quod sit inductivum ad peccandum puta cum aliquis publice facit peccatum vell quod habet similitudinem peccati Aquin. 2. quest 43. Art 1. a. 4. this is an inducement to it And gives another occasion to fall And so much in effect writes Zanchy p Explic. in 1 Thes 5. 22. p. 419 Tom 6. on the place 5. This is not without appearance of evill and scandall because hereby men seeke to uphold such wayes and inventions in divine worship as the Lord of old hath ordained to destruction q ler 51. 26 2 The. 2 8. Rev. 18. Merdecah would not give countenance nor reverence to one of that Nation r Brent Comment in Hest c. 3 v 2. whose name God had appointed to be blotted out under Heaven Wherfore did the Lord give so straight a charge unto Israel to breake downe Altars s Deu. 7 5. groues high-places c. Vt ex eo intelligamus because saith Junius t Anal. in Deu. 12 p. 71. by this we should understand that they were not to retaine any thing that concerneth either the substance or shew of Idolatrie Calvine u Comment in Esa 27 9. speakes the very same So detestable is idolatrie before God Vt eius memoriam vult penitus deleri ne posthà c ullum eius vestigium appareat That he will have the very memorie of it utterly to bee abolished least any footstept thereof should appeare afterward Iacob abolished out of his House not only the idols but the ear-ings Gen. 35. 4. because they were superstitionis insignia Monuments of superstition As Calvin y Comment in Gen. 35 4. Monilia Idolis consecrata Iewels consecrated to idols As Pareus a ibid. Res idolatriae pertinentes Things appertaining to idolatrie as Iunius b ibid. To be short would not God have the Iewes under the law to countenance any humaine devise whether Ministerie c Numb 8 22. 24. Numb 4. 24 31. 1847 Ministration Altar Sacrifice Sacraments either by word d Psa 16. Hos 2 16 16 17. writing presence assembling together e Deu. 16 1 6 1 King 12 32. observing the time comming to the place bowing downe f Deu. 5 9. Ps 95 6. Hos 13. 2. Eze. 18 6. Neh 10 32. 37. Ex. 30 16. Eze. 5 c. kneeling lifting up the eyes paying of tithes g Offerings Contributions c. And shall wee thinke that all these outward obseruances are novv out of use and that men in such respects may publickly countenance the vvayes of Antichrist As for such as so thinke let them knovv they are in errour and sinne And as the Papists have condemned Montanus for an Heretick and yet raetine among them his vile opinions So doe these men embrace the lies and beastly vanities of H. N. that monstrous Monster although in words they will disclaime all Familisme ‡ As cats loue not the Master of the hous but his housholds-goods so many say they can̄ot abide the Pope yet loue his houshold stuffe to well Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding For the instance vvhich hee brings of hyring a House in a Parish it is discrepant and impertinent and so of no validitie For let Barnards g Consirat Eugen l. 3. usefull Canon be observed an liceat an deceat an expediat vvee shall soon see there is no agreement betvveen it and the thing he applies it to For first the Law of God alloweth us to live where wicked men doe and to have necessarie society with them in civill things And thus the godly in all ages have practised But let them shew us where it is written that we must goe unto their unlawfull-Church-meetings and there worship God with them and among them I aske againe who of the Saints hath done this The Lord h ler. 15. 19. sayth Let them returne to thee but returne not thou unto them 2. It is seemely that we dwell among them and reciprocally give and take earthly helpes each of other * Compossessores mūdi non erroris Wee must be cò partners with them in the world but not in their errours saith Tertulliā But in Religion we may not use any of their devises as meanes and furtherances of our edification Elias was carefull to repaire the Lords Altar For as Martyr i In his Comment on the place saith he judged it an unbefitting thing and a great indignitie to God and his truth to Offer Sacrifice on Baals Altar If men in those dayes had the Zeale of that good Prophet they would scorne and loath to make use of any thing that is Antichrists I say it againe vvere men zealous for the Lord God of Hosts they would feare to runne to false Churches and Ministers to be edified Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that ye goe 3. This also is behovefull and expedient as the Apostle k 1 Cor. 5. 10. saith But the other is not so as we have before proved For Conclusion wheresoever I live my constant absence from their Church is an evident token that I have left them But on the contrarie if I goe thither to worship this gives them just cause to thinke that I approve of their unsanctified standing Whosoever therefore can make these two things hang together I must needs say quid libet equolibet of every thing hee can make any thing But of this no more now let us hearken to what followes SECT 10. THe next Objection is thus layd dovvne None can heare without a Preacher None can preach except he be sent Rom. 10. 