costly stones of cedaâ—s firres and the like special trees and those all prepared before hand hewed and perfit for the building so that neyther hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron was to be heard in the house in the building of it * By the gates of the house were the porters set that none that was vnclean in any thing should enter in Vpon the altar there might be offered no vnclean beast no nor that which was clean having a blemish vpon it And is any rubbish and riâ—rat now good enough for this †spirituall house and temple of God the Church whereof the material temple was but a carnall shadow may the porters the officers let into it the clean vnclean without difference may dogges and swyne and all vnclean beasts and byrdes promiscuously be offered vpoÌ„ * the altar we have in our spiritual tabernacle God forbid And far be it from the servants of the Lord to prepare his Maiesty such a house to dwell in or to defile his holy things with such vnclean persons or to offend his nostrels with the stench of such sacrifices Yea whosoever shall bring me this doctrine that a man of known wicked conversation without such appearance of repentance as the Church by the word of God rule of charity is to judge true may by warrant of the word or practise of the Apostles be received and admitted into the Church by the pratling of a verball profession I will hold that man yea though he were an angel from heaven accursed And for the places which Mr B. brings for this purpose they are so evident against him as when I read them I do even wonder with what conscience modesty or wisdome he could set them down They do speak in deed of faith and the profession of faith in and by such as were received into the Church but of what fayth of a dead faith without works as Iames speaks or fruitfull in evil works which is worse nothing lesse but of such a faith as hath the expresse promise of life eternall annexed vnto it even of that faith which purifieth the heart and worketh by love towards God and man The places of scripture are these Rom. 10. 9. Ioh. 1. 12. 3. 36. Ioh. 17. 3. Act. 2. 36. 8. 37. 9. 20. 11. 26. 16. 31. 33. 19. 4. â— â—8 28. Luk. 24. 47. 1 Cor. 15. 3. 3. 11. Godly reader view the places one by one and see if any one of them speak of a verball faith onely begot in the mouth or of such a profession of faith as hath ioyned with it a prophane conversation the contrary will appear as cleare as the sun and in it how evill a conscience this man vseth thus to pervert the scriptures to the maintenance of a vile opinion and prophane practise Your 4. Reason to prove that the profession of the mayn truth before layd down is of force to make a true Christian is that by it the man so professing doth differ from Iewes Turks Pagans Papists He doth in deed for he is so much worse then they by his verball profession of the truth taking Gods name in vayn and dishonouring it farr more then the other 1 Tim. 5. 8. Isa. 52. 5. Rom. 2. 24. And what matter is it from whom he differs that differs not from but is one of the men of the world a lim of Sathan and an habitation of his spirit Lastly â—â— fire it may be considered whether you be not a partiall and 〈◊〉 judge betwixt the Papists and your selves They for shutting â—â— their works at a third or fourth hand with faith in the 〈…〉 f salvation must be judged â—â—â—se matter and their errour against the 〈◊〉 of faith in the Sonne of God and destroying it against he truth of the gospel bycause it is against the sacrifice of Christs Preisthood and yet you though you yoak Antichrist with Christ and the Popes Canons with Christs Testament in the spirituall government of the soules and bodyes of his people and so sin against the scepter of his kingdome must be reputed true matter your errour no way against the nature of faith or truth of the gospell as though true faith did not as well apprehend Christ a King as a Prophet in the cause of salvation though not in the act of iustification and as though the order which Christ hath left in the Evangelists Actes and Epistles to Timothy and Titus for the gathering and government of his Church were not as well a part of the gospel and so the obiect of faith as any other portion of it Yea to conclude I tell you Mr B. and not I but the holy Ghost and I pray you consider it well that a lewd coÌ„versation and evill conscience is as damnable a sin and as directly against the nature of faith in the sonne of God and the truth of the gospel and doth as plainly destroy faith and prejudice salvation as any eyther Popish or other haeresy in the world Luk. 24. 47. 1 Cor. 5. 11. Gal. 5. 19. 20. 21. Ephe. 5. 5. 6. 1 Tim. 1. 19. 5. 8. 1 Ioh. 1. 6. But graunt as you would have it that profession in word with an apparant denyall of the same in deed made a true Christian or true matter of the Church and that the Apostles built the Lords house of such stones which for me to graunt were both solly and impiety as it is in you to affirm it yet would it no way advantage you nor iustify your Church For the profession by which the Apostles and Apostolike Churches received meÌ„bers was voluntary and personall freely made by the particular persons which ioyned themselves vnto the Lord as the scriptures by you quoted prove as every one that readeth them may see but where was or is any such personall and particular profession vsed or required of any men or women in the replanting of your Church after Popery A man may go out of these countryes wher I now live as many do and hyre a house in any parrish of the land â—e is by the right of his house or fâ—rm a member of the paâ—rish Church where he dwels yea though he have been nousled vp all his life loÌ„g in Popery or Atheism though he were formerly neyther of any Church or religion Yea though he should professe that he did not look to be saved by Christ onely and alone but by his good meanings and well doings yet if he will come hear divine service he is matter true as steel for your Church yea be he of the Kings naturall subiectes he shall by order of law be made true matter of the Church whether he will or no. And what profession of faith in this very case of salvation the body of your Church makes or would make if men freely spake their thoughts a Minister of good note amongst your selves shall testify out of his own experience The
Azariah Obed he not onely went on with that work but * asseÌ„bled together all Iudah Beniamin 〈…〉 which had 〈…〉 out of Israel wheÌ„ they saw the Lord his God was with him that they made a covenant to seek the L. God of their fathers with all their hart with all 〈…〉 that whosoever would not seek the L. God of 〈…〉 whether he were â—â—â—al or great man or woman the same covenaÌ„t with the Lord being coÌ„firmed by an oth it is sayd that all Iudah reioyced at the 〈…〉 the reason is added for they had sworn vnto the Lord with â—â—â— their 〈…〉 and fought him with a whole desire he was found of them The Lord as he had chosen this whole kingdome to be his people and raysed vp this and the like notable instruments of reformation amongst them so did he vpon this and the like occasions work a most wonderful and extraordinarie work vpon them bowing their harts vniversally to the love of his word for the present and to the receiving of the same with ioy together with all readines vnto the obedience of his commaundements the like vnto which never was nor shal be seen to the end of the world in a whole kingdome except the Lord do again chuse one nation from all other nations to be his people as then he did And I am verily perswaded that Mr B. how bold soever he be in his affirmations will not say the like of all England eyther in the beginning or end of King Edwards or Queen Elizabeths reign which the scriptures themselves here and els where do testify of all Iudah whither we respect the disposition of the people whose hearts vniversally the Lord on his part did thus affect or the solemn covenant which they on theirs did contract or rather renue with him And here I do further also infer since all Iudah reioyced at the oath of the covenant and swore vnto the Lord with all their heart and sought him with a whole desire 2 Chr. 15. 13. and that the hand of God was in Iudah so that he gave them one heart to do the commaundement of the King and of the rulars according to the word of the Lord Ch. 30. 12. and so at other tymes that it is most vntruely affirmed by Mr B. how oft soever he repeat it that the reformation of Iudah was not voluntary but of compulsion and of fear True it is that the Kings of Iudah made compulsive lawes for the reformation of the people or rather for their continuance in that reformation to which they had voluntarily submitted but as Mr B. ignorance is intollerable in that his seditious errour tending indeed to the disturbance and subversion of all states civil and ecclesiastical that †voluntarinesse is taken away by being vnder any government that to be subiect and ruled is an estate far from fredome and that Christians loose therby christian liberty so should he here have observed a difference betwixt compulsion active and passive as they speak or more playnly thus that it is one thing for Kings or men in authority to require of their subiects the performance of necessary duties or the forbearance of the contrary vpon such and such penaltyes and another thing for their subiects to obey them herein for fear and involuntarily Many of the Kings lawes do require loyalty of all his subiects towards his maiesty and do forbid vpon payn of death al treasons rebellions now wil any man hereupoÌ„ be so vnadvised as to affirm that therfore all the Kings subjects do forbear treasons and rebellions through compulsion and fear and vnwillingly That godly magistrates are by compulsion to represse publique notable idolatry as also to provide that the truth of God in his ordinance be taught and published in their dominions I make no doubt it may be also it is not vnlawfull for them by some penalty or other to provoke their subjects vniversally vnto hearing for their instruction and conversion yea to graunt they may inflict the same vpon them if after due teaching they offer not themselves vnto the Church but that any King now vpon earth is by the word of God to draw all the people of his nation into covenant with the Lord how much lesse before they be coÌ„veniently taught and to confirm the same by oath and to inflict death vpon all that refuse it or remayn wicked and vnrepentant as the Kings of Iudah were to do by the people of that nation can never be proved by Mr B. or any other man how oft soever they bring in their practises for presidents And if the Kings of Engl. should hold it their duty as the Kings of Israel held it theirs to destroy all the wicked of the land and to slay all that would not seek the Lord God of Israel with all their hart and with all their soule whether great or small man or woman should practise accordingly they would be left barer of subjects then I hope they shal be To these considerations let this be added that when David the most famous King of Israel had subdued the nations round about him and made them tributaries and reigned over them he did not force them into the Church by compulsive lawes nor take any such violeÌ„t courses that we read of Neyther can you shift of the matter Mr B. by alleadging that these nations were heathens and infidels and such as made no profession of religion nor were circumcised for amongst the rest over whom David ruled the Edomites are named which were the posterity of holy Abraham as well as the Israelites comming of Esau as they of Iaakob who did also besides many mayn truthes reteyn circumcision and that true also as well as the Papists reteyn true baptism and by which they might as truely be deemed the Lords people though in apostasie as the Papists by the other To end this argument of violence in religion to which it is very vnnaturall neyther Hezechiah nor Iosiah nor any other King eyther of Iudah or England had or hath power from God to compel an apparant prophane person so remayning eyther to joyn vnto or continue in the Church and the Church so to receive continue him The Kings of Iudah as I haue shewed were to destroy and put to death all such wicked ones and so to weed them out of the Church by the sword according to the dispensation of those tymes to what end then doth Mr B. bring in them their authority eyther for the planting or watering of such persons in the Church for which purpose notwithstanding he produceth them So for other Kings though they be not to destroy all the wicked in their land or nation as not being to gather a nationall Church so are they to vse their authority for the preserving pure of the Church to see that wicked â—lagitious persons be neither taken into nor kept in the Ch to the
but idolatrous and heâ—iticâ—l corruptions vpon the profession of Christian fayth covering it with the same as Iobs body was with sores and in the more large application of that Simile pag. 245. do affirm that as he though covered over with botches and sores so aâ— he could scarce be known by his freinds was Iob stil vnder the sores and the very same essentially that he was before so â—s the Church and christianity in Popery â—hough covered with the antichristian corruptions which Sathan hath brought over them in so saying you are like your selfe onely constant in inconstancy and errour And tell me I pray you Mr B. is the Popes vniversal supremacy and headship over all Churches by which also he claymeth power of both the swords onely a sâ—ab vpon the skin of the true ministery which Christ hath left in the Church without preiudicing the essence or nature of it Is the sacrifice of the masse onely a soar brought vpon the Lords supper vnder which notwithstaÌ„ding it lyes the very same in nature and substance which was by Christ ordeyned Is prayer vnto saynts onely a corruption come vpon true prayer but no more against the life of it then Iobs vlcers were against his life or doth it not destroy the very soule and life of prayer Is adoration of saynts service in an vnknown tongue with all other the abhominations in the masse-book but as a scurf come over that true worship of God wherwith he wil be worshipped Iohn 4. 23. 24. vnder which the very same true worship lyeth as Iob did vnder his soares which God hath coÌ„maunded that without any more daunger of losse of life then Iob was in by his outsyde skabs Lastly is the opinion of iustification by works onely a botch and byle vpon true fayth but not against the nature of it nor destroying the essence of it Your errour is sufficiently convinced in the recital and opening of it in these particulars your inconstancy and contradiction is most notorious in the last of them compared with that you wryte pag. 113. of your former book namely that the ioyning of works in the cause of salvation which the Papists do is against the true nature of fayth in the son of God and destroyeth it That which you call your fifth reason hath no countenance of a reason in it but is meerly a conclusion inferred by you vpon your 4 former reasons to prove Rome in respect of the tyme prâ—â—ent a true Church and the sum of it is that the Churches now coming out of Babylon do not requyre any nâ—w plantation but onely a reformation as did Iudith in the tyme of Hezechiah after the apostacy of Idolatrous Ahaz and of the people wâ—â—h him But since the reasons wherwith you would vnderprop this your inference are taken away it must needs â—â—ll to the ground Neyther will your Babel stand any whit the stronglyer for the daubing you make with this and the like vntempered morter that it hath not made a nullity of religion that it hath not lost the Apostolical constitution totally that it holds truthes sufficient to iudg men christian by the corruptions being taken away For first what matters it though Rome have not made a nullity if it have made a falsity of religion by most grosse vntruthes haeresyes and Idolatryes making voyd the commaundements of God by mens traditions and teaching for doctrines mens precepts And secoÌ„dly what though the coÌ„stitutioÌ„ be not totally lost If an house or material building be not totally demolished but there stil remayn some few postes or studdes not yet puld down or some few stones of the foundation vndigged vp is it therfore truely an house and so to be called Lastly doth it follow that because Papists might be iudged true christians for the truthes they hold their corruptions being taken away they are therefore such with their corruptions so the vilest haeretique Idolater or other miscreant in the world take away his haeresy Idolatry and mischeif may be iudged a christian yea the Divil himself take but away his corruptions is a glorious Angel of light Having thus answered the reasons brought by Mr B. to prove Rome a true Church and the like I will in the next place lay down such arguments from the scriptures as manifest the contrary and those also taken out of his own writings for the further discovering of his vnsound and deceitful dealing with men in the Lords matters And first in his cathechism printed 1602. pag. 1â— he demaunds this question â—â— the Church of Rome a true Church of Christ whervnto he answereth No but of Antichrist the Pope the cheif teacher of the doctrine of Divils And in the same place to prove that religion a false religion he brings 7. general reasons very weighty all and every one of them as he that reads the place shal finde Secondly in his seperatists sâ—hism he makes as Iewes Turks and Pagans no matter so Papists false matter of the Church and contrary to true matter in that they ioyn with Christ their works in the cause of salvation pag. 111. 112. 113 116. Thirdly he affirms in his last book pag. 277. that the covenant betwixt God and the people is the form of the Church and proves that this covenanting mutually doth give a being vnto a people to be Gods people Deut. 29. 12. 13. To this let that be added which he wrytes pag. 281. of the same book namely that the Papists have not the same word and fundamental poynts of the covenant with them in England And in particular that they make a covenant with Angels and Saynts and so hold not the person in the covenant that they make another word even mens traditions the declaration of the covenant and so change the evidence that they make moe sâ—craments and so adde counterfeyt seals turning the Lords supper into a Popish sacrifice and so do tear off the Lords seal and make it nothing worth and these three namely the person the wryting and the seals he makes the foundamental poynâ—s of the covenant as wherein the foundation therof doth stand And who now seeth not how this man is first constrayned to plead for Rome as a true Church to defend the Church of England and afterwards being ashamed of that plea to condemn it as a false Church corrupt and counterfyet in the very foundation and form which gives the being as he himself speaks Fourthly he graunts in these his playn endeavours that Rome is Babylon and that the H. Ghost so calls it and applyes rightly the places literally spoken of the type the heatheâ—ish Babylon spiritually to the thing signifyed the Antichristian Babylon the Romish Synagogue And the same thing the wrytings of the godly learned both at home and abroad do confirm Noâ— what can be more playn Is it possible that Rome should be both Babylon Ierusalem both the Synagogue of Antichrist and the Church of Christ Can that Catholick
