So many parish assemblies of England as have any competent number of good Christians in them united together for to worship God ordinarily in one society so many have essentiall and integrall forme of a visible Church and all they have intire right to Christ and to all the meanes of injoying him however they are defective in the purity of their combination and in the compleate free excercising of their power To prevent all mistake he declareth what he meaneth by essentiall and integrall forme thus The essentiall forme of a visible Church is the covenant of God or true fayth made visible by profession the noates and markes whereof are the word and Sacraments rightly administred and received with fruits of obedience The integrall constituting forme is that state relation or reference which a Congregation of such professours have one to another by vertue of their setled combination the noate or marke whereof is their usuall assembling together into one place and watching one over another So that however the defects and corruptions in those Churches are to be witnessed against and howsoever it is the duety of Christians to indeavour as much as in them is to procure the reformation of those defects and not to partake in the sinnes of any Church Eph. 5.11 and amongst true Churches to make choyse of those whereunto to joyne themselves which are most pure Lib. 4. Cas Cons cap. 24. quest 2. so farr as they are able as the same learned wrighter sayth elsewhere yet to dischurch them wholly to seperate from them as no Churches of Christ or to deny baptisme to the infants of their knowne members is not warranted by any rule in the Scripture that I know nor justifyed by my assertion or practise 2. The practise of the Seperatists themselves sheweth that this assertion doeth not strengthen or countenance the errour of the Brownists in matter of Seperation For they professe to hold spirituall communion with other Churches who doe extend the use of baptisme to as great largenes as England doeth and greater also as I am able with Gods assistance to prove though they freely witnesse against it as a disorder in those Churches which also many Godly learned ministers of these Countryes are so farr from justifying that they confesse it to be unwarrantable and wish it may be reformed By all which it is manifest that there is no such affinity betweene these opinions that the errour of the Brownists could not be refuted by me but that mine owne opinion must fall together As he untruely pretendeth 3. Hereunto I will add that in thus reasoning the Answerer imprudeÌ„tly armeth his opposites against himselfe with his owne weapon Polit. Eccles lib. 1. Cap. 14. eâ— 13. Fresh Suite p. 207. Treat of the necess of seperation For this plea is taken up 1. by the those that plead for the Prelats both of former times whom Mr. Parker hath fitly answered by clearing the seekers of Reformation from this imputation and retorting it upon themselves and of latter times whom Dr. Ames in like manner hath breifly and fitly answered 2. by those of the Seperation for Mr. Canne the Answerer knoweth pretendeth in his booke to prove a necessity of seperation from the Church of England by the Non-conformists principles and professeth to oppose it especially to Dr. Ames onely in the point of seperation Whereby it appeareth that he accounteth him and such like opposites in that point notwithstanding their agreement in some truths Concerning which booke I have many things to say in Dr. Ames his defence which if I should here insert this tractate which already much exceedeth the proportion at first purposed by me would swell to too great a volume But I may well be silent at this time seing others as I heare have undertaken it and a more fit occasion may be given hereafter if it be thaught requisite but especially seing he hath not answered Dr. Ames his second manuduction at all wherein he hath said enough for the clearing of his judgment in this matter nor indeed hath he taken away the force of that litle which the Doctor said in answer to the Rejoynder though he expressed himselfe but in few lines and as answering on another occasion and not dealing professedly against the Separation All which might easily be demonstrated but at this time I purpose to abstaine from by-controversyes As for his objection that I performed not that promise though I had time enough my answer is that he neither required it of me nor incouraged me so to doe by assuring me that the performance thereof would end the difference Nor did it fall fitly in my way to speake of this point in any Argument which I handled in publick afterwards His fourth answer tendeth to a sâ—ighting of my labour of love in 6 moneths assistance of him in a time of their extremity It becommeth unthanckfull men thus to elevate that kindnes