A93091:174
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.
Secondly, our question is not whether the Minister use the book of humane frailty, but whether the worship offered therein, be not so corrupt for matter and manner, as puts a great difference between it, and the prayers of a Minister that may be subject to failings of humane frailty. We doubt not, but Bilney, Latimer, &c. used the prayers and ceremonies of the Church of Rome, out of humane frailty, yet the service it self and those ceremonies of holy water, holy bread, &c. which Latimer turned to as good use, as he could, were evil and no way to be conformed unto by the godly.
Secondly, our question is not whether the Minister use the book of humane frailtie, but whether the worship offered therein, bee not so corrupt for matter and manner, as puts a great difference betweene it, and the prayers of a Minister that may bee subject to faylings of humane frailtie. Wee doubt not, but Bilney, Latimer, &c. used the prayers and ceremonies of the Church of Rome, out of humane frailtie, yet the service it selfe and those ceremonies of holy water, holy bread, &c. which Latimer turned to as good use, as hee could, were evill and no way to bee conformed unto by the godly.
Thirdly, there are many things done of others through humane ⟨p. 57⟩frailty, that is, ignorantly and in some measure perversely, yet such frailties, though they are to be very long tolerated in the man, yet every humane frailty is not so to be tolerated, as to be communicated with; for the grossest Idolatry in Popery may in this sense, if ignorantly done, be accounted humane frailty. It is true, we may be freed from communicating in another's sin two ways. 1. By bearing witness against his sin, or 2ly by withdrawing from the person committing it. There were times wherein the Lord raised up witnesses against the growing abominations of Antichrist for many years; and there are times (as Cameron well observes) wherein the Lord commands his people not only to bear witness, but to come out of Babylon. The case may be so put as that we may quit our hands from communicating with other men, in their sinful worship, by bearing witness only against the sin, yet communicating with them in the rest; & è contra the circumstances may be such, as that we best free our selves from sin, by withdrawing from them in such acts. And we freely confess we know not how to acquit others that communicate in the whole Liturgy, without the one or the other.