people then were very iudicious and able to make a choise whereas it is now far otherwise with many it is of some consideration for the people Church of England but of none at all for the people Church of God If the people in the parish assemblies there should vsurp this power it would be far otherwise with them indeed for the most part then with people iudicious or able to make a choise Can blind men judge of colours or naturall men of spirituall things If a man would prophesie vnto them of wine and strong drink he were a Prophet for such a people It is certayn they would chuse Ministers like themselves ignorant loose fellowes for the most part the saying of the Prophet would be verifyed as is the people so is the Preist And yet worse then are made and chosen by the Bishops and Patrons generally they could hardly find But observe your self Mr B. when you plead for the ignorance and prophanenes of your own people you write that the Apostles received into the Churches persons very ignoraÌ„t and of lewd conversation Now when you come to plead against the liberty of the people of God you make them in the Apostles tymes to have been very iudicious able to discern of things far otherwise then the people now are Now for the exception it self it is of no valew But as the ordinances and administration of the Iewish Church remayned the same and vnalterable though the peoples knowledge were not alwayes the same but sometimes greater sometimes lesse so is it in the estate of the new testament with all theÌ„ which deem that Christ the Sonne is worthy of as much honour in his ordinances as was Moses a servant of the house in his And if this devise were admitted of that the liberty of the people should eb and flow according to the measure of their knowledge then should not all the brethren in the same Church haue the same Christian liberty in the choise of officers censuring of offenders and the like ordinances for all have not the same measure of knowledge nay it may be scarce two of all so divers is the dispensation of grace to the severall members Then should scarce two severall Churches in the world injoy the same Christian liberty the one with the other no nor any one with it self any long tyme since one Church differeth from another yea from it self at divers times in the measure degree of knowledge and other graces of God Besides if we should wey together in the ballances the Churches of Christ now and in the Apostles times the Christian liberty of the people would rather sway the ballance this way then the other way and to the people now then in the Apostles dayes For first there were present with the people in those first times besides other extraordinary officers extraordinarily indowed the Apostles themselves those great Maister-buylders which if any other in the world might lawfully haue deprived the people of their power in this the like cases which notwithstaÌ„ding they did not but on the coÌ„trary did faithfully inform direct theÌ„ according to the coÌ„maundement of Christ in the right lawful vse of the same And yet notwithstanding the Bishops of the Romish and English Church though not worthy so much as of the name of daubers in the Lords house in comparison of those other Maister-buylders dare without fear or shame engrosse all into their owne hands and haue their proctours this man and others many a one to plead for them in their vsurpation 2. The Churches in the Apostles tyme were newly converted froÌ„ Iudaism and Paganism and had still cleaving vnto them much ignorance in many great poynts And in particular the disciples or Church at Ierusalem after they were both possessed and had vse of this power of chusing officers were ignorant of no lesse a point then the calling of the Gentiles of which or the like mayn ground of religion no true Church of Christ now is ignorant as that Ch then was And thus it appeareth that the choise of Officers by the people in the primitive Churches was not a matter casual or of the Apostles courtesy but a commaundement of Christ left penned by the H. Ghost as is the rest of that story and of those Acts of the Apostles for our direction and the direction of all the Churches of Christ to the worlds end One shift more Mr Bernard makes from which he must be put and that is that the Patron chuseth for the people a fit man whom the Bishop finding fit by examination ordeyneth and that this is a lawfull calling To let passe that the Patrons vsually choose not for the people but for themselves and their own profits and pleasures which though it be apparant to all men is not without cause winked at by the Bishops considering how and by what meanes they procure their own choise I answer first that the patron doth not chuse for the people that is as the people did chuse in the Apostles tymes For the people then made choise of such as were before private persons but by their election to be ordeyned into office where the Patron chuseth a Clerk who is in office already and ordeyned by the Bishop before the Patron make choise of him The Bishop doth at the first make him a Minister at large and not of any particular Church and so sends him as it were to graze vpon the Commons till afterwards he be found by or rather find some Patron which by his presentation makes a gap and lets him into some vacant Vicarage or Parsonage there to minister accordingly But admit in the 2. place that the Patron stood in the room of the people to choose for them I would demaund who set him there or where the scriptures do eyther teach or approve of any such Aâ—â—urney-ships in the matters of religion of Gods worship as you make by telling vs in one place that the officers do make professioÌ„ of faith in another that they censure offenders here that they chuse Ministers for the people If som one maÌ„ in a parish had â—ntaâ—lâ—d to him and his heyres for ever the power of appoynting housbands to all the women in the parrish the bondage were intollerable though in a matter of Civile nature how much more intollerable then is the spirituall bondage of the parrish assemblyes vnder the imperious presentations of those Lord patrons whose Clerks they must receive and submit vnto whither they wil or no Great is the sin of the people which loose this liberty greater of the Patrons which engrosse it but the greatest of all is that for the Ministers which by their doctrine practise confirm both the one and the other in their iniquity all three conspiring together in this that they alter the ordinances and commaundements of Christ by his Apostles and so both diminish of his
institution adde of â—heir owne devise Now as the forenamed scriptures like a gratious charter given to this spirituall corporation the Church by the King thereof Iesus Christ do clearly plead the peoples liberty and power of the choise of their Ministers so will I adde vnto them certayn Reasons to prove this order and ordinance to be of morall and perpetuall equity The first is bycause the bond between the Minister and people is the most streyt and near religious bond that may be and therefore not to be entered but with mutuall consent any more then the civill bond of mariage between the housband and wife It makes much both for the provocation of the Ministery vnto all diligence and faithfulnes and also for his comfort in all the tryals and temptations which befall him in his Ministery when he considereth hovv the people vnto whom he ministreth have committed that most rich treasure of their soules in the Lord yea I may say of their very faith ioy to be helped forward vnto salvatioÌ„ to his care and charge by their free and voluntary choise of him It much furthers the love of the people to the person of their Minister and so consequently their obedience vnto his doctrine and government when he is such a one as themselves in duety vnto God and love of their own salvation have made choise of as on the contrary it leaves them without excuse if they eyther perfidiously forsake or vnprofitably vse such a mans holy service and ministration Lastly it is agreable to all equity and reason that all free persons and estates should choose their own servants and them vnto whom they give wages and maintenance for their labour and service But so it is betwixt the people and ministers the people a free people the Church a free estate spirituall vnder Christ the King the Ministers the Churches as Christs servants so by the Churches provision â—o live and of her as labourers to receive wages Thus much of the 4. Argument The 5. followeth the summe whereof is that bycause the Ministers of the English assemblies teach true and sound doctrine in the root and fundamentall points of religion they are therefore the true Ministers of Christ. And that sound doctrine is the triall of a true Minister Mr B. would prove from these scriptures 1 Tim. 4. 6. Ier. 23. 22. Of the vnsound doctrine of your Church and that more specially in the fundamentall points of religion others have spoken at large formerly and something is by me hereafter to be spoken for the present therefore this shall serve that since Christ Iesus not onely as Preist and Prophet but as King is the foundation of his Church and that the visible Church is the kingdome of Christ the doctrines towching the subiects government officers lawes of the Church can be no lesse then fundamentall doctrines of the same Church or Kingdome Which how vnsound they are with you appears in your Canons ecclesiasticall composed for that purpose Which if your ministers preach they preach vnsound doctrine and strike at a mayn pillar of religion viz the visible Church of God which is the pillar and ground of truth as the Apostle speaketh if not then are they schismatiques in and froÌ„ your Church whose solemn doctrines they refuse to publish Now bycause Mr Bern. every where beares himself big vpon the sound doctrines taught by the ministers in England and in this place brings in two scriptures to warraÌ„t their Ministery vpoÌ„ this grouÌ„d let vs a litle consider of the scriptures and of the intent of them and what verdict they give in on his side In the one place the Prophet Ieremy reproves the Preists and Prophets for not dealing faithfully with the people in laying before them their abhominations and Gods judgements due unto the same that so they might haue turned from their evil wayes and from the wickednes of their inventions but for flattering them on the contrary in their iniquities and for preaching peace vnto them for the strengthening of their hands in evil Now if the Ministers in England be measured by these mens line they will appear to ly levell with theÌ„ in a great measure For first the greatest part of them by far declare not the Lords word at all vnto the people but are tonguetyed that way some through ignorance some through idlenes many through pride And of them which preach how many are there mere men-pleasers flattering the mighty with vayn and plausibly words and strengthening the hands of the wicked and with prophane and malicious spirits reviling and disgracing all sincerity in all men adding vnto these evils a wicked conversation by which they further the destruction of many but the conversion of none And lastly for those few of more sound doctrine and vnblameable coÌ„versation let these things be considered First they are reputed schismatiques in the Church of Engl are generally excoÌ„municated ipso facto so wil appear to be to any that compares their practise with the ecclesiasticall lawes of that Church 2. They do with these sound doctrines mingle many errours yea the same things which in the generall they teach and professe they do in the particulars but specially in their practise gainsay deny 3. As they declare the Lords will vnto the people but by halves and keep back a great part of his counsel which they know is profitable for them wherin they would walk with them were it not for fear of persecution so are they ready to de silenced to smother the whole counsel of the L. not to speak one word more in his name vnto the people vpon â—hâ—ir Lord Bishops inhibition which were they perswaded in their consciences they were sent of God I suppose they durst not do Of which more in the seventh Argument Now for that in Tim. 1. Epist. 4. ch ver 6. if the doctrine of the Ministers agree with the doctrine and practise of the Ch they will appear liker to them of whom Paul speaks ver 3. then to Timothy ver 6. If it be sayd that the Church of England forbid not mariage vse of meates absolutely but in certayn respects I answer no more doth the Church of Rome but to certeyn persons and at certeyn times against whoÌ„ notwithstanding all Protestants do apply this scripture and so doth the Church of England forbid them though more sparingly as good reason the daughter come something behind the mother as mariage to fellowes in Colledges and to Apprentices and to all at certeyne tymes especially at Lent during which holy time the eating of flesh is also forbidden and abstinence commaunded and that in incitation of Christs fâ—â—ting for our sakes fourty dayes and fourty nightes and that for a religious vse namely the subdâ—ing of the flesh vnto the spirit for the better obedience of godly mottoâ—s in righteousnes
A IVSTIFICATION OF SEPARATION from the Church of England Against Mr Richard Bernard his invective INTITVLED The Separatists schisme By Iohn Robinson And God saw that the light was good and God separated between the light and between the darknes Gen. 1. 4. What communion hath light with darknes 2 Cor. 6. 14. Anno D. 1610. To the Christian reader TWo severall treatises good reader have been formerly published by several men in answer to Mr Bernards book yet have I thought it meet to adde a third not as able to speak more then they but intending something further namely an examination of the particulars one by one that so in all points the salve might be answerable vnto the soare applying my self therein to such a familiar and popular kinde of defence as Mr B. hath chosen for his accusations where the former answers onely intended a summary discovery of the insufficiency of his probabilities to disswade from reasons to disprove the things he opposeth The zeal Mr. B. manifesteth here and every where both in word and writing is exceeding great as all men know And surely fervent zeale in Gods cause is a temper wel befitting Gods servants neyther is there any more bastardly disposition to be found in a Christian then indifferency in religion It makes no matter of what religion the man is that is indifferent in it for Christ vvill spue out of his mouth as loathsome the lukevvarm whether wine or water Yet as the case of religion is most weighty so is the affection of zeale in it most dangerous if it be eyther pretended onely not in truth or preposterous and not according to knowledge And therefore as there is singular vse of this fyery zeal for these frozen times of ours so are we to take great heed that our fyre be kindled at the fyre of the altar vvhich came from heavē For as Luke Act. 2. 23. speakes of fyery tongues vvhich came from heaven so doth Iames 3. 6. speak of a tongue vvhich is set on fyre of hell And this we are the more carefully to mynd not onely because almost all men have taught theyr tongues in the generall to speak goodly words and that zealously also for advantage but more specially and with respect to the busines in hand for that many of the weaker sort have theyr tender harts rather affrighted from the truth of the Lord by the deep protestations and obtestations of their guids then any way stablished in those perplexed pathes wherein they walk with them by sound reasons Now as the Lord is to be intreated for those people that he would vouchsafe them wise and stable harts that they may try all things and hold that vvhich is good and neyther suffer themselves to be withheld nor withdrawn from the truth by any such semblances of zeale or other passion though never so solemn and seeming never so sincere so for theyr better direction herein I have thought it not amisse to commend vnto their godly harts two or three considerations by way of caution in this case First therefore it must be considered that there are some of that hoysterous and tempestuous disposition that they can doo nothing calmly or a litle theyr vnruly affections which should follow after leysurely do force on so violently theyr vnderstanding will and whol man as there is no stay with them but in all their motions they are like vnto those beasts which for the vnequall length of theyr hinder leggs cannot possibly goe but by leapes Such a stormy nature with a very litle zeal amongst may make a great stir in the world but is iustly to be suspected And that especially which is the 2. caution in such men as are suddaynly caryed and as it were transformed from one contrary to another without eyther competent tyme or means A suspitious course for all thing ordinarily whither in grace or nature are wrought by degrees and the passage from one extreme to another without due means as it can hardly be sound so can it not possibly be vnsuspected Now ther are many men to be found which are violent in all things but constant in none And though all things be with thē as the figs in Ieremyes tvvo baskets the good very good and the evill very evill yet are they ever shifting hands out of the one basket into the other Today they will lift vp and advance a cause and person to heaven and to morrow they will throw downe both it and him to the lowest hell It is good to have such men in a godly iealousy and there zeale with them And that chiefly which I desyre may be observed in the third place when this theyr zeale rises and falls as the tymes serve Almost all men will at tymes manifest zeal but the most have this gift withall that they wil be sure to take the strongest syde or that part at least which hath some hope of prevayling And so whylst there remaynes hope of bearing things over at the breast they are very forward and fervent in there courses but when that hope shaketh theyr edg is of and they turne theyr backs shamefully vpon the truth yea and oft tymes theyr faces agaynst it And herevpon it comes to passe that many formerly great advauncers of the cause of reformation have of late tymes not onely fouly forsaken but violently opposed the same both in us and them also amongst themselves which doe in any measure desyer it publishing theyr books vnto the world so filled with empty words and swelling vanityes as they not onely bewray the weaknes of theyr cause but the evill and corrupt disposition of theyr hearts as rather striving to manifest theyr servil◠affections for insinuations into the favours of the myghty then to bring any thing of weight for the conviction of the adversary The application of this I leave to the godly and wise reader as he shall see iust cause And so leaving those things which are more generall I desyre in particular and for the present purpose that the christian reader take knowledg of this one thing that as the pretence of zeale in the forward Ministers against all corruptions is as a thick mist holding the eyes of many wel mynded from seing the truth so the person with whom I now particularly deal trusts to this insinuation above all others conveyghing himself vnder this colour into the harts of the simple and hereby making way most effectually not onely for his sage-seeming counsels advertisements for the quenching of their affections towards the truth but also for his idle guesses and likelyhoods with such personall comparisons and imputations as wherewith his book is stored to alienate mens harts from it But the godly reader is to consider that to accept the person in judgement is not good especially in the cause of the Lord and that the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus is not to be held in respect of persons but
