Justification of Separation from the Church of England, Treatise · Section 171 – Section 172
Secondly, that they might be rightly gathered to the fellowship of the visible Minist:Church, by other meanes then by the preaching of the gospell, that is, as they expound it, by publique, and ministeriall preaching; for which they alledge our opinion though vnsound, yet having force enough to stop our mouthes.
And do these men deal soundly, who to prove a point in controversie,Answ: bring the opinion of their adversaries, which they condemn▪ as vnsound? The opinion is most sound, that men out of office (for so wee speak) may convert men to God, and that ordinarily: otherwise they may not prophesie ordinarily; nay to what end should they ordinarily instruct, reprove, and exhort privately such, as are out of the way? And where further they make it one thing for men to be soundly converted, and an other thing for them to be lawfully made a visible Church, they vse craft to cover errour. They vse craft in speaking of sound conversion, to conceal that prophane and hateful errour, that a visible Church may be lawfully gathered of vnconverted persons. For as our quaestion is about the externall, or visible Church, so do wee require for it onelyonly externall, and visible conversion, or that which is seen, and discerned of men, leaving vntounto God the judging, and discerning of that which is sound or inward▪ according to the difference which them selves truely put from the †1 Sam: 16. 7. Act: 15. 7. 8.scriptures, in an other *Pag: 16…place.
Now that it is a vile, & prophane errour to hold that men converted, & wicked (viz: so far as men can judge by outward appearance) may lawfully be admitted into the visible CHVRCH, I have shewed at large in the former part of the “Pag: 269. 270. 271. 272. 273. 301. 305. 306. 307. 308. 309-310.Book▪ and could if need were shew the whole course of the scriptures against it. Mat. 28. 19. 20. Act. 2. 40. 41. 46. 47. & 4. 32. & 8. 5. 6. 8. 37 & 9. 15. with 13. 42. 43. & 14. 15. & 16. 14. 15. 31. 32. 33.
Of like nature with the former, is that which followeth, namely that men may by other meanes be lawfully made a visible Church, then by Minist.the preaching, that is by the opening, or publishing, of the gospel. For which they instance in those which follow Christ, and professed themselves his disciple…, who yet were not all drawn by his word, but some by miracles Ioh. 2. 23. 25. some by the report they heard of him Ioh. 4. 39. s…me by the desire they had to be fed by him: Ioh. 6. 24. 26. & that, Christian Kings have by their lawes been meanes to bring men to the outward society of the Church, vntounto which men may be compelled. Luk. 14. 23.
It is not true that Christ in his life gathered any visible Churches.Answ: These persons indeed, which followed Christ, were members of the visible Church, but it was of the Church of the Iewes, which Christ gathered not. He lived and dyed †Rom. 15. 8the Minister of circumcision, and gathered no distinct Churches at all from the Iewish Church. Secondly neyther any of the things named, nor all of them together, without or besides the gospell, are means sufficient lawfully to gather a visible Church. Some of them as miracles, may be meanes *Mark. 16. 20.to confirm the gospel, and the rest of them to draw men to the hearing of, and outward submission vntounto it▪ but is alone is the hand of God, as Mr Ber. truely writeth, stretched out to sub du… people vntounto him: it is the seed of the Lords husbandry: the word of Pag. 118.his kingdom.
When the Lord Iesus sent out his Apostles to gather Churches,1 Cor. 3. 9. Math. 15. 19. Math. …8. 19. 20. the onelyonly meanes which came into his heart was the teaching, or making of men disciples: and the Apostle to the Ephes: witnesseth, that the Church, or “ch. …. …0.temple of God, is built vponupon the foundation of the Apostles, and Prophet…, Iesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone… but these men, it seemes, will have the Church of God built vponupon the lawes of Magistrates, yea vponupon the reports▪ yea vponupon the bellyes of men. They would be counted Ministers of the gospel, & yet they make no conscience of ascribing the honour which is peculiar vntounto the gospel, vntounto so many other, and so mean things. And for Christian Kings, & Queens▪ as as I acknowledge them for noursing fathers, & anothers, so may I not for proc…ant parents, of the Church. It is vnreasonable to affirm, that civil causes, as are their compulsive lawes, should bring forth spirituall effects, as is the Church or kingdom, of Christ. By this Argument the Turk may make all his dominions a Church in a week, or two. It may as truely be affirmed, that Magistrates may by their lawes compel† Act: 2. 41. men to receive the word gladly: to stand in the estate of *v: 47.salvation: to be “1 Cor: 1. 2saynts, and sanctified in Iesus Christ: to be †1 The: 1. 1 & 2. 1. 1.in him, and in God the father, through him; viz: externally, and in appearance, and so far as men can judge: for such is the Church, and of such persons doth it consist, as the scriptures cited testify. And for the parable in Luke 14. 23. which they bring to prove that the Church may be gathered by bodily compulsion, as Mr Ainsworth hath justly reproved their folly from Prov: 26. 9. & sufficiently confuted their erroneous exposition, shewing that Luke speaketh of a spirituall violence, and compulsion, which the word of God offereth vntounto the consciences of men: so do I ad for the conclusion of this poynt, that even the blynde *Math: 22 15.Pharisees did see, and discerne, that Christ meant by the former servants the Prophets, which the Lord the King sent to the Iewes; as he did by the last, the Apostles, whom, when the Iewes refused the gospell, he sent to the gentiles, to compel them by the efficacy of the “Heb: …4. 12word (which is mighty in operation) to the obedience of fayth.
Lastly what compulsive lawes soever the Magistrates may make, or exequute, it is a vile errour to think, & a sinfull flattery to bear thē in hand, that they have power frō God to cōpel an apparentlysee pag: 300 flagious person to enter into the Church of God, and the Church so to receive and continue him.