Concerning a Book by Christopher Lawne, Text 3
THE ARTICLES AND OBIECTIONS About the diviſion, vvhichwhich are published in Lawnes diſcoverie of ſchiſme, page 79. &c.
THe 23 article of the Confeſsion of our faith (whereto alſo our Apologie agreeth, page 46.47.) profeſſeth that everie Chriſtian congregation hath povver to elect & ordeyne their ovvne miniſterie, &c. & upon deſert againe to depoſe, yea & excommunicate them. Theſe have defended that a Congregation without Miniſters can not ordeyne officers. And that if the Elderſhip fall into hereſie or wickedneſſe, the whole Congregation cannot depoſe nor excōmunicate them. And that a Congregation, without an Elderſhip, cannot excommunicate any wicked perſon whatſoever.
2. The 24 article (confirmed in our Apologie, page 60.62.63.) profeſſeth that the povver to receiue in, or to cut off any member, is given to the vvhole bodie together of everie Chriſtian Congregation, Mat. 18.17. &c. Theſe have pleaded for the Elderſhip to be the Church, Mat. 18. & to have both rightfull power and able power to excommunicate, though without & againſt the conſent of the bodie of the Congregation.
3. The 29 article (as alſo our Apologie page 51.52.) profeſſeth that the Hierarchie of Archbishops, Lordbishoppes, Prieſts, &c. are a ſtraunge and Antichriſtian Miniſterie & Officers, not inſtituted by Chriſts Teſtament, nor placed in or over his Church. Theſe have placed over them one that was made Priest by a Lordbiſhops ordination, ſo as becauſe of it they did not ordeyne or impoſe hands on him, when at the ſame time they ordeyned and impoſed hands on others, whom together with him they ſet over the Church.
4. The 31 article (and alſo our Apologie, page 109.) profeſſeth that ſuch eccleſiaſticall aſſemblies as remaine ſo in cōfuſion & bondage under that Antichriſtian Miniſterie, Courts, Canons, &c. cānot be eſteemed true viſible Churches, &c. Theſe now pleade not onelyonly for them, but for Rome it ſelf, to be the true Church of God.
5. The 32 article (whereto our Apologie agreeth, page 52.53.54.) teſtifyeth that all ſuch as hauehave received any of thoſe falſe Offices (of Lordbishops, Prieſts, &c.) are to give over and leaue them: and ſo hath it been practiſed heer before by all ſuch Prieſts as came to our fayth & Church: now one is Miniſter over them, ordeyned Prieſt by the Prelates, as is before ſaid.
6. The 33 article (which our Apologie alſo confirmeth, page 45.) profeſſeth that people being come forth of the Antichriſtiā eſtate, &c. are vvillngly to joyne together in Chriſtian communion and orderly covenant, & to unite themſelues into peculiar and viſible congregations, &c. Theſe hauehave pleaded that all are bound to communion, by vertue of their baptiſme received in the Church of Rome, or other Antichristiā aſſemblies.
7. The 35 article (confirmed alſo in our Apologie, page 46.47.48.) profeſſeth that a people ſo joyned together, may proceede to choiſe & ordination of Officers, &c. Now theſe pleade, that the people may not proceede to ordination of Officers, except they hauehave Officers before to doe it.
8. In our Apologie, page 113, it vvas maynteyned to be groſſe errour, and notorious abſurditie, eyther to hold the Popish Church to be a true Church, having a true Miniſterie and true Sacraments; or els that men are unbaptiſed, & muſt admit of the Anabaptiſts rebaptiſation. Theſe hauehave themſelues, much objected to us, that eyther the Church and Baptiſme of Rome is true, or elſe we must be rebaptiſed: Both which we still deny.
9. The 38 article of our Confeſſion, profeſſeth that Congregations are by all meanes convenient to hauehave the counſel & help one of another in all needfull affaires, &c. The practiſe of this was was denyed, when in our greateſt need & trouble they would not conſent to hauehave the coūſel & help of the Engliſh Church at Leyden, which profeſſeth the ſame fayth with us.