which they have not hearts to value nor purpose to requite For this purpose he setteth 6 moneths wherein that wrighting as he sayth was given out by me and 6 yeares resistance which he sayth is procured by my opposition to the practise of the Dutch Church and as much recompence he sayth received by me for that as some godly ministers have in twise 6 moneths Reply Concerning the wrighting I have spoken sufficiently in the 2 and 22. Sections and in other places wherein I shewed how he compelled me to it for declaration of the truth against his unjust reports and how himselfe before he heard of any such wrighting from me had traduced me in the darke in a larger wrighting secretly sent to his freind in N. Concerning the ground of 6 yeares resistance Seing he compelled me thereunto in defence of the truth I cannot helpe it nor am to be blamed for it unlesse it be a fault to beare witnes to the truth when I am called thereunto Concerning the collection which he in too mercenary a phrase calleth a recompence for my labour I answer 1. I received none of it from him though some other English preachers are put to that charge so that to him it was a kindnes 2. I contracted not with him for any recompence to be made me from the Church by his meanes so that in me it was a kindnes 3. I received no gratification from the Churchstock as other Ministers have done by his procurement So that the poore had no damage or hindrance thereby as in some other cases they have had through his holding up these contentions 4. The most of that which was given was from their purses whom he contentiously calleth my freinds 5. What ever I received from them they know I was no gayner by it when the necessary charges of my diet are deducted and the hire of an house which at their request I tooke but never lived in thorough his opposition against me and for which I was constrayned to pay the wholl yeares rent 6. As he made no
Cyprianus vigilantissimus Episcopus gloriosissimus Martyr Blessed Cyprian a most vigilant Bishop a most glorious Martyr And comparing Cyprian Stephanus Idem lib. de unico Bap. contr Petil. cap. 14. Donatus together in their different carriage about that question he did not reproach Cyprian as schysmatically affected but shevved that both Cyprian and Stephanus and those that adhaered to them preserved unity each vvith other Idem contr Donat. lib. 5. Cap. 11. and did not as Donatus seperate from the Church for that cause and for himselfe he professed hovvsoever he held as he did touching the Baptisme of Iohn se non acturum pugnaciter c. that he vvould not quarrrell those that held othervvise In latter times Beza shevved the same spirit tovvards Bullinger and Gualter Praef. in lib. de presbyt et excom contr Erast for though they seemed to incline more to Erastus his opinion then he could vvish yet he speaketh honourably of them calling them after their deaths non tantum Tigurinae sed Christianae totius Ecclesiae lumina lights not onely of the Tigurine but also of the wholl Christian Church and elsevvhere they are stiled by him optimi illi beatissimae memoriae fratres summâ tum pietate tum eruditione praediti his excelent brethren of very blessed memory men of singular piety and learning and he taketh occasion to excuse their difference from him in that point not to brand them with any black noate for it Thus in those men the spirit of love vvraught as it had done before them in the Apostles of Christ For howsoever Paul justly reproved Peter as the case required Gal. 2. yet Peter did not lye at the catch as vve say to recriminate him but tooke occasion from some passage in Pauls epistles to make an honourable mention of him saying 2. Pet. 3.15 Account that the long suffering of the Lord is salvation as our beloved brother Paul according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you c. such a carriage of differences amongst Christians specially Ministers of the Gospell vvould much conduce to the advancement of the truth and stopping of the mouthes of adversaries vvhich are apt to be opened upon tvvo advantages 1. The differences in judgment amongst professours 2. The bitternes of spirit vvhich they discover in those differences To prevent as much as in me lyeth any hurt that may come from these tvvo praejudices I thinck it requisite that I add a word or two upon occasion of this advantage which some bitter passages in the Answer doe seeme to give all sorts of adversaryes to blaspheme the trueth 1. All sorts of people are apt to object against the truth that the professours of it doe not agree amongst themselves This the ancient Philosophers objected against the Christians in the first 300 yeares after Christ whose mouthes the worthy lights in those times stopped with the different sects among the Philosophers thēselves In like manner I may tell