way that men must either mend As well in point of Life as their Profession Shunning with all their might sin transgression And in religious things be still devout Else from Heav'ns joys the Lord wil thrust them out He that wants Holiness sees not the Lord. Let him that readeth meditate that word The test of Antiquity Let not sinnets therefore and wicked men secure themselves by their continuance in the Church nor renounce Christ their Justice in committing any or all of the fleshly works spoken of Gal. 5. for he saith expresly they shall not inherit the Kingdom of God which do such deeds He that abideth in Christ c. hath taken the meat of Life but he that discordeth from Christ doth not eat the flesh of Christ although he do take every day the Sacrament of so great a thing XV. Article As once I said The Churches Pastors ought From ' mongst wel-graced Christians to be sought Chiefly such as have learned self-denial In which few worldly Priests will bide the tryal And such as by the Church are thus elected And eke ordained as God's Word directed Knowing 'to feed the Flock with meat in season And to bear rule with Godliness and Reason With love and care seeking such Sheep as stray Such I do own as Teachers of God's way But such as feed themselves with others fat And keep the Flock from such like food as that Which only can their soul relieve And who To seek for great Revenues rather go Than to enquire into the state of souls I say such Teachers do transgress the Rolls Of holy Writ And therefore I deny them And by this Testimony do decry them The test of Antiquity The Church was governed in times past by the common counsel and advice of the Presbyters And that Episcopum Presbyterium unum esse A Bishop and an Elder are all one Frederick sent this Message to Adrian the 4th We shut up our Cities against your Cardinals because we see that they prey upon the People They do not ratifie Peace but rake together Pence They do not repair the World but impair their Wealth Let none be ordained to the Ministry unless he first be examined of the Bishop and approved by the People The Pastors should seek the Salvation of mens souls not earthly commodity All Clergy men that are strong to labour let them learn some Handicraft as well as Letters XVI Article Such Ministers of Christ as have obtained Free gifts from God freely they are ordained To serve the Church and yet the Scripture wills Some fruit for him which that ground rightly tills Wherefore such as are taught as freely should Communicate to them who forth do hold The Word of Life upon their Work-account That to the Givers good it may amount But as for Tythes thâ—se forced consecrations I say they are no Gospel-Ordinations The test of Antiquity If thou despisest not a Beggar how much more oughtest thou to regard the Ox that treadeth out the corn in the floor And in Psal 146. He saith Thou scarce payest the thousand part yet I find no fault do so still for I so thirst after your well-doing that I refuse not your very crums O Lord Jesus thou hast multiplied the people and thou hast not encreased their joy-They have removed the Offices into shameful gain and the health of souls is not searched for they strive and contend most impudently daily by process for Bishopricks Archbishopricks c. there remaineth nothing but the Man of Sin to be revealed the Son of Perdition XVII Article The Scripture saith that Heresies must be And shews the way appointed us to free Our souls therefrom for such as do erect them The Church hath power wholly to reject them After the first or second Admonition Moreover by Apostolick Commission She hath a power also to withdraw From such Disciples as transgress the Law Of Christ in point of Worship or of life Peace to preserve and terminate her strife The test of Antiquity The Antient Canons make two kinds of Excommunications one greater the other less the greater not to be inflicted but upon the account of mortal or deadly sin Sins are not loosed nor retained at the pleasure of men but according to the will of God and prayers of the Church XVIII Article Touching the point of falling off from Grace I do believe men so may lose their place In Christ the Vine yea such as he doth say Is in him and lest they should fall away Exhorteth them to make their biding-place In him yea such may fall away from Grace As once had Charity in pure heart And conscience good yea that unfained part Of Faith yet wanting constant Watchfulness May turn aside so fouly to transgress As to be withered branches and in fire Burn and consume But yet such as defire With constancy and do the same indeed Add Grace to Grace so certainly shall speed As they shall never fall yea no deceit Of false Christs can them possibly defeat The test of Antiquity It is to be believed that some of the children of perdition receiving not the gift of Perseverence to the end do begin