A93091:51
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.
Whereby some no doubt might be gained, and what a blessed work were that? And as for others that prove obstinate and impenitent, there would be just cause of rejecting them from the ordinances and society of the Church; or if this part of the kingdom of Christ would not be born in Congregations, with how much peace and satisfaction to their own souls, and to the consciences of all, should such godly Ministers and people withdraw themselves from them, to a nearer communion one with another?
Whereby some no doubt might be gained, and what a blessed worke were that? And as for others that prove obstinate and impenitent, there would bee just cause of rejecting them from the ordinances and society of the Church; or if this part of the kingdom of Christ would not be born in Congregations, with how much peace and satisfaction to their owne soules, and to the consciences of all, should such godly Ministers and people withdraw themselves from them, to a nearer communion one with another?
And shall we not hope that England is capable of such a Reformation as this, if Gods faithful Ministers would with one heart and mind endeavour the same? Far, far be it from our dear Country, after all those notable steps unto Reformation, that it should stick in this, which is the life of all the rest. But if it should be so, that either the great ones should be too big to stoop down to the Lord Jesus in the ways of his wholesome Discipline; or the multitude so carnal, worldly, wilful, profane, impenitent, as not to reform themselves, families, and so their congregations, ⟨p. 21⟩humbly submitting to the rule of Christ; or if the Ministers (at least, most of them) should look at preferment, honour, credit, riches, authority over the people, and not mind such a work as this is: And this, after all the heavy, humbling, dreadful judgements of God come upon the Land; after all the glorious out-breakings of the light of the Gospel in many parts of the Kingdom; after all the protestations, covenants, oaths, whereby so many have bound themselves to this particular reformation of themselves, and to further the reformation of the Public; we tremble to speak it, but our hearts cannot but fear it, that woe, woe, woe will be to poor sinful England. It seems to us to be a prophetical speech of Mr. Brinsly, long since at rest with God, when lamenting the profaneness of England, with their connivance at Popery, and compliance with the wicked; he saith, That if the Lord of Hosts do call for them, (meaning the Popish faction) to rise up against us in new conspiracies, or open violence, and with them all the crew of wicked and ungodly men, in whom we have so delighted, to take part with those to our destruction, (as they, it is to be feared, will be as outrageous as the other against all soundly fearing God) is it not just? yea if he should let them make it bellum prodigorum, the day of all the spend-thrifts, and of all the vile persons of the Land, to have their fingers in every mans coffers, and their hands washed in the blood of them, whom they have hated, so soon as ever any of the Babylonish