or can as Mr Ber. knoweth right well for the good graces of God in many wee do both know acknowledge them and it is our great grief though their owne fault that we cannot have communioÌ„ with the persons in whom so eminent graces of God are and if there be any of them which are sory for our departure from the assemblies we are much more sory so have more cause for their continuance in the same In which their estate whilst we withdraw ourselves from them we do in no sort condemn their persons which stand or fall to the Lord much lesse any good thing in them or truth amongst them It is one thing simply to condemn that which is good for evill and another thing to forbeare the vse of it in the concrete for the commixture of evil from which in that vse it is inseparable When Paul forbad the Corinthians to eat and drink in the Idol temples 1 Cor. 10. 20. â—1 he did not condemne meat drink Neyther did the same Apostle when he directed the same Corinthians to excommunicate the incestuous person and so to have no fellowship with him 1 Cor. 5. enjoyne them to renounce the fayth which that person professed or the baptisme which they with him had received And as a Church excommunicating an offender for some one scandalous sin and so refusing all communion with him cannot be chalenged for renouncing or reiecting the faith which that person professeth or any other personall good thing appearing in him so neyther may any person or persons forsaking a Church and all fellowship with it for some one or few iust causes iustly be accused as renouncing or disclayming the other good things there remayning Lastly let me ask Mr B. whether he disclayme one God subâ—â—sting in three persons one Lord Iesus God and man and withall the Christian vertues of zeale patience temperance humility meeknes and the like And why not he as well in refusing communion with the Church of Rome where these things are to be found as we in disclayming the Church of Engl. where the same and other the like good things are known to be Thus when a mans eyes are blynded by partiality towards himselfe and his mouth opened by mallice against his adversary it is mervaylous to see what vnequall judgment he will passe But least Mr B. in charging our beginning as he doth as accursed vncharitable vnnaturall and vngodly might seeme to curse where God curseth not he annexeth certayn portions of scripture which he also sets downe at large as though they made largely against vs and our separation and the end why he alleadgeth them is to prove that there is cause of reioycing in the Church of England The scriptures are these Rom. 15. 17. 18. Act. 10. 34. 35. Rom. 14. 17. 18. To which I do answer first in generall There may be oft tymes is cause of reioycing in the events and issues of things by a speciall hand of God determining them though the secundary meanes and instruments which the Lord vseth for the producing and bringing forth of these issues events as of light out of darknes be most accursed Wherein more or els hath a christian heart cause of reioycing then in the death of Christ And yet what can be imagined more abominable then the meanes and instruments of working it But to speak nearer Mr B. purpose If some Iesuite or other sent by the Pope into America amongst the Pagans and Infidels should there perswade any to beleeve confesse one God and his sonne Iesus Christ made man for the redemption of the world that they should also give vp their lives for these truthes there were cause of reioycing in theyr testimony and yet I suppose Mr B. knowing as he doth would be loath to have communion in the Iesuits Ministery More particularly The Apostle Rom. 15. 17 18. in commendation of his Apostleship layes downe the effects of it and how great cause of reioycing he had that God by his ministery had planted the Churches of the Gentiles whom he further describes by theyr obedience in word and deed And how serves this for the Church of England Thus. It serves first to exclude all those word Saynts for whom Mr B. pleads so much in his book Secondly it serves to shew what small cause there is of reioying for the English Churches being planted of such vniversally so still continuing as are indeed abhominable and disobedient to every good work reprobate The second Scripture is Act. 10. 34. 35. Of a truth I perceave that God is no accepter of persons but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnes is accepted of him And is it so What sacrilegious presumption then is it in the Church of Enland to compell God to accept of persons and to accept for his people servants such as neither fear him nor work righteousnes but the coÌ„trary to offer vp theyr persons sacrifices to him in the name of Christ in whome they have no portion to seale vp the covenant of his grace and peace vnto them in the sacraments with whom it never came into his hart to strike hand neyther hath he peace with them The third Scripture is Rom. 14. 17. 18. The kingdome of God is not meat not drink but righteousnes and peace and ioy in the Holy G. for whosoever in those things serveth Christ is acceptable to God c. Hence to let passe the drift of the Apostle in this place els where opened thus much must necessarily follow that where righteousnes and peace and ioy in the Holy Ghost are not nor men in those things serving Christ there the kingdome of God is not nor these men his subiects And where Gods kingdom is not there is the kingdome of Satan and they that are not the subiects of the one are the slaves of the other And so I leave it to the godly reader to iudge whither the assemblyes in England gathered at the first and at this day consisting of such persons for the most part as do not thus nor in these things viz righteousnes peace and ioy in the Holy Ghost serue Christ but the contrary can be rightly by the word of God accounted the kingdome of God Church of Christ. Thus the 3. Scriptures which Mr B. stretched out like a threfold coard to hold men in the assemblies are in truth and in their right meaning as a three stringed whip to scourge those that fear God out of them With such a renunciation of the truth must be interteyned much vntruth saith Mr Ber. as first thou must beleeve their way to be the truth of God then condemne our Church as a false Church when themselves have published that the differences betwixt vs and them are but corruptions Nâ—w corruptions do not make a false Church but a corrupt Church aâ— corruptions in a man make but a corrupt but no false man If we beare witnes of
