and let goe scott-free and unpunished knowne Atheists Charmers Blasphemers Drunkards Fornicators Heretikes Prophaners of the Sabbath c. Notwithstanding those called Puritans which will not observe their Traditions beggarly Ceremonies shall be hurryed up downe to their spiritual courts upon every occasion and there be scorned derided taunted and reviled with odious and contumelious speaches eyed with big and sterne lookes have proctors procured to make personal invectives against them made to daunce attendance from court to court and from terme to terme frowing at them in presence and laughing at them behind their backs never leaving molesting of them till they have emptied their purses or caused them to make shipwrack of their consciences or driven them out of the Land or lastly by imprisonment starved stifled and pined them to death Thus they cherish vice correct vertue give men leave to be any thing saving good Christians Besides in these vncleane stewes all is done for mony nothing is regarded else for mony any sinne may be bought out with them but those which will not fee them shall be cursed and cast into hel for every triffle although they have done no evill at all but contrariewise for doeing that which is right and good And this is so manifest a truth as the Prelates Creatures have openlie confessed The Church Censures now a dayes doe onely touch the purse evill doers when they have payd their see returne scott free If no monie then have at the off enders with the Episcopal Sword presently at one blow they are cutt off from the Church delivered over vnto Satan proclaimed Publicans Heathens Anathema For the most ridiculous things and against every good man these brutish thunderbolts doe fly vp and downe and onely to be feared of the purse And yet this is not the greatest wickednesse which is committed by these peslilent fellowes for it is further affirmed that their learned preachers are excommunicated many times by foolish boyes No marvaile therefore their censures are not regarded and that the Nonconformists give counsell that no man should make any conscience of them for surely they are of no more effect weight or consequence then if a villaine or rogue should give sentence of death against a lawfull Prince I forbeare to mention the bawdy pleading of their Doctors and proctors in those courts and the sumners yea and Registers themselves it is so scurilous vncleane and beastly as the Nonconformists say it would greive a chast care to heare it For the Archdeacons and Chauncellours are fain to laugh it out many times when they cannot hold their countenance any longer In the writing of these things there comes to my minde a speach which a B. spake once to me in private I relating to him certaine base and inhumane cariages which they did me in his courts out of great compassion he vttered these words I pray God saith he to keepe all good men out of their hands his speach was good but in what a case is he himselfe all the while which vpholds with both hands these soule murderers their court and courses and yet in his conscience is perswaded that they are all starke naught It is not needefull that I proceed farther in this point seeing the Nonconformists doe generally affirme that their Church is still vnder the Bondage of Antichrists Government the very same false tyrannous discipline that is pourtrayed out in the Popes Canons for which cause we refuse say they to have Christ an immediate King in the immediate government of the Church so as great indignitie is offered vnto him as if some base vnderlings vnto a King should commit his beloved spouse vnto the direction of the mistresse of the stewes and enforce hir to live after the order of a brothel house I will here conclude with this argument Whatsoever is contrary to the institution of Christ and his writen word is Antichristian and is to be banished out of Church of the God But the Government by Lord Bishops with Episcopall domination is contrary to the institution of Christ and his writen word Therefore it is Antichristian and is to be banished out of the Church of God SECT III WE have heard what the Nonconformists say of their Church Government in this Section we will lay downe our conclusions from it and these are cheiflie 3. First No obedience must be yeelded to these Ecclesiast officers I say we may neither acknowledge their authority nor in any thing kind or degree partake with them in their administration but strictly avoyd the same as we would avoyd wrath and vengeance to come There is no need that I alleadge Scriptures reasons c. As before for confirmation of this seeing the Nonconformists goe with vs fully in the thing and doe affirme that men ought not to appeare in their courts neither to obey or regard their citations excommunications warrants c. Nor to receive any absolution from them in a word not to yeeld obedience to them in any one thing which comes from them as they are Bishops Archdeacons Chancellors Commiss officials c. For