in the Reformation of their lives because partly for that they knew it not and partly for that they are hindred by authoritie they practise not the whole discipline of Christ And this rash judgment which they give of our people is so much the more blame-worthy because they cannot be ignorant with what care our people have sought by all good and dutifull meanes the Reformation of the Church And how much they have be wailed and mourned for the want thereof for which matter also wee referre the Reader to the answer we have above given to their fourth and fifth objections against the whole body of our Assemblies Secondly Our people deserve not to be blamed for that they erect not the discipline for First They esteeme both our Prince to be a most lawfull and a Christian Magistrate and our Ministers to bee true Ministers of Christ by whose meanes seeing they have received from God and do still enjoy not those blessings only that belong to the comfort of this life but the meanes of eternall happinesse and the effectuall assurance of it also they are justlie afraid that by enterprising a publike Reformation not only without but contrary to the direction and liking of them who by Gods Word ought to have if not the only yet the principall hand in that worke they should highly offend God 2. They cannot finde any warrant in holy Scripture for them that are private Members of the Church to erect the discipline no not though the Magistrate and Ministers who should deale in this worke were altogether profane and ungodlie in deviding the Land of Canaan which was a type of Heaven and of the Church under the Gospell and in all the Church causes that were dealt in under the government of Iosua which was a type of Christs government neither private persons nor the whole multitude had the managing of matters Iosh 19.51 21 1. 22 14 but the people did all by the Elders and chiefe Fathers a which also was commanded b Numb 34.16.28 So in publike Church causes under the Gospell the Lord hath ordained certaine speciall men chosen out from among the people by their consent to rule and governe the rest c 1 Tim. 5.17 4.14 And where God hath sanctified and separated a speciall sort of men to any office or the administration thereunto belonging there hath hee restrained all others that are not of the same sort from doing the actions properly belonging to that office as may well appeare by comparing these places of holy Scripture together d Numbr 4.15 with the first Chron 13.7 10 Num. 4.20 with 1 Sam. 6.19 Num. 16.40 3.10 Heb. 5.4 with 2 Chron. 26.16 19. Acts 14.23 Therefore also wee see the faithfull at Listra â—conium and Antiochiah l ad no Elders till the Apostles by their consent ordained them No more had they at Creta till Tiâ—us was sent to that purpose To the places of holy Scripture which they alleadge for this their second Objection against our people we answer First That some of them a Ier. 31.34 Ezech. 44.8 9. Cant. 4.7 1 Pet. 2.9 Acts 15.9 concerne the invisible Church and therfore are ignorantly applyed to the description of them that are members of the Church visible As if no measure of faith and holinesse were to be allowed by men in the judging of the members of the Church visible but that onely which the Lord Himselfe alloweth of in juding of the elect Members of the visible Church Whereas it is evident that to the making of the Members of the visible Church an outward obedience and profession of faith is sufficient though there be no inward grace nor truth in the heart Secondly That some of them require indeed that every Christian should seeke the Kingdome of God and the place where God is worshipped according to his Word submit themselves to the Yoke of Christ and to obey him in all his Ordinances but that the people without either the Magistrate or Ministers helpe or consent should reform the Church and erect the discipline they are so farre from commanding that if they be well compared with that wee have above said they will be found to command the contrarie The third thing they object against our people Is That though some of them had once beene faithfull yet by tollerating in their Assemblies the open prophane by wanting power to cast them out and communicateing with them in their worship of God they are now become not ue Church of Christ Whereunto we answer First that the godly which are in our Assemblies do not at all tollerate the wicked profane but doe as much as in them lieth shew their dislike to them mourning also for their profanenesse and for the want of Christian discipline whereby they might be separated Yea the very Lawes of our Church as hath beene above said doe separate from our Assemblies the open prophane Secondly admit they did not at all shut out the prophanie either because they know not their right or for that they are hindred and restrained to doe it or that they sin in not using their right in this case or if it were granted that the people even the private members of the assemblies had full authoritie given them by Christ without the Ministers or Magistrates consent to cast out and excommunicate the open profane the contrary whereof hath been before sufficiently proved yet might they as lawfully for want of power or for such inconveniences tollerate the prophanie amongst them and so forbeare the execution of their authoritie in this case as either David did spare Joab 2 Sam 3 39. 2. Kings 14 5. or Amaziah those rebels that slew his father because they were not strong enough doe justice upon them Thirdly the communicating in Gods service with these open sinners Thirdly they may be true members of the Church though they doe communicate in Gods worship with the open profane as may appeare by the example of the godly that lived under the law whom the godly in some of our assemblies are enforced to communicate with or to want the benefit of Gods publike worship is not sufficient either to make him profane or pollute unto them the holy things of God for proofe whereof we alleadge First the examples of the godly that lived under the Ceremoniall law The Prophets either served not God at all in the Temple or else they joyned in Gods service with many that were notoriously stained with grosse sinnes for who are they whose sinnes the Prophets so mightily cry out upon (d) Esay 1.10 Jer. 5.1.9 and 7 8.11 Ezek. 16 4â—.52 and 22 25.26 but such as were admitted to the publike worship of God If the Babylonians and the Caldeans should violently have included themselves into the Church assemblies of Gods people in the time of their captivitie should the godly Jewes by such presence of the wicked which they wanted power to hinder either have beene perswaded to cease