to be considered then that every man ought to order himself and his own stepps first That is good the best but not all For if by Gods commandement we ought to bring back our enemies ox or asse that strayeth how much more to bring into order our brothers soul body wandring in by pathes And here Mr Bernard brings to mind a practise vsuall with many of the preachers in their sermons They wil advance prayer viz their service book that they may extenuate preaching coÌ„mend peace that they may smother truth plead much for censures due to be given him that they may deteyne from God his due and every where send men back into themselves that they may keep theÌ„ from looking vpon others and so make them carelesse of such duties towards their brethren as Gods word bindes them unto Leviâ— 19. 17. 1 Thes. 5. 14. As though the coÌ„mandements of God were opposite one to another and could not stand together wheras they are all most holy and good and all helpful one to another and all to be practised in their places whether they concerne our selves or our brethren They of the one sort ought to be done and they of the other not to be left vndone The 9. 10. and 11. Rule I acknowledge without exception 12. Whomsoever thou doest see to do a misse iudge it not to be of wilfulnes but eyther of ignorance and so offer to informe them or of infirmity and so pitty them and pray for them Be charitable c. This Rule as it is not vniversally true for we may oft tymes discern in mens both words and actions wilfull and wayward obstinacy and so may iudge of them 1 Tim. 6. 5. Tit. 3. 10. 11 so is it ill practised by him that gives it For amongst other sinns wherewith he loadeth he Separists in his book wilfull obstinacy in their schismâ— is one Here full charitably he advertiseth to iudge no man wilfull in his â—inn yet there he himself so iudgeth vs eyther excluding vs from the common libertyes of mankynde as wormes and no men or himself following the steps of his forefathers in laying heavy burdens vpon other mens shoulders which himself will not touch with the least finger Agaynst the 13. direction I have not to oppose and therefore passe to the 14. and last touching things indifferent by which this authour makes way into many an impertinent indigested consideration The rule followeth 14. In things indifferent make no question for conscience sake so be that neyther holynes meriâ—e nor necessity be put therein nor they vsed for any part of Gods worship but for decency order and aedification For answer of this sundry things are to be considered And first that which the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 10. 25. 27. of the coÌ„mon conversation of Christians in the world and of their liberty that way Mr. Bern. misapplieth to the case of religion and matters of Gods worship as though men might vse as great liberty in the matters of religion or about the same as in their worldly affayres Secondly where the Apostle ver 25. 27. directs the faythful to make no conscience of eating he further addeth ver 28. 29. that for the offence of a weak brother scandalizing at the eating of Idolothites they ought to make conscience and to forbeare This latter part which is the very drift of the scripture Mr. Bern. concealeth and so maymeth the sence and frustrateth the reader and whether to thiâ—â—nd he leaves not the words vnquoted his owne heart knowes best 3. Howsoever you labour to cover your Popish ceremonies for thâ—se you meane though you name them not vnder the title of things indifferent of toâ—es trisâ—es and the like champing them smal that they may the easilyer be swallowed denying that either holynes or necessity is put in them or that they are made partes of Gods worship yet hath the contrary been sufficiently manyfested by your owne men to whose large treatises to this purpose I refer the reader Notwithstanding since Mr. B. casts this consideration as a stone in the way to other matters of importance I may not altogether overstryde it but will turne it over as I goe that the reader as he passeth by may see what wormes and other vermine lyes vnder it First then to lâ—t passe the holynes which thousands in the land put in the crosse surplice kneeling at the communion without which they think no service or sacrament so acceptable to God for which cause alone they ought not onely to be forborne but to be abolished much rather then the brasen serpent 2. King 18. it is evident that the same special vses and ends are ascribed vnto them and to the principall parts of Gods worship and so agreeing in theyr ends they agree in their natures One mayn end vse of the word of God is to teach signify vnto vs the good will of God and our duety mutually towards him and towards our brethren to stir vp our mynds to the remembrance and performance of tâ—â— same 2 Tim. 3. 16. And what lesse is attributed to the ceremonyes when they are neyther dark nor dumb but apâ— to stir vp the dul mynde of man to the remembrance of his duty to God The proper ends and vses of baptisme are to initiate the partyes baptised into the Church of Christ and to consecrate them to his service so to serve for badges of Christianity by which it is distinguished from all other professioÌ„s Mat. 28. 19. 1 Cor. 12. 13. And for what meaner vse serves the signe of the crosse in baptism by or with which the childe is râ—ceaved into the congregation of Christs flock and by it as by an honourable badge of Christian profesion dedicated to the service of Christ And so those ceremonyes supposed indifferent agreing with the mayn parts of Gods worship in theyr ends must agree also in their natures with them since fines rerum sunte formis so consequently must have holynes in them or els your worship Mr. B. is very vnholy And what necessity is put in them all men see when the purest preaching in the land without them is thought not onely vnnessary but even intollerable And if necessity be layd vpon the Ministers to preach the Gospell then that to which the preaching of the Gospell must give place is more necessary and so made Moreover to make a thing indifferent and yet to serve for decency order and edification includes a contradiction For it is not an indifferent thing to minister the ordinances of Christ decently orderly and to edification but a matter of simple necessity 1 Cor. 14. 26. 40. Yea I adde if the Ceremonyes make the worship of God the more comely orderly and edificative they ought continually diligently to be vsed yea though they were forbidden by the Highest power vpoÌ„ earth as on the contrary if they advantage not the worship of God for
of your owne hart But let vs heare your advise Quaere Whether it be an offence iustly given by thee or taken without iust reason of others thou not offending and they displeased the fault is their own and thou not chargeable therewith But you must vnderstand Mr B. that in the vnseasonable vse of things in themselves indifferent there is an offence both given taken and so a double sinn coÌ„mitted he that gives the offence sinns through want of charity and he that takes it through want or weaknes of fayth And so where actions simply good do onely hurt him that takes offence and actions simply evill him that gives it the vse of things indifferent agaynst expediency hurts harmes and destroyes both Rom. 14. 15. Now the parts of your secoÌ„d enquiry viz. whether men be offended in respect of what themselves know or butled by affection disliking of other mens dislike are insufficient For men do oft tymes take offence at things done and yet neyther in respect of their own knowledge nor of other mens dislike but merely through want of knowledg and vpon ignorance of their christian liberty And such were the weak brethren spoken of Rom. 14. 1 Cor. 8. and 9. which how they were to be tendered in their weaknes let the places iudge And for persoÌ„s partially affectionate or foolishly froward which is the mayn point in the 3. Quaere they are no way to be regarded as weak but on the contrary to be reproved as wayward contentious that folly and sinne may not rest vpon them Onely let men take heed they iudge not vncharitably of their brethren because they would practise vncharitably towards them as Nabal reviled David and his men as runnagates because he would deal churlishly with them and would shew them no mercy In the forth place it is demaunded What authority may do in things externall for outward rule in the circumstances of things How colourably you cary all the abominations in your Church vnder the shadow of circumstances and of how great moment even circumstances are in the case of religion I have formerly spoken let me onely ad thus much If a subject should vsurp the crown and exercise regall authority the difference were but in the circumstance of person which notwithstanding made the action high treason Or if a Preist comming to say his evensong should fall a sleep on his desk it were but a matter of circumstance in respect of tyme and place it might lawfully be done in another place and at another tyme yet there then it were a great prophaning of the service book What sway authority hath in the Church of England appeareth in the lawes of the land which make the goverment of the Church alterable at the Magistrates pleasure and so the Clergy in their submission to K. Henry 8. do derive as they pretend their ecclesiasticall jurisdiction from him and so exercise it Indeed many of the late Bishops and their Procters seeing how monstrous the ministration is of divine things by an humane authority and calling and growing bould vpon the present disposition of the Magistrate have disclaimed that former title and do professedly hold their eclesiasticall power and jurisdiction de jure divino so consequentâ—y by Gods word vnalterable Of whom I would demaund this one quaestion What if the King should discharge and expell the present ecclesiasticall goverment plant in stead of it the Presbytery or Eldership would they submit vnto the government of the Elders yea or no if yea then were they traytors to the Lord Iesus submitting to a goverment overthrowing his goverment as doth the Praesbyterian goverment that which is Episcopall if no then how could they free themselves from such imputations of disloyalty to Princes and disturbance of States as wherewith they load vs others opposing them But to the quaestion it self As the kingdom of Christ is not of this world but spirituall he a spiritual King so must the goverment of this spirituall kingdom vnder this spirituall King needs be spiritual all the lawes of it And as Christ Iesus hath by the merits of his Preisthood redemed as well the body as the soule so is he also by the scepter of his Kingdom to rule reign over both vnto which Christian Magistrates as well as meaner persons ought to submit themselves the more Christian they are the more meekly to take the yoke of Christ vpon them and the greater authority they have the more effectually to advance his scepter over themselves their people by all good meanes Neyther can there be any reason given why the merits of saynts may not as wel be mingled with the merits of Christ for the saving of his Church as the lawes of men with his lawes for the ruling and guiding of it He is as absolute and as intire a King as he is a Preist and his people must be as carefull to praeserve the dignity of the one as to enjoy the benefit of the other The next Quaere is Whether authority commaunding doth not take away the offence which might otherwise be given in a voluntary act This question is answered affirmatively by the Bishops their adhaerents and so with one voice they affirme in their books pulpits and other publik determinations but herein as palpably flattering the Magistrate as ever Canonist did the Pope What more was ever given to the Pope then that he might dispence with the morall law And what lesse is given to the King when by his authority I vse things indifferent with offence to my weak brother Is not love the fulfilling of the law And is it not against the law of love to vse things indifferent with offence which must the more carefully be avoyded coÌ„sidering the effects it drawes with it which are not onely the grief vvhich were too much but even the destruction of him for whom Christ dyed ver 5. 20. 1 Cor. 8. 11. Onely he which can strengthen the weak faith which is the cause of the offence can take away the offence and stablish him that is weak Rom. 14. 4. Men may and must vse meanes for that purpose and not nourish the weak in their weaknes but beare them they must in love and much love will have much patience Lastly for I passe over the 5. Quaere as comprehended in those which go before where you advise meÌ„ to studie agayn to study to be quiet and to follow those things which concerne peace it is needfull counsel and againe needfull considering what vnquiet spirits are to be found in all places Onely let men in their counsayls which you leave out ioyne with peace aedification and holynes as the scriptures teach and so separating the pretious from the vile they shal be to vs as Gods mouth and let their peace be in the word of righteousnes the ioy of the counselers of peace shal be vpon
of you where your your fellow Ministers power of excommunication had been duetify as an obedient child in giving the rod of discipline into the hands of your reverend fathers alone and their substitutes Well Mr B. whomsoever the Lord Iesus meant by the Church Mat. 18. he never meant that the Archbishop of York the Archdeacon of Nottingham the Officiall of Southwel were the Church of Worksop and for this I vvill spare all Arguments and send you to your owne guilty conscience for conviction which as it condemns you in yourself which is also the case of many thowsands in the Land so do I earnestly wish both you and them to remember with fear and trembling the condemnation of him that is greater then your cōscience Ioh. 3. 20. So far are they from being the Church of Worksop as they are not so much as members of it nor of any other particular Church in the kingdome they are neyther the Pastours so called nor vnder the Pastors of any particular Church but with their tanscendent jurisdiction in their Provinciall and Diocesan Churches take their scope without orb or order and as clouds without rayn carryed about with the wind of ambition and covetousnes for the the greatest part To leave them and come to your reasons Mr B. by which you would prove that tell the Church is tell the governours But here behold the fruites of an vnstable mind This man in his former book laboured by many scriptures and reasons to lay downe the nature of the Churches government and in speciall to prove that the Church Math. 18. 17. to vvhich complaint of sinns was to be made was the cheif officers onely and this he affirmes also to be the iudgement and the practise of all reformed Churches But lo now in his second book he devoures the hallowed thing and labours vvithall his power to persvvade young divines seely country people as he speakes and as in truth they had need be both young and seely that are perswaded by him that the points of discipline and Church-government are not so apparant by the scriptures as that they can rightly iudge of them And to this end he brings in the variety of iudgements and contradictions of learned men some holding no government at all others that an externall government is to be had but of these some holding it alterable others constant and perpetuall and of these some to be in the Pope Cardinalls others in the body of the congregatiō some in the Presbytery with the peoples consent and others which he puts last as best and for which he brings sundry reasons referring the reader to the treatises written to that end in the Bishops his Lords And againe touching the punishment of offenders some he brings in holding excommunication but not suspension some holding both and some neyther And particularly for Math. 18. he musters in thick and threefold reasons and persons so reasoning and proving that the place and so of Lev. 19. 17. doth nothing at all concern discipline or ecclesiasticall censures but that Christs meaning there was onely to direct the Iewes how to carry things before the Synedrion in cases of bodily injury And thus he brings mens contrary opinions to darken the scriptures which are most playne like so many foul feet to trouble the pure fountaynes of living water that the thirsty may not drink of them And as a learned man in our age nation to discover the vanity of prognosticatours gathered together their contrary guesses of the wether and so presented them so this man to make the government of Christs Church as vncertayne as an Almanack sets together and so offers to the vvievv of the world the contrarieties of opinions concerning it Now if other men should take this course Mr B. doth in other points of religion and one lay down the differences that are about predestination the points depending vpon it some vtterly denying it others affirming it and of these some grounding it vpon Gods mere grace others vpō mans faith or workes foreseen an other about baptisme some denying it to all infants others ministring it to all others to such onely as are of Christian parents in a sort and others onely to them that are of beleeving parents at the least on the one side a third about the Lords supper in which point some hold transubstantiation others consubstantiation others onely a sacramentall vnion which some also will have merely rationall others reall also there could not be a playner way beaten for all Atheism to come into the world by nor a course devised by the Divell more pregnant to perswade the multitude that there were no certaynty nor soundnes in the scriptures But let God have the glorie of his truth and of the clearnes in it and let men bear the just blame and shame of their naturall blyndnes and in speciall let Christ have the honour of being as faythfull in his owne house as Moses was in his Maisters in setting orders and officers in it and let not vile flesh dare to flatter Princes and Prelates to mislead silly soules and to preach liberty and licentiousnes to the world make Christ Iesus an Idol King having a kingdome vpon earth without lawes or officers for the administring of it nor to make his redeemed Idoll subjects as whom it concerns little or nothing whether they be vnder Chrits lawes and officers or vnder Antichrists his professed adversary Now though I will not trouble my self and the reader about every stone that Mr. B. idely casts in the way yet such as may stumble the weakest passenger I will remove and so returne to my former task And in the first place I will answer certaine reasons in number six brought by Mr B. for the superiority of his Lord Bishops but those not backed with the scriptures as in other points when he thinks he speaks the truth his manner is The first is taken from the succession of Iames at Ierusalem of Peter at Antioch of Peter Paul at Rome of Mark at Alexandria I answer first that these were not Bishops set over certayn Churches here and there though vpon occasion they tarryed some good space in some certayne Churches but generall men Apostles and Evangelists without successours in their Offices so the Protestants do generally answer the Papists instancing them as you do now 2. I deny the very Apostles vsed any such Lordly and Papall authority as to exclude eyther the inferiour officers or people in Church affaires the contrary is most evident in the choice of officers Act. 1. 15. 23. 26. and 6. 1. 2. 3. 5. censuring of offenders 1 Cor. 5. and debating of other Church matters Act. 15. 2. 3. 4. 6. 7. 22. 23. 30. 21. 22. The 2. Argument is taken from 1 Cor. 12. 28. where say you three degrees are reckoned vp the first of Apostles the second of Prophets the third of Teachers But since the
