A93091:113
A treatise of liturgies, power of the keys, and of matter of the visible…A treatise of liturgies, power of the keyes, and of matter of the visible…
A treatise of liturgies, power of the keys, and of matter of the visible church. In answer to the reverend servant of Christ, Mr. John Ball. By Thomas Shepherd, sometimes fellow of Emanuel-College in Cambridge, and late pastor of Cambridge in New-England.A treatise of liturgies, power of the keyes, and of matter of the visible church. In answer to the reverend servant of Christ, Mr. John Ball. By Thomas Shephard, sometimes fellow of Emanuel-Colledge in Cambridge, and late pastour of Cambridge in New-England.
London: printed by E. Cotes for Andrew Crooke, 1652
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
2 Position. That it is not lawful to join in Prayer, or receive the Sacraments, where a stinted Liturgy is used: Or, as we conceive your meaning to be in this as in the former, &c. viz. where and when that stinted Liturgy is used.
2 Position. That it is not lawfull to joyne in Prayer, or receive the Sacraments, where a stinted Liturgie is used: Or, as wee conceive your meaning to bee in this as in the former, &c. viz. where and when that stinted Liturgie is used.
Reply. IF we mistake not your judgement and practise both, you have born witness against both that you call the rigid separation, and this more moderate also; and we humbly wish that the moderate do not degenerate into the rigid ere long; it is very strange if they take not great encouragement upon your grounds.
Reply. IF we mistake not your judgement and practise both, you have born witnesse against both that you call the rigid separation, and this more moderate also; and wee humbly wish that the moderate doe not degenerate into the rigid ere long; it is very strange if they take not great encouragement upon your grounds.
Answ. If you will needs account not joining in that stinted imposed Liturgy, to be a moderate separation, we must confess, we have witnessed against such separation; yea, not only conformed to that corrupt Worship, but also to divers of the Ceremonies thereof, some of us with shame before the Lord may confess it: But we desire that may be no prejudice to the truth since discovered to us: but we have ever conceived, that the separation witnessed against, both by your selves and us, have been such as to separate from the Churches of England as no true Churches, the Ministry, as no true Ministry: their separations from corruptions in Doctrine and Worship, their endeavour to enjoy all the ordinances of the Lord Jesus in purity, if we be not mistaken, your judgement and practise with ours, have always approved; and the question now in hand is not about a new kind of separation more moderate, from the Churches and Ministry of England; but whether the Liturgy of England be not indeed one of those corruptions in Worship, which you and we had need reject, as well as the ceremonies, and no longer conform to the same. And we heartily wish that the growing endeavours of the godly, after more purity of Worship, and to be purged from all the pollutions of the man of sin, be not too rashly branded with the odium of separation: and breach of peace and unity of the Church. As for degenerating into the rigid separation, we think you need not fear it, upon our principles, no more then upon the common grounds of Non-conformists, and you know what they infer upon those principles,