over Gods heritage as you would make them controuling all but to be controuled by none much lesse essentiall vnto the Church as though it could not be without them least of all the Church it self as you and others expound Math. 18 But we hold the Eldership as other ordinances given vnto the Church for her service and so the Elders or officers the servants and ministers of the Church the wife vnder Christ her husband aâ— the scriptures expresly affirm Of which more hereafter And where further you advise the reader to take from the Iay other birds feathers that is as you expound your self to set vs before him as we differ from all other Churches Therein you make a most inconsiderate and vnreasonable motion If a man should set the Church of England before his eyes as it differeth but from the reformed Churches it would be no very beautiful bird Yea what could it in that colour afforde but Egyptian bondage Babylonish confusion carnal pomp and a company of Iewish Heathenish and Popish ceremonies Whatsoever truth is in the world it is from God and from him we have it by what hand soever it be reached vnto vs Came the word of God unto you onely vnto it we have good right as the Israel of God unto whom he hath committed his oracles Rom. 3. 2. Towards the end of the Preface you do render two reasons vpon which you do adventure to deal against vs as you do the one coÌ„fidence in your cause the other the spirituall injury which some of late have done you in taking away part of the seale of the Ministery Touching the first as it is to vs that know you wel no new thing to see you confident in all enterprises so doth it much behoove you to consider how long and by what meanes you have been possessed of this your confident perswasion I could name the person of good credite and note to whom vpon occasion you confessed and that since you spake the same things which here you write as confidently as now you write them that you had much a doe to keep a good conscience in dealing against this cause as you did But a speach of your own vttered to my self ever to be remeÌ„bred with fear and trembling can not I forget when after the conference passing betwixt Mr H. and me you vttered these wordes Wel I wil returne home preach as I have done and I must say as Naaman did the Lord be merciful unto me in this thing and therevpon you further promised with out any provocation by me or any other that you would never deale against this cause nor with-hold any froÌ„it though the very next Lords day or next but one you taught publikliâ— against it and so broke your vâ—w the Lord graunt not you conscience And for the seale of your Ministerie deceive not yourself and others if you had not a more authentick seal in your black box to shew for your Ministery at your Bishops visitation then the converting of men to God which is the seal you meane this seale would stand you in as little stead as it doth many others which can shew as â—â—â—re this way as you and yet are put from their Ministerie notwithstanding And wil you charge your Bishops Church representative to deale so trecherously with the Lord as to put downe his Ministers and Officers which have his broad seal to shew for their Office and Ministerie What greater contumely do these vipers these schismaticall Brownists lay vpon your Church then you doe herein The Church of England acknowledgeth no such seale as this is The Bishops ordination and license conformitie vnto their ceremonies subscription to their articles devout singing and saying their service-book is that which will beare a man out though he be far enough eyther from converting or from preaching conversion vnto any And here I desire the reader to observe this one thing with me When the ministers are called in quaestion by the Bishops they alledge vnto them their former subscription conformity in some measure at least their peaceable cariage in their places but when they would iustify their ministerie against vs then their vsuall plea is they haue converted men to God herein acknowledging to let passe their vnsound dealing that we respect the work of Gods grace in any at which they know the Bishops and their substitutes if they should plead the same with them would make a mock for the most part I do most freely acknowledge the singular blessing of God vpon many truthes taught by many in the Land and do and alwayes shal so far honour those persons as the Lord hath honoured them herein But that the simple conversion of sinners yea though the most perfect that ever was wrought should argue a true office of Ministerie the scriptures no where teach neyther shall I ever beleeve without them This scripture 1 Cor. 9. 1. 2. is most frequently alledged for this purpose But as vnsoundly as commonly For if simple conversion should argue an Apostleship then should a common effect argue a proper cause an ordinarie work an extraordinarie office for the conversion of men is a work common to extraordinarie and to ordinarie officers yea to true and false officers yea to such as are in no office at all as hereafter shall appeare And what could be more weakly alledged by Paul to prove himself no ordinarie but an extraordinary officer an Apostle which was the thing he intended then that which is common to ordinary officers with him Might not the Corinthians easily have replyed Nay Paul it followes not that you are an Apostle immediately called and sent by Christ because you haue begotten vs to the Lord have been the instrument of our coÌ„versioÌ„ for ordinary Ministers Pastors Teachers called by men do beget to the Lord as wel as you The bare conversion of the Corinthians then is not the seal Paul speakes of but together with it their establishment into a true visible Church and that with such power and authority Apostolicall as wherewith Paul was furnished by the Lord. Of which more hereafter But the father of these childreÌ„ you say you are which thus vnnaturally fly from you and whereof we so injuriously have deprived you in which respect also you make this your hue cry after vs and them for through the gospel you have begotten them And have you begotten them vnto the faith as Paul did the Corinthians and are you their father as Paul was the father of the Corinthians then it must needs follow that before you preached the gospel vnto them and thereby begot them to the Lord they were in the same estate wherein the Corinthians were before Paul preached vnto them that is unbeleevers and without faith and so were to be reputed And how then true matter of the Church for which you so much contend Besides these your begotten children were baptised long before you saw their faces some twenty