14. 15. Therefore I cannot Lawfully heare him that hath not a Lawfull sending His answer to it is Treat 1. That Conclusion is neither in the Text nor sound 2. I may Lawfully heare him that hath no Lawfull calling as I have formerly shewed 3. The sending there intended is Gods gracious worke of providence in raysing up men by enabling and disposing them to preach c. 4. If faith came by the preaching of unlawfull Ministers it followes thereupon that such Preachers are sent in the Apostles sence This is the summe of his ansvver Answ It was a cunning trick which Themostocles was once taught by a man of Lacedemonia that because they might not take the Tables away wherein a Law was engraven He should therefore turne them up-side downe which was as good as to take them away altogether Howsoever the Treat takes not from us the Tables of holie Scriptures wherein is written the Law of Christs Ministers yet by a prittie devise hee turnes them here upside downe Which is as good as to take them quite away J know what J speake and will stand to it For if this place Rom. 10 14 15. respects not a true outward calling but is to be understood promiscuously of all Ministers be their calling never so false divilish Antichristian I say if this Text be so to be
A Stay against Straying OR An Ansâ—â—â— to a Treatise intituled The Laâ—fulnes of hearing the Ministers of the Church of England By JOHN ROBINSON Wherein Is proved the contrarie viz. The unlawfulnes of hearing the Ministers of all false Churches By JOHN CANNE ESA. 57. 14. And he shall say 〈◊〉 ye up 〈…〉 prepare the way take up the 〈…〉 way of my people Printed in the Yeare 1639. ERRATA P. 2 l. 1. read they l. 39. the wanting P. 5 l. 28 r. Calfes P. 11 l. 38 r. Ministry P. 52 l. 6 r. doer P. 57 l. 25 r. Claidon P. 59 l. 11 r. resorted P. 83 l. 16 r. follie P. 86 l. 2 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 88 l. 30 r. dicit P. 120 l. 2 r. streathned For other faults if thou findest any I desire that thy love may be such as to amend them thy selfe To all such as desire to receive and follovv the truth in Love and vvith holines The feeling assurance of life and peace be vvished in Iesus Christ. Men Fathers and Brethren WHAT the Lord saith touching the revealing of the Man of sinne 2 Thes 2 8. and the consuming of him by the brightnes of Christs comming We may see blessed be God for it now accomplished in a great measure For whereas in times past many of the Professors have used both their tongues and pennes to plead for their Parish-Churches Ministerie and Worshipp They now beeing of sounder mindes and better informed let those things fall Insomuch as there are few if any except Formalists and Familists virtutem qui verba putant ut lucum ligna as Horace speaketh and men of corrupt minds vvho suppose that gaine is godlines That will appeare in the defence thereof So that in likelyhood for the time to come there wil be little use for any man to write any more against that Church-state Minister ie Worship Government seeing the falsnes thereof is now seene and acknowledged of the honester and better sort every where Notwithstanding as Pharoah used sundry meanes to stay Israell still in Egypt after he saw them desirous to depart So doth Satan labour what hee can to hold Gods people in spirituall thraldome after he perceives they are willing to obey Gods call and come out of it And that he may bring to passe what he desireth hee useth most effectuall delusions deep deceits Well knowing that the snares which he laid in our forefathers blind and ignorant dayes are now out of date and will not serve the turne to beguile many people withall But he must more transforme himselfe into an Angell of Light I say use more artificiall and craftie devises then formerly he hath done It is said of Praxiteles * Clemen Alex â—in protrept the Painter that hee made the sillie people worship the Image of his strumper under the title and pretence of Venus Now sure I am in those dayes there are some who under the name of Gods vvorship doe cause many people to worship Satan and Antichrist And that men may the easier and sooner be perswaded to it they set forth their lies and vanities in as plausible faire away as can be What man would seeme to deale so plainly as a Iugter Hee will strike up his sleeves and make bare his armes and open his hands and fingers and lay all things before thee and bid thee behold and thou wouldst thinke him to be a man of a faire carriage and not imagine thou couldst possiblie be deceived And yet indeed his whole skill and seeking is nothing else but to deceive and the more simplie and plainly he would seeme to deale the sooner and easier he doth