Antichristianism declining to Popery or of Separation for that reason the Presbyâ—erian Churches making the like plea for themselves That the first Reformers had ordinary calling even according to the Papists own Canons and the Episcopal Divines pleading only the same thing more fully Yet it is not true which this Author saith That either the one or other make the succession from Popish Bishâ—ps one of the best pleas they have for the justâ—fication of their ministâ—y For though they plead this succession against the clamorous and violent actings of the Popish party which Petrus Molinaeus in his 3 d. Epistle to Bishop Andrews mentions to have been in France by Arnola the Jesuite and the writings of Champney Wadsworth and others shew to have been in England yet they have justified their ministry without it as may be seen in Amos Alsâ—ed Bâ—del and others And for the present Ministers of England I conceive they will deny that they act by vertue of an Office-power from the Combination and Assembly of Idolaters in the Church of Rome their Office-power being not such as Priests are ordained to in the Church of Rome to offer Sacrifice propitiatory for quick and dead but to preach the Gospel administer Sacraments and Discipline according to Christs institution And in the solemnity of their Ordination the Româ—sts rites being relinquished by the Ordainers who are not a Combination or Assembly of Idolaters but professors of the true Faith and haters of popish Idolatry though some succession of their Predecessors from Idolaters be alleged to stop the mouths of Papists who pervert their proselytes by impuâ—ation of novelty to the reformed Churches and their Ministers rather than by proving their Doctrine out of Scripture As for that which is obâ—ected That Christ would never entrust such to send forth Officers to act in the holy things of God for his Church it is without reason objected sith many of them might be and in charity we are to conceive were the servants of God who abode in the communion of the Roman Church Dr. Ames himself in his Animadversions on the Remonstrants Scripta Synodalia Artic. 5. c. 7. saith We believe there were and yet are many who have not so farr separated themselves from the Papists but that they are polluted with their manifold Idolatry who yet have their part in the Kingdom of God Even in the dayes of King Henry the 8 th and Q Mary all the Bishops were not like Gardiner Bonner and such as were inhumane persecutors Why Christ should not entrust Cranmer Tonstall and such like to send forth Officers to act in the holy things of God as well as Judas to be an Apostle I find not cause The baptism received in the Church of Rome the Brownists in their Apology p. 112. acknowledge to be so farr valid as not to need rebaptization and why not then the Ordination by their Bishops Bishops and Ministers though they be evil men and unduly get into power yet as it is with other Officers their actings are valid as Caiaphas Ananias and such like persons who by bribes unjustly and irregularly usurped the High-Priests Office yet their sentence and ministration were not therefore disannulled He who said We received the Bible from the Church of Rome it is not likely meant it to have been received by vertue of their authority but their ministry Preachers having been sent by the Pope to instruct the Saxons in the Faith But whatever was meant by that speech this we may safely say That if the Office-power of the present Ministers had been as it is not received by succession from the Church of Rome and so from Idolaters yet being no other Office-power than what hath been instituted by Christ it no more proves the present Ministers Idolaters than the receiving of baptism or the Scriptures by the ministry of men in that Church It is further added Sect. 14. The Common-Prayer Book worship was not abused to Idolatry 3. Nor can it be denied but they offer up to God a VVorship meerly of humane composition as the Common-Prayer Book worship hath been proved to be once abused to Idolatry with the mâ—â—es â—nd rites of Idolaters That the Commonâ—Prayer Book worship is a worship that was once abused to Idolatry being the worship of that Church whose worship at least in the complex thereof is so cannot with the least pretence of reason be denied That the whole of it is derived from and taken out of the Popes Portuis as are the Common-prayers out of the Breviary The administration of the Sacraments Burial Matrimony Visitation of the Sick out of the Ritual or Book of Rites The Consecration of the Lords Supper Collects Epistles Gospels out of the Mass Book The Ordination of Arch-bishops Bishops and Priests out of the Roman Pontifical hath been aâ—â—erted and proved by many VVhich might be evidenced if needful beyond exception not only by comparing the one with the other but also from the offer was made by Pope Pius the 4th and Gregory the 13th to Q. Elizabeth to confirm the English Liturgy which did it not symbolize with the service of the Church of Rome they would not have done Yea when the said Queen was interdicted by the Popes Bull Secretary Walsingham procures two Intelligencers from the Pope who seeing the service of London and Canterbury in the pomp thereof wonder that their Lord the Pope should be so unadvised as to interdict a Prince whose service and ceremonies did so symbolize with his own VVhen they come to Rome they