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A26579
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Covnterpoyson considerations touching the poynts in difference between the godly ministers and people of the Church of England, and the seduced brethren of the separation : argvments that the best assemblies of the present church of England are true visible churches : that the preachers in the best assemblies of Engl. are true ministers of Christ : Mr. Bernards book intituled The Separatists Schisme : Mr Crashawes questions propounded in his sermon preached at the crosse / examined and answered by Henry Ainsworth.
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Ainsworth, Henry, 1571-1622?
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1642
(1642)
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Wing A809; ESTC R19104
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173,009
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159
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of the archangel Michael Boniface the 8. shewed like honour to the 4 Euangelists and many other memorable gests are recorded of the Fathers of the See of Rome whereof there is not a word in the Testament of Christ that he or his disciples did euer the like For they appoynted not priests apparall long gownes tippers 4. horned capps as did Pope Zacharie nor a white linen surplice at seruice time as did Pope Syluester 1. They hallowed no Temples or Churches as did P. Hyginus nor Churchyards as did P. Calistus 1 Neyther ordeyned ringing of bells to call the people to diuine seruice as did P. Sabinian They appointed no Rood-loft to part the Chancel from the church as did P. Bâ—niface 2 nor hallowed Font to Christen in or Godfathers and Godmothers at baptisme as did P Pius 1. and Hyginus They commanded not the people to goe procession as did Pope Agapetus 1. nor appoynted any Bishoping or Confirmation of children as did P Clement 1. with a great number more of like pranks vsed in the Romish seruice which Christs Apostles knew not as their writings shew But the church of Engl. as next heir of Romes constitutions reteyneth these reliques obserueth these rites and a many moe for which the Papists doe insult and say that from their treasure house the religion now established hath learned the forme of christening Marrying Churching of women Visiting the sick Burying and sundry other likâ— as the books translated out of theirs doe declare And now what sayth Gods law for all such things vnto his people I am sayth he the Lord your God After the doing of the land of Aegypt wherein ye dwel shall ye not doe and after the doing of the land of Canaan whether I will bring you shall ye not doe neyther walke in their ordinances My iudgments shall ye doe and my ordinances shall ye keep to walke in them I am the Lord your God Thus he forbad them not onely the worship of false Gods but euen the imitation of idolatrous worship rites and ordinances in his seruice wherfore he charged them againe that they should not so much as inquire or ask how the nations serued their Gods that they might doe so to the Lord their God But whatsoever he commanded them they should make heed to doe it putting nothing thereto nor taking ought therfrom Yet the Bishops and Priests of Engl. haue almost all things in their Leiâ—ourgie according to the doings of that spiritual Aegypt the Romish church wherein they dwelt and haue imitated her worships‘ orders ceremonies c. reteyned her ministery prelacy courts and canons thâ— Latine being turned into English and some grosse superfluities left ouâ— And in defense of this worship haue these godly ministers written Mr Bernard published their work wherein if the reader see not a soâ—nd proof of the things that Mr Barrow whose errors they pretend to confute reproued he must impute it to the badnes of their cause which wil scars admit of any colour from the booke of God For besides the abuse of holy scriptures alleged to iustify these popish stratagems how sound diuine or rather how fond and corrupt is the reasoning of these men from Gods example and authority vnto their own practise and power that because the Lord God gaue formes of blessing prayer and psalmes to his people as the scriptures which they cite doe shew therefore their Lords the Prelates may giue them also prescript words for blessing prayer and Psalmes c. as is to be seen in their seruice book Can we thinke that Ieroboam had so slender a reason for his goldeÌ„ calues Why doe not these men also plead that God gaue a law by Moses therefore ther may a law be giuen likewise by the Bishops or th' Apostles wrote a new Testament therefore the Conuocation house may also write a Testament or Gospel bring it