to live in Faith that worketh by Charity and for a time do live faithfully and justly and after do fall In time of temptation they fall away Some therefore revolt from Faith because Verity avoucheth it and by consequence from Salvation because our Saviour rebuketh it from whence we conclude from Charity also without which Salvation cannot be obtained XIX Article Such as are Poor in Christ his Congregation Ought to be cared for by the Donation Or bounty of the Church not by constraint Which care should hold proportion with the want And for the more sufficient management Of this affair the Church ought to appoint Some faithful men therefore to be deputed With laying on of hands Thus constituted They must now undertake this sacred Function The Church to keep in peace sweet conjunction Here be it noted since men did decline From this appointment holy and divine And did by force compel both rich and poor To pay a stinted portion to the Poor Which is but small allotted for their living It hath destroy'd the Ordinance of giving By free-Collection And now Charity With mens Estates holdeth no parity But their large sums are laid out to maintain Gay clothing Pearls all things which are vain VVhat will these men do when God riseth up To cause all men to tast his Judgment-Cup The test of Antiquity Sacred Orders we call Deacons and Presbyters for these two the Primitive Church is found only to have had That which men do by compulsion is not a sacrisice forasmuch as if it be not done voluntarily and with the heart it 's most execrable and accursed If thou hast riches labour by well-doing to store them up in
in Adam all die both just and unjust so in Christ shall all both believers and unbelievers rise though unto punishment III. ARTICLE There 's one Lord Jesus Christ I do believe By whom all things their beings do receive The only natural Son of the most High Yet born of Mary in virginity And so considered is as David's Son And Off-spring for to sit upon his Throne Yet as he is the Son of God he 's Lord And Root of David and th' Eternal Word This is he whom the Father freely sent In his great Love into the World who went As freely and to death for all he gave Himself that all to life recourse might have The witness of Antiquity The World being all at peace Christ according to the precedent Prophecy was born in Bethlehem Judah being openly Man of the Virgin his Mother and secretly God of God his Father Christ Jesus the substance of Israel and the son of David God's Son of God taking on our Man without wasting Godhead ordained Faith to be a pass for man to God by his mean that was both God and Man IV. ARTICLE God's will is not that any man should perish Wherefore that dying mankind he might cherish His Son the Lord of all hath given Order The Gospel should be preached in each Border to ev'ry Creature and to every Nation To wit that God holds forth Non-imputation Of sins so that men shall not die because Christ dy'd not for them but because his Laws And Word which calls for Faith in his rich Death Men do reject and so themselves bequeath To Infidelity Hence it is clear That to all men at sometime doth appear So much of Grace as if they rightly mind it It holds forth Life to them that they find it The test of Antiquity God would have all men to be saved but if they come to him he so would it not as that he would save them against their will Christ in mercy was born for all but the unfaithfulness of Hereticks is the câ—use that he that was born to all is not born for all In respect of the greatness of the price the Blood of Christ is the Redemption of the whole World V. ARTICLE Concerning those whom Christ appoints for such As are the Pastors of the gospel-Gospel-Church I do believe that they must first be added Unto the Church as were those who were gladded With Peters words and growing in their stations In gtacious gifts and good qualifications And throughly tryed by their exereising Their gifts the holy Scripture so advising Such men the Church may chuse them ordain To minister as Pastors in Christ's Name By laying on of hands with holy prayers Assigning them to their respective cares To gather Churches or to feed and guide them But as for such who for a while abide them In humane Schools only to be instructed In humane Arts and so to be inducted Without Repentance and Baptism succeeding With growth in Grace unto a Parish feediâ—n Or rather to feed on their large Revenue Than to gain souls to Truth there to continue Such I do say no Teachers ought to be But should be taught the Christian A. B. C. The rest of Antiquity Eusebius all edging the Epistle of Alexander Bp of Jernsalem against Demetrius saith Thou saist it was never seen that the lay and secular people should dispute of the Faith in the presence of the Bishops I marvel what moved thee to affirm a Lie so evident inasmuch that as often as there