English Tongue And this may also serve for an Apology for the Quotations alleaged in the ensuing Dialogue whether from Scriptures or Antient Writers If now it should be objected That many words in holy Writ are left untranslated and that therefore we must needs depend upon the present Learned for help in such cases c. To this it may well be answered That there are such Lexicons Dictionaries and Tables long ago extant and yet remaining as may well suffice the Unlearned for their attaining to the true etymology of all such words at least in such sort as may be thought equivolent with what the present Learned are capable to accommodate us with Hence it may be perceived that the mode of divers of our present Scholars under what form of Religion soever in their contradicting of Translators and Interpretors which have communicated to us the holy Scriptures or other Authors in the English Tongue is so far from forcing the Unlearned to a necessary reliance upon them in these cases that in truth it will rather inforce them to a necessary disclaiming them as not much regarding what they either say or write For if we have been deceived by all that have formerly pretended to serve their Generations in these weighty and eternal Soul-concerns We shall have small ground of incouragement to believe that we shall be ingeniously dealt with by such men as to the intent they may bring us under their devised fables and antiscriptural Traditions do run that desperate adventure to traduce the Scriptures as falsly translated For that diversity which may seem to be among our English Editions of Holy Scripture which perhaps may thrust it self in Objection-wise in this place Augustine hath said well who adviseth the Reader not to leave the signification of the History for the circumstance of a word nor to condemn either of the Authorities From the premises I will conclude with the words of the Problem No Learned English-man can with modesty pretend to know the meaning of the Hebrew and Greek Tongues so far as they onely concern the Holy Scriptures any whit more in substance or effect than such as are unlearned Tho. Grantham The Authors Expostulation with himself and his Appeal to God about the Publication of the Ensuing POEMS LOrd have I any other end in what My purpose is at present to relate Than to advance thy Truth thy Name and Praise In these so much divided dismal dayes If so thou know'st how much I have desired These lines ere they came forth may have expired So as t' have found their end before they had Their full beginnings in these Poems made Or is it for vain fleshly ostentation That I appear ' gainst the prevarication Of these our days Then let my hand forget Her cunning once a Pen to draw or set On Paper yea Lord let my Tongue also Forget to speak that any it may know Till of such evils I convinced be And own my faults to all but more to thee For what can it avail the Sons of Men To seek applause by using thus their Pen From mortal flesh if thou Lord the erst while Upon them and their doings dost not smile But worm that I am wherefore do I name On this account mens praises or their fame As they are such to be to me extended For this my work where at they 'l be offended Partly because no Learning therein shineth Partly for that these Poems undermineth Those things which they do much more estimate Than what I here to them communicate Well then my Muse look for no commendation For this thy work from this crook'd Generation They are prepar'd for those things to requite thee As did that Troop which lately came to fright thee When they without producing any power Bereav'd thee of thy Fam'ly in an hour And drag'd thee up and down from place to place Till in the Goal a period took thy race Lord sith 't is thus advise me what to do Shall I speak now or wilt thou thereunto Appoint some other if but so it pleaseth Thy self 't is that thy servant greatly easeth But O my God th' hast taught me this to know That thou on me didst not in vain bestow Any good gift so but to thee I must Give an account thereof for thou art just But yet th' hast many which have spoke and cri'd Against those errors which are fortifi'd With many School-shifts and with Martial strength Whereby their life hath had so large a length As that through many Ages they have run Though some from thee to blame them did not shun So that may not I silent sit as well As now approach to publish or to tell What hath been told by others and is known Much more to many than can here be shown If that which those have done may free me from The exercise of thy free donation I could be well content but in this Meeter I call to mind the word once spoke to Peter When Christ to him a service did assign He strait look'd back on John that great Divine With expectation he should him excuse In part of that charge But stay here my Muse Thou must not equalize thy case with theirs Yet thou must faithful be in Christ's affairs Though thou' rt the Least yet mayst make thy abode ' Mongst those in England that dare speak for God But O the times are they not perilous To publish Truth in mind how quarellous Is this poor Age against such as would tear The hood of blind Devotion from their Ear And Eye that so the Antient Gospel-pathes Might extirpate our fears our jarrs our wraths But oh speak of this matter and Sedition Is charg'd upon us or a deep suspition We must lye under as if to the Peace Some danger by our freedom would increase Yea and our words such heavy things betoken As if within our Land they once be spoken 'T is strait supposed they cannot well be born But England will by th' weight thereof be torn So thought the High Priest once of Amos words And cry'd Amos conspired hath by swords And so commands the Prophet for his Life To fly and so avoid the dismal strife Which Truth occasioned Thus be it noted That alwayes Truth with Treason hath been spotted I mean by way of calumny that so Truths friends might find Authority their foe And by this means alas what floods of Lives Have been destroy'd and yet blest Truth survives Yet here I must needs grant that there hath been Too much of Tragical deportment seen In some that have the Truth pretendedly Embraced in its ancient purity Yea I do heartily this day desire That none that own Gods way may stir that fire Of war or strife Which by Gods Providence From this our Land 's but newly driven hence At least I pray if any have attempted To stir up war yet those may be exempted From punishment whose hearts are clear therefrom And let the guilty only bear their doom But
deem Than other places this though strange it seem I can prove true for in the Gospel day Distinctions of this kind are done away Cathederal It seems then I no holier am then thou In thy conceit but Scripture doth us show There 's holy ground as well as ground prophane Place where God will be worship'd and again Place where he will no Sacrifice accept But th'Off'rer and th' Oblation both reject Jayle The Scripture shews that such esteem there WAS Of Place but shews that such esteem should pass Away from Christians wherefore I say Thy Ground or Place no holier is this day Than other places wherefore every where Men may with holy hearts in prayer appear Cathederal My Place must needs be holy for this cause It builded was therein to teach Gods Laws It consecrated was also by those Whom God to minister his Word there chose So was not every place then thou dost ill Thus to compare thy Place with this my Hill Jayle Were all this proved which thou never can Yet mine 's as holy seeing such a man As Christ hath sanctifi'd each place so far As therein he 'll accept of holy Prayer And Paul i' th Jayle at Midnight sang an Hymn Such as few singers ever sang in thine Cathederal Well I perceive I must with thee engage In a Religious contest ere this Age Doth terminate Then let us now propose The Point to be Disputed and then close In Argument The Question then shall he About the Church Whether 't be Me or Thâ—e Jayle No Question like to this the Church once found Will for our finding all Truth prove a Ground So clear that we no Truth shall need to know But she will strait be ready it to show Then fit thy self thy Church for to