Works of Joseph Hall, Section 13
SECTION XIII.
I PROFESSED to beſtow pittie and ſorrow vponupon you and your wrong:The Apoſtaſie of the Church of England. You entertaine both harſhly, and with a churliſh repulſe: What ſhould a man doe with ſuch diſpoſitions? Let him ſtroke them on the backe, they ſnarle at him, and ſhew their teeth▪ Let him ſhew them a Cudgell, they flie in his face: You allow not our actions, and returne our wrong; Ours is both the iniurie and complaint: How can this bee? You are the Agents, we ſit ſtill, and ſuffer in this rent: Yet (ſince the cauſe makes the Schiſme) let vsus inquire, not whoſe the action is, but whoſe the deſert: Our Church is deepe drencht in Apoſtaſie; and we cry Peace, Peace: No leſſe than a whole Church at once, and that not ſprinkled, or wetſhod, but drencht in apoſtaſie; What, did wee fall off from you, or you from vsus? Tell me, were we euer the true Church of God? and were we then yours? We cannot fall, vnleſſe we once ſtood: Was your Church before this Apoſtaſie? Shew vsus your Anceſtors in opinion: Name me but one that euer taught as you doe, and I vow to ſeparate: Was it not? Then we fell not from you: EueryEvery Apoſtaſie of the Church muſt needs be from the true Church. A true Church, and not yours? And yet can there be but one true; See now whether in branding vsus with Apoſtaſie, you hauehave not proued yours to be no true Church: Still I am ignorant:A Treatiſe of the Miniſtery of England, againſt M. H. pag. 125. Queene Maries dayes (you ſay) had a true Church, which ſeparated from Poperie, choſe them Miniſters, ſerued God holily, from thence was our Apoſtaſie: But, were not the ſame alſo (for the moſt part) Chriſtians in King Edwards dayes? Did they then, in that confuſed allowance of the Goſpell, ſeparate? Or (I pray you) were Cranmer, Latimer, Ridley, Hooper, and the reſt, parts of that Church, or no? Was there any other ordination of Miniſters than from them? Reiect theſe, and all the world will hiſſe at you; Receiue them, and where is our Apoſtaſie? What Antichriſtianiſme hauehave we, wherof theſe were freed? But you leape backe (if I vrge you farre) from hence to the Apoſtles times, to fetch our once true Church from farre, that it might be deare: You ſhall not carue for vsus: we like not theſe bold ouerleapes of ſo many Centuries: I ſpeake boldly, you dare not ſtand to the triall of any Church, ſince theirs: Now, I heare your Doctor ſay, this Challenge fauours of Rome: H. Anſworth in his fore-ſpeech to his Count. Inqu. into Wh. Tertul. l. de Ora. Tertul. lib. de Praeſcript. So. de Virginib. Veland. That no continuance of time can preiudice Truth. Si me reprehendas errantem, patere me quaeſo errare cum talibus. Aug. Hier. Fr. Iohnſon in his Anſw. to T. Wh. pag. 26. Anſ. againſt Brough. p. 17. Theſe Dutch churches offend not only in practicall diſorders, but in their Conſtitution, Gouernment, Worſhip, &c. Troubl. and Excom. at Amſterdam. p. 10. Browne charged with it by Barr. Letter to Maſter Egerton G. Iohnſon ibid. pag. 194. Fr. Iohnſ. Inqui. Act. 15.38. Departing, that is, not going with them. Barr. pref. to the Separation defend. In his Obſeruations. p. 251. We doe not there condemne the Pariſh-Aſſemblies as ſeparated from Chriſt, but proue them not as yet gathered to Chriſt. So Confe. with Sperin. p. 9. Fr. Iohnſons Inquiry, pag. 36. H. Barr. Obſeruation 242.Antiquitie is with you, a Popiſh plea: we hauehave willingly taken vp our Aduerſaries, at this (by pretence, their owne) weapon: You debarre it in the conſcience of your own nouell ſingularitie: Yet your Paſtor can be content to make vſe of Tertullian alone againſt all Fathers; That ſuch things are iuſtly to be charged with vanitie, as are done without any precept, either of the Lord, or of the Apoſtles: And the Apoſtles did faithfully deliuer to the Nations the Diſcipline they receiued of Chriſt, which we muſt beleeue to be the tumultuary Diſcipline of the refined houſefull at Amſterdam: What? all in all Ages, and places till now Apoſtates? Say if you can, that thoſe famous Churches, wherein Cyprian, Athanaſius, Ambroſe, Hierome, Auſten, Chryſoſtome, and the reſt of thoſe bleſſed Lights liued, were leſſe deepe in this Apoſtaſie than ours? O Apoſtaticall Fathers, that ſeparated not! yea, ſay if you dare, that other reformed Churches are not ouer the Ankles with vsus in this Apoſtaſie: What hard news is this to vsus, when as your Oracle dare ſay not much leſſe, of the reformed Churches of Netherlands, with whom you liue? Thus he writes: For not hearing of them in other Congregations in theſe Countries; this I anſwer, That ſeeing by the mercy of God, wee hauehave ſeene and forſaken the corruptions, yet remaining in the publike Miniſtration, and condition of theſe Churches (if they bee all like to theſe of this Cittie) we cannot therefore partake with them, in