Justification of Separation from the Church of England, Treatise · Section 32 – Section 33
The other exceptions of shifting and evading the scriptures, & of perversnes of spirit in conference, I pretermit as being both frivolous & despitefull, onelyonly something must be answered before we passe this poynt, to the charge layd vponupon vsus, Pag 98. touching, corruptions in the Churches Apostolicall, and reformed. And first, obiect to them Mr B.(sayth he) the corruptions of the Churches Apostolicall, and theyr answer is eyther that we mayntayn our corruptiōs by the sinnes of other Churches, or els they were in a true constitution.
And how can you with modesty reiect this answer? you say we misconstrue Answ.your intendement, which is that corruption make not a false Church. We grant it except they be essentiall: but this is that we say that what Church soever alledgeth the corruptions of other Churches with a purpose to cōtinue in the like thēselves (which is your estate) that Church maintaynes her corruptions by the sinns of other Churches. And for the second poynt I do affirme that merely by vertue of a constitution there may be a true Church of God though abounding (for the present) in sinne and iniquity, & yet another assembly not rightly constituted or gathered into covenant with God, no true Church though lesse impieties be to be found in it.
The Prophet Ieremy complaines †L…m. 4. 6.that the iniquity of the daughter of his people (namely Ierusalem) was become greater then the sinn of Sodom, and the Prophet Ezeki…l affirmes that *Ezek 16. 46. 47. 51. 52.Ierusalem was more corrupt by half then Sodom and Samaria. And yet was Ierusalem the true Church of God, which neyther Samaria nor Sodom were, no nor yet any other place in the world, where not halfe the wickednes was wrought that was to be found in the better of them. This poynt I will further examplify by a symilitude. A woman free and separated from all other men and ioyned in civill covenant to a man, is his wyfe, yea though shee prove very stubborn and disobedient, yea and dishonest also, till the bill of divorcement be given her; but an other woman the wife of an other man, or not contracted to that man, is not his wife, nor can be so reputed, though she be never so obedient & buxome vntounto him: so the Church of England til it be separated & free frō the world & prince of the world that rei…e…h in it, & so frō Antichrist his Eldest sonne in his hye…archy priesthood & other ordinances, & be taken into covenant with the Lord cānot possibly be the true Ch: of God or wife of Christ: no not though the good things in it were many more then they are. Which we do not alledg, as is craftily insinuated against vsus, to iustify any mans continuance in a Church full of wickednes, but to prove that the constitution of the Church that is the collection and combination of Saynts as matter in and into covenant with God as the form, is that which gives true being vntounto a Church and nothing els, how vily soever men iudge or speak of it.
And for corruptions in the Apostolical Churches it is true the Apostles mentioned them, but allwayes with vtter dislike, severe reproof, and streight charge of reforming them. Rom. 16. 17. 1 Cor. 5. 1. 6. 7. 11—13. 1 Thes. 5. 14. 2 Thes. 3. 6. 1 Tim. 6. 5. Rev. 2. 14—16. 20.
But how do these things concern you? Though Paul, and all the Apostles of Christ with him, yea though Christ himself from heaven should admonish any of your Churches to put away from among themselves any person though never so haeretical or flagitious, you could not do it, neither could you reform any abhomination otherwhere, though the same be as conspicuous as the *2 Chron. 26. 20.leprosy of Vzziah which brake forth in his forehead. And this want of the power of the Lord Iesus for reformation, which an other man would think were an intollerable slavery Mr B. pag 68. turnes to good advantage, and thinks himself & his Church halfe excused of all the evils which are amongst them, because they want power to vse the remedy: thus pleading for a priveledg the mark of the beast, frō which the servants of God ought to abhor, herin being passing witty above other men in making an advantage of that evill, which the most have enough to do to excuse.
And for true Churches not vsing aright the power they have for reformation, they are like true bodyes which through some obstructions, or stoppings for a time cannot voyd things noxious, & hurtful till there be a remedy: but the Church without this power is as a monstrous body wanting the faculties & instruments of evacuation and expulsion of excrements, or other noy some things▪ and therefore is never appointed of God to live, but devoted to death and destruction?
Of the reformed Churches & our cariage towards them I have spoken els where, and for your Turkish Argument in the margent wherein you incense the Magistrate against vsus, as otherwise incorrigible, it well becomes the rest of your book joyning violence to slaunder. But are you your self wholly conformable Mr B? If not, why do you incense the magistrate against vsus being your selfe obnoxious to his displeasure? Or do you not hope to escape persecution your self by persecuting vsus? This is too ordinary a practise amongst you. But the Lord seeth your haulting, and rewardeth you in your bosomes, as you have served vsus. And when you and others more forward then you do consider & feel in what hatred you are with the King and state, me thinks your harts should smite you, as the harts of Iosephs brethren did them in their trouble for their barbarous crueltie towards him. Gen. 42.
Our sixt sin by retayl Mr B. makes our rayling and scoffing, and in Mr B.particular H. Barrowes blasphemyes, &c. whose repentance he would have vsus publish to the world
If I should answerably require of you the publication of theAnsw. repentance of your Clergy not onelyonly for the cruel speakings, but even for the wicked deeds, which vngodlily they have committed against Christ in his servants, and ordinances, it were an hard tax put vponupon you. Yea to spare you for other men, do you but publish your owne repentance for the same …innes (wherein you are deeply set) and without doubt your godly example shall provoke many to the like.
And for Mr Barrow, as I say with Mr Ainsworth, that I wil not iustify all the words of an other man no… yet myne owne, so say I also with Mr Smyth, that because I know not by what particular motion of the spirit he was guided to write in those phr…ses, I dare not censure him as you do: especially considering with what fyery zeale the Lord hath furnished such his servants at all tymes, as he hath stirred vp for speciall reformation. Let the example of Luther alone suffice, whom into what termes his zeale carryed, his writings testify. And yet both in him, and in Mr Barrow there might be with true spirituall zeal …leshly indignation mingled.
And though this in generall might be sufficient, yet for the stopping of your mouth Mr B. and for the satisfying of others, I will discend a little to the very particulars, which you have c…lled out against Mr Barrow as most odious.
First then you fault him that he calles your Bishops Antichristian prowd Prelates, and the tayl of the beast, &c.
And what are they but Antichristian, if their office be against Christ, and his ordinances in the visible Church? And what els do all the reformed Churches abroad and reformists at home iudge, speak, & write of them? And what thought you Mr B. otherwise of them, when even since you dealt against this cause of separatiō, you affirmed before many witnesses that there was not a place in the new testamēt against Antichrist, but you could apply it against thē?
And because you are come to this height of boldnes & depth of dissembling, I will here insert brei…ly certayne reasons which I receaved from your self in wryting to prove the Bishops Antichristian, and that word for word as I have reserved them by me to this day.