maintain For that 's the thing I question to be plain Cathederal Dost question that then that will I defend Against thy Opposition Now descend To some particularities that we The reason of thy doubt may fully see And fairely Answer Then let 's see the ground Thou hast to prove thy Church and Doctrine sound Jayle Well then the first place where I shall detect thee For no true Church now let who can protect thee Is thy Minority or want of Age To be esteemed for that Matron sage Espous'd to Christ 'bove sixteen hundred years Ago whilst thou as yesterday appears Cathederal Blis me Did ever any creature know A Jayl that had a more unshamefac'd brow Than thou in this What do not I well know ye To be of Leidens breed of Munster trow ye For shame leave talking of Antiquity Thou art in no respect so old as I. Jayle Alas I see thou knowst me not i' th least Whilst thou deriv'st my line from that mad beast Of Munster ' gainst whose pranks I did protest Even in those dayes as Cassander hath prest Me forth in Print and sith he doth acquit me Thy Callumny in this case cannot hit me Cathederal What wilt deny thy Father do not each My Pulpits sound thee forth when there I preach For such an Upstart Yea my Doctors all There shew thy Radix this their Volumns shall Attest yea th'Papists whom thou sayst acquit thee Say Munster as thy Patriarch befits thee Jayle Thy Doctors and the Papists sometimes say I am no older than that Germans fray Yet otherwhile they both confess I came Down from th'Apostls times now then for shame Insist not on their witness which appears In its Concordance like two Dogs by th' ears Cathederal Sure thou dost wrong both Papists and my Men Beware how thou dost thus imploy thy Pen For if thou shew not from sufficient ground Where they themselvs in this case thus confound I will requite thee as a false accuser And of these reverend Clerks a great abuser Jayle First Willet in 's Synopsis Papismi Opposing Papists 'bout Antiquity Observes that Bernard names some Sectaries Who Pedobaptisme did much despise They 'r call'd Apostolicks because 't is thought From th'Postles times these Sectaries came out Cathederal I find that Willet speaks to this effect But those bore not the name of thy proud Sect Men may deny to baptize Infants so They may deny Believers Baptism too So then this Instance thee no way assists Vnless these men were prov'd Anabaptists Jayle The Papists in their Book of Motives say Th'Apostolicks were such as at this day Are called Anabaptists yea that name They do expresly give them and the same Thy old Friend Marbeck gives to some in Rome In Anno Dom. One hundred fifty one Cathedral I read these Books and must confess I find These things are so What then Thou art behind Some which do boast of their Antiqâ—ity From such like proves to wit the Papacy But yet all this cannot evince the truth Of their Church-state nor yet of thine forfooth Jayle If I no better Plea in this respect Can shew than th'Papists thou shalt me reject As one that 's noval but at present I Am not engag'd for my Antiquity 'T is thou O Minster which must now engage To prove thy self Christs Church in point of age Cathederal Come on I reason thus from Featly's mouth That Church is of full age whose Doctrine's Truth Perpetual unchanged and I say Such is my Doctrine wherefore now I may Conclude with him that thus my Church is true Thy Answer now bring forth to open view Jayle I do deny thy Minor and I say Thy Doctrine which gives enterance to thy way Of Church-ship is not true nor yet so old As in the Scriptures to be found enrol'd For thou without Christs Soul-converting Word Thy Church with carnal members hast bestor'd Cathederal 'T is true my Members now are wholly such When I receive them as no word can touch In order to Conversion yet I say The holy Scripture will evince my way Was not our Father Abra'm and his Seed Brought into one Church-state search now and read Jayle I search and find That unto every Nation To every Creature good news of Salvation For Faith and for Repentance must be taught Before into Christs Church they can be brought Contrary-wise 't is clear that Abr'ams Seed Had no such Obligation that we read Cathederal The Parents do believe and so the Child For Abra'ms Seed in Holy Writ are stil'd Gods Covenant which Abram is the same That 's made with us now therefore here again See how thou err'st making Parental-Faith So needful to let in to th'Churches Path. Jayle The Scripture shews most plain that Abrams Seed In Gospel-times are such as own his Creed Also the Scriptures quite dissolve that Plea Of Parent-interest in a Gospel-day The Jews are Abrams Seed and yet 't is plain That makes them not in 's Covenant remain Cathederal I tell thee Christian-Infants are as free To Gospel-Priviledges as we see The Children of the Jewes were in their time To Legal Rites thus doth my Doctrine shine And is most Antient being not deny'd Till such
filthy gain and they think gain to be piety and godliness VIII ARTICLE About Election this is that I 've said That God from aye before the World was made Hath chosen unto Life such as believe And so in Christ through grace he 'l them receive Yet I am confident God's purpose here Stands not upon what Faith did fore-appear Or Works done by the creature but alone God's Mercy Kindness and Compassion Thus 't is of God who calleth Yet behold Let no man think that now he may be bold To live in sin for as our God is pure So can he no ungodly man endure Then this Decree to every Godly man Hath its extent as David witness can The test of Antiquity According to his mercy he saved us This goodness which doth flourish in Christians doth arise out of the root of Divine Piety or Love for God by his Mercy hath saved us in Christ The Apostle saith not he hath chosen us when we were holy but that we should be holy Election goeth not onely before Works but before Faith where all good Works do begin IX ARTICLE Concerning Reprobation this I say No men as men of old were cast away But as they have God's Grace in wantonness Abus'd and lived in ungodliness To those indeed God sendeth strong delusions That they might damned be Sith vain confusions They rather chose than Truth in faithful love And hence it is God's Wrath ' gainst men doth move Yea against ev'ry soul that doeth evil So as to die the servant of the Devil The test of Antiquity The Damned cannot complain justly because it is their wickedness that doth cast them down into pain He was worthy to lose an unprofitable Faith which did not exercise Charity God is good and he is just He may save a man without good works of his because he is good but he cannot condemn any man without his evil deserts because he is just X. ARTICLE Concerning Infants I believe they shall Suffer no death but that that 's temporal And this their father Adam brought upon them But th'second Adam shal take it quite from them And further than that death that 's temporal No one shall die for Adams sinful fall Christ hath avouched Infants ' thout exception To appertain to Heav'n Then rejection Of Infants into Hell is such a preaching As doth want Charity and cross the teaching And nature of our God Yet thus they teach Who do the Church her Baptisme impeach Contending that to Infants it pertains To some of whom yet they allow no gains By means of Christ his Death for this they say He only dy'd for some And now we may Demand how they did know he dy'd for those Whom they baptize and did the rest dispose To hellish torments See the cruelty Of those who sprinkle Babes infancy The test of Antiquity By the death of the body we read of some that have dyed not for their own but for others sins But in the death of the soul none dieth for another God cannot condemn any man without his evil deserts because he is just XI ARTICLE The only way by God and Christ ordained Whereby the sons of men should be constrained To sit down in Christs Church is Gospel-preaching Wherein a reconciled God is stretching His Hand of Love extensively to all And then to dip or baptize such as shall Repent from sin and faith in Christ profess Through Gods forbearance and great tenderness I say such only as are catechised Are in the Scripture bid