Confidence Encountered, Title page – Author to the reader
Confidence Encountred: OR, A VINDICATION OF THE Lawfulneſs of PREACHING without Ordination.
In Anſwer to a Book publiſhed by N. E. a friend of Mr. Tho Willes, INTITULED, The confident Queſtioniſt Queſtioned.
Together with An Anſwer to a Letter of Mr. Tho. Willes, publiſhed in the ſaid Book.
BY WHICH The Lawfulneſs of Preaching without Ordination is cleared, and the Ordination of the National Miniſters proved to be a Nullity.
By JER. IVES.
How forcible are right words! but what do your arguings re…rove?
Job 6.25.
As every one hath received the gift, even ſo m…niſter the ſame one to another, as good ſtewards of the manifold grace of God. If ANY MAN ſpeak, let him ſpeak as the oracl…s of God
1 Pet. 4.…0, ….
Printed at London; and are to be ſold by Dan. White at the ſeven Stars in Paul's Church-yard; or may be had at the Authors houſe in Red-Croſs-ſtreet. 1658.
To the READER.
Reader,
I Have for thy further information in the things of Chriſt, publiſhed an Anſwer to ſome counter Queries, which were made by an unknown Author, in the behalf of Mr. Tho. Willes his Doctrine concerning the ſinfulneſs of Preaching without Ordination; in which counter-Queries, thou maiſt be acquainted with the Author's Spirit, though by his concealing his Name, thou canſt not be acquainted with his Perſon; and by a ſtrict Obſervation of what he hath writ, thou maiſt ſee that he hath made good his own words, viz. That he had writ enough to puzzle, *See his book page 4.rather then convince his Adverſary; and that appears by his many contradictions: one while he ſaith, The Clergy is routed; and by and by tells Mr. Willes, The Enemy is routed *See his Epiſt. to the Reader, and compare it with his Epiſtle Dedicatory.: one while he demands, whether Apollos was not ordained Miniſter when he preached publickly, Act. 18. and by and by he demands, if Apollos knew of any ſuch thing as Ordination from the Apoſtles, when he preached, Act. 18. one while he demands, if there was a conſtituted original Church with Officers in it at this time, when Apollos preached,See his book page 22, 23. Act. 18. and by and by he ſaith, That it is certain, Apollos was at this time an Officer; and bids me prove, that he was ever made an Officer after his preaching, Act. 18. Again, he ſaith, If the Church of Rome was a true Church, then her Miniſters were true Miniſters, when our Reformers were ordained by her. And demands, why I did not diſprove her to be a Church, pag. 41. and yet a little before he ſaith, That ſhe was as bad when the Miniſters did receive Ordination from her, as ſhe was when they left her; and yet he ſaith, They left her not as ſhe was the Spouſe of Chriſt, but as ſhe was a Harlot, page 39. ſo that he ſuppoſeth Rome to be a Harlot, and Chriſt's Spouſe at one and the ſame time. Again, he ſaith, page 37. That the corruptions of the corrupt Diſpenſers of Ordinances cannot make them null; and yet he ſaith, pag. 48. If it be true as Mr. Brookes ſaith, That the Miniſters of England are Antichriſtian; then all that they have baptized, muſt be baptized again. Is not this plain contradiction?
As he abounds with Contradictions, ſo he doth with Impertinencies, medling with the Trade that I follow, and my being a Souldier, and ſuch-like things, that concern not the Queſtion before him. Another while he blames me for that he doth himſelf, viz. of meddling with this Controverſie, and taking it out of Mr. Brookes his hand; when he undertook to anſwer a particular Paper, which was proper for none elſe to anſwer but Mr. Willes.
Another while he blames me for that I did charge a thing upon Mr. Willes, that I had but one witneſs for; and yet himſelf believes the Accuſed's bare Negation without any witneſs: for at that time when Mr. VVilles deſired a Gentleman to apprehend me for a Jeſuite, there was none preſent to witneſs beſides the Gentleman aforeſaid, though at our firſt meeting there was divers.
Again, one while he ſaith, Rome had power to ordain Miniſters as Chriſt's Church; and by and by compares them to Thieves, and to Korah, at the time they ordained the firſt Reformers.
Again, his Book is full of unman-like arguings, as appears by his frequent begging the chief things in queſtion; otherwhile, when I demand a proof of thoſe things that are ſo frequently affirmed by Mr. VVilles, he demands how I prove they are not; and ſo turns the proof of the affirmation from himſelf, and puts his Reſpondent to prove Negations. Surely, this is not to give a Reaſon of our Hope to every one that asketh, with Meekneſs and Fear.
Again, he tells his Reader, That the Anabaptiſts are bloody, pag. 31. and pag. 50. he ſaith, he gheſſes, that they are the men whoſe hands were moſt embrued in the blood of the late VVars: When indeed, the Anabaptiſts were in no capacity at the beginning of theſe Wars, to blow thoſe ſparks of contention into a burning Flame, if they had had a minde to ſo bad a work.
Thus I have given thee a taſte of that Spirit that inſpired him in the writing of his Book, to which I have given an Anſwer; and though I have not anſwered to every word, yet I have anſwered every thing that hath any ſhew or colour of Reaſon in it, which I deſire thee faithfully and impartially to conſider, trying all things, and holding fast that which is the best; and that thou maist ſo do, is the prayer and deſire of
Thy Friend, Jer. Ives.