Plain Evidences the Church of England is Apostolical, Part · Response · Part 1
Of the Reaſons drawne from the entrance into their way: the firſt I thus frame.
THat way which cauſeth in the entrance therinto, a breach of a lawfull vnion and fellowſhip, is not to be imbraced.
Becauſe it is againſt godly peace commended, Rom. 14. 17. Commanded, Pſal. 34. Heb. 12. 14. And againſt louelove commanded: Heb. 10. 24. 25. and commended, 1. Cor. 13.
But the Separation cauſeth in the entrance thereinto, a breach of a lawfull vnion and fellowſhip.
Firſt, that it cauſeth a breach, it is out of queſtion, for itTheir way cauſeth a breach of a lawful vnion and peace. is a forſaking of our Chriſtian profeſſing: in communion with vsus; it is a caſting off of the effectual preaching of Gods word here deliuered, by what Miniſter ſoeuer in our ſtanding; it is a renouncing of all ſpirituall fellowſhip with eueryevery one here, liue hee neuer ſo Religiouſly, their Writings witneſſe this, and their practiſe alſo. Secondly, that it cauſeth Reaſons proouing the ſame.a breach of a lawfull vnion & fellowſhip is alſo an euident truth: firſt, it is lawfull to hold communion in profeſſion in that whereunto men are come. Phil. 3. 16. though thereIt is lawfull to heare the word preached among vsus. be defects: ſecondly, it is lawfull to heare Gods word among vsus, being found to be the truth, and powerfull by Gods aſſiſtance, preached by men publikely authoriſed. Firſt, becauſe the commandement is, to heare and ſeek with out reſtraint of perſon. Ioh. 6. 11. Secondly, becauſe here it is the voyce of Chriſt, being effectuall vponupon their conſciences; that is, his voyce by which ſuch as be dead doe liue. Iohn. 5. 25. Thirdly, becauſe the hearing of his voyce, is a marke of Chriſts Sheepe, and no mention of the perſons preaching. Iohn. 10. 27. Fourthly, becauſe the Lord pronounceth them bleſſed that heare the word. Reuel. 1. 3. Fiftly, becauſe the godly in the Primatiue time enquired not ſo much after a conſtitution or perfection of a calling, but the truth of doctrine. Act. 17. 11. So did Aquila and Priſcilla, and other Chriſtians entertaine Apollos for the truth of his Miniſterie, though hee knew not ſo much as they. Act. 18. 24. 27. Sixtly, becauſe any may preach that hauehave gifts, by their owne confeſſion out of 1. Cor. 14.Page. 132. and if by Princely authoritie they be permitted, they may preach, (as Mr. Smith alſo acknowledgeth,) therefore they may be heard out of his owne confeſſion. Seauenthly, becauſe S. Paul did ioy in the preaching of ſuch as preached Chriſt, of enuie, not purely, vnderunder a pretence to vexe him. Phil. 1. 16. 18. Now if he did ioy in the preaching lawfully, hee did reioyce in the hearing as lawfull; theſe be relata one to another. Eightly, becauſe God doth countenance the word here preached, making many able Miniſters, not 2. Cor. 3. 6.of the letter, but of the Spirit, which giueth life; And the truth of this Mr. Smith acknowledgeth, that here he receiued the Page 131. Note Reader, what Mr. Smith doth acknowledge.ſeedes of true faith, and inviſible conuerſion, as hee calleth it, effectuall to his Iuſtification and Saluation in Chriſt, if he had known no more: and this power of God here the reſt cannot deny. Then let them ſhew whether it be vnlawfull to ioyne with that which God himſelfe approueth, witneſſes are theirowne hearts: Is not the Word in the mouthes of many, the word of Reconciliation, and can their preaching be ſo, but1. Cor. 5. 19. by the bleſſing and fauour of the Lord, who is the ſpirit which giueth life? 2. Cor. 3. 17. with 6. Ninthly, becauſe as the Corinthians were to heare the Apoſtle, vponupon his reaſons, for that he begat them, hee their Father, they his Chil…ren. 1. Cor. 4. 15. hee the Lords Ambaſſadour, they the Seale thereof. 1. Cor. 9. 2. 3. They the Epiſtle of Chriſt miniſtred and written by him and others, with the ſpirit of the liuing God. 2. Cor. 3. 3. So vponupon the very ſame grounds may many, if not all of theſe Separatiſts heare diuerſe of our Miniſters, who may truely ſpeake as the Apoſtle, (touching the effect of their miniſterie) to theſe and claime them as his children, by the worke of the Lord, in their reformation of life. Tenthly, becauſe our Sauiour Chriſt allowed men to heare the Scribes and Phariſes, Hypocrites,Mat. 23. 2. 3. falſe Teachers, and his very enemies, who ſaid and did not. Eleauenthly, and laſtly, becauſe there is no Scripture which teacheth, that it is a ſinne to heare Gods word preached of ſuch as do preach the truth, and as they that heard it hauehave receiued thereby Gods ſpirit of grace by their owne teſtimonie, nor any place forbidding to heare ſuch: and therefore it is lawfull to heare the word ſo among vsus.