the Papalls of the 26 Schysmes in the Romish Church others of the troubles in Franckford raysed in Queene Maryes daies about bringing in the English liturgy into that place for the effecting whereof they spared not to endanger the life of that famous Godly man Mr. Knocks who opposed it others of Troubles about excommunications in Amsterdam extant to the view of all men and all men of differences about their severall wayes and projects 2. Bellarmine to prove that our Religion doeth not produce holynes in mens lives instanceth in the violence of Luthers spirit which appeared in much bitternes even against those vvho agreed vvith him in opposition to popery because they differed from him in some particular tenets That this is but a fallible signe may appeare not onely in this that shevves of holynes may be vvhere holynes in trueth is not as in that gravity constancy and humility vvhich vvas observeable in that enimy of Gods grace Pelagius Aug. Epist 120. Mat. 7.15 according to our Saviours praediction concerning Wolves in sheepes cloathing but also in this that distempered passions have bene found in eminent servants of God as in the difference betvveene Paul Barnabas the onely vvise God for his ovvne glory many vvayes by some infirmityes stayning the glory of all flesh Hovv hot vvas the contention betvveene Cyprian and Stephanus vvhat violent and troublesome dissention vvas there betvveene Theophilus and Chrisostom also betvveene Cyrill of Alexandria and Theodoret boath Bishops Catholicks boath learned boath godly boath excelent pillars of the Church and yet he that readeth both their vvrightings vvould thinck that boath vvere dangerous enimyes of the Church The invectives of Ierom and Ruffinus one against another are extant and Augustines Epistles vvherein he bevvayled the same Hovv many unkindnesses passed betvveene Chrisostom and Epiphanius Did not the one refuse to pray vvith the other Did not the one chalēge the other for manyfold breaches of Canons Did not the one professe that he hoped he should never dye a Bishop and the other that he should never come alive into his country boath vvhich things fell out according to their uncharitable vvishes Epiphanius dying by the vvay as he vvas returning home and Chrisostom being cast out of his Bishoprick and dying in banishment And these things came to passe 1. partly by the instigatiō of others Thus Epiphanius vvas stirred up against Chrisostom by Theophilus So that their contentions arose from a versatilous wit accompanied vvith a malicious and vindictive spirit in Theophilus imprudence accōpanied vvith too much credulity in Epiphanius 2. partly by some stiffnes inflexibility of spirit in some of them accōpanied vvith much hardnes to be reconciled vvhen once offēded to those vvith vvhom they vvere displeased from vvhich blemish Chrisostom vvas not altogether free and that caused him somevvhat the more trouble 3. partly by mistakes as in the differēce betvveene Theodoret and Cyrill and in the division betvveene the Christians of the East and those of the West the one suspecting the other of haeresy upon a mistake For the Romans beleived three persons in the Trinity but vvould not beleive three hypostases thence the Orientall Christians thought them Sabellians vvho held that there is but one person in the Godhead called by three names The Easterne Christians beleived three hypostases in the Godhead but vvould not admit three persons vvhence they of Rome thought them to be Arrians vvho beleived that there are three distinct substances in the Godhead Athanasius perceiving that they differed not in judgment brought them to accord by shevving them that they meant one thing though their expressions vvere different so that there vvas a difference arising from ill suspition which was grounded upon misunderstanding one another Lastly from an ill guided Zeale whereby beside the former Luther and those that adhaered to him were carryed too far in opposition against Zwinglius about the Sacrament which afterwards Luther saw and confessed to Melancthon a litle
he should have laboured privately to convince Mr. Pet. by word or wrighting and have published it thus to the world 3. If he would publish it in such a disorderly unwarrantable manner yet he should have declared the justnes of his reproofe by shewing what rule of the word was transgressed by Mr. Pet. in so doing else he will be found guilty of adding to the word and of making eleven Commandments And for the Complainants at whom he girdeth I say the same thing and doe add that the best way for his owne account and their comfort had bene for him to have joyned with them in desiring the assistance of some faythfull Minister whom God should point out by the earnest and joynt desire of the Congregation that so they might not have justly pleaded for