Justification of Separation from the Church of England, Treatise · Section 136 – Section 137
The 5. and last property for which you commend your selues, is,Mr B. your going before the flockes, that is, in godly conversation.
As I acknowledge the vnblameable conversation of many amongstAnsw. you, so do many Papists, Anabaptists, and other vile haeretiques, and schismatiques walk as vnblameably this vvay, as you; and yet are they not true sheepheards of Christs sheep. But by the sheepheards going before the sheep in this place is meant, as I take it, partly the care of the minister in governing the people; partly, his constancy in danger, to which he exposeth himself in the forefront; and in these respects, he is sayd to goe before the flock. Now f…ll …ll do these properties agree vvith the Ministers, for whome Mr Bernard pleadeth. Who as they govern not the people at all, but are themselves & the people with them vnderunder the government of their Diocesan and Provinciall Pastours: so do they in the tyme of danger most perfidiously forsake their flockes: wherein their sin is the greater, considering the faythfull promise, which you your self testify they make in the open congregation, diligently to watch over their flockes.
Now howsoever, that which hath been spoken vvill appear, I doubt not, sufficient to force Mr B. from this 10 of Iohn, yet bycause he d…ms it so strong an hold for him, as we cannot overthrow it, pag. 302.we will adventure a litle further vponupon it, and see whither there be not to be found in it sufficient of the Lords munition, not on…ly to batter the wall, but even to rase the foundation of the ministery of England for which he pleadeth.I.
First then, all true sheepheards are set over flocks of *Ioh. 21. 15. 16. 17. Act 2…. 1…. 25. 29.sheep to feed them. But the ministers in England were not set over flocks of sheep, but indeed over heards of swine, goates, and dogges with some few sheep scattered amongst them. Which the wild, & filthy beastes push worry, and defile. Therfore the ministers of England are not true sheepheards.
2. True sheepheards enter in by the dore Christ, v. 2. 7. that is byII the meanes, which his Apostles at his appoyntment, hauehave commended vntounto the Churches, act. 6. 2. 3. 4. 5. &. 14. 23. But the ministers in England enter into their charges by the presentatiō of a Patron, the institutiō of a Praelate, & the inductiō of an Archdeacō, which is not the dore opened by Christ, for the sheepheard to enter by, but a lather set vp by Antichrist wherby to clime over the fold.
3. The shepheard is by his office to feed and govern the flock, as MrIII. B: himselfe testifieth from this scripture. But as seeding, that is,…. …92. reaching, or preaching vntounto the people (as is his meaning) is no part of the parish Preists duety, but a casual, and super-erogarory work: so are they altogether stript of government; and therefore no true sheepheards of Christs flocks.
Lastly, the good sheepheard seing danger towards the sheep▪ willIIII. rather give his life then …lee; where on the contrary, the hireling s…ing the wolf comming, sleeth, because he is an hyreling. ver. 11. 12. 13. wherevpon it followeth, that the ministers Mr B. cheifly meanes, leaving their flocks vponupon the Bishops vngodly suspensions, and deprivations, as vponupon the ba…king of a wolfe, do evidently proclaym to all the world, that they are no good sheepheards, but hyrelings. And so far am I perswaded of hundreds amongst them, that, I doubt not, but if they thought in their harts, they were by Christs appointment set in their charges, and by him cō maunded there to minister, they would never so fowly, as they do, forsake their flocks vponupon the suspension, or deprivation of a prophane Praelate, or Chauncelour, for refusing conformity or subscription, to their popish devises.
When DAVID was in his greatest trials, and that his enemies laboured most, eyther to frustrate, or deprive him of his kingdom, and so to turn his glory into shame, his comfort was, that God had *Psal. 2. …. & 4. 2. 3.set him as his King vponupon Syon, the mountayn of his holynes: and that the Lord had chosen, or separated him vntounto himself. Likewise vvhen Iakob was in that great both danger, and fear of his brother Esau, the thing that susteyned him, was, that †‘Gen. 32. 9.God had sayd vntounto him, return unto thy country, and to thy fathers kindred, & I will do the good.
And as it was with these two, so is it with all the servants of God both in their generall, & speciall callings. When they hauehave assurance by the word, and spirit of God, that he is the authour of their calling, then do they with patience, and comfort of the H. Ghost suffer such trials, and afflictions, as are incident therevnto: where on the contrary, wanting thi… assurance, they are soon discouraged even in the good things they do, if persequutions do arise; and being without the Lords calling, no marvayl though they want his comfort.
The Apostle Paul advertiseth the “Act. 20. 27. 28. 29.Elders of Ephesus, that they are made overseers or Bishops, of the flock, by the H. Ghost, and thereupon takes occasion to exhort them to all vigilancy, & faythfulnes against the invasion of such wolves, a… should enter in to devour the flock. Now if those men of whom I speak, be perswaded that they at placed in their charges by the H. Ghost, how do they forsake thē not being by him displaced, or do they think the H. Ghost lisplaceth them for their weldoing, or for their refusing to do evil, as to sub…ctibe, conform, and the like? They speak of the seal of their Ministery, and of their inward calling, and of the peoples acceptation, and of many things more, very plausible to the multitude; but in the day of their triall, it appeares, what small comfort they have in all these: and as is their coming in, so is their going out: since they entered not in by the dore, no mervayl though they suffer themselves to be thrust out by the window, or to be tumbled over the wall, or otherwise to be discharged vponupon some small, and sleighty occasion.Mr B.
But * suppose (say you) a false enterance, yet that no more disanulls pag. 142. 1. book.the ministery, then doth a faulty enterance to mariage, disanul that ordinance between two conioyned to be lawful man, and wife.
But first, I deny your very office of ministery in it self to be aAnsw. spirituall ordinance of God, as is mariage a civill ordinance.
2. If one of these two persons were vncapable of mariage, ther would follow a nullity: and so is it with you, where your parish assemblies are all of them vncapable of the ministery of Christ, and the ministrations thereof.
3. If this mariage were made without the free consent, and choise of the one party, were it not to be disanulled? and this is your case, if you consider it, where the minister is put vponupon the people, without their free choise, and election.
Lastly, if two persons were maryed with this condition, that they should leave one another vponupon the imperious commaund of some great man, for some small, and sleighty matter, or other; were this true, and lawfull mariage? And is not this the estate of your Ministers, and people vnderunder their imperious Lords the Prelates? by whom they are in continuall danger of divorce, for want of canonicall conformity in some triviall, and trifling ceremony.
Thus much of this similitude, as also of this matter.