to be baptized Into the Name of Father Son and Spirit But as for those who would by Legal merit Or Parent int'rest bring a fleshly seed Into the Gospel-Church all such indeed I do deny with that Scriptureless thing Most truly called Infant Sprinkling Which custom hath or would make void God's Word And bind the Church still with a Legal cord Unto a fleshly line And the New-birth Would as a useless thing fall to the Earth This is one reason why we separate From all such persons that participate We may not with these darksome wayes of theirs But rather by reproofs break through these snares The test of Antiquity The Lord commanded his Apostles that they should first instruct and teach all Nations and afterward should baptize those that were instructed in the mysteries of Faith For it cannot be that the body should receive the Sacrament of Baptism unless the soul hath received before the true Faith The dipping into the Water is the going down into Hell the coming up out of the Water is the Resurrection We must know that at the first Believers were baptized simply in Flouds and Fountains XII ARTICLE I also do believe that the baptized Believing souls ought thus to be advised To seek unto the Lord for his donation The Spirits gifts for their mortification That by that Grace their Life their Profession May not unto each other seem oppression The way to ask this Gift in Scripture stands Known to be Prayer with laying on of hands As one first point which in Christs doctrin's shown Whereby his Saints are from all others known The test of Antiquity Laying on of hands hath ever been the custom of the Church Laying on of hands what is it but prayer over a man The first degree of Christianity is to be repentant of our former life Next to be taught that true-innocency and soul-health is to be hoped-for of God Then forthwith that we be purged by holy Baptism Then that we receive the holy Ghost by laying-on of hands XIII Article Concerning Perseverence this I say And do believe that in Christ's blessed way Men ought without a tossing to and fro Continue stedfast and these things must do Meet in a Church-Society together In the Apofiles Doctrine to consider And call to mind in Pray'r with breaking Bread Their Saviour till he come to raise the dead The test of Antiquity I pray you O ye Bishops which do think your selves to be so What Suffrages have the Apostles used for to preach the Gospel with what power were they aided Did they assemble the Church by the Kings Edict They nourished and kept themselves by their hand-labour and assembled the Church against the Edicts of Kings When wise and good People do meet together we must not call that a Faction or Sect. Saint Luke declareth the Order of the Primitive-Church That the Faithful assembled themselves often times for to preach the Word and celebrate the Lords Supper We assemble to pray for the Emperour c. and for Peace to make commemoration of Divine Scriptures and do feed and nourish the Faith with voice and holy words We plant and graft most strongly our Faith And do labour much to imprint in our hearts the discipline of the Commandments XIV Article I say moreover though I thus contend For th' old Church
The Prisoner against the Prelate OR A DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE Common Goal AND CATHEDRAL OF LINCOLN WHEREIN The true Faith and Church of Christ are briefly discovered vindicated BY Authority of Scripture Suffrages of Antiquity Concessions and Confessions of the Chief Opposers of the same Church and Faith Written by a Prisoner of the Baptised Churches in Lincolnshire O my Dove that art in the clefts of the Rocks in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comly Cant. 2. 4. I sit as a Queen and shall see no sorrow Rev. 18. 7. Prisoner Prelate You look too much upon the Walls c. the Mountains Caves and Prisons are more sure places to me Bernard A PROBLEME demonstrated AND Fixed to the ensuing Dialogue instead of an Epistle to the Reader The PROBLEME No Learned English-man can modestly pretend to know the meaning of the Hebrew and Greek Tongues so far as they only concern the holy Scripture any whit more in substance or effect than such us are Vnlearned The Demonstration IS it not the usual refuge of many in our Age to fly to their particular skill in the Hebrew and Greek Tongues as a sufficient defence against such as are not skilled in the literature thereof when opposed about such things touching Religion as for which the English Text affords nothing Yea it is even deemed enough to silence the Unlearned when assaying to reason about Religion to tell them They are unlearned know not the Originals understand no Greek c. Upon this occasion I have taken this their Plea into consideration to see whether it be of such weight as is commonly thought And verily to the utmost of my understanding it seems to have nothing of strength in it for to say nothing of this vain boast of their knowledge of the Originals of holy Scripture when yet they never saw them nor know where to look for them I say to let this pass if we consider diligently wherein the effectual and substantial knowledg of the Hebrew Greek Text of Scripture lieth we shall find that as touching Englishmen it lieth not in the knowledge of the Characters or Words of these Tongues for this a Child of seven years old may know but that which is the effectuall knowledge of the Hebrew or Greek Tongues to an Englishman is His knowing the true English of the Hebrew and Greek Characters and Words For example these Hebrew and Greek Letters avail an Englishman nothing so long as he can only sound them in the Hebrew and Greek Dialects thus Aleph Beth Gimel c. or Alpha Beta Gamma c. But that which is the effectual knowledge of these Letters to an Englishman is to know that they are of the same signification with the English A. B. G. The like may be said of words for so long as our English-men can onely sound the Hebrew word El or the Greek word Theo it edifieth not the understanding but when we know these words are the same in signification with our English word God this is that understanding of the Hebrew and Greek which to us is truly effectual for whatsoever sounds our lips pronounce be they Hebrew Greek or Latin our understanding receiveth these several sounds in the English tongue This being evident it now remains to be considered whether it be not possible as things now stand for such English-men as know not the Hebrew or Greek Characters and Words yet for all that to know the most proper and effectual signification of the Hebrew and Greek Text of the Old and New Testaments That thus it may be and is will thus appear Either the Translations which we have are the same in substance and effect with the Hebrew and Greek Bible or they are not If they be the same in substance and effect Then such as know the Scripture as translated into English do know the substance and effect of the Hebrew and Greek Bible Yea further If the learned Translators whether Cantabrigians and Oxonians or else the Rhemists themselves knew the meaning of the Hebrew and Greek Text of the Bible Then we who are unlearned do know the same This must needs be true or else we must conclude that they knew the true meaning and yet delivered a false but this were a great violation of Charity to think that they would thus abuse themselves and the whole race of English-men or expose their Credit to everlasting contempt and themselves and followers to eternal destruction and all this wilfully and only about the signification of Words and Letters and not about the Doctrine contained therein for Translation and Exposition are two things But this I say were a great breach of Charity to think and must needs argue great pride in any to affirm and would certainly expose not only such particular Learned-men who so highly stand upon their Learning but also whole Conventions of them to unavoidable suspition let them give forth never so sincere a Translation and the rather because so many eminent for Learning and Industry have vigorously and unanimously pressed the Unlearned to adhere to the English Text as the undoubted Voice of God speaking by his lively Oracles the Scriptures