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A16615 A myld and iust defence of certeyne arguments, at the last session of Parliament directed to that most Honorable High Court, in behalfe of the ministers suspended and deprived &c: for not subscribing and conforming themselues etc Against an intemperat and vniust consideration of them by M. Gabril Powell. The chiefe and generall contents wherof are breefely layd downe immediatly after the epistle. Bradshaw, William, 1571-1618. 1606 (1606) STC 3522; ESTC S104633 109,347 172

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the officers thereof increased When were the Preists of the law of greater outward authority and tooke more upon thē then when the church of the Iewes touching true beuty was in worst case Serch the scriptures for they beare witnes heerof Yea were there ever so many degrees of dignitie in the Church and doe we ever reade of so great state and pompe of the Preistes in the former tymes as there was of the Preists Scribes Pharises at the first commyng of Christ And were ever things in so bad case before as thē they were So also sinc that the more that truth of doctrine and puritie of Discipline decayed in the Church after the golden and most glorious age of the Apostles the more did the Church grow unto and swell in outward riches pomp and glory Experience also teacheth that the more glorious Prelats are in their outward state the lesse benefite the rest of the Church hath by them because they take the less paynes at the least such paynes as are most agreable to the true Episcopall and ministeriall calling described in holy scripture Wherein then is the true glory of the Church 1 in such ministers of the word and other officers as Christ hath commended 2 In the performance of such dutyes by them as he requyreth that is in preaching the word faithfully in administring the Sacraments sincerely in praying zealously and aptly according to the necessityes of the Church and in executyng Discipline wisely and justly 3 In the effects of the former two viz in true knowledge faith loue zeale humility patience temperance righteousnes peace etc. Touching these thinges the more we want som of those officers that Christ hath cōmended by his Apostles to the Church and the more negligent those that we haue are in their duties the more lamentable it is to see the carved pillers of the temple broken downe and the faithfull workmen in Gods house to be cast out by whose labors it had been before built brought to some good bewty Touching the last what christian heart is so stony that it doth not mourne What eye so drye that it doth not shead teares yea rather gush out with teares to consider and behold the mesery of our supposed glorious Church by the spirituall nakednes blindnes poverty therof I meane the great ignorance the superficiall worship of God the fearfull blasphemies and swaringes in houses and streates so also the direfull cursings the open contempt of the word Sacraments the wicked profanations of the Lords dayes the dishonor of superiours the pride the cruelty the fornications adultryes and other uncleannesses the dronkennes the covetousnes the usuryes and other the like abominations almost as grevous as either heertofore in the tyme or now in the places of Popery when and where there was no preaching at all of the gospell O M. Powel and yee my Reverend Fathers and brethren in the ministery even of the conformable sorte flatter not your selues in this behalfe but behold and pity the wofull and lamentable stat of our Church in these things But to returne heerin you erre not a litle in that you confound the state of the Church and of the common wealth of the Iewes The Common wealth was indeed at that time in much misery But was the Church also amongst them for such thinges as wheerin cheifely consisteth misery in as bad condition Had they not those officers that God had prescribed Were the Preists and Levits either so ignorant or so idle or so scandolous as many called Ministers amongst us Were the faithfull and paynfull Preists and Levites so urged to the observation of mens traditions and Ceremonyes in the worship of God and otherwise so molested as now many godly ministers are Were the people so blind so irreligious so unrighteous as now they are Were the godly forced to heare dumme dogges or corrupt teachers Or restrayned from hearing of those that preached wholsome doctrine or urged to communicate with the Preistes in humaine Ceremonyes to the greife of their soules and wounding of their consciences as many now are The Lord giue you all such consideration of these thinges that yee may not so much labour for outward pompe preferments honors dignityes etc. As for the true felicitie of our English Ierusalem and Sion that God may build up the walles therof and still loue and delight therin G. Powel As Nehemiah having by prayer and fasting found favour with an heathen King for the building of Ierusalem was resisted and hindred by Sanballat Tobiah Geshem etc. So worthy Nehemiah in the beginning of our religious Soveraignes reigne finding grace for the continuance of the prosperous estate of our Church begunne in the dayes of our blessed Queene so many Sanballats Tobiahs and Geshems as there be refractary ministers and Papists deryding and despisyng us labor to hinder our ministery etc. The ods that before he spake of Reply now he maketh likes Is this to dispute ad idem and to the purpose Touching his worthy Nehemiah whom he compareth to auncient good Nehemiah let this be observed that although he speake of the prayer and fasting of the auncient Nehemiah yet he speaketh not of any prayer and fasting of his newe Nehemiah What may be suspected or noted heerin I leaue to the consideration of the wise and judicious reader that remembreth what opposition many of the Prelats haue alwayes made to true fasting and that also knoweth what be the thinges which men may safely commēd in prayer unto God especially for which they may humble themselues extraordinary in fasting before God Touching the Tobiahs Sanballats and Geshems whom fayne he would haue to be those that he calles refractary ministers as well as the Papists let him not deceaue himselfe heerin For the wise Christian readers are able to discerne thē to be most worthy of these nāes that striue most for mens precepts that study more to please men then God that preach not themselues and hinder them that would whose cheefe worke is not to encrease God his kingdome but to uphold their owne fearing nothing more then the downefall therof which also feed not the Lords people with the bread of eternall life but their owne bodyes with the meate that perisheth and with all carnall delights who care not to enrich the Lords people with durable riches that shall not be taken away but plod day and night to enrich themselues in this world and to build great house for their posteritie Such are indeed the Sanballats Tobiahs and Geshems that doe most oppugne the spirituall building of the spirituall Ierusalem Now although this answerer other not much vnlike those before described for a tyme reproch and scorne vs by such odious names and comparisons yea plough upon our backes and make long furrowes yet the righteous Lord in the end shall plead our cause against them and bring forth our righteousnes even as the mornyng Sunne it may be in this world that even