A stay against straying. Or An answer to a treatise intituled: The lavvfulnes of hearing the ministers of the Church of England. By John Robinson. Wherein is proved the contrarie, viz: The unlawfulnes of hearing the ministers of all false Churches. By John Canne.

SECT. 4.

THE Treatiser frames our second objection in this man∣ner.

To heare such a minister is to honour approve and vp∣hold his office of ministery.

In confutation of this, thus he saith.

If this hee simply true then when the heathenish Athenians heard Paul preach: or when an unbeleever comes into the Church assembly, an a heares the preacher he approues, honours and vphold the office of the ministery.

Ansvv: The virgins in Cypryans time granted, they walked with young men, talked with them, went led with them, but when they came to the act, they absteyned.

The Treat. writings here, and in all the rest of his Booke, is much to the same purpose: He grants, that men may walke to the Harlots House, heare her told gueists, and yeeld to sundry dallying gestures (as bowing the knee, uncovering the head, &c.) but when they come to the act they must absteane: What that learned mana then answered, so doe I: No place must be given to the Divell, no man is long safe, who is neere the point of daun∣ger. To the matter.

That our argument may appeare strong; Secundam legem op∣positionis (as the Lawers terme is) we will put it downe in this forme.

To yeeld any approbation, liking, or reverence unto mens insti∣tution in the exercise of Religion is a sinne.

But in hearing Antichristian Ministers, there is approbation liking, aud reverence yeelded unto mens institution in the exercise of Religion.

Therefore it is a sinne to doe it.

The Major cannot be denyed; for the Scripturesb teach us the very thing. Besides the most judicious Writers affirme so too.

God forbiddeth (saith Mr. Iacobc) all approbation, liking or reverence, though never so small shewed towards any institution and inventions of men whatsoever in the exercise of Religion, yea all words either of tongue or pen, tending to defend or excuse such hu∣mane inventions in Gods service.

I might alleadge. Calvind, Molleruse, Smilerusf, Macabeusg Vrsinush Vigrandusi, Zanchyk, D. Andrewl, D. Fulkm, Perkingsn, Cartvvright, Ainsvvorthp, and others, who in their writings af∣firm the same.

The minor is as cleare: for 1. Jt is not possible that men can come unto Antichristiā churches to worship God, but they must by their presence there, shew reverence & honour to the publick false state and ministery.

Note what an English Prelateq saith, it appertaineth to the vertue of truth, that as a man sheweth himselfe by externall signes, so he is indeed to be esteemed.

The Dowayr translaters of the Bible write thus, such as fre∣quent, or repaire unto unlawfull assemblies, for the publick service of God, by their being there are to be reputed of the same religion, or else dessemblers: as it were to have noe care of religion, knowing God and not glorifying him as God.

Cornelius a lapides) in his commentary on Iohn, saith, false ministers are favored and approved in their vnlawfull way, when they are heard.

Chytraeust handeleth largely this point, & from 1. Cor. 10. 14. concludes, that all false Churches are to be left vtterly, because (saith he) a mans presence there is an approbation of them, Rivetus v adds this: Etiam si nemo ad confessionem adigeretur: Yea though a man came not thether for confession sake.

If the fathers thought that the Christians could not weare garlants of bay,x nor deck their houses with leaves, and green bavves; Nor sit after they had prayed, nor rest from their labour those dayes that Pagans did, nor keepe the first of every moneth as they did.y But they should countenance and honour heathenish ceremonies, and superstitions.

If these fathers (I say) conceived so, of these things, surely then vpon the like, or better reason, may I conclude, that to goe unto false churches, and there heare unlawfull Ministers is, to shew ap∣probation, liking, and reverence vnto mens institutions in the ex∣ercise of religion.

The Prophet Hoseaa reproves some, for kissing the Calues: But what was this sinne. Pareusb saith it was, their bodily pre∣sence at false worship, by which presence they shewed aliking to it. So Calvin.c

Againe, the point is further cleared, in that idols by this prac∣tice are honoured. Observeable it is, whereas on Evangilista (setting downe the Tempters words to Christ) saith, vvorship me: Anotherb hath it, vvorship before me: Shewing that it is all one to worship before the Devill, or to worship him; Now, he is worshipped, when idolsc are worshipped, or any false institution are observed and practised: Yea (as Cartwrightd saith) ta••etsi ex amino, aut superstitione quadam deceptus hoc non faciant.

To apply this, the Treat grants, that a false Church is a real idol, apart of Antichristisme, and of the apostasie of the man of sinne; If so; then hearing there, must needs be unlawfull, because it is to worship before an idol, & such an idol as that the worship there done, issues from it, as the streame or river from the fountaine.

To the particulars of his reply. 1. For the Athenians hearing of Paul, it is as impertinent a speech as was ever used by a man of learning▪ For we dispute only of Church hearing, and not of what is occasionall, and done out of publick-state, or Church-vvay. Wee never held it unlawfull, to heare any man deliver the Word of God, as the circumstances may be. But what of this: hence the Treat, will inferre, that we may heare any where, and in any way.

If another should have framed such an answer to him, he would have said, that either he had not learn'd his Sophestry, or else thought he had to doe with fooles; For he reasoneth, ab eo quod est secundum quid ad simpliciter. Makes a generall consequence of that which is true in part.

