Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	church_n	true_a	visible_a	19,269	5	9.3685	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79988	The cry of a stone, or, a treatise; shewing what is the right matter, forme, and government of the visible church of Christ. How, and wherein the present Church of England is wanting and defective, both in the body of the land, and in the parochiall branches thereof, with divers reasons and grounds taken from the Scriptures, to perswade all that feare God, rather to suffer any afflictions at the hands of men, than to submit to mans carnall policy and humane devices in the worship of God, or be deprived of the sweet fellowship of the saints in the right order of the Gospel. Together with a just reproofe of the over-strained and excessive separation, contentions and divisions of such as commonly are called Brownists. By Robert Coachman.	Coachman, Robert.	1642 (1642)	Wing C4746; Thomason E137_32; ESTC R208315	72,606	82

by one spirit partakers of one hope and expecters of one glory For touching the visible Church which presents it selfe to the outward eye the case is otherwise and we may not account all visible Christians a visible Church for by a visible Church wee meane a company or congregation assembling together Now a man may be a visible Christian and never come at such an assembly much lesse be a joyned member in the policie thereof Neither doe we meane that every assembly or congregation is the Church of God though the word be indifferently used for there is Psal 26. 5. Act. 19. 41. the Church of evill doers and there is a Church of tumultuous railers In a word the visible Church of Christ is a company of people externally The visible Church described holy or called Saints which combine and meet together intending to performe the whole will and worship of God according as it is or shall be revealed to them I say they are a company for one man cannot be a Church but there must be two or three at least and not above such a number as Matth. 18. 20. may ordinarily meet together and these must be externally holy that is such as by their faith and conversation appeare unto men to be Gods children and his elect for of the heart onely God must be the judge and if the profession be sound and the conversation honest in the outward appearance and manifestation wee have not to doe to 1 Cor. 1. 2. Phil. 1. 7. 1 Thes 1. 4. examine any further but ought in charitie to judge men to be such as outwardly they appeare leaving secret things to God I say further that these Saints must combine and assemble together and that not by compulsion or accident but voluntarily covenant and 1 Cor. 14. 26. Psal 110. 3. Heb. 10. 25. 1 Thes 5. 14. Tit. 1. 9. 10. gather together to performe with heart and tongue the whole will and worship of God for the building up of themselves in all the knowne wayes of God comforting the feeble minded helping the weake rectify the stragler and convince the opposite I say intending to performe the whole will of God for they may at the first be ignorant of many things appertaining to the service Mat. 20. 22. of God and yet be the Church of God for it is with a Church in her minority as with a Christian at his first conversion who hath onely a generall resolution to doe the whole will of God but the particulars Acts 9. 6. 10. 33. of that obedience hee performeth by steps and degrees as hee commeth to learne and understand them so a company of godly men may become a Church and performe with sinceritie and modestie such things as they know and understand at the first and when God giveth them further knowledge and meanes to proceed to other practises as the Christian women in Philippi who at the first assembled together having as it seemeth no other exercise but Prayer and yet afterward there was a very compleate and famous Church of Acts 16. 13. Phil. 1. 2. Saints having both Bishops and Deacons Wheresoever therefore there is an assembly of godly men knit together and performing the worship of God though but in part it may truly be said of them as Iacob said of the servants of God when he saw them marching so diligently this is none other then Beth-el Gen. 28. 12. 17. the house of God this is a proper visible Church And wheresoever other assemblies are then of faithfull Christians whatsoever ordinances of God they have yet they stand them in no more stead then circumcision did the Sichemites but so often as they Gen. 34. 25. take up the name of God and performe any religious service unto him whilest they hate to be reformed so often they are guilty of usurpation Psal 50. 16 17. and intrusion upon that which appertaineth not to them and are manifest takers of Gods name in vaine whom he will not hold guiltlesse Exod. 20. 