into the church If the Prophets practise will bear them ovt in the one I see no cause why it may not vphold them in the other Wel seing neyther Mr Gifford heretofore nor these ministers now can bring better defense for the work of their own hands wherewith they worship or rather prouoke the Lords I leaue them to consider of those lawes that euery where cry ovt against and shew the punishment of idolatrie Neyther is it needfull to keep the Reader with longer answer seing Mr Barrow in the fornamed books and Mr Greenwood in a peculiar treatise against these stinted prayers and seâ— worship haue proued the vnlawfulnes of them by many reasons which neyther these ministers nor any other haue yet taken away And when they write agayn let them not bring proofs for things that we deney not as that Daunds Psalmes may be sung in the church and that in our prayers we may vse or apply the words that other holy men before vsed in their prayers vpon like occasions both these we grant and practise but let them proue if they be able and their right hand can help them that their own writetnn prayers psalmes c. may be read and sung in churches churchâ—â— as Gods true worship and then also they may command the clowdes to rayn no more and may cause to cease the bottels of heauen Like to their former plea and maintenance of their seruice booke is also their answer for Catechismes as for Homilies it seemes they leaue the the defense of them to the simple priests that read them but Catechismes are vsed euen by the learned preachers therefore somewhat they say for them as that the principles of religion were taught in the churches of old RoÌ„ 2.20 6 17.2 Tim 1 13 Heb. 5.12.13 14 and 6 1.2 But these ministers are eyther simple or very deceitfull so to turne away from the question For we neuer deneyed that the grounds and heads of Christian religion should be taught to the people far be it from vs but this we say the Prophets and Apostles are not found to prescribe set words for the minister to teach or the people to answer being examined And that therefore these Bishops and Priests are very presumptuous that wil take vpon them to doe that which Christs Apostles neuer did in the churches Agayn that if those men of God had to done yet seing the writings of Prophets and Apostles are canonicall scriptures and so are no mens writings now it will by no meanes follow that if they wrote catechismes to be vsed in the Church therefore men may writ some for like vse now Yea rather why are they not content with that which is already written in the scriptures but run to erroneous catechismes of humane writers such as is that authorized catechisme in the book of common prayer commanded to be vsed in the church of England Hauing heard what these godly ministers say for their people and seruice book I exspected somewhat also for defense of their own minister and the ecclesiasticall gouernment of
your labours and blesse you for them as Moses blessed the builders of the tabernacle Exod. 39.43 Your first argument therefore is to weak to vphold your church or best assemblies and the assumption of your profyllogisme is denyed The 2 argument 2. THose Churches whose true members are onely espowsed to Christ a true visible Churches Ephe. 5.30.32 2. Cor. 11.2 But the true members of our best assemblies are espowsed onely to Christ. Therefore c. Proof of the assumption They are espowsed onely to Chrisi which are indued with true sauing faith Eph. 5 30.31.32 with Iohn 15.3 4.5.7 17 20.21 But the true members of our best assemblies are indued with a true sauing faith confessed by Mr. Iohnson in Iakob pag. 7· Look also in the confirmation of the 5. argument folowing here Therefore c. Answer HEre agayn you haue gott an other starting hole whiles you plead but for the true members of your best assemblies yet neither tel you vs which are your best assemblies nor who be the true members of them that how to follow or where to finde you we cannot tel As is the way of an eagle in the aire such is the way of an adultrous woman it is hid and cannot be known But I will see if I can discouer your falsehood though I cannot find your footing First I deny that the true members of your best assemblies are espowsed onely to Christ. for as the prophet sayd of Israel lift vp your eyes uÌ„to the high placs behold wher you haue not plaied the harlot Now whils a church doth play the harlot Christ willeth vs to plead with her that she is not his wife neyâ—her is he her husband Idolatrie is spirituall whordome as the Prophets testifie Psa. 106 39. Ier. 3.9 Deut. 31.16 but the true members of your best assemblies commit idolatrie in their daylie worship according to their Romish leiturgy or book of commoÌ„ prayer an idol of your own inuentioÌ„ How are they theÌ„ espowsed to Christ alone Yes they are say you because they ar indued with true sauing faith I answer Faith is in the hart as it is writen with the hart man beleeueth Rom. 10.10 The hart no man knoweth but God alone as agayn it is written thou Lord onely knowest the harts of all the children of men 1 King 8 39 So then I ask you how you know that your members haue true faith your answer must needs be vnlesse you wâ—ll make your selfe a God you know it not but by their words and works Wel theÌ„ let vs bring these to th' trial their confession and theâ—r practise leauing their faith to God that knowes it The confâ—ssion of theâ—r faith is set downe in their service book the 12. articles of the Creed But this Creed the Papists also confesse and read in their church and if it will proue your people to haue true faith it will proue theirs to haue likewise you say no more for England then for Rome Agayn the Apostle sayth there are some which professe that they know God but in works doe deny him and are abominable and disobedient and to euery good work reprobate So then words are not yenough to proue true faith But we must come to the Apostle Iames his triall shew me thy fayth out of thy works for faith without works is dead Now the works of your people are apparant to be evil they standing in communion or confusion rather with the vnclean profane and wicked whereby al Gods holy things are defiled as it is written Num. 19.22 Hag. 2.14 submitting their soules to Antichristian prelates and priests and hearing their voyce contrariâ— to Iohn 10 5. worshiping God in vayn after their own invented seruice book which is a high transgression of the second commandement Exo 20 And these things are general and publick the particular and more priuate inâ—qâ—ities will not easily be numbred Whereas therefore you would perswade vs your church is espowsed onely to Christ although her fornicatâ—ons are so manifest between her brests because she sayth she beleeveth only in Christ it is with no more colour then as if Bilhah wheÌ„ she was known to lie with Reuben should haue pleaded yet am I an honest woman and espowsed to Iaacob onely for my loue and harty affection is towards him alone But the wise man teacheth vs these be but the tricks of an adultrous woman she eateth and wipeth her mouth sayth I haue done no iniquity Pro 30 20. The scriptures which your selfe allege doe also make against your chvrch Eph 5 30. We are members of Christs body of his flesh and of his bones Fâ—rst your church can shew no covenant that was made between Christ and her at any time the gathering and planting of your church having been by the Magistrates authority not by the word of Christ winning mens soules unto his faith separating them from the vnbeleevers and taking them to communion with himselfe Secondly in saying his body the Apostle excludeth al other bodies as more plainlie appeareth in the other scripture 2 Cor. 11.2 where he prepared the church as a pure virgin for Christ which cannot be whiles she defileth her self with others as doth your church with the abominations of the Papists compaÌ„ying also in the bed of loue with the Prelates whom the better son of you haue confessed to be Antichristian and their inferâ—our priests who work vpon mens consciences by their jurisdiction ministery doctrines canons c. being as the bridegrooms of your church not the friends of the bridegroom which stand and heare and reioyce for the bridegrooms voyce for that Christ should speak and rule vnlesse it be according to their own canons they cannot endure The other places in Iohn 15. 17. will confirme also that the true members of your best assemblies are not espowsed onely to Christ For Christ sheweth that his Father is the husbandman who caleth and bringeth vnto and planteth in him the true vine all the branches that is the particular persons of the Church But the true members of your best assemblies are as yet the branches of that false Antichristian vine your confused church of England not separated from but liuing and growing in one stock body and communion with the idolatrous and profain So that you cannot say as did the Israel of God Thou hast brought a vine out of Aegypt thou hast cast out the heathens plaÌ„ted it Christ sheweth that his branches were purged of the Father by the word spoken vnto theÌ„ your members ar not yet purged or clensed by the word of Christ from their idolatries and profane communion with the ympes of Satan The word of life the word of separatioÌ„ from the serpeÌ„t his seed hath not yet sounded in the eares or at least not sunk into the harts of your people Christ branches bring forth much fruit through their abiding in him being able without him to doe nothing your