tvvo former orders vvhich are Apostles and Prophets are ceased as being temporary how can there be superioritie in the third which is but one Your third and fourth Argument you draw from the superioritie ordayned by God in the old testament amongst ecclesiasticall persons and the consequence of this Argument you prove two wayes first bycause this order is not forbidden in the new testament 2. bycause the ground of superiority is alike in the new testament as in the old which is to preserve order But do you not consider Mr Bernard that the old testament or law is abrogated and disanulled as having the shadow of good things to come and so every order and ordinance in it which is not plainly renued by Christ in the new And where you seem to make the Chief Priests besides the high Preist a superiour order to the other formally differing it is more if I be not deceived then can be proved by the word of God I know no diversity of administrations amongst them but that any of the Priests might in their course and order offer sacrifice performe other the most solemne duties of preisthood But where you further adde that onely the high Priest did type out Christ and not the other Preists so you are much mistaken The whole preisthood of Aaron vnder which the law was established was a type of Christs Preisthood though the high Preists in a speciall manner and their sacrifices of his and being a part of the law which was a shadow or first draught whereof the gospel is the lively portrature it must needs be ceremoniall and so a type to affirm otherwise is a grosse Iewish errour Lastly as I graunt one end of the subordination of Ministeries to have been the preserving of order so I deny that same order is to be preserved in the nevv testament and in the old The order of the old testament was the order of a nationall Church but the order of the new testament is the order of a particular Church wherein there needs no such subordination of Ministeries as in the other which was nationall the ey of common sense sees this difference The law of nature whether written in the hart of man or to be seen in the workmanship of the world from which you draw your fift Argument doth not prove superioritie amongst officers in a particular assembly but onely that there must be government in all societies which may well be though the governours be of one order and rank Lastly they against whom you deale doe mainteyne as you say an inequality in their government in making the Pastor superiour to the Teacher c. and if they do so why deal you against them and why do you labour so carefully to prove against them their own practise to be lawful though if they had not better warrāt then you bring they were ill bestead But this is the point Mr B. which you never touch do they which hold two kindes of officers teaching and governing Elders or they which hold three orders Pastors Teachers and governing Elders eyther of them both hold such a superioritie as gives the superiour jurisdiction over the inferiour Ministers do they make a Bishop of Bishops or a sheepheard over a flock of sheepheards or do they set vp any such ravenous creature as devours the liberty and power both of the people and other officers as your Bishops do even as the leane and evill favoured kyne which Ioseph saw in his dreame ate vp the fat kyne and welfavoured And for the erroneous exposition of Luke Luk. 22. 25. 26. by D. Downame and D. Dove of which you boast it hath been confuted both before and since they gave it Now howsoever I purpose not the refutation of every particular in Mr B. second volume which he might have drawen into as few lynes well nigh as he hath done leaves had he not rather desired to have vttered many words then many things yet seing how he labours even till sweating to trouble the mindes of his young students and seely countrymen especially about the government discipline of the Church not caring how absurd expositions of scriptures he admits of nor how contrary one vnto an other so he may weaken the faith of any that way I will not therefore altogether hold off myne hand but will open as I goe his vnsound dealing in this case especially about Mat. 18. 15. 16. 17. which he will no way have meant of the piscipline or censures of the Church the order of proceeding therein but that Christs meaning there is to direct the Iewes how to prosecute their suits in matter of injury before the heathenish Magistrates And this he labours p. 218. 219. and so on to prove by many obiections answers yet as borrowed from other mens books so put out as other mens sayings that by this meanes he himself may avoyd some part of that iust hatred by the better sort of people which he knowes will ly vpon this odious and vngodly glosse First then Mr Bernard graunts pag. 212. that Christ hath left a government in his Church and so consequently an order for the censuring of offenders and he accounts the contrary opinion but a familisticall conceipt and yet this truth he cannot let passe without some vntruth at the end of it and therefore he addes that to this familisticall conceipt the seely Brownists are drawn by force of their own grounds which are because they will have all in the Church to be voluntary professours where voluntarynes is taken away by being vnder any government to be subiect ruled is an estate far frō freedome Christians loose thereby Christian liberty c. And say in good sooth Mr B. would you haue men vnvoluntary professours against their wills their profession must eyther be voluntary with their wills or vnvoluntary and against them Noah prophesying the calling of the Gentiles of Iaphets line foretells that God will allure or perswade them to dwell in Shems tents And the scriptures do expressely affirme that the Churches were gathered by perswasion voluntary submission vnto the gospel And it is a strange thing even above wonder that any man should have preached so many yeares and written so many books about religion and yet not know that the nature of religion is not to be constreyned but perswaded And tell me Mr B. did you subscribe the last tyme vnto your Bishops government sponte ex animo according to the Canon yea or no Of if you think that to curious a quaestion answer me whether you be vnder the Kings goverment voluntarily or against your will If against your will it is a treacherous disposition in you if voluntarily or willingly how seelely then do you which are thus rife in imputing seelines vnto others argue that voluntarines is taken away by being vnder any government as though all government were tyranny and all obedience slaverie but reason why Mr
Prophet must first haue his hand vpon him whom the rest of the people must follow in putting him to death The last words Publican and Heathen do not declare that Christ speakes of the Iewes at that time eyther onely or civily but serve for other purposes as I shall presently manifest taking Arguments from these words as from all the rest to prove that Christ here speakes of sinne and of excommunication for sinne My first Reason I draw from the cohaerence wherein I have formerly manifested Christ speakes not of private injuries onely but of all such scandalles as are to be found in that streyt way to heaveÌ„ no nor of injuries at all as they hurt the outward man but as they are sinnes and hurt and hinder the soul in the way of godlynes and so by the consequence of cohaerence if Christs words hang one vpon an other he speaks v. 15. 16. 17. of sinne and the carying of it 2. I reason from the terme brother which since it apperteyned at this tyme froÌ„ the disciples to many which might not be brought before the Iewish Synedrion as to the beleeving Romaynes Samaritans and the like cannot be meant as is pretended but speaks of a religious fellowship to which any brother may be brought of what country or condition soever As the word haâ—artáno turned offend is of generall signification by your own graunt and so cannot be restreyned to that particular kind of offence so is it most properly vsed for sinne and that vsually by this Evangelist Mat. 3. 6. 9. 2. 12. 31. and 26. 28. and which is specially to be observed when Luke would speak of trespasses or offences as sinnes against God he vseth this word but when in the same place he speaks of them as of injuries against men he vseth another word Ch. 11. 4. And see how soundly Mr B. deales when he should shew that the word turned offend is not meant of sinnes but of injuries he brings in foure principall writers varying as he sayth about the word and yet the vnadvised man considers not that all four of them as he himself alledges them vnderstand it of sinne and not one of them of injuries so speak against him If Christ here spake of injuries where he sayth if he heare thee thou hast wonne or gayned thy brother he would haue sayd thou hast wonne or gayned thy goods or good name wherein he injuryed thee If these words be meant of injuries and wrongs then Christ commaunds his disciples not to suffer wrongs at their brethrens hands but to deal with them in the order here prescribed for Christ expresly commaunds to tell the Church and so Christs doctrine and Pauls teaching the suffring of wrong should contradict the one the other By this exposition one Iew might account an other as an heathen which was vtterly vnlawfull he might not refuse religious communion with him in the temple into which no heathen might come he might not deny him a portion in the land of Canaan the type of the kingdome of heaven he might not account or call him other then a brother whatsoever he were till the time came of the Iewes defraction or breaking off for vnbeleef Act. 7. 2. 22. 1. 33. 1. Rom. 11. 17. This interpretation confirmes a point of Anabaptistry namely that it is not lawfull for brethren so remayning to sue at Caesars barre where it is most evident that brethren alwayes might and may yea such a case may fall out ought to sue without any alienation of affection or such heathenish thought one of another as Mr B. would have Christ in this place to commend vnto them for even these last words let him be to thee as an heathen and publican are a commaundement as let your speach be yea yea nay nay hundreds others delivered in the scriptures vnder the same form of words And to conclude Christ our Saviour in these words describes excommunication by the effects of it which are withdrawing from the brother obstinate in sinne both in religious and civile fellowship and familiaritie as the Iewes did withdraw both froÌ„ the Heathens and Publicans in both Ioh. 4. 9. Act. 10. 3. 31. 28. Luk. 15. 2. 15. 10. 11. And this very phrase Paul most clearely expounds when he directs the Church 1 Cor. 5. 11. not to be commingled with obstinate offenders nor to eat with them this ever provided that no excommunication or other act in religion whatsoever may dissolve eyther civil or naturall societie The next Reason is drawne from verse 18. where Christ ratifying in the hands of his Church this his power speaks in expresse terms of binding and loosing not onely in earth but in heaven also which words me thinks alone should satisfie the conscience of any godly minded man yea and stop the mouth of the most shameles that Christ speaks of sinne and sin onely Yet is Mr B. neyther satisfied nor silent but replyes that binding and loosing in this place is not properly or onely to be vnderstood of Christs Ministers but is allowed to private persons and for this pag. 223 he brings sundry reasons Consider Reader this severe censurer of Mr Smythes vnstablenes Mr B. in his former book pag. 95. will have this power of binding and loosing spoken of in this place to be in the officers of the Châ— two or three and at no hand in private persons and for this there he brings sundry reasons in this his next book this power is â—lâ—tâ—ed to two or three private persons and must not be drawne to the Ministerie onely and for this he brings as many reasons Observe further the very sum of Mr B. answer is that Christ speaks not here of binding and loosing in the office of Ministerie So we affirm that by two or three having this power cannot be meant two or three Ministers considered severally from the body which alone are not the Church for any publick administration but the officers of the Church but by two or three are meant the meanest coÌ„munion or societie of saints whether with officers or without officers And is this a sufficient answering of an adversary to bring sundry reasons to prove the very thing which he affirmes Adde to all these that where the injuries offred to Christs disciples and such as would respect his direction were vsually for the profession of Christ it had been a most idle course to have complayned eyther to the Iewish Synedrion or Romish Magistracy which would have added injurie to injurie Lastly where Christ v. 23. in his answer to Peters quaestion makes the protasis or first part of his comparison the kingdom of heaven which is the Church he shewes plainely that all the while he hath spoken of Church affaires and the carying of them And thus much to prove that the Lord Iesus the King of his Church hath left in this 18. of Math a rule order
he so much as commaund them any thing and here the Lord sets a people apart to be his and separates them from others in respect of some special peice of service appointed them The things you speak are contrary but neyther of them true The Lord never did nor will take people vnto him but by their submission and obedience vnto his commaundements and for that speciall service of God enioyned the Israelites it was an effect of their separation from other people and covenaunt with God and no cause by or for which they became the Lords separated people We must alwayes consider the Church of God principally and properly in the persons of men and secondarily in their works as we must first consider the vineyard in the trees and afterwards in the fruites they bring forth And so was Israel separated and set apart from other people Your addition thaâ— by other people is meant such as worshipped nâ—â—â—he true God which is nothing to you which worship Iesus Christ c. and that there is no place to prove that Israelites were to separate from other Israelites for their corruptions as false matter is like that which goes before For first Papists and Anabaptists with Idolaters and Heretiques many mo do worship Iesus Christ from whose societies notwithstanding you professe separation 2. The Ismaelites Edomites did worship the true God though not after a true manner and yet the Israelites were a people separated from them so as an Edomite though he had voluntarily joyned himself to the people of God might not beare any publick office amongst them to the third generatioÌ„ which you too ignoraÌ„tly expound pag. 248 of his admission into the Church Yea I do further adde that even Israelites and those which came of Israel or Iaakob were coÌ„maunded to separate themselves from Israelites and that for an vsurpation in the ministery as the scriptures make it playn Num. 16. as afterwards also vpon Ieroboams defection in the ministery worship holy dayes which he forged in his own hart 2 Chron. 11. 13. 14. 15. 16. with â— King 12. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. And thus is the exposition cleared against your frivolous exceptions of such scriptures in Levit and els where as make mention of the separation of the Iewish nation from all other nations which do fitly also serve to confirm justifie the separation of all the Churches in the new testament from such people and assemblies in all nations as of whom the Lord by his revealed will cannot besayd to accept as I am sure he cannot prophane and godles persons Now bycause the yssue of all controversies depends vpon the true exposition of the scriptures whose letter men will bring on both sides and that Mr B. takes speciall exception in this place against the expositions we give of such scriptures as seem to vs most materiall for our separation I wil therefore take in his exceptions as I return whence I came and make manifest as God inableth me the insufficiencie of them The next place that comes into coÌ„sideratioÌ„ is Act. 2 40. where â—ayth Mr B. Peter speakes to the Iewes of such Iewes as denyed Christ renounced the very foundation even Iesus Christ which is if we will beleeve him nothing to them that profesie him to be the true Messias It seemes then that separation is not to be made from the Papists for they hold Iâ—sus Christ to be the true Messias the very foundation yea even the merit of their works do they found vpon the merit of Christs obedience derogating lesse in truth though far too much from theÌ„ vertue of his Preisthood then you do in the constitution of your Church from the dignity of his kingdom in the outward government administration of it 2. Your nationall Church is so farre from being separated from them that deny Christ as it is indeed for substance compact and gathered of such to wit of impure and prophane persons who whatsoever they do professe â—â— word do deny in deed and visibly both God and our Lord Iesus Christ as the scriptures do expresly testifie And to deny that apparant wicked and prophane men or Churches do rayse the foundation of religion is a prophane errour tending to libertiuism and which foundeth all religion and Christianity in the brayn and nothing in the heart Lastly Peters exhortation vpon the occasion in hand was that the faithful Iewes should separate from that froward generation wherevpon the generall doctrine is rightly raysed that the faithfull at all tymes must be separated from all froward generations And of this duty wee are to make the greater conscience considering the words of the Apostle which are that we save our selves from such froward generations as indeed considering the duty we ow vnto our brethreÌ„ for their humbling if they be froward in sinne the discomfort wee haue in continuing communion with them the want of that godly furtherance wee should haue by our brethren in our holy communion and lastly the daunger wherein wee stand eyther to be corrupted by them or at least to haue our zeal and other graces of God decayed in vs our salvation doth not a little consist in our departure from the assembly of the prophane as Beza rightly notes vpon this scripture Of the same nature with the former place is the next in order where the Apostle Paul both departs himself separates the disciples from such as were hardened and would not obey but spake evill of the way of the Lord before the multitude Act. 19. 8. 9. But this you say proves not our purpose and your exceptions are First that our way is not the way of God 2. that if is were yet wee have not spoken to all your Church made it known to all nor haue found all hard hearted and 3. that the place teacheth separation from such obstinate wicked which will not bee wonne to the Church and that here is a departing of some true members of the Church from such as be not the Church but not of members of the true Church forsaking meÌ„bers of the true Church That our way is the way of God appeareth by this very scripture amongst many others wherein also wee haue both the reformists at home and reformed Churches abroad giving testimony with vs for the substance of it But put the case ours be not yet if the way of the reformed Churches be the way of God our separation is justified by this scripture For first your convocatioÌ„ house Church representative is hardened against the way of the reformed Churches blaspheming and persecuting it and all them that eyther seek or plead for it And their act being the cheif is by your own graunt to be accounted the act of all though the rest come not to consent so that you are all by your own words to be acounted a disobedient and hardened people vpon the former praemises namely that the way of the
