Counterpoison Considerations, Treatise 3
AN ANSWER TO Mr. Crashawes 4. questions propounded in his sermon preached at the Crosse Febr: 14, 1607, and printed 1608.
Mr. Crashawe preaching vponupon Ier. 51, 11. We would hauehave cured Babel but she would not be healed &c. took occasion apag, 26. &c.to inueigh against such as hauehave separated from the Church of Engl. as from Babel, in to a couenant and communion (as he sayth) of their own deuising. To conuince this bitter (as he calleth it) and schismaticall separation, he asketh but 4. questions; wherevnto if they can giuegive him satisfaction, he promiseth he wilbe one of them. Now though this promise be not in his own power to performe, (for bRō. 9.16it is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, but in God that sheweth mercy;) yet shall it not be amysse to labour for his satisfaction herein; for who can tel, but there may be giuen him an vnderstanding ear, and tender hart, for to conuert that God may heal him if not, that his own writing may be a witnes, himselfe is one of those whome we would hauehave cured in Babel, but he would not be healed. I will not stand vponupon his interpretation of the scripture treated of whether it be the direct and proper meaning of that place: but will come vntounto the demands by him propounded.
HIs first question consisting of many branches is summed vp by himselfe in this one: Wherein are we deadly and incurably wounded?1 Questions.
Your demaund being, as the particulars shew of the wounds of sin and corruption. I answer. First we deny not, but all your sins are curable,Answer. as we trust in the mercy of God, if you repent of them, and beleeu his promises: neyther hauehave we euer thought your wounds in this sense, to be c1 Iohn. 5, 16.deadly or incurable. Secondly, the sinns that your church lieth in, & which if they be not repented of, and pardoned in the mercy of Christ, are dRō 6, 23.deadly and will destroy the sowl for euer; hauehave heretofore by such as would hauehave cured you, been set before your eyes, in eRefut, of Gifford. Discovery Apolog. &clarge and ample treatises, shewing these capitall transgressions, 1 Your confuse people, 2 false worship, 3 antichristian hierarchie or church-gouernment, 4 and false ministery therefrom deriued: that strange it is, you should yet ask what deadly wounds you hauehave; and it makes vsus fear, your state is like his that sleepeth in the midds of the sea, in the top of the mast, & fProu. 22, 34, 33.sayth, they hauehave stricken me, but I was not sick, they hauehave beaten me but I knew it not. You hauehave also here asupra, pag. 74. &c.in this treatise arguments to proue that Christ is not the head, Mediator, Prophet, Priest & King of your church: which if it be so, no Christian can doubt, but your wounds in then selues are bIoh. 8, 24 Act 4.12deadly.
Though this were yenough for Answer to your question in generall; yet because the particulars which you further demaund, are stembling blocks vntounto the weak; I also wil labour to remoue them away.
Q. What fundamentall wound is in our doctrine.
A. This among others, that you teach and mainteyn both by word and practise, that all sorts of people, though profane and wicked are to be receiued into and reteyned in the church; which is contrary to the foundation of the Gospel layd by God himselfe Gen. 3 15. That such is your doctrine, both your sermoris and printed books, and the estate of your church since the planting thereof, to this time: doe confirm.