societie They yet remember it is a part of wisdome to stay the full establishing of their Church and practise of the Ordinances thereof for a time that they may see what blessings of God bee upon it for the ratifying and approving of their doings for if it bee of God it will stand as an house founded upon a a sure Rocke if it bee of men it will come to naught A third sort to whom we commend this worke of ours are our stronger brethren which continue with comfort in the societie of their Church them wee intreat that if they finde any confirmation or strengthening unto their consciences by the pursuing hereof any increase of knowledge and ability to maintaine the truth of our Church Sacraments and word to defend the lawfulnesse of our ministerie and practise of Gods externall worship amongst us That first they praise God whose gift it is that any thing is spoken or written for their edification instruction and consolation and then bestow the same as occasion shall be offered to the reclaiming of those that are straied and holding them that are ready to wander Wee lastly commend this simple travell of ours to the Church of God whereof we are unworthy Ministers beseeching her to accept our poore endeavours the rather for that wee are not ignorant that the labours which we have taken in this cause will be diversly judged of according to the manner and affection of those men to whom this worke shall come Some as namely our deceived Brethren against whom we deale will hold it damnable and execrable as being bestowed against the Church of Christ against the Saints and children of God against the holy Truth taught in the Testament of Christ yea and that contrary to the light of our own consciences and knowledge of our owne hearts To the first part of this their charge and accusation we answer That whether they or wee be the true Church of God whether they or wee have the Truth taught in the Testament of Christ is the matter in controversie betwixt us If wee be the Church of God and have the Truth of Christ as we hope shall appeare by this Treatise then have they written and spoken against the Church of God and that in most shamefull and fearefull manner If they be the true Church of God and have his Truth which we assure our selves they shall be never able to prove then have wee spent our labours against the Church of God But have we done it wittingly and willingly against the light of our hearts This is indeed the second part of their charge but who made them the searchers of our hearts and judges of our consciences that they should accuse us to Im other and quench the light of Truth which hath shined into our soules especially when they heare our protestations to the contrary where is that Charitie that thinketh none evill which hopeth all things we say therefore unto the second part of their accusation with the Apostle We say the Truth in Christ our consciences bearing us witnesses in the holy Ghost that we can say nothing against the Truth but for the Truth wittingly and willingly And in the Testamonie thereof we pray God that our tongues may cleave to the roofe of our mouthes when we endeavour to speake and that our pennes may sticke to the ends of our fingers when wee attempt to write any thing against the Church Children or Truth of God Some others Fathers and Brethren Ministers and Members with us of this Church finding by our manner of writeing of what judgemeut wee are will hold our paines requisite and necessarie to stay the course of these waters which wee have given passage unto and to make up the breaches wee have opened by speaking against the government established in this Church the Ceremonies used therein and other our unadvised dealings in the execution of our Ministrie To these men wee say first that as we have beene and are perswaded of the Truth of these things which we have delivered touching the defects and wants the blemishes and deformities of this Church So have we in the sincerity and uprightnesse of our hearts dealt for the redresse and Reformation thereof Wherein though we know nothing by our selves before men more then Truth will permit if they should have taken occasion by our doctrine which we perswade our selves to be the doctrine of the Truth to make this Schisme Yet were this no reason to reprove us unlesse those men which have set downe true positions be to be blamed as Authors of the false Collections and Conclusions which are inferred and gathered thereupon Secondly wee answer That our deceived Brethren do no lesse condemne those Churches of God as the Synagogues of Sathan where the doctrine which wee have taught touching the government of the Church and matters of Ceremonies is maintained and where all things which wee hold offensive in our Church are abolished then they doe the Church of England insomuch that they have written of the Church of Geneva which is holden to be the best pattern of a Reformed Church that it became a miserable president and pernicious example even unto all Europe whereby it is evident that they have beene brought unto this Scisme by some other inducements then the dealing of those men in-the execution of their Ministrie who are charged to be the occasions if not the Authors thereof Thirdly there is such difference and plaine contradiction betweene them and us in judgement yea in the matter of discipline and Church government besides many other materiall points of doctrine as we marvell any men should esteeme us causes of their defections from this Church much more that any man should write That between the Brownists and others he meaneth them and us there is no controversie as touching the framing of a Church by the word of God A third sort of our loving Brethren approving our care of Gods Church and desire to reclaime poore deceived soules will yet happily esteeme our labour altogether needlesse and superfluous as spent and bestowed both against a cause that hath so little shew of truth and semblance of probabilitie nay so evident appearance of falshood and vanity as it is rather to be despised then confuted and also upon men whose zeale and rashnesse so far prevailes over sound judgement and discretion that we shall rather sharpen and increase their humour by thinking them worthy answering to a further contradiction then either informe their understanding by sound reason or alter their affection by efficacie of any perswasion These Brethren wee desire to give us leave to dissent from them who judge far otherwise of this cause wee handle and hope much better of the persons against whom we deale for the cause it selfe we say that though it did appeare as it is indeed full of falshood and and vanitie unto these that have the gift to discerne betweene those things that differ and withall to temper their affections which
