A93091:733
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.
yet there is not one syllable that gives an hint of any rite, custom or order devised by us, to prevent the same, but for the avoiding thereof we still wholly and only bind our selves to the rule of the Word, to direct, order, and reform all actions of this nature, and to show unto men whether they may lawfully remove or not remove, not requiring any express promise to the contrary in this particular no more then in others; and thus we hope we have resolved you of our practise, as you desired. To conclude this passage, give us leave without offence to say thus much.
yet there is not one syllable that gives an hint of any rite, custome or order devised by us, to prevent the same, but for the avoyding thereof wee still wholly and onely bind our selves to the rule of the Word, to direct, order, and reforme all actions of this nature, and to shew unto men whether they may lawfully remove or not remove, not requiring any expresse promise to the contrary in this particular no more then in others; and thus wee hope wee have resolved you of our practise, as you desired. To conclude this passage, give us leave without offence to say thus much.
Although (through the grace of Christ▪) we desire humbly to submit to this part of our trial, even to go through evil report as well as good, yea all the reproaches and cruel mockings of the world, knowing that we have deserved much more from ⟨p. 185⟩the hand of that God without whose providence a tongue could not move against us; yet we cannot but account it one of our poorest afflictions to suffer in this kind, from the pens or tongues of our dearly beloved brethren, for whom we daily pray, and to whom we hope we shall never be provoked to return any other language then savouring of love and respect. But we must confess we meet with so many sore criminations, (oft upon mere mistakes) cast not only upon our selves, but the truth and ways of God, which we profess, and that both by this learned author and some others, that we cannot be so senseless of the dishonour is reflected upon the truth of God herein, as wholly to be silent, and groan out the grief of our spirits to him that knoweth our hearts: wherefore we humbly beseech all our godly brethren, to bear with us a little, if after all the harsh passages of this Reply, such an heap of accusations as are here thrown upon us move us to present to the Reader a short view of such things as are unjustly and ungroundedly cast upon us, and which we cannot but think hath drawn a black cloud over the glory of the holy Discipline of Christ which he hath here set up among us.