the first made with Abraham continued with Isaak Iakob he after renued with the whole Church sundry tymes upon their repentance in regard wherof the scriptures give very honourable testimony of al every one of them as that they were the Lords pleasant plant vineyard hedged in planted with the best plants yea a noble vyne whose plants were all natural yea natural branches though they did oft tymes degenerate into the plant of a strange vyne and were therefore oft tymes forsaken of God and in the end for their infidelitie quite broken off Lastly when Iohn Baptist the fore-runner of Christ Christ himself and his Apostles were to repayr the desolations of Sion and to plant the Gentiles into the root of the Iewes and to make them one inheritance and one body with them they did not by the coactive lawes of men shuffle together good and bad as intending a new monster or Chymera but admitted of such and none other as confessed their sinne and iustified God as were not of the world but chosen out of it and hated of it as did receive the word gladly and communicate â—â— of them in all things as every one had need and that in gladnes and singlenes of hart as received testimony by the H. Ghost himself that they were such as should be saved as were al of them purchased with the blood of God as for al whom there was cause to thank God as whom the Apostle did remember in his prayers with gladnes being perswaded that God could perfect his good work begon in the as became him to iudge of them all being al partakers of the grace of God with him in the confirmation of the Gospel and after all whom he longed from the verie hart root in Christ as for all whom he gave thanks alwayes making mention of them in his prayers without ceasing remembring their effectual fayth diligent love and patient hope in the Lord Iesus which did grow in every one of them Here is no such mingle mangle as M. B. would make of good and bad but al good and so avowed by the Holy Ghost though without doubt many of these were masked and hollow-harted hypocrites whose goodnes was but as the goodnes of Ephraim and Iudah like the morning cloud and like the dew which falleâ— in the morning â—ades away And now I will come to the two parables Mat. 13. with which as with two mighty Engines Mr B. others will needs push over the partition wall of separation of the saynts from the world of righteousnes from unrighteousnes of light from darknes of Christ from Beliall of the beleevers from the vnbeleevers And for ingresse into the exposition of these two parables of the field and draw nett I do desire it may be considered that for the atteyning of the right sense of the scriptures we must remember to interpret the more dark and obscure places by places more playne and easy and so parables being dark speaches and more hardly vnderstood without expresse exposition Mat. 13. 10. 11. Mark 4. 11 12 are not to expound playne rules but to be expounded by them Which proviso alone being observed might stand in stead of all answer to whatsoever out of these perverted parables could be objected The point is Mr B. following I confesse the most beaten way makes the field the visible Church and the tares scandalous offenders seen and discovered Wherevpon it must follow that as the Lord forbids the servants to meddle with the tares or with the plucking them vp but will haue them the wheat to grow together in the feild till the harvest so both ministers and people are strâ—ytly inhibited and forbidden any way to admonish censure wicked and scandalous persons in the Church but must let them there remayne without disturbance till the last judgement The venemous weeds the noysome tares Idolaters hereticks covetous persons blasphemers and all whose nature is to overspread and choak the wheat must be suffred still to grow with it And thus at once by this one prophane glosse all the texâ—s of scriptures and commaundements of Christ both for admonitions and excommunications are vtterly voided and aÌ„nihilated The brethren nay the ministers themselves may not medle with the tares the wicked to admonish or reprove them they must be let alone the sword of the Censures so gratiously given to cut of rotten members must no more now be drawn out but must rust in the sheath of this expositioÌ„ notwithstanding all the playn scriptures to the contrary Lev. 19. 17. â— Thes. â— 14. 1 Tim. 5. 30. 2 Ep. 4. 2. Mat. 18. 15. 1 Cor. 5. 4. 5. All the power of our L. Iesus Christ given to his Church for the rooting out of obstinate offenders casting down of every thing exalting it self against the knowledge of God is not onely weakened but even disanulled by this vnreasonable exposition that tares that is notorious offenders must still be suffred to grow in the feild the Church And if the parable be thus meant hovv can it be defended that any Church should cast out any offenders whomsoever how dare the Prelates in Engl with their substitutes take this forbidden weedhook into their hands vse it against any tare amongst them if any tares be to be plucked vp why not all if all be to be let alone why meddle they with any Indeed I must needs acknowledge will not wroÌ„g them that if they should execute their owne canons as they have framed them they should not very oft practise against this expositioÌ„ nor gather the tares froÌ„ among the wheat but the wheat froÌ„ amongst the tares But to proceed It may be some wil answer that Christ doth not here absolutely forbid his disciples the vse of the Censures against the wicked but rather acquaints theÌ„ before haÌ„d what wil be the estate of the Ch how the wicked wil be suffred to continue in it vncensured And if this were so it made nothing against me nor for Mr B it were the Churches sin so to suffer them I deny not but Churches vsually are to negligent remisse through want of zeal faithfulnes to the Lord in this duty But it is plain the Lord Iesus layes a flat inhibition against the weeding out of these tares expresly coÌ„maunds to let them alone this coÌ„mandemeÌ„t also he backes with two substantial reasons the first least they pluck vp the wheat with the tares v. 29 the 2. because the Lord hath appointed another time the tyme of the harvest for the plucking them out v. 30. Now some being ashamed of the grosnes in deed of the iniquity of this exposition would fayne moderate qualify the matter by turning it off to these these sinns sinners Some say that by the tares are meant the ministers onely that they are not to be medled with though they transgresse least the
