Justification of Separation from the Church of England, Treatise · Section 53
It is never to be found in all the old testament that the people, but princes Mr B.and ecclesiasticall governours men in authority were reproved for suffring holy things to be abused. Ezech. 22. 26. 1▪ Sam. 2. 27. 1 King. 13. so in the new testament, Math. 23. Rev. 2. 1. 8. 12. 18. and 3. 1. 7. 14. no mē tion in these places is made of the people.
It seems Mr B. hath learnt of them which give counsel to affirmeAnsw. all things peremptorily, vnderunder hope to find some men with whom a confident affirmation will go as far as a modest proof.
But here as alwayes I do except against (as a corner stone of Babylon) your vnequall yoaking of ecclesiasticall Officers & Ministers in the govermēt of the Church, with Princes & Magistrates in their civil authority: there is no proportion betwixt them. A Lyon and an Ox will payr better then these two kinds of governours, and governments. Neyther can it be rightly sayd of Church officers that they are men in authority: they are men in *2 Chr. 35 3. Num. 16 9. Rom. 16. 31. 2 Cor. 4. 5.service and charge, whether we respect God, or the Church. They have power, I graunt, for they have the †Rom. 1. 16 1 Cor 5. 4. 5gospell to preach & minister, which is, the power of God to salvation: they are to speak with ‘*…i…. 2. 15authority, and that also in the order of office, and by speciall commission. And so the Evangelists testifie of Christ, that “Mat. 1. 7. 28. 29. Mar. 1. 22.he taught as having authority, and not as the scribes: the reason was, that where the manner of teaching amongst the Scribes was very corrupt, and degenerate, affecting the peoples harts with no reverence of God, Christ on the contrary did manifest in his teaching such vertue, and vigour of the spirit, as did draw even the prophane hearers into admiration. There are in deed in the cōmon wealth Kings, and Magistrates in authority under them, partakers of their kingly power by subordination, by which participation they properly and effectually even as the King himself, bind and loose, save and destroy, exact and procure obedience civily both in Church and cōmon wealth, and that by a kingly and lordly power over the people, whose Kings, Lords, and Maysters they are: but the Officers in the Church are in no such authority by participation of Christs kingly power, neyther can they properly and effectually bind and loose, save and destroy, exact and procure obedience as Christ doth: neyther are they, as civil Magistrates, though the Kings servants, and ministers, yet the peoples Lords, and maysters, but both Christs, and the peoples servants, and Ministers.
Now let any judge that hath in him eyther religion, or reason, conscience or cōmon sense, if it be not irreligious, vnconscionable, vnreasonable, and senselesse that the body of the Church should have no more liberty and power in the imployments of their servants and Ministers in their Office, then the body of the cōmon wealth in the imployments of their Lords, and Maysters in their Office. To this also I may adde, that there are many civil ordinā ces and constitutions in the common wealth which concerne not one of a thowsand of the Kings people, many Magistrates & Officers chosen the inferiour by the superiour without the peoples privity or cōsent, many administratiōs vsed, judgemēts passed, & exequutions done, which the greatest part of the people do not (nor are bound) so much as once to enquire after: much lesse are they bound to complayn of the breach of every civil ordinance, to see it reformed, to charge every Magistrate to look to his office, to admonish him if in any thing he deale corruptly, or wickedly, and if he will not be reclaymed but goe obstinately on (in the spirit of an Haeretick, Idolater, or Atheist) to disclaym or depose him: but in the Church, all and every ordinance concernes every person (as a part of their communion) (without the dispensation of necessity) for their vse, and †1 Cor. 3. 22. & 14. 26.aedification: all the *Act. 1. 15 23. 26. and 6. 1. 2. 3. 5. and 14. 23. & 15. 2. 3. 2. Cor. 8. 19 23.Officers to be chosen by suffrages and consent of the multitude: the brethren are to admonish their brethren of every violation of Gods commaundement, and so in order to ‘*Mat. 18 15. 17. 18.tell the Church, and to see the parties reformed: to observe and to take notice of the officers cariage, and ministration, and to “Col. 4. 17.say to Archippus (as there is need) take heed to thy ministery, that thou hast received of the Lord, that thou fulfil it: and if the Ministers will deal corruptly, and so persevere in the spirit of profanenes, heresy, idolatry, or atheism, to ‘†Math. 18. 17. Rō. 16. 17. 18. Gal. 5. 12. 1 Tim. 6. 3. 4. 5. 2 Tim. 3. 1 2. 3. 4. 5. Tit. 3. 10. 11.censure, depose, reiect or avoyd them: otherwise they betray their own soules, and salvation.
