Justification of Separation from the Church of England, Treatise · Section 110 – Section 111
One scripture more remayns to be considered of, and that is Ioh: 17 ver. 6. 9. 14. 15. 16. whence wee beleeve, and confesse, that the true visible Church of Christ is gathered by separation from the world, and the men of the world visibly. Against this our exposition Mr B. excepts, and will hauehave this place vnderstood of Mr B.the elect onelyonly, that are ordeyned to life: & of invisible members: & of men as they are holy before God: rating vsus, as egregious deceiptful abusers of this scripture, in applying it to the visible members, or Church.
But most vniustly as appeares by these three playne reasons.Answ.
First, bycause Iudas was one of them, whom the Father had given I.vntounto Christ out of the world, whom alone of all them so given him, he had lost, that the scripture might be fulfilled. vers. 6. 12. whence it is evident to all men, that do not blinde their eyes, that Christ here speakes of such a donation, or gift, as was visible, or of such members as were visibly, and in respect of men separated, & sanctified from the world vntounto God, and not at all of any invisible gift, or members.
Secondly, Christ speaks of such persons as the world hated, bycause II.they were not of the world: ver. 14. but the wicked world doth not hate men, as they are elect before God, and invisibly, or inwardly separated, and sanctifyed, but as they are outwardly such, and so separated, whether they be inwardly so, or no.
Lastly, Christ speakes of such a chusing out of the world, asIII. he doth of a sending into the world, ver. 18. which sending as it was visible, and externall, so was the selection, and separation spoken of. And say not for shame, Mr B. that the visible Church of Christ is to be gathered, or consist of the men of the world visibly. The Church, and world are tvvo distinct, yea two contrary states, and bodyes, though the body of your nationall Church were at the first gathered, and hath over since consisted of the vvorld, and all.
To conclude, this light man, being pressed by Mr Ainsworth in another place of his book vvith this scripture, both affirms, & Pag. 254.proves by many reasons, that Christ here speaks of a mixt company, vvhichwhich the elect are not. And hovvsoever his reasons be not onelyonly vnsound, but indeed vngodly, vvherein he affirms Christ to hauehave been in respect of men the mediatour of Paul, vvhylstMat. 27. 24. 17. with Luk. 23. 34. he continued a persequutour, and of others wicked in respect of men, yea of Pylate, and the soldiers, pagans, and infidels, bycause he prayed for them, (vvhereas Christ prayer for them vvas no proper effect of his Mediatourship for his body, except vve hold vniversall redemption, and make the vvhol vvorld his body, but a most perfect demonstration of his love tovvards his enemyes, left also for a pattern vntounto vsus, to the worlds end) yet do they, with that he there labours to prove by them, compared with his affirmation of the contrary, in this place, manifest his great both weaknes, and lightnes in the things he affirms.
And thus I return to the exposition of 2 Cor. 6. and in it to prove, that the Apostles meaning is to forbid communion, and fellowship not onelyonly with wicked works, but also with the wicked persons themselves that walk in them. For which purpose I do ad this one onelyonly consideratiō: namely that the Prophet Isaiah (from whom the Apostle borroweth this phrase, come out from among them, vers. 17.separate your selves, and touch none vnclean thing, and I will receive you) doth not so properly speak of the departure, or separation, which the Preists were to make from the sinns of the Babylonians, as frō their coastes, and persons: thereby teaching all Christians, which are that spirituall house, and holy Preisthood, to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God through Christ, 1 Pet. …. 8. Rev. 1. 6. that their separation, and departure must be spiritually, as theirs was civilly, not onelyonly from the sinnes of spirituall Babylonians, or other vnbeleevers, and vnclean persons, but even from their persons also, and from all personall communion with them. And as in the type, he that touched a dead man, or leper, or him that had an issue upon him, or other vnclean person, or was by him touched, was legally vnclean, & polluted, as well as he that touched, or was towched by any unclean thing whatsoever: Levit. 5. 7. 11. so in the thing typed, and truth, he that toucheth, or is touched by a man spiritually dead in sinns, or that hath an yssue of sinne, or spirituall leprosie running upon him, he is spiritually polluted and defiled. Now without touching cannot the numbers of the same body, and one of 1 Cor. 12. 2. 13. 27.another possibly consist.
But were it, as wee would hauehave it, that not onelyonly the works, but even the workers of wickednes were to be avoyded for their works sake▪ yet doth Mr B. take a double exception against our interpretation of this scripture. The former is, that it serves not our Mr B.turn, except we prove them all to live in darknes, in vnrighteousnes, to be in league with the Divel. &c.
I do answer, that if light and darknes, beleevers and vnbeleevers, Answ.Christ and Beliall, must hauehave no fellowship together, then must the beleevers, and they that are in Christ forbeare fellowship with all vnbeleevers, & men of Beliall, so continuing incorrigible: & if any beleevers, or Christians will notwithstanding still combyne with vnbeleevers, and godles men, it is their sinne thus to confound the order which God hath set in separating from the faithfull, with whom he hath joyned them, by joyning with the vnbeleevers, & vnfaithfull, from whom he hath †1 Cor. 4. 7.separated them; yea I adde, in doviding Christ from himself, and vniting him with Beliall, & the Divill, in his members, what in them lyeth. To conclude, what reason hath Mr B. thus to obiect, that all which are amongst them, live not in darknes, and that all are not in league with the Divel, considring, that by his own exposition of this place, the very societies of Papists are to be left as no people of God, and yet all Papists live not in darknes, as here he vnderstands it, nor are in league with the divell: neyther in deed had they need, considering what league of spirituall cōmunion he professeth els where he will have with many of them.