some things we sinne all In which wordes I plainely reproved his grossnes that concluded all men idolaters which committed anie idolatrie and that no idolater could be saued and distinguished betweene the sinne of ignorance weaknes and imperfection c. in Gods children and open professed obstinate idolatrie Yet this godles man would lay to my charge that I should call all men idolaters wheras I never used such a worde in all my writings But onlie answered his folly in this running out from the question they were his owne wordes that brought this upon his owne heade by concluding that if every sinne against the first table were idolatrie and no idolater could be saved then all are lost let the grosnes then be his and not mine And I leave it to the consideration of all men whether I may not say that they which transgresse the first or second Commandements do commit idolatrie without absurdity But saith he though it be so yet the Scripture calleth not the godly murtherers idolaters etc. for the reliques of sinne remayning I answere that therefore your former absurd cavilling where you said if we hold it idolatrie etc. is by your owne mouth fully answered But to avoyde this foile he hath an other evasion J thought saith he we had reasoned about such grosse idolatrie as a church is to be condemned and forsaken which is defiled therwith Here againe you misreport me J never reasoned to that end in in this whole discourse but onlie laboured to shew all men this error of reading mens writings instead of praying that they might learne how to converse with God their owne Conscience in prayer And what mendes will you make for this slandering and defacing of the truth to all the world all that I desire is your repentance and amendement which God graunt unto you if you be his It followeth in your booke thus But seeing you confess that all men be Idolaters that is touching the remanents of sinne it must needs follow there is no Church free from spots etc. This worde idolaters must still be yours then I willinglie graunt that no man living is free from idolatrie concerning the reliques of sinne Also that no Church upon earth can be without spot upon earth So that now by your owne confession I pleade not for perfection in this life though the more we want the more we ought to endevour With what face then could you publish me an Anabaptist in your Epistle and out of one mouth give contrarie sentence Doth your ordinary teach you to cast out such bitter waters of untruthes was it possible I should bold al men idolaters some men without committing of sinne after regeneration especially to maintaine both such heresies as you give out Wel consider yourself before the Lord call you to accompt for defacing his truth and pleading for Baal I grant yea I were not of God if I should speake otherwise that the deare servants of God fall into most lothsome sinnes after regeneration that the riches of Gods mercie might appeare in their repentance through the worke of his grace Then you reason thus if ther be alwaies spottes and imperfectnes in the true Church upon earth then all your Arguments you bring against the Church of England are of no force except you will maintaine a perfection Mine answere is I will not meddle with your Ch. to prove it a false church in this treatise but refer you to Mr Barrowes refutation of Mr Gifford him that handleth that part of your booke Yet I must tell you your argument is verie simple For after the same manner you might reason thus If ther be no true Church without spottes upon earth then the Church of Rome is the true Ch. for it hath manie spottes and you all Scismatiques Againe you assume the matter you should prove It will be proved against you that you have not Ecclesiam a people called fourth of the world to the obedience of Christ Then that the spottes of your Church are Egyptian ulcers incurable running botches But I purposed not to deale with your Church onelie my mind is to shew the unlawfulnes of this reading and imposing mens writings upon mens Consciences in stead of true praying Of which sinne the Lord give you and this whole land grace to repent that so men may learne more ferventlie to call upon God The first Argument against read Prayer c. No Apocrypha must be brought into the publique assemblies for there onelie GODS worde and lively voyce of his owne graces must be hearde in the publique assemblies But mens writings and the reading of them over for prayer are Apocrypha therefore may not be brought into the publique assemblies GEORGE GIFFORD First touching the Proposition No Apocrypha is to be brought into the publique assemblies What can be more false Apocrypha is opposed against Canonicall If nothing may be brought into the publique assemblies but Canonicall Scripture then the Sermons and prayers of Pastors are to be banished c. IOHN GREENWODS Answer IN the answere of this you will needes oppose against both Propositions yet have nothing to say if not to royle the doctrines delivered with your feete least others should drinke therof The part of a wise man had beene to lay