These things I thought good, vponupon this occasion further to annext, touching the difference and dissimilitude of civil and ecclesiasticall governours and government, not doubting for conclusion to affirm, that ther is no one errour in Popery serving more directly to advance Antichrist to the highest step of his throne, or there to establish him, then thus to confound these two estates in their authority, and manner of government: though (alasse) too many will needs transforme Ministers into Magistrates, servants into Lords: and as *Rev. 17. 3. 4. 13.the Kings of the earth have given their power & authority vntounto the beast, and arrayed the great whore tha… fitteth vponupon the beast, with purple, and scarlet, and gilded her with gold, pretious stones, and pearles, so do they still help her to hold her kingly & lordly authority, and to beare vp her pompous trayne, and that specially by enforcing those scriptures for ecclesiasticall government, and the manner and order of it, which were left for direction in civil governments, and their administrations.
And yet for more speciall answer vntounto you Mr Bernard, it followes not, that, bycause the people are not interessed in the reformation of abuses by the scriptures you cite, therefore it is never found eyther in the old, or new testament, that any such duty lyes vponupon them. The scriptures do not intend to speak of all things at once, but that charge, which is omitted in one place, is oft tymes supplyed, and prescribed in another. And to this purpose, I do desire that these few scriptures amongst many others may be considered of: Num. 5 1. 2. Iosh. 7. 1. 11. 12. 24. 25. & 22. 11. 12.—16. 17. 18. 20. Iudg. 20. 11. 12. 2 Sam. 20. 22. Ezech. 44. 5. 6. 7. 9. Luke, 17. 3. 4. Gal. 6. 1. 1 Thes. 5. 14. 1 Cor. 5. whol Ch. & all these & many other of the same nature will manifest, that the people are charged with the reformatiō of abuses for the keeping pure of their cōmunion, as well as the officers, though not in the same order, or degree. But what need we seek further? as all the scriptures brought forth by Mr Bern. do charge the govervours with reformation, and none of them exempt the people in their rank, and order, so are there some of them so pregnant against him in the point, & by which he hath been so oft silenced to his face, that, if he had not set himself in opposition, without all measure, or modesty, he would never offer his cause to be tryed by that evidence in writing, by which in speach, he hath been so oft cast and convinced.
The scriptures I especiall mean are Rev. 2. & 3. And the thing which he would prov… from those scriptures is, that, bycause Iohn in the verses named by him, speakes to the Angels of the particular Churches, that therefore it conernes the Angels, that is, the chief officers alone, and no way the people (no nor any of the Officers but one in a Church by Mr Bernards exposition) to see to the reformation of such abuses, and disorders, as in those Churches are reproved. But if in these scriptures he thus sever, and sejoyne the officers, and people, why might not the officers be excluded by a… good consequence, by other verses of these Chapters, where mention is made of the Churches, and not of the Angels, as the people in these, where the Angels onelyonly, and not the people are mentioned? and both alike. The answer, and truth then is, that Iohn *Rev. 1. 11.writes and sendes these Epistles or this book, to the 7. Churches in Asia, as he is expresly directed by Christ: & so willeth all men to †Chap. 2. 7. 11. 17. 29. & 3. 6. 13. 22.heare, and take knowledge what the spirit sayth to the Churches: but bycause the matters were publique, & he absent from the Churches, it was both most convenient, & necessary he should direct his letters to the officers for the whol Churches, as being not onelyonly most fit for their knowledge, but most bound by their places to provoke the Churches vntounto, and to direct and goe before them in the reformation of such evills as were found amongst them. As if the King at any time write his letters to any corporation in the land about some such publick busines, as wherein every free man hath an hand, he directs them to the MAIOR, BAYLY, or some other cheife officer, by whome they are to be published to the whole body, and the matter managed, which they conteyn, though as I formerly sayd, every freeman be to speak to, and consent in the busines.
And here it is too much Mr B. should say (as he doth) that no mention in these places of the revelation is made of the people, but of the governours onelyonly, where Christ expresly enjoynes Iohn to write his vision, and to send it vntounto the 7. Churches, ver. 11. where Iohn expresly salutes them with grace and peace, as Paul and others do them to whom they write in the beginning of their letters, v. 4. Where he also calls those candlesticks he saw in his vision, the Churches, though distinguished from the Officers, or Angels, whom he calls starres, or lights. ver. 12. 13. 20. and lastly and specially where after his both commendations, & reproofs, promises, and threatnings, he wills mē to listen what the spirit sayth not of, but vntounto the Churches. Chap, 2. 7. 11. 17. 29. & 3. 6. 13. 22. which do necessarily conclude the people in them.