and priviledges from without and my learning froÌ„ his distinctioÌ„ is that he vndertakes to teach others where he hath not yet learnt himself His errour then is in the too streyt acceptioÌ„ of the term property which he should take in a larger sense as Mr Smyth hath rightly taught him namely that whatsoever is proper vnto a person or thing whether within or without and not common to other things or persons with him or it that is a property or property of that person or thing And so since all the priviledges wherewith Christ hath endowed his Church are proper and peculiar vnto the Church and not common to her with the world it is most evident they are all of them the Churches properties and so to be accounted though she may for a tyme want the actuall vse of many of them And even those priviledges which your self bring for instances are true properties of the Church as to be called saynts faithful elect to suffer for Christ to be the ark to keep the books of the covenant to set to the seales to vse the keyes to open to shut heaven then which what can be more proper or peculiar vnto the Church And it is strange that sayntship and holynes grace to suffer for Christ and the like should not be accounted more naturall propertyes of the Church then a prophane profession of faith and vsurpation of some ordinances of religion by lewd and vngodly persons But towching the properties of the Church by you layd down my answer is that except your nationall Church be that true Israell of God which he hath admitted joyntly and severally into the covenant fellowship of grace salvation and to whom he hath given the promises of that covenant and to whom by his revealed will the seales and sacraments for the confirmation of those promises do apperteyn the more you meddle with this covenant by professing or publishing it the more you take Gods name in vayn and the more of the ordinances of God his covenant you vse and injoy the more you abuse vsurp the longer you continue in so doing the more dangerous is your estate the more to be bewayled And for the things themselves by which you would haue the Ch of Christ distinguished from all other assemblies they are such as may in the outward ceremony and observation of them without any sanctifyed vse which is the point in controversy between me and you both be performed and continued in eyther for feare or fashion by any accursed conventicle of atheists murderers adulterers or the like yea by a company of men and women excommunicated for these the like traÌ„sgressions And can these things which ly thus in comoÌ„ to all be the true properties of the Church 2. I must be bould to tell you Mr B. that the holding out of the truth sacraments are not so properly the displayed banners of your Church as is the observation of your popish ceremonies The surplise is a banner far broader displayed then the preaching of the gospel or ministration of the sacraments the crosse is a standard higher advanced then baptism so is kneeling then the Lords supper without thâ—se neyther the word may be preached nor the sacraments administred but where these banners are set vp and fayre borne there is that which is required will serve the turn though there be very litle truth held out eyther by preaching knowledge or obedience but the contrary Lastly where speaking of the marks and tokens of the true Ch you will the reader to observe well that they are not the word truely preached nor the sacrameÌ„ts rightly administred but the true word preached and the true sacraments administred I cannot but observe it well and in it both your errour and lightnes In your litle catechism printed 1602. you demaund this quaestion What are the marks of the true Church here on earth to which your answer is amongst some other things Christs word truely preached and his sacraments rightly administred But now in your Separatists schism not the word truely preached but the true word nor the sacraments rightly administred but the true sacraments are the infallible and convertible marks and tokens of the Ch in the iudgement of ill the divines at home and in all the reformed Churches in Christendome Now that which I observe hence is that Mr B. is one in his catechism where he labours with good conscience to instruct his people in the knowledge of God and another in his Invective headily begun and unconscionably prosequuted In the former he endeavoured with good conscience to lay down the grounds of Christian religion but now considering that the Christian grounds there layd will not beare the Antichristian confused building which he is to defend in his latter book he chuseth rather to rase his former Christian foundations and to lay new those contrary then to leave one stone of Babell vndawbed with his vntempered morter Now for the point it self let the reader obserue these few particulars First that rightly and truely in preaching and administration are by Mr B. very ignorantly restrayned to the holy graces of the Church for which right and lawfull persons by and to whom these administrations are to be made are required And are persons graces Mr Bernard 2. It is not true you affirm that all divines hould the true word and true sacraments though not truely nor rightly administred the infallible tokens of the Church I do not remember that ever I read this phrase the true word before in any wryters Such as write of these things are generally against you as you are against the truth Your own articles of religion condemn you which make it a property of the Church to haue the sacraments duely administred And since the word and sacraments are divine ordinances instituted by the Lord for certayn ends and purposes and determined to circumstances of persons as by to whom they must be administred it is necessary wee measure and defyne them by the manner of ministration otherwise wee make them but as the charmes of wizards or at the best as the prayers of Papists which they account true if so many words be sayd over by whomsoever or howsoever The word of God may be and oft times is in a great measure preached or published vpon a stage and what if the sacraments should be added to it were here a true Church marked out And as the word and sacraments may be sacrilegiously vsurped by them which are no Church of Christ nor haue any right at all vnto them so may the true Church of Christ be for a time without them though never without spirituall right vnto them as in the tyme of some great plague when the Church dare not assemble or of persequâ—tion when it is severed eyther by bonds or â—light It doth not then cease to be a Church no nor a visible Church neyther It remayns visible in it self though
live And for the parts of the body to which he here hath reference and the like they do more fitly resemble the officers of the Church then the ordinance of excoÌ„munication the eyes and mouth the Bishops and Elders which are to oversee and teach the Church the hands the Deacons who are to distribute her almes And aâ— there may be a true though an vnperfit naturall body without these parts so may there be a true visible Church or body of Christ without these officers though vnperfect and defective It now remayns I lay down some reasons to prove the power of the censures of excommunication simply necessary vnto the Church of Christ. The Reasons are First bycause it is simply necessary for the being of a Church that there be power for true members to joyn together and so to receive others vnto them even so consequently must there be power to disioyn and cut of false members 2. Excommunication and absolution are of the same nature with preaching the gospel yea the very same particularly applyed to persons obstinate and repentant which preaching is in the generall The preaching of the gospell is the power of God vnto salvation to every one that beleeveth excommunication is the power of the Lord Iesus Christ for the destruction of the flâ—sh of him that is otherwise incorrigible that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus The preaching of the gospel makes the first or major proposition thus he that beleeves not and repents not is bound in heaven and hath his sinnâ— vnremitted but he that beleeves and repents his sinnâ— are pardoned and he loosed in heaven Now excommunication and absolution applyed to a particular person and occasion do make the second or minor proposition thus thou beleevest not or repentest not of this thy sinne and therefore thou art bound in heaven and thy sinnes vnpardoned and so of absolution or the loosing of sinns Adde also vnto these things that the same Bishops or Elders are to preach the gospel in way of doctrine and to minister the censures in way of discipline though in some divers order as I haue formerly shewed And these two being the two mayn duties of the Ministers comprehended vnder this generall duety of feeding the stock must needs be of the same nature both of them mayn and necessary parts of Gods vvorship and of religion and so to be performed vpon the Lords day as his work and in the assembly of the saynts as an exercise of their holy communion howsoever with you and others they are made a consistory and working day matter to the great violation and indignity of the kingdom of Christ in the dispensation of it in his Church 3. The want of excommunicating and censuring wicked men levens the whole lump and makes the whole particular congregation whereof they are accessary to their sinne and to purpose to continue in such a congregation or Church as hath not this power is to purpose to continue in disobedience to the commandement of the Lord Iesus which he hath layd vpon all his disciples to tell the Church in the order by him prescribed 4. Without the censures the Church becomes of Syon Babylon even the habitation of Divels and the hold of all â—owl spirits and a cage of every vnclean and hatefull byrd And so Mr B. in his forenamed catechisâ—â—â— teacheth that the holy and right vse of discipline and of excommunication serves to maintâ—yn the Church and to over throw haeresy that destroyes the foundation and other mischiefs And since haeresy destroyes the foundation as Mr B. teacheth and that there must be haeresies in the Church as Paul teacheth and that the Church cannot possibly be purged of them without excommunication that must needs be absolutely necessary to the Church without which the Church must absolutely necessarily come to naught To these I do adde as a fifth and last Reason that as the glorie of God salvation of them without are most furthered and advantaged by the holy conversation of the members of the Church and on the contrary most disadvantaged and hindered by their vnholy and prophane courses so is the power of excommunication by which solemn ordinance aloâ—e prophanenes impiety are rooted out of absolute necessity for the Churches of Christ. And of this point I desire the reader to take knowledge not onely as of a matter of truth but of conscience also and for practise That which Mr B reputes our nynth errour is our holding all their ministers false Ministers As I have formerly sayd of your Churches so say I here of your ministers that if one be false all are for all are of one constitution In deed Mr B if he might be let alone would save himself much labour this way by restreyning his defence to some few of the most able and conscionable men excluding the rest and therefore in his former book he speaks of such ministers as God hath furnished with gifts to discharge their functioÌ„ with holy graces a blamelesse lifâ— and in his 2. book he desires to be vnderstood of such as are sent of God and set over congregations according to the truth and true meaning of the lawes and book of ordination In which he doth directly exclude the Archbishops Bishops Suffragans Deanes Archdeacons Chauncelours Commissaries and with them all pluralists non-residents vnpreaching and prophane ministers For some of these are not set over congregations at all but over Provinces Diocesse others not in respect of their offices above named and others though they be set over particular Churches yet haue they neyther gifts nor graces for their function But as he were nothing faythfull vnto a city that vndertaking the defence of it should pâ—ck out here and there a corner most strong and defensible and fortify there leaving the body of the city to the invasion spoyl of any that would assault it so neyther is Mr B faythfull to the Ministery of England who pretending the defence of it against vs calls out here and there a man whom he will iustifie and leaves the body and all the principall members of it vndefended And here I would demaund of him why he doth not as well defend all the Ministers in this place as he did even now defend all the people or why a Minister so called though vnapt to teach and of a prophane life is not as well a true though a bad Minister as a Christian so called being ignorant and of a lewd conversation a a true though a bad Christian There is one and the same reason of both though Mr B have more reason for to plead the one then the other considering his own standing If he should plead for the ignorant and prophane Ministers he should deprive himself of all arguments for the justification of the preaching more conscionable sort for he rayseth them all as the
onely to a speciall work but not called to any office 3. It appeareth that Paul and Barnabas were not separated sent by the governours onely but by the Church with them wherin they ministred and which joyned with them in prayer and fasting and so consequently in dismissing or letting them go ver 2. 3. though most like the ceremony of imposition of hands was performed onely by the Teachers and Prophets but with the foregoing consent of the Church according to the expresse direction of the holy Ghost And that not the governours severally but the Church with them separated and sent them vnder the Lords expresse nomination appears evidently Act. 14. 27. where vpon their return they made relation not to the officers but to the Church gathered together for that purpose what things the Lord had wrought by theÌ„ that so not onely the grace of God towards the Gentiles might be taken knowledge of and magnified but also that their service ministration might be approved to the Church which sent them And thus all may see how injurious this man is to the right and liberty of the brethren as formerly in the censures so here in the choise of officers making the governours alone the Church both in the one and the other And being both of them Church matters and parts of the publique administration of Christs kingdom the same scriptures which demonstrate the peoples interest in the one do conclude the same in the other In the beginning the Lord Iesus and his Apostles by his spirit appointed none other true visible Churches but particular coÌ„gregations of faythfull people for of the vanity of representative Churches in the new testament I have formerly spoken but as knowledge puffeth vp so within a few ages the officers and governours of the Church being men of knowledge began to swell with that poysoned humour of pride ambition wherewith Antichrist had infected them especially when they were once setled in peace and plenty and taking withall partly advantage by the peoples negligence in themselves and superstitious admiration of their guides and partly occasion by the abuse of their liberty have been bold to engrosse the liberties of the whole Church into their own hands and with them the name They alone must haue the keyes of the kingdome of heaven hanging at their girdell for the opening shutting of heaven gates which is all one as if in playn termes they should affirm that to them alone were committed the oracles of God the gospel of salvation see Rom. 3. 2. Iude 3. They alone must speak in the Church to adifâ—ing exhortation and comfort and so all the brethren must be silenced in the exercise of prophecying To them alone must the complaints of sinns be brought and they alone must be heard in the reforming of them and thus must the bottomles gulf of the governours authority svvallovv vp the brethrens liberty in the reproving and censuring of offenders They alone are to separate and chuse the ministers and of this branch of the povver of Christ amongst the rest must the body of the Church be stript And as there is no end of errours vvhere they once begin especially of those vvhich tend to the advancement of the man of sin in his Ministers above all that is called God so hath this iniquity prevayled yet further even to the bereaving of the people of the cup in the Lords supper and of the very scriptures in their mothers tongue the Preists alone communicating in both parts of the supper and inclosing the scriptures themselves vvith in the Romish or Latine language vvhich they alone to speak of vnderstood Yea to conclude so effectuall hath the delusion of Satan been this vvay that it hath been vniversally taught and beleeved that an implicite faith vvas sufficient in the lay people that no more vvas required of them then to beleeve as the Church that is the guides and governours of the Church beleeved though they were vtterly ignorant what their fayth was And what lesse in effect doth M. B. affirm in his 2. book where he writes that if the cheif do voluniarily receive professe proclaym a faith or religion it is to be accounted the act of all though the inferiours come not to consent he might as well haue added though they be ignorant of it or what it meanes Yea doth not this conclusion follow vpon the former ground that the officers are the Church Mat. 18. for the reproving censuring of offenders and for the binding loosing of sinns If the Officers be the Church for one religious or spirituall determination why not for an other And if the censures agreed vpon and ministred by the Officers be by way of representation the censures of the Church without the actuall consent of the people why is not the faith agreed vpon and published by the officers the fayth of the Church by way of representation before the peoples distinct knowledge of it or actuall consent vnto it Put the case the officers change their auncient fayth in some mayn point wherein the body of the Church still abideth and so differeth from them and that they take occasion to excommunicate some brother or brethrâ—n that most opposes them if this excommunication of the officers be the excoÌ„munication of the Church representatively without the peoples consent then is this new faith also of the officers for which this excommunication is practised the faith of the people notwithstanding their not onely not consenting vnto but their vtter dissenting from the same Now as the governours did thus engrosse the power and libertyes of the Church so no marvayl though with them they assumed the name Hence is it that they alone are called the Church the Clergy the spiritually the prophane idiotish laity are excluded both from the title and thing Symon the Sadler Toâ—â—kâ—â— the Taylour Belly the Bellowes-maker must be no Church men nor meddle with Ch matters As though it were eyther not true or to no purpose which is written that Christ himself vvas a Carpenter Paul a â—enâ—maker Peter Andrew Iames Iohn Fishermen One onely thing more I vvill adde so conclude this point which is that the Preists vvere not more eager at the first vpon the people till they had svvallovved vp their liberty then they vvere afterwards one vpon an other till one had gotten all from whom as from the Catholick visible head all power should issue and be derived to the severall partes of the body And hovv clean a vvay Mr Bern. and others vvhich knovving better have the more sin make to this mischeif in pleading that Paul alone 1 Cor. 5. the severall Angels alone in the severall Churches Rev. 2. 3. vvere to reform and censure abuses let the vvise reader judge The 2. allegation made by Mr B. against vvhich I except is that the Ministers vvith them have all things in substance required by the word of God for