themselves that they have bene constrained to seeke abroad through want of comfortable supply at home Another pretended opposition is betweene Mr. Forbes and Mr. H. touching the authority of Synods and Classes The pretēded opposition betweene Mr. F. Mr. H. examined 1. Had he shewen in what point the opposition did consist I should have answered and shewed that neither did Mr. H. condemne all use of Synods and Classes nor Mr. F. acknowledge all that authority to be due to them which some men for advantage sake ascribe to them or others out of an inordinate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are ready sometimes to assume to themselves 2. But be it so though no such thing appeareth in the 21 questions or otherwise that J know that they were herein opposite each to other Did Mr. F. reject or oppose Mr. H. for any such difference Did he not earnestly desire and chearefully imbrace his fellowship in the worke with him Did they not live together for the space of about 2. yeares so like brethren that an indifferent observer might say of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in vita Naz. 2. Cor. 12 18. 2. Sam. 10 11. as it was sayd of great Basill and Nazianzen there seemed to be one Soule in two bodies or as Paul sayth of himselfe and Titus Walked we not in the same spirit Walked we not in the same stepps If they had bene absent one from another with what joy with what congratulations yea with what embracements did they meete and intertayne each the other How did they unite their forces as Ioab and Abishai not only against the common adversaries but each for others personall vindication and defence mutually All that I will say to the Answerer for a conclusion of this instance Luk. 10.37 shall be in the words of our Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. The pretēded opposition betweene Dr. Ames and Mr. Forbes examined Another pretended opposition is between Dr. Ames Mr. F. in three things 1. touching the authority of the Magistrate in causes Ecclesiasticall 2. touching Adoption going before Iustification 3. touching the active obedience of Christ in the point of Iustification In the first of these he joyneth Mr. Parker with Dr. A. in opposition to Mr. F. but he should have shewed whether Mr. F. denyed all authority of the Magistrate in those cases or only some and what that authority is which he denyed them that the Reader might have seene the question rightly stated and then we should have bene able to make a more punctuall answer thereunto then now we can 2. What ever difference of judgment was betweene D. A. and Mr. F. in the 2. other points it is evident to those who knew them that there was much unfeigned love betweene them accompanyed with a Reverend and high esteeme each of the other mutually expressed upon all fitting occasions And so much shall serve for answer to his third pretended answer the Vanity where of that I may use his owne words will appeare to the intelligent Reader by what hath bene replyed I proceed now to the fourth pretended answer To the fourth Ans concerning eminent errours and offences which may be in eminent persons just cause of opposing and refusing them c. Be it so but First Let it be proved that it is so in these persons Reply wherein the Answerer is to prove 3 things 1. That the things charged upon these persons are offences and errours 2. That they are eminent ones 3. That they are just cause of opposing and refusing such eminent men as unfitt for his Congregation Secondly Let these things be proved by Scripture For all men are apt 1 to err and to be in loue with their errours 2 to be harsh and unadvised in their judgement of others First Men are apt to err to be in loue with their errours Chameron of popish praejudices Cap. 1. The cause of which mischeife is the perversenes of their passions which oftentimes so overheate distemper the heart that out of it as it were exhaling thick and black vapours upon the understanding they either disturbe our judgments or altogether dull our apprehensions In which respect an heart chafed with passion leaveth us in a worse case then peircing smokes doe the eyes which bereaue us of our bodily sight For they seing nothing can not be deluded by lying apparitions but by these though the light of the understanding be dimmed yea extinguished yet there remaines a presumptuous conceit of our owne cleare sight and reall comprehension of the truth whence it is that man compassed about with thick darkenes confidently imagineth that he walketh in the sun-shine and he is strongly conceited that he hath then fast hold of the truth when he huggeth an absurd ridiculous fable Secondly from the same cause it is that men are harsh and rash in their censures of others who dissent from those tenets for the defence whereof they are ingaged And