this were an acknowledging of them and a way to maintaine them in their vsurpation pride idolatrie covetuousnes c. Beside we should suffer men to rule then over vs at their pleasure and so not stand fast in that Christian liberty which the Lord commaunds vs to doe Moreover it is certaine a man cannot obey the Bishops Government but he must necessarily transgresse against the Lawes of the Realme and to prove this an argument may be framed thus Whosoever shall allow or countenance in word or deed any forraigne power authority or jurisdiction and more particularily of the Pope of Rome makes himselfe a transgressour to the King and to the Lawes But such as obey the Bâ— Fool. Government doe allow and countenance in word and died a forraine power authority and jurisdiction and particularly of the Pope of Rome Therefore such as obey the Bâ— Eccles Government make themselves transgressors to the King and the Lawes Both parts of the reason are evident and cleare as the light The former are of the words of the oath of Allegeance Touching the later to weet that the Prelates exercise a forraigne power authority and jurisdiction derived from the Pope We have before sufficiently proved And therefore it behoveth all the Kings subjects to looke well to this thing least they be not onely forsworne but incurre also the penaltie of the Law which is after conviction forfeitures judgements and executions due to high treason Our second inference is that the publick assemblies of England are false and Antichristian and therefore to beleft this necessarily followes vpon the former premises for if they have not the power of the censures and of excommunication but stand vnder a government which came wholy and every part from the devil and Antichrist then is their condition naught the reason is because this
heard of in the primitive church All authority is give into the hands of the Prelates alone their booke of ordination wherby they make Bishops Priests and Deacons is against the very forme of the ordination of the ministery prescribed in the scriptures and nothing else but a thing word for word taken out of the Popes Pontificall wherein he sheweth himselfe to be Antichrist most lively It will not be amisse if I here briefly relate in what manner and forme their Bishops make ministers as the Nonconformists doe describe it When the time say they of giveing orders draweth neere the B. Bull is sett upon the Church doore to give warning rhat if any be minded to receive orders that he repaire to the Prelate at such a time and place Now this Bull is in latin so that the people can not understand the sound of the trumpet neither indeed are they desired to come and object against the persons to be ordained c. When the day of ordination is com after an exhortation made and the communion celebrated the Epistle Gospell read and the Hymne veni creator sung or sayd the Archdeacon presents to the B. all those that are to take on the order of Priesthood that day with these words Reverend Father in Christ I present to you the persons here present to be admitted to the order of Priesthood Then after some demaunds and answeres of the B. and the other who are to be admitted he demaundeth of the people who are present there if they know any impediment which may hinder any of these present to be admitted to the order of Priesthood which is a manifcst mockage For it may be that none there present either heard or saw any of them or all of them before that day c. Then after the oath of the Kengs supremacie is taken there followes an exhortation again with other demaunds and answeres After this the people who are present are desired secretly to commend the businesse to God For which cause they are all silent for a little space This don the B. readeth a prayer which beeing finished they who are to be ordained sitting on their knees at the Bishops feet the Bishop and the rest of the Priests who are present lay handes severally upon the heads of every one of them the B. uttering these words Receive the Holy Ghost whose sinnes thou dost forgive â—â—â—y are forgiven whose sinnes thou dost retaine they are retained and be thou a faithfull dispenser of the word of God and of his holy Sacraments in the name of the Father c. Thus he commaundeth the ordained to receive the Holy Ghost as our Lord Maister did Now as well may they imitate his breathing as to vsurpe these words Is any of their curats after the pronouncing of these words either the holyer or more apt to teach And whereas he puts a Bible into their hands he might rather put their service booke for either they are ignorant and cannot preach or if they can yet may not till they procure by mony a licence from them When all this is don the company sing the creed and receive the communion together But it must here be observed that they ordaine not any man wholy at once to the office of preisthood but lead him by degrees vp to the pulpit for they must first be deacons as they call it for a yeare that is to