Q. What deadly corruption is in our discipline, such as e…s out the hart, and life and being of a church.
A. First, they which execute it, as the Prelates Commissaries, &c. are antichristian; so iudged & proued long since by the reformed churchs by th… better son of your own ministers hertofore & now liuing & by others. Seconly; in the executiō of it, the good ar consured & excommunicated: the wicked fauoured and tolerated. That the good are censured, appeareth by the late Canons of your church: for in them it is enacted cCanōs ano 1603 Can 4, 6, 7.8. &c.against such, as blame or resist any of your vngodly ceremonies, ordinances, wil worship, &c. in your Communion book; book of ordering, Bishops Priests and Deacons, &c. that they shall be excommunicated ipso facto, and not be restored, vntill they repent and publickly reuoke such (as you call them) their wicked errors That the wicked are fauoured, and tolerated; though experience may teach eueryevery man, yet your own testimonies wilbe most pregnant. Mr Bradshawe one of your fellow Ministers in his 11. Argument against the ceremonies of your church complayneth that the … missions of your ceremonies make a minister by your law more subject to depriuatio… and suspension, then the commission of the sowlest crimes, euen dr…nke…s, blasphemie, grosse ignorance, and vncleannes. Which he proueth. by … such …i…e persons (as he sayth that are ministery. Some that hauehave been … to be carryed home in a wheel barrow. Some that comming home drunkē from the market town, hauehave been found sleeping under a hedge in their own filth. Some that knowing and consenting to their wiues filthines, that he might swear he knew no such matter by her since he maried her, maried her agayne the morning before he was to answer it vponupon his oath. Deliuering the sacrament to a filthy woman, instead of Take, eat, sayd Turne thee, turne thee &c. To another that would take it in her hand, he put it in her mouth, and sayd Cob, Cob, or Daw, Daw, he knowes not whether. Dr Henry Parry, tels vsus dIn his pre befor Vrsinus Catechisme.of a … of …aterpillars, the very trash and riff raff of our nation &c. that hauehave like … of idle and dissolute quallity, onelyonly moued, thereto in a lazy speculation, layd wicked & sacrilegious hands on the Lords ark, taken his vndefiled testimonies in their defiled mouthes, disgraced, defaced and defamed the glory and Maiesty of di…ine rites and mysteries &c. they run like hungry companions with an eye onelyonly to the flesh pots; & so sel both themselues and their people for aibidemmorsel of bread and messe of pottage to the Diuill. He mentioneth also accursed and simonical patrons who hauehave sodered & simoned the walls of their houses with the very blood of sowl…s. some others among you speaking of that a miserable vulgus that wo…ful… crew that racked regiment of dunsticall and vnlettered Sir Iohns, which hauehave euen couered the land like the froggs of Aegypt, leading many thow sands with themselues into the ditch; and …he same not still graced & countenanced by the Prelat…s as being their creatures. And others complayn that bRemoual of imput layd on the ministers of Deuo. and Corn. p. 27whol swarms of idle. scandalous, popish &, non-resident Ministers are tolerated eueryevery where amongst you. Your selfe (Mr Crashawe) in this very sermon tel in of cpag, 169little petty Babylons, namely incurable sinns among you 1. That great sacrilege and church robbing as you call it committed by Impropriations, in which case (you affirme) at this day almost halfe of the kingdome is, wherby it comes to passe that an ignorant and vnpreaching ministery is set ouer a great part of your people which is the sourse and fountayn of all other euils in your church. 2. The vngodly players enterludes. so rise in the nations; which you call a bellish deuise, the Diuils own recreation to mock at holy things, by him deliuered to the heathen, from them to the Papists, and from them to you, And these (you say) bring religion and holy things vponupon the stage And hypocrisie a child of hel must bear the names of two churches of God Nicholas S. Antlings, Simon, S. Mary…veries: which churches by these miscrean…s are thus dishonoured (you say) not on the stage onelyonly, but euen in print. To this you add, …heir continuall profannesse on their phrases, and sometime Atheisme and blasphemy; their continuall profanening of the Sabbath, which generally in the country is their play day, and oftentimes Gods diuine seruice hindred, or cut shorter, to make room and giuegive time for the Diuils seruice. Many other like testimonies might I allege frō your own mouthes of exceeding impiety openly practised, not by the people onelyonly, but by the Priests and Clergie and how doth your discipline heal these corruptions; when by your own grant, such caitiffs are graced and countenanced by the prelates, when your law punisheth the conscionable ministers, more then such; as your selfe dpag, 169:say of your petty Babilon of Impropriations. this deep wound was once curable yenough &c. but now (alas) how incurable it is, he obserues but little that sees not. And vnlesse the K. Maiesty vouchsafe to take the matter into his hands, otherweise it is incurable. Agayn you say epag, 172·of that horible abuse of the Sabbath &c. that est is hath been complayned of, and some hauehave endeuoured to heal it, but it is … of Babylon that will not be healed, but rather it creps … a … though the whole state from the foot to the head. and if you would yet hauehave more add herevnto Mr Iacobs testimony, (who hath so manfully stood for your church,) The right and true discipline ecclesiasticall (sayth he) in …ch proper visible church, is one mayn part of the ordinary meanes of saluation appoynted by God for eueryevery sowl, and this we in England vtterly want.
