being necessary ought to be abhorred of true Christians especially such reliques as maintaine superstition but to reade other mens bookes to God in stead of true prayers and stinted seruice were deuised by Antichrist and maintaine superstition and an Idoll Ministerie therefore ought to be disallowed The prayers and worship of such Ministers and people as stand vnder a false gouerment are not acceptable nor haue any promise in Gods sight not only because they aske amisse but because they keepe not his commaundements G. G. Read prayer is one chiefe thing for which yee condemne our worship as Idolatrous and most detestable and for that cause to be annexed vnto this first accusation God is a Spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth The Brow THE Scripture doth most briefely and pithily seuer all fantasticall deuises of man from the pure and sincere worship of God prescribed in his Word For seeing all flesh is grasse and the wisedome thereof foolishnes with God it must needes follow that mē earthly minded should please themselues in such pretended religion as agreeth nothing with the diuine nature of God It is needfull then in the worship of God that we thus alwayes consider with our selues we haue to do with God himselfe and not with men who is so farre differing from vs that those things which are most easy and pleasing vnto vs is a wearisomnes and abhominable sacrifice in his sight and although God dwelleth in the heauens in his diuinitie incomprehensible yet haue we a perfect rule whereby we know what is agreeing to his will namely his written word for that we may be heere taught 1. That all hipocrisy in such things as hee hath commaunded be carefully auoyded 2. That wee attempt not to do any thing in his worship whereof we haue not speciall warrant from his word of which sort we take all manner of stinted prayers offered vp as a worshipping of God disagreeing from the nature of God which seeth in secret and so agreeth with our fleshly nature that we can not pray as we ought so we seeke to help our selues with such a broken staffe wearying our selues with our owne deuises without any promise to receyue blessing thereby And therefore where you affirme that a man may pray in spirit and truth with sighes and grones proceeding from faith when prayer is read that is not true for if their sighes came from faith it would minister matter and prayer without a booke yea no doubt a troubled mind is the penne of a readie writer and to worship God in spirit is when the inward faith of the heart bringeth forth true inuocation and it is then in truth when simply it agreeth with Gods word But you would teach men in stead of powring forth their harts to help themselues vpon a booke yea to fetch their cause of sorrowing sighing from an other mans writing euen in the time of their begging at Gods hand We graunt that prayers conceaued without faith ar not acceptable yet may the same be called spirituall because it is the gift of the Spirit though not sanctified in him that so hipocritically mocketh with God But what maketh this to our question of stinted read prayers in Gods worship But say you to make read prayers only to serue for meditation is false doctrine wherein me thinke you offer great iniurie for we affyrmed that it had such vse as other of mēs writings haue But it seemeth you make little cōscience to slander vs and heere you fall into an error your selfe affirming and going about to proue that reading of prayers is not for meditation at all the proofe you bring is that Christ said not to his disciples whē ye meditate say thus Our Father but when you pray say thus c. Where beside that you make no difference between your owne Liturgies the holy word of God which is not of any priuate interpretation Besides this I say you seeme to proue that the Lords prayer all other prayers in the Canonicall Scripture serue not at all for meditation Well you haue hereby made the matter apparant that read prayers vpon a booke are as acceptable as faithfull prayers conceiued by the spirit vttered with vnderstanding You say that prayers read or conceiued being void of faith is but vaine babling we say the same but what of this forsooth you cannot see by what censure it can be called Idolatry If false worship cannot be called Idolatry let the first and second Commaundements be witnesses so that it is not our pennes but the penne of Gods own finger that hath iudged all deuises of man hipocriticall worship of Idolatry And although all the breaches of the first Table were not Idolatry yet you know that to worship our own deuises is Idolatry Is not prayer a speciall part of the first Commaundement and our Sauiour Christ comprehendeth all the foure first Commandements in this that we loue God aboue all the transferring of any part whereof from God must needs be idolatry But say you if we do thus hold withall that no idolator can be saued thē surely are all lost c. This is countrey diuinity if the Salt haue lost his sauour what should be sesoned therwith we hold that no idolator cā be saued without true repentance renouncing their sinne so far as God shall shew it thē yea craue with Dauid for pardon for their hidden secret sins And doo you thinke any man liuing is void of idolatry either inwardly or outwardly so long as we liue or that we can keep any one cōmandement in perfection The Lord therfore giue vs repentance for in some things we sin all Methinks this should not be M. Giffords language to be so ignorant in the principles of religion if you haue waighed our arguments no better then your preface it shall be greeuous to me to make any aunswer To condemne and ouerthrow read prayer yée bring as the ground or foundation of all your matter this sentence God is a spirit and to be worshipped in spirit Iohn 5. This scripture indéed is cléere and strong to cut downe all carnall worship as disagréeing from the nature of God And if any doo maintaine that the very bodily action of reading prayer is the worship of God it may fitly be alledged against them But to apply it in that manner which you doo against red praier is friuolous vnlesse as I say yée could prooue that a man cannot pray by the spirit of God with sighes and grones procéeding from faith when the praier is read vpō the booke or vttered after a prescript forme To this you reply with diuers arguments The first is that if the sighes and grones were of faith it would minister matter of praier without a booke This reason by a connection is drawne from and dependeth wholy vpon the force and effect of faith to minister matter of prayer It is to be framed thus If the prayer with sighes
