Objections Answered by Way of Dialogue

p. 1Antichristian.

VVhy come you not to Church?

Christian.

What should I do there?

VVorship God.

I must worship God as he requireth, ād not as any mortal man requireth.

True, but the worship that wee require you to offer vp, is the vvorship, God requireth.

If it be so, I wil withal willingnes assēt vnto it, but my conscience must be satisfied there of by the word of truth, that I may have faith in it, other wise it is my grevious sai. Rom. 14.23. For I may not beleeve it so to be because you affirme it.

VVell you must go to Church, othervvise you are disobedient to the law, & vvil fall vnder punishment.

But still remember that you would have me worship God as you pretend, therefore let vs agree what worship God requireth: Christ saith. Ioh 4.24. God is a spirit, & they that worship him, must worship him in spirit & truth. Here wee see what worship God requireth, viz: That wee worship him with our soules and Spirits, and also that we worship him according to the truth of his word: And therefore for your booke worship: If it were according to truth, (from the which it is as far as light is from darknes) yet if I cannot offer it vp with my Spirit it is not acceptable to God, but most abhominable.

Well you must come to Church

I pray let aske you a question, do you seeke the glory of God, and the salvation of my soule herein, or your owne obedience?

I seeke the glory of God, and the salvation of your soule, & not my ovvne obedience.

Then manifest it, no by words onely, but by deeds and truth, which if you do, you will not threaten me punishmēt to cause me to come, but with meekenes and patience satisfye my conscience by the word of truth, (for this is the duety of the Minist. of Christ. 2. Tim. 2.24.) that I may come with a willing mynd, so shall I be accepted. 2. Cor. 8.12. Psal. 110.3. For if by threatning me punishment as imprisonment, banishment, or death, you cause me to bring my bodie, and not my spirit or soule, so shall I come neere to the Lord with my lips, when my hart shall be far from him, which he accompteth vaine worship and hipocrisie. Mat. 15.

I perceive what you aime at, you would have none brought to Church, but such as come willingly of themselves, so should every man worship God as himself pleaseth.

Your conclusion I aime not at, for I acknowledg that as there is but one God, so there is but one way of worshipping him, out of the which way, whosoever is ād repēteth not there of shal pay a deare price, and therefore it stādeth all Men vpon not to please themselves in worshipping p. 3him. But you perceive aright that I aime at this, that none should bee compelled to worship God: but such as come willingly for I will (by Gods assistance) prove most evidētly by the Scriptures, that none ought nor can bee compelled to worship God to acceptance, by any worldly meanes whatsoever.

Prove that.

Wel I prove that I have affirmed, thus: First Heb. 11.6. Without faith it is vnpossible to please God, and Rom. 14.23. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. These two Scriptures prove most evidētly that whatsoever I have not faith in inworshiping God although it were vndoubtedly true, I may not offer it vp vnto God, for it is displeasing to him, and it is sin against him: as also it appeareth plainely by him, that came into the Kings supper and wāted his wedding garment. Mat. 22.

It is the Kings law that you must go to Church, & therefore you must bee obedient.

The intent of the Kings law is not so, as appeareth both by the statute for the oath of allegiance, and also by his Maties. owne words, manifested in his Apologie for the oath of allegiance, as hereafter is more fullie declared. For if the intent of the law were to make me come to Church to worship God, and not of faith, the intent of the law were to cōpell me to sin, which his Matie. requireth not.

Antic.

I deny not but whatsoever is not off Faith is sinne, but vvee vvould p. 4have you come to Church, to vvorship God of faith.

It is not so, you regard not whether I have faith or no, for if you did, you would not vrge the Kings law against me, which is but a carnal weapon, and cannot beger faith, ād there fore is no sure ground of faith. For in my obedience to God I must not presume above that that is written. 1. Cor. 4.6. For the VVord of God is the onely ground of faith Rom. 10.17. and therefore if you would have me come of faith, you would onely vrge the law of the King of Kings against mee.

Hath not all the Learned of the Land considered of these things, & set thē dovvne, are such simple men as you likely to see more then all these?

I demaund of you whether they bee not all subject to err as all men are, and therefore I must try their spirits, whether they er or no. 1. joh. 4.1. For I may not hold, either that they cannot err, or that if I find them to err I must obey them notwithstanding, do you not herein teach me that Popish and accursed doctrine, that you invaigh so much against in the Papists, that I must beleeve as the learned of the land beleeves.

I do not hold that they cannot err

Yes you hold either that they cannot err, or if they do err, I must obey them, for if I do not obey them you threaten me punishment.

Nay, but I hold that they being p. 5learned do not err, & therefore you must obey them.