Justification of Separation from the Church of England, Treatise · Section 161 – Section 170
Lastly, as the preaching of the gospell is the onelyonly outward means to gather a Church, so though this meanes be vsed never so fully, and men enioy it, and ioyne in it never so ordinarily, yet except withall they ioyne in the vnderstanding, fayth, obedience of,Math. 13. 19. Ioh. 10. 3. 4. 5. Act. 2. 41. 42. & 8. 36. 37 & 10. 35. & 11. 20. 21. 23. 24. 26. Col. 2. 5 and submission vntounto it, and that in the order which Christ hath set, they are not made a Church by it according to the right vse of it, but do make themselves, by abusing it, a conventicle of prophane vsurpers: howsoever M. B. and these ministers, and many others do indeed make the word of God a very charm, in writing and teaching, that the bare vse (they might say the abuse) of the word, and sacraments by a company of people, though eyther altogether, or for the most part for feare, fashion, or with opinion of merit ex opere operato, and without all knowledge, or conscience, makes them a true Church of Christ. The Argument from the externall efficient, except it work absolutely necessarily, to the effect, is vnsound. It were senseles to affirme, that bycause physick is the meanes of recovering health, therefore whosoever vse physick, are healed: much more to affirm, that bycause the word is the means to gather a Ch:, whosoever vse it, are a Church; since physick is a naturall agent, and worketh by a naturall power given it of God; where the word is a morall agent, having in it sel… no naturall vertue, but working merely by the will of the authour, and supernaturall efficacy of *Ioh. 3. 8.the spirit, which like the winde, bloweth where it listeth. The two next Reasons (being indeed one in effect) which the Ministers bring for the justification of their Church, are 1. that their whole Church maketh profession of the true fayth, for proof of whichMinist: they refer vsus to the confession of their Church; the Apology of it: and the Anno Domini 1562.Articles of religion agreed vponupon in the Convocation house. 2. that they hold, teach, and mainteyn every part of Gods holy truth, which is fundamentall, and such, as without the knowledge, and beleeving whereof there is no salvation. All which afterwards they reduce to this one head, as the onelyonly fundamentall truth of religion, That Iesus Christ the sonne of God who took our nature of the virgin Mary, is …ur onelyonly, and all sufficient saviour: which truth, say they, whosoever receive, are the people of God, and …n the estate of salvation: they that receive it not, cannot possibly be saved. Math: 16. 18. Mark. 16. 16. 1 Ioh: 4. 2. Col: 2. 7.
These two Arguments, for substance, have been handled in theAnsw: former part of the “Pag: 261 262. 263. &c: & 270 271. 272. 273.book, vntounto which also M. Ainsworth hath given answer in the particulars: of which I entreat the Reader to take knowledge: and do therevnto annex these considerations.
First, it is a very presumptuous thing for these ministers, yea or for any men or angels thus peremptorily to determine how much knowledg a man must have to be saved: that if he have iust so much,I. then he may be, or is it the state of salvation: if he want any of that, he cannot be saved. Who knowes by how litle knowledge the Lord may, and doth save a man, that is faythfull in the litle he knowes, and endevours by all means to further knowledge, and so to further faythfulnes? As on the contrary, the Lord rejects many with greater knowledg, for their vnfaythfulnes, both in not practising the things they know, and in neglecting to know more, least they should learne that truth, which they have no mynde to practise for feare, or in other corrupt regards.
And howsoever I do acknowledge a difference of truthes, and that some are more, and some lesse principall, yet do I wish more conscience in the application of this distinction. For whereas the ministers are by the lawes, and penaltyes, Civill, and Ecclesiastical, limited in their doctrine; and both the ministers, and people in their obedience of, and to the truth of the gospel, and ordinances of the new testament, this is made a salve for every sore, that they have the substance of the gospell; the doctrine of fayth: all fundamentall truthes: and whatsoever is necessary to salvation. In which defence (as it is made) there are these evills.
First, in it men not onelyonly endeavour (which is too much) the curing of Babell, but iudeed to make Babell beleeve shee stands in no great need of curing▪ and that her wounds are neyther deadly, nor daungerous.