is found any man that is sufficient and apt to give good counsel and to instruct the people the Bishops have accustomed to desire him to do it as the Bishop of Mâ—oâ— did Enelpius c. And there is no doubt but that the other Bishops may do the like in their Diocesses when they find any one which is a man fit to profit the people Ye drive them from God's Word and will let no man come thereto till he have been two years Master of Arts. First you nurse them up in Sophistry and in bene fundantum and there corrupt their judgments then they begin not at the Scripture but each one chuseth himself a Doctor severally c. VI. ARTICLE Touching the way of man's Justification Before the Lord in order to Salvation I say it is by Faith in Christ our Lord That is with heart believing that sweet word Which shews to man in Christ there is remission Of sins for all through faith through contrition For which great cause Christ worthily bespeaketh Their chief affections and their fouls so breaketh Wholly to yeeld to Christs most just Commands And to deny all Self which Christ withstands And eke with godly sorrow do commit Themselves to Christ's Grace to depend on it Such like believing men are justifi'd Their Faith will Righteousness be found when try'd The test of Antiquity The Medicine of the Soul is the only propitiation for the sins of all that is to believe in Christ How virtuous soever the antient righteous persons have been they were not saved but by Faith It is manifest that such as have Faith in Christ shall not be saved unless they have the Life of Faith VII ARTICLE There is but only one most holy Spirit Which God doth give such richly to inherit As do obey his Voice that they thereby May have the Grace themselves to mortify And be enabled in the Truth to stand Immovably thout which no mortal hand Can do the work of God and that we may Honour the Father and the Son each day Who is the Author and the Consummator Of all our Faith And John that Revelator Doth say this Father Son and holy Spirit Are One and so the Name of God they merit The fruits which follow this great gifts reception Is growth in ev'ry grace and sins rejection Wherefore we say these have it not received Who are of Love that Spirit fruit bereaved Or destitute so as they such deny A quiet life that would live peaceably The test of Antiquity That Spirit being the Fathers and the Sons is properly in Scripture called the Holy Spirit It is neither Father nor Son but personally distinct from both and this Trinity is one God Behold the sign and token whereby ye shall know those that are of God from the evil and wicked Those are the wicked which do kill and lead into captivity the which all those that are of God have not done nor do O Lord God these are the chiefest and first that persecuted thee whom men see to love the highest seats and rooms in thy Church and which bear the greatest rule They have taken the Ark of Zion they have occupied and used the Castle and have afterward frankly and by power set all the City on fire Their conversation is miserable The subversion of thy People is pitiful Now holy Orders are given for occasion of most
O my Lord why am I busied here Thou knowst from war my heart and hands are clear And yet O Lord I pray thee teach me fight Couragiously that warfare which thy might Only can mannage sith it 's war Divine And Lord I thank thee that thou dost encline My heart and hand thereto and hast assisted My soul therein since what time I was listed Within thy Roll and in this undertaking I pray thee keâ—p my hand and mind from shaking That so the Truth with comely boldnesse I May practise preach write teach and testifie For Lord if Truth be Truth and still the same In nature worth and usefulness then blame Must be their Lot who are right bold to speak it In times of Peace and afterwards for sake it Because the times do turn O God forbid That I should for such cause let Truth lye hid In fleshly fears O God how great would le My shame when I thy glorious face shall see In that great Day the Day of final Sentence When none their loss regain can by Repentance The thoughts whereof O Lord doth give me boldness To speak for Truth though in a day of coldness Wherein the Waâ—ers are not more congeald Than mens cold Zeal hath all thy Laws repeal'd For what do they less than repeal thy Law Who of poor mortal flesh stand S O in awe As they 'l not act nor speak one word for thee But as great men do give them liberty But Lord I speak of Truth which all confess To be more worth than all that men possess But thou Lord know'st how doubtfull in this day It is become to find that blessed way Of Truth for though there 's nothing more pretended Yet surely there is nothing less befriended What one man saith is true another man Doth say is false yea even such as can Skill all the Sciences and Liberal Arts Are so divided into sects and parts