beguile thee For thou shalt thinke thou seest all and seest nothing Feelest it senceablie with thy fingers holdest it fast canst not loose it and yet shall open thy hand and finde nothing The passages of some men in points of Religion are carried much after such a sort For one would thinke to heare the smoothnes of their tale and what integritie and plainnes they doe professe That it is all Gospell they speake and that their cause is cleare and nothing is to be said to the contrarie Notwithstanding when another comes forth and replies against them rips up their tale weighs their reasons discloseth the errour and weaknes of their pleading Men wonder at their owne simplicitie and ignorance and that ever they should be so fond as to beleeve them But seeing I am now to deale only in the point of hearing of false Ministers I will not therefore step out of the beaten way to take in any by-discourse Only I thinke good to certifie that I marvaile that such men who walke not as we doe in Church-way but thinke us to censorious and over just Why they doe not publickly answer our grounds and arguments published to the world and so prove their nevv Principles in as faire and open a way that either we may come to them finding them to walke more agreeable to the Scriptures or shew our reasons to the contrarie For the matter here in controuersie That the Reader may profit the more by it there are 5 things which J desire him to doe 1. When thou settest thy selfe to read set thy selfe as in Gods presence looke on with a single and impartiall eye weigh the arguments well on both sides not by shewes and shifts but by the just Ballance of the incorruptible and unchangable Word of God In judging judge I beseech thee righteous judgment and let the truth be deare to thy soule and doe not side with any side because thy minde gives thee it leadeth most to ease credit profit pleasure or such wordly respects but to that which most tendeth to the glorie of Gods great name the purity of religion and to the most comfort and peace of thy own conscience 2. I would have thee to live by thy owne faith and not build upon anothers fancie it is a great fault in some in that they see nothing but by other mens eyes What this man or such a man holdeth that is their beleife And besides this they can give no more reason for what they hold then the Parrat of her speaking I need not goe farre for proofe The point in controversie cleares it sufficiently For as one ‡ Galen Clas 2. lib. de cuiusq animi peccat notitia at que medela well saith That which a credible person telleth is easilie thought credible by such as are well perswaded of him What hath drawn many unto this practice of Hearing unlawfull Ministers But taking the thing upon trust without due triall and examination Sure I am had men measured it by the Goulden Read of the Scriptures they would soon have perceived that it was never set apart by Gods appointment for the spirituall building 3. Be not wise in thy ovvne eyes But rather deny thy selfe in thy own judgment vvill affection reason c. And be contented to bee guided by the alone Word
well that doe it For if the Temple made with hands defiled through idolatrie was odious unto God how much more will he loth our Spirituall Temples not made with hands if we suffer them to be polluted with filthy superstition But so absolutely we shall doe if we doe the thing which the Treat here contends for A good man saith Ambrose m Lib 5. Epist 30. will be earnest and Zealous against idolatry Another saith n Bradshavv on 2 Thes 2 p. 130. The better a man is the more carefull will he be to withdraw himselfe from it These witnesses are true Fourthly there are some to be found so sowred with modines and discontentment Treat as they become unsociable If they see nothing lamentable they are ready to lament If they reade any Bookes they are onely invectives specially against publicke Saâ—es and Governours Ansvv 1. As to be unsociable is inhumaine and brutish so to be carelesse with whome we joyne in communion is sinfull and vicious A traviler were better goe alone then have one in his company that should rob him and cut his throat 2. This is not an age which wants cause of just lamentation considering not onely the evils without but what perverse things are brought into the Churches of God whereby poore people are dayly deceived 3. That we should looke into publicke States and Governours there is reason for it and specially if the same be Ecclesiasticall for else how can we walke as men of knowledge and hold fast onely that which is good Lastly Treat some thinke to cover their owne both grosser and more proper and personall corruptions under a furious march not onely against the faylings but the persons also failing of infirmity in matter of Church-order and Ordinances Ansvv I suppose by Church-ordinances and Order he meanes the Ministerie Worship