his hand on his mouth In the first Proposition you would oppose the worde Apocripha against the lively voyce of Gods graces when you see I said onlie that no Apocripha might be brought into the publique assemblies And further to explane my minde least you should willingly finde such a cavill I added this reason for there only Gods worde the lively voyces of his graces are to be heard where I acknowledged those livelie voyces to be Gods ordinance yet nether to be called Apocrypha nor Canonical How can you say th̄e I would have these or that these are banished if all Apocrypha writings be banished the publique assemblies Yet as I told you I take Apocrypha to be all writings but the Canonicall Authenique Scriptures But say you then I will exclude the Paraphrases upon the Scriptures and the Psalmes in Metre etc. Affirme you them to be Apocrypha as you doe and can do no other I wil through Gods grace prove they ought not to be brought into the publique assemblies First no mans writings are given to the Church by testimonie of Gods spirit we are onelie commaunded to heare what the spirit saith therefore though mens writings be permitted to be read privatelie of them that will and therupon called Apocrypha that is hidden they may not be brought into the publique assemblies Secondly no mans writings are without errour and imperfections therfore not to be brought into the publique assemblies The Church is the pillar of truth Thirdlie the Church is builded upon the foundation of the Prophets and the Apostles Christ Iesus being the cheif corner stone and not upon mens writings Therefore mens writings may not be brought into the
prescript forme of prayer is a tradition bringing our libertie into hondage c. my reason was c is that the Lord by Moses prescribed a forme of blessing c. Num. 6 the Prophets in the Psalmes have prescribed manie formes of prayer Our Saviour Christ prescribed a forme of prayer c. JOHN GREENWODS Answer HEre is a greate storme yet nothing but wynde If you were in Caiphas his place you would either have rent your clothes for zeale or els condemne me before you vnderstand what I say Is it simple dealing do you thinke to say I hold it a bondage breaking our libertie for the Lord by Moses the Prophetes our Saviour Christ also to set downe a forme of praier or to prescribe a forme of praier Did you not see that the Minor Proposition speaketh of the reading for praing and not of the forme of praier Againe of the commandement wherby men are compelled to reade instead of praing Did you not see that these wordes brought into the publique assemblies did specifye the matter to be mens writings to be read in the assemblies as a worship yea invocation of Gods name which is a grosse mockery Not that ther is any Commandement to reade ouer those formes of praier mentioned by you for praing and so the Commandement so to reade them for praying is an abuse of them and a Commandement of men and not of God etc. But that much more odious it is to bring in mens writings into the publique assemblies is proved vnlawfull in the first argument and then to commit Idolatrie with them by reading them jnstead of praing and that to compell men by Commandement wher God had set no Commandement so to vse them was a bringing all men into bondage of popish traditions So that your common recitall of these places of Scripture is abuse of them and you do but palinodian cauere I thinke if you get St. I H O N S gospell about your necke as the Papists do you wil thinke you haue religion ynough The more fearfull is your Apostacy you proceede from euill to worse GEORGE GIFFORD About the Commaunding a prescript forme of prayer to be used our Church doth agree with all godly Churches yea the reformed Churches have and do practise the same here therefore I wish the reader to observe that you Brownists doe not only condemne the the Church of England but all the reformed Churches whatsoever and can be no other but Donatistes IOHN GREENWODS Answer I Trust your madnes will appeare to all men the poyson of Aspes is vnder your tongue he that cannot rule his tongue his Religion is in vayne Shall J in your heate be pressed with multitude of Churches then heare what the Lorde faith Thou shal not followe a multitude to do evill we have the word amongst vs we shall by that worde be either iustified or condemned Then either prove your matter from the scriptures or els give eare to the Scripture If those Churches you speake of bring mens writinges into the publique assemblies inforce them to be read for praying I would see their warrant we beleeve not because men say so or doe so but because God speaketh And where he speaketh all men must be silent You may accuse other countries as you wil knowe not their estate but your drudgery insteade of true worship is lothsome the priest with his massebooke the begger with his clapdish canuize over the Pater noster for their bellie which is your common worship with other trinckets We shal speake of a Liturgie in due place Here you breath out your accustomed lyes slanders railings First you terme us