Justification of Separation from the Church of England, Treatise · Section 83 – Section 85
You hauehave no false head, bycause you hold Iesus Christ, and worship Mr B.no other God, but the Trinity in vnitie.
The Papists also worship the Trinity in vnity, and in word, andAnsw. in the generall, confesse Christ their head: and you in deed, and in the particulars, many of them do deny his headship.
Christ is the head onelyonly of his body, Col. …. 17. But the body of Christ consists not of the lims of Sathan, of which your nationall Church was for the most part gathered, & compact, after the generall apostasie of Antichrist, and of such it consists at this day: except you will deny that they are the lims of Sathan *2 Cor. 4. 4the eyes of whose minds he bl…ndeth, that the light of the gospel should not shine in them: †Ioh. 8. 44which do the lusts of the divell, and are his children: which “1 Ioh 3. 8commit sin: which persequute the godly, and *‘Rev. 2. 10.cast in prison the servants of Christ. Now tell me not, Mr Bern. of the wicked persons in the Churches of Corinth, Thiatyra, and the rest; for these Churches were not gathered of any such outwardly, and so appearing: it is blasphemy against the Apostles so to affirm: and if any appearing such were afterwards suffred, it was a …anker in the Churches which in tyme ate out the harts of them. As therefore the Papists make the Church a monstrous body, in setting two heads over it, Christ, & the Pope; so do you make Christ a monstrous head, in vniting vntounto him mē bers of so contrary a nature. And let the prophane world make as small account of it, as they list; it is certayn, no false doctrine, haeresy, or Idolatry can more eyther displease, or dishonour God, and his Christ, then wretched men, in word professing his truth, and name, and in deed denying both him, and them.
Further you have not Christ the head of your Church in the administration of his propheticall, preistly, and kingly office: which I will onelyonly point at▪ referring the reader to such other treatises, as do more fully confirm these things, & in speciall to Mr Ainsworth his arguments disproving the present estate & constitution of the Church of England; against which his playn proofs your idle exceptions Mr Ber. wilbe as easily answered, as read.
First then, your Church admitteth not of the ordinance of prophesying,I. or teaching out of office, Rom. 12. 6. 7. which as I have formerly proved to be a perpetuall ordinance for the Church, so how profitable it is, both for the edification of them within, and conversion of them without, we find by experience, and the scriptures declare▪ 1 Cor. 14. 3. 24. 25.
2. You silence the Lord Iesus in your Church from revealingII. the whole will of his father. A part of his word is vtterly excluded by your calender, & may not so much as be read in your Church, but is justled out by the Apocrypha writings: a greater part even the most of that which concerns the true gathering, and governing of the visible Church, though it may be read, yet may it not be faithfully taught, much lesse obediently practised: notwithstanding any charge of the Prophets, Apostles & Christ himself. Deu. 29. 29. Math. 28. 19. 20. Rom. 16. 25. 26. 2 Tim. 3. 16. 17. so that though you hauehave the whole will of God in your books, as Papists hauehave, yet in respect of the doctrine, and obedience of a great part of it, the book is sealed vp, and may not be opened. And to make vp the measure, you have in stead of the canonicall scriptures of the holy Ghost, mens Apocrypha scriptures, the books of homilies, and that of common prayers, your popish canons, and constitutions, (which are as well the doctrine of your Church, as the canons of the Tridentine councell are the doctrine of the Church of Rome) and (if you will) in stead of Prophets to teach, your significant ceremonies, the cap, surplice, crosse, typpet, which are neyther dark, nor dumb, but apt to stir vp the dull mind of man to the remembrance of his duty to God, by some notable signification. Here is drosse for silver, and for the finest wheat, chasse.
Lastly your Prophets which administer that part of Christs prophecy,III. or of the scriptures, which may be taught, and practised amōgst you▪ hauehave neyther the true office of ministery, which Christ hath prescribed, nor a lawfull calling to that they have: as hath been in part noted from Ephe. 4. and is els where clearly evinced.
Now Christs preistly office you do corrupt, and prophane vnsufferably, whether we respect the persons, or things whereof you make him a mediator.
Are those Atheists, and vngodly persons, wherewith you cō fesseI. in the beginning of your book, your Church is full, and which if you should deny, heaven and earth would witnes against you, are they I say, their soules, and bodyes, those *Rom. 12. 1. & 15. 16lively, holy, and acceptable sacrifices, and offerings sanctified by the holy Ghost?
