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england_n	church_n	minister_n	ministry_n	3,814	5	8.8738	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67324	More work for the dean in a brief answer to some scandalous reports published by Dr. Stillingfleet in his book entituled, \"An impartial account of the history, nature and pleas of the present separation from the communion of the Church of England\" against some of the Lords faithful servants, namely, Mr. Henry Barrow, Mr. John Greenwood, Mr. John Penry, who by the bishops means, after long imprisonment, were put to death, contrary to Queen Elizabeths mind; in the year 1593 ... : as likewise here is word for word the petition of those persecuted Christians, wherein is shewed the barbarous usage of the bishops to them : together with the refutation of the then esteemed Bishop of Winchester's blasphemous doctrine, by Mr. Henry Barrow, with the description of the true Church of God, according to Christs Testament, by the whole Church at London, whom the doctor calleth Brownists; with the reason why they were so nick-named by their enemies : very needful for all true Protestants to know / by Thomas Wall.	Wall, Thomas.	1681 (1681)	Wing W485; ESTC R20458	32,462	49

reproached the primitive Christians were by the Priests and Pharisees called a Sect of Nazarens Acts 24. 5. every where spoken against Acts the 28. 22. as at this day Protestants are by the Papists called Calvinists Zuinglians Heugonots 2dly Mr. Brown from whom this by-word was taken is Minister of Mr. Jacob's Church and so of Mr. Hildershams all Ministers of the Church of England and not of ours yet holding as we hear in his Judgment the truth we profess but for his practice in Worship rem●ineth still in Apostacy wherein they are So then not we but Mr. Jacob and Mr. Hildersham may if any be called Brownists See Francis Johnson's Answer to Mr. Jacob Intituled A Treatise of the Church of England page 2. And A Treatise of the Ministry of England in Answer to Mr. Hildersham page 94. Moreover because Doctor Stilling fleet durst not in his Conscience fight against the Cause of God these Servants of Christ maintained after the way of plain dealing therefore fighteth covertly under the Banner of other men yet of the same mind with himself and among the many Mr. Gifford another Minister of the Bishops making whom he maketh one of his chief Armor-bearers in this railing fight Dragon like with floods of reproaches against Gods Servants which keeps the Commandments of God and have in their Writings the Testimony of Jesus Rev. 12. 16. And it was not so bitter then but it would be as bad now if the earth did not by more than by an ordinary providence help the Church the Woman Rev. 12. 15. Moreover this man the Doctor as I remember maketh no less than Eight times mention of Mr. Gifford in Twelve Leaves of his Book against the forenamed Christians Now if he would have the world believe that what Mr. Gifford hath wrote against them to be as Oracles undeniable truths surely I may by the same Rule desire all men likewise to believe that to be a truth what Mr. Gifford hath wrote against the Doctors Church and Ministry and the rather to believe in the latter because who can tell better the evil of their ways than he who was a Bird in the same Cage of confusion with them Rev. 18. 2. Mr. Giffords words are these Through want and absence of a sincere Ministry there is a flood of ignorance and darkness overflowing the Land for the most part the fear of God is banished from the greatest part The wonderful heaps and piles of sin which should be washed away by the Word do undoubtedly cry aloud in the ears of the Lord for vengeance upon the whole Realm The Devil saith he is content those Preachers should ride upon his back because he is sure they will spur-gaul him but a little they be very gentle Riders Do you not think if they should set forth Gods word as they ought and spread the Light that all wicked men of which their Parishes be full would storm and fret against them The Devil himself would fisk about if they spur gaul him but a little but they can tell a smooth tail in the Pulpit garnished with some merry Story for to make the people merry or else some old rotten Allegory or some far-set matter out of some great Writer that their people might be at their wits end to admire them A man would think to see the people come out of the Church blowing that they were fed as full as ticks when they go home with empty Bellies This I dare warrant you if it be not so let me lose both my ears go through the Parishes of these Learned Divines and except such as fetch their Victuals otherwhere ye