Justification of Separation from the Church of England, Treatise · Section 13 – Section 14
That we have not the approbation of any of the reformed Churches for ou… The 4. Likelyhoodcourse, and that where our Confession of faith is without allowance by them, they give on the contrary the right hand of fellowship to the Church of England.
This is the same in substance with the first instance of probability,Ans. and that which foloweth in the next place the same with them both. And Mr Bern. by his so ordinary pressing vsus with humane testimonies shewes himself to be very barren of divine authority: as hath bene truely noted by another. Nature teacheth every creature, in all daunger to fly first and oftenest to the chief instruments eyther of offence, or defence, wherin it trusteth, as the But to his horne, the Bore to his tusk, and the byrd vntounto her wing: right so this man shewes wherein his strength lies, and wherein he trusts most, by his so frequent and vsuall shaking the horne and whetting the tusk of mortall mans authority against vsus.
But for the reformed Churches the truth …s they neyther do imagine, no nor wil easily be brought to beleeve that the frame of the Church of England stands as it doth: neyther have they any mind to take knowledge of those things, or to enter into examination of them. The approbation which they give of you (as Mr A. hath observed) as indeed it is of speciall observation) is in respect of such generall truthes of doctrine, as wherein we also for the most part acknowledge you: which notwithstanding you deny in a great measure in the particulars, and practise. But touching the gathering, & governing of the Church, which are the mayn heads cōtroverted betwixt you & vsus; they give you not so much as the left hād of fellowship, but do on the contrary turne their backs vponupon you.
The difference betwixt you and them in the gathering and constituting of Churches is as great as betwixt copulsive conformity vntounto the service book and ceremonyes, which is your estate, and voluntary submission vntounto the gospell by which all & every member of them is ioyned to the Church, and as is betwixt the reigne of one Lord Bishop over many Churches, and the government of a Presbytery or company of Elders over one.
And if you would take viewe of this difference nearer home, do but cast your eyes to your next neyghbours of Scotland & there you shall see the most zealous Christians chusing rather to loose liberty, country, and life then to stoop to a far more easy yoke then you bear. Yea what need I send you out of your owne horizon? The implacable & mortall hatred the Prelates bear vntounto the Ministers and people wishing the government and Ministery receaved in the reformed Churches proclaymes aloud the vtter emnity betwixt them, & your vnreformed Church of England, of which I pray you hear with patience what some of your own have testified. Those that will needs be our Pastors and spirituall fathers Answer to D. Bancrofts slanders.are become beasts as the Prophet Ieremy sayth. And if we should open our mouthes, to sue for the true shepheards and overseers indeed vntounto whose direction we ought to be committed, the rage of these wolves is such as this endeavour would almost be the price of our lives. And do these Churches like sisters go hand in hand together as is pretended?
Now for vsus, where Mr B. affirmeth that wee published our confession but without allowance, if I saw not his frowardnes in the things he knowes, I should marvayl at his bouldnes in the things whereof he is ignorant, we published the confessiō of our fayth to the Christian Vniversityes in the low countryes and els where, entreating them in the Lord, eyther to convince our errours by the word of God (if so any might be found,) or if our testimony in theyr iudgments agreed with the same word, to approve it eyther by wryting, or silence, as they thought good. Now what Vniversity, Church, or person amongst them hath once enterprized our conviction? which without doubt some would have done (as with such haeretiques or schismatiques as arise amongst them) had they found cause?
Thus much of the learned abroad: in the next place Mr B. drawes vsus to the learned at home, from whose dislike of vsus he takes his fifth Likelyhood, which he thus frameth.
The condemnation of this way by our divin…s both living and dead, The 5. Likelyhoodagainst whom either for godlynes of life, or truth of doctrine, otherwise the… for being theyr opposites, they can take no exception.
No mervayl: we may not admit of partyes for iudges: how is it possible we should be approved of them in the things wherein we witnes against them? And if this Argument be good or likely, then is it likely that neyther the reformists have the truth in the Church of England, nor the Prelates, for there are many and those both godly and learned, which in their differences do oppose, and that very vehemently the one the other.
Now, as for myne owne part, I do willingly acknowledge the learning & godlynes of most of the persons named by Mr B. & do honour the very memory of some of them, so do I neyther think thē so learned, but they might erre; nor so godly, but in their error they might reproch the truth they saw not. I do indeed confesse to the glory of God, and myne owne shame, that a long tyme before I entered this way, I took some tast of the truth in it by some treatises published in iustificatiō of it, which (the L. knoweth were sweet as hony vntounto my mouth; and the very principall thing, which for the tyme quenched all further appetite in me, was the overvaluation which I made of the learning and holynes of these, and the like persons, blushing in my selfe to have a thought of pressing one hayr bredth before them in this thing, behynde whom I knew my selfe to come so many miles in all other things; yea and even of late tymes, when I had entered into a more serious consideration of these things and (according to the measure of grace received) serched the scriptures, whether they were so or no, and by searching found much light of truth, yet was the same so dimmed and overclouded with the contradictions of these men and others of …he like note, that had not the truth been in my heart as a burning fyre shut vp in my bones Ier. 20. 9. had never broken those bonds of …lesh and blood, wherein I was so streytly tyed, but had suffered the light of God to have been put out in myne owne vnthankfull heart by other mens darknes.