say they must receive authority to say prayers read the Scriptures but in no wise administer the sacraments or preach without further licence then at last he is made a full minister This practise is professedly affirmed of the Nonconformists to be a vaine invention of mans braine taken from the manner of Popish orders and cleare against the expresse appointment of the Scriptures Moreover they will make ministers in their Galleries and Cloysters at their pleasure give orders to whome to how many they list without any triall either of their judgment in Religion or of their honestly in conversation and sometime make 60 80 or a 100 at a clap whereof â—o one is called or desired to any particular congregation and when they have done send them abroade as rogues vagaboundes or maisterlesse servants into the country giveing them their bull to preach in others mens charges where they list or else get benefices by freindship mony flattery where they caÌ„ catch them or if this faile they may goe vp downe like beggars fall into many vile follies or sett vp bils as many have don at Pauls the Royall exchange such like publick places to see if they can heare of some good master that will hyre them and vse their labour or to conclude tary in their colledge to lead the lives of loytering losels so long as they live What a horrible and wicked doing is this Indeed such times are spoken of in the stories of the Iudges when Ionathan the Levite wanting a high place and an Altar went roving vp and downe to let out his service to any that would hyre him But it is added in the same place that there was no King in Israel O Not without cause may they say if these things be true that all reformed Churches blush and are ashamed of them Yea and I am perswaded that if they were fully and truely informed hereof they would no more communicate with their ministery then they doe with that of Rome For if they did it would be certainly their great sin seeing both of them appeare to be false and vnlawfull Thou hast heard reader who makes their ministers and allso how they are made now in the next place thou shall heare what they say touching their gifts and qualificatioÌ„s if thou wilt in this beleive the Nonconformists Boyes and sencelesse asses are their common ministers for the most part yea notorious idolaters halting hypocrites openly perjured persons idle bellied Epicures manifest Apostates old munks and friars drunkards ideots idols such as know not a B. from abattle dore or the Lords prayer from the articles of faith nor how many sacraments there are For he that will weare a surplesse a cloake with sleeves a gowne a cap a tippet ornaments fitt enough for such deformed coxcombs read a gospel Church women bid fasting dayes and holy dayes Prophane the sacrameÌ„ts pray at the buriall of the dead pronounce a curse against sinners vpon Ashwensdday and at no time else ordaine a new sacrament of the crosse in the Prophanation of Baptisime visit the sicke with a wafer cake and a wine bottle read homilies pray for the prosperity of theeves pirats murderers yea a Pope a Cardinal an Archbishop a Lord B. or any other enimy of God and his Church he is a creature fitt enough to receive their orders and by his outward calling is bound to doe no more There are besides these others of them which witnesse the same to make ministers according to their fashion is nothing else
within the freedom of their owne church and so have no authority delegated to them from Christ to give the substance of the ministers calling to another people For to doe thus were to be like unto the Pope and Prelates the which practice in them they doe abhorre 3. It is a fearefull mocking of God and a high prophanation of his ordinance When men will take a holy worke in hand pretend they doe it and yet doe nothing touching the true substance thereof A man which hath but a little path to keepe and great sea lying on both sides of him would surely be drowned if he should turne out of his way but a little either to the one hand or other the like may be said of Gods pathes and institutions if a man keepe not full in the way doe not every thing according to the patterne It is all one whether turning on the left hand he embrace the idolatry of the Bishops or turning on the other hand follow the new devises of mens foolish braines for utter destruction certainly followes them both Now for conclusion if these lines by Gods providence shall come to any of your hands which stand at this present ministers in the church of England my desire truly is that you will be pleased ingeniously to consider the things here written and specially how the Nonconformists such as you cannot but much reverence and love for their learning and graces have by invincible reasons and arguments proved clearely your offices to be false vnlawfull Antichristian Now if you cannot justifie your standing before men ah how doe ye think that ye shall be able to stand comfortably before the holy God if you stand longer