A93091:158
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.
Reply. And if presence at forms of prayer be not lawful by reason of the corruptions alleged, there can be no visible society named, since 200. years after Christ or thereabout, wherein a Christian might lawfully join in prayer, reading the Scriptures, hearing the word, or participation of the Sacraments; their Doctrines, prayers, rights being less pure then ours: but no man we hope will be so bold as to affirm the state of the Churches ⟨p. 53⟩within 200. years after Christ to be so miserably decayed that the faithful could not without sin hold communion with them in the foresaid ordinances of God.
Reply. And if presence at formes of prayer bee not lawfull by reason of the corruptions alledged, there can bee no visible societie named, since 200. yeeres after Christ or thereabout, wherein a Christian might lawfully joyne in prayer, reading the Scriptures, hearing the word, or participation of the Sacraments; their Doctrines, prayers, rights being lesse pure then ours: but no man wee hope will bee so bold as to affirme the state of the Churches ⟨p. 53⟩within 200. yeers after Christ to bee so miserably decayed that the faithfull could not without sinne hold communion with them in the foresaid ordinances of God.
Answ. First, this argument holds as strongly for conformity to the ceremonies as to the whole book of Common Prayers, as was said before.
Answ. First, this argument holds as strongly for conformitie to the ceremonies as to the whole booke of Common Prayers, as was said before.
Secondly, this is a dangerous kind of reasoning from the practise of the faithful in corrupt times of the Church, especially when they are declining, and growing clouds of darkness, and superstition overspread the Churches. It is no breach of charity to think that through the iniquity of the times, the godly lived in many evils through ignorance and weakness which after light is come into the Churches we ought to abandon wholly; these are times of light and of the consumption of Antichrist, and time for us to abolish his Liturgies and corrupt forms of worship as well as Images, ceremonies, &c. Who do not pity the weakness of godly Bilny and others that seeing some gross corruptions were yet so devoutly obedient to the Church (as they called it) in many gross superstitions? and the like may be said of those former times, and we see not but this reason will go far in justification of communion with many false worships of Antichrists that are not grossly idolatrous.