That there 's no end of their most hot Divisions Yea such the multitude of their Confusions As thou Lord know'st cannot be lightly number'd And herewith Europe hath been greatly cumber'd What then shall I poor dust now signifie In Truth 's behalf will any think that I Have found this Pearl or can assign the Field Or Church which doth this precious Treasure yeeld Well whether I have found that Church or no Let him that readeth judge But this I 'll do I 'll shew the Church I 've found even the Truth Which I have fallen in love with from my youth That so if I be right another may By this means get some help into the way Of blessed Truth Or else if I be wrong throng Some one that 's right may break forth through the And sheâ— me that Old Way where Rest and Peace May be obtain'd that my own wayes may cease For is not this that which poor soules desire Where is the good Old Way others enquire Where 's blessed Sion Mother of the Saints Yea for a sight of her some hearts now faints Yea thou my soul remember canst the Dayes The Weeks the Months the Years and dolful wayes Wherein thou Pilgrim-like didst mournful walk And in thy Solitudes wouldst often talk With thy Creator by Pray'rs Vows and Tears That if he would but free thee of thy fears Which these crook'd wayes did minister to thee And of his Sion once but make thee free To set thy feet upon that holy Hill Then wouldst thou wholly yeeld up to his Will To be to do to suffer Gods good pleasure If he thereto would fill thee with his treasurâ— And now my soul what i' st wherein thy Lord Hath failed of in making good his Word In setting thy bound feet free from the band Of miry paths and in his blessed Land His dearest Church hath given thee a Station A dwelling place in his beloved Nation Yea thou a name and a rememberance Hast there obtain'd with an Inheritance So rich so full so ample every way That what it is no words can fully say Now then my soul see thou perform thy Vows Lest thy Engagements prove but empty Shows What Truth thou knowst the same communicate That others may thereof participate Remember how the Labours of the Saints In former times did much supply thy wants And so do still yea some the Seed-time knew And thou camst but to reap their Harvest true Yet thou a Seed-time with respect to those That are to follow must perhaps disclose Or at the least my Muse bring forth thy gains Which thou achieved hast by others pains That so the Sower and the Reaper may Rejoyce in mutual profiting that day Which shall in Praises to our Lord be spended And yet nor Day nor Praises shall be ended But now my Pen stay here and let us muse Upon the subject which thou must peruse Use seriousness for they are Divine things For the most part whereof thy Muse thus sings Gods precious Statutes are the chiefest Objects Implore his ayd in handling so great Projects To clear his Laws wherein men do abuse them And to declare how rightly they should use them Again there 's many things which thou here blam'st Speak of them seriously when thou them nam'st For some do deem as highly of those doings As of th' Apostles Precepts Walks or Goings Yea some are maâ—ked so they think those wayes Had their beginning in th' Apostles dayes As Pedorantisme and other things Which their procedure had from humane springs And whereas thy most weighty subject is About the Church that heavenly place of Bliss Deal clearly in this point for that indeed In this one Question lies both Fruit and Seed Defend her in thy place she 'l thee defend Yea God will him protect that is her Friend Dispute for Truth then will the Truth approve thee See to thy charge my Muse it doth behove thee Bear in thy mind the dayes wherein thy thought Was no way's like to that which I am taught More by Tradition humane than by those Instructions which the Scriptures do disclose This if thou do'st remember it may serve To lay thee low and in thy self preserve A due respect to those that do not see The errour of their way But if there be Any that do malitiously oppose The Truth see thou give them the sharper blows Fear not my Muse if Truth be on thy side As he which fanned Babel well hath cry'd That Truth is strongest by it thou wilt be Made Victor unto all Eternity My Muse sith thou a Prisoner art this day Because thou canst not walk in th' Minsters way Now therefore go thee forth in form of Jayle To Dispute with the Minster do not fail If she sound Reason with the Truth produce I do conjure thee make with her a Truce But if of these thou destitute dost find her Then freely of her fallacies remind her And if she mind thee not appeal to him Whom she pretends to serve and so come in To Goal again till Liberty from Heaven Thee