of ours we commend first unto our brethren departed from us desiring them to read it without partialitie selfe love prejudice or other sinister affections and with meekenesse indifferencie and love of the Truth desire to be informed and readinesse to be reformed where they erre and goe astray It may be that God will give a blessing to it nay sure wee are that he is faithfull that hath promised to give unto those that aske to open to those that knocke and to cause them to find that seeke the truth in sincerity of their hearts especially if to the reading thereof they adjoyne First a review of the books which have beene written by the Ring-leaders of their separations Secondly a view of the persons of whom their Assemblies consist And Thirdly a consideration of the estate wherein their Church now standeth In the review of the bookes which have been written we exhort them with single hearts to examine the spirits where with the authors of them were led in their writing and they shall finde it not to be the good spirit of God which filleth mens hearts with meekenesse humilitie compassion softnesse holinesse and other sanctified affections but that evill spirit of Satan which under colour of zeale of Gods glory hatred of sinne desire of serving God in sincerity thrusteth men whom it hath deceived into pride selfe love rashnesse unnaturall affections uncharitable surmises and most unchristian judgment of their brethren Secondly to weigh wisely what end they proposed to themselves in their writings which will evidently appeare to be not so much the cleering of themselves from the crime of Schisme as the drawing of others to joyne with them and the defacing of our Church which they compare with the most Idolatrous and heathenish Nations that ever were yea with Sodom and Babylon it selfe and the disgracing the Ministers thereof especially those whom heretofore they have most reverenced whom they sort with most wretched Miscreants Iudas Cain Balaam and many other upon whom the spirit of God hath set a fearefull brand of eternall condemnation Thirdly to try carefully the allegations of Scripture wherewith they have fully painted the Margents and with the multitude whereof they have astonished the simple or credulous Readers perswading them that their cause standeth upon the same ground of Gods holy Word and they shall plainely perceive that the places by them alleadged do for the most part prove that which we denie not And if they be brought to confirme the matter in controversie they are either unconscionably or ignorantly wrested against or besides the meaning of the Holy Ghost A second thing which we intreat them to do is to view the persons of whom their Assemblies consist and let them tell us how many of them there bee whom they have brought from grosse ignorance unto true knowledge from infidelitie to holy Faith from profanesse of life to a conscionable walking with God if there bee scarce any amongst them which have not bin of some note in our Churches for holy and sincere profession and if they had no good thing in them which they have not received by the ministerie of those men and in the bosome of those Churches which now they condemne and flie from why then take they the Seale of our ministerie and Church and set it unto their blanke Thirdly we exhort all of them to a survey of their estate wherein they stand which is if that be true which by some of their own hath been reported full of disorder and confusion And indeed how can it otherwise bee whereas they teach that every member of their Church may and ought to stand up against their Ministers and Elders to gainesay them in delivering of doctrine and withstand the other in execution of discipline If he be perswaded the one erreth from the truth and the other faileth in justice is not this to make every member an eye an eare an head And must not men be of Angelicall perfection to preserve unitie where such large libertie is granted unto them A second sort to whom we commend this labour of ours be our brethren also who by the writings doings and sufferings of these deceived men are in danger likewise to bee deceived being brought to halt betweene two opinions These also we pray to read it with an holy purpose to be fully resolved and setled in the truth We hope their labour shall not be in vaine if they will accept from us these few advertisments First That they make not the example of any man seem he never so godly religious and zealous but the Word of God only the rule of their beliefe and life Paul himselfe must be followed no further when the holy precepts of the Word and the examples of the godly joyn together we have the one to teach us the other to incite us to doe our duties Secondly That they carry an humble and lowly conceit of themselves and their gifts That they remember 1 Cor. 8.2 Galath 6.3 that if any man thinke hee knoweth any thing hee knoweth nothing as he ought to know And that if any man seeme to himselfe that he is somewhat when he is nothing he deceaveth himselfe in his imaginations That to this purpose they occupie themselves in consideration of their owne wants and sinnes which cleave so fast unto them rather than in the marking the blemishes noteing the faults that are in others following the counsell of the Apostle Galath 6.4 Let every one prove his owne worke and then shall he have rejoycing in himselfe only and not in another Thirdly that they have a reverend opinion of those men by whose ministerie they have beene begotten unto God or nourished in the truth by whose labours they have beene instructed confirmed and comforted in whose mouthes the Word of God hath beene unto them as a two edged sword entring through them unto the deviding a sunder the soule and spirit the joynts and the marrow that they suffer not a sinfull thought to enter into their heads of their vnlawfull vocations who have their hearts and soules as Seales of their ministery and may say to them as Paul to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 9 1â— are yee not my worke in the Lord if I be not an Apostle unto others yet doubtlesse I am unto you for you are the Seale of mine Apostleship in the Lord whereof they should therefore be the more carefull for that it hath bin an ancient and ordinary policie of Satan that hee might cause men to refuse the word brought unto them in the mouthes of the Prophets Apostles and other men of God yea of Christ Himselfe to perswade them that they had no warrant of their vocarions and calling from God Fourthly That if notwithstanding all that is said for their instruction and reformation in this behalfe they keepe a liking of that draught of a Church which our deceived Brethren have framed and commended in their writings and desire to joyne themselves unto their