satisfie the Pope That they saw no service ceremonies or orders in England but might very well serve in Rome upon which the Bull was recalled Not to mention what we have already minded viz. the testimomy of King Edward the 6th and his Council witnessing the English service to be the same and no other but the old the self-same words in English that were in Latine which was the worship of England and Rome in Queen Maries dayes it is evident That the present Minsters of England offer up a worship to God once abused to Idolatry That they do this with the rites ceremonies and modes of Idolaters viz. such as are in use in that Idolatrous Church of Rome needs not many words to demonstrate What else is the Priests change of voice posture and place of worship enjoyned them Not to mention their holy Vestments Bowings Cringings Candles Altars c. all which as it s known owe their original unto the appointments thereof In the margin Maccovius loc com append de adiaph p. 860. saith Non licet mutuari aut retinere res aus ritus sacros Idololatrarum sive Ethnicorum sife Pontificiorum c. etsi in se res fuerint adiaphorae quia vitandam esse omnem consormitatem cum Idololatris docemur Lev. 19.4.27 and 21.5 Deut. 14 1 It remaineth That the present Mâ—nisters of England acting in the holy things of God by vertue of an Office-power received from Idolaters and offering
thought did appertain to me to do because I found that many that had heard of my judgment in another point did imagine that I must needs be also a Separatist from the Church and Ministers as now they are and where my practice is known to the contrary I have been censured as acting against my own tenet yea and my own light and taken to be and shunned as a deserter of that Cause for which I have appeared notwithstanding in many places of my Writings I have disclaimed Separation for that wherein I was dissenter from others alwayes foreseeing that a groundless Separation would be endless and therefore have still professed my desire of such a Reformation as might be without Separation from Brethren who are not heretical in the doctrine of Christian Faith nor Idolatrous in their Worship nor impose that on me for communion with them which I cannot yield to without sin against God and accordingly did in express words in the Addition to my Apology Sect. 4. declare my willingness to joyn with any Churches of Christ and unwillingness to be a Separating Member in any Church being willing to be a conjoyned Member with all the Churches of Christ in general and each in particular Apol. p. 5. I abhor Separation from my Brethren in this regard p. 10. I durst not gather a separated Church as not knowing how to justifie such a practice In refutatione positionis Dr. Henrici Savage Sect. 15. Sanctissimè in conspectu Domini corda scrutantis possum profiteri me in animo semper habuisse ut si fieri posset èsset reformatio absque separatione animorum exacerbatione Praecursor Sect. 15. I am conscious to my self of using what means I could for Reformation without Schism if possible Yea when some of those who agreed with me in that tenet which my Writings held forth differently from others were moved to admit me to their Communion and they excepted against it because I did not disclaim the Church of England nor renounce Ordination by a Bishop nor desert my standing as a Parish Minister nor my maintenance by Tith or Augmentation nor my hearing with the World as they used to speak nor some such like practices as were inconsistent with the principles of the Separatists I refused many years ago to joyn with them that would not otherwise admit me than upon such terms but did answer their exceptions against me and persisted in my refusal unto this day And how averse my spirit and wayes have been from division that Antagonist of mine whose former Writings had given occasion to men to conceive of me as a Sect-master yet hath in his two Epistles Printed before my two Books one against the Quakers about the insufficiency of each mans Light within him for his guidance to God being Nine Sermons on Joh. 1.9 and the other entituled Romanism Discussed against the Papists assertions about their Church and Pope declared his opinion of my inclinableneness to brotherly Communion and agreement notwithstanding our dissent They to whom I was a Teacher even in the times of our greatest Liberty can bear me Witness that I alwayes withstood by Writing and Conference such insinuations as tended to alienate their minds from Dissenters and alwayes advised conjunction in Church Communion and hearing such as taught the truth of the Gospel in respect of the foundation though in their Worship and Preaching some Hay and Stubble were superadded And therefore to shew my constancy in the same opinion and practice I have conceived my self obliged to appear in this matter at this time Sect. 3. The evils consequent on the tenet of Separation urge to an examination of it Which I conceived my self the more urgently provoked to by the direful imputation of serving the Image of the Beast which the Title of the Book chargeth on the Hearers of the present Ministers and the terrible predictions which in the Epistle to the Reader seem to be levelled against compliance in hearing the present Ministers as if it were likely to meet with the same judgment in the day of Gods wrath with the Antichristian Beast and seeming commiserations of such as