deem Than other places this though strange it seem I can prove true for in the Gospel day Distinctions of this kind are done away Cathederal It seems then I no holier am then thou In thy conceit but Scripture doth us show There 's holy ground as well as ground prophane Place where God will be worship'd and again Place where he will no Sacrifice accept But th'Off'rer and th' Oblation both reject Jayle The Scripture shews that such esteem there WAS Of Place but shews that such esteem should pass Away from Christians wherefore I say Thy Ground or Place no holier is this day Than other places wherefore every where Men may with holy hearts in prayer appear Cathederal My Place must needs be holy for this cause It builded was therein to teach Gods Laws It consecrated was also by those Whom God to minister his Word there chose So was not every place then thou dost ill Thus to compare thy Place with this my Hill Jayle Were all this proved which thou never can Yet mine 's as holy seeing such a man As Christ hath sanctifi'd each place so far As therein he 'll accept of holy Prayer And Paul i' th Jayle at Midnight sang an Hymn Such as few singers ever sang in thine Cathederal Well I perceive I must with thee engage In a Religious contest ere this Age Doth terminate Then let us now propose The Point to be Disputed and then close In Argument The Question then shall he About the Church Whether 't be Me or Thâ—e Jayle No Question like to this the Church once found Will for our finding all Truth prove a Ground So clear that we no Truth shall need to know But she will strait be ready it to show Then fit thy self thy Church for to maintain For that 's the thing I question to be plain Cathederal Dost question that then that will I defend Against thy Opposition Now descend To some particularities that we The reason of thy doubt may fully see And fairely Answer Then let 's see the ground Thou hast to prove thy Church and Doctrine sound Jayle Well then the first place where I shall detect thee For no true Church now let who can protect thee Is thy Minority or want of Age To be esteemed for that Matron sage Espous'd to Christ 'bove sixteen hundred years Ago whilst thou as yesterday appears Cathederal Blis me Did ever any creature know A Jayl that had a more unshamefac'd brow Than thou in this What do not I well know ye To be of Leidens breed of Munster trow ye For shame leave talking of Antiquity Thou art in no respect so old as I. Jayle Alas I see thou knowst me not i' th least Whilst thou deriv'st my line from that mad beast Of Munster ' gainst whose pranks I did protest Even in those dayes as Cassander hath prest Me forth in Print and sith he doth acquit me Thy Callumny in this case cannot hit me Cathederal What wilt deny thy Father do not each My Pulpits sound thee forth when there I preach For such an Upstart Yea my Doctors all There shew thy Radix this their Volumns shall Attest yea th'Papists whom thou sayst acquit thee Say Munster as thy Patriarch befits thee Jayle Thy Doctors and the Papists sometimes say I am no older than that Germans fray Yet otherwhile they both confess I came Down from th'Apostls times now then for shame Insist not on their witness which appears In its Concordance like two Dogs by th' ears Cathederal Sure thou dost wrong both Papists and my Men Beware how thou dost thus imploy thy Pen For if thou shew not from sufficient ground Where they themselvs in this case thus confound I will requite thee as a false accuser And of these reverend Clerks a great abuser Jayle First Willet in 's Synopsis Papismi Opposing Papists 'bout Antiquity Observes that Bernard names some Sectaries Who Pedobaptisme did much despise They 'r call'd Apostolicks because 't is thought From th'Postles times these Sectaries came out Cathederal I find that Willet speaks to this effect But those bore not the name of thy proud Sect Men may deny to baptize Infants so They may deny Believers Baptism too So then this Instance thee no way assists Vnless these men were prov'd Anabaptists Jayle The Papists in their Book of Motives say Th'Apostolicks were such as at this day Are called Anabaptists yea that name They do expresly give them and the same Thy old Friend Marbeck gives to some in Rome In Anno Dom. One hundred fifty one Cathedral I read these Books and must confess I find These things are so What then Thou art behind Some which do boast of their Antiqâ—ity From such like proves to wit the Papacy But yet all this cannot evince the truth Of their Church-state nor yet of thine forfooth Jayle If I no better Plea in this respect Can shew than th'Papists thou shalt me reject As one that 's noval but at present I Am not engag'd for my Antiquity 'T is thou O Minster which must now engage To prove thy self Christs Church in point of age Cathederal Come on I reason thus from Featly's mouth That Church is of full age whose Doctrine's Truth Perpetual unchanged and I say Such is my Doctrine wherefore now I may Conclude with him that thus my Church is true Thy Answer now bring forth to open view Jayle I do deny