Now then if our English-Translation be indeed the same in substance and effect with the Hebrew Greek Bibles at least to the best of the understanding of the Learned Translators and that their understanding may well be preferred before the understanding of any one learned English-man now living Then it followeth that such as know the English-Text do in substance and effect know the Hebrew and Greek Text at least so far as may equallize the knowledge of any learned English-man now living Because that which the Translators DID know the same for substance We DO know And that which they attained to through much study we know without either learning or study further than to hear or read the Text of Scripture in our Mother-Tongue For the Translation which they gave forth was by their own solemn protestation the utmost for substance of their knowledge of the Hebrew and Greek Text of the Bible But we have this their Translation Therefore we have in substance the same knowledge of the Hebrew and Greek Text of the Bible which the learned Translators had This might be further illustrated by the consideration of divers Arts and obscure Mysteries which at the first were not found out without great learning and travel but when once a familiar discovery thereof was made divers have been expert therein and that without the help of that learning and study which first brought them forth As thus The Unlearned may defend themselves in the use of Holy Scriptures when concerned in any Controversie with the Learned about matters of Religion So also may they defend themselves in using the Works of Greek or Latin Writers so far as they are found to be translated into the
if Christs Church for Constitution be Like Moses Church what need they disagree Cathederal It seems my Union thou approvest not This savours of Sedition or some Plot. The Land shall never quiet be untel Rulers by their Edicts all sorts compel To Uniformity in things Religious And therefore thy Opinion is Prodigious Jayl Rulers by Edicts Uniformity May well require in things transitory But Rulers as they 'r such in things divine Ought not t'compel men in the Gospel-time Rulers may miss the Truth which if they do Destruction unto their Commands is due Cathedral Until the Rulers did by force compel All to the Church which under them did dwell The Church was thin maintenance was scant But since they nourish't her she feels no want Her Honour 's great her Members like the sands As well in this as many other Lands Jayl I do confess of Christians nominal The world abounds by th'Church that 's National But it 's most plain thy Church no semblance hath With those that walked in th'Apostles path Whose Honour lay not in the outward State But with true Grace their Souls were eonsolate Cathedral Come tell not me of th'Apostles days for then Christs Church was small of the meanest men But when the Nobler sort possession took Of Christianity the Church forsook Her subterranean places and her Head Did lift up as one risen from the dead Jayl The Churches outward glory doth not prove That she from death to life doth nearer move But may as soon portend her Vacuation Of Grace as John hints in his Revelation And for the Nobler sort it seems this day They 'r too great strangers to the Gospel-way Cathedral How canst thou say this dost not daily see With one consent they do resort to me Yea they unto the Church are so united As that with none like her they are delighted And by their strength the Church is now protected And her Opposers unto her subjected Jayl The Church doth not subject by worldly powers Her Opposites Nor is this plea of yours A better plea for you than 't is for Rome To whom the Nobler sort more freely come Yea Nations Kinreds Peoples to the Whore Of Babylon resort her to adore Cathedral The Prophets do presage that Nations shall Flow to the Church and bring their Glory all Into the Church the New-Jerusalem And this my Doctors do expound of them Who now by Kingly Power their Subjects bring Into my Church my divine songs to sing Jayl Thou know'st right well the Papists do the same Their present pomp and glory to maintain But you are both deceived for 't is clear Before that blessed joyful day appear The Jews a People chiefly there concern'd In Can'ans Land must once more be confirm'd Cathedral If this be true I must confess I h've err'd When to my present state I have referr'd These Prophecies But thus much I perceive A State that 's National thou dost believe The Church may yet enjoy although it be When Isr'el their desired Land shall see Jayl This weighty case I will not undertake Here to dispute but this is what I spake I say the Prophets mainly have an eye In these Presages to the Jews Then why Shouldst thou imagine this thy present glory To be the subject of the Prophets story Cathedral Well we will leave unto consideration What hath been said of that Prophetick Nation Wherein the Jews I must acknowledge here Are often mentioned as may appear By reading of the places Now let 's see What thou hast further which must answered be Jayl Thy bringing Nations by the lump into The Name of Christian Churches plainly do Destroy the use of Preaching to convert The sons of men and makes their carnal heart Believe they 'r Christians from the womb and so Their souls deceive unto their overthrow Cathedral What though by preaching I do not convert My Members yet I have another Art Them to renew for this my Book doth say When any I receive into my way They are regenerate and born anew See therefore how thy charge is found untrue Jayl I know thy Book doth say 't but t is not true For Christs Book tells us all that 's born anew Are like the Wind which in such sort doth blow As others by their hearing it may know Again 't is said the World they overcome Of all which signs thy Converts can shew none Cathedral I grant where true Conversion is there 's ceasing From fleshly sins There 's likewise some increasing In holy life And truly in these cases My Infant Converts claim no real places ' Mongst Scripture Converts But I say unless They Converts be they have no Blessedness Jayl God doth not gather where he hath not strewed But from the Word it never can be shewed Where Infants are required to convert Nor yet canst thou with thy most subtil Art Discov'ry make 'twixt Infants eight dayes old To say This is renew'd That under sin is sold Cathedral I must confess such a discovery Doth pass my art for Babes in Infancy Do not demonstrate whereby we may know Which have the Spirit or whether or no Any whom I baptize have yet receiv'd it But as I have been taught I have believ'd it Jayl Thou said even now Infants no Blessedness Can have unless they converts be To this I answer As old Adams sin involves them ' Thout their consent in death So Christ absolveâ— them ' Thout their concurrence for Paul doth profess The Grace by Christ exceedeth Adams loss Cathedral So then this is thy judgment I perceive That look how Adam Infants did bereave ' Thout their committing sin of happiness So Christ ' thout their obedience shal them bless I hold the contrary to this but now Some other Argument I pray thee show CHAP. III. The Arg. The Minister Papal Rome disclaims The Jayle from thence doth shew Her own Prelatick state she mains If not unchurch her too Jayl IN this great Question Where the Church must be It may do well thy radix for to see The more I look the more I see thee come In thy Church-state but from great Papal Rome From whence I argue If Rome have no Church Then thou wilt scarce be found to have a Porch Cathedral Presumptuous Jayl my Chronicles do shew I cast off Rome and all her Popish crew Yea of their Bones a fire I have made And she sometimes with same coyn hath me paid Which clearly shews I have her quite disserted As an old Harlot from all Truth diverted Jayl Thou cast off Rome thou saist but thou hast neither Baptisme nor Church-power but what either Thou brought from thence this Rome thee boldly tels And thou canst find no answer which refels This their Objection So 't is evident Unless Rome be a Church thy Church is spent Cathedral What though their Baptism I do valid deem What though their Ordination I esteem Must it needs follow Rome is Christ his Spouse Or else the title of
