comfort one another in the faith and feare of God whose power and presence they haue with them in all estates and places 44 So to conclude a true church is a sacred communiallty consociate and knit togither into a mistical body whose head is Christ whose members christians of any nation or condition whose soul is the word and whose spirit is the spirit of the liuing God who gathereth togither dry desolate bones layeth synewes on them makes flesh to grow and couereth them with skin and putteth breath in them that they may liue and stand vpon their feet an exceeding great army Vnto him for all his blessings be praise in his churches throughout all generations Amen Amen ARGVMENTS Disprouing the present estate and constitution of the CHVRCH of ENGLAND EVery true Church is the body of Christ and hath him for the head thereof For ât is wrâtten God hath appoynted him ouer all âhângs the head of the church which is his body Eph 1 22 23 and agayn to the church of Corinth it is sayd yâ are the bâdy of Christ 1 Cor 12 27. But the church of England is not the body of Christ neyther hath him for the hâad thereof Because it waâ first constituted as now it standeth of the members of Antichrist namely the idolatrous Papâsts which openly professed Antichristian sme in Q. Maries dayes haâing Abadden the Pope for their head and spilled much christian blood that they might mainteyn their Romish abominations Who all except some few that of themselues refused were at the beginning of Q. Elisabeths reign receâued into the body of the church and so haue continued they and their seed euer since Yet did they not then enter in by repentance and faith in Christ which two things are the beginning and foundation of the kingdome of God but by the commandement of the Magistrate were compelled vnto the Church sacraments ministery c. which then were by law establâshed and euer since continewed Now the Magistrates law cannot work faith in any seing faith is the gift of God and by his word onely is wrought in mans hart So that the Magistrate though he ouâth to abolish idolatrâe and set vp Gods true worship to suppresse all errours and cause the truth to be taught yet cannot he constreyn men to ioyne vnto the church but they must doe it williâgly and gladly the Lord perswading them herevnto And these of whome we speak not being perswaded by the Lord and his word but âs the worldly multitude alway is beâng ready to receiue any religion the prince woâld establish rather then they would suffer persecution wherein that their popish estate the body of Antichrist yet then compelled and vnâted vnto this church Agayn not onely those that were popishly ãâã and superstitious but such also as were profane and irreligâous atheists blasphemers whoremongers theeues drunkards witches and all other vngodly persons of which then were and still are too too many in the land these al though by reason of their wicked and miserable estate âhey wârlimmes of Satan and as the scripture calleth such children of the Diuill were yet receiued into the Church likeweise they and âheir seed so continew as the state of that Church plainely sheweth For eâen to this day profane people mockers and contemners of religion thaâ blasphem God and his holy name even in the streets as they walk such as cal themselues the donned crew Familists Atheâsts and all other sorts of miscreants and wicked liuers are members of the Church of Enâland vnited with the body and partakers of the sacraments and other holy actâons of the same Now these children of wrath this sinnfull generation cannot possibly be members of the body of Christ nor haue him for their head seing they are not partakers of his life and spirit nor called to his faith neither admitteth he any such vnto him vntil they repent he hath no coÌcord with Belial therefore not with the children of Belial the members of his glorious body must not be the dead stânking and abominable members of Satan Light and darknes heauen and hel will as soon be vnited togither Neyther will it be yenough to say that some are affected to reliâion are of better life and conuersation c. and that for their sakes the residew are sanctâfied and may be ioyned vnto and reputed Christs body and Church for they that professe more sincerity yet are not come to a true ârofeâsion of the Gospell or renoâncing of Idolatrie but after theâr false and popish manner worship God with the rest remayning one body one Church with them Now we are taught of God that the religious are so farr from sanctifying the wicked as contrariweise the wicked doe pollute them whatsoeuer the vnclean person toucheth sayth the Lord shal be vnclean and the person which toucheth him shal be vncleane â wherefore come out from among them and separate your selues and touch no vnclâane thing and I will receiue you and I will be a Father vnto you and ye shal be my sonns and daughters sayth the Lord almighty So then the religious and well affected people must separate from the rest if they would be acknowledged of God for his and not think by their holynes to sanctify the profane Agayn it is as easy to make peace agreement between Christ the Diuil as between Christ and such open obstinate synners the children of the Diuill yea it ouerturneth at once the first promise of saluation made by God and so the uery ground of Christian religion For when God first promised redemption to mankind it was by Christ the seed of the woman that should crush the serpents head who in due time appeared for this purpose that he might loose the works of the Diuill destroy and abolish him And as then the Lord put enmity between Christ and the serpent so did he also between him and the serpents seed that is wâcked men which being children of the Diuill would take the Diuâls part to hate and kill Christ and root out his châldren and reliâion accârding to whâch decree and word of his Father oâr Lord Iesus set himselfe not onely agaânst the Serpent but against sâch wicked men also as would not be turned from their impietie therefore he sayth by his proâhets Dâe not I hate them that hate thee ô Lorâ c I hate thâm with an vnfeighned hatred as they were mynâ vtter enemies I hate the assembly of eâil doers and company not with the wicked Betimâs wil I destroy all the wicked of thâ land that I may cut off all the workers of iniquity from the city of the Lord Three shepheards I cut of in one moneth and my sowl loathed loathed them and their sowl abhorred me with many such like speeches throughout the scriptures whereby Christ shewed how farr he was and would be from being head vnto
more to separate from theâ being maynteyned in a false vnleâse a false Church haue more privâlige tâen â crâe And we consider that our separation is from the corrââptioÌ of â false Church 2. The scrâptures also are playn that we must separate and forsake all false Churches as well as corruâtions in a true 2. Cor. 6 17. Come out from among them and separate your sâlues saith the Lord and touch no unclean thâng and I will receiue you Reuelation 18 4 Goe out of her my people that ye receive not of her plagues Hosea 4.15 Come not ye vnto Gilgal neither give vp to Bethâven and many the like How rightly then doe you allege scriptures as if they taught vs separation in a Church onely and not out of it also when it is false and Idolatroâs 3. Yoâr selues are a president to vs of like practise in separating not in but out of the Church of Rome as yoâ haue dealt with the mother so doe we with the daughter because like mother like daughter according to the prouerb Eze. 16.44 4. You allege thâ examples of all the prophâts yet shew you not any that âalâed by your râle to seâarate in the Church and not out of it Wee are sure they called the people out of the Church of Israel when it was idolatrous aâd forbad them to come at their aâsemblies Hos 2.2.3.4 4 15.17 Amos. 5.5 And how they coâld themselues joyn with that Church from which they separated others is strange uÌto us especially coÌsiâerinâ that Israel in that estate is noted by the proâhet Azariah to be withâut the true God without Pââist to teach ând wihtâut law 1 Chro. 15.3 and may we thinke he separated not from that Church The Israelites thân sacrââiced to Divils not to Gââ Deut. 3â 17. Chron. 11.15 and wil yoâ sây the prophets separated not from them 5. The like I Answer to the examples of Christ and his Apostles who as tâey absteyned from corruptioâs in the Ieâish Church so were they qââre sepârâteâ from all false Churches as the Samâritans and other like Mat 10 5. Ioh. 4.22 Act. 2.40 199 so theâr examples also doe approue our practise 6. Wâere as you would haue noted that those Churches which Christ and hâs Apâstles coââunicated with were Antianosaicall as yours we âay arâ ãâã I ãâã tâe comparâson For â the Iewish Church consistâd it all ãâ¦ã the same Leuit 20 21.16 of a people separated not onely from heathens but also from fâlse professors heretiks and idolaters and were children of the prophets aâd couenant of God Iohn 4.9 Act 3.25 But your Church cânsâsteth âf an vnseparated people children of Idolatrous Priests strangers from the couenant of God 2. The Iewes then had their sacrifices seruices and solemne feasts according to Moses Law Mat 8.4 Mar 14.12 Luk 9. âO 2.21 24 and Chrâst himselfe jâstâfâed theâr worship Ioh. 4.22 but your seruice worship and fâstivalâ are after Antichrists law translated out of his masse-booke 3. Theâr Priests were according to Moses instâtution of Aarons line Luk 1 5. with 1 Chro. 2.1 10 their Scribes and Pharisees sate in Moses chaâre Mat 23.2 your Priests after the Popes institution your prelates fit in Antichrist chair So they wer not so much against Moses as you are agaânst Christ and that your Church reteyneth not the foundation Christ shal through his grace anone be proued The 2. Consideration 2. OVR Church hath the essentiall notes of a true church able to beget a true sauing faith to worke the fruites of the spirit to make a man a true and perfect Christian and last of all to saue him To the which also Christ hath tied his gracious promise and blessing to the end of the world Rom 10 13 17 Mat 28 19.20 Act 20.32 2 Tim. 3.15.16 1. Tim. 4.16 Iam. 1.21 Isa 55 11. Answer THese notes which you propound 1 are not the essentiall notes of a true Church a neyther if they were are they ordinariely found in your Church 1. These are not essentiall notes because 1 One man may haue al this you speake of and no one man is or can be a Church for that consisteth of a multitude or nuÌber of persons it is an assembly or convocation joyntly together it is a body and euery one severally is but a member 1. Cor 12 20.27 That one man may haue all your esâentiall notes may appear in Pavls exaâple who was able to bâget a true sauing faith to worke the fruites of the spirit and so the rest 1. Cor. 4 â5 Gal. 3 2 5. 