2. To say, if I approve of the Office simply, because I heare the Officer preach, then I much more approve of all the Doctrines which he delivers. This is not so, nor so; For the Office is an institution, by which the Officer hath power to administer: And howsoever, we have our freedome to like or dislike of the administrations, as we see just cause for it: Yet by our joyning and communion with them, we certainly approue of the state it selfe, whether lawfull or unlawfull; For Example:

If I come where the Majestrates are sitting, and have civill justice there administred to me; Albeit by this going of mine to their Court for judgement, I really approve of the state that they are in: yet J am not therefore necessitated to approue of all the acts & conclusions they make, but may dislike them, if I see they are not as they ought to be.

The Corinthians, for ought I can see, resorted unto the Feasts of idols, upon the same ground that the Treat. layes downe for hearing. They went not of superstition; for they were to well in∣structed; and Paul in their person brings forth an excuse for them: We know that an idol is nothing. As if they should say, we regard not what they have devised their publicke false∣state concernes us not, for we have left it: We are in no Church∣communion with their Officers, our meaning is not to worship as they doe, they intend one thing, we another. But did this satis∣fie the Apostle? Not in the least; For he knew their private diffe∣ring intention, was▪ but a strong fruit of the flesh, monstrous pre∣sumpt on, and a meere delusion; For their eating was not to be looked upon, and judged after their secret meaning. But accor∣ding to that publicke state where they were.

And here I desire the Reader to note the difference betweene Paul and the Treat. Paul makes the sinne of the Corinthians to be their resorting to an idol-state; Not simply their eating (for tha•• they might have done else-where) but because it was in, by, or from an institution of the Devil.

The Treat. layes us downe a contrarie Doctrine, and tels us, a false Church-state, is nothing: And Antichristian Officer nothing; And that we may lawfully worship God in the one, and heare his Word preached by the other, provided we be not in Church-communion with the Officer, &c.

Truely the difference here is great: For the Treat. cleares the Corinthians of the thing for which the Apostle condemnes them. But I will not presse this further now; Only what Augustine * said of the learned Fathers, I may speake of the Treatis. in stead of him, or rather above him, Paul the Apostle commeth to my mind, to him I runne, to him I appeale, from all sorts of writers that thinke otherwise.

For conclusion, if the false state of a Church and Ministerie de∣file only the members thereof: And as for other present worship∣pers, they are blameles: Jf this (I say) be a true saying, thē hath he vainely confind himselfe to the Ministerie of the Church of England; For his Position will serve as well to justifie hea∣ring among Papists, Arrians, Sorcinians, Iewes, Turkes, &c. Yea further, and to be present at any service or worship they doe.

For what should hinder, but according to this ground, a man may lawfully goe to the Temples of the Saracens, and he are their Preists: considering they doe deliver many materiall truths. As that God is true and righteous in all his wayes a:: The Creator of all things b: The giver of every good gyftc Ad that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of Maryd, the Messenger of God, and a true Prophete.

If any object, but they utter many lies and blasphemies. I an∣swer, the hearing simply of errours, corrupts not the Hearer: For so he consents not to them in judgement, not practice, but testi∣fieth against them, he delivers his owne soule.

Notes

• Object.
• Treat.
• But the Word of God for∣bids it, Pro, 5, 7. Lyran ex∣pounds this place of the false Church, Tom. 2, p. 314.
• a

  Non est locus don∣dus Dia∣bolo: Ne∣mo diu tutus periculo proximus, l. 1, c. 11.
• b

  Mat. 15, 19, Ps. 16, 4 Colos. 2, 20, 21, Deu 5, 9, 10, 1 Cor. 6▪ 17, Hos. 2, 16, Ex. 23, 13
• c

  Exposi∣tion on Com. 2.
• d

  Serm. 52, on Deu.
• e

  In ps. 16, 4. p. 108.
• f

  In Exo. fol. 90.
• g

  Enarrat. in Deu. 12, loc. 1.
• h

  Explic. Catech. p 759.
• i

  Synops. Antichrist
• k

  De re∣dempt. fol.90.
• l

  On the Com. 2.
• m

  Confut. of Allen. 378.
• n

  Catech. c. 16, p 96
• p

  Annot. on Ex. 20 45.
• q

  Determinat. Quaest. 7, p. 40.
• r

  Annotat. in 2 King 5, 19, p. 771.
• s

  In Epist. 2. p. 505.
• t

  De Eu∣charistia, p. 317, 318.
• v

  Comment. in Psa. 16, p. 53.
• x

  Tertull. de corona milit.
• y

  Brac. z Tom. Can. 73.
• a

  Hos. 2. 13.
• b

  In Hos. 13. 2. pag. 557. Tom. 1.
• c

  Praelect. in Hos. 13. 2. pag. 157.
• a

  Ma••. 4. 9. See Pa∣reus on the place.
• b

  Luk. 4. 7.
• c

  2 Chro. 11. 15. 1. Cor. 10. 20. Rev. 9. 20. 1 Tim. 4. 1.
• d

  Histor. Christ lib. 1. pag. 14.
• 1. Cor. ••. 4.
• •• In Alcho ran Azoa∣ra. 1.
• c

  Azoar. 14.
• d

  Azoar. 11.
• e

  Azoar. 7.