than my Doctors all 'T is time that I thee to account should call Jayle Thy Learned men why I have more than thou Who do my sentence on these Texts allow To wit the Papacy who do exceed The number of thy Doctors and can read As well as thou And now I further add Thou hast no Baptism for thy Manner 's badd Cathederal O I perceive my Sprinkling doth offend thee And by thy Dipping thou assay'st to rend me But wilt thou know the Scripture doth thee quash For BAPTIZO is taken there to wash The Pharisees did wash their Cups and Hands They did Baptize them so in Greek it stands Jayle Some drops of Water sprinkled on some part Of Cups or hands alone all washers art Doth scorn to call a washing for except The water wholly drench them we 'll suspect They are not wash'd so in those Texts is nothing But what doth bring thy Sprinkling into loathing Cathederal The Arguments for both these points are known Some by the Papists some by me are shown And lately some by Calvins off-spring were Brought into light now therefore let me heat Thee briefly touch each parties Argument In which Discourse to hear thee I 'm content Jayle I 'm well content And now to what is spoken I 'll here add something as a further token Of the unsoundness of Pedorantism As they maintain who are of Calvins Schism Yet first I will endeavour to confute The Papal Pleâ— for they do much repute Infant Baptism to be such a Tradition As stands upon Apostolick Commission Most strange it is to see how our three sorts Of Clergy-Men three wayes themselves deports For vindication of their Babish-washing FIRST Papists by Tradition come forth slashing All down before them in their own conceit NEXT comes the Prelate forth us to defeat With CIRCUMCISED Arguments and those Which from the 7th of Corinths never rose THEN comes the Presbyter and he 'll maintain Infants Disciples are and so remain Subjects for Baptisme But by and by I hope to shew their Plea's a fallacy But though the Papists boast of their Tradition For Infant-Baptism that ground of Division To be Apostolically descended From the first Age and by th' whole Church commended To these our dayes Yet divers reasons may Be rendred which their falshood doth betray First this Th'Apostles by Tradition would Not null the way wherein Christ bad them build His Church but Infant-Baptization hath To Dâ—solation brought that Antient Path Almost in every Nation of Europe Chiefly where Kings are Subjects to the Pope Therefore this Popish way Traditional Is no Tradition Apostolical The second Reason may thus framed be No Writing of approv'd Authoritie In the first hundred names Infant Baptism Therefore 't is but an innovated Schism Yea in the second hundred's latter end It scarce was heard of nor did it extend To any large dimention and beside Some Antients theâ— against it boldly cry'd As an unnecessary practice Here Tertullian my witness doth appear I 'le add to him the record which is given By Vives on Augustine where 't is driven Infant Baptism I mean from all reception In antient times see therefore his Collection As English'd by J. H. and many other Yea see Augustine where that Learned Brother Doth write to this effect Now those whom we Into the Church by Baptisme saith he Do give admittance we the same do teach To live so chast that none may them impeach In Widowhood or Marr ' age honourable That they the Gospel fame do not disable Upon this sentence Vives saith Lest we Should be deceiv'd through its obscuritie We ought to understand that None of old Baptized were till they could well unfold What the Baptismal purgation did mean So then of Old Infants were quite and clean Exempt from Baptisme in the opinion Of Vives whose words must have some dominion With such as rest on Learned-mens perswasion As that is now become the most mens fashion The learned Grotins doth the same aver Saying In antient time for to defer Baptisme till ripe years at liberty Was left Thus he with Truth doth well comply Whilst our late learned men the Truth withstand To force all men to stoop to their Command ' Gainst truth of Scripture and Antiquity And so involves this Age in misery Add further That which no man can gainfay That Jeroms Nazienzen and I may Add Austin Ambrose and that Emperour Call'd Theodosius who though they were Children of Christians right much commended For such as holy Church right well befriended Yet these their Children they did not baptize Till they discretion had the same to prize Yea thirty years divers of them attained Ere Christ in Baptisme was on them named And sith Augustine is afirm'd to be The ablest Doctor which Antiquitie Doth name I 'le therefore shew that he was rather To Us than Papists a true antient Father Unto which purpose see his own Confessions Where you may find in very plain expressions His pious Mother was right virtuous In Christian Faith and of Life courteous And how that he be'ng but a youth of years Did much desire in faith with pray'rs and tears That he as then might forthwith be baptized But to defer the same he was advised Because the Church did fear lest sin should be A hindrance to the life of Sanctitie Yea though at this time he was sick to death As was suppos'd yet he no Baptism hath Allowed him but he was well restored And liv'd till thirty years and then adored The Name of CHRIST in that his Ordinance Of holy Baptisme And did advance To perseverance in that great Profession Of Christianity Now who possession Can claim so rightly of this boly Man For one of their Church as the Baptists can The same I think I might well say of all The antient Fathers so that here I shall Desire any learned man to name Some One that hath attained to the fame Of Antient Father for the first four Ages That was baptiz'd an Infant and his wages Shall be my thanks Till when I 'le tak 't for true There 's no man can me such a Father shew Now these things weigh'd gives clear demonstration That Infant Baptism had no general station Till more than half a thousand years revolved From Christ So this tradition is dissolved From Apostolical repute therefore Let all true Christiane lock't out of their door What our late Prelates urge for its defence Confuted is above in th' Conference And now let 's hear what th' Presbyter hath said In his late Catechise-Book which was made By well-nigh threescore of their choice Divines Who unto Baxter the first place assigns Their words at length I 'le faithfully set down And then the weakness of them shall be shown Weakness I say as they pretend to shew Ground for Infant-Baptism for else they 'r true A Book entituled The Agreement of divers Ministers in the County of Worcester c. coming To my
hands being sent to a Friend of mine The party sending it supposing it gave very clear evidence against the Anabaptists I therefore searched what it said in that respect and found in their Answer to the ninth Question the very thing which we hold in the point of Baptism clearly asseâ—ted and proved The Question and Answer are verbatim as followeth Question What are the publick means which Christ hath appointed to Salvation Answer Christ hath appointed that fit men shall be ordained his Ministers to disciple the uncalled and to baptise all that are Disciples Mat. 28. 19 20. Mark 16. 