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A69622 English Puritanisme containing the maine opinions of the rigidest sort of those that are called Puritans in the realme of England / written by William Ames ... Bradshaw, William, 1571-1618.; Ames, William, 1576-1633. 1641 (1641) Wing B4158; ESTC R14601 11,152 25

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ENGLISH PVRITANISME CONTAINING The maine Opinions of the rigidest sort of those that are called Puritans in the Realme of ENGLAND Written by WILLIAM AMES D. of Divinity ACTS 24. 14. But this I confesse unto thee that after the way which they call Heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers beleeving all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets ACTS 28. 22. But we will heare of thee what thou thinkest for as concerning this Sect we know that every where it is spoken against Printed in the yeare 1641. To the Indifferent Reader IT cannot be unknowne unto them that know any thing that those Chistians in this Realme which are called by the odious and vile name of Puritans are accused by the Prelates to the Kings Majestie and the State to maintaine many absurd erronious Schismaticall and Hereticall opinions concerning Religion Church-government and the Civill Magistracie Which hath moved me to collect as neare as I could the chiefest of them and to send them naked to the view of all men that they may see what is the worst that the worst of them hold It is not my part to prove and justifie them Those that accuse and condemne them must in all reason and equity prove their accusation or else beare the name of unchristian slanderers I am not ignorant that they lay other opinions yea some cleane contradictory to these to the charge of these men the falshood whereof we shall it is to be doubted have more and more occasion to detect In the meane time all Enemies of Divine Truth shall finde That to obscure the same with Calumniation and untruthes is but to hide a Fire with dry Straw or Towe upon it But thou mayest herein observe what a terrible Popedome and Primacy these riged Presbyterians desire And with what painted Bug-beares and Scar-Crowes the Prelates goe about to fright the States of the Kingdome with all Who will no doubt one day see how their wisedomes are abused Farewell ENGLISH PVRITANISME CHAP. I. Concerning Religion or the worship of God in generall IMPRIMIS They hold and maintaine that the Word of God contained in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles is of absolute perfection given by CHRIST the head of the Church to be unto the same the sole Canon and rule of all matters of Religion and the worship and service of God whatsoever And that whatsoever done in the same service and worship cannot be justified by the said Word is unlawfull And therefore that it is a sin to force any Christian to doe any act of Religion or Divine Service that cannot evidently be warranted by the same 2 They hold that all Ecclesiasticall actions invented and devised by man are utterly to be excluded out of the exercises of Religion Especially such actions as are famous and notorious Mysteries of an Idolatrous Religion and in doing whereof the true Religion is conformed whether in whole or in part to Idolatry and Superstition 3 They hold that all outward meanes instituted and set apart to expresse and set forth the inward worship of God are parts of Divine worship and that not onely all morall actions but all typicall Rites and Figures ordained to shadow forth in the solemne worship and service of God any Spirituall or religious Act or habit in the minde of man are speciall parts of the same and therefore that every such Act ought evidently to be prescribed by the Word of God or else ought not to be done it being a sinne to performe any other worship to God whether Externall or Internall Morall or Ceremoniall in whole or in part then that which God himselfe requires in his Word 4 They hold it to be grosse Superstition for any mortall man to institute and ordaine as parts of Divine worship any mysticall Rite and Ceremony of Religion whatsoever and to mingle the same with the Divine Rites and Mysteries of Gods Ordinance But they hold it to be high presumption to institute and bring into Divine worship such Rites and Ceremonies of Religion as are acknowledged to be no part of Divine worship at all but onely of civill worship and honour For they that shall require to have prformed unto themselves a ceremoniall obedience service and worship consisting in Rites of Religion to be done at that very instant that God is solemnely served and worshipped and even in the same worship make both themselves and God so an Idoll So that they judge it a farre more fearefull sinne to adde unto and to use in the worship and service of God or any part thereof such mysticall Rites and Ceremonies as they esteeme to be no parts or parcels of Gods worship at all then such as in a vaine and ignorant Superstition they imagine and conceive to be parts thereof 5 They hold that every Act or action appropriated and set apart to Divine Service and Worship whether Morall or Ceremoniall reall or typicall ought to bring speciall honour unto God and therfore that every such Act ought to be apparently commanded in the Word of God either expresly or by necessary consepuent 6 They hold that all actions whether Morall or Ceremoniall appropriated to Religious or Spirituall persons Functions or Actions either are or ought to be Religious and Spirituall And therefore either are or ought to be instituted immediately by God who alone is the Author and Institutor of all Religious and Spirituall actions and things whether Internall or Externall Morall or Ceremoniall CHAP. II. Concerning the Church 1 THey hold and maintaine that every Company Congregation or Assembly of true beleevers joyning together according to the order of the Gospell in the true Worship of God is a true visible Church of Christ and that the same Title is improperly attributed to any other Congregations Synods Societies Combinations or Assemblies whatsoever 2 They hold that all such Churches or Congregations communicating after that manner together in Divine worship are in all Ecclesiasticall matters equall and of the same power and authority and that by the Word and Will of God they ought to have the same Spirituall Priviledges Prerogatives Officers Administrations Orders and Formes of Divine worship 3 They hold that Christ Jesus hath not objected any Church or Congregation of his to any other Superiour Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction then unto that which is within it selfe So that if a whole Church or Congregation shall erre in any matter of Faith or Religion no other Churches or Spirituall Church-Officers have by any warrant from the Word of God power to censure punish or controule the same but are onely to counsell or advise the same and so to leave their Soules to the immediate judgement of Christ and their bodies to the sword and power of the Civill Magistrate who alone upon earth hath power to punish a whole Church or Congregation 4 They hold that every established Church or Congregation ought to have her owne Spirituall Officers and Ministers resident with her and these such as are joyned