shall not find Five among Five-score able to understand the necessary grounds and principles of Religion y●a the people will say they be excellent deep men but I love not those Wells that a man can draw no Water out of them See Mr. Giffords Book Intituled Country Divinity noted by Henry Ainsworth in his Counterpoyson page 101. Thus it is to be hoped if the Doctor cannot refute this Testimony he will never hereafter speak against the forenamed Christians Testimony which in this particular said no other thing in effect concerning the Doctors Church and Ministry than Mr. Gifford did Moreover the Doctor is not satisfied to shoot his Arrows of bitter words against the Ancient Seperation but through their sides against all the Nonconformists in this day envying at their due birthrights and priviledges given them of God and man in freedom to serve the Lord as they are inlightened and if in any thing as doubtless none but cometh short in a perfect understanding in all things how they ought to walk with God the Doctors duty was then to have by the evidence of Gods written Word wherein they failed in the spirit of Love to have better informed their understandings and not as an enemy to his dissenting brethren as he calleth them to infinuate into the Magistrates minds by publishing to the world that Liberty of Concience hath occasioned the growth of Poperty in this Nation but how greatly hath the Doctors heart deceived him in this as in the former is not my judgment only that the occasion of the growth of Popery is by reason of so many corruptions retained in his Ministry and Worship in his Church as is noted in the Two Christian Warning pieces one to the King the other to the late Parliament but it is confirmed by his Right hand man and chief Armor bearer in this Battel against the Lords Servants Mr. Gifford in a Dialogue between a Papist and a Protestant in the Epistle Dedicatory word for word thus set down by Henry Ainsworth in his Counterpoyson page 19. Some do wonder how it should come to pass that among us there should be so many which being born since the Gospel was restored in this Land are so zealously addicted to Popery which they never did know and so utter enemies to the Gospel which they hear but if they weigh the cause of this deadly mischief they would cease wondering and rather wonder that there be no more For how can it be so long as there be so many abuses in the Ministry but that many shall stumble and loath the Gospel for from hence as it is manifest the chief cause of this evil doth spring True it is that our ministry doth fight against them but in such sort that it doth greatly encrease them seeming and pretending to tread upon these Cockatrice eggs for to break them and to destroy utterly the Viperous generation when as indeed they sit upon them and so hatch the brood of this evil kind and bring them forth in great plenty for behold a number cry out against Popery and proclaim utter defiance in speech but their doings are such that for every one they convert to the Gospel they cause an hundred to revolt to be hardned in their errors or to fall into flat Atheism while many contrary to the profession which they made when they entred

More Work FOR THE DEAN In a Brief Answer to some Scandalous Reports Published by Dr. STILLINGFLEET in his Book Entituled An Impartial Account of the History Nature and Pleas of the present Separation from the Communion of the Church of England against some of the Lords faithful Servants namely Mr. Henry Barrow Mr. John Greenwood Mr. John Penry who by the Bishops means after long Imprisonment were put to death contrary to Queen Elizabeths mind in the year 1593 because they refused Communion with the Church of England by reason of the many Popish Corruptions in the Ministry and Worship retained therein And also for bearing their Testimony against the same which is still the Cause many Thousand Protestants refuse Communion with the Church of England at this day As likewise here is word for word the Petition of those persecuted Christians wherein is shewed the Barbarous Usage of the Bishops to them Together with the Refutation of the then Esteemed Bishop of Winchester's Blasphemous Doctrine by Mr. Henry Barrow with the Description of the true Church of God according to Christs Testament by the whole Church at London whom the Doctor calleth Brownists with the reason why they were so Nick-named by their Enemies Very needful for all true Protestants to know By Thomas Wall Prov. 31. 8. Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such a● are appointed to destruction LONDON Printed for William Marshall at the Bible in Newgate-street 1681. To the most Noble and Sincere hearted Protestants Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplied IT may seem a thing very strange in nature for a Lamb without fear to meet a Lyon in the open field As it was in Little David when by faith he Encountered with great Goliah the Champion of the Pblistines even so it may seem strange to some that so mean an instrument shall without fear meet Dr. Stillingfleet fo great a Champion in the open field But seeing he hath with Goliah despised or desied that little flock of Christ's faithful Servants the heavenly Armies of the living God therefore I cannot keep silent having with David the Lord on my side his Truth for my Sword and Buckler therefore for the Honour of the Lord Jesus Christ and love I bear to all his Servants I shall herein defend the Rights and Prerogatives of my Lord and Saviour That he is the only Archbishop Lord Spiritual and Lawgiver to his Church in all things appertaining to the worship of his Father And shall stand by the same testimony which any of the Lords Servants have born against the Doctor and all the Canons of his Church to the contrary Secondly Among all the Enemies of Gods people the most wicked'st are those that under the Visage of Christianity would be reckoned among the Lords Protestant people in word declaring they are on Christs side but in their Works and Writings manifest their hatred against him and all his faithful Servants for no other cause but by manifesting their love to Christ in keeping his Commandment in Gods Worship and bearing their testimony against all mens inventions to the contrary such an enemy hath the Doctor manifested himself to be to the Christians herein mentioned in the false Reports published against them to the Defamation of their persons their Writings and the Truth they professed and maintained as is hereafter plainly discovered concerning their Faith in the Description of the true Church of God with all her Officers and in what order Christ hath commanded in his Testament for them to walk therein with Church State Ministry together with its holy Order I desire the Doctor to compare with his Church and Ministry and then declare to the world which he believeth in his conscience is the true Church of God If God be pleased to open his eyes and carry him above all earthly Wisdom by his Spirit unto an exceeding high Mountain the height Rev. 21. 10. of Israel to behold the City filled with the glory of God and unless God doth be his Ezek. 17. 22 23. 40. 2. Rev. 21. 11. Eccl. 10. 15. help he with the Apostate Israelites will still weary himself and not know how to find the way to the City in which City by the Canon or holy Rules thereof Christ hath appointed for her Officers Pastors Teachers Elders and Deacons Ephes 4. But the 7th Canon of the Doctors Church saith Whosoever shall affirm that the Government of that Church by Archbishops Bishops Deans Archdeacons and the rest that do bear office is Antichristian or repugnant to the word of God let him be excommunicated ipso facto and so continue until he repent and publickly revoke his wicked Errors Christ Jesus hath appointed the whole form of Gospel-worship to be learned out of his Testament and that it be agreeable to the Isa 8. 20. Act. 20. 27. same upon pain of all the Curses in Gods Book to him that addeth or diminisheth to Rev. 22. 18. Prov. 30. 6. or from But the 4th Canon of the Doctors Church saith Whosoever shall affirm that the form of Gods worship established by Law and contained in the book of Common-prayer is a corrupt and superstitious or unlawful worship of God or containeth any thing in it that is repugnant to the Scriptures let him be excommunicated ipso facto and such like wherein is preferred the Traditions and Orders of men to be equal to the inspired Rules in Christs Testament Now let me ask the Doctor whether he believeth in his conscience that when he cometh to appear before the Lord Jesus the chief Judg that he shall be judged for the breach of his Church Canons or for the breach of Christs Canons in his Testament seeing the word of God telleth us that whatsoever man that hath engaged himself to be a worshipper of God and shall break the holy Rules in Worship he hath promised to keep and after Gods order by brethren used for his recovery Matth. 18. if he stand obstinate then that which the Church by the Rules of Christ doth by excommunicating him on earth is confirmed in heaven but the curse for the breach of mans Canons in worship though pretended to God in worship is the curse causeless which shall not come Prov. 26. 2. But the curse turn'd into a blessing upon all that do Rev. 22. 11. to wit the Commandments of the Lord Jesus they only have right to the Tree of life and may enter in through the gates in the City So that it is not enough for the Doctor to think it is sufficient for him or his hearers to believe verbally that Christ is the Son of God come in the flesh as the only foundation of Religion but they that do expect salvation by Christs Merits must not only believe he is the Son of God but by their obedience confess the same that as a Son was he faithful in his house or Church as Moses the Prophet like unto Moses the only Law-giver for Gospel