Now let the reader iudge, whether there be not deadly corruption in your discipline, which euen in a true church, would soon eat out (if it wer not healed) the hart and life and being of a church, according to your demaund. But you proceed and ask vsus.
Q. What book of Canonicall scripture receiue we not? what hold▪ we for Canonicall: that is not.
A. What book of Canonicall scripture receiued not the idolatrous Is…elites? what held they for Canonicall that was not? The like I ask for the Arians, Anabaptists and sundry other heretikes of these times and shall these, or any of them be therfore true churches? Agayn in your own church, there is read for holy scripture, erroneous books and lying stories, as Tobie, Iudith and other Apocrypha. Your Homilies a…, 2 pag. 325.citing th… ̄, call them holy scripture, and say the holy Ghost speaketh so in the scriptures: & the chiefest ministers of your church, sometimes preach and take texts out of them. If this be not to hold them canonicall, I know not what you count canonicall.
Q. What sacrament that Christ ordeyned doe we want? and what hauehave we more then Christ ordeyned?
A. What sacrament wanted Ieroboam the son of Nebat? what had he more then God ordeyned? Or the Anabaptists at this day? Yet if one would stand with you he might by your Communion book proue Confirmation to be a sacrament: but who ordeyned it, I cannot tel, vnlesse Pope Clement. Agayn, Mr Bradshaw a man of your own church and profession, b9 Argum against the ceremonies.hath proued against you in print that your Crosse in baptisme, ring in mariage, surplice &c. are sacraments in your church, and not of diuine institution.
Q. What article of faith deny we? or what hold we for an article of faith this is not?
A. Suppose that the Papists, should ask you such a question, what would you answer? For all the Creeds that are in your communion book; are they not with eueryevery article, neyther more nor lesse in the masse book and other popish pamphlets? The Papists and you both confesse Christ in words, both deny him in practise
Q. What fundamentall heresie doth our doctrine maintayn?
A. The vnlawfull commixture of the children of God and children of the Diuell, in one church and communion, is a fundamentall heresie being stifly mainteyned. All the scritures condemne it; all wel reformed churches avoyd it, nature it selfe teacheth to abhorr it: yet in such profane communion your church abiderh; and you wil not endure to b…r of a separation.
Q. What hauehave we in our church that ouerthrowes the being of a church?
A. A popish▪ Clergie, and Laitie.
Q. What is necessarily required to make a church that wee doe want?
A. You want both matter and forme of a true church, namely a people called of God, separated from the world, and vnited with Christ and one with another, according to the rules of his eternall Testament.