Thirdly, it is lawfull to hauehave ſpirituall communion withIt is lawfull to hauehave ſpirituall communion with ſuch as be Godly. ſuch as be godly, that is, ſuch as profeſſe godlineſſe, and doe liue honeſtly. Dauid will hauehave fellowſhip with ſuch. Pſal. 101. 9. there is no warrant to part fellowſhip with the godly, nor any example for it. This will not be denyed, it may be, but if they ſhould perhaps deny any of vsus to be godly, as Mr. Smith doth, as before is ſhewed, then to perſwade them that viſibly here be ſuch, it is thus manifeſt: firſt, by the ſhining graces of God in many in whom may be found the markes of Saints, ſet out by M•. Ainſworth: ſecondly,In his Booke of communion. of Saints. by wicked perſons mocking and abuſing ſuch men as hauehave left to walke with them in the ſame exceſſe of riot: thirdly, by the iudgement of godly learned men beyond the ſeas, teſtifying ſo much in their writings of vsus, and in their Dedicatorie Epiſtles to ſpeciall perſons: fourthly, by Mr. Ainſworths owne words in his booke againſt mee, whoPage. 66. with Mr. Iohnſon doth thinke, there are true Chriſtians and heyres of ſaluation among vsus, by the appearance of knowledge, faith and fruits thereof. If any hauehave ſo hatefull an opinion of vsus as Mr. Smith, let them by the word proue vsus all to be without the true feare of God, and then may they deny this Minor, which here is proued to be true.
And therefore the Separation being the breach of ſo lawfull an vnion and fellowſhip as is here declared, is not to be embraced.
Reply to Mr. Ainſworths Anſwere toPage 161. 162. this Reaſon.
MY anſwere thus framed, he giueth no anſwer vntounto, but that which hee ſaith, is:
Anſwere. 1 Firſt, a complaint taken vp againſt me for curſing and deceit; alluding to the Pſal. 10. 7. he ſaith, he may ſo complaine truely: Reply. but I ſay, he doth it moſt vniuſtly, let him next time ſhew my curſing and deceit, for yet he hath not ſet it downe.
Anſwere. 2 Secondly, he ſaith, they proteſt their conſent with vsus in all holy doctrines which we profeſſe, Reply. what they meane by holy doctrines I know not; but it appeareth not that they conſent in all, when they acknowledge not particularly ourWhat true doctrines the Separatiſt condemne as falſe. doctrines; but ſome holy doctrines they do condemne, and will not iuſtifie them with vsus: as namely, that the viſible Church is a mixt company of good and bad, and that in it may be not onelyonly Hypocrites, but ſome of lewd conuerſation, and yet be a true Church. This they deny by word, writing, and practiſe, contrary that eſtate of the Church of Corinth, thoſe in Aſia, and contrary to the iudgement of the beſt learnedWord and Sacraments infallible markes of a true Church. Diuines commenting vponupon the place of Math. 13. Secondly, they deny that the true word of God preached, and the true Sacraments adminiſtred, are vnfallible and conuertible markes of a true Church, elſe why do they deny our church to be a true Church, hauing theſe true markes? Doctor Whittakers againſt Bellarmine in his Booke of the Church,Queſt. 5. Page. 390. and 413. 415. bringeth in twentie places of Scripture to proue this, and confirmeth the ſame in Page 425. 435. by many arguments. Thirdly, they deny it to be lawfull to heare any in their owne conſtitution, differing in a publiſhed opinion, which themſelues diſallow, and the parties perſiſting therein, they doe condemne, as alſo the hearing of any in the Reformed Churches, and in our Aſſemblies vtterly; Mr. Iohnſons BookHis Booke againſt the hearing of our Miniſters. ſheweth this, and their excommunicating ſome for it, is proofe ſufficient: which doctrine is contrary to the iudgement and practiſe of all the Churches of Chriſt in Chriſtendome. Many other holy doctrines wee hold, which they conſent not vntounto, neyther in thoſe which they conſent vntounto, will they hauehave with vsus ſpirituall communion.