Civill estate and of every particular person in both all things being innovated in both according to the Iusts and pleasures of men the Law and Word of God being quite rejected and cast aside And in the 212. page of their refutation of Master Gifford They have these words We hold that you have poysoned all the fountaines of sincere doctrine and perverted the whole Testament and turned away the practise thereof by your damnable false expositions Yea that you teach not one point sincerely And in the 162. page of this discovery They are made socontrary one to another as it is an impossible thing to finde two of them in one minde yea or any one of them constant in that he affirmeth they know not the Doctrine even of the beginning of Christ Adde hereto Henry Barrowes words 12 and 23. pages of their collections of Letters and conference We will not give any answer to these speeches but onely desire the Christian Reader to consider whether ever Gods Spirit taught any to write so slanderously not onely against a whole Nation the conversion whereof they pretend to seeke but against the blessed Truth of God And how unlikely it is that they should bee in the right way whose chiefe leaders were guided by such a spirit That they should be the Lords building whose first founders and Master builders had either so small skill or so bad a Conscience Doe we not hold all the same books of Canonicall Scriptures which they themselves doe Doe wee not reject out of the Canon all which themselves account Apochryphall Have they any translation of holy Scripture besides ours Doe they themselves beleeve or teach otherwise in the Articles of the holy Trinity of justification of predestination then wee doe Hath every member of their Assemblies recovered that spirit of truth whereby they are led into all truth as Henry Barrow page 107. of his discovery affirmeth And is there not any one amongst us that hath not quite rejected the whole Word of God Not any one that knoweth the doctrine even of the beginning of Christ We know no better way to convince them in this then by appealing unto their Consciences which we are sure will take our parts against them Now this reason also is strong to prove us a true Church for although the bare letter of the Scripture may be found amongst the Jewes and Papists and other Heretickes Which none ran doe but the true Church Yet was there never any people that held and maintained the true sence of the Scripture in all points fundamentall but only the Church of God whereunto onely this title belongeth to bee the pillar and ground of truth 1 Tun. 3.15 A people may bee a true Church though they hnow not nor hold every truth contained in the Scriptures wherein wee desire the Reader to consider that a people may be the true Church though they know not nor hold not every truth contained in the holy Scriptures but contrarily hold many errours repugnant to the Scriptures Yet hath Henry Barrow affirmed in the 167. page of his discovery That to the people of God and every one of them God hath given his holy sanctifying spirit to open unto them and leade them unto all truth Whereby it is most evident that he would have none to be accounted the people and Church of God who either know not or practise not every truth contained in the holy Scriptures In which opinion see I pray you how grosse and dangerous errors are contained First That to every inseriour member in the Church there is as much reveiled as to the Pastors and chiefe members whereas the Apostle affirmeth Romans 12.3 Ephes 4 16. eol 2.19 that the Holy Ghost is given to every member of the body of Christ not equally but proportionably as the place which it occupieth in the bodie doth require Secondly That the promise mentioned Iohn 16.13 Should be made to every member of the Church which in the last words of the verse appeareth plainely to be particular to the Apostles Thirdly That the Church cannot erre and so neither were the Corinthians rightly called the Church of God when they judged corruptly of fornication and of the Resurrection Neither they of Pergamus when the Doctrine of Balaam was maintained among them Neither were Paul and the rest of the Apostles true Members of the Church who though in the exercises of their Apostolicall function they could not erre yet knew but in part and in many things were subject to error (a) 1 Cor. 13 9. Another strange opinion is amongst them maintained in the 156,157 of the discovery viz. That every truth contained in the Scripture is fundamentall For although we affirme not as he thereslandereth us That some part of Scripture is more holy more authenticall or more true then other Note Yet doubt we not to say that some parts are of more use and more necessary for men to know then othersome Else why doth the Holy Ghost oft give speciall commendation to some parts more than to other 1 Tim 4.11 Titus 3.8 Make 4 3â— why doth he as it were make Proclamation and solemne oyesses before some and not before other Why doth hee use a speciall art in some parts rather than in other And although wee doe not hold as they falsly charge us in the forenamed page of their discovery That some parts of holy Scripture are of small moment superficiall needlesse and of no necessitie such as may be altered and violated without any prejudice or danger at all to the soule and much lesse that a man that hath obstinately continued in the transgression of some parts and openly taught the same unto others may be undoubtedly saved though he die without Repentance but on the contrary wee beleeve and teach that there is no part of holy Scripture which every Christian is not necessarily bound to seeke and desire the knowledge of so farre forth as in him lieth yet dare wee not call every truth fundamentall that is such as if it be not obeyed and known the whole Religion and faith of the Church must needs fall to the ground For we doe make no question but that the thiefe that was crucified and the Eunuch even then when he was baptized by Philip were in the state of salvation though they could not choose but bee ignorant of many truths in Religion The only fundamentall truth in Religion is this That Jesus Christ the Sonne of God who tooke our nature of the Virgin Mary is our only and all-sufficient Saviour For first they that receive this truth are the people of God and in the state of salvation they that receive it not cannot possibly bee saved (a) Mat. 16.17 104.2 Col. 3.17 Iohn 20.31 Ephos 2.20 Secondly There is no other point of Christian Religion necessary otherwise then as it tendeth necess rily to the bringing us unto or confirming us in the assurance of this one truth (b) Heb. 13.8