therein The Lord give you eyes to see how exceedingly you have broken the sacred order of the Gospell and hearts tender against every sinne that the evill may be put away And thinke not scorne I pray you to take any fruitfull counsell of me but harken to the Lord that it may goe well with you And looke as the men which had maried them wives of the Heathen did put them quite away at Nehemiahs commaund Even so seeing you have taken upon you a strange ministery put it away at Gods commaund and doe not continue one houre in it If you say what shall we doe for the hundred talents how shall we our wives and children be releeved if we leave our benefices our stipends freinds benefactors I answer you as the man of God did Amasiah the Lord is able to give you more then this Christ sayth as you know well he that will forsake father and mother house and land for his name sake shall receive a hundred fould in this world beside the possession of life and glory hereafter Truly there is a great reward in this promise me thinks you should value it to be much more worth then all the personages vicarages Lecture-profitts c. in England Mind well therefore good freinds what a large offer the Lord makes tobuy â—ou out of your vnsanctifyed places whereas he might cast you forth headlong and inflict upon you many visible and sencible punishments as he did on Corah vzziah vzza c. for their usurpation and intrusion But he offers you a hundredfould profitt which is a great matter indeed and therefore ye are alltogether unwise if ye doe refuse it I may say to you as David to the men of Iudah Why are ye the last to bring home the King Surely ye are too flow in helping forward Christ to his Kingdom You doe indeed complaine that the office of Christ as he is King is no wise acknowledged vnder the jurifdiction of your Bishops in many places of the Land But are not you in part the cause thereof in walking hand in hand with the rebellious Prelates to support that divised ministery which they have received from the Pope and doe thrust upon the people Thinke therefore oh what a blow it would give to Antichrists Kingdome and how it would even shake and overthrow the very foundation of his house if such as you would breake the bonds of iniquitie draw your necks out from the Bishops yoke and bring your learning and other good gifts as the people did the Lords Vessells which had beene a long time kept in Babilon to the building and beautifying of Sion This would make your faces to shine and make your names to florish in all ages after as those doe in our generation which according to that light received did powre out their vtals upon the seat of the beast to the great discovering of his lies and beastly vanities Ye know that some who were sometime cheif among you have layd downe their ministery as unlawfull For it beeing a dependent office of the Hierarchie they found it by scripture unwarrantably to be used for the edifying of the body of Christ If you have these for an example you shall doe wel otherwise if either for cafe profit credit liberty or other worldly respects you retaine still this â—iverie of Antichrist and Popes creature you will loose that honour and reward which the other if they make straight pathes for their feet shall vndoubtedly obtaine notwithstanding as Mordecay sayd to Esther enlargement and deliverance shall arise to the Iewes from another place For God surely will fulfil his word in abolishing vtterly that great scarlet whoore and all the accursed offices and ministeries which she hath devised in spight of all humane policie and power to the contrarie and establish one day his owne ordinances more largely and perfectly to the singular joy and comfort of all true beleevers both Iewes and Gentiles Moreover let it be considered whether those ministers which have taken orders and offices of the Prelats and stand by their power and authoritie are not in this transgressors against the King and the Lawes Yea and might be legally executed for treason and felony if the King and state were not pleased to interpret the statute contrary to the very letter form and truth of the same The words of the statute Eliz. 27. 2. are these It shall not be lawfull for any Seminary Preisâ— or other Preist or Ecclestastic all person whatsoever made or ordained without or within any of her Majesties dominions by any authoritie derived chalenged or pretended from the sea of Rome by or of what name title or degree soever the same shall be called or knowne to be or remaine in any part of her highnesse dominions And every person so offending shall be judged a traitor shall suffer as in case of high treason And every person which shall wittingly and willingly receive releive comfort and or maintaine any such Preist or Ecclesiasticall person shall be judged a felon without benefit of Clergie and suffer death loose and forfeit as in case of felony CHAP. II. IN this Chapter we will speake of the outward worship vsed in the assemblies of England the summe whereof as the