true holynes as the Collect for the first sunday in Lent witnesseth But admit the Ministers of Engl taught foundly in all the mayn points of religion as I acknowledge some doe in the most yet did this no way prove them true Ministers of Christ that is lawfully called to true offices in the Church In what mayn point of religion as you valew points could Corah be chalenged and yet he was no true Preist of the Lord but an vsurper of that office v. 10. 11. as on the contrary they were true Preists in respect of their office who deceived the people here and every where as the scriptures manifest So that both he which is no true minister of Christ may teach the maâ—n truthes of religion and he also that is a true Minister may erre greatly yet not presently cease to bear both the place and name of a true minister of Christ. Otherwise all Ministers are Popes that cannot err To end this Argument Mr B. in both his books vvould have probation and tryall to be made of a mans gifts and graces before he be admitted into the ministery And not onely he but Paul himself amongst above the rest requires aptnes to teach and ability to exhort with wholesome doctrine and as this gift must be in him so must it be known to be in him before he can be lawfully called into the ministery and this Mr B. affirms expresly and that by the exercise of this gift his knowledge zeal and vtterance is to be manifested Wherevpon I conclude that if tryall by sound doctrine must be made of them which are no ministers at all as indeed it must in the exercise of prophesying then cannot sound doctrine be any sufficient tryall that is proof or Argument of a true minister The sixth Argument for the justification of the ministers in Engl. is Gods ordinary and dayly assistance of them in theyr ministery for the working mens conversion vnto the Lord. God forbid I should eyther deny or make doubt of the effectuall conversion of men vnto salvation in Engl. neyther doth Mr Ainsworth say as you charge him in your 2. book that none are converted by you but he shewes first how you coÌ„tradict your selves in saying that you convert men to God and yet affirm that the same persons before their conversion were true Christians and 2. that considering the swarmes of graceles persons wherewith all your parrishes are filled you have more cause of blushing then of boasting this way But this I deny that the conversion of men vnto God is a sufficient Argument to prove a true minister of Christ that is to prove a lawfull calling into a true office of ministery according to Christs testament It is most evident that whosoever converteth a man vnto God that person doth in truth and in deed minister the word of God the spirit by the word so may be sayd to be sent of God but that every one whom God so honoreth though never so ordinarily should therefore be a true Church officer lawfully called to publique administration which is the quaestion betwixt Mr B. and me is most vntrue coÌ„trary both to many scriptures which shew that men in no office may and to much experience which shewes they do convert and save sinners And if onely officers may convert vnto the Lord to what purpose should private persons exhort instruct and reprove any vpon any occasion whatsoever But here I am driven to take vpon me the defence of them whom Mr B. pag. 299. of his 2. book challengeth for cavellers upon the same ground he chalengeth Mr Ainsworth for deceipâ—ful dealing pag. 304. of the same book Mr Ainsworth denyes that qualification with good gifts is a proof of a lawful Minister Herein sayth Mr B. he severs deceiptfully things to be conioyned for this reason with the rest in my book shewes who is a true Minister In like maner we except against his 6. Argument affirm that others besides Ministers do coÌ„vert men to God that therfore conversioÌ„ argues not a true minister This is cavelling sayth Mr B. for both these and others may convâ—rt and agayn this is but one Reason but there be mâ—re besides which are sufficient to prove our ministery And is it cavelling in vs or ignorance in you thus to speak you do acknovvledge pag. 304. that qualification with good gifts is a Reason amongst the rest to shew a true Minister and pag. 298 you make the conversioÌ„ of men a distinct argument to prove the same thing And know you not that every sound Reason or Argument must prove or argue of it self the thing for vvhich it is brought Many Reasons indeed or Arguments may be produced to prove one and the same thinge and so for further confirmation may follovv one vpon another but so as every one of them severally be of force to prove the thing in quaestion othervvise it is not vvorthy the name of a Reason or Argument but is a meer sophistication Eyther therefore Mr Bernard bring such Arguments as vvil of themselves evince that they are brought for and then reckon them vp by sevens as you do here or by tvventies if you vvill as els vvhere you doe or els cease to abuse the Reader vvith a multitude of maymed proofs as your custome is Novv bycause the conversion of men to God is much vrged by the Ministers and much stood at by many vvell minded people as indeed both in equity and good conscience men are to respect the instruments of Gods mercy tovvards them I vvill enlarge my self in this point further then othervvise I vvould And first for the tvvo scriptures quoted in both your books Rom. 10. 14. 15. 1 Cor. 9. 2. from the former of vvhich you coÌ„clude that bycause you so preach as people thereby do heare beleeve call vpon God you are therefore sent of God Let the Reader here observe that the Apostle in both these places speaks of the conversion of Heathens and Infidels to the fayth of Christ as were the Romayns and Corinthians before the preaching of the Gospel vnto them and so let him demaund of Mr B. whether the Ministers in England haue had the same effect in their preaching vnto the people there with them that preached vnto the Romayns and Corinthians and brought them by preaching from infidelity to beleeve in God If they haue then vvere the people Infidels before and vvithout faith and so are the rest not thus effectually converted by their preaching if not how then stands the comparison or proportioÌ„ between the effect of their Ministery then and theirs in England now or what Argument can be taken from these effects compared together In the generall I confesse there is a proportion and so in that generall and large sense wherein Mr B. pag. 313. expounds the word sent or Apostle I do acknowledge many Ministers in Engl sent of God
to repute them holy in regard of the Lordes covenaunt and do therefore set his seale vpon them so are their parents even from their cradle to bring them vp in instruction information of the Lord and so to prepare them for the publique ministery vnto which if they in their riper yeares give obedience in any measure they are so to be continued in the Church if other-otherwise they are in due time as vnprofitable branches to be lopped of and so cease to be of the Pastours charge Secondly for men falling into wickednes in the Church if they continue obstinate and irreclamable then are they in order to be consured and so the Pastour is discharged of them if on the contrary God vouchsafe them repentance this cannot be called a conversion of them to sanctification but a restoring or recovering of them out of some particular evill or evils into vvhich through infirmity they are falln So that the doctrine stands sound for any thing that Mr Bernard hath sayd or that eyther he or any other man can say that the Pastours office stands in feeding not in converting as also that Pauls scale and work was not the bare conversion of the Corinthians but their conversion from heathenism plantation into a Church and these with the signes of an Apostle even signes and wonders and great works 2 Cor. 12. 12. Lastly that the simple be not deceived and eyther give honour where it is not due or give it not where it is due let them consider that the conversion of a man is no way to be ascribed to the order or office eyther of Apostles or Pastours but onely to the word of God which by the inward work of the spirit is the power of God to salvation to them that beleeve it is the law of the Lord that converts the soule The word of the kingdome is that good seed which being sown in good ground prospereth to the bringing forth of fruit to life whether he that sow it be in a true office or in a false office or in no office at all And though it be true which Mr B. saith in his former book that the Ministers in England do preach as publik Officers of that Church yet doth their Office confer or help nothing at all to the conversion of men It is the blessing of God vpon the mayn truthes they teach not vpon their office of Preisthood which converts which truthes if they taught without their office eyther before they were called to it or being deprived of it would without doubt be as effectuall as they are yea much more by the blessing of God as appears in this that such amoÌ„gst them as make least account of their office formally received from the Prelates are the most profitable instruments amongst the people where on the contrary the professed formalists cleaving vnto their office and order canonically are generally vnprofitable eyther for the conversion or confirmation of any to or in holines To conclude then the turning of men vnto holynes of life is no iustification of your office of ministery or calling vnto it but of such truthes as are taught amongst you which all men are bound to hold and honour as we also do though we disclaym the order and power in and by which they are ministred The seventh and last argument Mr B. takes from certayn properties of true sheepheards layd down Ioh. 10. which he also affirmeth the Ministers of the Church of England have the first whereof is that they go in by the dore Iesus Christ that is by his call and the Churches which as he sayth he hath proved at large In so saying he speaks at large let him prove that the Bishop or Patron or eyther of them is in Christs place set by him to chuse Ministers or that they are the Church to which he hath committed the power of calling and choosing them and answer the Reasons brought to the contrary otherwise his large proving will appeare but a large boasting and he will give men occasion to remember the proverb It is good beating a proud man The 2. property wherewith he investeth them is that the porter openeth vnto them by which porter Mr Smith means the Church for which Mr B reviles him out of measure making the porter invisibly Gods spirit visibly the authority committed by the Church vnto some for admitting men into the house the Church of God which sayth he is a sensible exposition according to the custome with us and in Iudaea As there are many true ministers in respect of men which enter not in at all by the spirit of God or any motion of it as it was with Iudas is with all hypocrites who for by-respects take that calling vppon them so is Mr Smithes exposition making the Church the porter far more probable then yours who make the porter the authority of the Church coÌ„mitted to some for the admission of men Is not the porter a person rather then a thing And who that hath but common sense will not rather by the porter vnderstand the person or persons having authority then the authority which he or they have And if you Mr B. had but remembred what you write of the properties of the Church pag. 237. 138. making as here you do the porter or authority of the Church a property of a sheepheard you would I suppose in modesty have forborn the charging of Mr Smith to have his braynes intoxiâ—ated by his new wayes to be madded by his own fantasies in religion for wryting in this poynt as he doth And for the thing it self it is evident that Christ Iesus is properly the sheepheard of the sheep here spoken of and that therefore the authority of the Church can be no porter for hi enterance or admission I do therefore rather think that by the porter is meant God the father whose care and providence is ever over his flock who therefore hath called and appoynted his sonne Iesus Christ to be that good sheepheard who gave his life for his sheep And if you will apply this to ordinary Pastours and their calling then sure by the porter must be meant such as have received this liberty power from Christ by the hands of his Apostles for the chusing and appoynting of ministers which I am sure of all others are not the Romish or English Bishops Christ would never have the wolves to appoynt his sheep their sheepheards The 3. property of good sheepheards which you chalenge to your selves is that they call their own sheep by name that is they take notice of their people of their growth in religion â—â—d do abyde with them diligently watching over their flockes as by true and faithfull promise made in the open congregation they be bound in their ordination It must here be observed as before that Christ speaks onely of himself properly for of him onely it can be sayd that the
there is the right of calling and ordeyning the ministers of the gospell bycause we must fly the enemyes of the gospell as an Anathema And besides sayth he if wee should desyre of them the ceremony of ordinatioÌ„ they would not giue it except we would bind ourselves to renounce the true doctrine other wicked boÌ„ds would they cast vpoÌ„ vs. Neyther therefore ought the true Ch to be without Pastors without the keyes without the voyce of the gospell without forgivenes of â—inns bycause the tyranny of the Bishops eyther drives away or refuses to appoynt fit Ministers And agayn it is the confusioÌ„ of order to seek sheepheards froÌ„ the wolves And lastly this hath ever been the right of the true Church to chuse and call out of her own assembly fit Ministers of the gospel Thus far hâ— In the third place Peter Martyr shall speak who vpon the book of Iudges ch 4. vers 5. sayth thus Touching the ecclesiasticall Ministery we have signified before that it may not be committed to women that they are not fit for it But now wee adde that in the planting of Churches anew when men want which should preach the gospell a woman may perform that at the first but so as when she hath taught any company that some one man of the faythful be ordeyned which may afterwards minister the sacraments teach and do the Pastours duety faithfully 4. Zanchy vpon the fifth to the Ephesians treating of Baptism propounds a quaestion of a Turk comming to the knowledge of Christ and to sayth by reading the new Testament and withall teaching his family converting it and others to Christ and being in a countrey whence he can not easily come to Christian Churches whether he may baptise them whom he hath converted to Christ he himself being vnbaptized He answers I doubt not of â—â— but that he may and withall provide that he himself be baptized of one of the three converted by him The Reason be gives 〈…〉 bycause he is a Minister of the word extraordinarily stirred vp of Christ so as such a Minister may with the consent of that small Church appoint one of the communiâ—ants and provide that he be baptized by him Adde in the fifth place Tilenus who being demaunded of the Earl of Lavall from whom Calvin had his calling answered from the Church of Geneva and from Farell his praedecessour who had also his froÌ„ the people of Geneva who had right and authority to institute and depose Ministers which thing he also confirms by Cyprian Ephes. 14. The sixth and last I will name is Sadeel who writing a treatise of purpose touching the lawfull calling of Ministers against such as agreed with the reformed Churches in the doctrine they taught but excepted against them in this that they had not their Ministers by ordinary succession sâ—ewes that amongst and above other things the ecclesiastical Ministery of Rome is corrupted makes it a shamelesse thing that any boasting of the pure knowledge of God should obiect against them that they did not draw the pure reformation of the ecclesiasticall Ministery out of the drâ—gges of Popery The first argument he vseth to justify the calling of their Ministers is that they are called chosen and received of these assemblyes which do appear by manifest signes and arguments to be true Churches as having the true doctrine of fayth the pure administration of the sacrameÌ„ts the right and sincere â—â—vocation of Gods name observing religiously the discipline instituted by Christ and his Apostles and lastly testifying by the duties of love constancy of Martyrs and reformation of the whole life that they are by the great mercy of God adopted into the number of the faythfull as members of the Catholick Church c. And thus much of the Ministery both yours Mr Ber ours and more particularly to prove that an assembly of faythful people separating themselves from Heathenish or Antichristian idolatry have right within themselves to call and appoint their Ministers Now from this conclusion thus manifested do arise sundry others worthy the noting down for the common controversy As first that such an assembly though without officers is a true visible Church the kingdom of Christ City of God And I suppose it needs no confirmation to any good conscience that the choise of Church officers is a Church action a mayn part of the administration of Christs kingdom and a priviledge of that spirituall City the new Ierusalem and that such an assembly hath the power of Christ and from him authority and commission without vvhich it were intollerable usurpation to praesume to choose his officers especially the cheif officers in his kingdom as are they which administer the word sacraments of whom we principally entreat 2. That the people have power to censure offenders for they that haue power to elect appoint set vp officers they hav also power vpoÌ„ just occasioÌ„ to reject depose put them down so are part of that Church where officers are and the whole Church where they are not of which Christ speaketh Math 18. 17. where he sayth tell the Church Besides that the calling of officers and censuring of offenders are the two mayn administrations of the kingdome of Christ and so both of one nature 3. And lastly that the brethren out of office whether in a Church furnished with officers or vvithout them are not mere private persons as you Mr Ber and others would make them in the exercise of prophesy calling of Ministers and judging of offenders for scandalous sinns Considering them in deed severally one by one or in opposition to the publique officers they may be called private persons but take them joyntly and in these and the like acts of their communion and they are more then so and as the Church is a publique body so are they members of the body and parts of the whole and of the same publique nature with it and not private parts or members of the publique body which were a senseles contradiction and contrary to the rule in ReasoÌ„ The whole and all the partes ioyntly taken are the same When the brethren made choyce of Ioseph and Mathyas to be presented and afterwards of the seven Deacons after that of the Elders in every Church did they make a private choise of publique officers or could they as private persons merely make a publique choise When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Church of Corinth which you graunt to be the multitude or body of the Church about the censuring of the incestuous person did he will them to judge and censure him privately for his publique scandalous sin or could they as persons merely private passe a publique judgement The thing then is that when the Church is gathered or come together in one for the administration of the word sacraments censures and other exercises of religion parts of Gods worship the officers if there be any