and grones were of faith it would minister matter without a booke but the matter of their prayer with sighes and grones is not ministred without a booke therefore it is not of faith to make this argument strong and sufficient from the connection of faith and the liuely efficacie thereof to vtter prayer yée must adde two things the one that faith is perfect vnto this efficacie to minister matter of praier and néedeth no helpe The other that the effect and power of faith to minister matter of prayer cannot stand nor be ioyned with any outward helpes Vnlesse I say yée adde these two with the cupling together faith and the effect which are both of them hereticall there can be no necessarie consequence To make it yet more manifest let it be drawne into an other forme of syllogysme thus That which hath power and efficacie of it selfe to minister matter of prayer néede not any outward helpe nor cannot touching the vtterance of matter in prayer stand with any outward helpe But faith hath force and efficacie in it selfe to minister matter of prayer Therefore faith néeds not the helpe of a booke nor cannot stand with any outward helpe touching the vtterance of matter in prayer And so consequently the sighes and grones in prayer red cannot be of faith This consequence shall neuer be brought in vnlesse yée frame your argument after that sort So that both these fantasticall errors be included in your spéech the one that faith touching the efficacie to minister matter of praier is so absolutely perfect that it néedeth no outward helpe the other that it cannot touching prayer stand with any outward helpe I doo acknowledge that there be no sighes nor grones nor any praiers that can be regarded of God but such as come from faith I doo also hold that faith is not in any without some efficacie and power to vtter some matter of praier But now we must consider the degrées thereof for doubtlesse if there were in men a perfection of knowledge of faith and of quicknesse there should néed no outward helpe but the best come farre short of that Such as approche néerest there vnto néed so much the lesse any outward helpe But the most are ignorant weake short of memory dull and slow and néed all helpes to stirre them vp and to direct them euen as children that are to be stayed vp and led by the hand Praier indéed is a spirituall worke procéeding from faith which is a spirituall gift but yet it doth stand with outward meanes and helpes The Holy-ghost alone dooth worke faith in man but yet it commeth by hearing Rom. 10 Faith bringeth foorth prayer but we must consider that as the same faith commeth by hearing and is grounded vpon the word so is it cherished supported increased continued and quickened in efficacie and made more forcible vnto euery good worke by those helps of outward meanes For further confirmation ye adde yea no doubt a troubled minde is the penne of a ready writer Let it stand in forme of syllogisme thus That which is the pen of a ready writer néedeth not the helpe of a booke But a troubled minde is the pen of a ready writer therefore it néedeth not the helpe of a Booke The proposition is true if by the pen of a ready writer yée vnderstand an absolute perfection of knowledge chéerefulnesse direction memorie and vtterance But that was not in Moses Daniel Paul or any other Therefore héere againe yée runne vpon the rocke of an hereticall opinion of perfection Your assumption where yée say no doubt a troubled minde is the pen of a ready writer is vtterly false and your bold affirmation without scripture is not enough séeing there be many so perplexed and confused in the trouble of their minde and oppressed with ignorance that they cannot pray nor know not what to vtter which when they haue instruction and consolation ministred vnto them by some godly man or if that chéefe help faile by reading vpon a booke poure foorth teares and supplications Your next reason is in many words which yet I will repeate To worship God say you in spirite is when the inward faith of the heart bringeth foorth true inuocation and it is then in truth when it simply agreeth with Gods word But you would teach men in steed of powring foorth theyr hearts to helpe themselues vpon a booke yea to fetch the cause of their sighing and sorrowing from an other mans writing euen in the time of their begging at Gods hand I will also drawe it into a syllogisme to the end it may the better be iudged of None worship God in spirite but they which from the inward faith of the heart bring foorth true inuocation that is such as simply agréeth with the word of God But all such as read vpon the booke the prayer which they pray fetch the cause of their sorrowing from an other mans writing in the time that they pray and doo not from the inward faith of the heart bring foorth true inuocation Therfore none that reade their praier vpon the booke doo worship God in spirit The proposition I assent vnto as sound and good for it is no true inuocation except it agrée with Gods word It is