Archbb. and Bb. are Commissioners and visitors in causes Ecclesiasticall vnder the King Answ The Magistrate hath no authority from God to set up such Officers which shall take into their hands the rights and priviledges belonging to the whole Church and therefore whereas he attempteth both here and in pag. 35. 36. to justifie the Hierarchicall Government and by this reason viz. because they take it from the King I desire the reader to compare with this base stuffe their former principles and consider whether there be not probable reasons to think that he sinned herein fearefully against his knowledg and conscience But to the point in hand is not here witt to dispute by ifs thoughs Now I am not of Mr. Bradsh merry dispositiō to laugh at anothers fault But truly if a man were so disposed his sillie and childish wordes would give him often occasion enough For suppose a Papist should argue as he doth What if one should hold that our Archbb. and Bb. be Pastors or what c. would not every one that seeth it say there is in it neither ryme nor good reason If therefore he had not meant a meere gulling and mocking of the world he would not have taught men to hold this thing and that or what they would without any reason and ground but have shewed first by the word of God that the opinions were lawfull and good which he counselled them to embrace After this he tells us that some of their Preists and Deacons are Pastors som Teachers but I have proved the contrarie and therfore both now hereafter doe purpose to let his idle repetitions passe onely if I may without offence aske a question of them seeing Mr. Bradsh makes here this distinction and doth oftentimes justifie the whole Clergy by what names or titles soever they be called I would willingly therefore know of what kind their dumb ministery is whether these Sr. Iohns be Pastors or Teachers for if they be true ministers one of these they must be necessarily Mr. Bradsh haveing a great desire to justifie their Deaconrie howbeit he knew that his brethren had condemned it for a false office as they have it in their assemblies demaundeth of us whether Magistrates may not require some things of Teachers not required by the Apostles Answ Yes forsooth but if they require before a man shall be a Teacher that he enter into the ministery by an unsawfull and Popish vocation and shall execute afterwards the same in an idolatrous manner If he in all this doe obey them he must needs therupon become no true minister and such is their cause by their owne confession And therefore the question as he propoundeth it is deceitfull and impertinent Lastly he excuseth their Preists which obey the Bb. what obedience saith he doe they promise to Prelates but onely in things that they shall judge honest and Lawfull and not repugnant to the word of God If this manner of arguing be good what corruptions so abominable but may get contenance Vnder such pretences any Heretick may maintaine the grossest errours which he holds and practiseth But to let passe any further answer I desire the reader to take knowledge that none of the Nonconformists have more effectually condemned their Popish Ceremonies than this man for he hath by many arguments proved that the use of them is very sinfull notwithstanding behold his forehead how in his writing here against us he seeks by flattering speaches to justifie the very practise which he professeth in his writing against the Hierarchie to be unlawful idolatrous antichristian I may well use the words which they speake against the Conformists We abhorre this hypocrisie and leave such temporising vnto those which are content to make themselves the servants of men But it s true as one saith Extremitie drives men vnto hard shifts Here Mr. Bradsh bestirreth himself to prove their ministery good by the Scribes and Pharisees but this example will not helpe him in the least For first howsoever they had new names and in many things were very corrupt yet they sate in Moyses Chaire that is came rightly and Lawfully to the Leviticall and Preistly Offices which they executed in the church of God But their ministers as we have shewed it under their owne hands doe want this true calling and therefore the comparison holds not It is possible that two persons liveing in adultery may in sundry respects be no worse then some which are truely married Is their state therefore one not so and why because the former wanted a right comming together So in this cause in somethings I am perswaded their ministers are not worse thā the Pharisees as in pride covetuousnes hypocrysie persecution of the saints c. yet neverthelesse their standing in respect of the ministery is not as good as the Pharisees because as I said before they have not a true calling thereto which the others had 2. I cannot thinke that Mr. Bradsh should be so ignorant as in this place he makes shew of For his words import that the abilitie which the Pharisees had to expound the Law argued them true