Justification of Separation from the Church of England, Treatise · Section 72 – Section 74
That the sin of one m…n publiquely and obstinately stood in being not reformed, nor the offender cast out, doth so pollute the wh…le congregation, that none may cōmunicate with the same, in any of the holy things of God (though it be a Church rightly constituted) till the party be excommunicated.
This Position thus set downe I deny with Mr Ainsworth, thoughAnsw. with him▪ and Mr Smyth, I do vndertake the confirmation of that truth, which in his refutation Mr B▪ goes about to impugne. And that is that the whole communion in the Church of England, is so polluted▪ with prophane, and scandalous persons; as that even in this respect alone, were there none other, there were just cause of separation from it.
And to this purpose I will lay down a ground, vponupon which I do build whatsoever I speak in this point▪ which I intreat the reader h…re, and alwayes to observe, and that is.
He that fayles in those duties for the reformatiō of the sin of an other, which the Lord… his hand, he is accessary to that other mans sinne, and … own by connivency▪ … And this not onelyonly the scriptures▪ but e…e… common sense, and the light of nature do confirm. And upon this ground I deny your en…neration of parts, in the case of pollution, to be sufficient. This streyn comes more wayes then you are aware of. A man may be polluted by, and guilty of the sin of another, though he neyther in iudgement …llow of … ▪ nor in affection like it, nor practise the like▪ but the contrary▪ yea though he speak against it, discountenance it, and brow-beat it, as you speak, when you teach your people to look big upon sin, where they dare not medle with the reproving it: & do his best in his place to reclaym the sinner, (which are the preservatives you give against pollution) and that th…se wayes.
When a man doth not †1 T…s. 5. 14. Heb. 3. 12. 13. & 10. 24. 25.consider or observe his brother as he… ….ought, nor watch over him in the holy communion of saynts wherin he is set, and which the Lord hath established for this end, that he might be honoured in the communion, and fellowship of saynts. And it is a saying onelyonly becoming 1 Ioh 3. 12.CAIN, and those that are with him of that wicked one, †Gen. 4. 9.am I my brothers keeper … Thus then a man may be guilty of the sin of an other▪ yea though … be vtterly ignorant of it. And thus, it is like, was *… 7. 1. 4, 5▪ …. 11. 12▪ … …6. & 22, 2….all Israel guilty of▪ …, in the excommunic… thing▪ who th… are …a… g…d by the Lord to have committed as…, and to have … ▪ and … ▪ and were punished by the Lord for the same, and deprived of … pr…s… till the excommunicate, or ex…crable thing were destroyed from among them.
A 2. case of pollution is the neglect of admonition for the reformationII. of the offender, according to the order and degrees by Christ himself set down, secret and betwixt the offended, and offender, if the sin be of secret practise, and nature: privately, & with a witnes, or two, in the second place: publiquely in the last place by complaint made vntounto the Church having the power of Christ for excommunication. Lev: 19. 17. Mat. 18. 15. 16. 17.
There is yet a 3. duty and that is separation, whereof you alsoIII. Mr B. in sundry cases do admit. pag. 105. and to which the Lord in the scriptures calls his people for the shaming of obstinate rebellious offenders, Rom. 16. 17. 2 Cor. 6. 14. 15. 16. 17. 1 Tim. 6. …. the neglect whereof casts both the guilt of the sin, & condemnation of the sinner, vponupon him that neglects it. So that a man is not onelyonly bound in his place to do his best for the reclaiming of his brother, but to see his place be such as wherein he may orderly discharge the duties of admonition, otherwise both his practise, and place are vnlawfull. And you your self will teach your people this truth in the generall, that the place, or calling absolutely tying a man to the breach of any of Gods commandements, is vnlawful, and to be forsaken.
Now this is your very case, and the case of the best in your Ch:, (the Lord open your eyes you may see it, and give you harts to make a right vse of it.) As there are in your parish whom you dare not admonish secretly, much lesse with a witnes, or two, so (which is the last and cheifest remedy) you cannot make complaint to the Church: your Church is not furnished with Christs power to take vengeance vponupon disobedience: you are utterly unfurnished of the weapons of this warfare. Great was the slavery of the Israelites under the Philistims, when “1 Sam. 13 22.there was not a sword found amongst them, in the day of battel: far greater, and more to be bewayled, is your spirituall slavery under the Philistim, and Aegyptian Lords, the Praelates, which have spoyled you of all, and left you vnarmed, for the Lords battel. You know vvel Mr B. that the Officiall is not the Church & so do thousands in England with you. For all whom, how much better were it, & more agreable to true godlines, to renounce such vnsanctifyed places, and standings, wherein they doe in avoydably day, by day, steyn themselves with so many impieties of their brethren (as though their own personall sinnes were too few) by sayling in this most necessary duty, layd by the Lord himself vponupon every brother for the reformation of his brother, then to plead, they do the best they can in their places, to reclaym them? It will not be sufficient for men suffering themselves to be tyed short in the chaynes of Antichristian bondage frō the performance of this necessary duty, at the day of the Lord, when men shall appear to hauehave perished through their fault, which might hauehave been gayned by their admonition, Mat. 18. 15. to say they have done what they could within the reach of their chayn. But let all them that fear the Lord, and his righteous judgements, & which have hearts tenderly affected with the conscience of the duety they owe vntounto their brethren, and to whom the liberty purchased with the blood of Christ seemeth pretious, break assunder those chaynes of vnrighteousnes, those bonds of Antichrist, and come out of Babylon, and plant their feet in those pleasant pathes of the Lord, wherein they may make streight steppes vntounto him, walking in that light, and liberty, which Christ hath so dearly purchased for them.