not to worship in spirit vnlesse it procéed from faith out of the heart But your assumption which is that all that reade the praier which they pray doo not from the inward faith of the heart bring foorth true inuocation I cannot allowe séeing yée bring nothing for proofe thereof but that which is most friuolous For whereas yée say in the first part of your confirmation that we would haue men in stéed of powring foorth theyr hearts to helpe themselues vpon a booke yée speake vntruly and foolishly For we wish men to vse the helpe of a booke that they may the better poure forth their hearts to God Being such as are not otherwise throughly able The next part of your confirmation is euen to as great purpose when yée say We would haue men fetch the cause of their sighing and sorrowing from an other mans writing euen in the time of their begging at Gods hand For how fondly doo yée make that to be the cause which dooth but manifest the cause for the cause of all sighing and sorrowing is the sinne and miserie which is within vs which we may the better behold and expresse by instruction I haue gréeuous sinne and wrath belonging therevnto which I doo partlye know and can make some moane therein and praye I come into the publike assembly where I heare the minister preach the word which dooth more fully laye open and display my sinne and misery I am héereby driuen into déeper sighing and sorrowing with vehement praier in my heart vnto God shall it be saide that I doo now fetch the cause of my sorrowing from an other mans spéech in the time of my begging at Gods hands If not then why should I be said to fetch the cause
Sabaoth yée graunt it was at their méeting to magnifie the praises of God many other Psalmes But yée demaund what this maketh for stinted leiturgies papisticall and erronious imposed c. I say it maketh nothing at all for that which is papisticall and erronious But it prooueth that all read praier is not idolatrie and that it is no stinting of the spirit to vse a prescript forme of praier These fantasies of yours are first confuted thereby Then next I argue thus If I may vse a whole praier of the scripture and no idolatrie then a praier that is composed by the rules of the scriptures may be vsed and no idolatrie You deny that the argument drawne from the vse of the Psalmes dooth follow because praiers composed by men are not equall to the Canonicall scripture and so shut out all praiers if yée marke well what yée say that are framed by the Preacher For let them be holy and good yet yée may not set them as equall with the Canonicall scriptures Againe yée deny the argument by affirming that singing of Psalmes was no part of praier but onely for instruction and meditation ye take vpon ye to prooue this a little after and when I come to that ye shall haue answer The Psalm 102. ye say was not a praier of the Church because it is said O Lord heare my prayer and not O Lord heare our prayer a poore shift when vsually the church speaketh of her selfe in the singular number Touching the blessing ye say that forme of words was not to tie them to vse those words but after that manner which is manifestly false Touching the orders of singers appointed by Dauid I alledged it to no such end as you séeme to drawe it vnto But that in singing the Psalmes they did read them vpon the booke Héer now ye do not onely deny that singing of psalmes was any part of praier but also ye will prooue it by the testimony of S. Paul to the Ephesians and to the Collofs where he exhorteth thē to speake vnto themselues in psalmes hymnes and spirituall songs It is a foule audacitie contrary to the manifest word of truth to affirme that the Psalmes were not sunge to God séeing that not onely the speeches be directed in a multitude of places vnto him but also the Holy-ghost doth call vpon men in this wise Sing vnto God sing a new song vnto him sing praises vnto the Lorde But beside this you go further for in both places by you cited ye leaue out the latter part of the sentence which is that they should sing vnto the Lorde with grace in their hearts Let the reader peruse the places and iudge what kinde of tricke this is It is most cléere that they did reade the Psalmes vpon the booke when they did sing them It is also out of controuersie that they did sing them to the Lord vnlesse we will deny the flat word of the Holy-ghost and also affirme that albeit the spéech be directed to God yet they did not in singing speake vnto him It cannot be denied but that many of the Psalmes be full of petitions Also praise is a part of prayer and a spirituall sacrifice this was offered vp to God in reading vpon the booke for it is saide Sing praises to the Lorde therefore I conclude that read prayer hath warrant by the word and the reading dooth not make it idolatrie or contrarie to spirituall praier Héere yée complaine againe that this argument dooth not follow because praiers composed by men are not to be matched with the Canonicall scriptures I haue answered this poore stale shift already that the praiers composed by men are no further lawfull then they be framed by the rules of Gods word for prayer Thus haue I not as you charge me laid aside the question to make new questions but haue disprooued that your olde question by shewing that reading the praier which is godly dooth not make it contrary vnto spirituall praier nor idolatry Argu. 3. We may not in the worship of God receiue any tradition which dooth bring our liberty into bondage Read Prayer vpon commaundement in the assemblies is a tradition that dooth bring our libertye into bondage Therefore read prayer c. To the assumption of this argument I answered at the first which I particularly rehearsed how can yée then with any shew of truth say my words import a deniall of the Antecedents assumption and all My words are