2. It tends to vilify, and make of small moment many of the Lords truthes, & ordinances, howsoever these *Pag: 173 174.ministers wil not heare of it. And this will appeare, if the end be considered of these distinctions, and qualifications: which is, that men should setle themselves, without pressing further in the disobedience, and want of sundry of the cōmaundements, and ordinances of Christ Iesus, till with bodily peace, and leave of the magistrate, they might enjoy the same. And if †Math. 15. 6.the Scribes and Pharisees were reproved of Christ for making the commaundements, of God of none authority by their traditions, do not they make the commaundements of God, and ordinances of Christ of small moment, who for the traditions, and inventions of men (yea of that man of sin) though supported by the arme of flesh, hauehave forborn and do forbear (and, so purpose to go on) the obedience of the fame? which whether it be not the very estate of these ministers in forbearing to preach (that I may let passe other matters) for the refusall of subscription, and conformity, let their own consciences judge. And mark their defence.pag. 174. They beleiv, and teach that there is no part of the holy scripture, which every Christian is not necessarily bound to seek, and desire the knowledge of, so far forth, as in him lyeth. Here is a great charge layd vponupon every Christian to seek the knowledge of every part of holy scripture: but no word of his obedience unto every part of it: as if “Mat. 28. 19 20. 21.Christ had not sent out his Apostles to teach men to observ, to the worlds end, but to know, what he had commaunded them: and as if †Psal. 119. 105.the word of God were onelyonly a light and lanthorn vntounto mens eyes, that they might see the wayes of God, and not to their feet, and pathes, that they might walk in them. The same Prophet in the same Psalm entreats the Lord to teach him the way of his statutes, that he might keep it vntounto the ver. 33. 34.end: & that he would give him vnderstanding, that he might keep his law: professing also in the same place, that he was comforted in GOD against all that confusion, which his enemyes would have brought vponupon him, that he had respect to all GODS commaundements: and this respect was not of bare knowledge, but of observation, and obedience, as appears in all the five verses before going. Neyther therefore can the ministers excuse themselves from making some parts of the holy scriptures of small moment, and needles, as Mr Barrow chargeth them, bycause they advise the people to desire the knowledge of them, except with theirver. 6. knowledge they joyned obedience; neyther ought the people to rest in that vnsound advise, considering that, *Iā: 4. 17.to him that knoweth how to do well, and doth it not, to him it is sinn: and that “Luk. 12. 47.to him that knoweth his maysters will, and doth it not, many stripes are due.
3. This pleading by the ministers, that they hould, and enioy every fundamentall truth, and whatsoever is of necessity to salvation, (cōsidering the end of it, which is, the stopping of the people from pressing vntounto further obedience, and profession of the will of God, and ordinances of Christ) is injurious both to the growth, and sincerity of the obedience of Gods people. For whereas they ought to be †Heb. 6. 1.led forward vntounto perfection, this teacheth them to stay in the foundation, as if it were sufficient for the building of the house, that the foundation were layd: & secondly, it insinuates, that it is sufficient, if, men so serue God, as they can obteyn salvation, though with disobediēce of a great part of the revealed wil of God: occasioning them thereby to serve him onelyonly, or chiefly for wages as hypocrites do. As if a child should be taught so far to honour, and please his father as he might get his inheritance, but not much to trouble himself about giving or doing him any further honour, or service.
Secondly I do answer that this truth, which the ministers makeII. t… onelyonly fundament truth in religion is held, and professed by as vile haeretiques, as ever were since Christ came in the flesh. May not a cō pany of excōmunicates hold, teach, and defend this truth, and yet are they not a true Church of God.III.
3. I deny, that the whole Church of England: hath received, and doth hold, and professe this fundamentall, truth: how boldly soever these ministers affirme it. They graunt there are many Atheists in the land, (theypag. 166. might say in the Church, for Atheists are, and ever wilbe of the Kings, & states religion) & many ignorant, and wicked men besides, who make not so clear, and holy a profession of the true fayth, as they should. And do these Atheists hold, and professe the true fayth, and every article of Gods holy truth, which is fundamentall? Are there not many thowsands in the nationall Church ignorant of the very first rudiments, & foundationsHeb. 6. 1. 2. of religion, as the Apostle noteth them down: and can they hold, and professe that whereof they are ignorant? Yea how can any wicked men hold, that CHRIST is their saviour, but they hold an apparantly in the eyes of all men? for which notwithstanding these Ministers wil have them reputed true members of Christs body. I ad, that since the body of that Church or nation, consists of mere naturall men, and that naturall men are Papists in the case of justification, and look to be saved by their good meaning, and well doings, it is most vntruly affirmed by those ministers, that their Church accounts none her members, but such as professe salvation by Christ onelyonly. They hold otherwise and so professe, if an account of their fayth be demaunded, as I have shewed by the testimony of Mr. Nichols, and could do by the testimony of others, if all men did not see it too evidently. And yet see what these men affirme and that confidently, and without fear, for their advantage: as that their whole Church makes profession of the true fayth; that it holds, and maintayns every article fundamentall of Gods holy truth: and particularly that Iesus Christ the sonne of God and lastly that they that receive this truth, are the people of God, and in the state of salvatiō. Whervpon it must follow, that their whole nationall Church is in the state of salvation. And surely so had it need be (in the judgment of men) having the promises and seales of the covenant of salvation applyed, and ministered vntounto it, and to every member of it.
