. Ursin Cat. and this also may bee proved by a necessary induction from those words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 14. 5. I would that you all spake with tongues from which it is evident that the Apostle by ascribing to the knowledge of tongues the Epithite of a spirituall gift and that those men whom God hath called also by his Spirit to the worke of the Ministery sanctifying those gifts unto them it followes necessarily that to whom larger gifts are given both unto the knowledge of tongues and of the Scriptures in those tongues that there a larger measure of grace may and doth dwell now if a larger measure of grace and gifts doe remaine in some men more then others then those men are more fitter for the greatest Offices in the body and so likewise a distinction of their duties must be granted for the manner for the knowledge of the true and exact meaning of the Scriptures and the extents of the holy Ghosts meaning therein (c) Without the study and learning of Arts and Sciences men cannot be made fit to teach nor the purity and sincerity of doctrine maintained against Heretiques Ursin Catt There must be something else to concurre besides the gifts and graces given to the Elect and to this purpose (d) Wherefore saith he serves the Schooles of the Prophets and the knowledge of Arts and Tongues but to divide the Word aright and to distribute to every mans necessities Bolton in his 3. Treat pag. Master Bolton speakes excellently and so also how shall the Ministers of God convince the learned adversaries if there be no skill nor knowledge in Arts and Tongues from all which it appeares that as God endued his Ministers with larger measures of gifts in tongues and in the knowledge of the holy Scriptures and these being sanctified unto them and hath not given such large measures to private men who have not such publike offices designed to them by the Church because indeed not fit hee must needs be a very strange man that will deny that there are not private gifts nor private Christians the consent of judicious godly and learned Divines assenting thereunto and so those Divines as Perkins Calvin Bolton c. doe onely shew that there ought to be a mutuall edifying of one another in those graces that God hath given to his people and members of the Church but they doe not prove this speech That there is no private gifts nor private Christians Now because that which followes in your booke is not to be questioned but by all faithfull men Divines and others granted to wit that Christians may edifie one another mutually and according to those gifts that God hath given them we will therefore proceed to that which followes to be answered And first you make an objection against the universalitie of this truth That none ought to preach but those in office Object nor else may be properly said to preach To this you answer when the dispersed Christians in
that persecution were scattered abroad it it said that they went about preaching and the hand of the Lord was with them Act. 11.19 20 21. But doe you thinke that this is a sufficient warrant for you to preach publikely Rep. in a time when the Word of God is freely preached by his faithfull messengers and who have ordinary callings thereunto As for those Christians without doubt it was extraordinary in them to doe this and if you had seriously weighed the circumstance of the place and the cause thereof you would not have made such a bad conclusion for by reason of the greatnesse of the persecution at Jerusalem some Christians scattered themselves abroad except the Apostles now the Apostles (e) Because they would rather lose their lives at Jerusalem then â—epart from the Congregations they had converted Gualt in 4. Acts. remaining at Jerusalem privately for feare of the persecutors as some thinke as St. Paul did in the like case for feare of the Jewes and so by that meanes the Gospell could not be preached to them other places Saint Steven was stoned and others of them no doubt but were in prison there was now a necessitie that the Word should bee preached by them if at all especially in those parts of Iudae where the Churches at that time were not plainted or if they were it was newly done and these Christians no doubt were extraordinarily called to the same and mee thinkes there is such strength in the particle therefore of Act. 8.4 the scope of that Chapter being to declare the persecution of the Church and of the stoning of Saint Steven and of his buriall then comes the holy Ghost with an inference therefore those that Were scattered abroad preached the Word implying that had not that persecution beene and that the Apostles had not thought fit to suspend their preaching in these places there had beene no such gate opened for these men to doe as they did and besides also in the next verse speaking of Philip who was but a Deacon serves to illustrate this point for in the fifth verse he went into Samaria and preached there which he could not have done nor could he had it not beene a thing extraordinary and therefore well sayes (f) At this time Philip who was but a Deacon might preach necessity requiring it Ibidem Master Gaulter upon the place now if this was a thing necessary and so extraordinary in Philip who was an under Church officer why not in the Christians who were no Church officers at all and wee finde also that Philip was one of those seven Deacons chosen in the fixth of Acts from all which I argue thus That persons which could not performe the place of an inferiour Church officer without being ordeined by the Church could not much lesse performe a greater office unlesse called by