Plain Evidences the Church of England is Apostolical, Part · Response · Part 7
The ſeauenth Likelihood.
THe ill ſucceſſe it hath had theſe very many yeares, being no more encreaſed.
This in my other Booke hauehave I ſpoken of, to wit,Page. 42. that God aduanceth and proſpereth, whom hee ſets on worke, and to them he giueth power, with extraordinary men hee dealeth extraordinarily, as we may ſee by his dealing in all ages, eyther in the planting of Churches, or reformation of them, let them ſhew the contrary if they can. And therefore it is likely that theſe new Reformers hauing ſo ill ſucceſſe; both abroad, and at home, by diuiſion among themſelues, are not ſet on worke by the Lord, as inſtruments for his glory in his owne cauſe. The contrary may wee ſee in the Lords cauſe by Moſes in planting; by Eliah in reforming; by Iohn Baptiſt; the Apoſtles; by Luther, and others his fellow helpers.
Reply to Mr. Ainſworths Anſwere toPage. 160. this ſeauenth Likelihood.
HEe paſſeth ouer, as his manner is, the reaſons and inſtances giuen for the Likelihood, and what is ſpoken of their voluntarie running out of England, drawing people in danger of a Statute againſt Fugitiues, from vnderunder the authoritie of their Soueraigne into a ſtrange Nation: theſe things obiected, hee hath not anſwered. That which Anſwere. hee ſaith to the Likelihood in ſumme is, that if the ill ſucceeding of their cauſe be a Likelihood to condemne it, then might the cauſe of God, profeſſed by Noah, and by the Patriarkes, be diſallowed, becauſe it proſpered little for many yeeres, when the wicked did flowriſh.
Reply. I anſwere firſt, the conſequence followes not, the caſe is not alike. Noah and the reſt had no new way from the Church of God being then it themſelues. Noah was in the declining age of the world, and was by lincall diſcent and ſucceſſiuely a Preacher, not one that brake out from Gods Church extraordinarily, as theſe would be held to doe, to plant new Churches, and make new Couenants, wherein, as I hauehave ſaid, God doth giuegive an extraordinary bleſſing. The place cited to proue that there ſhall be few in the Church,He alledgeth but falſely, the place of S. Luke. 17. 26. as in Noahs time, is miſalledged: it ſheweth the ſecuritie that ſhall be in the world; but not the fewneſſe of perſons in the Church: and at this time it helpeth not them, when we doe ſee before our eyes that it is the time of confoundingWe liue in the time of Antichriſts conſumption. Antichriſt, who muſt decreaſe, and the Church encreaſe, till the fulnes of the Gentiles come in, and the Iewes be brought to the truth, as the Apoſtle doth foreſhew. The encreaſe of the Church now hath the ground from Gods promiſe, and it is a greater Likelihood from thence, that we, that is, all Reformed Churches, which hauehave forſaken Antichriſt, and doe multiply greatly in number againſt him, ſince Luthers time, ſhould be Gods Church, then a few out-goers nothing proſperous in their way.
Againe, the not encreaſing of the Church in time of theWhy the Church in the old time could not increaſe as the Church of the new Teſtament may. Patriarkes, was no cauſe of ſtumbling then, for that it was kept in families, and ſtood vponupon ſuch as came by naturall generation, from the ſtocke of Abraham; and therefore could not ſo encreaſe by Abraham begetting one, Iſaac two, Iacob twelue, as now vnderunder the Goſpell; one may beget to God at once three thouſand ſoules as Peter did: and for that then there was not come in the time of fulneſſe to call the Gentiles.
Reply to Mr. Smiths Anſwere.Page 129.
THe truth (ſaith hee) encreaſeth in ſhort ſpace into a multitude. The Separation doth not encreaſe but is kept vnderunder: Ergo, the Separation is not the truth. Thus he reaſoneth for me, but I frame my owne argument after this manner:
That which from the beginning for many yeares, in the time My likelihood framed into an argument.of reformation, had ill ſucceſſe, and that by the oppoſition of the godly, is likely not to be good, and approued of God: Firſt, becauſe God hath promiſed ſucceſſe vntounto his truth after the reuelation of Antichriſt, to the conſuming of him, as we finde2. Theſ. 2. to be true ſince Luthers time: And ſecondly, becauſe it is probable that godly men will not ſo be left continually to oppoſe ſo great and eſſentiall a truth to ſaluation, as theſe men pretend their cauſe to be, to keepe it ſo euer vnderunder, but eyther God in mercy would reforme them or correct them.
