Justification of Separation from the Church of England, Treatise · Section 87
The sum of the three first is thus much: viz: that Christ, & his Mr B.Apostles preaching the gospell, such as beleeved the same, and made profession of it, and of their faith, were without stay, or let, received into the Church as true matter.
We are as farr from denying this order of gathering Churches,Answ. as you are from enjoying it, Mr B: you needed not to have made three distinct proofs of this, which no man denyes: nor to have brought so many scriptures as you do, for the confirmation of that, which wee graunt with you, and practise without you. But herein you deceive the simple reader in that you separate, and disioyn those things, which then were, and alwayes should be ioyned together: and they are faith, and repentance. These two ioyntly did Christ himself preach, and Iohn Baptist before him, and the Apostles after him: and these two were preached to, and required of every one both man, and woman, which was admitted into the Church, Mat. 3. 2. 6. Mark. 1. 15. Act. 19. 4. Luke 13. 3. 5. & 24. 47. Act. 2. 28. & 8. 37. & 19. 18. But now bycause faith, & repentance are inward graces resydeing in the hart, and known to God alone, which knoweth the hart, and that the profession, and confession of them are the ordinary meanes by which these hidden, and invisible graces are manifested, & made visible vntounto men, there was no cause, but they, which made this profession to men, in sincerity, so far as men could judge, should by men be deemed, and acknowledged for true members of Christ, and fit matter for the Lords house. And so if by any other means men manifested themselves to have fayth, and holynes wrought in them (though they made neyther profession of faith, nor confession of sinnes) yet were they, (and so ought to be) intitled, and admitted to the liberties of the Church, as appeareth, Act. 10. 44. 46. 47. And vppon this very ground also it is, that the children of the faithfull are of the Church, and baptised, though they make no profession of faith at all, bycause the scriptures declare them to be within the gratious covenant of Gods mercy, and love, and vnderunder the promises of the gospel, and so by vsus to be reputed holy. Gen. 6. …. & 17. 7. 8. 9. 10. Deut. 29. 10. 11. 12. 13. Act. 2. 39. Rom. 11. 16. 1 Cor. 7. 14. so that it is not for the profession of faith▪ ex opere operate, or bycause the party professing vtters so many words, that he is to be admitted into the Church: but bycause the Church by this his profession, and other outward appearances, doth probably, & in the judgement of charity, (which is not causlesly suspitious) deem him faithfull, and holy in deed▪ as in shew he pretendeth. But that a man of a known lewd conversation, & appearing still to remain in his sinne (whatsoever in word he professeth) should be received into the Church, (out of which he ought to be cast though he were one of it) or should have baptism administred vntounto him, (which is as Mr B. rightly confirms from the scriptures, the seale of the forgivenes pag. 119. 1….of sinns, of new birth, & of salvation,) being judged not to have the forgivenes of sinns, nor to be born a new, nor to be in the estate of salvation, were a most desperate and prophane practise, then which I know not, whither the Divel hath brought any other into the Church, more derogatory to Gods glory, or prejudiciall to mans salvation. This were to make the way of the kingdome of heaven broad enough, by which al the Atheists in the world might enter into the Church, and certaynly would every one of them, if the Magistrate should vse his compulsive power, as it is in Engl: at this day: yea a parrat might be taught to say over so many words, yea the Divel himself▪ (though he were known so to be) would not stick for his advantage to vtter them, and so might be true matter for Mr Ber: Church.
The material †… King. 5. 6. 17. 18. & …. 7. 2 Ch… ▪ …. 8. 9▪templi was to be built onelyonly of costly stones; of ceda…s, firres, and the like special trees, and those all prepared before hand▪ hewed, and perfit for the building, so that neyther hammer, nor ax, nor any tool of iron, was to be heard in the house in the building of it. * By the gates 2 Chr. 2… ….of the house were the porters set, that none, that was vnclean in any thing, should enter in. VponUpon the altar there might be " offered no vnclean beast, Lev. 22. 9. 20. 21. &c. and 27 1.no nor that which was clean, having a blemish vponupon it. And is any rubbish, and ri…rat now good enough for this † spirituall house and temple of God, the Church, whereof the material temple was but a carnall shadow? may the porters, the officers, let into it, the clean, & 1 Pet. 2 … Cor. 6. 16 Rev. 11. 1. Heb. 13. ….vnclean, without difference? may dogges, and swyne, and all vnclean beasts and byrdes promiscuously be offered vpō * the altar we have in our spiritual tabernacle? God forbid. And far be it from the servants of the Lord to prepare his Maiesty such a house to dwell in, or to defile his holy things with such vnclean persons, or to offend his nostrels with the stench of such sacrifices. Yea, whosoever shall bring me this doctrine, that a man of known wicked conversation, without such appearance of repentance, as the Church by the word of God, & rule of charity, is to judge true, may by warrant of the word, or practise of the Apostles, be received, and admitted into the Church, by the pratling of a verball profession, I will hold that man, yea though he were an angel from heaven, accursed.
And for the places which Mr B. brings for this purpose, they are so evident against him, as when I read them, I do even wonder, with what conscience, modesty, or wisdome, he could set them down. They do speak in deed of faith, and the profession of faith, in, and by such, as were received into the Church: but of what fayth? of a dead faith without works, as “Ch. 2. 26Iames speaks? or fruitfull in evil works, which is worse? nothing lesse, but of such a faith, as hath the expresse promise of *Act. 15. 9. Gal. 5. 6. 1 Ioh. 5. 1life eternall annexed vntounto it, even of that faith, which purifieth the heart, and worketh by love towards God, and man.
The places of scripture are these, Rom. 10. 9. Ioh. 1. 12. & 3. 36. Ioh. 17. 3. Act. 2. 36. & 8. 37. & 9. 20. & 11. 26. & 16. 31. 33. & 19. 4. …. & …8. 28. Luk. 24. 47. 1 Cor. 15. 3. & 3. 11. Godly reader view the places one by one, and see if any one of them speak of a verball faith, onelyonly begot in the mouth, or of such a profession of faith, as hath ioyned with it a prophane conversation; the contrary will appear as cleare as the sun, and in it, how evill a conscience this man vseth thus to pervert the scriptures to the maintenance of a vile opinion, and prophane practise.