But to let passe generalls, & to come to such particulars in these Chapters, as wherein the suffring of evills in the Churches is reproved. OnelyOnly I must needs shew Mr B. his great oversight, that, where he should prove, that onelyonly the angels of the Churches were reproved for suffering evils vnreformed, he points vsus to sundry Angels, and Churches, where there is no mention at all made of suffring evils, but all of doing, as well by the Angels, as Churches, as in Ephesus, Sardi, and Laodicea: and which is worse, vntounto other Angels, and Churches, where there were no evils at all worthy reproof eyther done or suffred: as in Smyrna, and Philadelphia. And is not this sound dealing? The Lord Iesus finds nothing in the Ch: of Smyrna & Phyladelphia worthy of taxatiō, but all of cōmendation, ergo the cheif governours onelyonly in these Churches are reproved for suffring evils vnreformed. I now come to the particular scriptures, in number two, where mention is made of evils suffred vnreformed, and reproof layd vponupon them which suffered them in the two Churches of Pergamus and Thyatira.
And that Iohn directs his reproofs against the Churches, and not against the Officers alone, I do thus manifest.
1. Them, whose workes Christ commends, for that, dwelling where Satans throne was, they kept his name, and denyed not his fayth, &c. them I say he reproves, and against them he deales, for suffering them that m…nteyn the doctrine of Balaam, & of the Nichola…tans, v. 13. 14. 15. 16.
2. They which are commended by Christ for their workes, love, service, fayth, patience, and encrease in works, they are also reproved by him for suffering the woman Iezebell, the false Prophetesse to teach and to deceive, vers. 19. 20.
But it were senselesse to affirm, that the Angel alone, and not the people with him, was commended for dwelling where Satans throne was, keeping Christs name, and not denying his fayth in persecution, that the Angel alone was commended for his works, love, service, fayth, patience, and the like, and as senseles, as to affirm, that onelyonly some of the Angel of the Church of Smyrna was to be cast into prison. ver. 10, and therefore, as the faythfull, the brethren, the saynts, the people, had their portion in these Christian vertues, and in the commendations given vntounto them, so also do they beare their part in the reproofs due to the toleration of such evils as were found amongst them, and are exhorted to repē tance. v. 16.
And this the two adversative conjunctions but & notwithstanding, or neverthelesse, v. 14. & 20. do evidently declare. In many graces these Churches did abound, and faythfull they were in great tryalls, but, or notwithstanding in this they fayled that they were not zealous enough against such deceivers, as crept in amongst them, but suffered thē to others hurt, & their owne danger also. ver. 24.
Of these things I have spoken something the more at large, to discover the bold injury which Mr B. offereth vntounto these scriptures: which may also serve to manifest both the libertie & dutie of the people for the reforming of abuses in the Churches, against the usurpation of the English, or other Clergie whatsoever.
Now to that which is inferred by way of conclusion, that 1 Cor. 5. must be expounded by other places, and by the whole course of scripture, & the like, & that, tell the Church, Mat. 18. 17. must be vnderstood, tell the cheif Officers of the Church, these severalls must be answered.
First let it alwayes be remembred, that we beleeve, and confess that the Elders which Christ hath left in his Church, are to govern the same in all things (provided alwayes the nature of ecclesiasticall government be not exceeded) according to the lawes by him prescribed, and that so doing, the brethren are most streytly bound to obey them, without disturbance, intrusion, or opposition, vnderunder peyn of Gods wrath for their rebelliō against him, and them. Heb. 13. 17. But as els where is observed, it is one thing to be the Church, an other thing to govern the Church, one thing for the officers to direct, and go before the brethren in all things as guides, and another matter vtterly to exclude the brethren from any part of the communion, as neyther being the Church, nor any part of it, as this exposition doth.
These things Mr B. ignorantly blunders together, and so he and others rayse odious clamours against vsus of Anabaptism, popularity, and the like, as if we confounded all persons, and things, and made the Church a very Chaos, or Babel, without form or order.
2. I acknowledge that one scripture must be expounded by an other, but ever the more dark, and obscure by that which is more playne and lightsome: now so playne, cleare evident, and perspicuous are the two scriptures in hand for excommunication, the former Mat. 18. 15. 16. 17. for the order and degrees of proceeding, the other 1 Cor. 5. for the persons interessed in the buesinesse, as that to bring in other scriptures for the expounding of them, is in truth as needlesse, and lost a labour, as to light the sun and moon a candle.