more of malice than of any just matter he had against him And why at this time Because the memory of Mr. Barrow Mr. Greenwood and Mr. Penry was lately revived in a Christian Warning-piece presented to the Kings Majesty last April so that if Mr. Barrows Books therein mentioned should be again sought after which doth so lively discover the abomination of that Ministry of which the Doctor is one therefore he hath endeavoured to disgrace their persons that their labours might not be regarded and therefore it will not be amiss by the way to note what Mr. Barrow hath written in one of his Books called the Discovery which the Doctor called seditious for comparing the true Ministry of Christ and the Ministry of Antichrist together that as light maketh manifest so in laying down Christs true Ministry the abomination of all other by it may be discovered of which subject in particular Mr. Barrows words are these in his Discovery page 46. The Ministry appointed by Christ unto the Government of Church be of two sorts Elders and Deacons Phil. 1. 1. 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. 5. Rom. 12. Acts 20. 28. 1 Tim. 5. 17. 1 Cor. 12. 7 8. Acts 6. The Elders some of them to give attendance unto the publick Ministry of the Word and Sacraments as the Pastor and Teacher the other Elders together with them to give attendance to the publick Government of the Church The Deacons office to attend to the gathering and distributing the Contribution of the Church for the maintenance of the Ministry and Poor 1 Cor. 16. Now saith Mr. Barrow to come to the Ministry of the Church of England which is so manifold and divers as I know not how to begin to describe it but let it first be divided in these three sorts 1. Reigning or governing 2. Serving and 3 Collegiate 1. Of the reigning and governing Ministers are Arch bishops Lord Bishops Arch Deacons Chancellors Commissaries all of the High Commission as likewise such Civil Doctors Proctors Registers Scribes Pursevants Sumners as attend upon their Courts of Faculties Prerogative Archees Delegates 2. Of the serving sort are Parsons Vicars Curates Hireling Lecturies Vagrant and Mercenary Preachers House priests Chaplains half priests or Catechisers Churchwardens Side men Quest-men Parish-Clarks 3. Of the ministry Collegiate are Lord Bishops Deans Sub deans Prebendaries Canons Petit Canons Gospellers Epistlers Singing-men Singing boys Vergers Sextons This division I suppose will well near suffice for their Officers But now how to divide or distinguish their Offices I know not I am so unlearned and ignorant of such great secrets and high mysteries neither yet have I skill to marshal them in their degrees of honour which I have heard say they have both in the Commonwealth and in their Schools as their Primate their Metropolitan Graces their Palatine Lord Bishops and their Barony Lordships all which I wene be Peers of the Realm and Estates of the Land Now there are also certain Doctors of Divinity and Batchellors of Divinity which have many great priviledges and prerogatives of the Cap the Scarlet Gown the Hood the Habit the Tippet the Ring the Chair the one of them being a Knights fellow the other an Esquires in any ground in England also how capable these are by Statute of how many Benefices I cannot tell Now surely this discovery doth not a little torment the Doctor to cause him to be so malicious against Mr. Barrow to disgrace him now he is dead Papist like who burnt the bones of such as they call Hereticks many years after they have murder'd them when as they did as Mr. Barrow hath done that is bear their testimony against the Rabble of Antichrists ministry as is noted out of the Book of Martyrs in the foresaid Christian Warning-piece to the King p. 23. for what comfort can those have which call themselves ministers and cannot prove their Ordination to be according to Gospel-order when at the last day they will say Lord Lord we have prophesied in thy name and cast out devils in thy name and have done many wonderous works when Christ shall say to them I know you not depart from me ye workers of iniquity For is it not iniquity for any to take upon them the name of a Dean instead of a Pastor and to be a persecutor rather than a preserver and so contrary to Gods plain Law to be a tale-bearer as it written Levit. 