A30189:471
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.
In few words, if our public worship be false and devised, it must be, either because it is a stinted or set Liturgy, devised by man, or for some special reason in respect of the former matter. If because it is a stinted or set Liturgy devised by man, then it is in vain to say, it is picked out of the Mass-book, or it pleaseth the Papists, or the Pope would have confirmed it: For this doth not make it devised worship, but it is devised worship, because it is a set or stinted form: And then the same sentence must pass against all set forms of Psalms, Blessings, Confessions, and Catechisms. Then the public worship of all the Churches of God throughout the whole world, for the space of this fourteen hundred years, if not more, was false, devised and idolatrous. If in respect of the peculiar matter or form, then either the bare form of words, order, and method, must be a part of worship, or the matter and substance of prayers and administration of the Sacraments, be forged and devised worship, neither of which was ever said by any Nonconformists, nor can be avouched with colour of truth. The form may be too like the Mass-book in some things, and the matter in every point not so pure as ⟨p. 14⟩is to be desired; but the form is not worship, nor prayers and substance of administration devised worship.
In few words, if our publique worship be false and devised, it must be, either because it is a stinted or set Liturgie, devised by man, or for some speciall reason in respect of the former matter. If because it is a stinted or set Liturgie devised by man, then it is in vaine to say, it is picked out of the Massebooke, or it pleaseth the Papists, or the Pope would have confirmed it: For this doth not make it devised worship, but it is devised worship, because it is a set or stinted forme: And then the same sentence must passe against all set formes of Psalmes, Blessings, Confessions, and Catechismes. Then the publique worship of all the Churches of God throughout the whole world, for the space of this fourteene hundred yeares, if not more, was false, devised and idolatrous. If in respect of the peculiar matter or forme, then either the bare forme of words, order, and methode, must be a part of worship, or the matter and substance of prayers and administration of the Sacraments, be forged and devised worship, neither of which was ever said by any Nonconformists, nor can be avouched with colour of truth. The forme may be too like the Masse-booke in some things, and the matter in every point not so pure as