Are those devised, printed, and stinted collects, read out ofII. your humane service-book, the †Rom. 8. 26. 27.spirituall sacrifices of prayer, and thanks-giving, which the spirit of God teacheth the sonnes of God to offer, the fruits and calves of the lipps which confesse his name?1 Cor. 12. 7
Is that constreyned payment of a weekly, or monethly rate, andIII. assesment for the poore (more fitly called a malevolence, for theHeb. 13. 15 Hos. 14. 3. ill will it is payd with, then a benevolence) that *2 Cor. 8. 1. 4. and 9. 5▪ 7 Phil. 4. 18. Heb. 13. 16gratious cheerfull care for the saynts, that freewill offering of love, and mercy, that sweet smelling odour, that acceptable, and well pleasing sacrifice vntounto God?
Are these, I say, those sacrifices, for which Iesus Christ the eternall high preist appeareth for ever before his father in heaven, that he might offer them vntounto him in the golden censure, perfumed with the odours of his own righteousnes? or are they to be sanctified by the golden altar of his merits standing before the throne of God? Rev. 8. 3. 4. Math. 23. 19.
A lesse indignity sure it was to lay vponupon the materiall Altar in the tabernacle, or temple, doggs, swine, vultures, and all vncleane beasts, and byrds, with their durt, and dung, then thus to lay vponupon this heavenly altar, those †Rev. 18. 2unclean beasts, and byrds, whereof Babylon is an habitation, and cage.
And for Christs kingly office, who is able to set down the indignities, & outrages offered in your Church to the scepter therof?
For first where Christ reigneth as the King in Syon, his holy mountayn, I.ruling over his servants, and subjects onelyonly, as “Rev. 15. 3the King of saints vnderunder his father, you have gathered him a kingdom, & crowned him the King thereof (contrary to his expresse will) of known traytours, and rank rebels vntounto his crown, and dignity: even of such as do visibly, and apparantly fight for Satan, and his kingdom, the kingdom of darknes, hating, deriding, and persecuting to the vtmost of their power, all such as desire to please, and serve Christ in any sincerity. Of such, and none other, doth the body of your Church consist, for the greatest part, as all amongst you that feare God will testify with me.
2. Where Christ ruleth over his subjects by the scepter of hisII. holy word, which is *Psal. 45. 6.a scepter of righteousnes: in the place of it, the vngodly canons, and constitutions of Popes, and Prelates must, and do bear sway. Such subjects, such lawes. And say not, Mr B. as you do, in answer to Mr Ainsworth, pag. 259. that you acknowledge no other law-giver over your consciences in matters of saith, and obedience, between Christ, and you, save him alone. For what doth your Church representative but bind conscience, in binding men to subscribe to the Hierarchy, service-book, and ceremonies, spont… et exanimo? in pressing men to the vse of things reputed indifferent, absolutely, and whether they offend, or offend not? in tying men to a certayn form of prayer, & thanksgiving: excommunicating men for the refusall, and omission of these, and the like observances of their lawes? And vvhat do you but loose and vnbind the conscience, in tolerating, yea approving, yea making, and ordeyning vnpreaching Ministers, and in binding the people, vnderunder both civil, and ecclesiasticall penalties to their ministrations, in their own parishes, and from others? And what do you els in your dispensations for pluralities, non-Recidency, and the like? Are not these matters of conscience with you Mr B. wherein your lawes, and lawmakers bynde and loose, as they list? All the lawes, and ordinances for the ministery and government of the Iewish Church, were matters of faith, and obedience between God, and the Church, bynding the consciences of the people: and is the new testament lesse perfect then the old? and the lawes, and ordinances for the administration of it lesse excellent, and of a baser foundation then the former? It matters not what your words are, since it appeares by your deeds, that you vsurp the throne of Christ, in appointing officers, and making lawes for the government and administration of his kingdome the Church: and those many of them to the abolishing of his, herein rather holding Christ as a captive, then honouring him, as a King.
3. Where Christ hath given to his Church liberty, power, andIII. commaundement, every one of them severally, and all of them joyntly to reprove and reform disorders, and whatsoever is found, whether person or thing, faulty, and disagreing vntounto his word: alasse this liberty is enthralled, this power lost, this commaundement made of no force. The Prelates hauehave seazed all these royalties into their hands, as though they alone were made partakers of Christs kingly annoynting, & were as Kings to rule in his Church. Here is a King in a great measure without subjects, without lawes, without officers, without power.
But here I must needs observe a few things about two answers given by †Pag. 260. 261.Mr B. in his 2. book to two of Mr Ainsworths obiections about the matter in hand. To the former being about the officers of Christ in the Church, he answereth, that they have Christs officers appointed to govern; the civil Magistrate, the Kings Maiesty, the Mr B.ruling Elder, next vnderunder Christ, &c. and the ecclesiasticall governours vnderunder him, the Bishops, who are also Pastours, and Doctours.