7. They therefore are much mistaken who describe and marke out the Church by the Ordinances for as circumcision availed not the Sichemites nor the Arke of God the Philistims even so the most glorious 1 Sam. 5. 4 9. Ordinances of God being used by such as are not his children are as a Parable in the mouth of a foole and so farre they are from making wicked men Gods Church as that the more they use them before they Prov. 15. 8. have faith and grace the greater is their sinne and the further off they are from being either Gods Church or children The preaching of the Word can be no mark of the visible Church otherwise than as it is an effectual instrument to prepare men therunto 1 King 18. 19. 25. and 22. 19. Acts 17. 22 Io● 3. 4 5. 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. for it was preached amongst Baals Prophets and amongst the Athenians Ninivites Babylonians c. yet were neither of these Gods Church or people Noah preached powerfully to the old world yet were they not Gods Church The Turks and Indians have had the Word preached to them yet no man will say they are the visible Church of Christ neither can the Sacraments be any marke of the Church at all since they make nothing to be which was not the same before but onely The Word and Sacraments no markes of the visible Church confirme something which before was A Spanish Frier with a scoupe baptized a thousand silly Indians at one time which were drawne together by a stratagem were these now any thing the more Gods Church and if he should have given them the other Sacrament also had it availed any thing the more or if in stead of this Frier there had been one of the most godliest Ministers in all Europe had it not beene all one so long as the people had not faith nor grace so that it is plain that holy people and not holy ordinances give the being to the visible Church it is no more an argument to prove a company of carnall and irreligious people to be Gods Church because they have amongst them his sacred ordinances then a true mans purse in the hand of a thiefe is an argument to prove a thiefe a true man The visible Church hath right to all Gods Ordinances IT is then a societie of religious and faithfull people that have right SECT 2. to Gods spirituall Ordinances and such onely may and must use them so farre as they are able They are all of them to strive to attaine the best gifts and especially to prophesie yea and if it were possible 1 Cor. 14. 1. 2. Heb. 5. 12. to be Doctors and that not in bare conceit but in truth and soundnesse and such amongst them as excell in gifts and graces they are much to love and reverence and also to encourage them to the orderly use of the 1.

of it can be saved for we receive men into the Church whom we deeme faithfull and in Christ before And the right use of the Offices and Acts 2. 41. Ordinances in the Church are properly to build up and keepe men in the faith and obedience of the Gospel rather then to bring them to it The Church is a spirituall corporation wherein the subjects of the heavenly King are kept in a more comely order and better obedience Faith and Salvation is not tyed to the visible Church but the incorporating or joyning to the Church doth not make men subjects of Christ which before were not but it is an ignorant vanity to hold that unconverted men may be received into the Church and fellowship of the Saints under hope of converting them Wee therefore grant that conversion faith grace and salvation may possibly be had in many of these assemblies yea we know many who have the true signes thereof who yet live and converse in them Acts 11. 17. But what then Will men use the utmost liberty they can that they may also please the flesh and the world and avoid persecution if they may but be even thread-bare Christians and in the end be saved surely I would not have any good man have such a thought since it is so neer of kin to hypocrisie for even Hypocrites will serve God Mat. 19. 16. Psal 119. 6. for wages and would doe so much good as might bring them to eternall life but sincere and conscionable Christians use to have respect to all Gods Commandements and to such further degrees of obedience as Acts 10. 33. and 19. 25 26. 1 Iohn 2. 3. 4. God from time to time shall reveale unto them for otherwise their faith and obedience may of themselves be questioned whether it proceed from the love of God or themselves seeing they can doe nothing further then may barely pleasure themselves And as God saw it not good for man in innocencie to be alone and therefore sanctified marriage for his mutuall helpe so as he hath gathered Gen. 2. 18. Saints out of the world by here and there a man hee hath also sanctified fellowships and Churches which must neither be despised 1 Cor. 11. 22. Hebr. 10. 