these The third argument saith that the forme of praier is a bondage and breaking our libertie with c. The prooues which I bring do onely ouerthrow the assumption for I did and doo acknowledge the proposition which you say my words import a deniall of I would wish yée to vse more simplicitie I say it is vngodlye and néere vnto blasphemy to affirme that prescript forme of prayer is a tradition bringing our libertie into bondage and a changing the worke of the spirit into an idoll My reason was and is that the Lord by Moyses prescribed a forme of blessing which the Préests should vse Nomb. 6. The Prophets as in the Psalmes prescribed many formes of prayses and prayers to be vsed of the Church Our Sauiour Iesus Christ prescribed a forme and sayd when yée pray say Our Father c. If the verie reading or vsing the prescript forme commaunded were a bondage breaking Christian libertie or a changing the worke of the Spirit into an idoll then the Lord God Moyses the Prophets and our Sauiour Christ are charged with a great fault Your reply is with some roughnesse of spéech which I omitte because it is but your fashion But for proofe that read prayer is mans inuention and thrust vpon the Church by constraint ye say England knoweth by wofull experience There hath béene I graunt in the Church of England variance about some matters to be read which are commaunded in the Leiturgie but not about the commaunding a prescript forme of prayer to be vsed for therein our Church doth agrée with all godly Churches that a prescript forme of publike prayers is conuenient yea the reformed Churches haue and do practise the same Héere therefore I would wishe the Reader to obserue that you Brownists doe not only condemne the Church of England but all the reformed Churches whatsoeuer and can be none other but méere Donatists For héere in this your third argument ye affirme that prescript forme of prayer commaunded is the changing the worke of the spirit into an idoll a tradition breaking Christian libertie and therefore most detestable In your fift Argument ye say it is a dead letter which doth quench the spirit But all reformed Churches doo by commaundement receyue and vse prescript forme of prayers Consider then what sentence yee haue giuen against all the visible Churches of our time and of former ages for it will come to passe that as the Donatists tooke themselues to be the only true Church in earth so must you
be vnlike themselues but vary from others You reply that the Papists haue not so weake reasons for their idolatrous leiturgies rubrikes and Canons It appeareth by all your arguments how méete men yée are to iudge of the waight and sufficiencie of reasons alledged by the Papists or others Ye say if it be but in phrases of spéech that they differ it is no sufficient cause to ordaine leiturgies I graunt that is true then yée say if it be in doctrine or conuersation the censures of the Church are to helpe that I confesse that the censures of the Church are to redresse such things But your reason yet hath two defaults The one that ye deuide differing in administration of Sacraments and publike praiers but into two members difference of phrases and difference of doctrine When as there be sundry other differences as in order and ceremonies which the Church is to haue regard of and not to leaue arbitrary Your experience in these matters is not so great as your boldnesse The other fault is that because the censures of the church should redresse defaultes therefore there néedeth no prescribed order It is a world to sée how many men talke of the Censures and gouernment of the Church which knowe not what it meaneth The Church hath this power to ordeine according to the word of God and to appoynt such Orders in matters of circumstance about publike prayer preaching of the word and administring of the Sacraments as shall most fitlie serue for edification And then these Orders béeing established by publike Authoritie the Discipline and Censures of the Church are to driue men to the obseruation of the same Who is able to imagin the innumerable diuisions and offences which would arise in the practise of your Anabaptisticall fréedome in which yee denye the Church to haue power to ordeyne and to impose any orders I would the Ministerie of England were better then it is If by tearming it a franticke Ministerie you meant but to speake against vnlearned and vngodlie men you should haue leaue for me but you comprehend all the learnedest and godly whiche you could not bée bolde to doo vnlesse yee were taken with a frensie séeing there bée many whome yée are neuer lyke in any measure of giftes and graces eyther for knowledge or Godlynesse to approch néere vnto Well now yée fall to your sober reasoning agayne Paule commaunded the Colossians to admonishe Archippus you would haue a Leiturgie for your Ministers not onely to tell them what they should doo to men but also to God himselfe this is your last reason and hauing before spent your strength it is as a weake childe of your olde age If yee had no better I would neuer haue set this last For I meruayle vnlesse yee did it to mocke to what ende yee shoulde bring it in Archippus was to bée admonished by the Colossians the Pastors are to bée admonished by theyr flockes therefore there ought to bée no prescript forme of publike prayer Or is your meaning that the Leiturgies goe too farre in telling the Ministers what they shall say not only to men but to God himselfe Then I aunswere that the Colossians were to admonish Archippus to looke to his whole dutie Set Archippus aside for he doth not strengthen but weaken your argument and take these words only which séeme to carrie a great absurditie namely that the Minister should be told by a Leiturgie what he is to speake both to God and men I aunswere that the Leiturgie