But for separation from a Church rightly constituted, or from a true Church (so remayning) I do vtterly disclayme it. For there is but ԠEph. 4. 4. v. 5.one body, the Church, and but one Lord, or head of that body, Christ: and whosoever separates from the body, the Church, separates from the head, Christ, in that respect.
But this I hold that if iniquity be committed in the Chruch, and complaint, and proof accordingly made, and that the Church will not reform, or reject the party offending, but will on the cō trary maynteyn presumptuously, & abet such impiety, that then by abetting that party & his sin, she makes it her own by imputation, & enwrapps her self in the same guilt with the sinner. And remayning irreformable, eyther by such members of the same Ch:, as are faithfull, (if there be any) or by other sister Churches, wypeth her self out the Lords Church-rowl, and now ceaseth to be any longer the true Church of Christ. And whatsoever truthes, or ordinances of Christ, this rebellious rowt still reteynes, it but vsurpes the same, without right vntounto them, or promise of blessing vponupon them, both the persons and sacrifices are abhominable vntounto the Lord. Tit. 1. 16. Prov. 21. 27.
Now if any object the Church of the Iewes, and the obstinacy thereof in sin, and wickednes, which was a true Church notwithstanding: it must be considered, that no Church in the worldI. now, hath that absolute promise of the Lords visible presēce, which that Church then had, till the coming of Christ, Gen. 47. 10. & 17. 7. Exod. 19. 43. 44. 45.II.
It was simply necessary the Messiah should be borne in the true Church, wherein he might have communion, and fulfil the law. Math. 5. 17. Luk. 2. 21. 22. 23. 29.
The Lord did ever affoard the Iewes, even in their deepestIII. apostasie, some or other visible signes of his presence, and those even extraordinary, when ordinary fayled: thereby declaring himself stil to remember his promise made to their forefathers, & ever and anon by some godly King, Prophet, or Priest, or (if these vvould not serve) by some severe correction, destroying from amongst them the cheifest rebels, brought them to repentance, & caused them to passe a nevv into his covenaunt, as hath formerly been declared.
But vvith vsus it is othervvise. No Church novv can expect, or doth enjoy such extraordinary priviledges. But if it depart from the Lord by any transgression, and therein remayn irrepentant,I. after due conviction, and vvill not be reclaymed, it man fests vntounto vsus, that God also hath left it, and that, as the Church by her sin hath separated from, and broken covenant vvith God so God by leaving her in hardnes of hart vvith but repentance, hath on his part broken, and dissolved the covenant also.II.
The Lord Iesus threatens the † Churches, for leaving their first love, R…v. 2. 4. Ca. 3. 16and for their lukewarmnes, that he will come against them speedily, & remove there candlestick, that is dischurch them, except they repent; & spue them as loathsome out of his mouth.
There is the same reason, in due proportion, of one memberIII. sinning, of a fevv, of many, and of a vvhole Church, novv if a brother sin, and vvill not be reclaymed by the ordinary means. appointed by Christ for that purpose, he is to be accounted no longer a brother, but an heathen, & publican, Math. 18. 17. so is it with two or three brethren, with a few, with many, or with the whole Church, though there be a different order of dealing: for the multitude of sinners doth no way lessen or extenuate the sin eyther in the eyes of God or men,Pa…. 171. 572. 173. of your 2. book.
Now for your arguments. In handling whereof I will also take in such of your score of Reasons against pollutiō, as are worthy cōsideration.
First you say, vnderunder the law there was a sacrifice for all manner of pollutions, Mr Ber.but none for this, and therefore it is no sin.
It is not so, for 1. if a man polluted his hands with innocentAnsw. blood by murder, or his body with adultery, or wrought any other wickednes punishable by death, there was (that I find) no particular sacrifice for it. 2. The people of *Ezek. 44. 6. 7. 9.Israel were guilty of the pollution of the Lords house, by bringing, or suffring to come, into his sanctuary, st…ungers eyther uncircumcised in flesh, or in heart: and so there was an †‘Lev. 16 15. 16. 20. 20. 33. 34.…ffring to be made once a year for the purging of the holy place, and Tabernacle, for the cleansing of the Altar, & to be an attonement for the Preists and for all the people of the congregation. 3. The pollution I speak of comming onelyonly by neglect of some duty for the reformation of a brother, cannot be denyed to be sin, and with other pollution medle I not.
The godly people were never reproved for being at the ministration of Mr B.holy things though wicked men were there.
We graunt it in the true Church, but deny a company of impenitentAnswer. sinners to remayn the true Church, being to the iudgement of men, vnrecoverable. Yea if but one hauehave committed the evill notoriously scandalous and the rest so tollerate him, that *1 Cor. 5. 6.litle leven levens the whole lump, and with †Ex. 12. 15leven must not the Passeover be eaten in any case. And here Mr Bernard your cavelling ‘*2 book p. 210.Reply vponupon Mr Ainsworth, speaking of the whole Church, & all the assembly, is answered. The Corinthians might as well hauehave eluded, and put of Pauls argument, and reproof, as you Mr Ainsworths: for Paul speakes of the whole lump, as Mr Ainsworth doth of the whole Church. And surely if two or three officers be the whole Church that hath the power of Christ to judge & consure offenders as you say, the whole lump might soon be levened, and the whole Church plead for open iniquity.