IGNORAMUS HIS CONVICTION: showing The necessity and excellency of frequent Hearing and Preaching the sacred Word of GOD.  
Written by one who is a hater of schism, and humble supplyant at the Throne of Grace, for the perfecting of a right Reformation, answerable to the Word of God, and agreeable to the holy and godly conversations of the righteous.  JER. 23.11. 
For both Prophet and Priests are profane, yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the Lord.  2 TIM. 4.2. 
Preach the Word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuk, exhort with all long suffering and Doctrine.  PSAL. 37.23. 
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way.  
Very necessary for all sort of people to read. in these sad and worfull times.  

Imprimatur  
John Downame.   
LONDON, Printed for R. L. Anno Dom. 1648.   

IGNORAMVS CONVICTION.  
BEfore God of late of his Infinite mercy was seen in the Mount of our extremities, turning our now captivity( in some sort) as rivers in the South, leaping by the mountaines, and skipping by the hills of our sins, flying upon the wings of the wind for our belief; in so wonderful a manner, as praised be his Name, now appears. Many Engines were used by all appearance, to subvert and overthrow, the Liberties both of this Church and State; whilst the sons of belial( Satans Instruments) left no means un-attempted, whereby they might both openly assault, and( failing that) privately undermine and roote out the Power and life of godliness, yea, even under show of love aiming at the overthrow of Religion, under pretence of fellowship and brotherly love: as Jacob in the death of Abner.  
In aiming to effect so strong a design( as appeareth since was then in some of their heads) this in show was a strong Catholicon Ingredient, in their secret counsels, so far as they might or were in hope to prevail with any; That Poporde was no Idolatri●: by which maxim received, they poisoned the seat of Judgement, Understanding and Reason, so making way unto their Intentious. just Ieroboams policy, which God scourged with the overthrow of him and his posterity: for sure his calves worship, was by God himself both so pronounced and punished in him and his. And I hope any reasonable men may suppose, that their is the same idolatry, If not greater, in falling down before a piece of bread, then was in worshipping a living calf which the Egyptians Adored, and in Imitation whereof, both Jeroboam, and the Israelits before him made their golden calves, for which they suffered their several punishments.  
For many, yeares together holy Ministers first were disgraced, discountenanced, suppressed, imprisoned, occasionally, they their wives and children, starved and famished, for any relief they had from them, and their benefices sequestered, for not subscription unto catching cruel Articles of their own Invention, made to entrap, ensnare, keep forth and thrust forth, conscionable and holy Ministers out of their livings and habitations, this way to their power, dishartning, ensuring and keeping down, the vigorou● spirits of Professors of the power of practical Religion, therewith strengthing the enemies thereof, heaping up there with and dispersing all the Infamous scandals and lies which possibly subtlety and malice could invent against all those most conscionable of their ways.  
Secondly, such men were onely put in entrusted for the most to preach at Court▪ Pauls, with all such open places before authority and multitudes, as would Cry down Preaching and Exalt Prayer( strict helpers to one another) and what Prayers? Common Prayer I warrant you( their then Diana) for Pulpit Sermon prayers suffered and were tortured with preaching itself, and the frequency thereof. And herein those men entrusted to preach openly & before Authority; all ways choosed some such Texts wherein they jerked both thestrictness of Religion it selfs ralled at its best Preachers, condemning all of them as factious seditious men, perturbers of the State, & withstanders of Authority, because they would not, durst not, or could not in Conscience, subscribe and yield unto their Fooleries and Ceremonies. Though otherwise ●cry quiet peaceable men, and peacemakers, rather then sowers of disspentions and divisions, like many now amongst us. But then with those men in the height of their way, no Holinesse was notified in any, saving Sub●cription and Common Prayer piety: whereby they aimed in time to purge he Church of these disturbing Puritans, which noble Nickname, they in great contempt and derision gave them, hoping within a while to rid this kingdom of them all.  
But this Course not prevailing, and Religions piety like the people of God in Egypt, the more they were trodden upon, like the camomile, mounting, growing and prospering so much the more: a course was taken to keep out all holy and good men from the ministry, and government of the Church, and let in onely such as would advance their ends into all dignities and spiritual preferments of any worth, having a Role of their favourites names ready who should succeed, in the vacancy of any livings of worth: kept by their grand captain, so that it was usually known and noied in ●… ny preferments who should next succeed. So that by this means cruel ●… nd profane men,( Arm●nians at best) dropped into all livings, such who would be sure to keep down, discountenance, and undermine the life of pie●… e, being as prickles and thorns in the sides of all good men: whereby in this ●… me, in their Judgement a good progress was made, both for their Inten●… d P●ojects against the power of godliness, with advancement of Super●… tion and atheism: Properies two grand ushers: though some good men ●… ere now and then put in, to sylemens eyes from looking which way the ●… rea●e of their Current run.  