object against our Church Object I. The objection against the whole body of our Church is that it was not rightly gathered and our parish assemblies is this That it was not rightly gathered by such meanes as God in his Word hath ordained and sanctified for the gathering of his Church For saith Henry Barrow in the 10th page of his discovery All the people were in one day with the blast of Queene Elizabeths Trumpet of ignorant persons and grosse Idolaters made faithfull Christians and true Prophets And in the third page of that Epistle to the Reader which they have presixed to their refutation of Master Gifford they have these words Where such prophane multitudes were immediately changed from publike Idolaters and on an instant received or rather compelled to be members of this Church in some parish or other without any due calling to the saith by the preaching of the Gospell going before or orderly joyning together in the faith there being no voluntary or particular confession of thein owne faith and duties made nor required of any who can say that those Churches were ever rightly gathered or built according to the Rule of CHRISTS Testament ANSWER I. To all that they thus object against our first gathering this answer we give First That we might bee counted a true Church though it could not appeare that we were at the first rightly gathered for even as the Disciples might be well assured of Christs bodily presence when they saw and felt him though they could not perceive which way or how he could possibly come in so may we esteeme them a true Church of whose present profession and faith wee are well assured though wee cannot see by what meanes they were first gathered Else wee may still doubt whether Melchisedech and the families of Iob were true Churches and members of the Church because how they were first gathered and made a Church or of whom we know not and yet we are now certainely perswaded that they are a Church Nay wee finde good warrant in the word to the contrary for we reade of many who having by that they heard and saw perceived evidently that a people were the Church of God did joyne themselves willingly unto them without enquiring how they were gathered or converted as Abraham to Melchisedech Rahab to Israel the Eunuch to Philip the Gaoler to Paul and Silas Secondly Wee might be rightly gathered to the societie Secondlie We might be gathered to an outward profession and to the societie of the visible Church by some other meanes then by preaching of the Word Confutation of Mr. Gifford page 152. and in the collection of slanderous Articles page 44 45. and fellowship of the visible Church by other meanes then by the preaching of the Gospell for proofe whereof we alleage their owne judgment and opinion which howsoever it be yet hath force enough to stop their mouthes namely that men may bee won to the true faith of Christ not extraordinarily but even ordinarily also by other meanes than the publicke and ministeriall preaching of the Word For if severall Members may bee converted without this meanes may not they much rather without it bee gathered together and made an assembly Secondly Admit there were no other means whereby a man could be soundly converted but only preaching Yet it is evident that by some other meanes men may bee lawfully brought to an outward profession and so made a visible Church Many in the dayes of Christ were prepared to heare and believe and did also follow him and professe themselves his Disciples that no man could without sinne have denied them to bee members of the visible Church who yet were not all drawne by his word But some by his Miracles (a) Iohn 2.23 24. some by the report they heard of him (b) Iohn 4.39 some by desire (c) Iohn 6.24 26. they had to be fed by him Some Kings became nursing Fathers and Queenes nursing Mothers to the Church their Lawes have beene meanes to bring men to outward societie of the Church And the practise of Iosiah proveth that men may bee compelled by the Magistrate to serve the Lord. (d) Chron. 34.32 33. Now as many heareing of the fame of Iohn Baptist and of Christ came unto them and so were converted by their preaching Thirdlie Our Churches were first converted and gathered by teaching of the Word so many that for feare of the Law were first brought to the Church and outward profession of the truth have beene and are effectually converted by the ministery of the Word Thirdly Our Church was gathered by the preaching of the Word For the first conversion of the faithfull of our Land was by the preaching of the Gospell as is manifested by the testimonies of the best approved Histories Since that time many have beene from age to age called by the same means as by the ministerie of Master Wickliffe and such like for proofe whereof this may serve that in most of the Kings dayes there have beene some which have endured Martyrdome for the truth These secret ones did gather others secretly so long as persecution continued and shewed themselves openly when libertie was granted In the dayes of King Edward great numbers were by preaching so effectually called that in Queene Maries Reigne many simple men and women were able to maintaine the truth against the learnedst Papists and to seale it with their bloud Besides them there were many secret Congregations in many parts of the Land all the daies of Queene Marie which gladly received and openly professed the Gospell offered unto them by publicke authoritie at her Majesties entrance to the Crowne If it bee said that they ceased to bee the true Churches of Christ because they joyned themselves and became one body with such as were newly come from Idolatry and that not of conscience but for feare onely we answer that they rather that were fallen from the Gospell in Queene Maries daies were moved by Queene Elizabeths Proclamation to joyne themselves unto them that had stood faithfull all that while Neither is it truly said of them that in one day by the blast of Her Majesties Trumpet at the beginning of her Reigne all sorts of men were drawne to a profession of the Gospell without any further meanes used for before any were compelled to the profession of the Gospell which was not till Midsomer after her Majestie came to the Crowne there were not onely many Commissioners sent unto all the parts of the Land that they might deface all the monuments of Idolatry but sundry Preachers also which in the dayes of Queene Mary had received approbation and exercised their ministrie in some of the best reformed Churches beyond the Seas did by their doctrine both keepe them whom they found converted in the profession of the truth and called many others of which number we may reckon Master Knox Leave Gilbie Sampson Whitingham Goodman and sundry others And there were daily added to