thy Minor and I say Thy Doctrine which gives enterance to thy way Of Church-ship is not true nor yet so old As in the Scriptures to be found enrol'd For thou without Christs Soul-converting Word Thy Church with carnal members hast bestor'd Cathederal 'T is true my Members now are wholly such When I receive them as no word can touch In order to Conversion yet I say The holy Scripture will evince my way Was not our Father Abra'm and his Seed Brought into one Church-state search now and read Jayle I search and find That unto every Nation To every Creature good news of Salvation For Faith and for Repentance must be taught Before into Christs Church they can be brought Contrary-wise 't is clear that Abr'ams Seed Had no such Obligation that we read Cathederal The Parents do believe and so the Child For Abra'ms Seed in Holy Writ are stil'd Gods Covenant which Abram is the same That 's made with us now therefore here again See how thou err'st making Parental-Faith So needful to let in to th'Churches Path. Jayle The Scripture shews most plain that Abrams Seed In Gospel-times are such as own his Creed Also the Scriptures quite dissolve that Plea Of Parent-interest in a Gospel-day The Jews are Abrams Seed and yet 't is plain That makes them not in 's Covenant remain Cathederal I tell thee Christian-Infants are as free To Gospel-Priviledges as we see The Children of the Jewes were in their time To Legal Rites thus doth my Doctrine shine And is most Antient being not deny'd Till such
my Common-Prayer-Book I allow That way in case of weakness But I show In the same place that dipping is God's way For Baptisme to be perform'd this day Jayle I do confess thou sayst so but behold When thou presumed for to be so bold To give an inch thy Doctors took an ell And now this weakness doth all strength expel Out of thy Church And God's way is rejected And as a foolish thing by thee neglected Cathedral No Alteration in these things I see Will be assented to by such as thee As if we must in these cold Climates go Into the Water when baptis'd But lo. The time requires the Conference should end Now therefore unto what remains descend CHAP. V. The Arg. The Minster's Consistory Court The Jayle to visit goes The Minster takes it in ill sort She should that place disclose Jayle MOngst other things whereby Christs Church doth shine We are to reckon Christian Discipline This Ornament thou wants Whence I conclude Christs Church consists not of thy multitude Nor yet of this thy gorgious Courtly Tent Because you all reject Christ's Government Cathederal What! dost ' come here to hold thy Visitation That thou beginst to make this exclamation Against my Court whose wayes thou cast not know Nor will I unto thee my secrets show Yet will I this my Government maintain ' Gainst which thou mayest strive but all in vain Jayl Well but before we try thy Discipline Let 's take a view of those brave men of thine Which are thy Officers let 's know their names Or Titles for behold their glorious Trains Seem to import they are no Fishers mates Nor yet like Paul Tent-makers sociates Cathederal These are their Titles and the first degree Arch-Bishops are the next Lord-Bishops be Attended with their Bishops Suffragans Arch-Deacons Deans and Chapters Courtezans With Iudges Surrogates and Proctors store Apparitors with very many more Jayle Arch-Bishops and Lord-Bishops what is this Did not our Saviour all such titles hiss Out of his Church when his Disciples would Have bin the chief that so they might have rul'd By Domination over those to whom Christ did intend they servants should become Cathederal Unless these Titles ' gainst plain Scripture be Thou canst not them condemn nor do I see Those Texts alledg'd which any whit oppose These Titles but 't is meant of such as those Which Papists give unto their Popes But I Have eft condemned that Supremacy Jayle Thy Titles are as much beyond the Line Of holy Writ and full as clandestine As those amongst the Papists for whilst they Make one great Pope now heed well what I say Thou makest many Popes for thy Arch-Lords Their Fancies force upon us for God's words Cathedral I thee require some Scriptures to produce Which shews my Titles to be such abuse As they prohibit otherwise thy plea In this our contest cannot mine outweigh For all things which ' mongst Papists are esteem'd Must not unlawful for that cause be deem'd Jayle Peter an Elder Elders doth command The Churches oversight to take in hand Without becoming Lords and Paul avows He preached Christ as Lord and likewise shows He preach'd himself a servant for Christ's sake To th'Church now this against thy Lords doth make Cathedral 'T is true the letter of these Scriptures do Seem to oppose Lord-Bishops but you know The Scripture hath a secret sence and can Not easily be understood now then How canst thou tell the Lordship here is meant Of those