by Christ in the new Testament and no other 5 They hold that every established Church ought as a speciall prerogative wherewith shee is endowed by Christ to have power and liberty to elect and chuse their owne Spirituall and Ecclesiasticall Officers and that is a greater wrong to have any such forced upon them against their wils then if they should force upon men wives or upon womens husbands against their will and liking 6 They hold that the Ecclesiasticall Officers and Ministers of one Church ought not to beare any Ecclesiasticall Office in another neither as they are Officers in one Congregation can they officially administer in another but ought to be tyed unto that Congregation of which they are members and by which they are elected into Office And they are not without just cause and such as may be approved by the Congregation to forsake their Callings wherein if the Congregation shall be perverse and will not hearken to reason They are then to crave the assistance and helpe of the Civill Magistrate who alone hath power and who ought by his civill sword and authority procure to all members of the Church whether Governours or others freedome from all manifest injuries and wrongs 7 They hold that the Congregation having once made choyse of their Spirituall Officers unto whom they commit the Regiment of their soules they ought not without just cause and that which is apparantly warrantable by the Word of God to discharge deprive or depose them But ought to live in all Canonicall obedience and subjection unto them agreeable to the Word of God 8 They hold that the Lawes Orders and Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction of the visible Churches of Christ if they be lawfull and warrantable by the Word of God are no wyaes repugnant to any civill State whatsoever whether Monarchicall Aristocraticall or Democraticall but to tend to the further establishing and advancing of the right and prerogatives of all and every of them And they renounce and abhorre from their soules all such Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction or Policy that is any wayes repugnant to any civill State whatsoever whether Monarchicall Aristocraticall or Democraticall but doe tend to the further establishing and advancing of the right and prerogatives of all and every of them And they renounce and abhorre from their soules all such Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction and Policy that is any way repugnant and derogatory to any of them specially to the Monarchicall State which they acknowledge to be the best kinde of Civill Government for this Kingdome 9 They hold and beleeve that the equality in Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction and Authority of Churches and Church-Ministers is no more derogatory and repugnant to the State and glory of a Monarch then the parity of equality of Schoole-masters of severall Schooles Captaines of severall Campes Shepheards of severall flockes of sheep or Masters of severall Families Yea they hold the cleane contrary that inequality of Churches and Church-Officers in Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction and Authority was that principally that advanced Antichrist unto his throne and brought the Kings and Princes of the earth unto such vassalage under him and that the Civill Authority and glory of Secular Princes and States hath ever decayed and withered the more that the Ecclesiasticall Officers of the Church have bin advanced and lifted up in Authority beyond the limites and confines that Christ in his Word hath prescribed unto them CHAP. III. Concerning the Ministers of the Church 1 THey hold that the Pastors Teachers and ruling Elders of particular Congregations are or ought to be highest Spirituall Officers in the Church over whom by any Divine Ordinance there is no Superiour Pastor but onely Jesus Christ And that they are led by the Spirit of Antichrist that arrogate or take upon themselves to be Pastors of Pastors 2 They hold that there are not by Divine Institution in the Word any ordinary Nationall Provinciall or Diocesan Pastors or Ministers under which the Pastors of particular Congregations are to be subject as inferiour Officers And that if there were any such that then the Word of God would have set them downe distinctly and more precisely then any of the rest For the higher place that one occupieth in the Church of the more necessity he is unto the Church the more carefully would Christ the Head of the Church have beene in pointing him out and distinguishing him from other Hence in the Old Testament the high Priest his Title Office Function and speciall Administration and Jurisdiction is more particularly and precisely set downe then the Office of any of the inferiour Priests and Levites Also in the New Testament the Office of a Pastor is more distinctly and more precisely set down then of a Doctor or any other inferiour Church-Officer So that a man may as well call into question the whole New Testament as doubt whether there ought to be a Pastor in every Congreation or doubt of his proper Office and Function and if by Gods Ordinance there should be an Ordinary Ecclesiasticall Officer above the Pastors of particular Congregations then Christ out of all question would with that speciall care and cost hath set it forth by Titles Prerogatives peculiar Offices Functions and Gifts That the Churches and people of God should have reason rather to doubt of any Office or Jurisdiction then of the peculiar Office or Jurisdiction of the Primates Metrapolitanes Archbishops and Prelates of the world 4 They hold that if there were a Supreame Nationall Ecclesiasticall Minister or Pastor that should be the Prince of many thousand Pastors that then also Christ as he did in the Jewish Church would have appointed a solemne Nationall or Provinciall Leiturgie or worship unto which at some times of the yeare the whole body of the People should ascend and that unto the Metropolitan City as unto a Jerusalem and that he would as he did in the Jewish Church more precisly and particularly have set downe the manner of solemnization thereof then of his Prochical worship For as much therefore as they cannot read in the New Testament of any higher or more solemne worship then of that which is to be performed in a particular Congregation they cannot be perswaded that God hath appointed any higher Ministers of his service and worship under the New Testament then the elect Ministers of particular Congregations 4 They hold that the High Priest of the Jewes was typicall and in a figure the supreame head of the whole Catholick Church which though it were visible only in the Province and Nation of Jury Yet those of other Nations and Countries as appeare by the History of Acts Even though they were Ethiopians were under this high Priest And acknowledged homage unto him So that he was not a Provinciall Metropolitane but in very deed an Occumenicall and universall Bishop of the whole world And therefore they hold this being the best ground in the word for Metropolitane and Provinciall Pastors or Bishops that the Pope of Rome who alone maketh