the Church But the first is true Acts 6.5 6. as was instanced in the Deacons Ergo so is the second Furthermore it was never the practise of any either in the old or new Testament that was not in office in the Church and designed to publike preaching of the Word that did ever take upon them to preach (g) Neither is there any one except those which are called extraordinarily which can baye any assurance of an inward calling but by meanes of the outward Cart. 2. rep 1. part pag. 260. but upon an extraordinary occasion and in case of necessitie as here these men did let the contrary be proved and you may write to some purpose As for the Apostles they were called extraordinarily by Christ himselfe inwardly by his Spirit and outwardly by his owne voyce onely Saint Paul to whom was added Barnabas was after Christs ascention called to the worke of the Ministery yet neither of these two but had the confirmation of their calling the one by Ananias the other by those of Antioch as also in Act. 11. Barnabas was sent by the Church at Jerusalem For no doubt But God could have given Paul his sight without the laying on of the hands of Ananias but God to shew that he loves order and that although he can doe things altogether by himselfe yet he is pleased to use man as an instrument to worke by and without whom some things cannot be done without manifest violation and breach of his Law as here it is evident Ananias was sent by Christ that Paul might receive his sight and the holy Ghost that so he might preach the Gospel now if you will have such sending here as is mentioned in the 10. Rom 15. and such preaching too although it is wonderfull to see what a strange collection you fetch from the 10. of Rom. but I for my part take it that the Apostle speakes there of the extraordinary sending and if you please to looke in the Margent (h) Although Paul in this place speak of calling and sending and this is as I said ordinary and extraordinary there is no doubt but hee speakes here of the extraordinary Pet. Mart. on this place of the 10. to the Rom. Paul doth not here speak of the law full calling of every man Calvin upon the place you shall see the expositions of two excellent judicious and learned Divines so that if you collect any thing from these places it must be applyed to extraordinary practise and if you can plead and make good the calling to be extraordinary then you have a sufficient warrant for the fact but if you cannot you must answer to God for your intrusion to such an office without a sufficient warrant from the Church and besides the sincere Ministers of Jesus Christ are utterly against you in the universalitie of this your practise But you alleadge the fact of the woman of Samaria at which a man may wonder at the woman of Samaria went and told the Samaritans what Christ sayd to her Ergo a lay man may publikely preach the Gospell here is an excellent consequence that hath neither forme nor fashion in it you might better have concluded that women may preach for consider judiciously what passage is there in this womans fact which you would have ordinary and inevitable but may better be applyed to women than to men and if you are of that minde then you shall heare the judgement of Divines in that point (i) The Ministery of the Church is nor to be committed unto women but to men Ursin Cat. pag. 588. Eng. Our Saviour Christ hath joyned the preaching of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments togetâ—eâ— and this S. Paul knew by the Commandement of Christ whereupon it follows that as women may not baptise so they may not preach Cart. Rep. to Whitgift pag. 109. That which these Samaritans beleeved was that this Christ was the promised Messiah which yet was not so certaine by the womans report as appeares in the 42. verse Now there is difference be tween beleeving on him generally to be the Messiah and in
Christ prescribes scribes in Matth. 17.21 if doing Miracles were performed by some Ministers to restore a man from some soare disease or to dispossesse him from Satan by Prayer and Fasting would not you if such a one should disperse that act through a whole Citie when he was wished onely to goe to his owne house and to declare what great things the Lord hath done for him conclude him that so did to be a Preacher I know you would else what can you make of this example certainely these be very strange collections to say that because such a one reeceived such a perticular mercy by Prayer and Fasting and proclaimed it to his friends or neare neighbours and to those of his neere acquaintance he was therefore a Preacher so here the Act on Christs part was suddaine and so no doubt but extraordinary and upon the suddaine performance of the same the man proclaimed what Christ had so done being full of great joy that if he could he would as the Text saith have continued with Christ and may not you as well conclude that those two blind men were Preachers for they did the same that this man did in spreading abroad his fame if you say that these two were not sent but the other were then let mee aske you this question where is it said that the woman of Samaria was sent and yet you will have her a Preacher and besides upon the same ground that you take her to be a Preacher upon the same will I prove the two blind men to be so too for the woman she called her Citizens to come to Christ the other which was dispossessed of the divels went and preached what things God had done for him and these two blind men that Christ cured went and spread his fame abroad now if it be a sufficient proofe to make a dissent in these actions because the one Text saith the