Antichristian which is false slanderous for the office and duties whereunto we are called are the very same which the word prescribeth not those that popish Priests are called unto Is that the Office whereunto our ministerie is called is not that which Christ hath Ordained but that which Antichrist calleth his Priests unto Concerning these points these are their words in the 158. page of their refutation They have served in and belonged unto Antichrist even the Popes Kingd me and Throne the false Church with all the abominable Jdolatrie therein ANSWER I. To which their Objection we give this answer The preaching of the whole truth of Gods Word and nothing but it the administration of the Sacraments and of publicke prayer as they are all the parts of the Ministers Office prescribed in the word so are they all appointed to our Ministers by the Law And for so much as there is no Priest-hood in the Popish Church that is not ordained to offer that Idolatrous sacrifice of the Masse or that was ever called unto and necessarily enjoyned those duties of ministery that are required of us Wee see not with what truth our brethren can say that our Office is the same which Antichrist calleth his Priests unto And if our Office bee the same which Antichrist hath ordained how falleth it out that the Papists give a new ordination to such as having had that which our Church giveth doe in Apostacie shrinke unto them And if it be objected Though some popish Priests are allowed to exercise the Ministerie without any new Ordination that our Church admitteth such as were ordained by Antichrist without any new ordination whereby appeareth that our office and theirs is all one we answer First That though they have no other ordination yet in more essentiall parts of their outward calling unto the Ministery there are so many differences to be observed in the practise of our Church that no indifferent man can thinke we judge the calling that any man hath had in popery to be sufficient for exercise of their Ministerie in our Church Secondly The receaving of some into the Ministerie that have bin popish Priests without new ordination as we take it to be a grievous corruption and such as wee will by no meanes seeke to justifie so wee thinke it cannot by any shew of good reason be alledged to prove that the calling which all our Ministers have is the very same which the Popish Priests exercise but onely to shew either the outward calling which some of our Ministers exercise is the very same with that of the popish Priests or at the most that some chiefe Governours in the Church doe in their judgement hold that there is no new Ordination The first reason against our office is that we all receive one Antichristian Deaconship which hath not force to condemne our office seeing under the nâ—me of Priest and Deacon many receive at one time the full power of ministerie Philip. 1.1 1 Tim. 3.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 3.7 Col. 1.7 23. 1 Tim. 4.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 1.17 25 6.4 12.25 20 24. Rom. 12.13 1. Cor. 12.5 Thirdly Although he that is called to be a Deacon be restrained from some worke that belongs to a Minister yet is he not called to doe ought that is unlawfull to bee required in such a case both which if wee should grant yet had they granted nothing at all in the question that is betwixt us The first reason whereby they would prove that office whereunto our Ministers are called is not that which Christ hath ordained but that whereunto Antichrist hath called his Priests is That we are called unto such a Deaconship as is not according unto Christs Testament but Popish and Antichristian Whereunto we answer 1. That if the Deaconship and Priest-hood as they terme it bee taken by us both at once as usually they are then we are enabled to doe whatsoever a Minister of the Gospell may doe of himselfe without the assistance of the Eldership and so the errour that is committed resteth in the forme and ceremony only not in the matter it selfe Secondly though it were indeed to be wished that every office in the Church were called by the proper name which the Scripture giveth it Yet if the Church give a wrong name to a right and lawfull office the office is not therefore to bee refused much lesse is the power to preach the word and to administer the one of the Sacraments therefore to bee refused because it is given by the name of the Deacons Office considering that although in the strict and most proper sence the Scripture calleth them Deacons to whom the Office of caring for the poore is committed yet sometimes also all that labour in the word are comprehended under this name and the ministery of the word is called a Deaconship Thirdly If it be objected that our Deaconship is neither approved nor mentioned in the Scripture because it restraineth us from dealing with the one Sacrament and so separateth those things which God hath coupled Wee answer That this can bee no reason against our Ministers because when they are made Deacons they are not called to do any thing that is unlawfull but only cut short for a time and restrained from some thing which they may or ought to doe much lesse can it bee alleadged against all our Ministers because many of us as it is above said were made both Deacons and Priests as they speake fondly in one day and so tooke the full power and authoritie of ministery without any such separation or many as is here objected The second reason against our office viz this we be called by such names as are popish is fond insufficient For the name Priest though not simply unlawfull yet in our Churches iudged unfit to be given unto the Ministers of the Gospell Bishop Horne against Feâ—kman fol. 95. fol. 111. Thirdly If all were called by popish names yet might wee be true Ministers Their second reason against our office and function is That â—ee are not knowne by the right names that in the Word an given to the Ministers of Christ but by such names as have been devised â—nd given by the Papists as Priest Pri-son Vicar and Curate c. To which we answer first Concerning the name Priest although we thinke that at the first it was well enough applyed to the Preachers of the Word because it was derived from the Greeke Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies an Elder Yet because it is used now by the prophane as a terme of scorne and hath a long time both by Papists and others been by common custome abused and appropriated to such as do sacrifice therfore not only the most of our poople refuse to call us by that name but even some who have been chiefe Governours of our Church have judged it unfit to be given unto the Ministers of the Gospell Secondly
