A30189:490
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.
Your long Catalogue of corruptions to be found in our Liturgy, is to small purpose, unless you could prove some of them to be fundamental, heretical, and really idolatrous, which you can never do, or that by communicating in the ordinances of grace, we do tapprove such corruptions, and then be they one or many, great or small, we must not communicate in the ordinances with them. Which if any man shall lightly believe, he may know from whom, but not whither to fly: For there will be found no society in the whole world, whereunto a Christian might lawfully join himself, and yours much less than many others.
Your long Catalogue of corruptions to be found in our Liturgie, is to small purpose, unlesse you could prove some of them to be fundamentall, hereticall, and really idolatrous, which you can never doe, or that by communicating in the ordinances of grace, we doe tapprove such corruptions, and then be they one or many, great or small, wee must not communicate in the ordinances with them. Which if any man shall lightly beleeve, he may know from whom, but not whither to flie: For there will be found no societie in the whole world, whereunto a Christian might lawfully joyne himselfe, and yours much lesse than many others.
- tBe the abuses never so palpable, if the person be not authorized of God to reform them, or separate, it is not Just or lawful for private persons to attempt them. For when Malefactors deserve to die, it is not for private men to put them to death, without the Magistrate. Bilson Christ. subject. part. 3. pa. 97. David committed adultery, Solomon erected idolatry; both offences being death by Gods law: might the people therefore have David and Solomon to death?Be the abuses never so palpable, if the person be not authorized of God to reforme them, or separate, it is not Just or lawfull for private persons to attempt them. For when Malefactors deserve to die, it is not for private men to put them to death, without the Magistrate. Bilson Christ. subject. part. 3. pa. 97. David committed adultery, Salomon erected idolatry; both offences being death by Gods law: might the people therefore have David and Salomon to death?