as men that looke thorough a coloured glasse thinck that all the things they see thorough it are of the same colour with the glasse so they judging of mens opinions by the errour of their owne distempered fancyes cry out Errours Errours many times causelesly 1 Cor. 1.23 Thus the Panymes puffed up with a conceit of their owne wisdome accounted the doctrines of the christian Religion foolishnes And as their passions increase so their censures will grow more harsh and bitter So that lesser errours shall be accounted haeresies and small infirmityes eminent offenses and trueths themselves shall be miscalled dangerours errours Hiron ad Ripar contra Vigilant Hence it was that Ierom held Vigilantius for an haeretick because he held it unlawfull to pray for the dead and to worship the dead bones and relicques of the Saints and praeferred Mariage before Virginity Thirdly To prevent a scandall against these men and their Tenets let the Reader know that the suspition of falsity is a calumny ordinary to trueth yet trueth is not to be disliked for such imputations under which it is often hid as admirable beauty under a maske or as a solid sparckling diamond under some discolourment But as
the Dutch Classis upon the English preachers in other townes in Holland How commeth it to be so speciall a worke of a Ministers calling in Amsterdam 3. This is not urged as a speciall worke of a ministers calling to the French walloon Churches in that Citty How comes it to be so to the English 4. The Answerer did not account it a speciall worke of his calling to sit in the Dutch Classis a good while after his comming to Amsterdam when he laboured to set up an English Classis though afterwards he opposed the same thing when it tooke effect by Mr. Forbes his labour How comes it now to be a speciall worke of his calling which then was not 5. The Answerer hath bene heard to say that he commeth sometimes from the Classis greived troubled in his mind because when weighty matters are debated he cannot sufficiently expresse his mind in Dutch And well may it greive him to supply the place of a Pastor there if he find him selfe unable to performe one speciall worke of his calling To wind up all Seing the Answerer maketh that an especiall worke of the Ministers calling to his Church in Amsterdam which God doeth not make so in any place of Scripture nor the Magistrates doe make so neither there to other Nations nor in other Cityes to other English Churches and seing by that pretence they are deprived of many worthy men which they might have injoyed had not this bene so insisted upon by him and seing the Answerer doth urge it more strictly then the Magistrates they propounding it but as a matter of conveniency but he pressing it as a matter of necessity haue not the members just cause to complaine of this as a greivance Nor will this free him from blame that he is but one and claymeth but one voyce seing he hindreth that what agreeth not with his mind can not be ended in the Church but is carryed to the Classis where he can strengthen himselfe by helpe of those whom he gayneth to his party by raysing causeles suspitions of some factions or Shysmaticall intentions in his people or in the Consistory which they receive from him and report to the Magistrates who at they re intreaty interpose to prevent some imagined distractions which may fall in the English Church whereas if they had rightly bene informed of the wholl truth they would have seene the request of the Church to be reasonable and just and the opposition made against it to be injurious and blameworthy Ans To the eighth To that which they say concerning the Lords fighting against his course hitherto by the great unfitnes of those c. who haue preached hitherto by his nomination or consent in sending for he answereth 2 things 1. That they are guilty of rash judgement and of taking Gods name in vayne or reproaching the Lord and laying iniquity upon the Lord and of making him a partaker with them for maintenance of they re sinne 2. For the men to whose sending for he hath given consent that they are not unfit but learned and worthy men one of them he nameth the other 2 he concealeth This passage shall be breifly examined and replyed upon To the first Reply I am so farr from justifying any thing done or spoken amisse even by my freinds that this Answerer intimateth it to be a just reward of Mr. B. inordinate affection to me that I censure the printing of that pamphlet to be an injury That which I did in the simplicity and uprightnes of my heart not knowing that Mr. B. was the publisher in way of witnes bearing to the truth and in favour of him he wresteth and perverteth to contrary ends This dealing of his in that particular may make me wary of uttering my thoughts in a like case when another lyeth to watch and catch all