one preached and the other hath it not and so to make a difference upon the word Preaching which in the sence is all one I leave all men to judge Furthermore if the uttermost that you can gather from this place be granted you that this man did preach yet you cannot hence prove your calling to wit that a Lay man may publikely preach being not called by the Church when there is the meanes that may be afforded for that end because Christ sent this man out by his voyce and command and so must needs be extraordinary and that not because he wanted an extraordinary spirit but because he being no Church officer nor was mediatly called or sent but immediatly for as was said before some things were extraordinary besides penning of Scripture and the workes of Miracles as those actions performed by Timothy and Titus they were extraordinary persons did and performed acts and offices that were extraordinary for their manner and their performances made them extraordiry men whence they are called Evangelists and although they were mediatly called by the Church yet the execution of that to which they were called made them extraordinary but here this man was not onely extraordinary in what he did but also was extraordinarily sent from Christs owne vocall commission now if Timothy and Titus were extraordinary because they did actions extraordinary for their manner why is not this man extraordinary when he was not onely extraordinarily sent but did execute that also in an extraordinary manner to which purpose he was sent neither was a Church officer likewise it behoves you to prove that these actions performed by the scattered Christians and the woman and this man were perpetually so done by them and not once or twice which you cannot prove for there was good reason for them now to doe that but not as Church officers and so left imitable to posteritie but as the Christians for the necessitie that then was the woman and the man for the great joy that did then possesse them when Christ did those things for them To that other allegation of yours from that speech of Moses Numb 11.29 where he wishes that all the Lords people were Prophets is very impertinent to this purpose do you not know to what end this speech of Moses was or is you skill in comparing spirituall things with spirituall so weake that you know not how to apply them when they are compared or else in comparing them not right you apply them to a wrong end for according to your manner of reasoning the argument runs thus Moses wished that all the Lords people were Prophets therefore a Lay man or he that is no Church officer may out of extraordinary times preach the word publikely which is as farre from true reasoning as Jerusalem from Amsterdam but you cannot bee so ignorant as you make your selfe that the meaning may be this that they were Prophets that is that they had a spirit of prophecie to sound forth the praises of God and to expresse the same by Timbrels and other Musicall Instruments as Elisha did in the same manner 2 King 3.15 but to put you out of all doubts because we will not use conjectures in so plaine a matter the true sence is this which doth best agree with the order of the story in this Numb 11.29 and in a plaine Narration you may be pleased to understand that these Israelites mentioned in the Chapter did murmure and complaine vers 1. Moses he being not able to beare this burthen desires the Lord in a possionate expression that be might die vers 14.15 But God moved with the complaint and griefe of his servant yeeldeth him helpers to beare his burden with him that so he might have the more comfort vers 16. these 70. men will he have furnished with his Spirit never placing any to doe a dutie to whom he gives not a measure of abilitie to doe the same and God did here extraordinarily call them to be assistant to Moses in this worke of government and to confirme this calling he did as he promised Moses tooke off the spirit that was on him and gave it to these Elders vers 25. now so soone as this was done the Text saith they prophesied and did not cease which prophesie did consist in sounding forth Gods praises and also in ministring assistance to Moses in this worke of government now what Moses meant by wishing that all the Lords people were Prophets is easie to finde for his wish was spoken in relation to Eldad and Medads phophesying in the Campe peruse the Chapter well and you cannot but see in what sence Moses words are to be taken that had it not beene that those two Elders were in the Campe who were spoken against by Joshua Moses servant that expression had never beene uttered by him towards the people the two Elders being in the Campe a young man ran and told Moses and said Edlad and Medad doe prophesie in the Campe and Joshua the servant of Moses said My Lord Moses forbad them Moses he answers him with