Brownists Donatists wheras I never conversed with the men nor their writings I dereft Donatus his heresies And if they had beene instruments to teach us anie truth we were not therfore to be named with their name we were baptised into Christs Browne is a member of your Church your brother and all Brownists do frequent your assemblies And here you wish the reader to consider that I condemne all reformed Churches do I condemne all Churches for reproving a sinne by Gods worde May not the true Churches if they were such err Did I affirme at anie time that they were no true Church that used read prayers remember your self you knowe who is the Father of such untruthes But because your Conscience bare witnesse you had wrongfully chardged me and in frome all true Christians you bring it in by necessary consequence thus you assi'me say you prescript formes of praier brought into the publique assemblies to be the changing the work of the Spirit into an idoll a tradition breaking Christian libertie a deade letter quenching the Spirit c. and therefore most detestable But all reformed Churches receive and use it c. therefore You can reason well to bring the truth into contempt your moth is open and tongue whet as a sworde thereunto If the proposition be true drawe what consequence you will it is yours not mine if the doctrine be true it is Gods worde that giveth sentence against the sinne And if you have anie sparke of grace procure that we may decide the truth with other Churches Doth it follow that because imposing of mens writinges to be read for praying is an heynous sinne therefore they that use it are no Church If I should say so I should justlie be called an Anabaptist And here you accuse me to pleade for such a freedome in the Church that nothing receaued which is imposed by commaundement Abaddon is the Father of such Prophets Doth it follow that because we would have the Church free from all traditions of men which have no warrant in Gods worde that therefore we would not receave Gods ordinances by Commaundement That we ought to receave nothing by Commaundement in the worship of God which God hath not commaunded the second commaundement with the scriptures I have rehearsed are evident Deut. 5.32.33 Mat. 2 5.2.3 Gal. 4.9 Collof 2 20 But seing your self graueled considering all the world cannot lay a Commandement to bring their owne inventions into the assemblies wher God hath laide none but forbidden it you ranne to your former places of scripture to wrast them as before where your collections are but vaine repetions of that which hath been convinced before Moses the Prophets etc. prescribed formes of praiers therefore men now may thrust their writings into the publique assemblies Your Argument is denied and yet here is no warrant for the reading them over for praier G. GIFFORD The Church had power to expounde those prayers mentioned in the Scriptures to apply them to their severall necessities c. J. GREENWOOD If you meane by expounding the breaking of them up by doctrine vp and by doctrine and praier to applye them to the severall vses of the Church by lively voyce far be it from me to thinke otherwise But if you meane by expounding to make homilies vpon them or liturgies
God See if your Ordinarie will here be pleased with you Yet you would denie all this with the same breath by a shift saying The heart in moved when one heareth the prayer of the minister and presently sendeth fourth prayers together with him I trust you will not say that the heart of the hearer prayeth one thing and the Minister an other againe the praier of the minister is the prayer of the people by Gods ordinance whiles they think one thinge and are mert to one end for anoyding confusion one speaketh ye all pray togeather one thing But the minister may as well preach and pray or reade any chapter and praye as reade praiers and praye both in one action of the minde and voyce which were strange Your cavill then whether the heart may be moved and pray both at once is taken awaye seing you graunt reading and praying two severall excercises of the heart and voyce which cannot be performed at once with lively voyce The conclusion is then that either ye must fetch the matter out of your booke when you reade prayer and so do not pray for the particular wants wher with the heart is moued and pressed before you come or els you pray not with lively voyce at al when you read The Lorde then having taught vs to breake vp our owne hearts and powre fourth our petitions with heart and voyce give grace to al his people so to worship him The Seventh Argument We must pray as necessitie requireth But stinted prayers cannot be as necessity requireth Therfore stinted prayer is unlawfull G. GIFFORD To this I answered approving the Proposition And in the Assumtion I did distinguish of matters to be prayed for as that there be thinges necessarie to be praied for at all times and of all men of these a prescript forme may be vsed at all meetings of the Church there be matters not at all tymes needfull to be praied for for such there can be no prescript forme