T● n●s thus drawing towards a head, now the glory of former banish●… and removed Altars must up again. The former wisdom of this State in displacing them were accounted Ignoramusis, not knowing how to place them, they must again stand up mounting steps for perspecuity, as they did of old Alter-ways, men must now bow before them, with strict Injunction also to bow at the Name of Jesus, and yet to good men in snares whom otherways they knew not how to entrap, for adorning of disgraced degraded Copes, their must be an after service, performed at both ends of the Altar, with low bowing at their approach unto it: appareled for fear of cold, with gaudy Copes. Whereunto( save the pleasure of authority) it had been much better, to have used them like that menstruous Cloth spoken of by the Prophet, saying unto them with abomination, get thee hence. Thus insensibly under show of Order did some of them make way unto all confusion: that so as some of them have pleaded, though they had no Intention to bring in popery, yet popery( more bold then welcome) having recovered Illimited courage and strength, might forcibly either thrust in itself wholly, or else for quietness or peace sake enforce a Toleration with us by Power, until it might in time wholly dispossess us at its pleasure. To which purpose often and frequent Masses, in many corners of Popish chapels and liberties were allowed, with as full and free concours unto them as unto our Se●mons, by many thousands every morning.  
But all these not sufficiently to their mindes prevailing so long as after noon Sermons were a foot which revived and quickened the life of grace, advancing piety and undermining all their designs, a course was taken, so to suppress preaching and the power of piety, and entrap the best men in further snares, whom otherwise by their unconformitie they could not suppress, and who opposed their enormities. Which course of theirs, it pleased God, being universally murmured at, and cried out against, neither prospered nor lasted long, any where, save where some of their rotten Instruments, exercised their Tyrannick power, Lording it to some purpose, so far as one of them wrote a triumphant▪ if not an infamous letter unto one of the Brotherhood,( boasting of impiety) That praised be God, That week past their had not been one after noon Sermon in all his diocese. O fearful! No wonder then, when the hearts of these men began to be so Impious, as to glory of their shane, and boast of mischief, that it was a sure foreru●ner of ruin, because as before destruction the heart of man is haughty, so humility, is a sure usher unto Honour. By all which it appeared, that conformity to Ceremonies,( though they veiled their other purposes therewith) was not that they aimed at: but to root out the life and Power of piety, that at length Popery might by force jus●le in itself, and at length as formerly Command all.  
And wonder it was, that when the Lord commands to preach the word i● season and out of season, and to be instant: this being Heavens high red to advance piety, increase faith, and beautify the glorious strength of the New Creature: that yet those Ignoramuses, would take this open course against Religion in the face of Heaven and Earth to be so bold and Impudent, as to endeavour to overthrow all? But no wonder it was, when all of them were ruled by one or a few, who had it seemed so strictly besieged all Religious strongest holds and forts, that all went wrong; endeavouring to poison the fountains of Authority, so to wind all, that they did what they listed: and so Religion had extremely suffered, had not God been seen in the Mount of our extremities, infatuating and taking( as usually his custom is) such men to fall by their own counsels. Whereby now the whole Body of Episcopacy, with all theirs, are in danger to suffer, though their were then amongst them, many holy learned, merciful, pious, discreet and wise men, free from the death of the councils devices▪ and imaginations of these ringleaders▪ wishing things might have been carried to have run in a more smooth and mild current. For which cause a late Bishop of that fraternity, condoling their estat●●: thus wrote to one of the fraternity, his fear, least one mans fierce violence, would undo them all: who now are all in danger to suffer and smart with the worse sort. In having too much connived with them in countenancing their actions, in notwithstanding their oppressions and exorbitancies, in not timely dissuading them from their violent courses, having served them in divers uses, in bearing pressures and burden● of their imposing, and in some things in serving their unjustnesse. And in not removing the causes of such oppressions, the snares and devices to catch and entrap good men, for so many yeares together leapt up in these late Remaining Ceremonies.  
And truly, it appears that these famous worthies who first reformed this Church,( some of them after that proving Martyr-Bishops) when they left these Ceremonies lately in the Church, doing a way others, never thought or imagined either to have retained them so long, or that they should have been made snares or baits to catch good Ministers in, keep out some, put others forth, and worse in their places, and to have proved the causes of so many fierce contentions and oppositions for so many yeares since.  