2. An Angel may haue all the notes you mention and no Angel is a Church For example the Angel Gabriel who was sent to giue Daniel knowledge and understanding and preached liuly of Christs death the benifits thereof Dan. 9.21.22 c 3. A wicked man may doe al that you speake of but no wicked man is a true church Iudas sent forth with the other Apostles to preach and work miracles might bring others to saluation by his doctrine though hâmselfe were a reârobate Mat. 10.5 6. c 4. A true Church is the spowse hous of Christ bringeth him forth a sâirituall seed But as God gaue the blessing of multiâlying childreÌ onely to lawfull maried estate yet often it commeth to passe through hâs almighty power and goodneââe that harlots also are partakers of this bleâsing and doe bring forth children so the blessing of spirituall propagation is peculiar to the true Church yet God which brought light out of darknes causeth some children to be borne and brought vp vnto him in false Churches For example the Church of Rome the mother of whordoms and abominations of the earth hath doubtles since she was wedded to Antichrist borne and brought vp by the generall true grounds of Chrstian relâgeon taught in her many children of God and heyres of saluation This I sâppose your selues will not deny neyther yet wâll you say that Rome is Christ true Church Your reason then is as if Thamer should haue pleaded I am able to bear câildren to nourse and brâng them vp to mans estate c. therefore I am my Father Iudahâ true and lawfull wife Gen. 38 15.18 c. 2. Now if these were essentâall notes which you haue set down yet helpe they you nothing for I deny that they ar ordinarily found in your Chârch For though I doubt not but the doctrine of your Church hath saued many yet that is Gods extraordinary blessing not the ordinarie effects of your Church This is the thinâ you should haue proued by comparing yoâr Church and minâsterie with the Lawes and promises in Gods word which because you haue not done but onely quoted some scriptures generally which men of all religions may doe likeweise I will by one or two of the scriptâres that your selfe here ciâe shew how vnlike you are to a true Church and Ministery In Rom. 10.3.17 th' Apostle treateth of two things 1 of calling on
of which churches being joyned togither in the profession and practise of the Gospel of Christ haue his power and presence with them and is to conuene or come togither in one for the worshâp of God and performance of publick duties 29. Whatsoeuer promise or blessing of God is bestowed on the church on earth generally considered the same may be apprehended injoyed by every particular church though not in like measure by all as the promises generall and examples particular of the church in Corinth and others mentioned in the scrâpture doe confirme 30. The Testament of Christ sheweth vs no Prouintiall Nationall Emâerial or other lâke Church hauing seuerall meetings or aââemblies and special Pastors ouer the same neither since thâ Apostles Prophets âvangelists were taken from this world are there any other lawful Bishops or Church-gouernours then the Bishops or Overseers of the particular churches neyther euer was ther other lawful Head Lord or Lords spirituall of the Church then Iesus Chrâst alone 31 Vnto the chârch are to be admitted all vnto whome the couenant and promise of God doth apperteyn and they are so many as the Lord our God shall call and all those are called in the iudgment of man which hauing heard the word of God doe professe repentance from dead works and faith in God by Iesus Christ the alone Sauiour of âhe world and promise obedience to the word through the holy Ghost the sanctifier of the elect Such of all sorts and estates of people in the world are with their seed to be receiued into and nourished ân the church their ignorance being holpen by instruction their weaknes borne by lenity their faults corrected i with loue and meeknes and their feeble consciences comforted with the promises of God 3â Out of the Chârch are all sâch to be kept as are profane worldly and wicked vntill they be called of God vnto repentance faith in his promise and out of it are to be cast all such as sinne against the law of Goâ by errour or corruption in doctrine or conuersation and will not by prâuate or publick admonistion be reclaymed and amended 33 Every particular church or congregation throughout the world hauâng equall interest in Christ and in his word or couenant consequently haâe equall power and ought to haue a lâke care to practise all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord standing fast in the lâberty where with Christ hath made them free 34 Every one that would be saued ought to joyne himself vnto some particular church where Gods name is seâ and knowen and called vpon that in and with the same he may grow vp in the faâth and loue of Christ vnto saluation 35. Although the church consisteth onely of sâch as are called yet these are of two sorts some outwardly onely and for a tyme which though they be in the church yet are they not indeed of the Church othersome called also inwardly effectually and for ever So that the churches on earth haue many hypocrites and reprobates for members of them whose secret sinns defile themselues alone Howbeit the Lord knoweth them that are his a true Christian may by the word ãâã spirit of the Lord and fruites of his faith haue assurance that himself is the Lords of others he is for their outward good profession and conversation which he seeth to hope and judge as of himself leauinâ the finall doom and iudgment vntill the Lord come who will lââhten things that are hid in darknes and make the counsels of the harts manifest and will reward every man according as his works shal be 36 The best churches on eart are alwayes subiect to haue open greeuous sinas of all sorts break out in them all which âniquitieâ mâst speedily be redressed and euery church purged by repentance or casting out of the impenitent least wrath doe come on all the congregation 37. For churches by sinning and impenitencie therein may forfeyt their couenant and be forsaken of God and for their adulteries by dâuorced from Christ and so left of his people the candlestick being remoued out of the place 38 By this which hath been sayd may appear that euery people called of God into couenant and communion with Christ and one with another and so walking though with much weaknes ignorance and dayly syn is to be esteemed a true church of God but they that are not so called and come into couenant with the Lord howsoeuer they may professe many excellent truthes yet want they the mayne essentiall thing which makes a true church 39 A church thus hauing the essence or being by refârence vnto or coniunction with Christ which is a secret and spirituall thing cannot now as it is a church properly be seen with carnall eye Whereas then the church is sayd to be visible it is figuratiuely spoken and after a sort to weet so farr as by a peoples profession and conuersation seen or heard men may discerne and iudge by the rules of Gods word 40. As Christ the head and sauiour of his body cannot be found or knowen by the wit or wisdom of man but by the revelation of God so the Church which is his body kingdome and spowse caââot be discerned by naturall or humane skill but by the manifestation of God alone through his word and spirit 41 Hence it is that the true churches of God are both contemned and condemned of the world as heretiks schismatiks sedetious c. when the false antichrâstian assemblies are highly honoured and regarded For they whâch vnderstand not the word of God whâch natural men doe not nor haue the spirit of God which naturall men haue not how should they rightly judge of or discerne the Church of God 42. And Satan to deceiue the simple doth deck his synagogues with many ornaments of the church of Christ as the preaching of the word prayers sacraments discipline he procureth them also honour amplitude and prosperity when from the true church oftimes he taketh not onely outward peace and glory but bereaueth the same of Christs publicke ministery of the word and sacraments by persecuting imprisoning banishing and killing the officers of the Church and scatteting the members 43. Yet is not Satans synagogue for all the pomp thereof a church of God because it inioyeth and useth not his word and holy things aright according to his heauenly ordinance Neyther can the true churches be spoiled or depriued of the word of God which is graffed in them and able to saue their sowles is seed immortall and endureth for ever but in the mids of their many afflictions they both hold forth that word of life as lights vnto the world and by the same doe edify and