to be vsed contynually c. I. GREENWOOD I Have proved in the first Argument that no mens writtngs are to be brought into the publique assemblies for there the liuely graces of Gods owne spirit and Cononical Scriptures onely must be heard In the Seconde the vnlawfullnes of reading for praying in the third the vnlawfullnes to impose any thing by commaundement that God hath not commaunded And here we shall handle in few wordes the end of your stinted praiers Your distinction is far differing from the wisedome of the spirit for though many thinges be at all tymes needfull to the publique assemblies yet stand not the assemblies either all at any tyme or anie at all times in the same neede and feeling of them or fitnes to receave them so that except you cā make all assemblies in the same want of such thinges as are alwaies needfull or any at al times in the same preparednes to aske and use them that be needfull you can make no stinted prayers for them Give eare then to the Scripture in this point 1 Cor. 2.11 For what man knoweth the thinges of a man if not the spirit of man which is himself c. Againe who knoweth what shal be tomorrow Whiles you then thought to have founde out more then the only wise governour of his house lawe needfull for his worship in his Church and of every soule you have lifted up your self into his seate and taken the office of his spirite upon you who searcheth the heartes and knoweth the reynes and teacheth his people how and when to aske according to his will and their needs Rom. 8.26.27 also the spirit helpeth our infirmities for what we should pray as we ought we know not But the spirit it self maketh request for us with sighs and groanes which can not be expressed Yet searching the heartes knoweth the meaning of the spirit because he maketh request for the saincts according to the will of God And wher you say then that if we marke the prescript forme of prayers of all Churches we shall see this regard that nothing be left out which is necessarie etc. This bewrayeth your shallownes the wisedome of the flesh is foolishnes with God who hath searched the depth of Gods spirit or knowne the minde of man who can prescribe the estate of all Churches and what every moment is needfull to be praied for Odious then is such drosse of a fleshly mans heart Your second provision that nothing be prayed for in your liturgy that falleth seldom out but they are limited to the time Your Church hath not this provision you compell men to pray against thunder and lightning at midd winter and in your most solemne feastes against sodeine death But the truth is till you amend your wayes God will accept no sacrifice of you much lesse requireth this at your handes to doe more in his worship then he hath commaunded And where you say in the Church of England the preachers are not limited touching the matter of their prayers it is not true you are all sworne to your portuis howsoever you may omitt some of it for your Sermons and under pretext therof what part you will And why is ther not a forme for prayer prescribed to be used after and before your Sermons is it because the text is not allwayes the same or that the speaker is not in like fitnes or the auditorie in the same preparednes I assure you these thinges might be sufficient cause why you cannot use alwaies the same wordes and pray according to your necessities and even so standeth the case for al other affaires in the Church The disposition of the soule and the distresses thereof continve not in one state one howre But let me tell you why you have no forme of praier for your preachings In manie of your parishes or as you would have them Churches Sermons are of those rare thinges whereof you saye ther can be no prescript forme of praier yea your liturgie approveth a ministerie and sufficyent administration without anie doctrine which sheweth it came out of the divells forge and not out of Christes Testament But seing you would take vpon you to set so manie prescript formes of prayer as ther are thinges necessarie for every assemblie to pray for wher Christ hath set none And if it were a thing so necessarie to have prescript wordes at the administration of the Sacraments I asked you whether our saviour Christ had not forgott himselfe as you thought that when he commaunded his ministers to go preach and baptise and shewed them the wordes of institution and the Elementes to be vsed with all things thervnto needfull he did not prescribe some forme of wordes for prayer in particular In the tabernacle every pinne was prescribed so that ether such formes of praier are not necessarie or Christes Testament hath some wants To this you answere that it is not of necessitie ther should be a sett forme of praier prescribed for the administration of