25. nor forsaken and this brotherly fellowship of the Church hath beene so longed after and loved of Gods servants as that they have compared Phil. 4. 1. it to the most pleasant dew and sweet oyntment the one ravishing Psal 133. 2. 3. Numb 24. 5. the eye the other delighting the smell yea even Balaam that Sorcerer was content to commend the comely harmony and order of the Tents of the house of Iacob and how excellent and pleasant a thing it is to see the Saints servants of God communicate together in his The beautie of the visible Church sacred Ordinances and how fruitfull and profitable such courses are hath in part beene shewed already and shall more fully hereafter And I must out of mine owne experience confesse that the living in a society of Christians set in the right order of the Gospel is one of the greatest helpes we have in this world to the obedience of the 1 Cor. 11. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 12. Gospell yea and so full it is of sweet and sound comfort that it even ravisheth the Angels and is indeed next to heaven it selfe if things be carried with holinesse wisedome and love For in such a Church all the gifts and graces of the spirit are freely shewed forth without restraint there the Word of God is not bound The profit and sweet comfort of the Church in by policy tradition custome c. the utmost extent of Gods revelations to the sonnes of men are there openly displayed and the highest straine of pure affections are there shewed if you have a word of wisedome or exhortation there you may utter it If you would 1 Cor. 14 29. 30 31. learne any thing there you may aske and receive freely If you have cause to weepe and mourne they will mourne with you or have you cause of joy they 'll rejoyce with you stand you in need of instruction exhortation or comfort they are ready to give it you doe you Verse 3. stumble or fall either by error of judgement or failing in conversation why they will help both to raise and hold you up have you Gal. 6. 1. need of some gentle rebukes as a balme to your soule or of some sharp 1 Thes 5. 14. Psal 141. 5. and severe threatnings to beat downe your proud flesh yea need you ought either for soule or body why there it is to be had freely and whatsoever is wanting in the outward glory is supplyed seven fold in the inward grace yea and I may say of it as Sabaes Queene said of Salomons wisdome It was not told me the halfe nor it cannot be expressed 2 Chron. 9. 6. either with pen or tongue what wonderfull pleasure and sweetnesse there is in a Christian fellowship And out of doubt if wee were not fuller of carnall policie and sensuality then wee are of spirituall grace and soundnesse wee would rather choose to endure afflictions and death in such a society Heb. 11. 25. 26. then to live in the Courts of Kings yoaked with infidels and evill livers And if at the last day the righteous shall scarcely be saved and that 1 Pet. 4. 18. many shall goe so farre as to preach Christ and doe many great works in his Name and yet shall be shut out of the Kingdome what Mat. 7 21 ●2 great care had there need to be to search and sound our hearts and to use and improve all the helps and meanes which God hath left for our growth and stablishing in grace and for provoking and encourageing Ephes 4. 13. of us to proceed from one degree of perfection to another and if men did but know how much it stood them in hand to regard and love the conversing in a right ordered Church they would give their soules no rest till they were in it but for want of experimentall knowledge thereof they dote upon their Syrian waters as Naaman 2 Kings 5. ●2 did upon Abanah and Parphar but if they had tasted the pleasant Eze. 47 1. 2 3. Psal 84. 10. streames that flow from this Sanctuary they would rather be doore-keepers therein then dwell in the tents of the ungodly Yea and we see daily that even the corruptions and frailties of men do call for such a meanes to help them forward for such is the ignorance and perversnesse of our nature as that we are apt to set light by the doctrine taught in the assemblies and think the Preacher spake to such and such but it belongeth not to us like David who was in a 2 Sam. 12. 2. 3. 7 sweet dreame all the while that Nathan propounded his generall Parable but when the Prophet told him that