did joyn in Communion with the publike Church Assemblies in praying and preaching as worshiping with the Nations waiting at the Posts of an Antichristian Ministry and through the power of temptation turned aside by the flocks of the Companions and expostulating with such as forsaking the fountain of living Waters for broken Cisterns that will hold no Water changing their glory for that which will not profit leaving the bread in their Fathers house and going a begging to the doors of Strangers casting contempt upon the pure Institutions of Christ and thereby provoking the Lord to send leanness into their soul giving occasion of grief and stumbling unto their Brethren pouring contempt upon the Offices Wisdom and Faithfulness of Christ hardning persons in a false way of worshiping of God to their eternal ruine disobeying the heavenly voice calling aloud to them to come from the Lions dens and Mountains of the Leopards to come out of Babylon admonishing them to arise depart hence this being not their rest but polluted to hasten their escape and be like the He-goat before the Flocks in their retreat from the Tents of these false Worshippers lest being partakers of their sin they receive of their plagues that are even ready to be poured forth Which is further pressed by intimating as if this may be the last warning such may have from God Which passages if I should my self read without commotion of mind as if they were brutum fulmen a great Thunderclap without any Thunderbolt yet I doubted whether they might not have such operation on many well-meaning persons as to affright them from any hearing or Communion with the present Church or Teachers as judging such compliance a damnable sin such as the Scripture makes drinking of the cup of Fornication of the Whore of Babylon receiving the mark of the Beast in their forehead and in their hand and in some an irremissible sin like that of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost which must needs produce these woful effects an irreconcilable enmity between the Separatists and such as hold Communion with the present Churches and their Pastors and if the Law should not be mitigated the utter ruine of many thousands in respect of their Liberties Estates and perhaps Lives or else the violation of their Consciences if being possessed with these notions out of fear or secular hope they yield to things of so direful an aspect which things have appeared to me of so great importance that I conceived both prudence and charity bound me to examine these pretences and to inform my self and others of what I found conducible to the preventing of those sad consequences which attend the compliance if it it be such as it is pretended to be and the unyieldingness to what Laws injoyn if it be not such an evil as it is accused to be That which
according to the word of God but after the prescript of man for the matter of their doctrine they may be false Prophets but this is not so much as offered to be proved concerning the present Ministers of England and therefore it is untruly said that it cannot be denied that there is a perfect harmony between them and those false Prophets As for their removals from places of less to places of greater value it is a thing which may be objected to Preachers and Pastors of the Congregational Churches and may be upon just cause and therefore of it self proves not so much as a covetous minde whether it be out of gaping and greedy desire after preferments God may be the only judge If preparing War be meant of suing for their dues by Law it may be just nor is a Minister bound to live upon alms or voluntary contribution the Elders of the separated Churches have found by experience how great a misery it is for a Student though godly and painful to live of the benevolence of their Churches nor is it any sin for a Minister more than for another man to make use of the Magistrate and Law to gain his due according to the Law of the Land And however some have instilled into peoples heads the unlawfulness of requiring or paying Tithes or other dues to the present Ministers as they did before to Non-Conformists yet there is no colourable plea for not paying them it being not unlawful for me to pay what is unjustly demanded there being therein no doing of wrong though there should be a suffering of wrong And therefore it is but vainly pretended that they cannot in conscience put into Ministers mouths when there is no appearance of sin in doing it and if their Consciences be misled by erroneous Casuists poor men may thank them for their vexations and beware of hearkening to them and not clamour against the Ministers as the only cause of their trouble if out of meer obstinacy they deny to pay they are to blame themselves It is added 6. That they sadden the hearts of the righteous Ezek. 13.22 what need I turn aside to make application of this to the Prophets of this day who that is serious doth not experiment the truth thereof in his own soul to see the Name and Ordinances of God prophaned the ceremonies and inventions of man subjected unto by such as pretend to be Ministers of Christ would make an heart of stone to bleed much more those whose hearts are made tender by the Lord. Those of our Brethren that as yet attend upon their Ministry will tell us they are troubled at their compliance and conformity All that look in the least after reformation say they could