ministers But this is false for that and indeed that only which argued their office to be true was the Lords institution in setting the Tribe of Levi apart for the holy administratiōs of which Family were these so many as were imployed in and about the service of the sanctuary 3. If the preaching of the word and administration of the Sacraments be sufficient to argue a true ministery then are not onely many Papists Preists but other vile Heretickes and excommunicates Lawfull Pastors and Teachers for so much they can doe The truth is his arguing is no better then if Ieroboams Preists should thus have pleaded Those Preists that teach Iacob Gods judgements and Israel his Law that put incense before the face of God and burne incense upon his Altar are true Preists But these things doe we therfore we are true Preists If they shall say the assumption is untrue the like say we of their cause 4. Howsoever he often undertakes the defence of all their ministers yet here he leaves the blinde Preists in the ditch And indeed this is the manner usually of them they are so shifting up downe as a man knows not where there home is nor when to find them there for some time the whole Clergie is pleaded for when they are beaten thence then they fly to their best ministers when they cannot defend them any longer then we have an howers talke of their gifts and services Thus as a man that sitteth uneasie is ever stirring to fro till he be out of his place so doe they shift and shift till they be cleane out of their arguments matter If they thinke I speake beyond my compasse let them once pitch and insist upon any one of these grounds without starting joyne issue with us and come to the
Whosoever shall hereafter affirme that the form of Gods worship in the Church of England established by law and conteyned in the book of Common prayer c. is a corrupt superstitious or vnlawfull worship of God or conteyneth any thing in it that is repugnant to the scriptures let him be excommunicated ipso facto and not restored but by the Bishop of the place or Archbishop after his repentance and publick revocation of such his wicked errours Whosoever shall hereafter affirme that the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England by law established are wicked Antichristian or superstitious or such as being commaunded by lawfull authority men who are zealously and godly affected may not with any good conscience approve them vse them or as occasion requireth subscribe vnto them let him be excommunicated ipso facto and not restored vntill be repent and publickly revoke such his wicked errours Whosoever shall hereafter affirm that the government of the Church of England vnder his Majestie by Archbishops Bishops Deanes Archdeacons and the rest that doe beare office in the same is Antichristian or repugnant to the word of God let him be excommunicated ipso facto and so continue vntill be repent and publickly revoke such his wicked errours Whosoever shall here after affirm or teach that the form and manner of making and consecrating Bishops Priests and Deacons conteyneth any thing in it that is repugnant to the word of God c. let him be excommunicated ipso facto not to be restored vntill he repent and publickly revoke such his wicked errours 6. Where he demaundeth what one truth of religion we can name that is not or hath not beene when just occasion hath been offered taught by some of their ministers Although this be not much materiall touching the point in controversie seeing none of them teach true doctrine but in a false and Antichristian calling which is utterly unlawfull to be done notwithstanding if we will beleeve the Nonconform he had small cause to bragg thus of their preaching For first their ministers for the most part are ignorant asses and loytering idle bellyed Epicures which either cannot or doe not teach at all 2. A number of those which doe are prophane and heathenish Oratours that thinke all the grace of preaching lyeth in affected eloquence in fond Fables to make their hearers laugh or in ostentation of learning of the latin their Greek and Hebrew tongue and of their great reading of antiquities when God knoweth most of them have little further matter then is in the in the infinite volumes of common places and apothegmes called to their hands 3. Howsoever some of them deliver many sound truths yet they doe not lay the axe to the root of the tree I mean seeke to suppresse such evills as raigne most among them We would repute that Phisitian unwise which hath a patient under cure sicke of a great fever and he gives him a medicine which serves only to heale the gout or dropsie Now in truth such vnwise Phisitians are the best of them for the main disease which cleaves to the foule of the people is false worship But what course take they about it Thus they doe they administer good things to purge out pride drunkennesse c. But leave all the while this Capitall disease alone by which meanes many persons perish and are utterly