Egypt should knowe the beautie of Sion ther is a cloude betweene you and us we have blessed be our God a pillar of fire before us An other fault you say in my former reason is that because the censure of the Church should redresse defaultes therfore ther needeth no liturgie Nay take all with you No fault can be censured that is not a transgression against the rules of Gods worde and those to be censured by the doctrine and admonitions of the Church therfore we neede no liturgies To the worde of God onely ought all men to be bounde by covenant and for the transgressions therof onely to be censured G. GIFFORD The Church hath this power to ordeine according to Gods worde and to appointe such orders in matters of circumstance c. as shall most fuly serve to edification And then these orders being established the Church is to drive men to the observation of them I. GREENWOOD First in this your papisticall mudde I must tell you your reading of mens writinges for prayer is a falle worship of God and not a matter of circumstance And for matters of order and circumstance which are no part of the worship ther can be no other lawes made of them then Christ hath made As for ordeyning of lawes in the Church it is to plead for unwritten verities and to make the lawe of God unsufficient neyther can it be according to the worde to make anie lawe that God hath not made but an adding to his worde which is execrable pride these your wordes then according to Gods worde was but a cloake to cover the grossenes of your position for the worde ordeyne or create lawes is to make some that are not made before let us then see your cleane sentence to be this The Church hath authority in matters of order and circumstance to make and ordaine lawes in his Church for his worship now see how you contradict these Scriptures Rev. 22.18.19 Prov. 30.5.6 everie worde of God is pure etc. put nothing to his worde least he reproove thee and thou be found a liar likewise Deut. 4.2 and 12.32 and Gal. 3.15 though it be but a mans covenant when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate it or superordeine anie thing to it And the second Commaundement forbiddeth anie such humaine tradition in the worship of God all the Popes trinckets might be brought in by the same grounde We would willingly have seene your warrant for this doctrine your bare worde is not sufficient to impose other lawes then God hath made upon his Church This is the foundation of Poperie and Anabaptistrie to give libertie to make lawes in the worship of God Yet you will goe furder that such lawes being ordeyned established by publique authoritie the discipline and censures of the Church are to drive men to the observation of the same By your judgment our Saviour Christ was an Anabaptisticall Schismatique that would not himself nor his Disciples obey and observe the traditions of the Elders And what saith he unto pleaders for traditions It is thus written Marke 7.5 then asked him the Pharises and Scribes whie walke not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders but eate meate with unwashed hands Then be answeared surely Isay hath prophesied well of you hypocrites as it is written this people honoreth me with their lippes but their heartes are far from me But they worship me in vayne teaching doctrines mens precepts For you lay the commaundement of God aside and observe the tradition of men And to helpe foorth your evill matter instead of proof from the scripture you fal out into furious exclamation against them that desire onely to have the worde practised saying who is able to imagine the innumerable divisions and offences in the practise of your anabaptisticall freedome in which you deny the Church to have power to ordeine and impose any orders lett all men judge the venemousnes of this tongue Christ pronunceth them accursed that add or superordeyne any thing to his worde and you pronounce judgement of them that onely obey his worde Shall it be said that Mr Gifford holdeth that the onely practise of Gods worde would be the cause of iunumerable divisions and offences This hath bene Satans old accusation in the mouth of the most enimies of Christs Gospell nowe it must be Mr Giffords accusation of Gods ordinances to be insufficient unperfect etc. fearfull is his Apostacy from that truth he hath knowen I take it it is more like to be Anabaptistry to practise any thing without warrant of the word to make their own devises lawes in Gods worship then to doe nothing but what God hath commaunded within the limites of our callings For the franticke ministery it came of your owne wordes that therfore you must needes have a leiturgie because ther are manie franticke spirits in the ministerie then I say it is like you have a frantick ministerie that cannot be governed without another liturgie then Christs Testament For their great giftes you speake of I will not compare with them My reason from the Colossians was that as the Church there is commaunded to admonish their Pastor Archippus if he transgressed and to stirr him up to his busines so all ministers that caused divisions contrary to the doctrine of Christ were to be admonished and avoyded if they repent not so that the worde of God and admonition by the same if they trāsgresse is the waye to keepe all men in due order and not imposing Leiturgies upon the Church besides Christs Testament And where you collected