But the Separation from the beginning for many yeares, in the time of Reformation hath had ill ſucceſſe, and that by the oppoſition of the Godly.
And therefore is likely not to be the good and approued way of God.
Anſwere. His anſwere is, (to that argument which hee framed for mee) that Chriſts flock is but a little flocke: Reply. but I ſay yet it is not like his, of ſome fortie or fifty perſons, nor yet ſo few as fiue hundred, little it is in compariſon of the world, but yet in it ſelfe great. But what if it be little; ergo, eueryevery little company is Chriſts flock; a weake reaſon, then the Arians, the Anabaptiſts, the Familiſts are Chriſts flock. And on the contrary, if they be many and a great number, thoſe ſhould not be the Church of God.
Anſwere. But he tels me (if he may be beleeued) that the Separation hath had infinite encreaſe euer ſince Luthers time: and what is his reaſon, for that the Separation is the ſame withMr. Smith acknowledgeth the Separatiſts and Reformed Churches the ſame in Eſſentiall parts. Reply the Reformed Churches, in the maine and eſſentiall parts, and therefore looke how the Reformed Churches hauehave increaſed, ſo much hath the Separation increaſed. By this reaſon we and they are come to be one alſo; I would hauehave thought, that they and we ſhould neuer hauehave patcht in one: If he can make themſelues one with the reformed churches and we alſo our ſelues one with the Reformed Churches, vponupon the ſame ground, then as they be one with them, ſo are they with vsus, and if they iudge them true Churches, ſo muſt they eſteeme of vsus. Now that we and the Reformed Churches are one, I thus argue from his reaſon: They that agree with the Reformed Churches in the maine and We and the Reformed Churches agree in the maine truth, and therefore are one true Church in the conſtitution.principall points, are one with them. But we doe agree with the Reformed Churches in the maine and principall points: as the Harmonie of Confeſſion, and the 39. Articles declare. Therefore are we and they one. If they be a true Church, we cannot be a falſe: if Mr. Smith herein ſay true, and his argument be good, then the Separatiſts, the Reformiſts, and the Church of England are one, and the ſame in the maine and Eſſentiall points of Religion, and therefore cannot we be ſeparated from, for either falſe or no Churches of Chriſt, more then they ſeparate from other Churches; Let his brethren of the Separation anſwere this.
But for the cauſe of the Separation, conſidered by it ſelfe, it hath no agreement with the Reformed Churches,The Separatiſts conſidered in the ſole cauſes of their Separation agree not with the Reformed Churches. but is a by-path, and a Schiſmaticall way, from all the the Churches of God in the world.
His taxing of me for abuſing the place of Ezechiel cap. 3. 6. aroſe from his haſtie miſconſturing of my quoting of it, which was but partly an alluſion to the phraſe, and partly to ſhew, that to goe and to dwell among people that ſpeake what words they vnderſtand not, is not ſo great a fauour, as to remaine where we vnderſtand, and are vnderſtood what wee ſpeake, where therefore wee may doe the more good though with affliction, then to run to a ſtrange countrey, to …peake in the a…re.
Anſwer. The laſt of his anſwere is, whereas I ſay, that the Separatiſts leaue a Curſe behind them, he gathereth thence an Argument to proue that they hauehave the truth. Reply. A fearefull defence, from a curſe to conclude themſelues bleſſed. It may ſeeme he doth thus reaſon: They that leaue a Curſe where they come, hauehave the truth. But the Separatiſts leaue a Curſe A ſtrange Argument of Mr. Smiths, to proue that the Separatiſts hauehave the truth.where they come. Therefore they hauehave the truth. The Minor he granteth, and I put him to proue his Maior. Though the word of God to the Reprobate be the ſauour of death to death, yet eueryevery doctrine that is ſo, is not the word of God. The word of God is but ſo accedentally, but falſe doctrine, Hereſie and Schiſme are ſo in themſelues. Theſe be a curſe to others, and to the authors and bringers, ſo is not Gods word, & therfore to alledge what the word is by occaſion, is no proof for his expoſition to vphold Schiſme. And this much for Mr. Smiths froth, that is, his idle and deceitfull anſwers to my Likelihoods, which hee calleth my froth: whether ſo or no, let the reader now iudg between vsus.