THE CRY OF A STONE OR A TREATISE SHEWING VVHAT IS THE RIGHT Matter Forme and Government of the visible CHURCH of CHRIST How and wherein the present Church of England is wanting and defective both in the body of the Land and in the Parochiall branches thereof With divers Reasons and Grounds taken from the Scriptures to perswade all that feare GOD rather to suffer any afflictions at the hands of men than to submit to mans carnall policy and humane devices in the worship of God or be deprived of the sweet fellowship of the Saints in the right order of the Gospel Together with a just reproofe of the over-strained and excessive separation contentions and divisions of such as commonly are called Brownists By Robert Coachman Jer. 15. 19. If thou take the pretious from the vile ●●ou shalt be as my mouth Ezra 4. 3. It is not for you but for us to build an house to the Lord God of Israel Psal 50. 16. 17. What hast thou to doe to take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing tbou hatest nurture LONDON Printed by R. Oulton and G. Dexter and are to be sold at the Stationers 1642. A FORE-SPEECH To the READER IT is neither to get moncy nor credit gentle Reader that I have undertaken this taske and written this Treatise for I am neither in name nor in truth so famous as to gaine either of these by writing but even simple necessitie and the violent conviction of truth and mine owne conscience hath drawne me thereunto and I know that if I have any reward in this world it will be none other then to be reckoned and rewarded amongst thieves and malefactors but let God doe what him pleaseth It grieveth mee much that no man of greater eminence and learning will take in hand this taske that could have done it better and also with much better acceptation then ten thousand such as my selfe is but what shall I say since they all hold their peace let this be accounted as the confused murmure or Cry of a Stone which uttereth a vehement Luke 19. 40 though unknowne language when they that treade upon it with high lookes are both deafe and dumbe Indeed these matters concerning the right gathering constituting and governing the Church are in our dayes matters of great difficulty and deserve the greatest care and paines of the deepest wits and greatest learning that is amongst us though not in it self more difficult then other points but because of the strong opposition of the times which hath long striven to darken the cleare light of the truth in these points and to uphold humane devices and traditions which in stead of truth take up place in our time That as the preaching of the death and resurrection of Christ was to the Gentiles that doted on carnall wisdome foolishnesse so in Cor. 1. 23. our time when more state and glory is used for the gathering and governing of the Church then ever Christ or his Apostles appointed what marvell is it though it seeme a base and foolish thing to speake of gathering the visible Church of Christ by here and there a man out of countries and cities when it is now no great matter to bring a whole Nation consisting of divers millions of men and women to be a visible Church of Christ in one day And indeed if such wonders could be wrought as are pretended our Saviour Christ had a needlesse feare if he should come in our dayes that made question whether hee should find faith on the earth or not For all our Luke 18. 8. Nation is faithfull and we need not cry out with David for help to God because not a godly man is Psal 12. 1 left but may rather stand forth and challenge the powers of hell and say bestirre thee Divell for here is scarce an ungodly man left But if after all these loud boastings it be yet as hard to find faithfulnesse sincerity as ever it was and that our stately Religion be in the most part rather a superstitious custome to breed security then any matter of weight or worth to rejoyce in and that Gods people are still few and scarce one of a hundred if this be true as heaven and earth knowes it to be true then no man should adventure upon the bare applause of the times or common customes of the multitude but should try himselfe by a more better and sounder rule lest he run with the multitude in the broad way that leads to death But whom shall I appeale to for judgement of this booke it is an old maxime and a new Oracle that the judgement of the vulgar is worth nothing so as if it have no approbation of Divines it may be carryed to the furnace And as for the most part of our formall Schollers who have set Divinity in the pillory and wrote over it The Church of England make it their deepest study to set times and truth at unity having by long custome so clipped the holy tongue that they cannot pronounce Shiboleth but setting onely a Judg. 12. 