Anſwere. 3 Thirdly, to this hee anſwereth, and ſaith, they cannot The Separatiſts reaſons why they cannot keepe communion with vsus.keepe communion, becauſe they cannot inioy them without partaking of three euils: firſt, is Antichriſtian abhominations impoſed: ſecondly, Idolatry publikely ſet vp and maintained: and thirdly, Miniſters making concord betweene light and darkneſſe, vnderunder ſhewes of truths, ſeducing mens ſoules to deſtruction. Reply. What he meaneth by the firſt, hee ſhews not, let him ſet downe, firſt, what are Abhominations: and then ſecondly, what are Antichriſtian Abhominations: and thirdly, whether eueryevery Abhomination be ſufficient to make a ſeparation from the true Church, and by theNote theſe three as neceſſary to be knowne. word conuince vsus of them, and if ſo hee doe, and we yeeld not, they may condemne vsus of obſtinacy therein. The ſecond thing is very falſe, and a meere ſlander: if hee and all his company can proue from gods word, but this one thing, that here with vsus, publike Idolatrie is ſet vp, maintained, and eueryevery one thereto enforced, they may ſpare labour in other points, and make an end of this controuerſie. It ſhall therefore much auaile them, and be much for his honeſty, and free him from the accuſation of an impudent ſlanderer of his country, and the Church his mother, to proue this point: and therein firſt, to ſhew what is Idolatry by Gods word: ſecondly, that that idolatrie there condemned is here among vsus Three things neceſſarie for him to proue.committed: thirdly, that it is in our publike worſhip, and eueryevery one by Law thereunto enforced: thus ſhall he cleere the cauſe and giuegive full ſatisfaction. If he doe not this, I dare tell him he cannot, and if he cannot, he is to be held an vniuſt Calumniator in a high degree, both of his Prince, ſtate, and church. His third euill as hee accounts it, is an euill ſurmiſed, and he neuer ſhall be able to proue it; that all our Miniſters (if he meane not all, why ſpeakes he without exception?) vnderunder ſhew of truths, ſeduce mens ſoules to deſtruction; his heart knowes better, though it ſend foorth ſuch bitter water.
Anſwer. 4 Laſtly, he demaundeth whether we forſooke all former profeſſion among the Papiſts, when we left them.
Reply. I anſwer we did, in reſpect of any open communion we held with them: but we forſooke not the truths of God, which they hold, neither any priuate perſon abiding in there conſtitution, if ſo be we perceiue, and he profeſſe ſorrow for the abhominations, and declare his deſire of a better eſtate, walking as purely as he can in ſo corrupt an eſtate, though hee ſtand a member of that conſtitution. And I ſee not what word of God is againſt this, but that in priuate ſuch ſo qualified may be ioyned with in prayer, and other godly exerciſes, if they ſo affect and deſire them, euen in that ſtanding, as is aforeſaid. Such a one may be ſaid to be in that conſtitution, but hee cannot be iudged to be a liuely member of it: in his ſoule the beſt part of him is, he came out from it, though not wholy in body as were to be wiſhed: I ſay in body not wholy, but in ſome part, in that he doth auoid ſome of the groſeſt euils, and declineth the reſt as he may, for of ſuch a one here I ſpeake. If you Mr. Ainſworth can ſhew this to be againſt ſaith, louelove, and ſound Diuinitie, I will diſclaime my thoughts herein.
Reply to Mr. Smiths Anſwere toPage 130. this Reaſon.
HE frameth a reaſon for me: but compare mine and his, and thou mayeſt ſee much more in his heaped vp together, then is in my reaſon, and the weight of my reaſon left out. What I hauehave ſaid to Mr. Ainſworths Anſwere, may ſuffice to giuegive ſatiſfaction to Mr. Smith, for the firſt part of his Anſwer to this. His affirming our faith, repentance, and Baptiſme to be falſe viſibly, is his bare word, which I reiect as being no diuine Oracle, but as both falſe and abſurd, as is the ſimilitude of the mingled ſeed of an Horſe and an Aſſe, to proue our Church eſſentially corrupted. I leaue this beaſtly conceit with him; fitter for a Horſe and an Aſſe, then for a man to vtter againſt the Profeſſion of Chriſtians, and a Chriſtian Church.