their separation concerne only the avoyding and taking heede of false Prophets blinde guides hypocriticall and prophane deceivers and therefor they can with no peace to their consciences ground their separation upon them till they have sufficiently proved that not some of our Ministers but all are not only faultie in their practise but teach also unsound and corrupt doctrine which they will never bee able to prove The third sort of their Testimonies b 2 Cor. 6.14.18 â—evel 18.4 doe indeed partly concerne that separation which Christians should make from Idolatours in the service of God yet doe they no wayes serve to justifie this their separation from us unlesse they could prove which they are not able to doe that those Assemblies which these Scriptures command a separation from were in the profession of truth equall to us or that the corruptions which are amongst us are equall unto such as were in those Assemblies Besides these test imonies they seeke by two reasons to prove the necessitie of their separation from us whereof the first is taken from the burt that may come to the true Christian by communicating with the wicked The other from the hurt he may doe to the wicked with whom he doth communicate Concerning the first they have these words in the 97. page of their refutation A little Leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe so one openly unworthy received to the Lords Supper maketh all the Communicants guiltie And in the 34. page of their discoverie The knowne and suffered sinne of any one member is contagious to all such as communicate in Prayers and Sacraments with such an obstinate offender and maketh them as guiltie in Gods sight as he himselfe is Whereunto we answer First That we have already proved by many examples in the answer wee have above given unto the last thing they object against the people and private members of our Church that the godly receive no contagion from the wicked with whom they are inforced to communicate in the true worship of God Secondly That their assertion may by reason appeare evidently to be most absurd for if the presence of the wicked should of its own nature make the action of the Sacrament and prayer voyd and of none effect to the faithfull that communicate with him then should we never without great doubting and wavering communicate in those holy exercises in such a Congregation where all that we joyne with are not well knowne unto us for feare their should bee in the company some open offendors whom our selves know not of If our knowledge and privity to his sin be the thing that maks his presence contagious to us especially when we haye admonished him a Ezec. 18.20 and by all meanes testified our dislike to his sinne so farre as in us lyeth Then how is the Prophet to bee understood when he saith the wickednesse of the wicked shall be upon his owne head but admit this was granted that the presence of the wicked in prayer and Sacrament did infect the godly how will they excuse their refusall to heare the Word preached in our Assemblies seeing it is so cleere by the Apostles speech b Cor. 14.24 25. that the preaching of the Word might be of force to doe them good though some that joyned with them in the hearing of it were Infidels To their second reason wherein they pretend a charitable regard of us who by their joyning with us in Gods worship may be hardened in the likeing of our corruptions and by their separation may happily be brought to Repentance We answer that the godly man who hath reproved the open offender shunned his private familiarity and hath gone so farre in testilying his dislike to his sinne as the bounds of his calling will permit is no way accessary to his sinne nor hath any fellowship with the unsruitfull workes of darknesse c Ephes 5.11 and if that any wicked man will imagine that the godly doe not much dislike him because they will not for his sake shun the publike worship of God it is an offence taken and not given and therefore such as wherewith the conscience of a godly man need not to be troubled Thus have we answered that which they pretend for the warrant and necessitie of their separation from our Assemblies And now least any should be justly offended by thinking that in this apologie we make for our Church wee doe any way plead for Baal or seeke to daube up the breaches of our Church with untempered morter and so runne our selves into the danger or that curse which the Lord denounceth against them that cal darknesse light and speake good of evill We therefore freely confesse that there are indeed in our Church great corruptions and that is the great sinne of our Ministers that they doe not with so much zeale and courage reveale and shew their distike of them and of our people that they mourne not nor seeke by all homble and earnest meanes to God and the Magistrate for Reformation of them as they ought to doe And yet though many in this Land doe both know and mourne and make knowne also in their callings their great dislike unto those corruptions that are amongst us as much as any of these brethren with truth can doe we dare considently affirme that the corruptions of our Church are not such as for which an Christian may make separation from us and that we are hereby induced to avouch because wee finde that in the Old and New Testament as hath beene above said as many and as hainous corruptions to have beene in such Assemblies as from which no separation was ever taught or practised Secondly Though we did grant that upon warrant of some places that they bring there might lawfully upon due regard of some circumstances a separation be made even from our Assemblies yet do we affirme that for as much as they have failed in sundry of those circumstances that therefore their seperation is utterly unjustifiable for wheras they could not with any just warrant to their consciences seperate themselves from us till they bad found us obstinate in our corruptions and temptuous scorners of all good meanes used for reforming us as is evident by the example of such separations as are commended in the Word (d) Acts 13.45.46 and 19.8 9. we affirme that they have departed from us before they could with any charitie or good conscience be so perswaded of us And this we doubt not to prove to their owne consciences and to all that know them well by these reasons following First they separated themselves from us before that either by writing or any competent meanes they had soundly convicted us or manifested unto our judgement the dangerous errors we held wherein they have manifestly transgressed the rule of the word (a) Act. 19.3.9 2 Tim. 4.2 Tâ—â— 1.10 11. and 3.10 we grant indeed the truth and necessitie of the government of Christ prescribed in the word which hath beene