wish it were otherwise so that this character also is visibly upon them Answer By lyes sadning the hearts of the righteous as Ezek. 13.22 is granted to be a character of a false Prophet but this Author omits that and makes that a character of a false Prophet which is not and applies that to the Ministers which he goes not about to prove they are guilty of Perhaps those righteous persons he means are sadned out of mistakes as conceiving the Name and Ordinances of God prophaned when they are not as the Israelites were when they mistook the Reubenites fact in building an Altar Josh. 22.11 12. Perhaps it may be without their fault perhaps the Ministers are sadned as well as they perhaps the sadness is from such erroneous suggestions as are instilled into the people by such as hold the same principles of separation with this Author perhaps men as righteous as they who are sadned do without any sadness attend upon their Ministry perhaps they are sadned that they stumble at that they need not perhaps they are more sad at such principles of division as pervert them that are counted otherwise righteous than at any thing they perceive practised by the Ministers of England If sadning the hearts of righteous by the inventions of men be a character of false Prophets and that for it the Ministers of England are to be judged such the renting of errors and fancies which have been in the Congregational Churches and even by their Teachers the many unnecessary scruples janglings oppositions arrogant wilful carriages deceitful and unrighteous dealings in Members which have sadned the hearts of many sober and better composed spirits and made them weary of their societies the heart bleedings for professors abominations are indeed as signal characters of false Prophets in their Churches as of the Ministers in the Church of England being such Though there were an utter oblivion of what of old was done by Separatists in England the Low Countries in new England yet what hath been done in England in our times and is yet in the memory of many yet alive should have stopped this Authors mouth and made him forbear to object that against the Ministers of England which may perhaps more fully be retorted on those whose Ministry he would have attended on The Elders and Messengers of the Congregational Churches meeting at the Savoy Octob. 12. 1658. in the Preface to the decclaration of their Faith and Order do of their own accord say It is true that many sad miscarriages divisions breaches fallings off from the holy Ordinances of God have along in this time of temptation especially in the beginning of it been found in some of our Churches Yea such insinuations as this Author urgeth against the Ministers of England would have proved not only the Ministers of the reformed Churches of late but even the Angels of the seven Churches of Asia the teachers of the Churches of Corinth and other the best Churches in the Primitive times to have been false Prophets But I forbear He addes 7. That they mix the word of God with their dreams Jer. 23.25.29 in the Margin The notes on Matth. 28. in the foresaid Translation are Here do all Preachers learn what they should teach nothing else but Gods word nothing else but that the Lord hath commanded them not their own dreams and inventions So do the present Ministers of England as hath been proved Sect. 7. Pressing rigid Conformity no proof of the Ministers being false Prophets Answ. This needs no further answer than what is before given 8. Saith he That they come in Sheeps cloathing having the horns of a Lamb but are inwardly ravening Wolves and speak like Dragons i. e. pretend to the Holiness and Meekness of Christ and Saints but are inwardly full of raven and cruelty yea terrible in their Edicts and Laws stirring up and making use of the powers of the world to persecute kill and destroy the Saints Mat. 7.15 Revel 13.11 which second Beast is no other than the false Prophet mentioned Revel 19.20 as might easily be demonstrated As face answers face in a glass so do the present Ministers of England the false Prophets there spoken of Are not all the Persecutions Imprisonments Slaughters and Butcheries of
the Children of God that the first Beast hath exercised upon the Saints for this 1260. years to be charged upon this Generation of men yea who do more eagerly press a rigid Conformity not only contrary to the Kings Declaration from Breda and others since published by him but also as is thought to his natural temper and the inclination and bent of his spirit though to the infringing of the liberty the banishment the taking away the lives of the Saints who love Truth and Peace and humbly beg that they may be suffered for the tribute they pay as in the Dominion of the Grand Seignior they are in quietness to serve God according to their perswasins Answ. It is true false Prophets are noted by Christ Matth. 