But you should have considered Mr Bern. that the questionAnsw. is not about civill but ecclesiasticall governours. The King in deed is to govern in causes ecclesiasticall, but civilly, not ecclesiastically, vsing the civil sword, not the spirituall for the punishing of offendours. And if the King be a Church officer, then he is, first, a King of the Church: … ▪ to be called to his office, and so deposed from it by the Church, or at least by other ecclesiasticall persons, by whom alone you will have Church officers made. And lastly, if the King be such a ruling Elder, as the scriptures speak of, he is inferiour to the teaching Elders, and deserves lesse honour then they. For so the Apostle orders things. Rō. 12. 7. 8. 1 Tim. 5. 17.
Now in making your Bishops, Pastours, & Doctours, you are double forgetfull of your self, and double injurious vntounto them, and which is worse then both the rest, you sin against the Lord, & his truth. For the first, in your former book you made your Bishops cheif officers in the Church, and the successours of the Apostles, and Evangelists, and here you make them Pastours, and Teachers, which are the lowest orders of officers, that▪ Christ gave for the work of the ministery. Ephe. 4. 11. 2. if your Bishops be Pastours, and Teachers by their office, what are you, and the rest of your rank? You and they have not the same office, but you an office vnderunder them, and so Pastours and Teachers being the lowest order that Christ hath left in his Church, your order must needs be something vnderunder the lowest, and of an others leavings then Christs. 3. in making your Bishops the Pastours & Teachers of the Church of England, or the particular Churches in it, you lay to their charge an accusation, which they will never be able to answer at the day of the Lord, which is, their not feeding of so many thowsand sheep committed vntounto them to be fedd, and taught by them. Lastly, nothing is more vntrue, and disagreable to the word of God, then that your Provinciall, and Diocesan Bishops are the Pastours, and Teachers given by Christ to his Church. There were no other ordinary officers left or appointed by the Apostles, in the Churches but such as were fixed to particular congregations, ordinarily called Bishops or Elders, Act. 14. 23. & 20. 17. 28. Phil. 1. 1. And if it can be shewed, that, by the word of God any other officers were left, or appointed in the Church after the extraordinary officers, Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, whose gifts, and places vvere extraordinary, besides such Bishops, and Elders, as vvere limited to particular Churches, I vvill yeeld this vvhole cause in the point of the Ministery, and so professe.
The other of Mr B. answer I mynd, is, about the power of Christ, against sin, Sathan, Antichrist, the want whereof, Mr Ainsw: and that truely, objecteth against the English assemblyes. Mr B. defenceMr B. summarily is, that, there is in the Church of England, the preaching of the word, which is the power of Christ, Rom. 1. 18. as also excommunication, though not in every parrish, yet in the Church of England in which is comprehended all parrishes, and all superiour power over them.
For which let the Reader observe these particulars.Answ.
First a national Church since Christs death, and the dissolutionI. of the Iewish Church, is amonstrous compound, and savours of Iudaism.
Secondly, if the mayn part of the power of Christ be to be administredII. in a particular congregation, by the ordinary officers thereof▪ namely the preaching of the gospell, why not the inferiour part, the censures also, save that the Byshops to Lord it over all, will keep this rod in their own hands?III.
Thirdly, the Ministers whose judgments & reasons you avouch, both say, and prove, in the latter end of your book, that this power is given to a particular congregation of faithful people.pag. 180.
Fourthly, you your self lay it down as a mayn ground againstIIII. popularity, and withal sundry scriptures to prove it, that Christ hath appoynted the same sorts of men in his Church for preaching, pag. 92.administration of the sacraments, and government.
Lastly it is apparant, that the particular Church of Corinth †1 Cor. 5. 4. 5.gathered V.together in the name of the Lord Iesus, had the power of the Lord Iesus for excommunication: and so hath every other faythful assembly in the world, as they had, which since your assemblyes are not, they may want this power without any great wrong: the evil onelyonly is, that it resteth in a worse place, then the worst parrish assembly, the Bishops court, or consistory.
I proceed. OnelyOnly my desire is, that the things which I have noted touching Christs kingly office, be the more carefully observed by all the people of God, and servants of Iesus, in respect of that most direct opposition, which in those latter dayes is made against it, and the administration thereof. For as in the first tymes after Christs comming in the flesh, his prophetical office was directly impugned, by Iewes, and heathens, so as it was † not lawful to speak Act. …. …2 …3. and …4. …. 17. 18.in his name, & since that his preisthood by the masse-preisthood, & sacrifices in the popish Church, so now in the last place doth Sathan in his instruments bend his force most directly against, and with might and mayn oppose the sovereignty, and crown of our Lord Iesus that he may not rule in his Church, by his own officers, and lawes.