19. 16 17. Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale bearer among thy people yea to reproach the deceased Saints of the Lord calling their Books seditious not only for pleading that the ministry appointed by Christ might by Protestants be embraced but also for reproving the blasphemous Doctrine of T. C. the then esteemed Bishop of Winchester in his Book against Martin Marprelate namely this that the Orders and Ordinances which Christ hath in his Testament left unto his Church were but temporary whilst the Church was under Heathen Tyrants and that where the Gospel is embraced by a Christian Prince they are not only not necessary but inconvenient yet intollerable as bringing the utter subversion of the Land raising up rumults and uproars and withdrawing the people from obedience unto their Magistrates Unto which Mr. Barrow replieth that there ought throughout all ages and estates of the world in all places to be one and the same form of outward Government in all true Churches of Christ unto the worlds end scil that Apostolical primitive pattern left unto us in Christs Testament and none other which undoubted truth Mr. Barrow against the Bishops confirms both from the Law and Gospel in these words The Lord when he erected his Tab●rnacle among the Israelites gave them a perfect pattern in all things even to the least instrument hook or tape therein as also the whole composition of every thing belonging thereunto with all the Ordinances thereof and left nothing to the will and discretion of Moses whose commendation was that he was faithful in all his house as a servant for a testimony of these things that were to be spoken after Exod. 25. Heb. 8. 5. Heb. 3. also we read of David in the distribution of the order and functions of the Priests and Levites and likewise of Solomon and Zerubbabel in building the material Temple how perfectly the Lord set down the matter form number size place order and use of every thing belonging thereunto 1 Chron. 28. 11. as also what perfect Laws was given by God for every thing to be done and likewise how jealous the Lord was over his Sanctuary and what severe judgments was upon all them that transgressed the least of his Ordinances as is seen in Nadab Abihu Lev. 10. Corah and his company Numb 16. on Eli and his sons 1 Sam. 4. and sundry the like Now may we suppose God is less jealous careful provident over his glorious Temple of lively stones which consisteth of the bodies and souls of his Saints for the structure instruments

form order and ordinances which shall abide to the worlds end than he was of the other which consisted but of wood and stone and was to abide but for a time being but a type and shadow of the spiritual if we think so let the New Testament convince us wherein is left unto us a most exact lively and express pattern for all things concerning the ministry ordinances maintenance time and order therefore Christ is said to be faithful Heb. 3. 6. in his own house as a Son who is the head of his body the Church Col. 1. 18. of the living God the only Lord spiritual and Archbishop of their soul 1 Pet. 2. 25. If the Dr. be as may be supposed he is of the Bishops mind by imbracing an Office not once named in Christs Testament to wit a Dean by it allowing that the Orders appointed by Christ were but temporary so that Christs Offices of Pastors Teachers Elders and Deacons is not allowed by the Doctor to remain perpetual When he hath proved it he may be believed and until then Mr. Barrows testimony herein is truth and the contrary seditious And they that own any other Ministry Order or Ordinances in Gospel-worship than Christ hath appointed is intollerable to the utter subversion of all good orders in Christs Church and precurer of the Judgments to come on that Land Now if the Doctor will not believe this to be a truth though a truth proved by Scripture because those he calleth Brownists declare it I hope he will believe it if some of the Ministers of his own Church saith it in the Admonition to the Parliament in the Thirteenth year of Queen Elizabeths Reign they in opposition to the Ministry of Arch and Lord Bishops declare in the Epistle Either we must have a right Matt 9. 37 Eph. 4. 11 12 Ministry of God a right Government of his Church Matt. 18. 