6. face upon Religion have like Water-men gone backeward so fast from it till they come betweene the consumption of grace and the assumption of preferment from such I must appeale as no fit Judges in this controversie expecting rather that they should be tormentors and butchers of all such as call any of their formall courses in question then be patient hearers of any thing that striketh at their outward glory Also for the Reformists though their grounds I use these names only for distinction not affecting it looke the same way that mine doe yet many of them have suffered their eyes so to dazle upon their formall neighbours who with a little yeelding to the times sit warme in their nests and live more like Princes than Apostles that now they begin to call their owne wisdome and soundnesse in question and rather suspect that their owne hearts have deceived them then that the truth hath overswayed them and are mucb more willing to embrace any counsell that may procure them fleshly liberty then lend an eare to ought that shall perswade them to a stricter or better course and therefore I dare not permit them for Judges therein Neither indeed is there any whom these times will acknowledge for a Divine which is not more or lesse tainted with the corruptions of this age but if he be scrupulous and will not swallow up all and hold his tongue at that for whlch his heart smiteth him hee may as well be canonized for a Saint in Rome as registred for a Divine in England but shall passe under the terme of a puney or busie fellow notwithstanding any gifts of learning or other endowments that so the Argument of the Iewes against Christ Iohn 7. 48. may alwayes be in a readinesse to stop the mouthes of the simple And as little hope is there of any equall sentence from any of the strict separation seeing

who may preach as also where and to whom PReaching is a reverend declaring of the Will and Word of SECT 25. God in many words or in few or an effectuall evincing and Preaching what it is Iob. 3. 4. Acts 2. 22. 36. Luke 12. 42. speaking to the heart and conscience without fearefull withholding the portion from any or immoderate lashing out that which belongeth to none I say it is reverend declaring c. For every Scripture phrase and good words used by idle and vaine discoursers is not preaching but rather prophaning that speaking then which is called preaching must Mat. 4. 6. 1 Sam. 28. 18. 19 be done with premeditation and due consideration of the Author God of the matter his Word the end his Glory and the salvation of the hearers 1 Cor. 2. 17. Of the Will of God wee must not preach our owne wills or empty our stomaches against such as personally oppose us lest it be justly ascribed to humour and passion rather then to the grace of preaching but when with reverence onely the Will and Word of Act. 10. 27. Iob 42 7. 8. God is told that is properly preaching In many words or in few I doe not say that a speech of an houre long only is preaching but also a few words ten words five words a word in his place being seasonably spoken may be an effectuall Sermon a pithy Acts 9. 20. 1 Cor. 14. 19. Prov. 25. 11. Luke 9. 60. 61. exhortation and whether the speech be long or short if the Will of God be reverendly declared and rightly applyed it is preaching Secondly it is demanded who may preach And for that I affirme that every Christian which hath received any Talent or gift of God enabling and fitting him thereunto may at fit occasions and opportunities Who is a Preacher Luke 19. 13. 11. 1 Pet. 4. 10. 22. Rom. 12. 6 7. Acts 8. 1. 4. 11. 19. minister the gift he hath received as a good disposer of Gods secrets without hiding his talent or withdrawing himselfe from the Lords barvest but when a doore is opened and an occasion given let him that hath a word of exhortation say on And this must be done with Christian discretion according as the talent is some men as they travell and labour in their affaires to fill with gracious speeches and counsell such as they are sorted withall others more eminent and fluent in Act. 18. 26. speech to doe it more publiquely as they can amongst the multitude where they dwell or travell at such time and occasions as people meet together and are willing to heare them Thirdly It is demanded where preaching must be And for that I affirme that as there is now no holy or unholy place so there can be no place simply appropriated to it but it is as lawfull In what place preaching may be used in one place as in another and may as lawfully be done in Faires Market-places Passage boats Fields and dwelling houses as in any Acts 17. 17. Mark 4. 1. Mat. 5. 1. Churches or Temples provided the place be convenient and the audience silent and attentive The fourth question is To whom preaching must be used and for that I answer That it may be to any of the sonnes of Adam whether Iewes Who they are that may be preached unto Turkes Indians Nigers Papists or Protestants religious or prophane one or other provided the Preachers matter be suited to his audience and that he be such a workeman in handling the Word of God as that Acts 17. 22. Rom. 13. 11. 2 Tim. 2. 15. he give each his portion thereof whether terror and judgement or compassion and comfort taking heed still of that sentence used by the Holy Ghost against such as either justifie the wicked or condemne the righteous Now the summe of all this is thus much That every Christian Prov. 17. 