cast away Now these have not the Prophets for an exaÌ„ple for it is marvelous observable when the ten Tribes fell away from the true worship of God that all those Prophets whome the Lord then sent early and late after them applyed their doctrines even alltogether as it were against the sinnes of Dan and Bethell as the spiritual sicknesse of Israel was idolatry so they gave them constantly such souveraigne medecines as served best to cure the same And indeed this course of teaching is onely profitable for as a small stroake downe-right upon the naile is better then a thousand besides it Even so a little home matter against the present evils of the people as namely their devised service false ministery Antichristian Government c would profit them much more then all their lowd long crying out of judgement judgement only against swearers drunkards usurers whoremoungers c. because the former faults are more generally committed and have taken deeper roote in the hearts of old and young 7. Concerning the defence which he makes for reading their booke of Articles and Canons in the church a few words will serve in answer to it 1. If it were true which he saith that they doe not this thing ministrially yet their fault is not the lesse But he speaketh falsely herein for this is laid upon them as a proper part of their Office and none else but they by their Law either doe or may doe the same 2. If they doe not teach them for truths then it must be for lies and errours if so their evill is the greater and proportionable thereunto without repentance will Gods vengeance be upon them for it 3. His answere here is quite beside the point and he seekes meerly to cozen the reader that which Mr. Iohnson mentioneth is their Articles Canons very vile and wicked things by their owne confession To this he replyeth may not a man in the weakenesse of his judgement and in infirmity at his first entrance into a calling conforme and subscribe to some things not so warrantable and true c. Note how punctually he speakes and comes up as neere to the matter as Yorke is to the Lands end a man in the weakenesse of his judgement c. may doe some thing c. Ergo he may conforme to the damnable Canons and articles read them to the people c. By the same manner of arguing he may be a â—ew a Turke a Heathen any thing And not only in this place but such sencelesse shifts are common with him throughout the booke for whereas it is proved in Mr. Iohnsons writing that their ministery is â—nlawfull Antichristian because neither their Offices calling nor administration is according to Gods Word but as they say themselves all taken from Antichrist He childishly tells us that true Pastors Teachers may want some accessarie parts of their Offices c. which answereth nothing to the point nor is more to any purpose then if a convicted traitor would seek to prove his cause to be otherwise for that he wants som accessarie parts of a true subject 4. Touching the distinction which he puts betweene reading the Canons to the people and not teaching the â—rrours contained in them I shall leave it as another Demaund how they can proove that these falshoods and lies may be read in the manner that they are and yet be neither taught nor justifyed Answ 1. If it be vnlawfull as he sayth outwardly and but in appearance to joyne with Idolaters in their Idolatry then hath he shewed himseIfe all this while
their ministers may take vpon them civill Magistracy any true Pastors may take vpon them the same authoritie To this I say in his owne words what a shamelesse man is this to affirme such vntruths for concerning the first he slaundereth the state and in the other he puts the lie on the writings of his brethren which testifie otherwise 3. Whether they be made civil Magistrats by the favour or grace of Princes as he speakes or any other way it is nothing to the purpose seeing the thing in it selfe is every way and alltogether unlawfull 4. When they have proved themselves to be true Pastors Teachers then there will be a fitt place to shew whether the admitting of a civil officeâ— doe change the nature of a Church ministery or no. Here Mr. Bradsh in plaine termes casteth his brethren off and good reason too for he sees that either he must wholy renounce their Principles or conclude with them that their ministery is unlawfull But he tels us that he is not bound to their opinions Well neither I thinke are they to his And now seeing he and they are thus parted let us a little consider whose of their opinions in likelyhood are the truest and best to be embraced Touching the former I mean the Nonconformists to say nothing of their number zeale learning knowledge sufferings for the truth c. In all which they farre exceeded him not onely doe they affirme their ministery to be false but as I have often said and also shewed out of their bookes they prove by good arguments the thing to be so But as for Mr. Bradsh he delivers his opinion upon his owne word and if we will not take that we