Lord-Bishops which my Church frequent Jayl The Texts must needs be meant of some that lord it In things Temporal or as thou dost word it Of Lords Spiritual But Peter doth Allow the first yea and to speak the tâ—oth Commands the Church all such as such t' obey Ergo 't is Spirit ' Lords he thrusts away Cathedral Thy major Proposition must be true Sith needs it must be meant of one of th'two Thy minor's likewise true Peter doth call The Church t' obey Lords Magistratical That then I must deny is thy Conclusion And truly why It makes for my confusion Jayl If th' Propositions both be verified Th' Conclusion can in no wise be denied Logicians say and therefore thou art one That from both Truth and Reason's so far gone As neither will thy Lordship cause to bend Till Christ the Lord his Judgments on thee send Cathedral Leave off proud Jayl thou art not yet my Judg But thou shouldst rather know thy self my Drudg Nor will I thus permit thee at this season To charge me with the want of Truth or Reason Turn then thy course unto my Discipline And do not thus my Lordship undermine Jayl Thy Discipline we must find in thy Court To which I see poor men compell'd refort To pay their Money And I also see Thy Officers as greedy of their Fee As any Lawyers And I likewise hear These Fees do make them reel with Wine Beer Cathedral Touching my Court thou shalt instructed be Ere long what they do there I 'le warrant thee And as for those who come unwillingly They 'r such as from my Laws have trod awry And I shall let such know their punishment Must peirce their purse till they be penitent Jayl Purse-penalties the Church of Christ knows none As she is such nor can it once be shown In all the Apostolical Directions In holy Writ there should be such exactions And doubtles whilst thou thus minds earthly things Paul under a most sharp reproof thee brings Cathedral Purse-penalties alone may not excuse Those that my Laws presumptuously abuse for Heresie deserves the most severe Chastisement others for to put in fear Even Confiscation 〈…〉 This crime 〈◊〉 the holy Scripture saith Jayle This iâ— a Monstrâ—â—â— Disciplinâ— foâ— you Who Gospel Laws pretend for what you doo ' Tiâ— true by 〈◊〉 Death might be inflicted On some 〈…〉 But if the Church in 〈◊〉 Should so proceed 't would now prove Persecution Cathederal Here thou 〈…〉 But I am clear from such 〈◊〉 For I no 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 I punish such 〈…〉 That I might them reduce from Heresie Or others keep in Christian purity Jayle That thou ' it a 〈…〉 Witness in part some 〈◊〉 whom thou haâ—t slain And partly some thou doâ—t at this day keep In Prison only cause they cannot sleep With thee in 〈◊〉 but the Lâ—â—d's Preceptâ— Have chosen as a Rule unto their steps Cathederal Those I 〈◊〉 and these I have slain Are such as would in Hereâ—ie remain Yet 't is not really I but ' tâ—â— the Powerâ— Which punish 〈…〉 these Maâ—â—â— of yours 'T is true 't is I adviâ—e them thus to do it And so shall still and care not who do know it Jayle So 't is my will is all the rule indeed By which thou doâ—â— thus â—idgedly proceed For from good ground it never can be shewed That thou or other ought to have imbâ—ewed Your hands in their blood who did well behave them In all things civil but to God
filthy gain and they think gain to be piety and godliness VIII ARTICLE About Election this is that I 've said That God from aye before the World was made Hath chosen unto Life such as believe And so in Christ through grace he 'l them receive Yet I am confident God's purpose here Stands not upon what Faith did fore-appear Or Works done by the creature but alone God's Mercy Kindness and Compassion Thus 't is of God who calleth Yet behold Let no man think that now he may be bold To live in sin for as our God is pure So can he no ungodly man endure Then this Decree to every Godly man Hath its extent as David witness can The test of Antiquity According to his mercy he saved us This goodness which doth flourish in Christians doth arise out of the root of Divine Piety or Love for God by his Mercy hath saved us in Christ The Apostle saith not he hath chosen us when we were holy but that we should be holy Election goeth not onely before Works but before Faith where all good Works do begin IX ARTICLE Concerning Reprobation this I say No men as men of old were cast away But as they have God's Grace in wantonness Abus'd and lived in ungodliness To those indeed God sendeth strong delusions That they might damned be Sith vain confusions They rather chose than Truth in faithful love And hence it is God's Wrath ' gainst men doth move Yea against ev'ry soul that doeth evil So as to die the servant of the Devil The test of Antiquity The Damned cannot complain justly because it is their wickedness that doth cast them down into pain He was worthy to lose an unprofitable Faith which did not exercise