be saved Rom. 10. 10. Thirdly if the new Testament speak of ordeyning Elders in the Church then doth it necessarily conclude yea expresly affirm that there were Churches before Elders were ordeyned in them But the first is manifest Act. 14. 23. therefore the second Neyther can Mr Bâ—shift of the place by saying such assemblyes are called Churches by Anticipation any more then the Papists can the scripture 1 Cor 11. 26. against transubstantiation by alledging that the Apostle speaks by Posticipation For why may not the Papists as well answer that Paul calles Christs body bread not because it is bread but because it was bread before the words of consecration as Mr B that Luke calls the assemblyes without officers Churches not because they were so but were so to be after the Elders were ordeyned amongst them neyther is it true which you affirme for confirmation of your distinction that heaven and earth were so called before they were Gen. 1. 1. the meaning of Moses onely is that God created heaven and earth first and when before they were not If yet it be further answered by any that the Church Act. 14. had Apostles over them it must be remembred that Luke in that place and action of ordination notes out three distinct orders of people the Apostles ordeyning Elders the Elders ordeyned and the Churches in which the Apostles ordeyned Elders Of the same nature is the fourth Argument grounded vpon 1 Cor. 12. 28. where God is sayd to have appointed or set in the Church Apostles Prophets Teachers necessarily implying a Church before wherein they were appointed as a Sheriffe appointed in a shyre a Maior in a City a Constable in a Parish a Steward in a familie do necessarily presuppose the Shyre City Parrish Familie wherein they are appointed And indeed where should the Lord set his stewards but in his familie Is any societie capable of the Lords officers but his corporation Is not the Eldership an ordinance given to the Church so the Elders called the Elders of the Church In the Church is not an ordinance given to the Elders nor ever called their Church in the whole New Testament Fifthly they with whom the Lord makes his Covenant to be their God and to have them his people to dwel amongst them as in his temple which have right to the promises of Christ and to his presence they are the Church of God of Christ. Gen. 17. 7. Lev. 26. 11. 12. Mat. 18. 17. 20. Apoc. 1. 11. 13. Heb. 8. 16. But a company of faythful people though they have no officers amongst them may be received into Covenant with God may be his temple and have him dwell amongst them may have right to Christ and to his promises presence except we wil say they may not be gathered in Christs name may not be called may not come out from among unbeleevers nor separate themselves touch none unclean thing Mat. 18. 17. 20. Act. 2. 39. 2 Cor. 6. 16. 17. except they have Ministers going before them For they that may separate themselves from unbeleevers may be the temple of God that is the true visible church which the temple typed out Men are not to come out of Babylon and there to stand stil remember the Lord a farr of but must resort to the place where he hath put his name for which they need not go eyther to Ierusalem or to Rome or beyond the seas they may find Siòn the Lords mountain prepared on the top of every hil If they as lively stones couple themselves together by voluntary profession covenant they are a spirituall building the Lords Temple 6. If a company of faythful people without officers be not a Church then if all the officers of a Church should dye or fall away the Church should be nullified and become no church and to come nearer home graunting for a while the parish of Worksop to be a company of faythfull people if Mr Bernard should leave his Vicaridge for a better then the church of Worksop should be dischurched and remayne a Church no longer and thus an assembly might be Churched and vnchurched and Churched agayn every week in the time of persecution or plague by having and loosing and recovering againe her officers and thus the officers should not be the eyes or tongue of the body for the body remaynes a true though an imperfect body without them but the head of it yea the Pope though he hold himself the head of the Church yet acknowledgeth it a Church without him and in the time of vacancy Wee read Rev. 2. 5. that the Lord threatens to remove the candlestick from the Ephesians except they amend Now the candlestick is the Church chap. 1. 20. and to remove the candlestick is to dischurch the assembly or to wipe it out of the beadrowl of Churches Here is sin the discharging an assembly but that the death of the officers should do it is no where found We will acknowledge the Ministers to be the lights starres candles in the the candlestick the Church that the Ministers death or fall is the removing of the light in a great measure but we may not graunt them to be the Candlestick that is the Church wherein they are set as 1 Cor. 12. 28. which may stand still though they fall 7. If a company of Saynts where no officers are be not a true visible Church then may they have no visible communion together eyther publick or private the reason is because the communion of saynts is an effect or property of the Church and the Church a cause of it the invisible Church of invisible communion and the visible Church of visible communion And as we can have no fellowship with Christ in his merits and other works of mediation till we be in our persons ioyned vnto him by faith and grafted in him as the braunches in the vine so neither can we have communioÌ„ one with another in any spirituall grace or work till we be vnited one to another in love as the members of the body vnder the head Communion in works whether naturall civil or religious doth necessarily presuppose vnion of persons Yea if such a company be not a Church I see not how their seed can have right to baptism no nor how their own baptism caÌ„ be accounted true in the right ends vses of it For 1. baptism is within and not without the Church Ephe. 4. 4. 5. Secondly it is the seal of the covenant which is the form of the Church to the faithfull and their seed Act. 2. 38. 39. Thirdly it is of the members into the body of Christ 1 Cor. 12. 12. 13. Lastly where the essentiall causes of a Church are to be found viz. matter and form there is a Church But this may be in such assemblies as have no officers ergo The former proposition is evident in it self for the essentiall causes give being vnto the th