duties to be done by their men furnished by other scriptures then the divine scriptures the Bishops scriptures their Canons coÌ„stitutioÌ„s wherby they ar fully furnished indeed with ring surplus service-book and other preistly implements for the busines The Apostle Paul Eph 4. 8. 11. 12. teacheth that when Christ ascended on high he gave vnto men such gifts that is such ministeryes of the Church as should serve for the repayring of the saynts and aedification of his body till the work of grace were perfected in all his and so he makes the work of the ministery and the aedification of the body of Christ all one Now who will say that the celebration of mariage or buryall of the dead are in themselves matters of aedification or which further the vnity of fayth They serve for the generall administration of the world and so are lawfull amongst Turkes and Heathens as to eat and drink or to perform any other naturall or civil work and not for the speciall administratioÌ„ of the Church or body of Christ and therefore no works of the ministery which is peculiar vnto the Church The Church is a religious society and so the ministery which is given to the Church is a religious calling and so the proper works of the ministery must needes be workes of religion which if mariage or burying the dead were then were it vnlawfull for a faythful husband to communicate with his wife being an infidell or excommunicate in the dutyes of mariage or for a brother being a faythful person to ioyn with his brother being an infidell or excommunicate in the buryall of their dead father for with such persons religious communion may not be kept whereas the scriptures do coÌ„mend vnto vs these duties so performed both as lawfull and necessary Gen. 25. 9. 35. 29. 1 Cor. 7. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. These are then civill duties and so practised by the servants of God in all ages whose practise also for our learning is recorded in the scriptures and commended vnto vs accordingly Gen. 24. 50. 51. 58. 59. 67. 25. 34. Ruth 4 1. 2. 5. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Math. 27. 57. 59 60. Act. 8. 2. Whether it be an errour in vs as in the 11. place â—e are accused to hold that Ministers ought not to live of tythes and offerings but of the peoples voluntary contribution let the Reader considering what is answered both by Mr Aynsworth Mr Smyth and what is more fully written in the book before named judge But This sayth Mr B. is against the wisdome of God who alloweth a setled maintenance vnder the law and there is nothing against it in the gospel But say I as the Lord appointed vnder the law a setled maintenance by tythes offerings so did he a setled land of Canaan which was holy and a sacrament so did he also appoynt that the Levites to be maynteyned there should have no part nor inheritaÌ„ce with the rest of the Israelites their brethren And hath Gods wisdome so appoynted now If it had I feare many would not rest in it so wise are they for their bellyes And where you adde that there is nothing in the gospel against this ordinance â—â— the law the authour to the Hebrewes might have taught you that the law is abolished by the gospel in the sense we speak of and the old testament by the new in respect of ordinances whereof this was one If it be sayd that tythes went in vse and given by Abraham to Melchizedek Preist of the most high God before the law or old testament was given by Moses I do answer that so was circumcision ministred and sacrifices offered before Moses which notwithstanding were parts of the old testament and assumed by Moses into the body of it and so are abolished by the new To conclude this poynt since tythes and offerings were appurtenances vnto the preisthood and that the priesthood both of Melchizedek and Levi are abolished in Christ as the shadow in the substance and that the Lord hath or deyned that they which preach the gospell should live of the gospell we do willingly leave vnto you both your preistly order and maintenance contenting our selves with the peoples voluntary contribution whither it be it be lesse or more as the blessing of God vpon our labour the fruit of our ministery and a declaration of their love and duety The 12 and last errour imputed to vs is that your Churches as you call them ought to be raced downe and not to be imployed to the true worship of God Our mayn reason of this assertion being as you say by making equall Paganism and Antichristianism you endevour to weakeÌ„ by sundry exceptions As 1. that there is great difference between Antichristianism and Pagnism for this is the worshipping of a false God and without any profession of the true God but the other worship the true God hold many truthes of God Paganism was wholly without the Church but Antichrist sits in the Church of God c. 2. that we are to prove your Churches to have been built by Antichrist We do not make equall Paganism and Antichristianism in the degree though wee put not such difference between them as you do And first we do affirm that both the one and the other are not onely agaynst that 2. connaundement but the first also 2. that both of them may in their degree and for a tyme be in the Church as also that both of them may in tyme and in their degree destroy the true Church of Christ. 3. that as well the reliques ornaments and monuments of the one as of the other are by lawfull authority to be abolished and in the meane while to be forborn especially in the worship of God by all such as fear him his judgements denounced agaynst the same let vs heare what the scriptures teach in these cases The Apostle Paul writing purposely of that man of sin Antichrist testifieth that he is an adversary and exalteth himself agaynst all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he sitteth in the temple of God as God shewing himself that he is God And as Antichrist caÌ„not be rightly discerned of vs but in his oppsition vnto Christ exaltation above him so doth this his exaltatioÌ„ appear sudry wayes by which he doth translate vnto himself the honour due vnto God alone his sonne our Lord Christ as in dispensing with the morall law professedly bynding and loosing conscience devising and imposing forms of religion traÌ„sferring empires kingdoms al these doth this earthly God as he is called by the plenary power of the seat Apostolicall The same also it was which Iohn for saw in the Revelation namely that the Antichristians worshipped Divels Idols of gold and silver brasse stone wood which can neyther see nor hear nor walk agayn that they worshipped the beast which
came out of the earth the image of the beast both small and great ritch and poore free bond received his mark in their right hand in their foreheads And is the man of sin divels idols the beast al which Antichristians worship the true God Or is that notable idol their breadeÌ„ God in the sacrameÌ„t of the altar which they so much adore the true God Yea are the Virgin Mary other saynts to whoÌ„ they pray go in pilgrimage and perform other devotions in whose honour they have built the very temples we speak of the true God Oh Mr Bern that you should be dravvn to this pleâ—sor Rome Surely the hand of God is vpon you it is a fearfull thing you feel it not And as Antichristianism doth not vvorship the true God onely but false Gods or such as are no Gods with him therefore is both against the 2. 1. coÌ„mandement as hath been sayd so neyther is Paganism as you speak without all profession of the true God To let passe that the learned of our natioÌ„ have proved the contrary agaynst the Papists pleading for themselves as you do for theÌ„ that they worshipped onely the true God that which is written 2 King 17. if there were no more scriptures doth sufficiently manifest your errour It is there sayd that the King of Ashur taking Samaria carying away Israell to Ashur brought from Babylon and other Heathenish Countryes folk and placed them in the Cities of Samaria in stead of the children of Israel And in the same place it followeth that those Babylonians and other Pagans reteyning still their Paganism and worshipping as before the Gods of their own nations did withall worship Iehovah the true God Of like truth with the former is that which followeth namely that Paganism was wholly without the Church but that Antichrist sits in the Church of God For first admit it be true of Paganism in the land of Canaan before the Israelites entred into it yet afterwards it was otherwise as the scriptures testify and got too great footing in the Church in that place as it had done before in all places 2. it is not true you say that Antichrist sits in the Church of God he sits in his own Church into which the Church of God is degenerated though there remayn vsurped sundry things still which are of God It is a great vntruth to affirm that the Popish Synagogue in the present state is the true visible Church of God vnto which he hath promised his presence given his power As Paganism hath subverted other Churches so hath Antichristianism that Church loÌ„g agone And here I would demaund of Mr Bern. what he judgeth of the Israelites in and after Ieroboams apostasie especially in the time of Ahab Iezabell when Baall was espetially worshipped and temples and altars reared vp vnto him in Samaria Doth he judge them at that tyme playn Pagans Or was their worship simple Paganism I see not but as the religion of the Papists in the opposition it hath to Christianity is rightly called Antichristianism so the religioÌ„ of the ten Tribes in the oppositioÌ„ it had to the law given by Moses may fitly be called Anti-Iudaism And for the Baalims then and there worshipped they were even as the lesser Gods at this day which are called Patrons amongst the Papists The divell to the end he might bring in agayn the old Idolatry craftily borrowing the names of the holy Apostles and martyrs by whom it was in former tymes overthrown and driven away and by this meanes it hath put on another person that it might not be known Wherevpon it followeth by proportioÌ„ that as the temples altars and high places for those Baalims other Idols were by godly kinges to be razed downe and taken away no way to be imployed to the true worship of God so are the teÌ„ples with their appurtenances built to the virgin Mary Peter Paul and the rest though true saynts yet the Papists false Gods and very Baalims to be demolished overthrown by the same lawfull authority in the mean while as execrable things to be avoyded by them which have none authority to deface or demolish them Now howsoever the difference put by M. B. is neyther true nor to the purpose if it were true yet do I graunt a difference not in respect of the things but of the tymes and that there was something legall in many of the coÌ„maundements given by Moses touching these and the like execrable things yet so as there is one the same generall and comon equity bynding the Iewes then vs now that I consider in two respects the one in the detestation of Idolatry past and the other in the preservation of it for the tyme to come And as the godly vnder the law were to shâ—w their detestation of Idolatry by defacing and abandoning the monuments reliques and remembrances of it so are they now to manifest in the same manner their just and zealous hatred of the same or like impietyes and as the kings and mighty of the earth have in former tymes given their power vnto the beast and adorned the purple-coloured whore with many ornaments and with stately temples aedifices amongst the rest so shall they in the day of her full visitation strip her naked of these amongst her other ornaments and leave her desolate Now for the 2. reason who is ignorant how many thowsands in the land are most dangerously nourished in their erroneous superstitious perswasions by the howses themselves to let passe the particular both memorials of and incitements vnto Idolatry stil appearing in some places more in some lesse knowing none other Church to which God hath promised his speciall praesence and wherein he wil be glorified save in that of lime and stone putting holynes in the very place And how well your Church provides for this appeares in sundry things as in whyting the walls of the houses where you silenced the preachers in bynding the people absolutely to the places though litle care be taken what eyther they or the ministers to whom they come do there so they deale not too faythfully in the Lords buesines in tying ChristiaÌ„ buriall absolutely to the Church or Church-yard where the Minister with all his holy implements must meet the corpes at the Church-style and so with singing saying as is appointed admit it into the holy ground And lastly in teaching the people that by keeping their Churches in good repayr they shall not onely please God and deserve his manifold blessings but also deserve the good report of all godly people And for the Papists all men know what claym they lay vnto the places as in deed they do farre better fit their pompous religion then the simplicity of the gospel what new life they continually receive from them what religion they put in them and what devotion they haue
word of God a very charm in writing and teaching that the bare vse they might say the abuse of the word and sacraments by a company of people though eyther altogether or for the most part for feare fashion or with opinion of merit ex opere operato and without all knowledge or conscience makes them a true Church of Christ. The Argument from the externall efficient except it work absolutely necessarily to the effect is vnsound It were senseles to affirme that bycause physick is the meanes of recovering health therefore whosoever vse physick are healed much more to affirm that bycause the word is the means to gather a Ch whosoever vse it are a Church since physick is a naturall agent and worketh by a naturall power given it of God where the word is a morall agent having in it selâ— no naturall vertue but working merely by the will of the authour and supernaturall efficacy of the spirit which like the winde bloweth where it listeth The two next Reasons being indeed one in effect which the Ministers bring for the justification of their Church are 1. that their whole Church maketh profession of the true fayth for proof of which they refer vs to the confession of their Church the Apology of it and the Articles of religion agreed vpon in the Convocation house 2. that they hold teach and mainteyn every part of Gods holy truth which is fundamentall and such as without the knowledge and beleeving whereof there is no salvation All which afterwards they reduce to this one head as the onely fundamentall truth of religion That Iesus Christ the sonne of God who took our nature of the virgin Mary is â—ur onely and all sufficient saviour which truth say they whosoever receive are the people of God and â—n the estate of salvation they that receive it not cannot possibly be saved Math 16. 18. Mark 16. 16. 1 Ioh 4. 2. Col 2. 7. These two Arguments for substance have been handled in the former part of the book vnto which also M. Ainsworth hath given answer in the particulars of which I entreat the Reader to take knowledge and do therevnto annex these considerations First it is a very presumptuous thing for these ministers yea or for any men or angels thus peremptorily to determine how much knowledg a man must have to be saved that if he have iust so much then he may be or is it the state of salvation if he want any of that he cannot be saved Who knowes by how litle knowledge the Lord may and doth save a man that is faythfull in the litle he knowes and endevours by all means to further knowledge and so to further faythfulnes As on the contrary the Lord rejects many with greater knowledg for their vnfaythfulnes both in not practising the things they know and in neglecting to know more least they should learne that truth which they have no mynde to practise for feare or in other corrupt regards And howsoever I do acknowledge a difference of truthes and that some are more and some lesse principall yet do I wish more conscience in the application of this distinction For whereas the ministers are by the lawes and penaltyes Civill and Ecclesiastical limited in their doctrine and both the ministers and people in their obedience of and to the truth of the gospel and ordinances of the new testament this is made a salve for every sore that they have the substance of the gospell the doctrine of fayth all fundamentall truthes and whatsoever is necessary to salvation In which defence as it is made there are these evills First in it men not onely endeavour which is too much the curing of Babell but iudeed to make Babell beleeve shee stands in no great need of curing and that her wounds are neyther deadly nor daungerous 2. It tends to vilify and make of small moment many of the Lords truthes ordinances howsoever these ministers wil not heare of it And this will appeare if the end be considered of these distinctions and qualifications which is that men should setle themselves without pressing further in the disobedience and want of sundry of the coÌ„maundements and ordinances of Christ Iesus till with bodily peace and leave of the magistrate they might enjoy the same And if the Scribes and Pharisees were reproved of Christ for making the commaundements of God of none authority by their traditions do not they make the commaundements of God and ordinances of Christ of small moment who for the traditions and inventions of men yea of that man of sin though supported by the arme of flesh haue forborn and do forbear and so purpose to go on the obedience of the fame which whether it be not the very estate of these ministers in forbearing to preach that I may let passe other matters for the refusall of subscription and conformity let their own consciences judge And mark their defence They beleiv and teach that there is no part of the holy scripture which every Christian is not necessarily bound to seek and desire the knowledge of so far forth as in him lyeth Here is a great charge layd vpon every Christian to seek the knowledge of every part of holy scripture but no word of his obedience unto every part of it as if Christ had not sent out his Apostles to teach men to observ to the worlds end but to know what he had commaunded them and as if the word of God were onely a light and lanthorn vnto mens eyes that they might see the wayes of God and not to their feet and pathes that they might walk in them The same Prophet in the same Psalm entreats the Lord to teach him the way of his statutes that he might keep it vnto the end that he would give him vnderstanding that he might keep his law professing also in the same place that he was comforted in GOD against all that confusion which his enemyes would have brought vpon him that he had respect to all GODS commaundements and this respect was not of bare knowledge but of observation and obedience as appears in all the five verses before going Neyther therefore can the ministers excuse themselves from making some parts of the holy scriptures of small moment and needles as Mr Barrow chargeth them bycause they advise the people to desire the knowledge of them except with their knowledge they joyned obedience neyther ought the people to rest in that vnsound advise considering that to him that knoweth how to do well and doth it not to him it is sinn and that to him that knoweth his maysters will and doth it not many stripes are due 3. This pleading by the ministers that they hould and enioy every fundamentall truth and whatsoever is of necessity to salvation coÌ„sidering the end of it which is the stopping of the people from pressing vnto further obedience and profession of the will