Q. I will end as I began, wherein are we deadly and incurably wounded?
A. The sinns before mentioned, are deadly wounds of Satan; the onelyonly cure is by repentance and faith in Christ Iesus. …ut as yet you be farr from cure, for loe you make questions of your diseases; and will not beleeue that you are sick, Herevpon you refus… all salues and medicines; and will neither hauehave physician nor chirurgian to meddle with your sores. If any Leech come with a curing aPro 15, 4tong…e. and words that be leaues of the tree of life, which serue bRev 22.2to heal the nations with, if he offer to touch the Egyptian vlcers that appeare in your worship, church-government, ministerie, ceremonies, &c. he is presently thrust out of dores; and if he dare but affirme these or any of these to be disceases and botches in your body, sinns against God, or repugnant to his word; he is cCanons. 1603.excommunicated ipso facto, by the decrees of the whole representatiue church of England. And are you willing now to be healed? Nay if any among you, not medling with the publike estate of your church, but feeling or fearing his own particular sowl sicknes, doe resort to a physician (whose receipts are not after the common sort,) for aduise about his health, or of friendship and acquaintance to see him: he is subiect to the censure and thunderbolt of your church. Witnesse the late practise in Norwich; where certayn citizens were excommunicated for resorting vntounto and praying with Mr Robinson a man worthily reverenced of all the city for the graces of God in him as your selfe also I suppose will acknowledge,) and to whome the cure and charge of their sowles, was ere while committed. Would any vnmercifull man hauehave dealt so with his bondslaue in a case of bodily sicknes? But hereby all may see what small hope there is of Curing the Kanker of your church.
THe second question is, Are they (themselues) healed?2 Question then where were they healed? where were they called? where were they regenerate and begotten to Christ? was it not in the womb of this our church, and by means of the immortall seed of Gods word that is dayly sown in our church, a holy church, a church of God, where in ordinarily men are called and brought to God.Answer
The winde bloweth where it will, and we heare the sound thereof but know not whence it cometh and whether it goeth: cIob. 3.8.so is every one that is b…rne of the spirit. To your demaund then I answer; we wer… c…ll… being in B…ylon, your Church I meane, which restreyneth the … by vnri…hteousnes; there was our regeneration begun Where we fa… in darknes and in the shadow of death; the light of God appeared▪ and … vsus l…fe. If you yet inquire how this was, I refer you to … brou…ht light out of darknes, and daylie a… 5…, 16bringeth forth the … treas…re; and his wayes are past finding out: for as I b…, 11 5kn…w … t…e way of the winde, nor how the bones doe grow in the womb of her that is with childe, so know I not the work of God, that worketh all. If you dema…nd of the means; it was doubtlesse the word and spirit of the Lord, without which there is no calling, no regeneration. Now where you ask, how then we can deny that to be a true church, wher…in … men are called and brough to God? I answer; first, you take vp more th…n we lay down when you say …rdinarily: for the ordinary and common fruit of the word among you, is through your own corrupt handling and hearing of it, euell and not good, the many walke the broad way, and Gods calling is like, to that which the Prophet sayth cIer, 3, 14,one of a city and two of a tribe, in res…ect of the worldly multitudes.
Secondly, all the Saincts are not begotten vntounto Christ in the wombe of a true particular church for when the Apostle preached among dAct. 17.22.33.34.Pagans & conuerted many, I would know in the womb of what church they were begotten? they were first conuerted vntounto Christ, before euer they were in any other church, then that Ierusalem which is aboue, & eGal. 4, 26the mother of all the elect. Let vsus come to later times; your selues when you began to be a church of protestants, in what particular womb were your people begotten? I suppose if in any, it was in the womb of your mother church of Rome, where they had both receiued Baptisme the seal of regeneration, and been catechised in Christian religion: and then look how your selues can deny that to be a true church, or be free of vnthankfulnes towards her that bare you.
But you prosecute your cause against vsus, and would driue vsus eyther to say, there is indeed a true ministery of the word among you. but it is not powrfull to any but our selues; or els that we were not called in your church, but since we left you. To the first I answer; there is no necessity that we must grant a true ministery; for first we hold that the true word may be put in fNum, 23 5, 26. &c.Balaamites mouthes, and a false ministery may through Gods wondrous grace, beget faith in his elect: if you say otherweise you will shake the foundation of your English church, layd by Aust… the monk Pope Gregories Apostle; and damn all your late fathers vnderunder the Roman Clergie. Secondly, we …ie not the grace of God in the true church to the ministers lips: knowing that men by other meanes are often conuerted to the Lord. And if your ministers in England hold that men cannot be begotten to Christ among them, but by their preaching; you may take vp your Letanie (which causlesse you vse for vsus) and say from this horible and bellish pride, good Lord deliuer them. As they cannot restreyn the winde from blowing: so much lesse the spirit of God from breathing, out of other places then ministers mouthes.
