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A95673 The testimony of our reverend brethren, ministers of the province of London. To the truth of Jesus Christ, and our Solemne League and Covenant, &c. Attested by other ministers of Christ in the county of Northampton. Winston, John, fl. 1648. 1648 (1648) Wing T817; Thomason E441_29 3,619 8

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THE TESTIMONY OF Our Reverend BRETHREN Ministers of the Province Of LONDON To the Truth of JESUS CHRIST And our Solemne League and Covenant c. ATTESTED By other MINISTERS of CHRIST in the County of Northampton John 8.17 It is also written in your Law that the testimony of two men is true may .11 th LONDON Printed for John Wright at the Kings Head in the Old Bayley 1648. The Testimony of our Reverend Brethren Ministers of the Province of London to the Truth of Jesus Christ c Attested by other Ministers of Christ in the County of NORTHAMPTON IT is the Word of God a Deut. 19 15. alleadged and averred by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ b Mat. 18.16 That in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established We therefore whose names are hereunto subscribed having seene a Booke intituled A Testimony to be truth of Jesus Christ subscribed by many of our Reverend Brethren within the Province of London and considering that Jesus Christ was borne and came into the world that he might beare witnesse to the truth c John 18.27 and that not onely the Apostles in their times d Act. 1.8 but all the Ministers of Christ in the severall Ages and successions of the Churches are called Witnesses e Rev. 11.3.7 have thought it our duty to Artest their Testimony for as much as the grounds and motives of that their undertaking as we conceive were not Provinciall only but of a N●tionall if not an Universall influence For ought not Gods glory and the presence of his grace the government of Jesus Christ and all his standing Ordinances the authority of Scripture and power of godlinesse to be deare and pretious unto all Are not all the Ministers of Jesus Christ in every Congregation and County of this Kingdome set for the defence of the Gospell f Philip. 1.17 and bound to marke them which cause divisions and dissentions contrary to the doctrine which they have learned and to avoid them g Rom. 16.17 Are they not charged to Preach the Word to be instant in season out of sea on to reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine because the time is come when they will not endure sound doctrine but after their owne lusts will heape unto themselves Teachers having itching eares and doe turne away their eares from the truth and are turned unto fables h 2 Tim 4.1 2 3 4. Are not all the Elders of the Church as well as those of Ephesus i Act. 20.17 ver 28 29 30. to take heed unto themselves and to all the flock over whom the Holy Ghost hath made them Over-seers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne blood Especially when they see that grievous Wolves are entred in among them not sparing the flock and that of their owne selves men doe arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them For though this Kingdome is not yet formed into Provinces throughout as London is yet are we set in the Church k 1 Cor. 12 28. and so in the body l Heb. 13.3 and bound to all endeavours for preventing Schisme m 1 Cor. 12 25. and have upon us the care not only of our owne particular Congregations but in some sort likewise of all the Churches n 2 Cor. 11 28. And though we cannot but acknowledge that we have been much provoked and put on to what we doe by our Reverend Bretherens zeale o 2 Cor. 9.2 yet are we many other waies engaged and obliged to it for can our solemne League and Covenant so lately sworne and so successefully ingaged in by both the Kingdomes be so soone laid aside forgotten and thought invalid and out of date Is the unquestioned Doctrine of the Church of England contained in the Creeds and nine and thirty Articles wherein the said Errours are adjudged and discovered of no authority Have not our Reverend Brethren now fitting at Westminster by authority of Parliament in that learned pious orthodox unparallel'd Confession of Faith presented by them unto the Parliament and since published spoken our very thoughts and in that and their Advice concerning Church-Government and Ordination of Ministers made an ample seasonable and full supply of those things wherein before this Church and Kingdome were defective Wherefore we doe not thinke our Bretherens Testimony or this our Attestation of it to be needlesse or unseasonable but a necessary proper confession and profession of our former manifold Obligations Engagements We therefore that have hereunto subscribed our names for the clearing and acquitting of our selves the incouraging of our Brethren who have gone before us in the worke the supporting of the weake setling of the wavering and reclayming of the wandering Doe assert and signe this our Attestation not doubting but by the blessing of God upon our innocency and sincerity therein it may doe good for howsoever Errours are not here discussed and disproved by way of Argument yet they are noted and called Errours by proper Judges and of unsuspected integrity and interests that as many have been seduced and led away by the sole authority and practise of some they valued so they may be reduced by the concurrent judgement testimony and authority of many others yet with our Reverend Brethren we doe not thinke all Errours equally destructive and pernicious but on some we have compassion making a difference others we would save with feare pulling them out of the fire p Jude 22 23. and instruct all with meeknesse who oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devill who are taken captive by him at his will q 2 Tim. 2.25 26. onely we are carefull and solicitous that our tendernesse and mildnesse towards the truly weake and really conscientious and scrupulous incourage not the wilfull and ingaged and expose not our serious and affectionate endeavours unto contempt and scorne and therefore would be glad to borrow and besprinkle this our Attestation with so much of our Reverend Bretherens animosity and zeale as may make our gentle Phisick worke Paul doth compare himselfe and others of his Fellow-labourers in the worke of God to Nurses r 1 Thes 2.7 and was as tender compassionate and fellow-feeling as any other Who is weake saith he and I am not weake Who is offended and I burne not ſ 2 Cor. 11 29. yet when truth staggered t Gal. 2.5 ver 11. ver 14. and men of place and worth began to be ingaged in unwarrantable condescentions and complyances his meeknesse vanisheth and the onely jewell he adornes himselfe with is plaine dealing not onely withstanding the great Apostle of the Circumcision to his face but recording that Encounter and Contest to all succeeding Generations and when he findes an Elymas withstanding him and