he so much as commaund them any thing and here the Lord sets a people apart to be his and separates them from others in respect of some special peice of service appointed them The things you speak are contrary but neyther of them true The Lord never did nor will take people vnto him but by their submission and obedience vnto his commaundements and for that speciall service of God enioyned the Israelites it was an effect of their separation from other people and covenaunt with God and no cause by or for which they became the Lords separated people We must alwayes consider the Church of God principally and properly in the persons of men and secondarily in their works as we must first consider the vineyard in the trees and afterwards in the fruites they bring forth And so was Israel separated and set apart from other people Your addition thaâ— by other people is meant such as worshipped nâ—â—â—he true God which is nothing to you which worship Iesus Christ c. and that there is no place to prove that Israelites were to separate from other Israelites for their corruptions as false matter is like that which goes before For first Papists and Anabaptists with Idolaters and Heretiques many mo do worship Iesus Christ from whose societies notwithstanding you professe separation 2. The Ismaelites Edomites did worship the true God though not after a true manner and yet the Israelites were a people separated from them so as an Edomite though he had voluntarily joyned himself to the people of God might not beare any publick office amongst them to the third generatioÌ„ which you too ignoraÌ„tly expound pag. 248 of his admission into the Church Yea I do further adde that even Israelites and those which came of Israel or Iaakob were coÌ„maunded to separate themselves from Israelites and that for an vsurpation in the ministery as the scriptures make it playn Num. 16. as afterwards also vpon Ieroboams defection in the ministery worship holy dayes which he forged in his own hart 2 Chron. 11. 13. 14. 15. 16. with â— King 12. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. And thus is the exposition cleared against your frivolous exceptions of such scriptures in Levit and els where as make mention of the separation of the Iewish nation from all other nations which do fitly also serve to confirm justifie the separation of all the Churches in the new testament from such people and assemblies in all nations as of whom the Lord by his revealed will cannot besayd to accept as I am sure he cannot prophane and godles persons Now bycause the yssue of all controversies depends vpon the true exposition of the scriptures whose letter men will bring on both sides and that Mr B. takes speciall exception in this place against the expositions we give of such scriptures as seem to vs most materiall for our separation I wil therefore take in his exceptions as I return whence I came and make manifest as God inableth me the insufficiencie of them The next place that comes into coÌ„sideratioÌ„ is Act. 2 40. where â—ayth Mr B. Peter speakes to the Iewes of such Iewes as denyed Christ renounced the very foundation even Iesus Christ which is if we will beleeve him nothing to them that profesie him to be the true Messias It seemes then that separation is not to be made from the Papists for they hold Iâ—sus Christ to be the true Messias the very foundation yea even the merit of their works do they found vpon the merit of Christs obedience derogating lesse in truth though far too much from theÌ„ vertue of his Preisthood then you do in the constitution of your Church from the dignity of his kingdom in the outward government administration of it 2. Your nationall Church is so farre from being separated from them that deny Christ as it is indeed for substance compact and gathered of such to wit of impure and prophane persons who whatsoever they do professe â—â— word do deny in deed and visibly both God and our Lord Iesus Christ as the scriptures do expresly testifie And to deny that apparant wicked and prophane men or Churches do rayse the foundation of religion is a prophane errour tending to libertiuism and which foundeth all religion and Christianity in the brayn and nothing in the heart Lastly Peters exhortation vpon the occasion in hand was that the faithful Iewes should separate from that froward generation wherevpon the generall doctrine is rightly raysed that the faithfull at all tymes must be separated from all froward generations And of this duty wee are to make the greater conscience considering the words of the Apostle which are that we save our selves from such froward generations as indeed considering the duty we ow vnto our brethreÌ„ for their humbling if they be froward in sinne the discomfort wee haue in continuing communion with them the want of that godly furtherance wee should haue by our brethren in our holy communion and lastly the daunger wherein wee stand eyther to be corrupted by them or at least to haue our zeal and other graces of God decayed in vs our salvation doth not a little consist in our departure from the assembly of the prophane as Beza rightly notes vpon this scripture Of the same nature with the former place is the next in order where the Apostle Paul both departs himself separates the disciples from such as were hardened and would not obey but spake evill of the way of the Lord before the multitude Act. 19. 8. 9. But this you say proves not our purpose and your exceptions are First that our way is not the way of God 2. that if is were yet wee have not spoken to all your Church made it known to all nor haue found all hard hearted and 3. that the place teacheth separation from such obstinate wicked which will not bee wonne to the Church and that here is a departing of some true members of the Church from such as be not the Church but not of members of the true Church forsaking meÌ„bers of the true Church That our way is the way of God appeareth by this very scripture amongst many others wherein also wee haue both the reformists at home and reformed Churches abroad giving testimony with vs for the substance of it But put the case ours be not yet if the way of the reformed Churches be the way of God our separation is justified by this scripture For first your convocatioÌ„ house Church representative is hardened against the way of the reformed Churches blaspheming and persecuting it and all them that eyther seek or plead for it And their act being the cheif is by your own graunt to be accounted the act of all though the rest come not to consent so that you are all by your own words to be acounted a disobedient and hardened people vpon the former praemises namely that the way of the