To the second also I answer; that it is one thing to be called in your church, as you speake; and another thing to be called by your church or ministery, as I thinke you mean. It is written Reu. 18.4. Goe out of her my people. you see here Gods people were in Babylon, and are called ovt of the same, not by Babel it selfe, or any minister of it, buy by a voyce from heauen. So we might be called in your church. though not by the same. And thus we hauehave not bard our selues from pleading against you, as you would bear men in hand: neyther yet shew you of whom or wher you had that which you say we all stoutly answer and stifly stand to it, namely that we leau your church meerly & only out of conscience &c. We hauehave a better ground if you would receiue it, euen the Law of the Lord that so commandeth both vsus and our consciences.
Conscience is the blinde Papists common plea: but we know that mans conscience is as much aTit 1, 15,defiled as any other part or power of his sowl or body; and therefore it may be no rule of our actions, but the law of God onelyonly, which is bPsal. 19.pure, perfect, and vndefiled. Yet you wil needs proceed and say, then we had conscience before we left you. I answer yea, or els we would not hauehave left you. Thinke you that your predecessors had no conscience when they left the Popish church? Then where (say you of us, and minde whether the Papists will not say as much of you where) came they to that conscience and care of their saluation but in our church? You are answered before, we had it in your church, as Gods people had in Babylon. But that (I suppose) will not satisfie you, but it was you will say, by your church and ministerie. Therefore I distinguish and consider of conscience in generall and in particular General lie, when men so farr as they are taught and see, doe walke carefullie: & this I confesse we had through Gods grace & by means of your church: this also I acknowledge many among you hauehave, walking conscionably so farr as they see and know. The same I am perswaded also of many Papists and other misbeleeuers. But as a conscionable Papist or Anabaptist, when a further light of the Gospel ariseth vntounto him, must leaue that church, wherein his conscience was so farr informed, because it is not the true church of God: so must a conscionable Protestant doe with your church, when God giueth him to see the false estate wherein you stand although you worke many good effects in a mans hart and conscience.
Particularly a good conscience is to be considered in this or that particular action, as for example in this particular of our separation; and so we had not this good conscience from or by your church or ministenistery; for you thought to corrupt our consciences, and keep vsus still in Babylon; we had not, I say, this good conscien…e by your meanes, vnles…e it be by accident and against your wils, and so no thanke vntounto you, as he that would hauehave kild his enemie, and vnawares cured him of an impostume: thus indeed many of vsus hauehave been brought to this good co… science of separation. For whereas heretofore many of your ministers vnawares hauehave discouered the vnlawfulnes of the prelacie, priesthood, leitourgie and other enormities of your church: wee hauehave herevpon thought, how it could be the church of Christ, which thus lay vnderunder Antichrist. and pressing you with your own doctrines we hauehave found that you cannot but eyther goe from that wh…ch before you taught: or el… yeeld vsus our separation, which you so earnestly condemn. Of which thing there is apag. 2.3 &c.before spoken in this treatise.
3 Q…estionTHe third question is; How hauehave th…y sought and sufficiently endeauoured our healing? and til they hauehave done all that possible can be done for our healing, Answer.how dare they forsake vsus?
