Justification of Separation from the Church of England, Treatise · Section 94
First, (to let passe the succession of the Church he pleads from King Etheldred, King of Kent, of which I hauehave spoken so lately, as the reader may bear mine answer in mind) that the Queens Maiesty with many others, began a voluntary reformation, and that the supream power Mr. B.(as he calls it) being gathered, made proclamatiō of her godly intent, which was a kind of teaching to which the people yeelded voluntarily, for any thing that any man can say to the contrary: and pag. 245. adioyned themselves vntounto them, and that the act of the cheif doing it voluntarily, is to be accounted the act of all, though the inferiours come not to consent, for proof of which he quoteth three scriptures, Ex. 19. 3. 7. 8. Iosh. 4. 2. 8. 2 Chr. 14. 2.
A solide proof; bycause the Queen did voluntarily imbrace theAnsw. truth in a measure, therfore the whole body of the land, whom she vrged by proclamation, and other inforcements, did voluntarily professe, and imbrace the same. For touching the supream power gathered, that is, the Counsell, & Nobles, when she came to the crown they were such, as had imediately before both enacted, and exequuted most bloody statutes against such as voluntarily professed the truth, and where you, and the Ministers with you, pag. 187. affirm that the body of the land did in Queen Elizabeths tyme adioyn themselves vntounto that company which had stood out in Queen Maries dayes, it is clean otherwise, for they that so stood out adioyned themselves to the rest in the severall Parishes, where their houses stood, and occasions lay, vnderunder the formerly masse-preists, & then for the most part, ignorant and prophane preists, with their English reformed masse-book. In adding further, that the Queens proclamation was a kind of teaching, you trifle notably: the quaestion is of such a teaching, as was effectuall to make a whole nation of Antichristians the week before, true Christians, and a true Church. It was in deed the onelyonly effectuall means the people had generally: and if the Queen had proclaymed the contrary the next week, it would hauehave been as effectual to hauehave turned them to their former vomit again. Your presumption, that no man can say to the contrary, but that the people yeelded voluntarily to the truth, vponupon the Queens proclamation is vayn, considering what the †2 Cor. 9. 13.voluntary yeeling, or submission vntounto the Gospel of Christ is, which the scriptures commend vntounto vsus, in the establishing of Churches. The gospel is a supernaturall thing, and cannot possibly be yeelded vntounto voluntarily by a naturall man, or perswaded, but by a supernaturall motive, which is onelyonly it self: & that by the operation of the spirit also in some measure, it cannot be vnderstood, and beleeved but by it self published, and proclaymed (as the sun is seen by it own light) much lesse can it be willed, and willingly yeelded vntounto: for the will must follow the vnderstanding, neyther can any man will that he knowes not. Besides, the many treasons▪ and great rebellions raysed to reestablish Popery in the lād, the great good liking of the old law (as they term it) which still is found in the multitude, and the apparant hatred and persequution against the true profession of the gospel in any measure, (though there be ten now for one in the beginning of the Queens reign that hauehave atteyned to some measure of knowledge and conscience of godlynes) do confirm that which I say, viz: that the yeelding vntounto the gospell in the multitude, could not be voluntary. The three scriptures you bring to shew, that the agreement of the cheif is accounted in the case of faith, and religion the act of all, though the inferiours give not their consent, is by you egregiously perverted; for they do all & every one of them plainly prove the peoples consent. The first is Exod. 19. 3. 7. 8. where v: 3. the Lord signifies his wil vntounto Moses, and v: 7. Moses propounds the same things vntounto the Elders, and v: 8. all the people (viz having the same things by the Elders propounded to them, as Iunius vponupon that place, (and so will any man of common sense) noteth, promise obedience to all the Lords commandements. The second place is Iosh. 4. 2. 8. where it is evident to him that reads the scripture quoted with it, that which is written, ch. 3. 9. and Deut. 27. 1. 2 3. &c. that the twelve men that took the twelve stones out of the mi…des of lorden for a memoriall of the peoples safe passing over, did it with the distinct knowledge, and actuall consent of the multitude, and of all the people, as is sayd, v: 1. who are also expresly commanded by Ioshua, v: 2. of the same chapt: and v: 12. of the chapt: before going to chuse, or take these twelve men for the purpose before named. Lastly for 2. Chron. 14 as …t is true, that Asa the King did provoke the rest to seek the Lord, both by his example and authority, so is it as true, that the people sought the Lord their God with him, and as vntrue that any did by v. 7.his power, obey, in fear, as you affirm. The Lord himself testifies expresly against you, and that all Iudah, & Beniamin assembled in Ierusalem, …h. 15. 9. 10 12. 15.and made a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their hart, and with all their sowl; of whom also it is witnessed accordingly, that, they swore vntounto the Lord with all their heart, and sought him with a whol desire. And for the point it self, howsoever in bodily things, the people may refer themselves to the determinations of their superiours, and may bind themselves to rest in them, as in their own acts, though they neyther take knowledge of, nor give consent vntounto the things in particular, yea though they be to their bodyly domage: yet in the matters of faith, and religion, it is clean otherwise, and to hold the same proportion is a very popish errour, which makes the governours Lords over the peoples faith.
And thus at the last am I got back whence I digressed, & will now proceed in the examination of such reasons, as Mr B: brings to prove that profane persons, or to vse his own words, men of lewd conversation, are not false matter of the Church. To which purpose, he first distinguisheth true matter into good, and bad; and so taking that which is bad, & naught vntounto himself, for the matter of his Church, he will yet have it true, and no false matter. And this distinction of his, he labours to exemplifie by similitude, and to confirm by example. The similitude he borrowes from a materiall house, and the matter of it, timber, & stone, which makes eyther nothing to the matter in hand, or if any thing, against himself. If there can possibly be any false matter of an house, then rotten timber is false matter: and so wicked and vnrepentant sinners dead, and rotting in the grave of sinne, are false matter in proportion: but if there can be no false matter of a materiall house, then he may see how maymed his comparison is, when the termes of the one side are impossible. Howsoever it is evident, that the house of God, the Church is a †1 Pet. 2. 5spirituall house made of lively stones, *1 Cor. 15. 45. Ephe. 2. 20.built vponupon that lifegiving foundation Christ Iesus. And as a man, (or other living creature) being once become dead naturally, cannot be called a true man naturally, so neyther can a man spiritually dead in trespasses, and sinnes, be called a true man spiritually, and therefore not true matter of that spirituall house the Church.