1. Before our parting, vve offered, that notvvithſtanding our differences of judgment, that vve vvould continue together, if our former practiſe might be reteyned: but this vvas refuſed.
2. We deſired that then we might hauehave a peaceable parting: and to be tvvo diſtinct Congregations, each practiſing, as they vvere perſvvaded, yet nouriſhing brotherly louelove and unitie: This alſo they vvould not agree to, unleſſe vvee vvould leaue this citie.
3. We procured, though vvithout their conſent, the help of the Engliſh Church at Leyden, vvho laboured our peace: a waie of peace by theſe themſelues propounded, & by the Church of Leyden & us agreed to, theſe after reverſed, & ſtood not unto, unleſſe vve vvould goe dvvell out of this Citie. And although in the treatie of the Agreement it vvas teſtifyed by the Elders of that Church, that unleſſe it vvere to the apparant undoing of us, and of our families, vve ſhould not be diſmiſſed againe to dwell here: yet becauſe vve would not abſolutely promiſe to leaue this Citie, they vvould not ſtand to the agreement vvhichwhich themſelues had mad….
THeſe are the Articles & Objections, that are in the printed copie aforeſayd. VVhichWhich therefore vve had not thought to hauehave printed againe. But vvhen vve had finished this book, vve received out of England from another friend, another of M. A. his letters ſent thither, vvherein theſe alſo are ſet dovvne, in this maner & order, and in the ſame vvords, vvith very litle alteration thereof. VVe conſidered alſo that in the Anſvver here follovving, there is often reference made to the printed copie of theſe Articles and Exceptions: and that therefore it vvould be good for the Reader, to hauehave thē here readie at hand. VVhereupon vve thought it not amiſſe to print thē again, and to advertiſe thoſe that hauehave the books, to inſert them betvveen C. & D. if it be not alreadie done to their hands.
Novv follovveth the Anſvver: vvhichwhich vvas firſt made to the former letter, according to the ſixe particulars thereof: but is ſince inlarged by reaſon of this printed copie aforeſaid. Concerning vvhichwhich alſo vve could note & anſvver more and other things then novv vve hauehave done in this shortnes of time. As, about ſome ſpeciall reſpects & uſes in ſome caſes to be had of the Fathers of families, or of the chiefeſt & fitteſt of them: (as upon occaſion ſome of us ſpake in the reaſoning had among us): Alſo, that vvheras they vvould ſeem (in their letters & exceptions) as if they had deſired peace and accord vvith us, yet beſides all the things noted hereafter about their dealing,Pag. 74.75. &c. this alſo is remembred, that vvhen vve vvere treating of ſome vvaie of accord, ſome of them publikly ſayd, they vvould never yeeld thereunto, unles vve vvould revoke our agreement about the underſtanding of Mat. 18.17. and that alſo as an errour. VVhichWhich vve could not yeelde unto: as may be perceived by the agreement it ſelf, vvhichwhich is hereafter ſet dovvne, page 95.96. &c. But omitting novv to ſpeak any further of theſe or other things, that might alſo be noted about their objections and dealing: vve vvill for the preſent onelyonly deſire the Reader (about the particulars) ſtill to remēber that vvhichwhich ſometimes vve hauehave mentioned here,Pag. 44. & 45. &c that extraordinarie caſes muſt hauehave their vvarrant accordingly, & that the things concerning a people vvithout officers vvere left to further conſideratiō among us, & needed not by us novv be ſtood upon, ſeeing our eſtate & queſtion vvas of the ordinarie government of a Church eſtablished vvith Officers. For vvhichwhich alſo ſee the Treatiſe on Mat. 18.17. tovvard the end thereof. And novv read the anſvver of the foreſayd letters and objections, as here it follovveth.