ministerâe they are nââ onely against vs but against themselues for theyr own Câârches consist of â separated and voluntary people wheras yoârs are coâfused and compelled they condemn and haue reâeâted the hierarchie and ministerie of Archbishopâ Lord bishoâs c. Prâests Parsoâs Vicars c. which are yet among you and haâe amonâ them anâther ministerie Now how they can apâroue of two sorts of Churches mânâsterâes so contrary one to another let them look to ât 5. It seemeth to me you are verie lauâsh in your praise which now vaunt so of the aâprobation and reioycing of al the âure reforâed Churches in the world whereas heretofore you complayned that you had all the bâst refârmed Chârâhes throughâut Châistendom agâinst you Agayn the Harmony that you mention was set forth but by the French and Belgick churches the things that they approue among you are certayn general heads of religeon which a Bâshop wrote in an Apologie of your Church most of all which heads we our selues also approue and reioyce for But the controuersies between you and vs touching the gathering and constituting of a Church the manner of divine seruâce the form of Church government and the like are eyther not at all or in very generall termes set down in that boâke and so uerie slenderly if ought at all by them aâproued or reioyced for To giue an instance or two in the tenth section of that Hârmony treating of the Chârch your English confession is so shorâ and in generall words I doubt not bât the Pope himselfe will subscribe vnto it letting him haue his own interpretation In the 15 section of Ecclâsiasâicall meâtings you speake of prayer in the tongue which all yoâr people vnderstand Now because the Reformed churches approue of thiâ we must take it belike that they approue of your Leiturgie and service book also and al your publick worship though it be not set downe fâr any to judge of In the 16. section of Holy day's fasts c. there yoâ wriâe agâinst purgatory which being put into the Harmonie iâ ynough as seemeth to proue that other chârches approue of al your Pope holy-dayes and festiuals The lâke may be minded for other poynts as in the 17. section for ceremonies things indifferent which being approued of and reioyced for by all the Reformed churches in the world the Prelatâs wâl haue a shrewd hand against you that are called Puritans for standing so much against the ceremonies of your Church as you do· And for your minâstery I marveil you say not that it is approued of and râiâyced for of the Pope also for in the 11. section of that Harmony you beleeue these orders and degrees of ministers in the Church 1 Deacons 2 Priests and 3 Bishops which orders wehther the Reformed Churches approâe of or no I am sure the Counsel of Trent doth and hath decreed If any shall say that in the Catholik Church there is not a Hirarchie instituted by diuine ordination which consisteth of Bishops and Priests and ministers let him be âccursâd Concil Trident. Sess 23. Can. 6. But now seeing not onely the Fathers of the Counsel of Trent but all reformed Churches in the world as you sayd doe approue of and reioyce for this your ministerie I hope the Bishops and hirarchie of your Church shall no more be preached writen against by your inferior Priests as many a day they haue been as being Antichrâstâan Thus may you see what a weak foundation you bring for your church and ministerie and if we lyfted to fight against you with your own weapons we could allege many things from the persons whome you cite against your present church and ministery but the word of God yeeldeth vs armour ynough for this battell against you as in due tâme through his grace shall be seen 6. In the meaÌ while it shal not be amisse to put the reader in mind how your selues heretofore haue iudged and written of your ministerie which you say it is approued of and reiâyced for of all the pure reformed churches in the world your ministers being as before is noted Deacons Priests and Bishops Of the Deacenship you haue written that it is a meer humane institution a degree to the Priesthood and nothing like to the ordinance of God Of Priests c. that they cam from the Pope as out of the Troian horses belly to the destruction of Gods kingdom Of the Bishops c. that you account them no natural members of the body of Christ church becauase they are of humane addition not borne with her nor grown up with her from the cradle Agayne that they be rather members of the strumpet of Rome then of the spouse of the Lamb c. And haue not you the reformed Churches great cause now to reioyce for this ministery 7. Moreouer consider you also how we may allege that now 10. yeares sithence we have published our Confession of faith and causes of our separation from your Church and ministery to the learned Vniversities of the Reformed churches with desire if in our faith or practise we erred that they would shew it vs but to this day we know not any that haue vndertaken so to doe wherefore we also may suppose by their silence that they approue our case or at least suspend their iudgments and condemne vs not 8. Finally it is written in one of the scriptures that you quote the spirituall man iudgeth all things but he himselfe is iudged of no man 1 Cor. â 15. Now every true Christian is a spirituall man Gal. 6. 1. 1 Pet 2.5 therfore he may judge and discerne by Gods word and spirit faith from here sie and the true church from the false he may see with his eyes liue by his own faith and not depend vpon other men to liue walk in sin till other churches condemne it Let every man therfore retayn his liberty and take heed how he iudgeth 4. THe onely wicked Paâists Athâist and most ungodly ones are aduersaries to our godly ministers and people The godly in all placâs and times among vs by them alone anâ ordinarily haâe been conuerted vnto Christ and by them approâed reuârenced and obeyed alwayes in the Lord. Answer 1. IF the onely wicked be adversaries to your Godly ministers and people it perteyneth not to us who hate none of you bât wish well and pray for you al euen for our persecutors we are aduersaries onely to the sinns corruptionâ that are among you whiles we reproâe you for âinne you should âudâe that we loue and hate you not as the law teâcheth We say therefore with the Apostle are we become your enemies because we âell âou the truth Gal. 4 16. 2 The Atheists and wicked oneâ that so hate your godly ministers and people are theâ not also mââbers of yoâr owne Church So then your church is diuided against it selfe and you are aduers one to another And why tel
appoynted them These Elders called generally Bishops or Ouerseers had charge of their particular flocks and might not goe from them as did the Apostles but attend and feed them These now could not properly be sayd to beget their peoâle to the faith as the Apostle noteth to the Corinthians but to feed and instruct them and therefore are not called Fathers but Feeders or Pasters and Pedagogues Child-leaders or Instructeurs From which I gather that people must regenerate and borne again before they may be admitted into any particular church or haue officers ouer them and that ordinary ministers which feed their flocks cannot be sayd to beget them as is the common vawnt of you Ministers in England which me thinks even reason it selfe might shew you For you that are now over your parishes how found you your people at first a church or no church If you say a church then you begat them not but entred vpon other mens labours that were before you if you say they were not a church then you condemn the state of your parishes as they were planted before you were their Ministers Now then to come to your âroposition In whatsâever churches that is assemblies for so I vnderstand you to vse the werd generallie as the Scripture sometime vseth Ecclesia is such an ordinance of God in publick vse and force by which there is ordinarily made an vndoubted new birth c. they are true visible churches of Christ This I denie for in the assemblies of the heathens in the Apostles daies as before is proued there was such an ordinance of God sometimes in publick vse and force as by it ordinarilie there was made an vndoubted new birth as th' fruit of th' Apostles preaching sheweth· yet were not those assemblies of heathens true visible churches of Christ. but such onelie as were converted to God and separated from the rest that beleeved not and joyned in a holy communion togither were true visible churches Whereas you assume that in the best of your assemblies is such an ordinancâ of God c this also I denie for your ministers are not Gods ordinance he hath not called or sent them they execute no lawfull office in your assemblies But your assumption you say is manifest because by that ordinance âf preaching which is in publick vse and force there is ordinarily made an vndoubted new birth I answer first in verie many of your assemblies there is no such ordinance of preaching in publick use as you here bâast of but bare reading onely yet those assemblies are by the Constitutions of your church to be reputed as true visible churches as the other SecoÌdly in those other other where preaching is I deny that there is ordinarily madâ an vndoubed new birth Your proof is because thâre do ordinarily appear in many the undoubted fruites and testimonis of Gods spirit c. I answer first if this be so yet what will these many help the moât and greatest âumber in whom such fruits appear not When many of the hethens beleeued the Apostles word did their beleef bring the other that beleeued not into the church did not the Apostles separate the beleeuers from the rest and teach them to come from among them Yet you for the faith of some will vnite all the assemblie vnto Christ and his church contrary to the Apostles practise and to all the scriptures Secondly I deny that there doth ordinarily appear in many such vndoubted fruits of Gods spirit