Lastly, though the whole Church of England, and every memberIIII. in it, did personally professe the true fayth in holines, as all the true members of the Church do (which are therefore called both “Eph: 1. 1.saynts, and faythfull) and that we had do just exception agaynst that prophane, and implicite profession, for which both Mr. Ber. and the ministers plead, yet could nor this make it or them a true Church. The bare profession of fayth makes not a true Church, except the persons so professing be vnited in the Covenant, and fellowship of the gospel into particular congregations, having the entyre power of Christ within themselves. As hewed stones are fit for an house, but not an howse nor any part of it, till they be orderly layd, and couched together: so are men professing fayth, and holines fit for the Church, but not a Church, nor of it, before their orderly combination into a particular assembly having in it the power of Christ for the ministery, government, censures, and other ordinances. A company of excōmunicates put out of the Churches order, may professe the same fayth they did formerly: so may a sect of schismatiques putting themselves causelesly out of the Churches order: so may many particular persons, never ioyning themselve… vntounto any Church at all. You your selves define a Church to be a company of faythfull people &c. so is not your nationall Church, but many companyes: not distinct and entyre in themselves, and so onelyonly one in nature, as all the true Churches of God are: but one by monstrous composition, in a praeposterous, and absurd imitation of the Iewish nationall Church, and government.
Thus much of the Arguments; in the handling of which the ministers insinuate agaynst Mr. Barrow sundry vnjust accusations,Pag: 167. 168. which I will breifly cleare. As first, that he will account none members of the visible Ch: but such as are truly faythful, not onelyonly in outward profession Minist:and appearance, but even in the Lords ey, and judgement: bycause a Church is described a company of faythfull people, that truly worship God and readily obey him.
But wherefore should the ministers thus interpret him; doth heAnsw: not speak of the visible or externall Church, and so by consequence of visible, and externall fayth, and obedience, which are seen of men. In their Articles of religion a Church is made a company of faythful people: & if they must not be truely faythfull, then they must be fals…ly faythfull. And for †Ioh: 4. 23 Rom: 15 18. & 16. 19.true worship, and ready obedience, the Lord requires them in his word, according to which we must defyne Churches, and not according to casuall corruptions, and aberrations, brought in by mans fault.
2. They charge Mr. Barrow to hold that every member of our Minist:assemblyes is led by the spirit into all truth, and that it is evident, he would Pag: 170. 171.have none to be accounted the people, and Church of God, who eyther know not, or professe not every truth, conteyned in the scriptures: bycause he af firms in his Discovery, that to the people of God, and every one of them, God hath given his holy sanctifying spirit, to open vntounto them, and to lead thē into all truth.
It followes not that bycause he affirmes they have received the spirit Answ:to lead them into all truth, that he therefore affirmes, they are led into all truth, by the spirit. May not the Papists as truly avouch, that Paull teacheth that the Church, is without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, bycause he teacheth, that *Eph: 5. 25. 2….Christ hath given himself for it, that he might make it vntounto himself a glorious Ch:, without spot, or wrinckle, or any such thing? It is then an il collectiō, that bycause one thing is done, that an other might follow vponupon it, that therefore the latter▪ which is to follow, is also done. And for the poynt: as it is the work of the spirit to lead men into all truth, & as “Rō: 8. 9.all that are Christs, or mē bers of his body, have his spirit, so doth it follow that all the members of the Church have the spirit given them of God, to lead them into all truth, though it have not his full work, by reason of *Gal: 5. 17the cōtrary work of the flesh, in this life, wher †1 Cor: 12 12.all mē know but in part.