I answer, we hauehave sought your healing, euen as by your own doctrin the faithfull Iewes sought the cure of Babel; and as you selues hauehave so…ght the healing of R…me. The meanes which the Iewes and your selues hauehave vsed to cure Babel, you shew in bpag. 12 & 42.your sermon to be three Instruction, example, pr…yer. By instruction, you say, laying op…n their errors, discouering their impieties, and l…ying before them the excellency of true religion. Thus (say I,) hauehave we done with you witnesse (besides our speeches and conferences) the many books of this argument, which are publised in print. 2 By example (you say) practising their own religion …uen before their very faces, nor fearing their scornes and rebukes &c. And to (say I) hauehave we practised our religion amongst you and before your faces not fearing your scornes and rebukes. And for proof hereof, not one man (as Daniel in Babel) hath been taken in prayer, but very many …f vsus hauehave been apprehended sundry times, when we were praying and excercising in the word of God; and from our publick meetings hauehave been caried to your loathsome gaoles and prisons, and there deteyned many a day, till some were car…ed out vponupon the Bere vntounto their graues, some caried to the tree and executed. Which (to vse your own words) had been sufficient to hauehave driuen you into deeper and better considerations, had you not been incurable; and it is to be hoped that the sight hereof, hath done good on some of you.
3. Thirdly they endeauoured (you, say) to heal them by their prayers, praying continually and desiring God to heal them. Thus also hauehave we endeauoured to heal you alwayes mentioning you in our prayers, that God would vouchsafe yo… mercy: and this we professe and promise to doe for you still, (howsoeuer you reward vsus for it,) so long as we liue on earth.
Thus hauehave we dealt with you, according to all the duties that your selfe hauehave shewed both from the Iewes practise. and from your own. For whereas you allege apag. 44.a fourth thing that your selues hauehave done, namely, by devising and enacting good and wholsom lawes against their errors, superstitions, impieties &c. seing this cannot be done by subiects or priuate men, but onelyonly where a common weal and magistracie is established; and so neyther was nor could be done by the Iewes in Babel, nor by vsus in Engl: I suppose you will not impute this as want to Duty vntounto vsus, which if we had attempted to doe, mought iustly hauehave been esteemed rebellion in vsus, and so our suffrings should hauehave been as malefactors.
Whereas then we hauehave vsed all lawfull meanes to cure you that we could, as your selfe hauehave layd them down before vsus- I hope you will be satisfyed, or if not, yet any indifferent reader will thinke you are sufficiently answered.
THe 4. and last demand is,4. Questions If they Will needs leaue our church whether will they goe? To leaue one thing for another no better, is seely: but for a …orse …s folly and madnes. &c.
I answer, We hauehave left Babylon, for to come vntounto Sion: we forsooke your confused assemblies which consist of all sorts of people and an vnlawfull mixture with the profane and wicked that we might hauehave communion with the people of the Lord,Answer. that willingly and gladly professe to beleeue the gospel and walke in it.
Now where you vrge vsus to ioyne to some other church in other countries. first you passe the bounds of your text, from whence you can gath…r no such doctrine; for the Iewes forsaking Babel, ioyned not to any other nation or church then their own. Secondly, it is also contrary to your own practise, who when you first left Poperie in K. Edwards daie… and Q. Eliz. ioyned not your selues to any forreyn church; but one to another among your selves. And where you tel vsus of the approbation of other churches, and bpag. 3…,quote their Harmony of Confessions; I answer, that book was set out long after your separation from Rome, and communion among your selues: besides also how farr they approue of you, is before in this treatise considered of Pag. 10.
Thirdly we could not ioyne to any of those forreyn churches, becaus… We vnderstood not their languages nor they ours, and therefore vnlesse we would hauehave builded a new Babel, with strange tongues, we must ioyne into communion among our selues.