thus that if read Prayers and imposed liturgies be Idolatrous then wher will you finde a visible Church say you I answered that the true Church might erre even in this poynte though not in like height of sinne Then you desire that the Churches of England may find like favour at our hand to which I answeare let him that handleth that question with you shew you how your sinnes herein exceede other countries and persequute such as reprove you Your church as you all it cannot pleade ignorance Your rayling speaches of blind Schismatiques Donatists etc. bewray what sweet water is in the heart if you cannot prove your Church to be the established Church of Christ they light all upon your self Ther are none Schismatiques but such as departe from the faith shew wherein we have transgressed will not be reformed In the meane tyme you are Schismatiques from Christ in that you practise the Statutes of Omry You chardge us with pride for that you saye we imagine to knowe more then all the Churches uppon earth This also hath bene Satans old weapon to deface the truth Ierem. 18.18 why maye not a simple babe in Christ see that which whole nations have not seene we cannot but speake the things Gods Worde teacheth us if we speake trueth you need not oppose that we judge anie man it is the worde of God shall judge us all and I saye it is
an old papish Argument to reason thus all Churches doe such a thing therfore it is lawfull except you hold with the Pope that the Church cannot erre which were blasphemous You are not well pleased that I will not say it is no Church that hath a liturgie imposed upon it and because you have so often slandered me that I hold it so you take great paynes to conclude it I have said that to impose mens writings to be read in stead of praying is to worship God after a false maner that it is a devise of Antichrist a deade letter quenching the spirit not of faith Idolatrous changing the worke of the spirit into an Idoll breaking our Christian libertye and so most detestable By these speaches I condemne all Churches say you this is not true I condemne but the sinne But you have sayd J deny that to be the Church that hath any thing imposed I say you speak an open untrueth and remember the judgment of him that inventeth and maketh lyes And God give you grace to repent if you belong to him The consideration of this our discourse I hartelie commendo to be dulie and uprightly wayed of all that feare God who graunt us his grace to forsake any sinne where it shal be shewed us by how weake instruments soever it be reproved and pardon me all my defaults in this my hastie answeare Thus have we seene the unlawfullnes of thrusting mens writings upon publique assemblies and reading instead of praying A generall Argument against their worship in respect of their present estate both of Ministers and people The Prayers of such ministers and people as stand under a false government are not acceptable not onely because they aske amisse but because they keepe not his Commaundements The prayers of such Ministers and people as be subject to Antichrist are abhominable Those Ministers and people which stand subject to the Bishops and their Courts are subject to Antichrist c. Therfore their prayers c. G. GIFFORD These do concerne the third and fourth accusation and therfore the answere is included in the answere to them Yet I take exception against the first that the Church may be holden by force from executing Gods commaundements touching externall governement and yet be the true Church of God I alleadged the Church that was holden captive in Babylon c. J. GREENWOOD HEre after your acustomed manner you offer me great wronge first insteade of answeare you alter the question very subtilie then you dismember my former answeare and not onely so but you have nether let my former answere be answered nor printed Thus you alter the question answere not where the proposition speaketh of a ministery people standing under a false government you say the church may be holden by force from executing Gods commaundements in externall government wherof I never doubted what is this then but to deceave your Reader both to judge sinisterlie of me and be drawen from the truth himself But indeede you meane not this holden by force of civile bondage or persequution for then ther were no difference betweene us and mine Argument should stand untouched You affirme then that the Church may stand under a false government inforced therunto by the tyranny of the enemie and yet in that estate be the true apparant Church by open profession which is nothing els then that the Church may professe Christianisme and Antichristianisme both at a tyme subject in minde to Christ and subject to Antichrist in outwatde obedience That you hold this doctrine in this place the processe of your matter proveth and to make all plaine your wordes in the last writing which here you summe up were these But if the Church at any tyme be by mayne force restrayned from some priviledges or have some government set over it which agreeth not with Gods worde which it