3. That Mr. Bar: holds every truth in the scriptures fundamentall, that is (as they expound it Pag: 147.) such as if it be not known, and obeyed, the whole religiō and fayth of the Church, must needs fall to the ground.Minist:
Mr. Ainsworth hath set down his words: from which no suchAnsw: collection can be made: he directs them, & that worthily, agaynst these deceivers which knowing & acknowledging, that they want many speciall ordinances of Christ, and are burdened in stead of them, with the inventions of Antichrist, do notwithstanding encourage themselves, and others, by these distinctiōs that they hauehave the fundamentall truthes of the gospell, and whatsoever is necessary to salvation, and the like, in a purpose to go on all their life long in disobedience. For which men how much better were it to consider how it is written, that, “Math: 5. 19.whosoever shall break one of the least commaundments and teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven, then thus to turn vponupon them which reprove them for their vnfaythfulnes; and misinterpreting their sayings most injuriously, to spend thus many words, as these ministers do, in confuting their owne corrupt glosses.
Their fourth, and last Argument, is, for that all the known Churches Minist.in the world acknowledge their Church for their sister: and giuegive her the right hand of fellowship.
This Argum. hath been sundry tymes vrged by Mr. Ber. and soAnsw: answered sundry tymes both by M. Ainsworth, and my self in the former part of my *Pag: 40. 41. 42. 46. 47.book: whether I must refer the reader, contenting my self with a breif observation of such vntruthes, and errours, as these ministers are driven vntounto in the prosecuting of this Argument: as
First, that, all the known Churches in the world are well acquaynted with Minist.their doctrine, and liturgy: to which they should also ad their book of ordination, and canons Ecclesiasticall, for their ministery, andAnsw. government: then which nothing is more vntrue, Beza, which was specially interessed in these matters, will hardly be perswaded of the true state of things: touching dispensations, pluralityes, the power of excommunication in one man, and the like.II.
It is most vntrue, that God hath sanctifed the testimony of Churches Minist:for a principall help in the decyding of controversies in this kind. It is (thoughAnsw: some help) yet lesse principall, yea the least of many.
3. That Paul feared that without the approbation of Iames, and Cephas, III.and Iohn he should have run in vayn.Minist:
Paul feared no such thing; for he was both assured of his callingAnsw: from the Lord, and had also taken, long before that tyme, good experience of the Lords blessing vponupon his ministery both amongst the Iewes, and Gentiles; and knew right assuredly, that his preaching was not in vayne. His care was to take away from the weak all scruple of mynde, or iealousy of contention amongst the Apostles; he went vp to Ierusalem to confer with them.
4: That Paul sought to win cōmendation and credit to the orders which IIII.he by his Apostolicall authority might have established, by the iudgement of Minist:other Churches. Whereas the Apostle Paul did by his Apostolicall authority appoynt those orders in all those churches he speaks of,Answ: as the scriptures quoted testify. 1 Cor: 4. 7. 17. & 16. 1. Besides, the Church of England: can win no great credit to her orders by the orders of other Churches, considering how contrary she is in them to all other Churches departed from Rome, whom alone in very many the resembleth.
Fiftly, the testimony which Iohn Baptist gave of Christ, is vnfitlyV. brought for the testimony of one Church of an other. For it wasMinist: the proper, and principall work of † Iohns calling to give witnes of Answ:Christ: wherein also he could not erre. It is not so with, or betweenIoh: 1. 6. 7. 15▪ 23. any Churches in the world.
Where it is further affirmed, that there are cases wherein one Church VI.is commaunded to seek the iudgement of other Churches, and to account it as Minist.the iudgment of God; for which Act: 15. 2. is alledged: as it is true,Answ. that one Church is in cases to seek the judgement, and help of an other, so is it vntrue, that the judgement of that other Church, or of all the Churches in the world, is to be accounted as the judgment of God. Indeed the decrees of the Apostles at Ierusalem, being by imediate, infallible direction of “ver. 28.the H: Ghost, were to be accounted, as the judgement of God: but for any ordinary eyther Churches, or persons to challenge the like vntounto their determinations were popelike praesumption.
To the Ministers demand in the next place. Sayth Christ to any VII.particular congregation of the faythful in our land, Whatsoever they bind in Minist.earth, is bound in heaven, Mat. 18. 18. and sayth he it not also to the Churches of other nations?