15. that hath received a gift of God for that purpose may preach the Word and so consequently be heard in any assembly where there may be audience and upon these grounds which I take to be sound I intend to frame these ensuing consequences Of the libertie that the Word of God ought to have ANd though now both the Papists and some ignorant Protestants SECT 24. would have no Word of God sounded forth by any but their No Church nor officers may ingrosse the word of God selected Clergie and also the Brownists would ingrosse it into their secret assemblies yet the same key which unlocked the old Catholiques Latine box wherein they kept all the Lat●ie from the Letter of the Scriptures must now be used to free the preaching thereof out of the prison wherein these ingrossers have bound in chaines the very Gospel of our Lord Iesus that if there should rise up a man as learned 1 Cor. 14. 18. and eminent as Paul yet except he would come into their order he must remaine silent all his life long But the Word of God must not thus be bound nor the graces of his servanrs must not be buried in silence alwayes but the light must Luke 11. 33. 2 Cor. 3. 18. be set on the Table and the glory of the Lord must be shewed though vaine man be forced to couch under board neither is it much materiall Ioh. 3 30. 31. though the greatest that is borne of woman doe decrease as long as the Saviour of the world increaseth First then here falleth to the ground that opinion of theirs which tie the preaching of the Word to an order of Ministery for as it is certaine that there hath beene no universall office of Ministery since the Apostles but all Ministers since have had their office bounded No universall Ministry now within the limits of their particular flockes and the succession from the Apostles is none otherwise now then in doctrine faith and grace so as now it is not possible that a Church should ever enjoy a lawfull ordinary Ministery which is raised or made by any other then themselves and therefore if preaching may not be without Preaching must not be tyed to Ministers an ordinary office of Ministery how shall there ever be faith or grace or matter prepared for a Church except such Christians as have the knowledge and feare of God may publish and spread the same amongst their neighbours for their edification and conversion Secondly from these grounds we see how absurd the opinion of the separation is that tie all preaching and publishing the Gospell to such as are of their handfull which are few in number and lesse in ability and this of all other would make the miserablest scarcity for whereas in some whole Shires of this Land there is scarce one of them Preaching not tyed to the separated Churches and in other places two or three in some townes and those for the most part such as scarce know well their principles What a misery should all

that of the Romish race and not one jot neerer to Christs institution Others will have their very office and function to stand in the consent and approbation of the parish But first as the parishes are unfit and uncapable of making a Minister The approbation of the parish no part or parcell of the Ministers office so they doe nothing at all therein but are as meere patients to suffer whom the Diocesan pleaseth to put in or pull out Secondly and indeed who knoweth not that all the parish Vicars and Parsons in the Land doe solemnly receive and take their charge orders office and function from the Bishops and their adherents before they may come to administer in any parish whatsoever Thirdly they stand at the will of the Bishop so as if he bid them be silent they dare say no more Now if the consent and approbation of the parish be such a divine institution as they pretend how perfidious 2 Thes 2. 15. Ast. 5. 2● 28. 29 1 Cor. 9. 16. and unconstant are they with God that at the word of a mortall man dare neglect that calling of the Lord At a word when men shall scruple at hearing their Sermons and they can satisfie them no other way but by alledging their office and function which neither is agreeable to Scripture nor to it selfe but hanged together by vaine suppositions and popish assertions which serve ten times more to staine and blame it then to justifie it what can they looke for in the event but to see themselves despised and contemned It is best to cover the deformity of the Ministers office for pleading so lame a case and whither shall men be driven hereby but to separation and Anabaptisme or else to worse matters But when this law and lawlesse office is passed by and covered in a serious love of their graces as the Lord no doubt covereth it in Christ Jesus every man will lay his hand on his mouth for in their gifts and graces of preaching no man can deny the Lord to be in them indeed and in such actions as God eminently shewes his grace we 1 Cor. 14. 