Thus hauehave I answered your 4. demaunds: and for your further satisfaction, if it may be, will yet giuegive you a view of your own dealings with vsus, and the Babylonians dealing with the Iewes of old, as they are collected by your selfe in you sermoon. They of Babel obiected (as you ain you sermon, p. 17.say) that their own religion was general and vniuersall ouer the world, and the Iewes, but in a corner: and agayn bpag. 18.they say Look into the world at this day, and see if any nation of all that came from all the … sonns of N… ah be of your religion: all that came of Cham are of ours: all that came of Iaphet are of ours, and all that came of Sem, but onelyonly your selues. Your selfe cpag, 32,say vntounto vsus, in these like words, Look ouer all Christendome, and you shall not finde a Church that condemneth ours, or any that is not of our religion &c. the churches of the Low countries, are of o…r confession, the Ch: of France, the church of Geneua, the church of Scotland, the Cantons of Switzerland. the stats and Princes of Germany, they are all of our confession. Whither then will you goe but vntounto your corners and conventicles &c. The like things are obiected to vsus also by other of your ministers, as before in this trea…ise may be seen pag. 9. The Babylonians dSermon, p 17.are by you feigned to ha…e sayd vntounto Israel, Doth not our religion prosper and flourish, and is not yours condemned by the consent of all the world? Your ministerse say for England against vsus,dsupra. p. 19. Consider. 7. God hath witnessed his louelove and approbation to our church by many vectories and deliuerances, long continuance of the Gospell, prayers, heard &c. And the Churches and godly learned persons that euer heard of your separation did not approue of it. esupra. pag 19. Consid. 6.See also Mr Bernards book pag. 33.
You (f.Your Ser. pag. 17, sayd the babylonians to Israel) for holding your religion are iustly ouerthrown and conqu…red by u…' Mr Penry, Barrow and Greenwood gSupra, p. 23 Consid. 2.say your ministers to vsus) were hanged, Mr Iohnsons and the rest banished, by Christian magistrats professing and mainteyning the Gospel of Christ. Alas poor men (sayd the Babylonians) for one learned Rabbine that your hauehave, hauehave not we twentie? are not the Caldeans the famoust learned men in the world? Of vsus your ministers say, hYovr ser. p. 18.setting aside one or two at most, there is neuer a minister amongst th…m th…t vnderstandeth the summe of religion and grounds of the Catechisme: and further they vnderstand not any tongue saue only English & wher thē is their knowledg. againe an iMr Sions. sermon on Psa. 120. Supra, pag. 19. Consid. 7.other vp braydeth vsus by the preaching disputing and printing of many excellent works and volumes published of all sorts (by the ministers of England): which none of vsus is any thing hauehave euer yet atteyned.
The Babylonians k sayd to Israel, During the time that you hauehave had your Kings and Priests, shew one nation by you conuerted, or one that came and ioyned with you of all that time.
Hardly (say your ministers to vsus) can you shew any one person conuerted by your ministery, from papistry athisme or other opē wickednes; as by Gods blessing multitudes hauehave been by ours.
Thus we see how you and your ministers imitate Bab…l, as if they had been set to scool by Nebuchadnezar, nDan. 1.4to get lYour ser. pag. 19. Supra. pag. 30. Consid. 8.the learning and tongue of the Chaldeans;opag. 20. wherein how they hauehave profited, let the reader iudge; as also whither we may not apply against you, your own words, that you please your selues in such like carnall arguments and fleshly conceyts, a… papist in their popery, and other p…fane men in their carnallity, did heretofore, and doe at this day.
Of these things as I hauehave laboured to giuegive you notice; so I desire God to giuegive you repentance, and to heal all your deadly wounds: least that come vponupon you which is foretold by the Prophet, aIer 51:2…I will render vntounto Babel, and to all the inhabitants of the Chaldeans, all their euill that they hauehave done in Sion; in your sight, saith the Lord.
My people goe out of the midds of her; and deliuer ye every man his sowl from the feirce wrath of the Lord.
Ier. 51.45.
Goe out of her my people, that ye be not partakers in her sinns, and that ye receiue not of her plagues,
Reu. 18.4.
FINIS.
End of the text · Henry Ainsworth, Counterpoison Considerations (1642)