Justification of Separation from the Church of England, Treatise · Section 86
The matter, you say, is not false, and to shew this you note a difference Mr. B.between true matter, false matter, and no matter. As you speak that, which neyther any other, nor yet your selfe, can vnderstand of false matter, so you call them no matter, which make no profession of Christ at all, … Iewes, Turk…s, Pagans, and all them true matter to wit, visible, which openly professe this …yn truth, that Iesus the sonne of Mery is the sonne of … Christ the Lord, by whom onelyonly, and … they shalbe saved.
Many greivous errours are bound vp … invective of Mr Bernards,Answ. but for prophanenes, this one surmounts them all. For what can be spoken more prejudicial to the glorie of God, or deragotory to the body of Christ, h… that any person, but pronouncing so many words, how fil…ious soever he be in his life, or what errours soever he mingle with this truth, is notwithstanding true visible matter of the Church, or a true member of Christs body visibly, or so far, as men can iudg, and so must be received & acknowledged.
Against this odious, and prophane errour, I wil first deal by some clear Arguments proving the contrary, and then come to the allegations he makes for his vngodly purpose.
If all, that professe this mayn truth, Iesus the son of Mary &c. be true matter of the Church, then are most notable haeretiques true matter of the Church. The Apellites, C…rdo…ans, and Marcio…es holding two contrary beginnings, or Gods, the one good, the other evil: the Macedonians denying the Holy Ghost to be God: the Cer…hyans holding that Christ is not yet risen from the dead: the Paternians affirming the inferiour parts of the body of man to be created of the Divill: the Patric… holding so of the whole body: the Novatians, and Cathari, denying repentance to them that sin: the Nicholaitans holding community of all things: the Swenk seldians, and Enthusiasts denying the outward ministery, & wayting vponupon the revelation of the spirit alone: and with these many others, as ill, or worse then they, professing notwithstanding this mayn truth, as the most of them did, and do.
Then are excommunicates, true matter of the Church, thoughII. cast out for notorious wickednes, for many of them hold these mayn truthes, and many more, yea more then Mr B. himself doth.
Then is the true matter of the world, and lims of the Divell,III. (for such are all wicked persons whatsoever truth they professe, Ioh. 8. 44. and 15. 19. Rom. 6. 16 2 Tim. 2. 26. 1 Ioh. 3. 8. 12.) true matter, and members of the Church.
They that are Christs, have crucified the flesh, with the affections, and IIII.lusts of …. Gal. 5. 24. therfore persons visibly wicked are not visibly Christs, and so not visibly or in respect of men, true matter of the Church, or members of his body.
That which destroyes the Church, & makes it become eyther aV. false Church, or no Church at all, cannot make a true Church, or be the true matter, whereof it is made; for these things are contrary. But wicked men, whatsoever they professe in word, make the Church a Synagogue of Sathan, and very Babylon, which is an habitation of Divils, and hold of all foul spirits, Rev. 18. 2. provokes God to remove the candle-stick that is to dischurch a people, and to spew them out of his mouth, Rev. 2. 5. and 3. 16.
Mr B. had need be a skilful workman, which can make a true Ch: of Christ, of that matter, which makes the true Churches planted by the Apostles themselves, eyther false, or no Churches at all.
They which are true visible matter of the Church, or true visibleVI. christians, have Christ for their King visibly, or in outward appearance, and so far as men can judge: (for by visible, we mean that which may be seen of men, opposed to invisible, which onelyonly God seeth) for Christ is not devided, but look to whom he is a Preist to save them, & a Prophet to teach thē, to the same persons he is also a K. to reign, & rule over them▪ but he is not a King to any ungodly ones, neyther doth he, but Satan, and their lusts reign over them.
If profession in word, with a wicked conversation, make trueVII. matter of the Church, then an apparantly, a flat contradiction, a known sinne, & that which makes men more abhominable, makes them true matter of the Church. For he that sayth, he hath fellowship with God, or beleeves in Christ, and yet walkes in darknes, doth ly, and doth not truely, 1 Ioh. 1. 6. He that professeth Christ to be his saviour, and doth wickednes, contradicts himself (for Christ is not a saviour of the wicked) & sinns against the 4. cōmandement, in taking Gods name in vayn. Other reasons might be brought for the …iction of this soul, & prophane errour, for truth vnanswerable, & for nūber sufficiēt to make a volume: but these may suffice for the present: some other I will intermingle, as occasion shalbe offered in the examination of that, which Mr B. brings for the confirmationpag. 112. of his assertion. For which end he sets down 4. Reasons.