after your ordinary preaching as for which we may esteem them true visible churches Some fruites I knâw there doe appear so doe there among the Papists yea they take occasion for such things to reproch you that there follow not so many good works after your preaching as after their doctrine but among neyther of you are those fruits seen whâch by the testimonie of scriptures will proue you true visible churches So we haue here but your bare affirmation to rest vpon and though I might thus end with as bare a deniall tâl you bring further proof yet for to help the reader I wil shew that ordinarily there appeareth not a new birth after your preaching Because of your publick idolatrous estate whereân you stand subiect to Antichristian Prelatâs and canons whiles you haue your publick worship after the Romish idolatrous manner and are stil comming led in one bodie with the profane and serâents seed with many other evils among you which plainly shew you want the new birth and are stil in your old mothers womb This the scriptures which you allege in your proposition will confirme for the Apostles shew Iam 1 18 1 Pet 1 23. that Christs church is a people begotten of God with the word of truth that is the Gospell but your church was first begotten gathered constituted ordered and is still continued by the Magistrates word and authority which if it did not inforce the people the estate wherein you now stand would soon be changed your church dissolved and eyther be better or Worse And where you learned so to inforce fââth and constrein men to be members of your church I can not tel vnlesse you follow Mahomets doctrine who taught that men should be compelled to the faith by warr and sword Againe the Apostle addeth this for a testimony and end of our new birth that we should be as the first fruitâ of Gods creatures This men are not till they be as was Israel hallowed to the Lord Ier 2 3 which was by separation from the world Levit 20.26 and a willing covenant with the Lord Exod. 19.5 6.8 Dâut 26 17 18 19 And that the like must be of vs Christians an other scrâpture confirmeth saying These are they wâiâh are not defilâd with women for thây are virgins this implyeth a seâarâtâon from the world âhâsâ fâllow the Lamb whithârsoeuer he goeth this argueth a couenant and communion with Chriât and in the next words both poynts are repeted these are 1 bought from men being the first fruits 2 ânto Gâd and to the Lamb after this followeth the fruit and in their mouth ãâã found no guile for they are without spot before the throne of God Whereas therefore you haue stood so long against vs for separation and would mainteyn a meer confusion of all sorts of people in a Câârch vpon an imaginary separation made in the clowdes of your own fansies whiles outwardly and indeed you are one body with the wicked you are vndoubtedly âot yet borne a new your Church hath not strength to bring forth your ministers are vnskilfull midwiues and the saying of the Prophet coÌcerning the people of Ephraim is verified also vâoÌ your people be is an vnwise son els would be not stand still such a time even in the breaking forth of the childâen Hos 13 13. The 4. Argument IN what churches soeuer all things needfull to saluation by publick authoryây and gânârall approbation are ordinarily and
you further bring aginst vs forreyn churches and speciall persons the chiefest lights of this age first mind whither this be not âlso â ground of Popery so to presse humane authority and whether the Papists cannot for many of theâr heresies allege the ancient fathers the chiefests lights of their ages whome your selues I suppose will not deny but to be spirituall seing their testâmonies are often alleged by your church in pulpits and in print Secondly this your dealing is such as both the better sort of the late Fathers as Augustine for example who was of mânde that counsels Bishops c. ought not to be obiected for triall of controuersies but the holy scriptures onely and the very superstitious Popelings themselues haue condemned saying that we are rather to beleeu âne priuatâ faithfull man then a whol Councel and the Pope himselfe if a man haue better aâthorety reason on his side Thirdly your obiection and pleading against vs is much like as if the Iewes should haue obiected against Christianity thus It is not needfull to saluation to beleeu that Iesus who was crucâfied is the Christ for then it would be cleerly set down in scripture to the vnderstanding of the spirituall Dan 12 10 Prou 8 9 but that it is not for the thousands of priests and people of Israel Gods own people among whom are the chiefest lights of this age the Rabbines expounders of the law c. which are vndoubtedly spirituâll are of contrary judgment to you his disciples Iob 7 47 48 49.52 Fourthly as I haue before answered forreyn churches and the lights in them haue cleerly seen the things we stand for and doe asseât with vs touching separation from Antichristianisme gathering into and walking in a holy communion of Saincts and other poynts of greatest moment between you and vs. as their Harmony of Confessions besides other particular books many doe testify If you obiect their particular judgment of your churches estate I answer that is not needfull to saluation therefore they may misse in it and yet be spirituall for if men iâ their own churches profesâe and walke in the truth so farr as God giues them to see and thinke better of other churches then they doe deserue such errors even the most spirituall are subiect vnto It was cleerly revealed in scriptures that the Gentiles should be called vnder the Gospell Deut 32.43 Gen. 12 3 Psal. 67. 117 Isa. 11.10 Chrâst âimself plainly confirmed and commanded it Mat 28.19 Iohn 10 16 Act 1 8. Yet the Apostle Peter himselfe and many other spirituall men perceiued it not till in more speciall and particular weise it was to them reuealed Act. 10.14 28 34 3â 11 2 â 18. As Peter and many other godly then fayled in esteeming worse of the Gentiles then they should so learned and godly men now may fayl in esteeming better of your estâtâ then it doth deseruâ The 5. Argument WHatsoeuer church is the mother of the faithfull is a true visible church but the best of our assemblies are c. Ergo true visible churches The preposition is true because that regeneration and new birth is onely ordirarily wrought by the word preached Rom 10.8.17 Iam. 1.18 1 Pet. 1 23. which is onely and ordinarily found in the visible Church Gal 5 26. 1 Iohn â 5. The assumption is true because many are ordinarily new borne in our best assemblies by the ordinance of preaching in publick vse and force as appeareth by Mr Iohnsons foresayd confession as also by the meanes of the causes and meanes ordeyned by God to beget faith in the hearers and efficacie thereof Esa. 55 11 Rom. 10.17 and lastly ây the infallible effects of faith and fruits of the spirit appearing in the true members of our best assemblies Gal. 5 6 22. Answer HEre you seem to bring a new argument though it be but the old in a new coat for take away this mantel wherewith your Major is clothed The mother of the faithfull and all the rest wil be but regeneration and new birth wrought as you say by the preaching in your best assemblies Which things we heard in your third argument and there refuted As you here vrge them agayn I further answer first to your proposition Whatsoever church say you is the mother of the faithfull is a true visible church But Israel say I in her idolatrous estate was the mother of the faithfull yet was she not in that estate a true visible church therfore your proposition is not true That Israel then was the mother of the faithfull appeareth by the words of the Lord Plead with your mother Hos 2 2 That they which were willed thus to plead were the faithfull appereth by theâr names Ammi Ruhamah that is My people and she that hath obteyned mercy That yet notwithstanding this mother was not a true visible church appeareth by the Plea to be made against her She is not my wife neyther am I her husbaÌd her estate being as elsewhere is sayd without the true God and her children that continewed in her idolatrie should obteyn no mercy Thus you see a church may be sayd to be the mother of the faithfull and yet not be a true Church of God You would confirme the proposition to be true because regeneration and new birth is ordinarily wrought by the word preached which is one lie and ordinarily found in the visible church I answer the word preached is to be found also in the false church as among Papists Anabaptists Anabaptists c. as ordinarie if not more ordinarie then ân many of youâ assemblies and although there be not such or so many truthes âaught among them as are among you yet the word that is taught hath effect for sanctâfication of life in as great measure as ordinarâly appeareth in your Church of Engl. where so much profannes reigneth as all men see and know The church of Rome is as your selues prâfeââe a falâe church yet doubt I not neyther doe I thinke you doubt but sundrie children haue been borne vnto God by that harlot The church of Enâland it as we professe a false church your Ministery also falâe yet God which brought light out of darknesse hath brought forth I doâbt not and saued many of his dear châldren among you But let not thiâ embolden the rest to continew with you in your false estâte least they finde no mercy with the Lord because they be children of fornications To your assumption then I answer as you first set it down I graunt it yet will not your conclusion follow for it may be a mother of the faithfull and yet no true visible church for the reason foreshewed But as you afterward explain your selfe saying the assumption is true because many aâe ordinarily new borne c. I deny it thus to be true because neyther is a new birth ordinarily to be had among you neither haue you Gods ordinance of preaching in publick vse and