This reverence every man stands bound to give to the graces of God in other men, that in his differences from them, he be not suddaynly nor easily perswaded, but that being iealous of his owne hart, he vndertake the examination of things & so proceed, with fear, and trembling, & so having tryed all things, keep that which is good. 1. Thes. 5. 21. So shall he neither wrong the graces of God in himselfe, not in others. But on the othersyde for a man so farr to suffer his thoughts to be conjured into the circle of any mortall man or mens iudgment, as eyther to feare to try what is offered to the contrary, in the ballance of the sanctuary, or fynding it to bear weight, to feare to give sentence on the Lords syde, yea though it be agaynst the mighty, this is to honour men above God, and to advance a throne above the throne of Christ, who is Lord and King for ever.
And to speak that in this case which by dolefull experience I my selfe have found, many of the most forward professors in the kingdome are wel nigh as superstitiously addicted to the determinations of their guids and teachers, as the ignorant Papists vntounto theyrs, accounting it not onelyonly needles curiosity, but even intollerable arrogancy to call into question the things receaved from them by tradition.
But how much better were it for all men to lay asyde these & the like prejudices, that so they might vnderstand the things which concern theyr peace, and seeing with theyr own eyes, might live by theyr owne fayth.
And for these famous men here named by Mr B. (with whose oppositiōs as with Zidkijahs horns of iron he would push us here and every where); as we do beare theyr reproofs with patience, & acknowledg theyr worthes without envy, or detraction, so do we know they were but men, and so through humayn fraylty might be abused as well (or rather as ill) to support Antichrist in a measure, as others before them have been, (though godly, and learned, as they.) It will not be denyed but the fathers (as they are called) Ignatius, Irenaeus, Tertullian▪ Ciprian, Ambrose, Ierom, Austin, and the rest were both godly and learned; yet no man (if he have but even saluted them) can be ignorant, what way (though vnwittingly) they made for the advauncement of Antichrist which followed after them: And if they notwithstanding theyr learning and godlines thus vshered him into the world, why might not others (and that more likely) though learned and godly as the former, help to beare vp his trayne? espcially considering, that as his rising was not, so neyther could his fall be perfected at once. And for vsus, what do we more or otherwise for the most part, then walk in those wayes into which divers of the persons by Mr B. named, have directed vsus by the word of God, in manifesting vntounto vsus by the light thereof what the ministery, goverment, worship, and fellowship of the Gospell ought to be? we then being taught, and beleeving, that the word of God is a light & a lanthorne not onelyonly to our eyes, but to our feet & pathes (as the psalmist speaketh) Psal. 119. 105. cannot possibly conceave how we should iustly be blamed by these men for observing the ordinances which themselves not onelyonly acknowledged, but contended for, as appoynted by Christs testamēt to be kept inviolable till his appearing, as some of them have expresly testifyed.
To conclude, let not the Christian reader cast our persons, & the persons of our opposites whither these or others, in the ballāce together, but rather our cause, and reasons with theyr oppositions and the grounds of them, and so with a steady hand, & vnpartiall …y wey and poyze cause with cause, that so the truth of God may not be prejudiced by mens persons, nor held in respect of them.
And to your marginall note, viz. that …ne of vsus vvhom you call guids did fall to this course before wee were in trouble and could not inioy our liberty as we desired, I do onelyonly ansvver this one thing, that all and every one of vsus might have inioyed both our liberty, and peace at the same wofull rate with you and your fellowes.
The Lords judgment giving sentence with him and his6. Likelyhood. Church against us.
But wherein appeares that Mr B?
…. By the blessing of God (you tell vsus) vponupon your ministery, by which people Mr B.are wonne truly to sanctification of life, and that we (on …e contrary) work but vponupon the labours of other men.
1. Considering the multitude of Ministers in the kingdomeAnswer▪ and theyr long continuance in theyr Ministery, there is in the most parts of the land no such cause of so loud boasts as are h…re made.
There is nothing more cōmon both in the sermons and wrytings of the forwarder sort, then their complaints how little good theyr preaching hath done, howsoever with vsus for advantage they plead the contrary.
But let it be as Mr B. sayth that they win men to sanctification of life, and that we work but vponupon theyr labours, his owne words shall iudge him, wherin he doth directly overthrow that he would establish, & establish that he would so fayn overthrow.
The Ministers of the Church of England do win men to true sanctification of life, then the people over whome they are set are not truely sanctified, then not true saynts, then no true members of the Church: and therefore that no true body of Christ consisting of such members.
Wee work vponupon other mens labours: and so true ordinary Elders do: whose office stands in feeding, and not in begetting. The Elders which the Apostles ordeyned were set over them which†Act. 14. 23. beleeved in the Lord; and* the overseers or Bishops made by the holy Ghost were over such a …lock, as all whereof were purchased with the blood of Christ, (so far as men could iudge.) We do not dispiseAct. 20. 28▪ the conversion of a sinner (as Mr B. odionsly traduceth vsus,) but do with men and Angels blesse the Lord for that mercy vponupon our selves & others, onelyonly weedare not stand Ministers to an vnconverted people nor dispence vntounto thē the holy things of God, to which we know they have no right, how bold soever Mr B. and his brethren make with the Lord and his ordinances this vvay. And so I passe to the second proof.