is not to teach Ministers which otherwise can not tell what to say it is not to maintaine an idoll Ministerie But to auoyd those inconueniences which I haue before mentioned and such lyke you may sée in the reformed Churches they haue Leiturgies and yet all theyr Ministers are able and knowe what to speake both to God and men I propounded this question that if read prayers and imposed Leiturgies bée Idolatrie where shall wée fynde a visible Churche You aunswere that in this poynt they might erre of ignorance and yet be the true Church This is some fauour yet the Church came nowe vnto yee in a lucky houre but yee may continue thus gratious least the poore Churches of England craue the like at your hande Haue yee not set downe that to reade a prayer vppon the booke is to woorship hym with a woorship disagréeing from his nature haue yee not sayd it is the deuise of Antichrist a dead letter quenching the Spirit stinting the Spirit not of Faith Idolatrie a changing the worke of the Spirit into an Idoll a tradition and bondage breaking our libertie which Christ hath purchased for vs and therefore a thing most detestable Doo yee not denye that to bée the Church of Christ which hath any thing imposed and yet yee saye touching Leiturgies imposed vppon all Churches they might erre in this poynt of ignorance and yet bée a true Church Your spéeches doo condemne all the visible Churches in the worlde wherein yée bée rancke Donatists But you woulde hide this and make shewe as though yée condemned only the Churches of England But if read prayers and imposed Leiturgies bée such as you affyrme in those spéeches which I haue mentioned how could ignorance excuse them And why may not the Church of Englande bée excused by ignorance let the Reader héere obserue the pride of ignorant blinde Scismatikes which imagine they knowe more then all the Churches of God in the earth You take it that I vse the Popish Argument of vniuersalitie and Antiquitie and so wonder what I will say against the Papists traditions séeing I fight with their weapons agaynst the truth Nay if yée could sée your owne blindnesse it would make ye meruaile in déede I reason thus It is manifest by the word of God that there should bée a true visible Church in earth but if imposed Leiturgies be such as you make them that could not bée so there could bée no true Church in as much as all Churches that are and that haue béene for many hundred yeares haue had imposed Leiturgies The Papists doo drawe theyr Arguments of Antiquitie and Vniuersalitie not from the Scriptures as you may sée this reason that I alleadge is but against the Scriptures And nowe how truly yée conclude touching this question of read Prayer and prescript forme of Leiturgies let the Reader iudge and whether the Scriptures that I haue brought doo not ouerthrowe your fantasticall and Anabaptisticall errors There were ioyned with these Arguments against read Prayer two other the first is this The Prayers of such Ministers and people as stand vnder a false Gouernment are not acceptable not onely because they aske amisse but because they breake Gods commaundement The other is The Prayers of such as bée subiect to Antichrist are abhominable Those Ministers which haue no power with theyr people to receyue in and to cast out hauing come in by the windowe are Antichristian and subiect to Antichrist therefore the prayers of
ouercome Then yée turne your selues to those poore soules as yée terme thē whom we like miserable Physicians séeke to cure and your Counsell you giue them I doo allow it for it is the same in effect if you could sée that I gaue them before I would to God the people did follow it we should not then haue one Brownist The Deuill counterfaiting Christs voice in hereticall schismatikes should not be able to allure and call away the shéepe from their shéepeheards Now remaineth the last point onely that I shew some reason to prooue our Ministery to be of Christ The ministery of the Gospell which bringeth the worde of faith and reconciliation betwéene God and the worlde is the true ministerie of Christ for the Deuil and Antichrist ordeine no such ministerie Nowe the ministerie of the Church of England doth bring no word nor doctrine but the sacred scriptures It preacheth faith in God through Christ and the doctrine of repentance deliuering the holy sacraments as seales to confirme the same Let all the schismatikes in the world barke against it and say we haue no word nor Sacraments yet this is the holy word God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting It may be sayde that many ministers in England doo not nor cannot preach the Gospell how then is their ministery the ministery of reconciliation Héere note that as we must distinguish betwéene the ministery and the man himselfe which is the minister for the man may be of the Deuill and yet his ministery of God so must we also distinguish betwéene the function it selfe and the execution of the same For when one is called to bee a minister of the Gospell which is able and dooth not preach the defect is not in the function but in his negligence about the execution Likewise when the office or function is layd vpō him that cannot preach the function it selfe is entyre the defect is in the execution thereof through his disabilitie I say therfore that the Ministerie of England is the Ministerie of the Gospell though some doo not and some cannot Preach Then further such as haue the calling and ordination of the Church haue the Ministerie of Christ for it is giuen to the Church to haue power to call and ordeine Ministers Now if the Church doo falt and breake either by error or negligence in some rules which are to be obserued about this calling and ordinatiō yet the power is not disanulled nor the function destroyed vnlesse we will hold that where there