force If your people were truelâe regenerate they would not sinne mâstike me not I know the remainders of sinne dwell in the best men and draw them to that they neyther would not ought but as thâ Apostle sayth He that is borne of God sinneth not And seing so many and great sinns reign in your best assemblies how can you say you are regenerate for I haue before manifested that ordinarilie people are kept and continued among you in an vnholy communion with the wicked and irreligious and nourished with sâperstition and idolatrâ these and the like things are no tokens of true regeneration Mr Iohnsons confession is before treated of and will not import that which you would infer The causes and meanes ordeyned by God to beget faith are not by Esa 55 11 Râm 10.17 proued to be among you For there is spoken of the word going out of the Lords mouth but your minâsters are not the Lords mouth because they haâe not from him their calling sending and authoritie to preach bât haue it from his enemie Antichrist and as the Apostle saith how shal thây preach except they be sent Neither are they as the Lords mouth because they separate not the precious from the vile Ier. 15 19. Neyther are the infallible effects of faith c. proued by Gâl 5 6 â2 to be in the true members of yâur best assemblies For seing faith is there sayd to work by loue and there is no loue of Christ vnlesse men keep his commandements and his commandâments are not kept in your idolatrouâ assemblies it cannot be affirmed that you loue the Lord if so you contineâ continew in sinne or that you haue true faith But rather seing the contrary works of the flesh which the Apostle there mentioneth adultery fornication c idolatrie witchcraft hatred c. contentions seditions heresies c. are found in the true members of your church for all among you are baptised and all baptised are true members you are more rightly to be reputed vnregenerate and vnsanctâfied in that your sinnfull and confused estate Neyther haue you Christs power in your best assemblies to cast out the wicked from among you but they are fostered fâd and blessed with your word prayers sacraments c. and such as absteyn from your idolatrie and from communion with the wicked you hate reproach excommunicate and persecute that your church is indeed a mother to the profane But a stepmother to the faithfull The 6 argument THose Churches for whome the Churches of God reiâyce are true Churcheâ 2. Thes. 1.4 But our best assemblies are such for whome the churches of God reioyce Ergo. The reason of the proposition is because the churches of God haue the spirit of discerning a true church and ministery from a false as Ioh 10.27 5. Maâ 24 24 1 Cor. 14 32. and 10 15· 1 Ioh. 4 1· The assumption is true because all the churches of God reioyce in our best assemblies and haue giuen vs the right hand of fellowship and testimony of a truââhurch hauing ioyned our publick confession with their Harmony Answer THIS argument is one and the same with the third of your first Constlerations saue that it hath gotten the fashion of a syllogisme The in sâfficiencie of this reason I haue there shewed and thether doe referr the reader Further here I answer that you turne the testimony of the reformed churches to your best advantage yet neyther with equitie nor good successe For they joy not for your best assemblies more then for your worst but for your Church in generall and the confeâsion of the same They rejoyce for every Bishop Priest and Deacon and for every Parish that maketh such confession as Bishop Iewel in his Apologie hath set down Part of which Apologie they haue vnited with their Harmânie And why bring you them as approuing your best assemblies onely Your Lords the Prelates may truely say you doe them wrong to apply vnto your selues the applause which other churches giue to their Apologie They wil tel you in your own words the churches of God haue the spirit of discerning a true church and Ministery from a false But the reformed âhurches haue discerned the nationall church of England whereof the Archbâshop of Cant· is Pastorâ to be a true church they haue discerned the Diâcesan Bishâps in England as well as the Parish Priests to be true Ministers and reioyce as well for their Sees as for yoâr Parishes hauing joyned these all alike in their Harmony And what will you that suffâr sâ many things for sepârating in yâur chârch as yoâ sâyd answer to your right reverend Fathers against whome like vnnaturall children yoâ hauâ striven so long and would have them with their jârisdâctâon âut out of your church thât the Pârâsh priest or Deacon mâght Lord it alone More particularly I answer yoâr first propostion is vnsound cannot be proâed from the scripture you allege 2 Thâs 1.4 from which text yoâ must conclude on this faâhâon Pâul and Siluanus and Timotheuâ reioyced of the Thesalonians in other churches of Gâd because of their pacience and faith in all persecutions c. Therefore the reformed churcheâ reioycing for the church of England it must needs be a true church The conseqâence is denied True churches may err in their judgment of an other church especialy if theâ be not rightly informed of the statâ thereof as the reformed churches are not by that your Apologie Moreover he that mindeth the things recorded of that church 1 Thes. 1 3 6 7 9 c. and the different estate to be seen in your church may soon perceiâe their is no lâke cause of joy for you âs for them that if there be a lâke effeât it is in error The reason of the proposition is no better confirmed by the scriptures you allege For when Chrâât sayth Iohn 10 27 5. Mâ sheep hâar my voyce and they will not follow a stranger doeth he send his sheep to other flocks to try their shepheards by or if I see my shepheard to be a thâef a hireling a wolf mâst I commit my sowl vnto hâm because other shepherds wâll giue him the right hand oâ fellowship In the other scriptures say nât the Apostles to the particular churches and persons iudge ye what I saâ try ye thâ spârit and beleeue not euery spirit But you would not haue our selues to iudâe or try but to send over sea and hear what other churches iudge if they apâroue we must not disalow You may as wel bid vs. put out our own eyes that other men may lead vs and as soon will we follâw you in that as in this your popish counsell We have learned to liue by our own faith and know that every man shall beare hâs own bârden and answer for himself to God But you will tell vs if we can iudge and discerne the true church others can doe it also and better I
answer I may err iudgment so may others even whole churches therefore let euery man look how he iudgeth and how he deâendeth on other men and let evey mans âudgment be tried by the scriptures For this cause we say vnto you seing we haue fought for the judgement of other churches but can get no answer procure you some reasons from them in defence of your church ministerie worship and ecclesiasticall gouerâment and if by Gods word they can justâfy those things and evince that we haue done evil to depart from you we will returne vnto you Otherwise if they reioyce neuâr so mâch for your estate we are verâly perswaded that both they and you haue more causâ to mourne for the many abominations that are amâng ãâã To conclude consider in an example the weight of your argument for by the like reâson the envious ministers in Pauls time mought thus haâe justâfied themselues That mânisterie and ministration for which the Apostles of Christ reioyce is true to be obeyed and continued in But our ministery and minâstration is such as for it the Apostle Paul reioyceth yea and will râioyce Philip â 16.18 If you Answer the Apostle reioyced for the preaching of Christ not forthe envious affection of the preachers who might be damned themselues notwithstanding their true doctrine it is true And so minde I for the reformed churches They reioyce for the many truthes you profesâe against Popery as we also doe the like yet may you neverthelesse perish for your false constitution idolatrous worship popish hierarchie and other transgressions that are among you Amend your liues therefore and turne your feet into the wayes of peace for if you rely vpon man anâ make âlesh yoâr arme and will not heâr the word of the Lord that condemneth your iniquities you shâll perish in your sinns other chârches shall not be able to excuse of sâue you ARGVMENTS That the PREACHERS of the best assemblies of the church of ENGLAND are true ministers of Christ. I THâ prâachers after whose publick powerfull doctrine of the word do ordinarily follow repeÌâance conuersion to God sauing fayth in Christ loue to the brethrân and oâheâ fruits of the spiâit Gal. 5 6 22. in the hearers are true ministers of God and of the visible chârcâ But âfter âhe dâctrine of Gods word taught by the preachers of our best asseâbliâs doe ordânarily appear the fruites of the spirit in the hearers Thârefore thâ preachers of our best assemblies are true ministers of Christ. The âroposition is proued because onely the word that God doth send in the ãâã oâ his ministers is ordinarily effectuâll for these things Ier. 23 22 Esa. 55 11. Mat 7 20 Luk 1 76 Ioh. 10.1 2. 