the Church by no other meanes then by the ministerie of the Word preached So that if this were a good reason against other particular members or whole families yet it cannot justifie a separation from all seeing wee have manie that by the preaching of the word of God were converted and gathered Fourthly This being proved that there was a true Church in the Land before Her Majesties Reigne Fourthly though the meanes used for the gathering our Church had not beene sufficient for the first calling a people to the faith yet were the sufficient for the recalling of the people that had fallen from the faith which formerly they had professed the question must not be whether the meanes she used were the right meanes for the calling and converting a people to the faith but whether she tooke a lawfull course for recalling and reuniting of Her Subjects unto those true professours whose fellowship they had forsaken this was the course which Jehosaphat tooke (a) 2 Chro. 17.8 who to gather the Church which was divided sent preachers into sundry parts of his Kingdome and appointed Noble men to accompany and assist them by countenancing their ministery and compelling the people to heare them This course also did Iosiah take who having abolished Idolatry compelled all his subjects to the service of the true God (b) 2 Chr. 34.33 2 Chro. 14 4. 2 Chro. 15.13 Thus did Asa use his authority in commanding Iuda to seeke the Lord and to doe according to the Law and Commandement and threatning them with death that should resuse So did Hezekiah by his Proclamation bring divers of Israel to Ierusalem who were before separated from the Church of God (c) Chro. 30 12. Fifthly Whereas they say that at the beginning of her Majesties Reigne the people should have beene required with solemne oath and covenant to renounce Idolatry and to professe faith and true obedience to the Gospell after the example of Asas reformation Wee answer First If it had beene absolutely necessary to the being of a Church that there should be such a solemne covenant by oath to renounce Idolatrie this course should be taken in that reformation which Ichosaphat and Iosiah made as well as that which Asa made Secondly even where this oath was taken it was Gods true Church before the time of that oath and covenant made by Asa wee reade it was made and taken in the 15. yeere of his Reigne when yet his subjects were the true Church long before Secondly There be diverse congregations in our Land which in the beginning of her Majesties dayes and since have publikely professed their repentance for their former Idolatry and promised to imbrace and obey the truth as it is profently established as in Coventry North-hampton and some other places Yea we doubt not to affirme that the whole Land in the Parliament holden in the first yeare of her Majesties Reigne did enter into a solemne covenant with the Lord for the renouncing of Popery and reciaving the Gospell OBJECT II. The second thing they object against the whole body of our Assemblies is this Object The second Objection against the whole body of our Church is that it useth a worship of God which is polluted with the writings of men as read stinted prayers Answ That they communicate together in a false and Idolatrous worship of God which is polluted with the writings of men viz. With read stinted prayers Homilies Catechismes and such like which in the 24. page of their refutation they call the smoake of the bottomlesse pit To this Objection we give this answer First That it is evident by the Word that the Church hath used and might use lawfully in Gods worship and prayer a stinted form of words for we find a form of blessing the people prescribed to the Priests f Numb 6.23 24 a forme of confession to be used at the bringing of the first fruits to the Temple prescribed to the people g Deut. 26.13 15. A psalme appointed for the Priests and Levites to use every Morning h Psalme 22.1 Another to be used every Sabbath day i Psalme 92. So in the thanksgiving used at the bringing home of the Arke unto the place prepared for it by David the Church tyed themselves to the very words of 105. and 96. Psalmes k 1 Chro. 16.8 36. and as one Evangelist reporteth that our Saviour appointed that prayer which he gave to His Disciples to be a patterne to frame all other prayers by l Matth. 6 9. Luke 11.2 Object So the other Evangelist reporteth that he had them when they prayed say Our Father c. Which he would never have done if it had not beene lawfull for us in making those petitions to God to use those very words which are there prescribed Now to that they object against this that we never read the Apostles did use this prescript forme of words in prayer We answer Answ That it is absurd negatively to prove from examples of men against that which God in His Word so expresly either commanded or permitted for we may as well reason thus That we doe not reade that the Apostles or the Church in their time did baptize Infants Ergo They were not then baptized or thus We doe not read that the Apostles did pray either before or after they preached Ergo They did not Or thus Saint Paul did not marry nor take maintenance from the Corinthians Ergo he might not lawfully have done it The most Psalmes that David made as they were committed to the Church Musitians That in singing them were tied to the very words that David set downe so they were not sung as Meditations and doctrines for the instruction of the Church but as prayers unto God This is evident not onely by the manifold petitions and thankesgivings unto God that are to bee found in them but by this especially that they are said to bee sung unto the Lord. And as by that which hath beene said it may appeare that set and prescript formes are lawfull in those prayers and thanksgivings that are used upon ordinary occasions Secondly A stinted and set forme of words is lawfull even to the extraordinary prayers So it is also evident that they may bee lawfully used even in those prayers and thanksgivings that being taken up on extraordinary occasions doe require an extraordinary and speciall fervency of the spirit for which we have the example of our Saviour Christ Himselfe Mat. 26.42 44. who used the very same words three times severally b even in that prayer which hee made with all holy excesse of fervent affection And this may lawfully be done not only in those formes which we frame and devise our selves Thirdly It is lawfull to tie our selves in prayer even to that forme of words which have been devised and used by others 2 Chro. 6.41 42. Psalm 132.8.10 2 Chron. 5.13 Psalm 136.1 Psalme 136.1 2 Chron. 20.21 2