is transgression either of ignorance or otherwise the whole is ouerthrowne and so conclude that there is no praier nor worship of God nor any true seruice doone vnto him vnder heauen because all is with errors and faults In England the Ministers haue their calling and ordination by the Church of God For that people which hath forsaken heresies and false worship and imbraced the doctrine of the Gospell hath in it the true Church which hath the power And the Ministers intrude not themselues but haue the power giuen them by the hands of the Bishops who doo it not by their owne authoritie nor by any authoritie from Antichrist but as committed to their trust by publike authoritie Moreouer that is the Ministerie of God which is to bring men to the faith and to build vp the body of Christ The Ministerie of England is to none other end For the whole drift the whole scope and burthen laid vpon them is to féede with wholsome doctrine and to guide in the waye of godlinesse the shéepe of Christ walking before them in godlye conuersation The Brownist will not take himselfe héere conuinced but will say these causes are but pretended and are not in truth I will therefore now reason from the effect together with that which is properly adioyned to the Ministerie of Christ That Ministerie with the execution whereof there is ioyned the effectuall grace power blessing and operation of the Holy-ghost to the true conuersion of mens soules is not a Ministerie of the Deuill nor of Antichtist nor commeth not in the life and power of the beast but is indeed the true Ministerie of Christ I thinke the Brownists will not be so beastly as to affyrme that the grace and operation of the holy Ghost to the conuersion of mens soules is ioyned to that and worketh by that which is of the Deuill and commeth in the life and power of Antichrist Then it remayneth only to shewe that there hath béene and is this grace and worke in the execution of our function If the Brownists will deny that euer they felt that maiestie and power in the preaching which can not be in the words of man but only in that word which is sharper then any two edged sword and pierceth so déepe as to be a discerner of the thoughts and secret intents Or if they will denie that euer they haue béene driuen by it vnto hatred sorrowe and remorse for sinne and raysed vp with comfort and hope of forgiuenesse and with the promises of eternall glorie Yet vnto many other which by it are conuerted vnto the Lord in déede which vnto feare and trembling doo féele the power and swéetnesse of the liuely word it may be sayd as S. Paule speaketh to the Corinths for when his aduersaries did denie him to be an Apostle the Corinths by his Ministerie were begotten in Christ wherevpon he sayth If I be not an Apostle vnto others yet am I vnto you for you are the seale of mine Apostleship in the Lord 1. Cor. 9. ver 2. Euen so if the Ministery of Englād be not the Ministery of Christ vnto others yet you can not doubt of it your faith your repentance your ioy in the Lord are the seale of it You can not but sée and knowe that they be vile blasphemous wretches which beare ye in hand that it is not the word of God nor the grace of his spirit which worketh in ye but the power of the Deuill and the spirit of Antichrist You knowe it is the direct way which the Deuill taketh by his ministers to bring in flat Atheisme to disgrace and throwe downe the credite of the ministerie But doth it not make against the Ministerie of England that many of the Brownists confesse they haue béene greatly moued at sometimes with the power of the preaching and at the administration of the Sacraments for may it not bée sayd héerevpon that it is but a deceyuable shewe of grace and power for if it had béene in truth it would haue continued I answer it is sufficient to proue the Ministerie and that the power of the holy Ghost goeth with it when men haue bin so moued although they do not continue séeing the reprobate do féele the power and taste the swéetnes of the word for a time Hebr. 6. He that hath therefore felt the power of God in his soule by the
and be no Christians it must néedes followe that such as did euer execute this power were Antichrists and no children of God at that time or before they repented But this is false euen by your owne confession which acknowledge that those woorthie seruants of God which sometime executed that power and after suffered death for the Gospell in the dayes of Quéene Mary were blessed Martyrs I conclude therefore that the Brownists can not but with heresies and most heinous iniurie and inordinate dealing condemne a Church as quite diuorced and separated from Christ for such imperfections and corruptions in Gods worship as be not fundamentall nor destroy the substance for that wicked men come with the godly to the publike exercises of religion for some wants in calling and ordeyning Ministers and in Ecclesiasticall discipline Article 1. The Brow We seeke aboue all things the peace and protection of the most high and the kingdome of Christ our Lord. G. G. The first Article is that which all true Christians doo séeke indéede But the kingdome of Christ or the kingdome of God as Christ sayth is within men it consisteth in righteousnesse and peace and ioy of the holy Ghost For the preseruation of this Christ hath ordeyned a Church gouernment They sinne against God which doo not couet and according to theyr calling labour to haue so great a helpe But to transport the name of Christs kingdome which is chiefely Spirituall in the heart vnto this which is but a part and as though the kingdome of God could not be in any vnlesse they haue this so they doo not wilfully despise it I say is false and the contrary to be proued by the Scriptures The Brow Our Article beeing by you confessed to be the bounden dutie of