1 Cor 9 1. â 4 15. Thâ assumption is proued by the answer to the assumption of the 4 argumeââ ãâã thâ churcheâ Answer OVR separation is from your Church consisting of many assemblieâ all compact into ore bodâe and from all your Ministerie both prelacie and priesthood We cannot tel which assemblies or ministers be best for they that seem best may proue worst because they most deceiue the simple the wolf that comes in a sheeps coat is no whit better than he that commeth in his natiue hiew but he may doe more harm in that he is disguised Reason would perswade vs that the Bishops are the preachers of your best assemblies for they haue greatest dignity fatherhood and authority in your church they preach in the highest and most honorable assemblies of the land they are most carefull to obserue their oath of due obedience to keep the canonâ orders lawes and ceremonies of your church and set themselues against such as secretly vndermine the state of the church and ministerie of England yet openlie stand members and professed friends of the same They and their assemblies are best ordered after the constitution and lawes of your church So that to speak as I think I know not which assemblies be best where the Leven hath sow red the whole lump though I can guesse which you doe mean but plain dealing about your ministers and asâemblies would haue beseemed you best Tel vs therefore when you next write what ministers you mean whether the Bishops Deanes Doctors c. that are in the cathedrall churches or the Doctors and Diuines that are in your vniuersities or thâ Parsons Vicars Lecturers that are in your Parishes Again what Ministers they be whither Apostles or Prophets or Evangelists or Pastors or Teachers for all these are ministers Eph. 4. and meet it is to know your meaning for though Apostles and Pastors be both ministers ordeined of Christ yet if one will say everie Pastor is an Apostle he is but a liar So you see it is needfull that we ransack these your ambiguous and generall termes Now for your argument first I answer to the proposition that though these fruites you mention doe many times follow the doctrine of Christs ministers yet not theirs onely nor alwaies Not onelie because other men that are not in office of Ministerie may by excercise of their gifts work such fruites as appeareth 1 Cor. 14.1.31.3.24 25. c. I appeal also to your selues whether you thinke not that your best ministers though silenced or degraded from all ministeriall office may not when they teach work repentance fath and other fruites of the spirit Neither doe these fruites alwayes follow the doctrine of true ministers for Noah preached 120· yeares yet followed there not faith and repentance in the old world Christ himselfe preached to Chorazin and Bethsaida yet left the woe vpon them and complaineth in Esaias that he had laboured in vayn among the Iewes and of Israel it is said All the day long haue I stretched out my hand a disobedient and gâynsaying people To reason therefore from the effects this man wrought faith by his teaching therefore he is a true minâster or this man wrought not faith by his teaching therefore no true minister is vnsound and vnconcludable by the scriptures The âroofs of your proposition being examined wil be found to light for your purpose if you mean that the officers doctrine onely or alwayes is effectuall for these thinâs to weet repentance faith c often I know it is and alwayes it hath effect eyther to life or death in the hearers Your scriptures are Ier 23 22. which sheweth what true prophets should labour to doe namely to turne sinners from their evill way c whereas the false prophets did otherwise Eze 13 22 but proueth not that the prophets onely did this for the Priests and Levites did it also Mal 2 6 yea priuate men may often turne their neighbours from evill Leu 4 27.8 19.17 Prou. 31.26 Mal. 3 16 Mat. 18.15 Iam. 5.19 20. neyther proveth it that the prophets alwayes did this for Esaias crieth Lord who hath beleeued our report Isa. 53.1 and it is written that the Lord testified to Israel by all the Prophets
we must be separated thirdly the corruption of nature in our selues the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life all which are of the world and whâch we must hate and crucifie so turne and become like little children euen borne agayn that we may see the kingdome of God 16. The estate wherevnto God called his church in this life is generally to the communion or fellowhsip of his sonne Iesus Christ as being their onely mediator and Sauiour the Prophet Priest and King of the church which they beleeuâng and professing are alâo made partakers in a proportion and in their measure of these three offices with him 17. Iesus Christ is the Prophet raâsed vp of God vnto his people to teach them all that God commanded him which also he did both by himselfe and by the Mânistery of his seruants sent of him And as all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge are hid in him so him the church mâst hear for all heauenly wisdome and knowledge is to be learned of him and every person which shall not hear this Prophet shall be destroyed out of the people 18 This Prophet call office of Christ he hath communicated with the church by giuing to the same his word for their instruction and comfort and graffing the same within them his spirit also as an Anoynting to teach them all things giuing gifts also or ministers to open and apply the same vnto their sowles likewise power and freedome by witnes profession and practise to hold forth that word of life as lights in the world thereby to preach vnto others the faâth of Christ to edâfy and build vp one another dayly therein to prouoke vnto loue and to good works to admonish and reprehend for evill and iniquity to forgiue and comfort one another in the bowels of Christ whose word therefore all ought to labour that it may dwel plenteously in them that if any man speak it may be as the words of Gâd 19. Iesus the son of God is also the great high priest or Sacrificer of the Church by whose obedience and sacrifice or oblation of hâs own body and blood the church is clensed from all sinn and reconciled to God by whose intercession the church with the holy actions oblations of the same are accepted of God and made heires of blessing 20. And this his Prâestly office is ãâã imparted to his church as they haue not onely interest in his death and suffrings whereby they are reconciled to God but also are themselues made a holy priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacriâices acceptable to God by him giuing vp their own bodies a liuing sacrifice mortifying their members whâch are on earth and crucifyâng the flesh with thâ affections and lâsts offring vp contrite and broken hârts with sacrifices of praise confeâsing to his name and praying not oââly every man for himself but one for another doing good and dâstributing to the neceâsities of the Saincts suffring afflâction for the Gospell and fynally if they be called therevnto powring out the r soules vnto death fâr the truthes sake 21. The Lord Iesus Christ is also the gouernour and king ouer Sion Gods hâly mount and sitteth at his Fathers right hand and reigneth till all his enimies be made his footstool being a King iudge and lawgiuâr to hâs people commanding and ruling them by his word and spirit jâdging them in iustice and equâty preseruing and defendâng them by his almighty power from all their enimies 22. And this his kingly office he so communicateth with hâs church as they are by him preserâed and defended from all aduersarie Pâwer freed from the dominion of sinne and tyrannie of Satan from subiection to the world and seruitude vnto men and restored to the ioyfull libârty of the Châldren of God the world and all things in it made theirs that howsoeuer they haue still to combate with the Diuill to wraâtel against principallities powers to suffer hatred affliction of the world anâ to warr with the fleshly lusts which fight against the soâl yet neither deaâh nor life nor Angels nor principallities nor powerâ nor things present nor things to come nor heigth nor depth nor any other creatâre shal be able to separate them from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord who hath made them Kângs and Priâsâs vnto God even his father and they shall reign on the earth till hâuinâ serâed here theâr time they come to reign with him in glorâ in âhe heauens for euer 2â Vnto the participation of these promises and heauenly graces are all peoâles ârâuoked by the Gospell âreached and such as obey the câlââng of Gâd anâ come vnto Chrâst are vnited vnto him theâr head and âedâatâr from whomâ proceedeth the Iustification and sanctificatioâ of tâe Churcâ 24. Iustification is the partaking of Christs justâce or righteousnes ân his fulfilling and obeyinâ the law of God and dâschargâng all ouâ depts and trespasses by his death so freeing vs from the curse and setâing vs in full fauour with God and vnder his blesââng which righteousnesse of Christs is fully made ours and impâted to vs by faith for our justification 25. Sanctification is the partakâng of Christs holynes by being graffed with him to the simillâtude of his death and resurrection whereby the corruption of nature or old man in vs becometh crucified and buried with him and the new man or image of God is put on and renewed dayly in a holy conuersation 26. Hâthârto of the Churches union and communion with Christ her head now followeth the union of the churches memberâ one with another which is theirâ couâling togither as one body by the communion of one and the same spirit faith and loue 27. The vnion of the members one with another is to be considered generally or totally and particularly Generally as the chârch is called vniuersall or caâholik comprehending the whole family of God in heauen and in earth and the fraternity or brotherhood of all Christians which are ân the world in whome there is but one faith in one and the same God by that one Lord Iesâs Christ throuâh one Spârit Thus haue they all one Father which is God one mother Ierusalem which is aboue and by the mediation of Chrâst are all made one baptised by one spirit into one body and al made to drink into one spirit 28 More Particularly they that are called of God and members oââhe Church vniversall are vnited and gathered into many churches or congregatioÌs in several cities countrâes every
