Justification of Separation from the Church of England, Treatise · Section 79 – Section 82
What Mr B. ought men to avoyd familiarity with excommunicates onelyonly in private conversation, and not both in the private, and publique worship of God? Is there any religious familiarity, or communion save in the Church, out of which excommunicates are cast? The Iewes had no religious communion at all with heathens▪ or persons †Ezek. 44. 7 9.vncircumcised, which therefore might not enter into the sanctuary of the Lord, though you be driven in answer to Act. 21. 28. 29. to affirm they might. 2 book pag: 175. and as such, must wee account them, that refuse to hear the Church. Mat. 18. 17. And as no religious communion eyther private, or publick, may be held with persons iustly excōmunicated by the Church, so neyther with such lewd persons, as deserve excommunication, and are thereof clearly convinced, though the Church want grace to cast them out. The Churches vngodly cōnivency, & vpboulstring them in their scandalous sinns, makes them nothing the better, but it self in truth like vntounto them, as *Deut. 7. 26. Iosh. 7.he that brought a thing abominable into his house, was accursed like it: how much more, if he eyther bring it into, or keep it in Gods house? And how we are to avoyd persons incorrigibly wicked, whether Idolatours, Haeretiques, or prophane livers, (the common bonds of naturall, and civill society ever kept inviolated) which as they are to the Lord, so ought they to be vntounto vsus abominable) see these scriptures, Act. 2. 40. 47. & 19. 19. Rom. 16. 17. 1 Cor. 5. 11. 2 Cor. 6. 14. 15. 16. 17. Gal. 1. 8, 9▪ 1 Tim. 6. 3. 4. 5. 2 Tim. 3. 2. 3. 4. 5. Tit. 3. 10. which places do not onelyonly forbid private and voluntary familiarity, as you speak, and affirm, but religious also (to which you vnskilfully oppose voluntary, where no society is so voluntary, as that which is religious) and that both private and publique. Neyther is there any reason, whither we respect the glorie of God, or our own safety, or the avoyding of offence in others, or the shaming of the partyes why we should avoyd civil communion with any, and yet hold religious communion with them. To conclude, since the Lord wilbe glorified by his people, not onelyonly severally, and in their persons, but ioyntly, & in their holy cōmunion, and hath given them in charge to exhort, comfort, admonish, & reprove one an other, as there is cause, and in the order he hath prescribed, as also according to the same order, to sequester, censure, reiect, and avoyd persons incorrigible, and infectious, the brother or brethren fayling in these duties, are steyned, and polluted, not by other mens sinns (which can no way hurt them, or the holy things they vse, save to themselves) but by their own swarving, and neglect, from, and of, such duties, as wherein they are to acquite themselves, in their most streyt, and sacred bond of communion. OnelyOnly before I end, I must touch one point of deep divinity set down by Mr B.Mr Bern. for the purpose in hand: which is, that the Lord takes a people to be 2. book. p. 176.his, before he commaund them: and that commaundements are for his people to rule them, not to make them his people.
But how agrees this (to let passe his former book) with thatAnsw. which he not onelyonly writes, but substantially proves, pag. 277. of his second, that, when the L. sets vp a people to be his people, first he gives them his word, which is his ordinance to make them his people, his power to subdue thē, the meanes of reconciling thē, that, by which he extols a people above other people? Well Mr B. (to let passe your inconsiderate lightnes in those weighty matters, wherein you exceed Mr Smyth, for that, where he confutes one book by an other, you confute yours by it self, in an other place) howsoever your nationall Church were not made the Lords people by his commaundements, but by the commaundements, precepts, and proclamations of men, yet would the L. Iesus hauehave his Churches gathered, and men made his people, by the publishing, & preaching of his commaundements, wherewith he furnished his Apostles for the making of disciples, by the knowledge, faith, and obedience of them. Mat. 28. 19. 20.
The …. errour layd to our charge is, our holding, That every one of their assemblies, are false Churches.
If one of them be, then are they all, for they are all, and every one of them cast in the same mould? We professe we put a great difference betwixt person, and person amongst you, and do not doubt (God forbid wee should) but there are hundreds, and thowsands amongest you, having assurance of saving grace, and being partakers of the life of God, in respect of your persons: but considering you in your Church-communion, & ordinances, we cannot so difference you, but must testify against your apostasie, as wee do. And let it not be greevous vntounto you, Mr B. or vntounto any other, that in this regard, we speak thus generally and alike of you all, without exception: for even your own Church intendeth you all, and every one of you alike, without exception: as appeareth, in that it appointeth one set service in so many words to be sayd, by all, and every Minister, to all, and every parish, & person in it. It appoints one set form of words, wherein all persons, without exception, must be maryed, all women without exception after child-bearing, purified: all children born in the kingdom baptized, all sick persons visited, and all dead persons buryed without exception. How shall we then sever you in the things, wherein you joyn your selves? or put a difference where your selves put none?
And where further (as loath to let fall the plea of the wicked) youMr B. do adde, that God called Israell his people after defection, and their children in respect of circumcision his children. Ezech. 16. 21. 22. I answer, first,Answ. that the Lord did not call them his children in respect of circumcision (for the “Gen. 34. 24.Scechemitcs were circumcised, and yet were not Gods people, not their children his children) and 2. that the Prophet speaks of the first born, which by right did in a speciall manner apperteyn to the Lord, Exod. 13. 2. though he were most injuriously defrauded of his due. Where you proceed and say, that some in the Mr. B.Acts, 19. 2. which were ignorant of the holy Ghost, were called beleevers, that is too grossely applyed to the ordinary gifts of the holy Ghost,Answ. which is meant of such extraordinary visible giftes, as wherewith God did for a time beautify the Church, which these persons also there spoken of, did afterwards receive by imposition of hands by Paul, vers. 6.
For the Churches of Corinth, and Pergamus, with whose corruptions as with a buckler, you would cover your selves, it must be remembred, that they, and every person in them, were in their cō stitution, separated by voluntary profession into covenaunt with the Lord, and did with their covenant receive power and charge to reform such evills, as might break out amongst them, which if they neglected, they brake covenant with God, and so forfeyted, on their part, both their covenant, and power, provoking the Lord, if they repented not to break with them, & shortly to remove their candlestick out of his place.Rev. 3. ….
That which you adde the last, and in deed the worst of all the rest, is, that the Church of Christ, is set out even by the naming, that Mr B.is by the profession of the name Iesus Christ. Rom. 15. 20.
But the Apostle intends no such matter, but onelyonly to magnifyAnsw. his Apostleship by this amongst other the notes of it, that he had preached the gospell, where before there had been no sound of it. And if the naming of Iesus Christ set out a Church, then are the Papists (besides other haeretiques) a true Church, for they name Iesus Christ, as oft as you, and with as many courtesies.
But things are best discerned in their particulars, and to themMr B. you discend, saying, that that congregation which is false, hath a false head, false matter, false form, and false properties, which (say you) cannot be avouched against our congregations.
And what if but some of these be false, and not all? To makeAnsw. a thing true must concurre all the essentiall parts, and properties: but to make it false, there needs not be all false, some few will do it. For the particulars.