7.15 to be in outward shew as sheep meek and holy inwardly cruel But this is not the form denominating them false Prophets nor a signal character of them by which they are known but a reason of the caution of being deceived by their fair shews That by which they are false Prophets and are known to be such is their fruits v. 16. which though variously expounded by the Ancients and Maldonat understands it of their works Grotius of the works of iniquity yet of the Ancients some understand it of their faith Protestants some by fruits understand their false doctrine and evil life as Beza their doctrine manner of teaching spiritual efficacy in their hearts their life customes and intentions so Diodati Annot. their doctrin self-seeking and wickedness so the large Annot. Pareus The fruit of a false Prophet is his false and damnable doctrine Dr. Hammond Ye shall certainly know and discern them if you take notice of and weigh the doctrines which when they have gotten some authority with you they will presently endeavour to infuse into you Piscator in his Scholies From the effects of their doctrin For as for what pertains to life it may be that he may teach well who lives ill Molin Vates l. 3. c. 5. The fruits which their doctrine produceth in the minds of Auditors That the doctrin is meant by the fruits Matth. 7.16 was long since in my Antidote Sect. 9. asserted and in my Praecursor vindicated Sect. 14. to which I still adhere and therefore count this which is here made a signal character of a false Prophet unfit to that end as being congruous to them who are no Prophets in pretence and to them who may be true Prophets or Teachers The second Beast Revel 13.11 is saith Molin Vates l. 5. c. 17. The Roman Clergy with the Pope himself the Bishop of Rome with his Clergy saith Mr. Mede Comment on Revel 13.11 most of the Protestant Divines make it either the Pope when he usurped the power over the Emperour or the Pope and his Clergy who were indeed terrible in their Edicts and Laws stirring up and making use of the powers of the world to persecute kill and destroy the Saints But this did not shew them false Prophets but their false doctrine But that as face answers face in a glass so do the present Ministers of England the false Prophets there spoken of is said with much heat and without proof That all the Persecutions Imprisonments slaughters and butcheries of the Children of God that the first Beast whether he mean it of the Roman Emperours or ten Horns that is ten Kings into which it was parted or the Bishop of Rome hath exercised upon the Saints for this 1260. years are to be charged upon this generation of men that is the present Hierarchy and Ministry of England which he means if he speak pertinently is I confess a very dreadful and heavy sentence but pronounced à non judice who I hope will be found a false Prophet in the event as it shews him inwardly cruel to them and by his own rule is a signal character of himself being a false Prophet I hope by their appeal to heaven they will get this Indictment quasht I presume the rigid conformity pressed hath not yet tended to the banishment the taking away of the lives of the Saints who love Truth and Peace and I wish such writings and practices as this Author and some others are deemed to use do not exasperate the King and Parliament to effect it I assent to what he saith of his Majesty as having by experience found it true which in all humble thankfulness I acknowledge nor do I doubt but he is as the Poet describes a good Prince Est piger ad paenas Princeps ad praemia velox Quique dolet quoties cogitur esse ferox Concerning the Declaration from Breda and other Declarations since published by his Majesty how far the pressing of rigid Conformity opposeth and who are the causes thereof is above our cognizance who are at so great a distance That the present Ministers who are the ordinary Teachers to be heard are the men that do it hath no likelihood sith they are the men upon whom the rigid conformity is pressed and therefore this allegation is very inaptly made a signal character of their being false Prophets Sect. 8 The charge Ezek. 22.26 reacheth not the Ministers of England It follows 9. That they put no difference betwixt the Holy and Prophane Ezek. 22.26 Do not even the Ministers of England the same Are not all their dear Brethren and Sisters living and dead though Drunkards Swearers Adulterers and Adulteresses c. Are not as was said the children of them all admitted to the Font and they themselves to the Lords Table Is not the childrens meat frequently given unto Dogs and the holy Ordinances prostituted to be polluted by the worst of men Answ. The charge Ezek. 22.26 is against the Priests of the Law accusing them of neglecting to discern between clean and unclean Offerings as Piscator in his Analysis Grotius They made not them to understand to wit the difference from that which was common They are the very words from Lev. 10.10 where they are commanded to do what here they are said to have neglected That is holy which is dedicated unto God Profane which is in common use Polluted which is forbidden to be eaten clean which it is lawful to eat Aynsworth on Lev. 10.10 That ye may separate or to make difference and this is meant not only for themselves but others as in Ezek. 44.23 They shall teach my people the difference between holy and profane and cause them to discern between unclean and clean And for not doing this the Priests are blamed Ezek. 22.16 see also Lev. 20.25 holy Heb. holiness meaning of persons and things In Greek Between the holy ones and the profane which Texts and others as Levit. 22.1 2 3. shew that this thing was an evil indeed of a Levitical Priest when either they admitted unclean and profane Offerings of Beasts or Fowls or legally unclean persons or taught not the people to put difference between them yet was no Character distinguishing a false Priest from a true