must have nothing nay truely many times we cannot have his word sor he turnes his tale so often forward and backward as no man can tell where when or how to beleeve him For instance somtime all their ministers are true with him otherwhile they which be qualifyed only such as duly execute their office Thus he is like to one that hath a mad dog by the eare and knowes not whether it be best to hold him or let him goe For Mr. Barrow Mr. Greenwood as we will not bind our consciences to their opinions so neither will we rashly reject the grounds which they have taught and given reasons of unlesse we be able to shew better although Mr. Bradsh hath dealt thus ilfavouredly with his brethren There are fishes name Sepiae as writers report who least they should be taken of their pursuers do cast behinde them abundance of blacke matter and so escape out of sight By such a wile Mr. Bradsh thinkes here to get away from us for with his shifts and trickes he puts quite by the matter in hand But to answer briefely 1. There are many hundred Priests in the Land which have no particular places to serve in Is their ministery therefore unlawfull Indeed he seemes here to grant it as the rest of his brethren doe 2. Seeing not all as he confesseth but some of those that have offices are bound to bee members of true visible Churches I will leave it in this place as a Quaere Whether such as neither are nor by law are bound to be such are true Pastors or no for Mr. Bradsh had so much forecast as to say nothing about this thing howbeit it was the maine point in question 3. He takes it for granted that their Churches are true but brings no proofe for it and except we will give him all this at once there is nothing which he speakes to any purpose in the world But this we cannot give him though he beg it shamefully because the thing is otherwise as their owne writings manifest 4. What if their Priests be not in all points answerable to their lawes are they then members of a false Church indeed either his words cary such a meaning or to me they seeme non sence 5. Have not some in the Church of Rome dispensations to have more cures then one Yes surely now doe these speciall dispensations make the action lawfull such an inference Mr. Bradsh words have or else the man talkes he knowes not what 6. Howsoever the matter be not much whether the Governement which the Bb. excercise in civil and ecclesiasticall cases doe impaire the dignity authority or supremacy of the civill Magistrate seeing the same is unlawfull and Antichristian as we have before prooved Notwithstanding this thing is confidently affirmed of the Nonconformists and they give sundry instances thereof and therefore the boldnesse of this man is notorious that he should dare in this manner still to dawbe up the vile things which his brethren pull downe with both hands Some men in matters of controversie care not as one saith though they loose the peace of conscience so they may gaine their supposed victory If Mr Bradsh in judgement came the nearest as it is reported of all the Nonconformists to the separation surely his soule could have small comfort in this writing it conteining nothing for the most part but what is quite contrary to all their sayings otherwhere To let passe his idle scoffing as imputing it to a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 necessarily attending that pen which undertakes the defence of such a cause In these pages he sheweth himselfe a miserable informer and setler of the consâ—ience for his counsell is much to this effect so a man hold some thing it is no matter what it be nor how ungroundedly taken up to answer his ifs and thoughs and what 's particularly First What if some saith he shall say that our Archbb. and Bb. have the Pastors Office Answere Then they shall speake untruely or else you your selves doe beare false witnesse against them in affirming that they are not Pastors and Teachers neither any true ministers at all in the Church of God 2. What if one hold they are not Pastors but named only so metaphorically as Princes are so called c. Answ This were to hold a thing which is contrarie to their Law and directly against their profession and practise 3. What if one hold that the ministers of our particular congregations are Pastors Answere He hath no reason for it because they have no true calling unto that office neither doe performe the substanciall duties thereof When Dr. Burges stiled himselfe Pastor of Sutton Coldfeild Marke what Dr. Ames writes in answere to it It is saith he such a name or title as by the Prelates rules is not admitted and our booke of ordination acknowledgeth no such Pastors from whence also it is that in our convocation church language we never heare of a Pastor of one Parish alone None of our divines in the Synod of Dort would take to themselves that title though most others did in their subscription D. Andrewes an Archbishop in esteeme censureth this title for a Noveltie 4. What though one hold that our