is not the calling of men but of God through the Ministery of men so that this separation of the knowledge of an inward calling from the outward is not only absurd but confirmes the Anabaptists which boast of an inward calling where no calling of the Church went before Cart. 2. rep to Whitg 1. part p. 260 261. although a man can plead never so much his inward calling yet sent he must be as well by the Church as by God himselfe and shew if you can any person in the New or Old Testament that ever publikely Preached unlesse in extraordinary cases but he was confirmed in his calling by the Church now what necessity you can plead is somewhat hard to be understood doubtlesse there was no necessity in you so to doe when there were godly Divines and others to do it or is your necessity so great as those Christians in the 8. Acts when there were none at all but the Apostles now at the persecuted Church at Jerusalem if you object that those Ministers that did so preach did not Preach Jesus Christ purely what of that they preached him truly did they overthrow any substantiall points of Faith the Apostle Paul notwithstanding did rejoyce when some preach Christ out of envy so although they preached him not purely yet they preached him truly To the next Spenc. That it may be lawfull in a mans family but not in a Church Answ And so it may be lawfull in a mans family but not in a Church For as there is no member of the body of Jesus Christ but is of the same nature of the whole a publike member of a publike body and the spirit proceeding from the head to every member is one and the same spirit and his gifts of like nature publike gifts of a publike spirit for the good of the whole body and so though they be members of one body and are to be assistant one to another in that body yet can these members performe the duties of each other indeed in the generall they may because the generalitie of their duty is to be assistant but here lies the question whether one member can performe the office of another which is perticularly appropriated to him and none other or as you had it before can the eye performe the office of the hand or the hand of the eye for as you say though in respect of congregated bodies the more part are out of office yet as we are one body in Christ members one of another first all members may be generally assistant to the sorvice of the whole but can every member performe that which is specially affirmed of and attributed to one if you grant it then factumest it is done Anabaptisme and Anarchie and all we shall have come tumbling into the Church for tell me are not you he that said a little before from the Apostle that the chiefest members cannot say to the least I have no need of thee now if every member can performe that which is specially affirmed of another then how can you justifie your speech from the Apostle who saith the one hath need of the other and if the one have need of the other it followes that hee wants that in another which hee cannot performe himselfe if one have no need of another then he cannot onely doe that which properly is this but that also which is specially attributed to another and so you have falsified the Apostle and beaten your selfe with your owne weapon To the next t is true that in the work of Reformation it is necessary that all errours should be discovered and all truths imbraced but you have very slenderly proved that your universall practice is a truth and if you bring no better reason then you have here in your booke published to the world I am not afraid to tell you that in stead of being truth it is a most notorious untruth and such a one that you going about to prove true you have both exposed your selfe to abundance of censure from godly Divines but also shewed the ignorance in resting upon such broken Reeds that will never hold in the tryall and besides are there not abundance of faithfull Ministers of Jesus Christ that notwithstanding they have had their admission into their publike offices from the Prelates yet doe preach Christ in his puritie and doe not you here shew your pride that dare take acception of their allowance by the Prelates for (u) Say a man have been trained up in the Schols of learning and have never so great gifts and fitnesse to exercise a publike office in the Church yet he may not take upon him to Minister till he first be approved 1. Tim. 3.10 that would open a gap to dangerous Schismes in the Church good therefore it is to hâ—â—â—ken to the advice of the Apostle Rom. 12.3 Hilderâ—ham on Joh. pag. 248. they would not preach the Word publikely nor take upon them any publike function in the Church unlesse they were externally allowed thereunto and although there be imperfections in the same yet Sir the substance of it is conteined in their ordination being onely this that Ministers should be examined and proved for their abilitie to be apt to teach 1 Tim. 3.2 and by sound doctrine to exhort and convince the gainesayers now can every man that pretends the spirit be able to convince nay are they able to speake a word to a learned adversary and is it fit now that such should have any publike office in the Church In the 1 King 12.31 it is noted by the holy Ghost as a fault in Jeroboam that hee made Priests of the (x) You know they meane the basest of the people such as gave but one leap out of the Shop into the Church as suddenly are changed from a Serving mans Coat into a Ministers Cloak making for the most part the Ministery their last Refuge Cart. 1. rep to Whitgift pag. 26. lowest of the people which was a great prophanation to the Ministry and that he tooke them not out of the Tribe of Levi which were men fitted and qualified for the Ministery and if this were a fault in Jeroboam because he chused such as he should not chuse why shall it not be a fault and a great presumption in you to take that function upon you without a call by the Church and I am afraid that in stead of expecting a glorious Reformation we may rather expect a hinderance of the same occasioned by your practise use your gifts you may in a private way and it were to be wished that you did not so tumultuously draw such a number of people after you the reason is because it doth open the mouths of the adversaries of a thorough Reformation which if it were otherwise might lesse offend good Christians and upon the right performing of the same might have good warrant from the Word of God FINIS