A02990:354
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
Chapter 13: An examination of sundry positions laid down by Mr Jacob in his Exposition of the secon…
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.
In times of hot and grievous persecutions the churches of God could not assemble in any great numbers in public places, but have been compelled to meet in dens, and caves, and woods, one and the same society in divers places, yet so as the society was not broken, though their meeting together in one place was interrupted. To meet together therefore in one place is not so essential to the church, but it may continue one in laws, ordinances, government and communion, though in respect of multitude, distance of places, and many other ⟨p. 298⟩occurrences they be constrained to assemble and hold their meeting severally. And that it was thus in the churches planted by the apostles, it is most probable. May we not well think that the Christian church at Jerusalem, for whom Christ had prayed particularly, to which some attribute the first miraculous conversion by Peters preaching, and amongst whom, being now ascended into glory,1 he did more abundantly display his power, and more conspicuously swallow up the scandal of his Cross; which had the labour of all or many of the apostles for a time in it, whose care and industry we may guess at by their ordination of Deacons, that they might not be distracted; whereunto much people did resort daily, who though explicitly they did not believe in Christ, yet had they in them the faith of the Messiah, and so were nearer to the kingdom of God then the common heathen; which was to send out light to all other churches, and be a common nursery to the world: May we not well think that this church did quickly rise to such bigness that they could not well assemble in one congregation, as we call them? And the same may be said of other churches before mentioned. For at that time the regions were white even unto the harvest; the time was come when that heavenly kingdom was to be planted amongst all nations: and at the beginning God did reveal his arm more extraordinarily; and things which have their set period of growing do in their beginnings come on the fastest.
In times of hot and grievous persecutions the churches of God could not assemble in any great numbers in publick places, but have been compelled to meet in dens, and caves, and woods, one and the same society in divers places, yet so as the society was not broken, though their meeting together in one place was interrupted. To meet together therefore in one place is not so essentiall to the church, but it may continue one in laws, ordinances, government and communion, though in respect of multitude, distance of places, and many other