church because a great part of his word and scriptures and of the graces of his spirit are here neuer spoken nor heard nor suffred to be vttered and contrariweise much of mans word and writing is brought in as Aprocrypha books made of old the Seruice and homily books made of late in which also there be manifest errourâ lâes contradictions to the holy scriptures idolatrous and and superstâtious doctrines rites ceremonses c. taught vnto and obserued by th' priests people an idle soul-murthering ministry maynteyned Chrâsts spirituall graces giuen for teaching and building vp his church quenched with other like evils The proof of this may be seen in their communioÌ book whose Kalender alotteth what is to be read dayly and yerely in all their Assemblies where many chapters of the Bible are wholly and perpetually excluded many Apocrypha chapters read as holy scriptures And by the written homilies the graces and vtterance of Gods spirit are extinguished that mans erroneus writing may come in place Besides this all preaching Ministers so limitted and restreyned in their doctrine that they may not preach against any sinn by publick authority establâshed and if they doe they are silenced excommunicated c. this indignity and dishonour Christ will not suffer at mans hands to haue his word and mans word matched together his spirit spirit truth restreyned he wil be Prophet aloÌe or not at al. as they that with the trâe God and his true worship had other Gods also other worships are sayd in scripture to forsake the true God and to bâ without him so they that with the true Prophet and doctor Christ and his doctrine haue other also may rightly be sayd to haue forsaken him and to be wâthout him For when men set their thresholds by the Lords and their posts by his they defile his holy name with their abominations and in vayne they worship him that teach such doctrines as be precepts of men Moreover thiâ Church wanteth part and communion with Christ in that propheticall office which he hath imparted to his peoâle namely power and freedom to witnes professe practise and hold forth the word of life and all that Christ hath commanded to admonish reproue one another for sinne and transgression and eyther if they repent to forgiue them or if they repent not to follow them further vnto the church and even to excommunication for their obstinate violating Gods law That they haue not power or freedome to professe and practise the truth of the Gospel in these things appeareth by their seruile subiection to the hierarchie lawes and canons which are amongst them whereby they are restreyned from professing and practising any further truth then is by law establâshed among them but must obey follow all that their spirituall Lords the Bishops doe inioyne them and may not speake against or reproue any of the abominatioÌs that ar in their church worship Ministery ceremonies c. neyther haue power to deal according to that rule of Christ Mat. 18 15. c for any sinne be it never so horrible and manifest but must leaue it to the censure of the Prelate or hiâ Commissarie who at his pleasure buyeth and selleth the sins and soules of men This bondage the people should not be in if they had and inioyned the word of God which is the truth for that truth would make them free that they should not in this sort be seruants of men But now not haâing power to professe much lesse to practise the truth nor to reproue the euils that reign among them not hauing the free vse of Gods word in priuate nor the right and lawfull Ministery or vse therof in publick they cannot be sayd to haue Christ for their Prophet and Therefore the Church of England is not the true Church of God EVery true Church of God hath Christ for the Priest and Sacrificer of the sâme for he onely is the high Priest of our profession and to him it was sworne thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedek Heb 3 1 5.5 6 10 9 11. c. But the Church of England hath not Christ for the Priest or sacrificer of the sâme Because the gifts and sacrifices which it offreth vnto God are not presented and offred vnto him by Christ neyther is this church reconciled reconciled vnto God by him And first the worship and seruice which they performe vnto God their prayers prayses and confeâsions which now are Christâan mens sacrifices are not offred and sanctified by Christ because they are false and idâlâtrous wherewith Christ hath no communion For ânstead of true spirâtuall prayer and prayses the fruits of Gods spirit in his âeoâle they read a written leiturgie translated out of the Masse book and accordâng as they are stinted in the same they speak obserâing also the many Popish ordinances râtes and ceremonies commanded in the same as their holy and festivall dayes holy eues and fasting dâyes absolutioÌ of sinns by their priests confirmatioÌ of Baptisme by theâr Prelates profanation of the Sacraments by priâate administration and howsling with them by gossips by idolatrous signes and gestures of croââe kneeling c. also marying by the Priest with signe of the ring churching of womeÌ burial of the dead readâng curses or comminations in stead of discipline besides the sundry errours and vntruthes in that book vayn repetâtions in their prayers and the like All which being commanded and vsed dayly by law of their church without ground from Gods word which approueth none of these idolatries but condemneth them are not sanctified by Christ nor presented vnto God hiâ Father For he will not offer the idol sacrifices neyther will God accept such things as by his law he teacheth all men to abhorr Secondly whereas the bodyes and sowles of men are also spiritual and liâing sacrifices and the persons offred in the Church by the Ministeây of the Gospel should be as the holy flâck as the flock of Ierusalem in their solemne feasts that so the oblation of them might be acceptable being sanctified by the holy Ghost the people offred in this church are a confuse vnsanctified mâltitude not separated from the world as before in the first argument is shewed and many of them so wicked even by the confeâsion of their own ministers and in every honest mans conscience as they neyther deseru to be layd on Gods alter nor to be touched of any true Israelite in such respect Yet ar they by the Priests of this church offred dayly vnto God in their administration and blessed in his name Yea the precious sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ remembred and reâresented by bread and wine at his supper is prostitutââ as if it were an vnholy thing to the prophane and wicked in this church which being vnworthy receiuers are
God who took our nature of the Virgin Mary is our onely and alsufficient Sauiour For proof of this they first allege that thây receiue this truth are the people of God and in the state of saluation they that receiue it not cannot possibly be saued Mat. 16.18 Mark 16.16 1 Iâh 4.2 Col 2.7 But first none of these scriptures doe say that this one article which these ministers haue set downe in this forme of words is the onely fundamentall truth in religion Neyther doth any other scripture that I know of so speake for though Christ onely is the foundation of the Christian church and though as they secondly allege no other point of religion is necessary otherwise then as it tendeth necessarily to teach or confirme this one truth yet foloweth it not but other points also are fundamental truthes the denyall of which will abolish from Christ. Secondly they haue altered added to and omitted some of the words of these scriptures for their own aduantage For fearing that we would as indeed we mean to doe presse them with the profession of the Anabaptists Papists and other heretiks they thinke to preuent vs. And first against the Anabaptists which deny that Christ took our flesh these men haue added who took our nature of the Virgin Mary Then against the papists which hold merit of works they adioyne these words our onely and alsufficient Sauiour And this because the church of England mainteyneth the truth in these points against those fore sayd heretiks On the other hand to help themselues in their corrupt Antichristian walking and false constitution they omit and mention not th' Apostles words Col. 2. wher he sayth As ye haue receiued Christ Iesus the Lord so walke in him rooted and built in him and stablished in the faith as ye haue been taught c The discreet reader may soon espy their purpose in this cunning cariage For let the position be set downe in the scripture termes and we shall see how weake their plea will be The onely fundamentall truth in religion is this That Iesus is the Christ the sonne of the liuing God comen in the flesh in whom we must beleeue and h walke being rooted and build in him and stablished in the faith as we are taught in the new testament If now these ministers will insist vpon the three first scriptures onely and generall terms that are in them it is apparant that the Papists Anabaptists and many other miscreants doe hold and professe them absolutely absolutely But if they joyne with them Colos. 