To all that hath beene ſaid I will adde a reaſon, drawne from their diſſenſions among themſelues: & I thus frame it:
They that dayly rend themſelues a ſunder, ſo one from another into diuers parts, yet being all of one conſtitution, as they renounce all ſpirituall communion together, & liue as ſeuerall bodyes it is very likely that ſuch apeople are not the church of God.
For the Church of God are of one heart, and liue in Spirituall communion with one accord, Acts 2. and 4. and to be contentious is not the cuſtome of Gods Church. 1. Cor. 11. 6.
But the Separatiſts dayly rend themſelues ſo one from another into diuers parts, though they be all of one conſtitution, as they renounce all ſpirituall communion together, and liue as ſeuerall bodyes.
This is apparant by their dayly practiſe, and by inſtance of theſe companies lately departed from vsus, as is ſhewed before.
Obiection. But they may peraduenture ſay, that contention hath beene in the trueſt and beſt Churches of God, and therefore by this Likelihood, thoſe Churches might not be the Churches of God.
Anſwere. It is one thing to hauehave contentions, and another thing to be rent a ſunder ſo, as there be partakings to make ſeuerall bodies, & then ſo to liue without brotherly communion, as they doe: Mr. Iohnſon and his Church, Mr. Smith and his company, Mr. Robinſon and his flocke; all profeſſing Separation, and yet to ſtand in a plaine diuiſion without a holy communion together viſibly, yea, ſo farre are they in diſcord, as one will excommunicate and caſt an other to the deuil: let them ſhew whether the true Churches of God do ſo contend, and teare one another: it will not be found but among Schiſmaticks. Though we hauehave contentions, yet we hold communion, becauſe we are of one conſtitution. Therefore the Separatiſts are likely not to be the Church of God.
Now before I end my Likelihoods, that they may not ſo lightly be regarded, I heare muſter them together, that though one ſeeme to be weake conſidered by it ſelfe, yet all of them together may be a ſtrong reaſon, and motiue to perſwade them to looke vntounto their ſtanding, and to keepe others from haſtie running vntounto them. Conioyntly I therefore as one Argument vrge them all againſt that way, thus:
The way which differeth from all beſt Reformed Churches A Summarie reaſon of all that hath been ſaid.of Chriſt in the world, which agreeth with ancient condemned Schiſmaticks, which is maintained by great abuſe of Scripture, which no other Church of God in the world approueth of, which godly, learned and famous Diuines doe condemne, which the Lord by his hand of iudgement diſclaimeth, which hath ill ſucceſſe, in which one ſort of it rends another in ſunder, hatefully renouncing all Spirituall communion one with another, it is very likely that ſuch a way is not the way of God but Schiſme.
But ſuch is the way of the Separation, as the particulars which hauehave beene proued doe declare. And therefore it is moſt likely that the way of the Separation is not the way of God, but Schiſme.
It is Reader, the ſin one the right hand, as there is a ſin on the left hand, as Salomon teacheth, Pro. 4. 27. But pray and hearken after the word of God, which Eſai ſaith, Thou ſhalt heare it behinde thee, ſaying, this is the way walke Eſay. 30. 21.in it, when thou turneſt to the right hand, or when thou turneſt to the left. This grace God grant the Reader: Amen. And thus much for my moſt likely Likelihoods.
Now follow Reaſons, after the Probabilities, which I will firſt ſet downe, and then make a Reply vntounto both Mr. Ainſworths, and Mr. Smiths anſwere. The Reaſons alledged againſt them are three-fold: taken firſt, from the euill of the entrance into their way: ſecondly, from the perſons grieuouſly ſinning in the way: and thirdly, from their opinions erronious and falſe.