of your owne hart But let vs heare your advise Quaere Whether it be an offence iustly given by thee or taken without iust reason of others thou not offending and they displeased the fault is their own and thou not chargeable therewith But you must vnderstand Mr B. that in the vnseasonable vse of things in themselves indifferent there is an offence both given taken and so a double sinn coÌ„mitted he that gives the offence sinns through want of charity and he that takes it through want or weaknes of fayth And so where actions simply good do onely hurt him that takes offence and actions simply evill him that gives it the vse of things indifferent agaynst expediency hurts harmes and destroyes both Rom. 14. 15. Now the parts of your secoÌ„d enquiry viz. whether men be offended in respect of what themselves know or butled by affection disliking of other mens dislike are insufficient For men do oft tymes take offence at things done and yet neyther in respect of their own knowledge nor of other mens dislike but merely through want of knowledg and vpon ignorance of their christian liberty And such were the weak brethren spoken of Rom. 14. 1 Cor. 8. and 9. which how they were to be tendered in their weaknes let the places iudge And for persoÌ„s partially affectionate or foolishly froward which is the mayn point in the 3. Quaere they are no way to be regarded as weak but on the contrary to be reproved as wayward contentious that folly and sinne may not rest vpon them Onely let men take heed they iudge not vncharitably of their brethren because they would practise vncharitably towards them as Nabal reviled David and his men as runnagates because he would deal churlishly with them and would shew them no mercy In the forth place it is demaunded What authority may do in things externall for outward rule in the circumstances of things How colourably you cary all the abominations in your Church vnder the shadow of circumstances and of how great moment even circumstances are in the case of religion I have formerly spoken let me onely ad thus much If a subject should vsurp the crown and exercise regall authority the difference were but in the circumstance of person which notwithstanding made the action high treason Or if a Preist comming to say his evensong should fall a sleep on his desk it were but a matter of circumstance in respect of tyme and place it might lawfully be done in another place and at another tyme yet there then it were a great prophaning of the service book What sway authority hath in the Church of England appeareth in the lawes of the land which make the goverment of the Church alterable at the Magistrates pleasure and so the Clergy in their submission to K. Henry 8. do derive as they pretend their ecclesiasticall jurisdiction from him and so exercise it Indeed many of the late Bishops and their Procters seeing how monstrous the ministration is of divine things by an humane authority and calling and growing bould vpon the present disposition of the Magistrate have disclaimed that former title and do professedly hold their eclesiasticall power and jurisdiction de jure divino so consequentâ—y by Gods word vnalterable Of whom I would demaund this one quaestion What if the King should discharge and expell the present ecclesiasticall goverment plant in stead of it the Presbytery or Eldership would they submit vnto the government of the Elders yea or no if yea then were they traytors to the Lord Iesus submitting to a goverment overthrowing his goverment as doth the Praesbyterian goverment that which is Episcopall if no then how could they free themselves from such imputations of disloyalty to Princes and disturbance of States as wherewith they load vs others opposing them But to the quaestion it self As the kingdom of Christ is not of this world but spirituall he a spiritual King so must the goverment of this spirituall kingdom vnder this spirituall King needs be spiritual all the lawes of it And as Christ Iesus hath by the merits of his Preisthood redemed as well the body as the soule so is he also by the scepter of his Kingdom to rule reign over both vnto which Christian Magistrates as well as meaner persons ought to submit themselves the more Christian they are the more meekly to take the yoke of Christ vpon them and the greater authority they have the more effectually to advance his scepter over themselves their people by all good meanes Neyther can there be any reason given why the merits of saynts may not as wel be mingled with the merits of Christ for the saving of his Church as the lawes of men with his lawes for the ruling and guiding of it He is as absolute and as intire a King as he is a Preist and his people must be as carefull to praeserve the dignity of the one as to enjoy the benefit of the other The next Quaere is Whether authority commaunding doth not take away the offence which might otherwise be given in a voluntary act This question is answered affirmatively by the Bishops their adhaerents and so with one voice they affirme in their books pulpits and other publik determinations but herein as palpably flattering the Magistrate as ever Canonist did the Pope What more was ever given to the Pope then that he might dispence with the morall law And what lesse is given to the King when by his authority I vse things indifferent with offence to my weak brother Is not love the fulfilling of the law And is it not against the law of love to vse things indifferent with offence which must the more carefully be avoyded coÌ„sidering the effects it drawes with it which are not onely the grief vvhich were too much but even the destruction of him for whom Christ dyed ver 5. 20. 1 Cor. 8. 11. Onely he which can strengthen the weak faith which is the cause of the offence can take away the offence and stablish him that is weak Rom. 14. 4. Men may and must vse meanes for that purpose and not nourish the weak in their weaknes but beare them they must in love and much love will have much patience Lastly for I passe over the 5. Quaere as comprehended in those which go before where you advise meÌ„ to studie agayn to study to be quiet and to follow those things which concerne peace it is needfull counsel and againe needfull considering what vnquiet spirits are to be found in all places Onely let men in their counsayls which you leave out ioyne with peace aedification and holynes as the scriptures teach and so separating the pretious from the vile they shal be to vs as Gods mouth and let their peace be in the word of righteousnes the ioy of the counselers of peace shal be vpon
