SECT. 26. arrant of the Ministry of England. of Ministry, you have given it a true title. , by our Saviour, when he said, Go, teach Matt. xxviii. 19: and performed in contive to be pastors and teachers; Eph. iv. 11. fice of Ministry, in general, but ours, ble to teach, and desirous; separated us, for apon due trial, admitted us; ordained us, The Eldership, and prayer; directed us, in Ford (ogDoToμ.); committed a charge to ry with and blessed our labours power; in the hearts of those, whose tongues uth of our vocation. Office of our Ministry. What can you brother writes †, hopes to work wonkilled us with Seven Arguments, which e of his own and Penry's extractions; Is ‡, as absolute. >, or worth a reader's labour, to see communion may be had with the Reader, judge whether that, which ct to his brother (a cracked brain) ily equipage of reasons. For, what acts xiii. 2, 3. 1 Tim. iv. 14. 2 Tim. ii. 15. 1 Tim. es and Excom. at Amst.-Certain Arg. against the ngland. You will now be free, both in your profession and gift. You give us to have renounced many false doctrines in Popery, and to have embraced so many truths: we take it, until more. You profess where you stick, what you mislike: in those four famous heads, which you have learned by heart from all your prede cessors *; a hateful Prelacy, a devised Ministry, a confused and profane Communion, and, lastly, the intermixtures of grievous Errors. The Prelacy of the Church of England. Sep.-"But what if this truth be taught under the same hateful Prelacy, in the same devised office of Ministry, and confused Communion of the profane multitude, and that mingled with many Errors?" WHAT if this truth were taught under a hateful Prelacy? Suppose it were so; must I not embrace the truth, because I hate the Prelacy? What if Israel live under the hateful Egyptians? Exod. i., ii., iii., &c. What if Jeremiah live under hateful Pashur? Jer: xx. 1. What if the Jews live under a hateful Priesthood? Jer. v. 30, 31. What if the disciples live under hateful Scribes? What are others' persons to my profession? If I may be freely allowed to be a true professed Christian, what care I under whose hands? But why is our Prelacy hateful? Actively to you, or passively from you? In that it hates you? would God you were not more your own enemies! Or, rather, because you hate it? your hatred is neither any news, nor pain. Who or what of ours is not hateful to you? Our Churches, Bells, Cloaths, Sacraments, Preachings, Prayers, Singings, Catechisms, Courts, Meetings, Burials, Marriages! It is marvel, that our air infects not; and that our heaven and earth, as Optatus said of the Donatists, escape your hatred. Not the forwardest of our Preachers, as you term them †, have found any other entertainment. No enemy could be more spiteful: I speak it to your shame. Rome itself, in divers controversary discourses, hath bewrayed less gall, than Amsterdam. The better they are to others, you profess they are the worse. Yea, would to God that of Paul were not verified of you; hateful, and hating one another! Tit. iii. 3. But we have learned, that, of wise Christians, not the measure of hatred should be respected, but the desert. David is hated, for no cause Ps. lxix 4: Micaiah, for a good cause. Your causes shall be examined in their places, onwards. It were happy, if you hated your own sins more, and peace less : our Prelacy would trouble you less, and you the Church. *Barr. and Gr. against Gyff. Confer. et Exam. passim. Penry, in his Exam, ↑ Johns. Pref to his vii. Reas. Johns. vii. Reas. p. 66. SECT. 25. The Truth and Warrant of the Mury of Lagunt. FOR Our Devised Office of Ministry, you hate gier I & THE THE It was devised, indeed, by our Sarar, vaen je sail. Se t all nations, and baptize; Matt. xvi. 15 ani perimet n son, nuance, when he gave some to be pastimes and rather, Lax And not only the Office of My. I grea. DHE DIS whom he hath made both able to te aut femerid air this cause, to the work; upon due tra admitter is mate by imposition of hands of the Extersing and pre the right division of the Word, committed us *; followed our Ministry w power: ant neset it alous with gracious success, even in the heats of the vice unge are thus busy to deny the truth of OF TITUL Behold here the Devised Office of our Winery devise against this? Your Pastor, who, as his brother writes ders by his logical skill, hath kused us with Senen Argus FORE he professeth the quintessence of tas own and Petry, extacos. whereto your Doctor refers us, as aboure I would it were not tedious, or wors a mate's amor. I e them scanned. I protest before God and he was seve more gross stuff, so boldly and peremptory facet or ful n tautologies, and beggings of the question reverse TiOGEL Le me mention the main heads of them; and, free I may not be endless. To prove, therefore, that no como may be at vi he Ministry of the Church of England, he was ze een Demon strations: first, Because it is not that Many vura Ciru gave and set in his Church: secondly. Because ze in t. tichrist's Apostacy: thirdly, Because none can communicate vin the Ministry of England, but he worships the Bear inage, and yieldeth spiritual subjection to Antichrist: fourum. Beraie tus Ministry deriveth not their power and functions in Tira inny, Because they minister the holy things of God to tinue & fuse spiritual calling: sixthly, Because is a stage in pointed by God in his Word: seventy, Because hun us ven, but from men. Now I beseech thee, Christian Reader, judge wetter tur euch this man was wont so oft to object to asuu suut vian appear not plainly in this goodly equare of staine ✦ 2 Tim. ii. 2. 