cannot avoid ct See now how smoothly this man hath put away the crosse of Christ by teaching men to stand under a government contrarie to Christes I thought the ordinances of the newe Testament had beene a kingdome that could not be shaken Heb. 12.28 that none could have beene a member of Christ that receaveth the marcke of the Beast though it be but in his hand or could be holden a member of Christ by outward profession that here had beene the patience of the Sanicts to suffer unto death rather then to bowe downe either in minde or bodie to an other government then Christs How is he a Lorde to them that are not governed by him Well I needed not to have stod upon this doctrine but that be nether printed my former answere nor answered in these pointes and myne owne copie taken from me by the Bishops so that this man may retract what he will accuse as please him if he have any common honestie let my former answeare be seene But to prove the Church may be subject to an other government then Christs which is even to say that a man may give all alleageance by outward practise to the Kinge of Spaine and yet be her Majest. true subject He saith the Church was holden captive in Babylon where he as cunningly hideth himself as before though in my last writing I urged him to answere whether the Church in Babylon was subject to their Idolatrie or no To the civile power I doubt not they were But if the Priestes and Levites stood Priests to the Idolatrous worship in Babylon whether the people of Israel bowed downe to the outward practise and obedience of their Idolatrie or no then if they did so whether they stoode by profession the children of God or apostate in that estate None of these thinges have you answeared me Let the examples of Hanania Mishaell and Azaria testifie Dan: 3. The people that retourned repented their transgressions wher they had any of them sinned and made a new covenant with the Lorde before they were receaved Ezia 9.14.15 and 10. cap. 2.3.8 Yea the voyce of God was this come out of her my people and touche no uncleane thing and I willbe your God We are before thee saith Ezra in our trespasse we cannot stand before thee because of it You never renounced your Antichristian ministerie you never made a new covenant since the deepe defection of Poperye but still minister in that kingdome and wil not repent yet boast your selves to be the Church of God cryinge out the Temple the Temple I answeare then directlie that whiles you stand subject unto and practise and communicate with other orders and governments then Christes you are not by outwarde profession the churches of Christ I may not with you omitt the worde willfull because you persequute the light so much higher is your sinne Here I must forewarne the Reader with diligence to consider Mr. Giffords disagreement and mine he having accused me of a fundamentall heresie as he callet hit wheras he himself maintayneth most grosse errors wherof J reproved
things in the Lorde and if they commaund vs anie thing contrary to the lawe of God we then patientlie suffer without resistance or rebellious thoughtes The freedome then we have to speake of here which Christ had purchased for vs is first that triumphe ouer Hell Deathe and damnation through the merites of Christ apprehended by faith wayted for in hope Rom. 8. Secondly that because we were sonnes by election he giveth vs the spirit of adoption and sanctification whereby we mortifie the fleshe have power and dominion over sinne that it shall never reigne in vs more vnto condemnation repēting dayly of our trespasses craving pardon for our hidden sinnes and secret faultes Thirdly we are through the same spirit and worde of trueth delivered from all subiection of Antichist of the false Church false ministerie false government etc. And they that have not this fredome are not by outward profession the servauntes of Christ Furder we have freedom from all traditious of men that seing we are bought with a price we are no longer servants of men to be in bondage to anie beggarly rudimentes or devises of men but in all peaceable manner to worship and serve God within the limites of our callings according to the word of God as it is reuealed vnto vs We have freedome to speake the trueth with all boldnes though all men should inhibite vs we would not haue the doctrine limited stinted bought and sould for Iewish tythes or mercenarie stipendes We have freedome to separate from such false Prophets as yourself to come out of Babel etc. And in the true Church to reprove and withstand anie sinne or traditions of men in due order only to be guided governed by Christes lawes and ordinances In all this I trust you shall not find any Anabaptistrie in the freedom we professe this is the truth of the Gospell wherby we are made free Thus then we still affirme that they which stand in open known bondage to sinne are the servants of sinne and not of Christ till they repent by outward profession Furder that all which stand members of your parish assemblies stand not members of CHRIST by outward profession but in bondage