all true Christians wee see not with what equitie you can in this manner cauill at our words or with what conscience you can misconstrue and constrayne them as you doo seeking thereby to retract by sleight what you can not gaynesay in truth and taking occasion to contende about wordes namely the kingdome of Christ you make it only inward and vse Christ like one of the Phisitions Planetarie Signes assigning to him in hypocrisie your heart and soule to rule whilest in the meane whyle you yeeld your bodyes and whole assemblyes to the obedience and rule of Antichrist making no conscience to obey his lawes openly and to transgresse Christes thinking belike Christs kingdome so inward and spirituall as that he requireth no bodily nor outwarde obedience or because it consisteth in righteousnes and peace and ioy of the holy Ghost that there may be peace without righteousnes or ioy without peace or inward righteousnes where is such outward disobedience and wilfull transgression c. G. G. I did confesse and doo still acknowledge that this fyrst Article is that which all true Christians should séeke I hold that Christes Kingdome is chiefely inwarde and Spirituall and that the discipline is but a part thereof your selues haue repeated my words and yet charge me that I make Christes Kingdome only inwarde assigning the Soule to him and the body to Antichrist to be ruled I can not but wonder at your boldnesse in lying You say that to discusse how farre euery Christians calling and duty extendeth héerein were to dismisse all mine answers and to plucke away the mantle of shame wherewith we couer our nakednesse negligence and abhominations I meruaile why ye doo not then discusse it for we hold that no man is to labour beyond his calling to reforme any thing amisse in the Church and when it shall be declared vnto what bounds and limits the calling of priuate men is restrayned I am sure there will be no mantle nor ragge to couer the presumptuous dealing of Brownists which intrude themselues without calling Yée let this thing passe therefore and will only aske two questions The first is whether any which haue their calling of Antichrist be his marked Ministers and waged seruants can truly and vprightly couet and labour for Christs sincere gouernment which is his whippe wherewith he scourgeth out all théeues intruders and idle bellies out of his house The other question is whether to remayne wittingly and seruilely in the bondage and yoake of Antichrist xxix yeares be to labour for the gouernment of Christ faithfully in our callings Ye must graunt me some time to answer to these two questions and that shalbe when you answer these two which I propound The first is whether ignorant hereticall and rash Scismatikes be méete and competent Iudges to condemne all the learned Ministers in a Kingdome The other is whether false and lying accusations be to stand for due proofe Ye séeme to graunt that the Kingdome of God may be in the scattered faithfull which yet haue not the discipline I did not charge ye with the contrarie but only shewed how I did allowe the Article Yet remember what ye doo hold in this place Article 2. The Brow We seeke and purpose to worship God aright according as he hath commaunded in his word G. G. This second Article ought all men that will please God to approoue The Brow This article say you ought all that will please God to approoue How then seeke you to please God which continue in idolatrie and are a minister thereof which prophecie in Baal and plead for Baal or how approoue you it when yee condemne vs of schisme and heresie because we forsake your false and Antichristian worship and seeke to worship Christ according to his word G. G. When yée haue prooued that our worship is Idolatrie and that we prophesie in Baal and for Baal let men take yée to be no schismatikes nor heretikes But such as boast that they séeke to worship God according to his word and yet arrogantlye breake sundrye speciall rules thereof cannot but in their vaine bosting be liers as S. Iames saith against the truth Article 3. The Brow We seeke the fellowship and communion of his faithfull and obedient seruants And together with them to enter couenant with the Lord and by direction of his spirite to proceed to a godly free right choise of Ministers c. G. G. The third Article if it be taken in this sence that ye do set vp a societie seperated from all other within this land which make publike profession then I sée not when yée haue gone by your selues and set vp your officers howe you will cléere your selues from Donatisme If theirs were a damnable fact which God did accursse then take héed to yours For if it can be shewed that their heresies are not holden by you I will change my minde The Brow The words of our article being that we seeke the fellowship and communion of Christs faithfull and obedient seruants c. cleere vs of all schisme and heresie so farre forth so that if you would conuince vs of these crimes it had been expedient you had first prooued your assemblies as they generally stand by the euidence
