A02990:232
A friendly trial of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest…A friendly triall of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest…
A friendly trial of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest dispute touching the lawfulness of a stinted liturgy and set form of prayer, Communion in mixed assemblies, and the primitive subject and first receptacle of the power of the Keys: tending to satisfy the doubtful, recall the wandering, and to strengthen the weak: by John Ball.A friendly triall of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest dispute touching the lawfulnesse of a stinted liturgie and set form of prayer, Communion in mixed assemblies, and the primitive subject and first receptacle of the power of the Keyes: tending to satisfie the doubtfull, recall the wandering, and to strengthen the weak: by John Ball.
Cambridge: printed by Roger Daniel printer to the University of Cambridge for Edward Brewster, 1640Cambridge: printed by Roger Daniel printer to the Universitie of Cambridge for Edward Brewster, 1640
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
It was never questioned by right-believing Christians,1 but the faithful by Gods approbation might hold communion with the churches in the ordinances of worship, for some ages after the death of the apostles.2 The church continued a virgin all the days of the apostles, as Hegesippus ⟨p. 172⟩noteth: But immediately after their death innumerable evils crept in & began to spring amain: nevertheless, the faithful might, did, and ought to hold communion together in the proper and substantial means of worship. That many things were amiss in the churches, is not denied; and that the faithful through ignorance did offend in many things: but in this, that they held communion notwithstanding such abuses amongst them, they are blameless. For a time the faithful did lie hid in Babylon by Gods approbation, until the exhortation was given from heaven to come out of her and touch no unclean thing. Not that they might touch any unclean thing at any time, that is, either in practice or consent and liking stain themselves with the corruptions of the world: But that they might lie hid in the midst of much confusion, and neither like nor consent unto the evils which they did bewail, but could not reform. That exhortation from heaven, Come out of her my people, come out of her, 3&c. some interpret of a local departing out of the city of Rome,4 as Lot went out of Sodom: and that interpretation the text seemeth to favour, because the very outward destruction of the place is in that chapter menaced; and therefore the removing out of the very place, in avoidance of the mischief coming upon it, forewarned: 5But most commonly it is applied to a spiritual coming out of Babylon,6 in separating from the society and communion of that church wherein they could lie hid no longer without defilement. 7