to a false and Antichristian ministery government worship etc. and the bond woeman and her sonne must be cast out Furder for all liturgies and other devises of men besides the canonicall Scriptures and lively graces of his Spirit we hold they ought not to be brought into the publique assemblies nor imposed vpon mens conscience But if anie will write such or reade such let it be for their private vse as all other mens writtings we despise not any directions by word or writting that may furder vs anie way to the practize of Gods ordinances yet may they nether be imposed vpon mens consciences not be made a part of Gods worship The Lord therfore that hath thus far far fourth discouered the chaff and mift of Antichrist delusions euen to babes and sucklings publish the glorious light of his blessed Gospel that the peopel may see the counterfeit iuglinges of all such false prophets and come out from amongst them that you may be ashamed of your execrapale wares and forsake your Romish Priesthoode and give glory to God that yet offereth grace Amen Christs vnworthie witnes for the truth of his Gospell IOHN GREENWOOD 9 Other Arguments to prove that all set formes of prayer to be used for prayer are unlawfull 1. WE finde that all the holy men of God according to their present need occasion used to pray in the spirit through the helpe of the Holy Ghost which God hath shed in the hearts of all his Children without reading or saying by rote any nūber of words and for this we have plentifull Examples in Abraham Isaak Iacob c. 2. Not any prescript Leiturgy can possibly be an ordinance of Christ because the Church without it may perfectly and entirely worship God I say performe all the parts of holy and spirituall worship this appeares by the constant and generall practice of all the primitive Churches who truly worshipped the Lord many yeares before any such read stinted service was devised or imposed 3. This external meanes and manner of worshipping God in prayer is no where found in the written word by the prescript whereof he is to be worshipped whatsoever the Iewes Fable of Ezra or the Papists of S. Iames or S. Peter Yea I doe to the contrarie affirme that it did not seem good to the Apostles the last penmen of the Holy Ghost that any certaine formes should be repeated or read out of a prayer booke For if it had they would have given commandment to the Churches for the practice thereof 4. Reading of prayer in the act of prayer is directly contrary to that act and nature of prayer For in prayer we doe poure out matter to weet the holy conceptions of our minde from within to without that is from the heart to God On the contrarie in reading we doe receive and admitt matter from without to within that is from the booke into our heart Ergo c. 5. The stinted and devised formes doe quench the spirit of prayer and this appeares in that men are so strictly tyed unto them as till they stint be out the spirit which the Lord gives his children may not suggest one thought or word otherwise Neither when that is out any more then what next followes in the prescribed prayers and this is contrary to 1 Cor. 12 7. 6. We finde it promised that under the Gospell the spirit should be plentifully poured out which he dayly graciously performeth in furnishing his children with spiritual gifts who accordinglie pray or at least all may not with prescript words but with such as the spirit gives them utterance God preparing their heart and bending his eare 7. The truth brings forth no absurditie but this doth For Example the spirit sayth the Apostle speaking of all Christians helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray as we ought Yes Paul with your leave right well for we have in our Leiturgie what wee ought to pray word for word and these things we can aske whether the spirit be present or no 8. As it were a ridiculous thing for a Child when he should aske of his Father bread fish or any other thing to read it to him out of a paper So is it for the Children of God to read unto God their Requests even a most foolish and riduculous thing 9. As the reasons published to the world against the reading of the Apocrypha bookes in Churches will serve as much and as well to condemne all devised and imposed formes of prayer So likewise the arguments brought against kneeling before the bread and wine in the act of receiving will prove that to fall downe before the common prayer booke is every way as superstitious sinfull a thing And so much the reader shall finde certaine if he will indifferently compare the things together FINIS Rom. 8.26 Gal 4.6 2. cor. 4.13 Psalm 51 17 Psalm 42 43. I. Sam. 1 17 Psal. 119 Rev. 2. 11. 1 Tim. 3. 15. Other foundatiō can no mā laye c. Gal. 3. 15 Heb. 2 3 4. 9. 14 Mat. 5. 18. 2 Timot. 3 15. 16. 17 Rev. 22. 18. 19. 2. Pet. 1. 20. 1 Cor. 12 7. Iam. 4.14 Rom 8.7 and 11 34.1 Cor. 2.16 3.19 1 Tim. 4. 5. Act. 16.13.13 Tim. 2.1 34 5. Gal. 1.8.9 Rev. 22.18.19.2 Tim. 1.13 1 Tim. 6 14 1 Cor 2.16 and 2 20. Mr. Barrowes refutation discovery etc. Rev. 24 9 10.11.12 Esa. 52.11 Ierem. 51 6 45. Mat. 116 Rom. 8.26