our selves our witnes is not true but if the word of God beare witnes with vs and against you it must stand And for the advauntage which you suppose you have gayned at vs where we acknowledge our differences to be onely your corruptions it will nothing at all enrich you or better your Church For there are corruptions essentiall and in the very causes constitutive matter forme aswell as els where there are corruptions which eat out the very heart of a thing as well as such as hinder the working onely or steyn the work And we may truely say of all the abhominable doctrines and devises in Rome that they are but so many corruptions of those pure truthes holy ordinances which that Church at the first received from Christ the Lord. And for your similitude of a man whom you say corruptions make not a false man but a corrupt man you are deceived in it whether you consider a man naturally or morally Naturally what is death but the corruption of the man as generatio corruptio are opposed And what is rottennes but the corruption of the body Now these do more then make a corrupt man or corrupt body they do destroy the very being But consider a man morally as in the case of religion he must be considered then morall corruptions vices do eyther make a false man or els a traytor a theif a cousener is a true man which patronage I hope Mr B. will not vndertake The second rank of reasons which Mr B. brings against us are certayne greivous sinns wherewith he sayth all in our way are polluted for which according to our own principle no man may ioyn himselfe vnto vs. The sins he nameth are a renunciation of Gods mercy and of all good things and men with them vnthankfulnes to God and the Church spirituall vncharitablenes audacious censuring a desire to hinder yea to extinguish all the spirituall good they publiquely enioy and a wish of destruction vnto the people and the like Greivous accusations certaynly but if to accuse be to convince who shal be innocent not the Lord Iesus himselfe nor his holy Apostles whose examples in vndergoing the like reproches and in patient bearing of the same at the hands of wicked men if we had not before our eyes eyther our harts would break in vs for sorrow or we should be provoked to render reproach for reproach so sin against God Our first supposed sin is that wofull entrance before named for which I refer the reader to that which hath been before answered But they in England sayth Mr B. enter by baptisme renouncing the Divill and sin So do the Papists as loud as they and with as many godfathers and godmothers crossing and blessing themselves against the Divill and all his works as much as they do And for the renunciation of Gods mercy and all good men and good things in them in the Church of England because we refuse communion there it is a foule charge layd vpon vs but to which we are no more lyable then were the Levites when they forsook Ieroboams Church and repayred to Ierusalem the place which the Lord had chosen For in Israell which they forsook were to be found both good persons and things 1 King 14. 13. and 19. 18. Now where in the last place Mr B. chargeth vs not to make vnclean what God hath cleansed Act. 10. 1â— we on the contrary advise him not to account that clean which sinn and Antichrist doth defyle Let him or any other man on earth shew vnto vs by the word of God that a Church gathered and consisting of persons for the most part defyled with all manner of impiety is clensed by God or that the dayly sacrifice the service book is as a lamb without spot or that the spirituall courts so miscalled are sanctified of God for the government of his kingdome on earth or that the Court keepers the Archflamins and Flamins the Provinciall and Diocesan Bishops with theyr Chauncelers Commissaryes Archdeacons and other officers are his holy ones vpon whome he hath put his Vrim and Thummim and then let vs beare our rebuke if we do not returne to the Church of England and humble ourselves vnder her hand as Hagar did her selfe vnder the hand of her mistresse Gen. 16. 9. The second sinn wherewith Mr B. chargeth vs is our great vnthankfulnes 1. to God that begat vs by his word eyther by denying our conversion â—r els accounting it a false conversion 2. towards the Church of England our mother whom we desire to make a whore before Christ her husband condemn â—â—r c. And this accusation he shutteth vp with most bitter execrations against vs as vnworthy to breath in the ayre For the thankfulnes of our harts vnto the Lord our God for his vnspeakeable mercies we leave it vnto him that knowes the hart and for the manifestation of it vnto men we referr them to our entyre though weak obedience to the whol revealed wil of God and ordinances of Christ Iesus which we take to be the most acceptable sacrifice of thankfulnes which by man can be offered to the Lord. And for our personall conversion in the Church of England we deny it not but do and alwayes have so done iudge and professe it true there and so was Luthers conversion true in the Church of Rome els could not his separation from Rome have been of faith or accepted of God The same may be sayd of all the persons and Churches in the world which have forsaken Rome Our third imagined sinn is spirituall vncharitablenes appearing in our deep censures vpon all at least not inclinable vnto vs condemning such as know not our way as blinded by the God of this world the Divell such as seâ— it yeeld not vnto it as worldlings fearefull convinced in conscience going on in presumptuous sin such as forsake it having formerly enclyned vnto it Apostates and if they oppose it godles persequuters hunters after soules such as shall certainly grow worse worse so as men shall say God is revenged on them c. If any one man have thus peremptorily defined eyther in word or writing as Mr B. witnesseth it was that one mans fault and is not to be imputed to the rest of vs more then Mr B. most malicious hateful accusatioÌ„s in this book to all the Ministers people in the Church of Engl. wherof I doubt not but thowsaÌ„ds are ashamed and to which they would be more vnwilling to subscribe then he to the Bishops canons I for mine own part onely exhort all men in all places as they look to be approved at that day when the secrets of all hearts shal be disclosed that they deale faithfully in the Lords busines take heed they neyther forbeare through partiall praejudice or fleshly feare to inquire after the truth nor with hould it in vnrighteousnes if they have found it