2. and compare the walking rooting building and stablishing in the faith taught by th' Apostles with the Popish church or with their own it wil be found that neyther of them hold the foândation Christ aright Themselues wâll grant it of the Papâsts and other heretiks and for their own church it is before in this treatise proued So then to come agayn vnto their reason that they hold âeâch and mainteyn euery part of Gods holy truth which is fundamântall whereby they woulâ conclâde themselues to be a true chrâch the arâument is deneyed Fâr first if ât were granted that thây hâld âaught and maiâteynâd every part of fundââental truth which yet with them is but one article onely as we haue heard it wâll not follow necessaryly that therefore they are a true chârch or that they truely professe the Christ an faith There wanâ two things 1 obedience to the truth professed withoât which men shal be damned whatsoeuer they professe 2 and a right profession of the true faith onely without errâurs adioyned that ouerthrow the same faith and obedience thereto For if a people profeâsing that onely fundamentall truth which these ministers speake of should withall professe Mahomet the prophet of the Turks or H. N. the God of the Familists or any other like abomination were this misceline profession of Christ and Belial togither a true and sound profeâsion I trow not So then these ministers must alter their plea thus that they hold teach mainteyn and obey every part of the fundamentall truth and nothing els with it that ouerthrowes the same If now they say this they doe I haue before in this treatise disproued it and here agayn will briefly disproue it thus They professe to beleeu the Communion of Saincts and that the visible church is a congregation of faithfull people Yet contrariweise they hold teach and mainteyne that their own church is a true church of Christ though it consists as wel of vnholy as holy infidels as beleeuers and innumerable wicked persons openly seen and known That this they hold mainteyn is proâed by their continual clamors and reprochful writings against vs that call vpon them for a separation of light from darknesse It is proued by Dr Wâitgifts plea before mentioned that the children of Papists heretiks and other wicked persons are and ought to be baptised amoÌg theâ It is further proued by the visible estate of their church knowne vnto all among them and testâfied by her dearest freinds fauourers Mâ Gifford speaking to his brethren âf the Communion of Saincts in Engl. sayth Yee would euen powr out your stinâing and râtâen pâyson like blaspemous and venemous beasts ye would speake after this manner you that are so full of the spirit you that are Saincts and suâh like What are you Diâils are ye of the flesh No doâut ye are vntill God convert ye But we may se how diuiâishly men ar become wicked when a man cannot make any appearance to be godly and holy but it is reproched as though it were a shamefull thing to be lead by the spirit c. These and the like records with the continuance continuance in this confused estate plainely proue an ouerthrow of that article of the true church which is the body of Christ and the body being disanulled Christ the head cannot soundly be reteyned Agayn they professe in Engl. that the puâe word of God is to be preached the sacraments duely administred c. also that in our doings that will of God is to be followed which we haue expresly decleared vnto vs in the word of God Yet withall they professe and practise in that church to read the Apocrypha âcriptures in which are found vntruthes and errors when many parts of the authentik scripture are neuer read among them they haue also written homilies in sted of preaching a written Leâtourgâe Letany collects c. in sted of praying which Leitoargie with all the popish contents therein must be approued and vsed by all the Priests and people and God serued by it euery day They haue also an antichristian clergie caâled and ordeyned according to their pontifical or book of ordination which ân their beleef hath not any thing that of it selfe is sâperstitious and vngodly c. Finally all the Romish reliques yet in England to be seen in the
life which serue to heal the nations with if he offer to touch the Egyptian vlcers that appeare in your worship church-government ministerie ceremonies c. he is presently thrust out of dores and if he dare but affirme these or any of these to be disceases and botches in your body sinns against God or repugnant to his word he is excommunicated ipso facto by the decrees of the whole representatiue church of England And are you willing now to be healed Nay if any among you not medling with the publike estate of your church but feeling or fearing his own particular sowl sicknes doe resort to a physician whose receipts are not after the common sort for aduise about his health or of friendship and acquaintance to see him he is subiect to the censure and thunderbolt of your church Witnesse the late practise in Norwich where certayn citizens were excommunicated for resorting vnto and praying with Mr Robinson a man worthily reverenced of all the city for the graces of God in him as your selfe also I suppose will acknowledge and to whome the cure and charge of their sowles was ere while committed Would any vnmercifull man haue dealt so with his bondslaue in a case of bodily sicknes But hereby all may see what small hope there is of Curing the Kanker of your church THe second question is Are they themselues healed then where were they healed where were they called where were they regenerate and begotten to Christ was it not in the womb of this our church and by means of the immortall seed of Gods word that is dayly sown in our church a holy church a church of God where in ordinarily men are called and brought to God The winde bloweth where it will and we heare the sound thereof but know not whence it cometh and whether it goeth so is every one that is bârne of the spirit To your demaund then I answer we werâ câllââ being in Bââylon your Church I meane which restreyneth the ãâã by vnriâhteousnes there was our regeneration begun Where we faâ in darknes and in the shadow of death the light of God appeared and ãâã vs lâfe If you yet inquire how this was I refer you to ãâ¦ã brouâht light out of darknes and daylie bringeth forth the ãâ¦ã treasâre and his wayes are past finding out for as I knâw ãâã tâe way of the winde nor how the bones doe grow in the womb of her that is with childe so know I not the work of God that worketh all If you demaând of the means it was doubtlesse the word and spirit of the Lord without which there is no calling no regeneration Now where you ask how then we can deny that to be a true church wherâin ãâã men are called and brough to God I answer first you take vp more thân we lay down when you say ârdinarily for the ordinary and common fruit of the word among you is through your own corrupt handling and hearing of it euell and not good the many walke the broad way and Gods calling is like to that which the Prophet sayth one of a city and two of a tribe in resâect of the worldly multitudes Secondly all the Saincts are not begotten vnto Christ in the wombe of a true particular church for when the Apostle preached among Pagans conuerted many I would know in the womb of what church they were begotten they were first conuerted vnto Christ before euer they were in any other church then that Ierusalem which is aboue the mother of all the elect Let vs come to later times your selues when you began to be a church of protestants in what particular womb were your people begotten I suppose if in any it was in the womb of your mother church of Rome where they had both receiued Baptisme the seal of regeneration and been catechised in Christian religion and then look how your selues can deny that to be a true church or be free of vnthankfulnes towards her that bare you But you prosecute your cause against vs and would driue vs eyther to say there is indeed a true ministery of the word among you but it is not powrfull to any but our selues or els that we were not called in your church but since we left you To the first I answer there is no necessity that we must grant a true ministery for first we hold that the true word may be put in Balaamites mouthes and a false ministery may through Gods wondrous grace beget faith in his elect if you say otherweise you will shake the foundation of your English church layd by Austââ the monk Pope Gregories Apostle and damn all your late fathers vnder the Roman Clergie Secondly we âie not the grace of God in the true church to the ministers lips knowing that men by other meanes are often conuerted to the Lord. And if your ministers in England hold that men cannot be begotten to Christ among them but by their preaching you may take vp your Letanie which causlesse you vse for vs and say from this horible and bellish pride good Lord deliuer them As they cannot restreyn the winde from blowing so much lesse the spirit of God from breathing out of other places then ministers mouthes To the second also I answer that it is one thing to be called in your church as you speake and another thing to be called by your church or ministery as I thinke you mean It is written Reu. 18.4 Goe out of her my people you see here Gods people were in Babylon and are called ovt of the same not by Babel it selfe or any minister of it buy by a voyce from heauen So we might be called in your church though not by the same And thus we haue not bard our selues from pleading against you as you would bear men in hand neyther yet shew you of whom or wher you had that which you say we all stoutly answer and stifly stand to it namely that we leau your church meerly only out of conscience c. We haue a better ground if you would receiue it euen the Law of the Lord that so commandeth both vs and our consciences Conscience is the blinde Papists common plea but we know that mans conscience is as much defiled as any other part or power of his sowl or body and therefore it may be no rule of our actions but the law of God onely which is pure perfect and vndefiled Yet you wil needs proceed and say then we had conscience before we left you I answer yea or els we would not haue left you Thinke you that your predecessors had no conscience when they left the Popish church Then where say you of us and minde whether the Papists will not say as much of you where came they to that conscience and care of their saluation but in our church You are answered before we had it in your church as Gods