For in that Preface unto their Service book: authorised by King Edward the Sixth, they to this purpose writ. We have not in abolishing of other Ceremonies and leaving of these, done the same for any holinesse, worth, or use, we have or imagine to make of them, more then of the residue abolished; or for any purpose we have still to retain the same, but in time to do● those away also. Onely because we would not too soon dete● the people, by abbrogating of all sh●w 〈◇〉 of the former Service in the mass; to wind them to Religion by degrees, we therefore have left these few Ceremonies, to make some show of the former service, having in substance purged and taken away the gross superstitions, that they might the sooner be wound to like of the Reformation made: not to be out of love with Religion before they know it; having some shows and shadows of the former Service; these Ceremonies in time also to be removed.  
But what hast their successors have made in this kind to have removed these offending stumbling blocks, is evidently known, most apparent and woeful; in that they have not onely retained, but also abused those Ceremonies unto the hurt of others, urging them with such heat of sevexity ( usque ad Ara●) yea as Divine Oracles, making of others suffer for not comforming unto them: having also added more unto these, as though, Their little finger should be heavier then their predecessors whole hand, and all this under pretence of Unity, Conformity, and Order: a woeful Unity, Order and Conformity, that now hath bread, and been the Author of so much confusion, destruction, and disorder: so as now the Power of godliness and life of grace in pure preaching, hath been in danger to have been overthrown, whilst for many yeares together, public Service striven and struggled to cry down Preaching, and exalt Prayer( as they said) as though they were not both exact h●lpers to one another, as hath been touched, by their crying down of after noon Sermons.  
Wherein so blockish were some of them as to restrain Preaching under pretext, That one Sermon a day was enough, and more then any man could practise in many yeares together: the Refutation of which gross error, produced now this short discourse, to show, both the excellency and necessity of often Hearing and Preaching: and to confute these profane Ignor amuses.  
A wonder it is, that for the supportation of the life of grace, in that which shrould cherish the immortal soul, in its wonderful actings, To Fore see, pevent, gathertogether, multiply, survey, conclude, invent, purpose, dispute, discourse, choose, refuse, resolve, judge and determine of all things Rationally, dwelling in the dark Prison of a lumpish Body( good for nothing without it) where it hath so many hindrances and lets, besides its natural depravation until Illuminated that hereunto they are contented to allow only one meal a weak and day; when they can allow the body constantly two meales sometimes three every day, not understanding, The ends, right use and causes, of often and freequent Preaching and Hearing, which are Three, and wherewith I will conclude.  
First for Conversion, in which case, until Illumination, we are just like unto that impotent man, who lay so long at the pool of Bethesda, waiting when the Spirit of grace, will so blow by some of the Angel Ministers, as that we may be Converted. In which case what is not, to day, this week, weeks, a month, moneths, a year, yeares, yea in many yeares effected: yet may come to pass at length: so as men must wait still, when the wind of he Spirit will blow with the means, and so trouble the muddy waters of our corruptions,( throwing us into the pool of Regeneration) as Conversion may be wrought. For which cause hearers must wait, and hear the word in season and out of season, as Ministers are bound to Preach the same: And the more the better, until Christ by the Newbirth, may see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied: that he thereby be formed in them.  
Secondly, being Newborne, we must not now stand still, but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, from faith to faith, and grace to grace, until we come unto a perfect man in Christ, in the beauty of the New Creature: to be built up in that riches of understanding spoken of, so to put on the Lord Jesus in all his holy virtues, being transformed into his Image from glory to glory, to be as like him as may be. For this cause also, the word cannot be to often and frequently preached and Heard, both in season and out of season, to be built up daily more and more in Heavenly knowledge unto life everlasting, to be fully Sanctified and endowed with a great deal of grace here, that thereby we may be so much the fitter vessells, prepared for so much the more glory.  
And Thirdly, our frail house of day &c. Wherein the immortal soul hath its habitation here, the life of grace thereof must still be kept in reparation: we have backslidings, and are to encounter with many temptations. Troubles, Vexations, Discouragements, having many spiritual diseases to be cured: as Satan is cunning to assualt us full of trouble. And also the soul is to be kept in spiritual life, courage and vigour, which not one or many dayes hearing can effect: to make up the every day miseries of our life renewed from day to day which we are sure and forced to encounter with. This daily and often Preaching effects, to Cure, Mitigate, Answer, and heal daily, all our spiritual diseases and doubtings, quickening our dulness to help the life of Faith, increase, maintain, and renew our comforts, to keep them always upon the wing as it were, to cheer, encourage and hearten us on in our spiritual Journey homeward. So that having so many enemies, difficulties, temptations and troubles, to encounter with from the world, the flesh and the devil: and the surmountingly glorious fabric of of the New Creature to erect and build up as near as may be in its beauty, Excellency and Eminency; we cannot upon all occasions, either hear too much or too often, neither( as some think) can their be too much Preaching, which by the assistance and push of the Spirit, during all our life time, and daily, hath all these and many more wonders to work: all which I hope willbe sufficient for Ignoramu's Conviction.  
FINIS.