advantages against me and them Therefore what I account amisse in this expression on theyr part I will conceale and also passe by the distemper of his spirit which upon this occasion venteth it selfe The comparing of the reply to the former Section and this will giue some light whereby the Reader may discerne 1. whether that which they have disliked and complained of be not a just greivance 2. whether in that case such an expression deserve so heavy a censure Here he instanceth in three persons sent for by him and nameth but one of them viz Mr. Balmford whom he mentioneth in the first place In the passages concerning him I noate three things 1. Vpon a third and fourth review A defence of Mr. Balmford I wondred why so litle was sayd by the Answerer in the just acknowledgment of Mr B. sufficiency especially seing the next whose name he concealeth is honoured by him with the prayse of speciall gifts of learning piety and utterance the third whose name he also suppresseth is stiled a man of speciall noate for his learning and labours in the Church of God But when I consider the men him upon knowledge and them by gesse and report of others I seeme to apprehend the cause of it which was not that Mr. Balmford was inferiour to either of those men in the desart of such attributiōs but that if he had freely done him right in so publick a declaration thereof it might have reflected more honour upon him then he can be cōtent should be devolved upon one whose judgment did at all differ from his and agree with his opposites as he accounteth them in the point controverted betweene us 2. Yet when it may serve for a staffe wherewith to beate the Complainants he addeth thus much His great unfitnes is they re great slander that avouch it unles they could prove it Neither himselfe nor they will be ever able to prove Mr. B. unfit for that Church but both he and they might have blessed God with much thanckfullnes for such a mercy if they had injoyed him And certainely it will be found worthy to be called a great slander if any shall impute great unfitnes to him The place where he hath diverse yeares executed his pastorall function constantly painfully proffitably and with good acceptance is incomparably before Amsterdam both in the eminency of the Auditours and in they re ability to judge of his sufficiency the deserved approbation of him and affection to him so frequently expressed on all fitting occasions by all sorts of hearers both resorting thither and residing there are in stead of letters of recommondation to stop the mouths of any that shall mussitate or whisper any such disparadging intimations and to convince them of great slander But now the question will be at whose dore the slander must be layd For the Complainants refuse to father it and doe retort the accusation of a great slander upon the Answerer himselfe and professe the great unfitnes which they meant was intended by them concerning others partly in respect of the language and they name severall men against whom they except in
Mr. Doctor doth make of the holy Sacrament of baptisme which is an entry into the house of God and whereby the family of God must enter a common passage whereby he will have cleane and uncleane holy and profane as well those that are without the covenant as those that be with in it to passe by and so maketh the Church no houshold but an Jnne to receive whatsoever cometh I will answer If one of the parents be neither drunkard nor adulterer the child is holy by vertue of the covenant for one of the parents sake if they be boath yet not obstinate in their sinne whereby the Church hath proceeded to excommunication themselves being yet of the Church their child cannot nor aught not to be refused To the second question wherein he asketh what if the child be of papists or hereticks If boath be papists or condemned hereticks if so be J may distinguish papists from hereticks cut off from the Church their children can not be received because they are not in the covenant If either of them be faythfull I have answered before that the infant aught to be received To other questions wherein he asketh what if they erre in some points of matters of fayth If it be an errour and be not in those points that rase the foundations of fayth because they still notwithstanding that errour are to be accounted amongst the faythfull their children pertaine to the promise and therefore to the Sacrament of the promise Dr. W. p. 111. Else where he demandeth whether a wicked father may have a good child a papist or heretick father a beleiving child Yes verily may they sayth he So may have and have the Turckes and Jewes and yet their children are not to be received unles their fayth doth first appeare by confession But you say the papists and hereticks be baptised and so are not the Iewes and Turcks