A30189:49
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.
It is a vain boast, that at this day there are few, 1if any, except Formalists and Familists, and men of corrupt minds, who suppose that gain is Godliness, that will appear in defence of our parish Churches Ministry and Worship. For the professors (as he is pleased to stile them) are of the same judgement, touching those things that formerly they have been of, and stand ready by the Scriptures to prove their godly congregations, to be the true Churches of Jesus Christ, and their worship to be of his holy institution. If of later times they have been silent in these matters, it is not because they are better informed; or that they see and acknowledge their worship and Ministry to be false and idolatrous: but they would not spend good hours in vain, seeing what soever was written in this kind had been learnedly and sufficiently answered, not with reproaches, taunts, and boastings as is suggested, but with solid proof out of the book of God. Christian Religion teacheth men to occupy themselves otherwise, than to misspend their time in answering that, which in the ears of all indifferent men carrieth a sufficient confutation with it, or is sufficiently confuted already: specially when experience had lessoned them, that they must deal with such as will overcome by peremptory censuring, when weight of reason is wanting to them.
It is a vaine boast, that at this day there are few, 1if any, except Formalists and Familists, and men of corrupt mindes, who suppose that gaine is Godlines, that will appeare in defence of our parish Churches Ministerie and Worship. For the professors (as he is pleased to stile them) are of the same judgement, touching those things that formerly they have beene of, and stand ready by the Scriptures to prove their godly congregations, to be the true Churches of Iesus Christ, and their worship to be of his holy institution. If of later times they have beene silent in these matters, it is not because they are better informed; or that they see and acknowledge their worship and Ministery to be fals and idolatrous: but they would not spend good houres in vaine, seeing what soever was written in this kinde had beene learnedly and sufficiently answered, not with reproaches, taunts, and boastings as is suggested, but with solid proofe out of the booke of God. Christian Religion teacheth men to occupie themselves otherwise, than to mispend their time in answering that, which in the eares of all indifferent men carryeth a sufficient confutation with it, or is sufficiently confuted already: specially when experience had lessoned them, that they must deale with such as will overcome by peremptory censuring, when weight of reason is wanting to them.