I do answer that if Christ have so sayd to the particular cōgregatiōs,Answ. who hath sayd it to the Praelates & their substitutes, or to any officer, or officers, excluding the body of the Congregation? Even none but he, whose work it is to gainsay Christ, & to subvert his order? 2. If any of your parishes be such congregatiōs, why do not you as faythful Ministers exhort thē to, & guide them in the vse of this power of binding, & loosing, which Christ hath given them? Or are not you content to suffer them to go on, and your selves to go before them in the losse of this liberty, yea in a most vile subjection to their and your, spirituall Lords, which have vsurped it? And for the Argument it is of no force: for neyther hath any one Church in the world that power over an other, nor all the Churches in the world over any one, which the meanest Church hath over any her member, or members whomsoever. One Church may forsake an other, but juditially to censure, or excommunicate it, may it not. The same answer for substance may serve for that which is objected from 1 Cor. 14. 32. Besides, no Church can so fully discern of the estate of an other Church, as it can of the proper members apperteyning vntounto it. Yea I ad, that in this respect, wee are better able to iudge of the Church of Engl: then are any forreyn Churches, (notwithstanding our weaknes) bycause they do not in any measure know the estate of it, as we do.
Lastly, as that saying of the Ministers must have a very favourableVIII. interpretatiō, vi…, that the Church hath power to iudge of a man infallibly, Minist.that he is in the estate of salvation, so is their other affirmation, that the discerning of the spirits, and doctrine of such teachers, as arise in the Church, is such a gift, as the true Ch: never wanted, as popish an errour,Answ. as ever was broched in Rome. For how then can the Church erre? or how can it be deceived by false teachers? or how could Rome come to that estate of apostasie wherein she now standeth? Or may not a Papist plead thus with these men? Rome was a true Church of God. Now the true Church never wants the gift of discerning spirits & doctrines, therefore Rome neyther hath wanted, nor doth, nor ever shall want this gift: and so by consequence cannot be faln from the truth, as is praetended against her.
To conclude, it is not truely sayd of these men, that this judging of one Church by another is a matter of salvation. The Ch:Act. 10. 14 15. 34. 35. with 11. 2. 3. 4. 5. of Ierusalem was ignorant of the calling of the Churches of the Gentiles, as the scriptures testify. And I would know what the Church of England judgeth of the Lutheran Churches, as they are called. It accounteth of them, as of true Churches. So do not they of their Churches, whom they call Calvinists, but on the cō trary repute them as haereticall. Wherevpon it followeth, that eyther a true Church may erre in judging of an other Church, or els that eyther the Church of England, or the Lutheran Churches, or both, are not true Churches. Howsoever therefore we do not make light account of the testimony, and iudgement of other Churches, as these Ministers accuse vsus, yet dare wee not make idols of them as they seem to do: who wanting both the word of God, and practise of other Churches for their warrant, seek commendation by the testimony which some hauehave given of thē in respect of certeyn generall heads of doctrine, in which wee our selves also do for the most part concur with them.
Thus much of the Ministers Arguments. Now follow their answers to two mayn obiections made by vsus against the whole body of their Church, and their Parish assemblies.
The first is, that it was not gathered by such means, as God in his word hath ordeyned, and sanctifyed for the gathering of his Church. The 2. that they communicate together in a false and idolatrous outward worship of God, which is polluted with the writings of men, vidz, with read stinted prayers, homilyes, catechismes, and such like.
These objections have been els where prosequuted, and the exceptions taken by the Ministers agaynst them, particularly answered by Mr Ainsworth, and therein their both corrupt, & weak dealing manifested. I will briefly adde a few things.
Against the former objection they take five exceptions.
First, that they might lawfully be accounted a true Church, though it could not appear that they were at the first rightly gathered: as the disciples might be assured of Christs bodily prasence amongst them, when they saw, & felt him, Ioh. 20… 19. 28. though they could not have discerned, which way, or how he could possibly hauehave come in.
Belike then wee must beleeve that the Church of Engl: wasAnsw: gathered miraculously, as Christ came by miracle into the place where his disciples were assembled. But the answer is, that these men take the mayn quaestion for graunted, which is, that their nationall Church is for the present, a true orderly gathered Church of Christ; and that so sensibly, as it may be seen, and felt.