15. This is all they say in that Book concerning Baptism nor quote they any other Scriptures whereupon I wrote is followeth What! shall nigh fixty of wise learned men Yea of the prime be contradicted when After no small debate they published This Book which seems with Zeal and Truth bespred Our Catechisers grave learned all How can a work by such performed fall Good Reader bow thine heart to understand What 's true though 't be from an unlearned hand The wisdom of the wise must come to nought For so it was foretold and now is brought In part to pass since thus much may be said Ev'n of these men they quite destroy the trade Of their so much adored baptizing Of Infants Wherefore them this song I 'l sing Our Catechisers must be catechiz'd How and what persons ought to be baptiz'd For here they lie i' th dark and will not see What 's true what 's false though by themselves it be Made manifest in this their little Book To every Reader who doth please to look In page the one and thirtieth where they say Concerning Baptising This is Christ's Way That such as are uncall'd must first be taught Now Infants are uncall'd and therefore ought By their direction not to be baptized And yet as though all this had not sufficed They further tell us All that are Disciples Baptiz'd must be into the sacred Titles Of Father Son and Spirit Then they cite Mathew the eight twenteth which gives light With Mark the sixteenth full to what they say And we say th' same and thus they cast away Their Infant Baptisme sith Infants can Be no Disciples made by th' wisest man That is amongst this Catalogue I mean Or else their skill is more than we have seen For sith Disciple doth import a Learner By others teaching he 's a weak discerner That taketh new-born Infants for to be Disciples Thus we may mans folly see Cathederal As for the Presbyters let them maintain Their plea. But for Tradition 't is most plain It stands with me And tho thou hast now shown Some few who did thy way of Baptism own Thou dost not prove that ever these men taught ' Gainst Infant Baptisme yet this thou ought To shew but this can in no wise be shown For 't is most clear they did my Baptim own Jayl Because I hate disingenuity I grant some Antients did with thee comply But yet I say th'most Antient if not all Such doctrine taught as doth in question call Thy Infant Baptisme And some did so Oppose it that their lives they did forgo In opposition to it in our Nation When first upon our Land it made invasion But ere I come to speak of these sad dayes We 'll cast our eye on some doctrinal rayes Of th' Antients that the mist they may expel And clear our way First Jerom doth us tell The Lord commanded first to teach and then Baptise such as appeared faithful men And Justin Martyr doth the same avow And Athanasius doth that truth allow Haimo avoucheth this for verity And Rabinus the same doth testifie Beda is of this mind and plainly saith Th' Apostles did instruct men in the Faith And then baptise them So Strigelius Did likewise teach So did Eusebius Basil and Austin do this Doctrine own Cyprian before them did the same make known With others whom I now refuse to name Sith these are persons of the greatest fame And now O Minster pray thee well observe What strength I have from Records which preserve The mem'ry of our Nations first reception Of Gospel-light see therefore this collection Out of Fabian his right ancient story In the fifth part where though he greatly glory Of that great Monk Augustine call'd by name Yet unto his and thy no little shame He doth confess that Brittons Bishops did Refuse to baptise Infants tho much chid By that great Monk Their reason was they say Such things had not been taught them till that day Yet they the Gospel long before obeyed And in the love thereof were firm and stayed But now alas for this their just denyal Of Austins motion they strait met with tryal For Fabian relates how they were slain And Fox upon Augustine layes the blame At least in part and can assign no cause But that they did not bow to Austins Laws Now Minster if we take the perfect time When in this Land the Gospel first did shine Which was more than four hundred years before Austin the Monk set foot upon our shore During which time no persons were baptized That I can find till they were catechised Then 't is most clear my Baptism thine out dates Four hundred years as Fabian relates In this our Island and in other places Mine hath the old foot-steps thine noval traces But why do I thy doing daign to name Baptisme for in truth it is a shame For to vouchsafe it such an appellation Only I use it ' cause our disputation Doth so require But Sprinkling never can Suit with God's Word delivered unto man For his direction in that Ordinance Of Baptizontes sith that clear instance In John the third and twenty third hath said The Reason why John Baptist us'd his trade In Enon was because of plenitude Of Water which doth Sprinkling Clear exclude From being Baptisme As also doth The act of Philip and the Eunuch both Sith both went into th' Water for to act What Baptisme requires in th' outward fact Yea Christ our Lord who knew the Father's will Went Into Water Baptism to fulfill Now whether Scripture or thy Doctors be The safest guide herein I leave to thee Cathedral Doubtless O Jayl in this bend of quotations Thou' rt guilty of no small falsifications I ask thee whether thou hast read each Father Whose words in this sort thou hast scratch'd together If not as doubtless not sith thou' rt unlearned O how presumptuous then art thou discerned Jayle I answer freely some I 've read not all The Works of these whose witness forth I call The most I 've read even as they are translated By those to whom thy self art ' sociated Which therefore must more claim thy estimation Than if they were the fruit of my translation Cathederal Whereas my Sprinkling thou so ill dost brook Thou mayst remember if thou please to look Into
my Common-Prayer-Book I allow That way in case of weakness But I show In the same place that dipping is God's way For Baptisme to be perform'd this day Jayle I do confess thou sayst so but behold When thou presumed for to be so bold To give an inch thy Doctors took an ell And now this weakness doth all strength expel Out of thy Church And God's way is rejected And as a foolish thing by thee neglected Cathedral No Alteration in these things I see Will be assented to by such as thee As if we must in these cold Climates go Into the Water when baptis'd But lo. The time requires the Conference should end Now therefore unto what remains descend CHAP. V. The Arg. The Minster's Consistory Court The Jayle to visit goes The Minster takes it in ill sort She should that place disclose Jayle MOngst other things whereby Christs Church doth shine We are to reckon Christian Discipline This Ornament thou wants Whence I conclude Christs Church consists not of thy multitude Nor yet of this thy gorgious Courtly Tent Because you all reject Christ's Government Cathederal What! dost ' come here to hold thy Visitation That thou beginst to make this exclamation Against my Court whose wayes thou cast not know Nor will I unto thee my secrets show Yet will I this my Government maintain ' Gainst which thou mayest strive but all in vain Jayl Well but before we try thy Discipline Let 's take a view of those brave men of thine Which are thy Officers let 's know their names Or Titles for behold their glorious Trains Seem to import they are no Fishers mates Nor yet like Paul Tent-makers sociates Cathederal These are their Titles and the first degree Arch-Bishops are the next Lord-Bishops be Attended with their Bishops Suffragans Arch-Deacons Deans and Chapters Courtezans With Iudges Surrogates and Proctors store Apparitors with very many more Jayle Arch-Bishops and Lord-Bishops what is this Did not our Saviour all such titles hiss Out of his Church when his Disciples would Have bin the chief that so they might have rul'd By Domination over those to whom Christ did intend they servants should become Cathederal Unless these Titles ' gainst plain Scripture be Thou canst not them condemn nor do I see Those Texts alledg'd which any whit oppose These Titles but 't is meant of such as those Which Papists give unto their Popes But I Have eft condemned that Supremacy Jayle Thy Titles are as much beyond the Line Of holy Writ and full as clandestine As those amongst the Papists for whilst they Make one great Pope now heed well what I say Thou makest many Popes for thy Arch-Lords Their Fancies force upon us for God's words Cathedral I thee require some Scriptures to produce Which shews my Titles to be such abuse As they prohibit otherwise thy plea In this our contest cannot mine outweigh For all things which ' mongst Papists are esteem'd Must not unlawful for that cause be deem'd Jayle Peter an Elder Elders doth command The Churches oversight to take in hand Without becoming Lords and Paul avows He preached Christ as Lord and likewise shows He preach'd himself a servant for Christ's sake To th'Church now this against thy Lords doth make Cathedral 