Charity God is good and he is just He may save a man without good works of his because he is good but he cannot condemn any man without his evil deserts because he is just X. ARTICLE Concerning Infants I believe they shall Suffer no death but that that 's temporal And this their father Adam brought upon them But th'second Adam shal take it quite from them And further than that death that 's temporal No one shall die for Adams sinful fall Christ hath avouched Infants ' thout exception To appertain to Heav'n Then rejection Of Infants into Hell is such a preaching As doth want Charity and cross the teaching And nature of our God Yet thus they teach Who do the Church her Baptisme impeach Contending that to Infants it pertains To some of whom yet they allow no gains By means of Christ his Death for this they say He only dy'd for some And now we may Demand how they did know he dy'd for those Whom they baptize and did the rest dispose To hellish torments See the cruelty Of those who sprinkle Babes infancy The test of Antiquity By the death of the body we read of some that have dyed not for their own but for others sins But in the death of the soul none dieth for another God cannot condemn any man without his evil deserts because he is just XI ARTICLE The only way by God and Christ ordained Whereby the sons of men should be constrained To sit down in Christs Church is Gospel-preaching Wherein a reconciled God is stretching His Hand of Love extensively to all And then to dip or baptize such as shall Repent from sin and faith in Christ profess Through Gods forbearance and great tenderness I say such only as are catechised Are in the Scripture bid to be baptized Into the Name of Father Son and Spirit But as for those who would by Legal merit Or Parent int'rest bring a fleshly seed Into the gospel-Gospel-Church all such indeed I do deny with that Scriptureless thing Most truly called Infant Sprinkling Which custom hath or would make void God's Word And bind the Church still with a Legal cord Unto a fleshly line And the New-birth Would as a useless thing fall to the Earth This is one reason why we separate From all such persons that participate We may not with these darksome wayes of theirs But rather by reproofs break through these snares The test of Antiquity The Lord commanded his Apostles that they should first instruct and teach all Nations and afterward should baptize those that were instructed in the mysteries of Faith For it cannot be that the body should receive the Sacrament of Baptism unless the soul hath received before the true Faith The dipping into the Water is the going down into Hell the coming up out of the Water is the Resurrection We must know that at the first Believers were baptized simply in Flouds and Fountains XII ARTICLE I also do believe that the baptized Believing souls ought thus to be advised To seek unto the Lord for his donation The Spirits gifts for their mortification That by that Grace their Life their Profession May not unto each other seem oppression The way to ask this Gift in Scripture stands Known to be Prayer with laying on of hands As one first point which in Christs doctrin's shown Whereby his Saints are from all others known The test of Antiquity Laying on of hands hath ever been the custom of the Church Laying on of hands what is it but prayer over a man The first degree of Christianity is to be repentant of our former life Next to be taught that true-innocency and soul-health is to be hoped-for of God Then forthwith that we be purged by holy Baptism Then that we receive the holy Ghost by laying-on of hands XIII Article Concerning Perseverence this I say And do believe that in Christ's blessed way Men ought without a tossing to and fro Continue stedfast and these things must do Meet in a Church-Society together In the Apofiles Doctrine to consider And call to mind in Pray'r with breaking Bread Their Saviour till he come to raise the dead The test of Antiquity I pray you O ye Bishops which do think your selves to be so What Suffrages have the Apostles used for to preach the Gospel with what power were they aided Did they assemble the Church by the Kings Edict They nourished and kept themselves by their hand-labour and assembled the Church against the Edicts of Kings When wise and good People do meet together we must not call that a Faction or Sect. Saint Luke declareth the Order of the primitive-Primitive-Church That the Faithful assembled themselves often times for to preach the Word and celebrate the Lords Supper We assemble to pray for the Emperour c. and for Peace to make commemoration of Divine Scriptures and do feed and nourish the Faith with voice and holy words We plant and graft most strongly our Faith And do labour much to imprint in our hearts the discipline of the Commandments XIV Article I say moreover though I thus contend For th' old Church