lesse ought they to take vpon them to set vp the whole frame You meane not to medle with reformation of the state but ye will erect a state and gouernment for is not the power of the Church both publike and great Ye will not daube the walles of Antichrist nor build Iericho no in déede ye are ouerprowd to be dawbers or to repaire ye will erect the Altar and build the Temple in Ierusalem such worthy men must haue a new building of their owne Thus may all men sée that ye confesse the lawe of God condemneth intrusion without lawfull calling and presumption aboue calling and yet ye take vppon ye being priuate and thrust forward other priuate men vnto the chiefe publike worke vnder the heauens but more of this in the next Article Article 5. The Brow We purpose by the assistance of the holy Ghost in this faith and order to leade our liues and for this faith and order to leaue our liues if such be the good will of our heauenly Father c. G. G. If men haue the truth it is good to stand vnto it to the death rather then to deny it as our Church in the same estate it is now in yéelded many blessed constant Martyrs But if a man haue not the truth it is great obstinacie to die for it as sundrie Anabaptists and other Heretikes haue shewed by theyr dying Euery true Christian will rather die then denie the discipline which Christ hath left but you must shewe that God commaundeth priuate men to set it vp The Brow The word of God and your owne mouth hauing approued our desires in these Articles we can not be moued with Satans old temptation to doubt of the Lords vndoubted truth or call his commaundements into question with if it be the truth c. Neyther can we be remoued with that old Popish reason ye bring of certayne blessed Martyrs that dyed in this estate your Church is now in This is not to approoue the state of your Church by Christes Testament which vntil you do though all the men in the world should both dye in it and for it yet could they not iustifie that God condemneth c. G. G. How the word of God and my mouth approoueth your most wicked intrusion without calling let euery wise man iudge Yee call it an old Popish reason that I bring of certayne blessed Martyrs which dyed in the state our Church is nowe in If you had no more frensie in yée then my reason hath Poperie it were much better for yée Let vs sée howe you or any Brownist is able to answere it That Churche which is of the Deuill and hath not the truth but is Antichristian can not bring foorth and nourish vp children to God But the Church of England in the estate it is now in brought foorth and nourished vp children to God séeing it yéelded many blessed and constant Martyrs Therefore the Church of England in the estate it is in hath the truth and is not a false and Antichristian Church When you haue shewed that a false Church can bring foorth and nourish vp true children to God yée may well saye that this is not to prooue our Church by Christes Testament If yee can not prooue that ceasse to cauill Yée denye them not to be blessed Martyrs but yee say that they dyed not in our Church nor for our Church Ye speake confidentlie but in the confirmation of your spéech yée shewe your selues most foolishe For yée say they dyed not in our Church béeing through Gods great mercie depriued and disgraded by theyr enemies All the Martyrs were depriued by theyr enemyes of theyr liues they could not depriue them of theyr faith nor of the truth which they had learned before from the mouthes of Gods Ministers in our Church What were they all disgraded of doo yée take it they were all members of the Synagog of Antichrist or stoode for any dignities or priuiledges in that fellowship vntyll theyr enemyes thrust them foorth Then yée say they dyed not for it but for the truth of Christ How will you separate things as contrarye which doo stand well together they dyed both for the truth of Christ and for our Church they constantly gaue testimonie to the truth and were content to indure any torments to confyrme theyr Bréethren in the same and therein may be sayd to dye for the Church I doo not meane that euery thing which they allowed must néedes be good for they had theyr errors and imperfections Neyther doo I reason after this sorte as though the Martyrs should dye for euery order and obseruation of our Church they dyed for the substance of that faith and woorship which our Church mayntayneth And as I sayd before you must prooue they were not begotten to God by our Church or else confesse our Church to bée the Spouse of Christ Doubtlesse if our Church did not bring them foorth and nursse them vp to God they were deceyued and departed out of the worlde such babes that they tooke a wrong woman for theyr Mother for they tooke our Church to be theyr Mother But you haue another Answere and that is that those Martyrs neuer resisted the truth béeing shewed them nor neuer yéelded vnto any yoake or corruption which God gaue them sight of contrarie to theyr consciences as yée say we doo in these dayes Then the difference will fall out betwéene them and vs that they offended of ignorance and stoode vnder Antichristes yoake yea some of them must be Antichrist himselfe in as much as they were Byshops and yet Gods true Church For yée say they were faithfull in that little light and wée offende of knowledge and therefore can not be the true Church Your confessing them faithful in that little light so Gods Church vnder the same gouernment we be which ye tearme Antichrists yoake doth quite ouerthrowe all Brownisme make what difference ye can betweene them and vs in truth yet shall it appeare that of necessitie graunt them to be the Church ye must confesse ours If ignorance excused them ignorance should excuse many among vs séeing there be multitudes in the land professing the Gospell that are perswaded we haue the truth and be in the right way both in doctrine and gouernment And againe ye are much deceiued if ye suppose that euery Christian man now hath so great vnderstanding as the chiefe of them had that suffered death in the dayes of Quéene Mary Would ye haue men beléeue that Browne himselfe and those Brownists which take themselues his equals haue greater light then eyther Ridley Cranmer Howper Bradford Philpot Taylor and other had when the learnedest in these dayes are not ashamed of those woorthie men but acknowledge them as excellent Diuines How absurd a thing is it that ignorant blinde Schismatikes full of fantasticall and hereticall opinions should boast of theyr great light in comparison of theirs Now we come to the last poynt of all and one of