'T is true the letter of these Scriptures do Seem to oppose Lord-Bishops but you know The Scripture hath a secret sence and can Not easily be understood now then How canst thou tell the Lordship here is meant Of those Lord-Bishops which my Church frequent Jayl The Texts must needs be meant of some that lord it In things Temporal or as thou dost word it Of Lords Spiritual But Peter doth Allow the first yea and to speak the tâ—oth Commands the Church all such as such t' obey Ergo 't is Spirit ' Lords he thrusts away Cathedral Thy major Proposition must be true Sith needs it must be meant of one of th'two Thy minor's likewise true Peter doth call The Church t' obey Lords Magistratical That then I must deny is thy Conclusion And truly why It makes for my confusion Jayl If th' Propositions both be verified Th' Conclusion can in no wise be denied Logicians say and therefore thou art one That from both Truth and Reason's so far gone As neither will thy Lordship cause to bend Till Christ the Lord his Judgments on thee send Cathedral Leave off proud Jayl thou art not yet my Judg But thou shouldst rather know thy self my Drudg Nor will I thus permit thee at this season To charge me with the want of Truth or Reason Turn then thy course unto my Discipline And do not thus my Lordship undermine Jayl Thy Discipline we must find in thy Court To which I see poor men compell'd refort To pay their Money And I also see Thy Officers as greedy of their Fee As any Lawyers And I likewise hear These Fees do make them reel with Wine Beer Cathedral Touching my Court thou shalt instructed be Ere long what they do there I 'le warrant thee And as for those who come unwillingly They 'r such as from my Laws have trod awry And I shall let such know their punishment Must peirce their purse till they be penitent Jayl Purse-penalties the Church of Christ knows none As she is such nor can it once be shown In all the Apostolical Directions In holy Writ there should be such exactions And doubtles whilst thou thus minds earthly things Paul under a most sharp reproof thee brings Cathedral Purse-penalties alone may not excuse Those that my Laws presumptuously abuse for Heresie deserves the most severe Chastisement others for to put in fear Even Confiscation 〈…〉 This crime 〈◊〉 the holy Scripture saith Jayle This iâ— a Monstrâ—â—â— Disciplinâ— foâ— you Who Gospel Laws pretend for what you doo ' Tiâ— true by 〈◊〉 Death might be inflicted On some 〈…〉 But if the Church in 〈◊〉 Should so proceed 't would now prove Persecution Cathederal Here thou 〈…〉 But I am clear from such 〈◊〉 For I no 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 I punish such 〈…〉 That I might them reduce from Heresie Or others keep in Christian purity Jayle That thou ' it a 〈…〉 Witness in part some 〈◊〉 whom thou haâ—t slain And partly some thou doâ—t at this day keep In Prison only cause they cannot sleep With thee in 〈◊〉 but the Lâ—â—d's Preceptâ— Have chosen as a Rule unto their steps Cathederal Those I 〈◊〉 and these I have slain Are such as would in Hereâ—ie remain Yet 't is not really I but ' tâ—â— the Powerâ— Which punish 〈…〉 these Maâ—â—â— of yours 'T is true 't is I adviâ—e them thus to do it And so shall still and care not who do know it Jayle So 't is my will is all the rule indeed By which thou doâ—â— thus â—idgedly proceed For from good ground it never can be shewed That thou or other ought to have imbâ—ewed Your hands in their blood who did well behave them In all things civil but to God
in Adam all die both just and unjust so in Christ shall all both believers and unbelievers rise though unto punishment III. ARTICLE There 's one Lord Jesus Christ I do believe By whom all things their beings do receive The only natural Son of the most High Yet born of Mary in virginity And so considered is as David's Son And Off-spring for to sit upon his Throne Yet as he is the Son of God he 's Lord And Root of David and th' Eternal Word This is he whom the Father freely sent In his great Love into the World who went As freely and to death for all he gave Himself that all to life recourse might have The witness of Antiquity The World being all at peace Christ according to the precedent Prophecy was born in Bethlehem Judah being openly Man of the Virgin his Mother and secretly God of God his Father Christ Jesus the substance of Israel and the son of David God's Son of God taking on our Man without wasting Godhead ordained Faith to be a pass for man to God by his mean that was both God and Man IV. ARTICLE God's will is not that any man should perish Wherefore that dying mankind he might cherish His Son the Lord of all hath given Order The Gospel should be preached in each Border to ev'ry Creature and to every Nation To wit that God holds forth Non-imputation Of sins so that men shall not die because Christ dy'd not for them but because his Laws And Word which calls for Faith in his rich Death Men do reject and so themselves bequeath To Infidelity Hence it is clear That to all men at sometime doth appear So much of Grace as if they rightly mind it It holds forth Life to them that they find it The test of Antiquity God would have all men to be saved but if they come to him he so would it not as that he would save them against their will Christ in mercy was born for all but the unfaithfulness of Hereticks is the câ—use that he that was born to all is not born for all In respect of the greatness of the price the Blood of Christ is the Redemption of the whole World V. ARTICLE Concerning those whom Christ appoints for such As are the Pastors of the Gospel-Church I do believe that they must first be added Unto the Church as were those who were gladded With Peters words and growing in their stations In gtacious gifts and good qualifications And throughly tryed by their exereising Their gifts the holy Scripture so advising Such men the Church may chuse them ordain To minister as Pastors in Christ's Name By laying on of hands with holy prayers Assigning them to their respective cares To gather Churches or to feed and guide them But as for such who for a while abide them In humane Schools only to be instructed In humane Arts and so to be inducted Without Repentance and Baptism succeeding With growth in Grace unto a Parish feediâ—n Or rather to feed on their large Revenue Than to gain souls to Truth there to continue Such I do say no Teachers ought to be But should be taught the Christian A. B. C. The rest of Antiquity Eusebius all edging the Epistle of Alexander Bp of Jernsalem against Demetrius saith Thou saist it was never seen that the lay and secular people should dispute of the Faith in the presence of the Bishops I marvel what moved thee to affirm a Lie so evident inasmuch that as often as there is found any man that is sufficient and apt to give good counsel and to instruct the people the Bishops have accustomed to desire him to do it as the Bishop of Mâ—oâ— did Enelpius c. And there is no doubt but that the other Bishops may do the like in their Diocesses when they find any one which is a man fit to profit the people Ye drive them from God's Word and will let no man come thereto till he have been two years Master of Arts. First you nurse them up in Sophistry and in bene fundantum and there corrupt their judgments then they begin not at the Scripture but each one chuseth himself a Doctor severally c. VI. ARTICLE Touching the way of man's Justification Before the Lord in order to Salvation I say it is by Faith in Christ our Lord That is with heart believing that sweet word Which shews to man in Christ there is remission Of sins for all through faith through contrition For which great cause Christ worthily bespeaketh Their chief affections and their fouls so breaketh Wholly to yeeld to Christs most just Commands And to deny all Self which Christ withstands And eke with godly sorrow do commit Themselves to Christ's Grace to depend on it Such like believing men are justifi'd Their Faith will Righteousness be found when try'd The test of Antiquity The Medicine of the Soul is the only propitiation for the sins of all that is to believe in Christ How virtuous soever the antient righteous persons have been they were not