A30189:453
An answer to two treatises of Mr. John Can, the leader of the English…An answer to two treatises of Mr. Iohn Can, the leader of the English…
An answer to two treatises of Mr. John Can, the leader of the English Brownists in Amsterdam the former called, A necessity of separation from the Church of England, proved by the Nonconformists principles : the other, A stay against straying : wherein in opposition to M. John Robinson, he undertakes to prove the unlawfulness of hearing the ministers of the Church of England ... / by the late learned, laborious and faithful servant of Jesus Christ, John Ball.An answer to two treatises of Mr. Iohn Can, the leader of the English Brownists in Amsterdam the former called, A necessitie of separation from the Church of England, proved by the Nonconformists principles : the other, A stay against straying : wherein in opposition to M. Iohn Robinson, he undertakes to prove the unlawfulnesse of hearing the ministers of the Church of England ... / by the late learned, laborious and faithfull servant of Jesus Christ, John Ball.
London: printed by R.B., 1642
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.
The Author of that Book, 1entitled, The course of Conformity, showeth that the Israelites might in general pretend for Jeroboam's calves the same excuses that were made in defence of some corruptions thrust upon the Church of Scotland; but the corruptions he doth not make to be like, nor the pretences to be of equal validity, nor the state of the Church where such corruptions are tolerated, to be the same with the state of the Israelites who worshipped the Calves. Abuses that agree in the general nature of abuse may be coloured, with the same pretences, when they be not of the same weight, quality, or degree; the one may be small, the other heinous. The same distinction may be brought to countenance the vilest heresy, and a petty error, if I may so speak. Heresy and Idolatry are both talkative, and who doubts but corrupt wits can say much in defence of both; shall we thence conclude, that error or heresy are both one; every abuse is gross idolatry. The Author, you quote, was not so unadvised: His drift was only to show the vanity of such excuses, and not to match the things pleaded for with Jeroboam's Idolatry, as hath been showed before. But let us see whether you can allege any colourable show, or petty reason, to prove our worship to be false and idolatrous.
The Author of that Booke, 1intituled, The course of Conformitie, sheweth that the Israelites might in generall pretend for Jeroboams calves the same excuses that were made in defence of some corruptions thrust upon the Church of Scotland; but the corruptions he doth not make to be like, nor the pretences to be of equall validitie, nor the state of the Church where such corruptions are tollerated, to be the same with the state of the Israelites who worshipped the Calves. Abuses that agree in the generall nature of abuse may be coloured, with the same pretences, when they be not of the same weight, qualitie, or degree; the one may be small, the other hainous. The same distinction may be brought to countenance the vilest heresie, and a petty errour, if I may so speake. Heresie and Idolatry are both talkative, and who doubts but corrupt wits can say much in defence of both; shall we thence conclude, that errour or heresie are both one; every abuse is grosse idolatry. The Author, you quote, was not so unadvised: His drift was onely to shew the vanitie of such excuses, and not to match the things pleaded for with Jeroboams Idolatry, as hath been shewed before. But let us see whether you can alledge any colourable shew, or petty reason, to prove our worship to be false and idolatrous.