4 Tm. I. 1. Arts xi. 2147m v. 21, 22. + Discourse of the Troubles and Escuma tân hy beanor the Com. with the Minist. of England + Counterpois. The Prelacy of the Church of England. Opp—“ Bove what if mis truth be taught under the same hateful Prelary, in the same devised office of Ministry, and confused Comtom of the profane multitude, and that mingled with many WHAT if this truth were taught under a hateful Prelacy? Suppose it were so; must I not embrace the truth, because I hate the PreJacy? What if Trael live under the hateful Egyptians? Exod. i., #, lit, &c. What if Jeremiah live under hateful Pashur? Jer. xx. 1. What if the Jews live under a hateful Priesthood? Jer. v. 30, 31. What if the disciples live under hateful Scribes? What are others' persons to my profession? If I may be freely allowed to be a true professed Christian, what care I under whose hands? But why is our Prelacy hateful? Actively to you, or passively from you? In that it hates you? would God you were not more your own enemies! Or, rather, because you hate it? your hatred Is neither any news, nor pain. Who or what of ours is not hateful to you? Our Churches, Bells, Cloaths, Sacraments, Preachings, Prayers, Singings, Catechisms, Courts, Meetings, Burials, Marriages! It is marvel, that our air infects not; and that our heaven and earth, as Optatus said of the Donatists, escape your hatred. Not the forwardest of our Preachers, as you term them t, have found any other entertainment. No enemy could be more spiteful: I speak it to your shame. Rome itself, in divers controversary discourses, hath bewrayed less gall, than Amsterdam. The better they are to others, you profess they are the worse 1. Yea, would to God that of Paul were not verified of you; hateful, and hating one another! Tit. iii. 3. But we have learned, that, of wise Christians, not the measure of hatred should be respected, but the desert. David is hated, for no cause; Ps. Ixix 4: Micaiah, for a good cause. Your causes shall he examined in their places, onwards. It were happy, if you hated your own sins more, and peace less : our Prelacy would trouble you less, and you the Church. But, and Gr. against Gyff. Confer, et Exam. passim. Penry, in his Exam, † focus Pot to his vi. Reas ↑ Johns, vii. Reas. p. 66. SECT. 26. The Truth and Warrant of the Ministry of England. FOR Our Devised Office of Ministry, you have given it a true title. It was devised, indeed, by our Saviour, when he said, Go, teach all nations, and baptize; Matt. xxviii. 19: and performed in continuance, when he gave some to be pastors and teachers; Eph. iv. 11. And not only the Office of Ministry, in general, but ours, whom he hath made both able to teach, and desirous; separated us, for this cause, to the work; upon due trial, admitted us; ordained us, by imposition of hands of the Eldership, and prayer; directed us, in the right division of the Word (ogoroμ.); committed a charge to us *; followed our Ministry with power; and blessed our labours with gracious success, even in the hearts of those, whose tongues are thus busy to deny the truth of our vocation. Behold here the Devised Office of our Ministry. What can you devise against this? Your Pastor, who, as his brother writes †, hopes to work wonders by his logical skill, hath killed us with Seven Arguments, which he professeth the quintessence of his own and Penry's extractions; whereto your Doctor refers us ‡, as absolute. I would it were not tedious, or worth a reader's labour, to see them scanned. I protest before God and the world, I never read more gross stuff, so boldly and peremptorily faced out; so full of tautologies, and beggings of the question never to be yielded. Let me mention the main heads of them; and, for the rest, be sorry that I may not be endless. gave, To prove, therefore, that no communion may be had with the Ministry of the Church of England, he uses these Seven Demonstrations: first, Because it is not that Ministry, which Christ and set in his Church: secondly, Because it is the Ministry of Antichrist's Apostacy: thirdly, Because none can communicate with the Ministry of England, but he worships the Beast's Image, and yieldeth spiritual subjection to Antichrist: fourthly, Because this Ministry deriveth not their power and functions from Christ: fifthly, Because they minister the holy things of God, by virtue of a false spiritual calling: sixthly, Because it is a strange Ministry, not appointed by God in his Word: seventhly, Because it is not from heaven, but from men. Now I beseech thee, Christian Reader, judge whether that, which this man was wont so oft to object to his brother (a cracked brain) appear not plainly in this goodly equipage of reasons. For, what * 2 Tim. ii. 2. 1 Tim. iii. 1. Acts xiii. 2, 3. 1 Tim. iv. 14. 2 Tim. ii. 15. 1 Tim. v. 21, 22. + Discourse of the Troubles and Excom. at Amst.-Certain Arg. against the Com, with the Minist. of England. + Counterpois. |