of God and ordinances of Christ is injurious both to the growth and sincerity of the obedience of Gods people For whereas they ought to be led forward vnto perfection this teacheth them to stay in the foundation as if it were sufficient for the building of the house that the foundation were layd secondly it insinuates that it is sufficient if men so serue God as they can obteyn salvation though with disobedieÌ„ce of a great part of the revealed wil of God occasioning them thereby to serve him onely or chiefly for wages as hypocrites do As if a child should be taught so far to honour and please his father as he might get his inheritance but not much to trouble himself about giving or doing him any further honour or service Secondly I do answer that this truth which the ministers make t 〈…〉 onely fundament truth in religion is held and professed by as vile haeretiques as ever were since Christ came in the flesh May not a coÌ„pany of excoÌ„municates hold teach and defend this truth and yet are they not a true Church of God 3. I deny that the whole Church of England hath received and doth hold and professe this fundamentall truth how boldly soever these ministers affirme it They graunt there are many Atheists in the land they might say in the Church for Atheists are and ever wil be of the Kings states religion many ignorant and wicked men besides who make not so clear and holy a profession of the true fayth as they should And do these Atheists hold and professe the true fayth and every article of Gods holy truth which is fundamentall Are there not many thowsands in the nationall Church ignorant of the very first rudiments foundations of religion as the Apostle noteth them down and can they hold and professe that whereof they are ignorant Yea how can any wicked men hold that CHRIST is their saviour but they hold an apparantly in the eyes of all men for which notwithstanding these Ministers wil have them reputed true members of Christs body I ad that since the body of that Church or nation consists of mere naturall men and that naturall men are Papists in the case of justification and look to be saved by their good meaning and well doings it is most vntruly affirmed by those ministers that their Church accounts none her members but such as professe salvation by Christ onely They hold otherwise and so professe if an account of their fayth be demaunded as I have shewed by the testimony of Mr. Nichols and could do by the testimony of others if all men did not see it too evidently And yet see what these men affirme and that confidently and without fear for their advantage as that their whole Church makes profession of the true fayth that it holds and maintayns every article fundamentall of Gods holy truth and particularly that Iesus Christ the sonne of God and lastly that they that receive this truth are the people of God and in the state of salvatioÌ„ Whervpon it must follow that their whole nationall Church is in the state of salvation And surely so had it need be in the judgment of men having the promises and seales of the covenant of salvation applyed and ministered vnto it and to every member of it Lastly though the whole Church of England and every member in it did personally professe the true fayth in holines as all the true members of the Church do which are therefore called both saynts and faythfull and that we had do just exception agaynst that prophane and implicite profession for which both Mr. Ber. and the ministers plead yet could nor this make it or them a true Church The bare profession of fayth makes not a true Church except the persons so professing be vnited in the Covenant and fellowship of the gospel into particular congregations having the entyre power of Christ within themselves As hewed stones are fit for an house but not an howse nor any part of it till they be orderly layd and couched together so are men professing fayth and holines fit for the Church but not a Church nor of it before their orderly combination into a particular assembly having in it the power of Christ for the ministery government censures and other ordinances A company of excoÌ„municates put out of the Churches order may professe the same fayth they did formerly so may a sect of schismatiques putting themselves causelesly out of the Churches order so may many particular persons never ioyning themselveâ— vnto any Church at all You your selves define a Church to be a company of faythfull people c. so is not your nationall Church but many companyes not distinct and entyre in themselves and so onely one in nature as all the true Churches of God are but one by monstrous composition in a praeposterous and absurd imitation of the Iewish nationall Church and government Thus much of the Arguments in the handling of which the ministers insinuate agaynst Mr. Barrow sundry vnjust accusations which I will breifly cleare As first that he will account none members of the visible Ch but such as are truly faythful not onely in outward profession and appearance but even in the Lords ey and judgement bycause a Church is described a company of faythfull people that truly worship God and readily obey him But wherefore should the ministers thus interpret him doth he not speak of the visible or externall Church and so by consequence of visible and externall fayth and obedience which are seen of men In their Articles of religion a Church is made a company of faythful people if they must not be truely faythfull then they must be falsâ—ly faythfull And for true worship and ready obedience the Lord requires them in his word according to which we must defyne Churches and not according to casuall corruptions and aberrations brought in by mans fault 2. They charge Mr. Barrow to hold that every member of our assemblyes is led by the spirit into all truth and that it is evident he would have none to be accounted the people and Church of God who eyther know not or professe not every truth conteyned in the scriptures bycause he af firms in his Discovery that to the people of God and every one of them God hath given his holy sanctifying spirit to open vnto them and to lead theÌ„ into all truth It followes not that bycause he affirmes they have received the spirit to lead them into all truth that he therefore affirmes they are led into all truth by the spirit May not the Papists as truly avouch that Paull teacheth that the Church is without spot or wrinkle or any such thing bycause he teacheth that Christ hath given himself for it that he might make it vnto himself a glorious Ch without spot or wrinckle or any such thing It is then an il collectioÌ„
and thanksgiving then their service book as their own practise both private and publique when they have liberty shewes they have and that so themselves judge see them learn to feare him that is a great King and whose name is terrible even the Lord of hostes To him through Christ the onely “ mayster and teacher of his Church be prayse for ever He even God the Father for his sonne Christs sake shew his mercy in all our aberrations and discover them vnto vs more and more keep vs in and lead vs into his truth giving vs to be faythfull in that wee have received whether it be lesse or more praeserving vs against all those scandalls wherewith the whole world is filled Amen CHristian Reader whilst I was printing my defence against Mr Ber Invective his reply came forth in a second treatise to which I have also given answer in all the particulars which are of weight And for that I have been occasioned by the one and other book to handle all the poynts in difference I entreat the to compare with this my defence such other oppositions especially as respect myself whither in print or writing till more particular â—nswer be given The principall scriptures brought on both sides for the present controversy expounded and applyed LEviticus 20. 24. 26. 11. 12. pag. 328. 329. Ieremy 23. 22. pag. 103. 377. The two parables of the feild and draw net Mat. 13. p. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. Math. 18. 17. Tel the Church p. 170. 171. 172. 177. 178. c. to 235. 238. 239. Math. 23. 1. 2. 3. pag. 433. 434. 435. 436. Mark 9. 39. pag. 77. Ioh. 10. pag. 385. 386. 387. 388. Ioh. 17. 6. 9. 14. 15. 16. p. 332. 333. 334. Act. 2. 40. p. 330. 331. Act. 13. 1. 2. p. 366. 367. Act. 1â— 2. 3. 4. 199. Act. 19. 8. 9. pag 331. 332. Act. 21. 18. pa. 200. Rom. 10. 14. pag. 380. 381. 1 Cor. 1. 11. pag. 190 191. 1 Cor. 5. pag. 158. 159. 190. 191. 239. 240. 241. 242. 1 Cor. 9. 1. 2. p. 11. 381. 382. 383. 1 Cor. 11. 18. pag. 252. 253. 1 Cor. 14. 1. 3. 22. 24. pag. 235. 236. 237. 2 Cor. 2. 6. pag 243. 206. 207. 208. 2 Cor. 6. 12. 15. 16. 17. 18. p. 322. 323. 324. 325. 326. 327. 328. 334. 335. 336. 337. Ephe. 4. 11. 12. pag. 159. 160. 162. 163. Phil. 1. 15. 16. pag. 119. 435. 1 Tim. 4. 6. pag. 378. Titus 1. 15. pag. 251. 1 Pet. 2. 9. 10. pag. 44. 45. Rev. 2. 3. pa 167. 168. 169. A TABLE OF THE PRINCIPAL matters conteyned in this treatise A OF Antiquity pa 32. 33. 50. The order of the separated Churches more ancient then that of the Ch of Engl p 40. 41. The Apostles coÌ„mission peculiar pag 147. 155. 156. Wherein ordinary Ministers succeed them pa 156. Neyther the Bishops of Rome nor Engl the Apostles successours p 405 364. Authority to be obeyed p 18. DiffereÌ„tly in things civil ecclesiasticall pa 29 30. B. The Church not constituted noâ— the members admitted by Baptism pa 283. 284. Baptism in Rome and Engl how true and how false p. 284 285. How Baptism is a note of saynt-ship of the Church p 110 See Sacraments Why wee reteyn the Baptism received in Rome and Engl not the Ministery pa 390 391. 392. 393. 394. 395. See Ordination C. Christs headship in a great measure denyed in the Ch of Engl pa 261. in the administration of his prophesy pag 262. 263. preisthood p 263 264 kingdome p 264 268. Christs kingdom and the government of it spirituall p 38. yet visible p 99. 110 The kingdom of Christ to be administred as solemnly publiquely as his prophesie or preisthood p 228 230. 350. Of the visible invisible Ch pa 105. 106 311 313. Of the gathering and constitution of the visible Church p 220 221. 292 233. See profession of fayth Who are true members of the visible Church pa 105 107. See saynts The Church no mixt company but simple and vniform p 112 121 337. Persons apparantly and visibly wicked no true members of the Church whatsoever in word they profess p 268 269 274 304 305 310. Where also Mr Bern plea for theÌ„ is disproved The constitutioÌ„ of the Church what it is and of how great account pa 73 77. 81 82 88 93 94. 95. 98. The Church superiour vnto the Officers p 200 201 217. how pa 218 219 220 223. The Officers are the Churches not the contrary pa 127 132 211. Churches are before Officers p 126. 127 211. 221. 366. 396 397 399. Without which the Ministers cannot exist p 393 294. The covenant of the L. makes the Ch in generall pa 283. 311 The Church of Engl vncapable of it p 311 313 319 221 322. 338 339 340. Two or three faithful people in the covenant of the gospell or of Abraham though without Officers are a Church p. 125 126 129 190. 423. Having interest in all the holy things of God within themselves iÌ„mediately vnder Christ pa 131. 132 See Ordination The Church may censure her Officers pag 213 220. The properties of the Church pa 341. 342 346. c. The Church to be gathered onely by the preaching or publishing of the gospel of salvatition received submitted unto pa 89 90 91 315 447 457 458 459. The Church of Engl not so gathered pa 89. 90. 91. 459. 460. Of repraesentative Churches and that the new testament acknowledgeth none such pa 194 198. and of repraesentations in religion pa 231. 302 303. 304. Of corruptions in the Church p 64 65 81 82 260. 337. how to be forborn born reformed pa. 15. 64. 68 16. No separation from a true Church p 247. How a Church ceaseth p 247. 248. 249. Of the differences betwixt the reformed Churches and vs and betwixt theÌ„ the vnreformed Church of Engl and that they both cannot possibly be rightly gathered and constituted pag. 41. 42 46. 47. 48. 52. 301. 453. 454. The Church of Engl agaynst which wee deal how to be considered p 319. 320. 339. Neyther the Church of Rome nor of Engl was ever a true Ch as was Iudah pa 277. 278. 299. 120. 121. Much lesse did they so continue in the height of Antichrists apostasie as did Iudah in her greatest defection but were dischurched 121. Mr Ber Reasons to prove Rome for the preseÌ„t a true Ch answered pag. 278. 279. 280. 281. 281. 282. 285. 286. 28â— The contrary proved pa 288. 289. 290. 291 The reformation by King Edward and Queene Elizabeth though much to be honored no way comparable to that by Hezechiah Iosiah and Nehemiah p 294. 295. 296. 297. 298 299. 300. The Church Math. 18. 17. not the Iewish Synedrion 177. 178. 179. 180. 181. 182. 183. 184 185. 186. Not the Praesbytery or Ch officers but the officers people in the order set by Christ the officers governing and the people governed 186. 187. 190. 101. 192. 193. 194. 195
196. 197. 198. 199. 200. 201. 202. 203. 204. 205. 206. 207. 208. 209. 210. 211. 212. 213. 214. 222. 223. 224. 225. 226. 227. 228 229. 230. 231. 232. 223. 234. 238. 229. 240. 241. 242. 243. 244. 245. Of popish ceremonies conformity vnto them p. 25. 27 65. Of circumstances p. 21. 2â— 33 37. and the manner of doeing things pa. 369 370. The communion in the Church most entyre p. 233. 234. Great care to be taken that it be holy and lawfull pag 133. 254. 255. Of Compulsion to religion how it hurts it pag 275. 298. 299. 300. 301. 302. 459. The Ch of Engl so therefore not rightly gathered after the Romish Apostacy pag 292. 300 301. 302. 303 304. Of Collections and Consequences p. 32. 45. Contentions alwayes in the Clâ—â— pag 55. 56. E Of the power of the Lord Iesus for excoÌ„munication the reformation of abuses pa 32 â—3 Given to every true particular Church pag 267. An essentiall property pag 347. 348. 349. 350. 351. Persons not vnder it with out p. 100. 101 Difference between it and separation p 124. F Fayth and repentance not to be stinted pa. 23. 24. All things must be done in fayth pag. 18. 28. and in things doubtfull suspend pa 19 34. Of Fundamentall truthes such as are necessary to salvation pa 31. 32. 376. 448 449. 450. 451. G The difference betwixt civil and ecclesiastical government and governours p 135. 136 137. 164 165. 166. 168. See Christs kingdom Church-government a mere Church-service p. 217. 137. 225. I. How wâ—e the Iewes one pa 196. 211. Their extraordinary priveledges p 248. No separation from that Church p. 250. Their government no pattern for ours p 174. 194. 195. 196. 197. 198. Their Synagogues not as our Churches now pa 427. Excommunication or dissynagogueing amongst them no divine spirituall and distinct ordinance p 187. 188. 189. 190. Of things indifferent p. 25. 27. their vnseasonable vse p. 36. 37. K. Keyes of the kingdome of heaven given to the whole Ch pag. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 152 153. in what order 399. 400. â—â—5 L. Lawes ecclesiasticall in Engl pag. 20. 21. binde and loose the conscience pag 264. 265. 39. M. Ministery left by Christ p. 192. 356. Vnlawfull Ministers not to be coÌ„municated with what truths soever they teach pa 17. 79. 80. 162. 163. Difference in the administring of doctrine and disciplyne pa 165. 151. 234. 238. The Ministery of Engl disproved and the Reasons for it answered pag 162. 163. 173. 174. 175. 265. 266. 346. 356. 357. 358. 359. 360. 361. 362 363. 364. 370. 377. 378. 379. 385. 386. 389. 390. True ordinary Ministers tyed to a particular assembly pa 393. 394. 395. True Ministers cannot be in a false Church pa 360. 361. Conversion of men to God no note of a true Minister pa 10 11 51. 69. 379. 380. 381. 382. 383. 384. 385. The Ministers in Engl all of the same constitutioÌ„ pa 351. 352. Theires and the Romish Ministery the same in respect of the office power to administer it and most of the works pa 358. 359. 411. Preaching of the gospel no part or property of the Ministery in Engl but a thing casuall p. 353. 354. 355. Of the calling of Ministers wherin the peoples right is pro ved Mr B objections answered p. 144. 145 146. 360. 361. 365. 367. 371 376. Ministers by their office not to celebrate mariage nor buâ—y the dead p. 438. 439. Their maintenance p. 439. 440. O. Of offence p. 18. 19. 37. 39. Officers not simply necessary for the publique administratioÌ„s in the Church pag 137. 138. 139 144. 165. 166. 167. The brethren out of office not mere private persons p 423. 424. Of the officers vsurpation p. 367. 368. 367. 132. 133. Ordination may in cases be performed by such as are no officers pa. 400. 401. 402 423. Ordination Baptism vnâ—â—tly compared p 413. See Baptism P Praetence of peace pa 13. 14. 15. Of pollution by other menns â—â—nns and how it comes pag. 244. 245. 249 254 256 259. Of preaching or publishing the gospel pa 70. 71. 72. 73. The true Church gathered by it onely See Church How a note of the Church See word The coÌ„stitutioÌ„ of the Church it deceitfully opposed p. 37. See Church Of profession of fayth prosessours p. 7. Profession makes not a Church pag. 452. The profession of fayth required by the scriptures p 90. 91. 270 271. 272. 274. That in Engl compared with it p. 58. 91. 274. 275. 316. 450. 451. Of prophesying out of office p. 235 238. R Reformation to begin at our selves so to passe to others p. 24. 133. Praeposterous reformation in Engl made and desired pa 300. 301. The people interessed in the reformation of publique scandalls in their Church in their places as well as the officers p. 142. 143. 164. 165 170. 242. 343. as also in other Church affayres p. 190. 200 201 204. See OrdinatioÌ„ Mat. 18. 17. exp S. Sacraments do not constitute a Church but presuppose a Ch constituted pa 91. 283. 284. how notes of the Church p. 317. 342. 343. 344. not given by the Lord to any parish Ch in Engl p. 319. 320 Of their Ministration in England p. 91. 92. 93. 425. Of Saints saintship p. 107. 108 1. 1. Of succession see Ordination T Of the Temples by Mr Bern called their Churches p. 440. 441. 442 443. 445. 446. W. How the Word of God makes notes out the Church p. 89 315. 447. Of the Worship in the Church of Engl p. 424 425. 426. 427. 429. 430. The vse of their devised leitourgy is not the true manner of worshipping God neyther can Mr. Ber or the Ministers justify it pa 425. 426. 428. 429. 466. to the end Errata  pag. l. For contradictions read contraries pag. 42. l. 20. For approbation read exprobration 62. 15. for svvord read head 89. 21. read with Zerubbabel 94. 29. for discharged read dischurched 107. 6. for discharging read dischurching 128. 19. for Ioseph r Pharaoh 175. 17 for of read or 176. 27. for quality r quantity 195. 36. for endeavours r endeavourers 209. last line for false read true 359. 1. for Eph r Epist 422. 25. r be in the 433. 16. for the read your 435. 9. r would not allow 435. 16. for praeservation r prevention 443. 14 r would know the 446. 26. for converted r vnconverted 457. 34. for Papists r popish 465. 12. The Printer to the Reader I Gentle Reader Sundry other faults in the printing are escaped in words letters poynts wherof some shal be amended to thy hands the rest in the reading help thy self by the sense or otherwise Impute not the Printers faults to the Authour but recken the most and greatest myne and the least and smallest his Rev. 3. 16. †Levit. 9. 24. 1 King 18. 38. †◠Thes. 5. â—1 I. II. * Ier. 24. â— 2. 3. two baskets III. †Prov. 24. 23. * â—â—m 2.