24. 25. may be evidently present in person and affection Neither can there be any other succession from the Apostles and Primitive Churches otherwise then in faith gifts and graces since their 6. Succession is onely in faith and grace 2 Tim. 3. 10. Phil. 4. 8 9. 2 Pet. 1. 11. 12 13. office is wholly ceased and he is now the lineall successor of Peter and Paul which commeth neerest to them in gifts graces and holinesse And what in this world can be more absurd than to make every popish Priest and idle Dunce which hath got onely an up start ordination of some antiquitie to be the true successor of the holy Apostles when they have neither grace in their hearts wit in their heads or honesty in their conversation and if the office be that No grace no succession which must be pleaded to justifie all their ministrations even all these blind Priests and verball Teachers have as good reason for their standing as the best The strict separation cannot hold together amongst themselves ANd as these men have been too extreme and censorious in their SECT 28. separation so are they in their Church covenant and combination by meanes whereof they need no other persecutors then themselves for their owne swords enter so fast into their own bowels as that if all the persecutions in this world were against them it could hardly make such havocke as they make amongst themselves I meane not in regard of civill punishments for that power they have not any The separation eat up themselves where and if they had and should have such spirits in their civill judgements as they have in their spirituall censures the one halfe of them had need to become hangmen but it is onely in regard of their extreme worrying one another for every difficult question and controversall practice in solemne and vehement charges quarrelsome and captious invectives short and sudden excommunications in all which they have so wearied and wasted themselves that a man may truely say of them that no society under any persecution warre excepted did ever decrease and ruinate as they doe And as the professors in England are justly taxed for living in confusion without a society of faithfull Christians in a Church estate and without the order and discipline c. so these men may be as well blamed for bringing themselves to confusion by following their wits and abusing both their gifts and the discipline of Christ to their owne shame and ruine and to the dishonour of Christ the peaceable Law-giver of his Church And although for the ancient of them who now live as also the first English Anabaptists who harpe all upon one string if I had the tongues of men and Angels yet have I no hope to change their 1 Cor. 13. 1. 2. mindes or moderate their affections since no counsell warning or experience can teach them any thing but still bitternesse is in their hearts and violence is in their tongues and they will rather quarrell with ten men for one triffe then lovingly agree with any man in any thing Yet to prevent such as shall come after from running their course and that their extremities may die with their persons as they have already begun and the truth they hold receive no wrong I will discover and put to silence that opinion and practice of theirs which breakes divides and rents them asunder daily notwithstanding all other truthes and appearance of zeale which is amongst them It is held and practised amongst them for a maxime That they A dangerous opinion must suffer no evill in any man nor no appearance of evill but every one that is of them must jump with them in judgement and practice and he must not goe a foote before them nor come one inch behind This rule they ordinarily follow but not alwayes them but must in all things say as they say and doe as they doe and if he swarve from them in any thing which they thinke to be truth they will solemnly admonish him and if hee will not repent they will forthwith excommunicate him be the evill never so small and doubtfull and whatsoever other graces or holinesse be in the person or whatsoever bands betwixt him and them either in grace or nature the unreasonablenesse whereof I will reprove by these reasons following There are some sinnes that must be borne in the Church EXcept some sins may be borne in the Church why speaketh the SECT 29. holy Ghost thus to the Churches Beare yee one anothers burthen Love covereth a multitude of sinnes forsake not the fellowship but exhort one another daily Why rather suffer yee not wrong If he had meant to Gal. 6. 2. Heb. 10. 25. 1 Cor. 6. 7. make such short work as these men do he would have said bear