Their baptisme being cut off from the Church maketh them as much strangers unto it as was Ismael Esau which albeit they were circumcised yet being cast out of the Church they were no more to be accounted to be of the body of Gods people then those which never were in the Church The same authour in his next Reply to the same Doctor reasoning out of Beza in his epistles that the papists are to be compared with the Israelites with fell away from true Religion â—dem 2 Reply concerning Church discipl Tract 11 and not with the Idumaeans answereth This cannot help him unles he first shew that the infants of those Apostates were lawfully circumcised For if they were not circumcised by Gods order and constitution but rather at the lust and pleasure of those which being fallen away from the covenant ceased not to put to the seale as if they had bene still within the covenant it followeth that in this respect there is no more succour for the papists in such resemblance with such Israelits then when they are matched with the Ismaelites or Idumaeans Mr Cartwright his judgment is the more to be regarded in in this matter because what he wrote in those Replyes he wrote as a publick agent in the name and with the concurrent judgement of many worthy ministers who pleaded for the purity of Christs ordinances at that time So that it is not to be accounted his singular opinion but the judgement of many mâ—n of eminent noate Maister I del'Espine minister of the word in the Church of Anger 's upon a most dreadfull Apostasy Mr. I del'Espine Treat of Apostasy revolt of many from the profession of the truth in the Churches of Anjou on St. Bartholomeus day memorable for ever infamous for that bloody massacre wrote a learned and excellent treatise against those that persisted in their Apostasy wherein he proveth them to be deprived of God of Christ of the Spirit and of those meanes whereby they may come unto God that they have no fayth and are without the Church and that they are deprived of the Sacraments as well as of the word of baptisme as well as the supper of the Lord. For their baptisme no more serveth them for a token to testifye and declare them to be members of the Church from which they are seperated or that they pertayne any longer to the Father to the Sonne or to the Holy Ghoast whose house and dwelling place they have forsaken As if a Knight having received that order of the King and taken the accustomed oathes if afterwards he should depart from the troth which he had given in token whereof he should send him back his order to signifye to him that he would afterward be freed and released from his oath So the Apostates having given over the covenant of God have also by the same meanes forsaken the tokens and markes thereof c. Before all these Iohannes a Lasco Anno 1550. a learned noble man of Poland obtayned of Edw 6. K. of England of famous memory that the Churches of strangers in London principally of Germans might have the liberty of their Religion under the broad seale of England which was by that most pious Prince graciously granted not without the approbation of renowned Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury and other eminently learned and godly men at that time What their care was to prevent the prophanation of this Sacrament by such a promiscuous admission of all as is practised in this place will appeare in his owne report which I doe translate from the latin copy thus Baptisme in our Church is administred in the publick assembly of the Church after the publick sermon For Iohn A. Lasco lib Forma ac Ritus tota eccles minist p. 117 seing Baptisme doth so belong to the wholl Church that none aught to be driven thence which is a member of the Church nor to be admitted to it which is not a member of it truely it is aequall that that should be performed publickly in the assembly of the wholl Church which beloÌ„geth to the wholl Church in common Forma ac Ritus administ Bapt. And Paul testifyeth that by Christs ordinance the Church it selfe without excepting any member of it is to be accounted cleane or holy by the Ministry of Baptisme Whence we may easily see that Baptisme doth neither belong to those who are altogether without the Church nor may be be denyed to any members of the Church Now seing our Churches are through Gods blessing so instituted by the Kings Matie that they may be as it were one parish of all strangers dispersed thorough the wholl city or one body corporated as it is called in the Kings grant and yet in the meane space all strangers doe not joyne themselves to our Churches yea there are many who whilest they turne from and flye all Churches will pretend to the English Churches that they are joyned with us and to us that they are joyned with the English Churches and so doe abuse both them and us we least