and Government under Antichrist Now that some of ignorance submit to these things there is nothing more certaine notwithstanding this gives not allowance to others others knowing better to doe so too If there failing be of infirmity there is the more hope of their reformation I meane when they shall heare the truth taught and see the Teachers walke closely in it In conclusion the Treat pleas the Rhetorician and makes a shew as if he could say more but he will spare his opposites Ansvv As for his minsing figure of extenuation to let much passe I like it not For he doth here no otherwise then if a Theese when he hath stript a man out of all that he hath would faine yet be counted mercifull in that he doth not murder him or bind him as some others have done Let any indifferent man read his writing and he will say the Treat hath not spared his opposites but short at them arrowes of bitter words and made them as odious and vile as a man can doe But blessed is he that is not offended at the truth for such things SECT 2. THE Objections undertaken to be answered by the Treatiser are as he layes them downe of two sorts Some of them are framed upon supposition that the Ministers in that Church are in themselves Lawfull and of God But yet not to be heard by reason of the abuses evils to be found in their administrations Others with-draw herein and those the more upon the contrarie supposition to wit that the very order and constitution of that Church and Ministery is papall and unlawfull Ansvv For the first I have nothing to say to it It beeing a point beside our present dispute Againe for my part I am of his minde in the thing that is to use his owne expression Supposing a Church and the Ministerie thereof essentially lawfull it cannot but be lawfull for the members of other Churches in generall union and association with it to communicate therewith in things lawfull and lawfully done seeing the end of union is communion God hath in vaine united persons and states together But he who would have us receave the weake in faith whom God hath receaved would not have us refuse the fallowship of Churches in that which is good for any weaknes in them of one sort or other And this we have so plainly and plentifully commended unto us both by the Prophets yea by Christ himselfe in the Iewish Church and Apostles and Apostolicall men in the first Christian Churches In which many errours and evils of all kindes were more then manifest and the same ofttimes both so farre spread and deeply rooted as the reforming of them was rather to be wished then hoped for as that no place is left for doubting in that case by any who desire to follow their holy steps in faith towards God and charitie towards men and effectuall desire of their owne edification What he here writes is surely true for the Scriptures approve not of rending away from true Churches for any corruption I use the word any because so long as we acknowledge the Church to be true whatsoever her sinnes are a separation from all communion with it is utterly unlawfull Our godly Predicessours had in them the zeale of God and love of his truth * Two things I would know of these meÌ„ 1. Whether they thinke not that the primitive Christians were as zealous and sincere as themselves 2. Whether they thinke not that the Churches from vvhome they separate have as fevv if not fevver corruptions then such Churches had in vvhich the Apostles and other godly people dayly communicated But how shewed they it Not by forsaking their Brethren for offences but in witnessing against them and seeking their reformation But now ah that I could not say it some men know not how their zeale like Iehues may be seene of men unlesse they make publick Schismes in Churches and this many times not for any sinne that they can justly prove the Church to be in but upon discontentment and because they cannot have their way and will But of this no more now For I purpose if God spare my life to set forth a Treatise touching this very point The Treatiser in pag. 23 Treat would have us consider distinctly of Religious actions according to the severall Rankes in which they may rightly orderly be sett And how we should conceive of them a little after he tels us thus Some such actions are Religious only as they are performed by Religious persons And of this sort is Hearing and so Reading of Gods Word The Scriptures teach and all confesse that Hearing of the Word of God goes before Faith for Faith comes by Hearing as by an outward meanes Hearing then beeing before Faith and Faith before all other acts of Religion inward or outward it must needs follow that Hearing is not simply or of it selfe a worke of Religion and so not of Religious Communion Answ That the Reader may the better perceive how greatly the Treat was deceived in this matter of Hearing as to thinke it not to be of Religious Communion