15 16 17. according to the Scriptures both which we lack or else there can be no right Religion nor yet from the contempt thereof can Gods Plagues be from us any while deferred And further they say in Page 2. We allow and like well of Popish Mass-mongers men for all seasons King Henries Priests Queen Maries Priests who of a truth if Gods Word were precisely kept should from the same be utterly removed Now to leave this to the Doctors consideration I shall in the next place better inform the Doctor what end Mr. Barrow made that so the Doctor may be ashamed to own his false report in his Book I find in a book Printed a little after Mr. Barrows death in the year 1593 Intituled Henry Barrow's Platform by reason of some things Mr. Barrow had Written was after his death Printed In which the Publisher declareth in these words A Gentleman of a good House told me that Queen Elizabeth asked the Learned Doctor Raynols what he then thought of those Two men Henry Barrow and John Greenwood he answered her Majesty that it could not avail any thing to shew his judgment concerning them seeing they were put to death and being loath to speak his mind further Her Majesty charged him upon his Allegiance to speak whereupon he answered that he was perswaded if they had lived they would have been Two as worthy Instruments for the Church of God as hath been raised up in this Age. Her Majesty sighed and said no more But after that she riding to a Park near the place where they suffered death called again to mind their suffering of death and being willing to take farther information concerning them demanded of the Earl of Cumberland who was present when they suffered What end they made He answered A very godly end and prayed for your Majesty the State moreover saith the same Author Mr. Philips a preacher famous both seeing and hearing Mr. Barrow his holy speeches and preparations for death said Barrow Barrow my soul be with thine By all which it appeareth that this report which the Doctor hath taken out of Mr. Cotton's book printed above 40. years after their death and then but that Mr. Cotten should say Mr. Dod told him so is very false and the rather to be believed it was false because Mr. Cotten though he went into New England yet could never forsake the order of his ministry received from the Bishops nor yet glorying in their vain School titles as in the title of his book afore noted he stileth himself John Cotten Batchellor in Divinity These fleshly titles Paul was ashamed of and accounted them but dung though he had as many to glory in as any man Phil. 3. all which Mr. Barrow reproved which Mr. Cotten did not like therefore could report a hearsay against Mr. Barrow though no more dishonour to Mr. Barrow nor the cause he dyed for than it was to the prophet Jeremiah Jer. 20. and the cause he suffered for both for the good old way of the Lord under the Law the other under the Gospel-worship In the next place the Doctor is pleased to publish against Mr. Penry That Mr. Hildersham should tell Mr. Cotten both ministers of the bishops order that Mr. Penry should say a little before his death That he had deserved death at the Queens hands for that he had seduced many of her loyal subjects to a separation from hearing the word of life in the Parish Churches which though himself had learned to discern the evil of yet could he never recover divers of her Majesties subjects whom he had seduced To which I answer as the wise man saith Prov. 18. 17. He that is first in his own Cause seemeth just but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him Now by search I find that report cannot in the least measure be true First being but the report of his enemy and why his enemy but as the Apostle was to some in the Church of Galatia for telling them the truth Gal. 4. 16. 1 King 22. 8. Mr. Penry as well as Mr. Barrow testified against Mr. Hildersham's ministry which testimony I shall easily prove he maintained to his death as appeareth by the consession of his faith his Letter to the Church at London he was a member of 3. His Letter to his Wife all written near that time of his death In his Confession he thus declareth himself I detest against the Pope his triple crown his usurped jurisdiction of either of both swords I detest the limbs of that body their spiritual power as Cardinals Archbishops Lord Bishops Suffragans Abbots Friers Deans this word Dean may vex the Dr. Arch deacons Commissaries Officials Monks Canons Pr●bends Priests Besides this testimony which is sufficient to prove the report false Mr. Hildersham raised against Mr. Penry let me here add what Mr. Penry wrote to the Church at London whereof he was a member in these words Beloved let us think our lot and portion more than happy or blessed that now we are vouchsafed the favour not only to know and profess but also to suffer for