OCR Text |
Show .A diftintlion of points of Pratlife. Chriftian Religion. And in other E"rrorslefTe dangerous, fuch a1 neither fubverted Religion, nor Salva~on, It would ealily be con· ceived, that Toleration, might more ealily be allowed. How farre Ne.w Englifh Churche~ parra~e with the Old Eng-, l lilh Parifh Churches in any ~f the O~d~~~nces of Go~, and upon what· ground, hath been declared in the Reply tq,the Anfwer of the other Letter. Where al(o it hath been cleared, how farre off the Churches here have been from perfecuting , or oppreffingany of their Brethren for,pre(enting light to them about this point: which . may prevent an,d ftill the lamentation of peace , in the be· ginning of this ·lith Chapter~ · · 0 ' •,, ,,~ C H A P• l• v! Reply to his jifth (httpter Concerning a :diftincilon 'of Pointt of'Pratlife. IN Anfwer to the Prifoners Letter, I faid in points of Praaife, Jome concerne the weightier Dutier of t~e Law, ar what God we wor· /hip, and with what kjnde o{Worjbip : r»hether it be fo~h, ~~if it b! right, FeUowfhip with God ir held : Iffalfe, Fellowjhtp w•th God u lojl. · Difculfer. It i1 worth the Inquiry, what ~nde •f worfhip he intendetb, r»bttbtr in general/ acceptation the Rightneffe or CorruptneJJe of the Church , or the Minijlery of the Church, or the Mini flrationr of th< 11' ord, Pro)'er Sealer &c.? And becau[e it plta[eth theSpiritofGodtomake the Minijlery one of thefouudationr ofChrijlian Religion(Heb. 6.1.2.) and olfo 'IO make the Minijlery of the Word and Prayer, in the Church, to be tWO jpeciall work.,er (even of the Apojller themfelvu. Afts 6. 2.) 1 fhaY deftre, it may wtll beconfidered in the feare of God. "' · 1. Concerning the {t!inijlery of the Word, If their new Minifl11'!! andordinatiolO be true, then the formerwarjalfe: And if falfe, then ,.,y it not foUow t~Ccording to this difiinllion, that filt.wfhip with God ~a! lljll z. Concermng 2. Concernin!( Pr'!)ltr, the New Enj!lifh Minijlm have difclaimed and writte11 againjl that Worfoip ofGod by Common or fit forrrur of Pr<!Jier, which yet tbemfelvu praUifeJ in England. I, And thqugh they wert faithfulfJ admonijhed forvfeing the Comtn()n ' Pr4Jer,yet at that time thl!} fatirjitd their heartr with the fralJiji of the o Author of the Counce II ofT rent &c. But now I ar~, whether or no,fil· lowfhip with Godinfuch Prayer! war lojl .? &c. 3· Godr People m<!JI live and die in foch kinde of worfhip notwitb· flanding light prefented to them able to convince yet lOot reaching to a conviliion, and to forfafl.!iing 'offoch wayer, which i1 Contrary to hi1 Conclufion, 'lbat Fundammtallr are fo cleare,th>t a man catJtzot but be convbmd in Con{cience after once or twice Admonition : And therefore [uch a perfon not being convinced, he i1 condemned of himfelfi, and may be perfecuted for finning ag4injl hir Confcimce. 4' ·lObferve here that Mr. Cotton hereinmeaf~twb tu otberr, th3t which himjelfi when he lived in fuch pralJifor, would not have had mea· · fored to himfolft. As 1. 'Ihat it might haveheenaffirmed of him, that in foch pral1ifer b~ did fin againjl bit Confoience,havingfuffi;ient light about btm. 2' That he fhould or might have betn cut off b1 drath , or Banijhment, ar an Hmtickefinning againjl hir Co•fci· <nce,&c. -" 0 Defender; . , I . It needs no inquiry what worfhip { meane, whether Church~ and Minifter , or Miniftrations of the Word, Prayer, Seales &c. For I meane none ofthefe,as they aredifpenced in the Churches .of England. Though there have been corruptions in the order and difpenfations of thefe things amongft them, .(efpecially in the times when we lived there) yet neither their Churches, nor Mini· nor Miniftrations were fuch, or fo falfe that fellowfbip with could not be held of them, notQnely inwardly and fecretly, alfooutwardly and vifibly: not onely in inward converlion conviaion, but alfoin outward and vifible Reformation a£· received. Take my words as I wrote .them, and them, aod my meaning is plaine enou~h : I fpeake worlhip , which iHalfc , fellowlhip with God is loft : cannot truly be avouchedof any pare of the Wor!hip af io. Eng/an./. It |