baptism received in Rome is to be held makes ordination the calling of the Ministers all one Wherein as he vnfitly compares together things not to be compared to wit baptism into the name of the true God ordinatioÌ„ into a false office except he hold a masse-preisthood a true office so doth he vnadvisedly confound a part with the whole yea the last and least part as ordination is and which doth indeed depend vpon the peoples lawfull election as an effect vpon the cause by vertue of which it is justly administred may be thus described or considered of vs as the admission of or putting into possession a person lawfully elected into or of a true Office of Ministery For example the Maior Baylife or other cheif officer in a priviledged City or Corporation is chosen by the people to his office but withall must be entred and inaugurated with some solemn ceremony as the giving of the Cities keyes or sword into his hand or the like by his praedecessour So is it with the Ministers the officers of this spirituall corporation the Church the right vnto their offices they have by election the possession of theÌ„ by ordination with the ceremony of imposition of hands The Apostle Peter advertising the disciples or brethren that one so fitted as is there noted was to be made in the room of Iudas a witnesse with the eleven Apostles of the resurrection of Christ when two were by them praesented such as were fit and by them so deemed did with the rest praesent them two and none other to the Lord that he by the iÌ„mediate directioÌ„ of the lot might shew whether of them two he had chosen In like maner the twelve being to institute the office of Deaconry in the Ch at Ierusalem called the multitude of the disciples together and informed them what manner of persons they were to chuse which choise being made by the brethren accordingly and they so chosen praesented to the Apostles they forthwith ordeyned them by vertue of the election so made by the brethren To these ad that the Apostles PAUL BARNABAS being therevnto called by the H. Ghost did passe from Church to Church and from place to place and in every Church where they came did ordeyn them Elders by the peoples election signified by their lifting vp of hands as the word is and as the vse was in popular elections throughout those countries Now the Apostles were in a manner straungers vnto them coÌ„ming as it were to one place over night and ready to depart the next morning or at least tarrying a very small whyle in every Church as doth appear both by the course of the story by the many severall places they passed to fro those some of them distant one from another a great space both by sea and land So that neyther the liberty of the very Apostles was so great in ordeyning as was the peoples in chusing neither were they to ordeyn but such as the other choose nor but to ordeyn them except just exception were against them neyther was their ordination so much as the others election no more then possession is so much as right neyther did the Apostles in their ordination rely so much vpon their own as vpon the peoples knowledge and experience of the men which were to be called into office Besides these things though it appear that Paul Barnabas were ordeyned by laying on of hands to that speciall work appointed them by the H. Ghost and that the Euangelists were so ordeyned and so the Bishops or Elders in the Churches by the Apostles and Euangelists yet read we of no such solemnity performed by Christ upon his Apostles when he called them nor by Peter or the Apostles at the choise of Mathias Act. 1. but being by the people praesented with Ioseph and by the Lord singled out by lot he was by a common consent counted with the eleven Apostles Wherevpon also some reformed Churches haue thought that this solemn ordination by imposition of hands is of no such necessity but that it might be vsed or not vsed indifferently and so have practised But the judgement and plea when they deal with vs of the most forward men in the Land in this case I may not omit which is that they renounce disclaym their ordination by the Prelates and hold their Ministery by the peoples acceptation Now if the acceptation of a mixt company vnder the Praelates government as is the best parish assembly in the kingdom wherof the greatest part haue by the revealed will of God no right to the covenant ministery or other holy things be sufficient to make a minister then much more the acceptation of the people with vs being all of them joyntly and every one of them severally by the mercy of God capable of the Lords ordinances These things thus opened I come in the next and last place to manifest what liberty the scriptures just consequence good reason do allow the people for the reducing themselves into the order and under the Ministery of Christ after some generall cofusion such as the Papacy was and is And for this purpose I entreat the reader to recognize with me the points lately mentioned and proved in the former part of the book namely that a company of faithful people in the covenant of the Gospel are a Church though without officers that this Church hath interest in all the holy things of God within it self and immediately vnder Christ the head without any forreyn assistance that in cases a private person or brother in such a Church may do a necessary work of an officer lastly that the keyes of the kingdom were given to and the Church to be built vpon the rock of Peters confession Math. 16. And so I come to the point it self I do then acknowledge that where there are already lawfull officers in a Church by and to which others are called there the former vpon that election are to ordeyn and appoint the latter The officers being the ministers of the Church are to exequute the determinations and iudgements of the Church vnder the Lord the Censures of deposition and excommunication by pronouncing the sentence of iudgment and by it as by the sword of the spirit drawn out cutting of the officer from his office and the member from the bodie and all coÌ„munion with it So are they to exequute the peoples election by pronouncing the person elect to his office charging him with the faythfull execution of it with imposition of hands and prayer And indeed ordination in the calling of the ministers is properly the exequutioÌ„ of electioÌ„ But as in a civil corporation or City though the Maior Baylif or other cheif officer elect be at his â—nterance and inauguration to receive at the hands of his praedecessour the sword or keyes of the City or to have some other solemn Ceremony by him performed vnto him