saved but by Faith It is manifest that such as have Faith in Christ shall not be saved unless they have the Life of Faith VII ARTICLE There is but only one most holy Spirit Which God doth give such richly to inherit As do obey his Voice that they thereby May have the Grace themselves to mortify And be enabled in the Truth to stand Immovably thout which no mortal hand Can do the work of God and that we may Honour the Father and the Son each day Who is the Author and the Consummator Of all our Faith And John that Revelator Doth say this Father Son and holy Spirit Are One and so the Name of God they merit The fruits which follow this great gifts reception Is growth in ev'ry grace and sins rejection Wherefore we say these have it not received Who are of Love that Spirit fruit bereaved Or destitute so as they such deny A quiet life that would live peaceably The test of Antiquity That Spirit being the Fathers and the Sons is properly in Scripture called the Holy Spirit It is neither Father nor Son but personally distinct from both and this Trinity is one God Behold the sign and token whereby ye shall know those that are of God from the evil and wicked Those are the wicked which do kill and lead into captivity the which all those that are of God have not done nor do O Lord God these are the chiefest and first that persecuted thee whom men see to love the highest seats and rooms in thy Church and which bear the greatest rule They have taken the Ark of Zion they have occupied and used the Castle and have afterward frankly and by power set all the City on fire Their conversation is miserable The subversion of thy People is pitiful Now holy Orders are given for occasion of most
way that men must either mend As well in point of Life as their Profession Shunning with all their might sin transgression And in religious things be still devout Else from Heav'ns joys the Lord wil thrust them out He that wants Holiness sees not the Lord. Let him that readeth meditate that word The test of Antiquity Let not sinnets therefore and wicked men secure themselves by their continuance in the Church nor renounce Christ their Justice in committing any or all of the fleshly works spoken of Gal. 5. for he saith expresly they shall not inherit the Kingdom of God which do such deeds He that abideth in Christ c. hath taken the meat of Life but he that discordeth from Christ doth not eat the flesh of Christ although he do take every day the Sacrament of so great a thing XV. Article As once I said The Churches Pastors ought From ' mongst wel-graced Christians to be sought Chiefly such as have learned self-denial In which few worldly Priests will bide the tryal And such as by the Church are thus elected And eke ordained as God's Word directed Knowing 'to feed the Flock with meat in season And to bear rule with Godliness and Reason With love and care seeking such Sheep as stray Such I do own as Teachers of God's way But such as feed themselves with others fat And keep the Flock from such like food as that Which only can their soul relieve And who To seek for great Revenues rather go Than to enquire into the state of souls I say such Teachers do transgress the Rolls Of holy Writ And therefore I deny them And by this Testimony do decry them The test of Antiquity The Church was governed in times past by the common counsel and advice of the Presbyters And that Episcopum Presbyterium unum esse A Bishop and an Elder are all one Frederick sent this Message to Adrian the 4th We shut up our Cities against your Cardinals because we see that they prey upon the People They do not ratifie Peace but rake together Pence They do not repair the World but impair their Wealth Let none be ordained to the Ministry unless he first be examined of the Bishop and approved by the People The Pastors should seek the Salvation of mens souls not earthly commodity All Clergy men that are strong to labour let them learn some Handicraft as well as Letters XVI Article Such Ministers of Christ as have obtained Free gifts from God freely they are ordained To serve the Church and yet the Scripture wills Some fruit for him which that ground rightly tills Wherefore such as are taught as freely should Communicate to them who forth do hold The Word of Life upon their Work-account That to the Givers good it may amount But as for Tythes thâ—se forced consecrations I say they are no Gospel-Ordinations The test of Antiquity If thou despisest not a Beggar how much more oughtest thou to regard the Ox that treadeth out the corn in the floor And in Psal 146. He saith Thou scarce payest the thousand part yet I find no fault do so still for I so thirst after your well-doing that I refuse not your very crums O Lord Jesus thou hast multiplied the people and thou hast not encreased their joy-They have removed the Offices into shameful gain and the health of souls is not searched for they strive and contend most impudently daily by process for Bishopricks Archbishopricks c. there remaineth nothing but the Man of Sin to be revealed the Son of Perdition XVII Article The Scripture saith that Heresies must be And shews the way appointed us to free Our souls therefrom for such as do erect them The Church hath power wholly to reject them After the first or second Admonition Moreover by Apostolick Commission She hath a power also to withdraw From such Disciples as transgress the Law Of Christ in point of Worship or of life Peace to preserve and terminate her strife The test of Antiquity The Antient Canons make two kinds of Excommunications one greater the other less the greater not to be inflicted but upon the account of mortal or deadly sin Sins are not loosed nor retained at the pleasure of men but according to the will of God and prayers of the Church XVIII Article Touching the point of falling off from Grace I do believe men so may lose their place In Christ the Vine yea such as he doth say Is in him and lest they should fall away Exhorteth them to make their biding-place In him yea such may fall away from Grace As once had Charity in pure heart And conscience good yea that unfained part Of Faith yet wanting constant Watchfulness May turn aside so fouly to transgress As to be withered branches and in fire Burn and consume But yet such as defire With constancy and do the same indeed Add Grace to Grace so certainly shall speed As they shall never fall yea no deceit Of false Christs can them possibly defeat The test of Antiquity It is to be believed that some of the children of perdition receiving not the gift of Perseverence to the end do begin to live in Faith that worketh by Charity and for a time do live faithfully and justly and after do fall In time of temptation they fall away Some therefore revolt from Faith because Verity avoucheth it and by consequence from Salvation because our Saviour rebuketh it from whence we conclude from Charity also without which Salvation cannot be obtained XIX Article Such as are Poor in Christ his Congregation Ought to be cared for by the Donation Or bounty of the Church not by constraint Which care should hold proportion with the want And for the more sufficient management Of this affair the Church ought to appoint Some faithful men therefore to be deputed With laying on of hands Thus constituted They must now undertake this sacred Function The Church to keep in peace sweet conjunction Here be it noted since men did decline From this appointment holy and divine And did by force compel both rich and poor To pay a stinted portion to the Poor Which is but small allotted for their living It hath destroy'd the Ordinance of giving By free-Collection And now Charity With mens Estates holdeth no parity But their large sums are laid out to maintain Gay clothing Pearls all things which are vain VVhat will these men do when God riseth up To cause all men to tast his Judgment-Cup The test of Antiquity Sacred Orders we call Deacons and Presbyters for these two the Primitive Church is found only to have had That which men do by compulsion is not a sacrisice forasmuch as if it be not done voluntarily and with the heart it 's most execrable and accursed If thou hast riches labour by well-doing to store them up in