A77374:216
The wounded conscience cured, the weak one strengthened, [sic] and the doubting satisfied By…The vvounded conscience cured, the weak one strengthned, [sic] and the doubting satisfied By…
The wounded conscience cured, the weak one strengthened, [sic] and the doubting satisfied By way of answer to Doctor Fearne. Where the main point is rightly stated, and objections throughly answered for the good of those who are willing not to be deceived. By William Bridge, preacher of Gods Word. It is ordered this 30. day of January, 1642. by the committee of the House of Commons in Parliament, concerning printing, that this answer to Dr. Fearne's book be printed. John White. The second edition, corrected and amended. Whereunto are added three sermons of the same author; 1. Of courage, preached to the volunteers. 2. Of stoppage in Gods mercies to England, with their [sic] remedies. 3. A preparation for suffering in these plundering times.The vvounded conscience cured, the weak one strengthned, [sic] and the doubting satisfied By way of answer to Doctor Fearne. Where the main point is rightly stated, and objections throughly answered for the good of those who are willing not to be deceived. By William Bridge, preacher of Gods Word. It is ordered this 30. day of January, 1642. by the committee of the House of Commons in Parliament, concerning printing, that this answer to Dr. Fearnes book be printed. John White. The second edition, correced and amended. Whereunto are added three sermons of the same author; 1. Of courage, preached to the voluntiers. 2. Of stoppage in Gods mercies to England, with their [sic] remedies. 3. A preparation for suffering in these plundering times.
London: printed for Benjamin Allen, 1643
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.
Then the Doctor comes in the 25. page to open himself some what more freely concerning the government of the Church b• Bishops: where he saith, That it is such a government which t•• Church always had since the first receiving of the Christian faith in th• land, and of all other governments simply the best, the abolishing wher• ⟨p. 57⟩of, the King hath reason by power of Arms to divert.
Then the Doctor comes in the 25. page to open himselfe some what more freely concerning the government of the Church b• Bishops: where he saith, That it is such a government which t•• Church alwaies had since the first receiving of the Christian faith in th• land, and of all other governments simply the best, the abolishing wher• ⟨p. 57⟩of, the King hath reason by power of Armes to divert.
To which I answer, First, that if the Doctor look into the story of Queen Mary's time, he shall find, that suffering Protestant Churches, (which by reason of persecution, were fain to lye hid in London) were governed by Elders and Deacons: That is simply the best government of the Church which is chalked and ruled out by the Scripture, as the Doctor will confess: and if this government be so, I wonder that those that are so much for it, should be of that judgement, that there is no particular form of Church-government laid down in the word: which judgement they must needs be of, unless they will hold, that the government of other Churches is sinful, and contrary unto the word, which they are loth for to do. And truly if this government be simply the best, the best hath the worst success: for there is no government in all the Churches of Christendom, that hath had so many Sects and Schisms, or occasioned so much separation from the Churches of Christ, as this hath done. There are many Sects and divisions in the low Countries, but none of them departing from the Protestant Church there, by reason of the Church-government or discipline, but by reason of doctrine.