ſuch caſe, without declining, and Apoſtaſie from the truth, which we hauehave our ſelues alreadie receiued and profeſſed. See here, to partake with them in Gods ſeruice is Apoſtaſie; If ſo in the acceſſories, Alas, what crime is in the principall? It were but Apoſtaſie to heare an Engliſh ſermon; a Dutch is no leſſe: Wo is you that you dwell ſtill in Meſhech: Good men; it were not more happie for you than the Church, that you were well in Heauen. No leſſe than Apoſtaſie? Let no Reader be appalled at ſo fearefull a word; this is one of the termes of Art, familiar to this way: Finde but any one page of a Dutch printed Volume without Apoſtaſie, Excommunication, Commingling, Conſtitution, and ſuſpect it not theirs: Hereſie is not more frequent at Rome, than Apoſtaſie at Amſterdam; nor Indulgences more ordinary there, than here Excommunications. Common vſe makes terrible things eaſie: Their owne Maſter St. for holding with the Dutch Baptiſme, and Read-prayers, is acknowledged to be caſt out for an Apoſtate: yea, their Doctor Maſter Anſworth is noted with this marke from themſelues: There is much latitude (as happie is) in their Apoſtaſie: For when Stanſhal, Mercer and Iacob Iohnſon were to be choſen Officers in their Church, and exception was taken by ſome at their Apoſtaſie, anſwer was made, It was not ſuch Apoſtaſie as debarred them from Office, it was but a ſlip. Iohn Marke (whether, as Iſichius and Theophylact thinke, the bleſſed Euangeliſt, or ſome other holy Miniſter) is by the whole Parlour at Amſterdam, branded with this lame Apoſtaſie; who departed indeed, but from Paul in his iourney, not from Chriſt in his faith, and therefore his (foreign) is expounded by (foreign) Act. 15.38. why doe we thinke much to drinke of an Euangeliſts Cup? Yet let this ignorant Epiſtler teach his cenſorious Anſwerer one point of his own (that is the Separatiſts) skill: and tell him that he obiects two crimes to one poore Church, which are incompatible; want of Conſtitution, and Apoſtaſie. Thus writes your Maſter of vsus: If it were admitted, (which can neuer be proued) that they ſometimes had beene true eſtabliſhed Churches. Loe here, we neuer had true Conſtitution, therefore we are not capable of Apoſtaſie: If we once had it, and ſo were true Churches, heare what your Paſtor ſaith: As Chriſt giueth to all true Churches their being, ſo we muſt leaue it vntounto him to take it away, when, and as he pleaſeth. And therefore ſince he hath not remoued his Candleſticke, nor taken away his Kingdome, in ſpight of all obiected Apoſtaſies, wee ſtill continue ſo: and by conſequent your ſeparation vponupon this ground is moſt vniuſt.No faults diſanull the being of a Church, vntil contempt of Gods Word be added therunto after due cōuiction. The faults & errors of a Church may be ſeuerely reproued & conuinced according to the qualitie therof, and yet the Church not be condemned. N. B. Iob 24.19. Vulg. Edit. Cypr. Epiſt. ad Cornel. Non eſt maius peccatum quàm apoſtatare à Deo. Aug. in Pſal. 18. Prou. 6.12. Iob. 3….18. Ezec. 2.3. Apocal. 2.3. Thou haſt laboured, and not giuen in. Tertul. de Pat. Si hominibus placetur, Dominus offenditur; ſi vero illud eni… mur & laboramus vt poſſimus Deo placere, & conuitia & maledicta debemus humana contemnere. Confeſſed by M. Iohn. loc. ſeq. Inquir. of Th. White. pag. 65. Gen. 49.7. Cypr. de ſimplic. prael. Quid facit in corde Chriſtiano Luporum ſeritas, & Caenum rabies? Aug. Confeſſ. l. 9. c. 9. Qualia ſolet eructare turgens indigeſta diſcordia? An Apoſtate had wont to bee the fearefull ſurname of damned Iulian: Tertus was an eaſie accuſer, to whom yet, we may ſay with Elihu, N… dicis Regi, Apoſtata? Behold, now ſo many Apoſtataes as men: Holy Cyprian deſcribes him by forſaking Chriſts colours, and taking vp Armes for Gentiliſme in life, or hereſie in iudgement: And Auguſtine tells vsus, there cannot be a greater ſinne than Apoſtaſie; making elſe-where this ſinner, worſe than the Infidell. And the old vulgar can giuegive no worſe terme to (foreign) where he findes it, yea to (foreign) Rebels themſelues. What doth this brand to a Church, not Chriſtian onelyonly (though you denie it) but famous: Of whom is truly verified (after all your ſpleene) that which the Spirit writes to the Angell of Epheſus: Laboraſti & non Defeciſti: Say if you can, what Article of the Chriſtian and Apoſtolike faith hauehave we renounced? What Hereſie maintaine we? Wherein hauehave we runne from the Tents of Chriſt? What hold we that may not ſtand with life in Chriſt, and ſaluation? We challenge all men and Deuils in this point, for our innocence: Diſtinguiſh for ſtarke ſhame, of ſo foule a word; or (which is better) eat it whole; and let not this blemiſh be left vponupon your ſoule and name in the Records of God, and the world; that you once ſaid of a Church, too good for yours, Drencht in Apoſtaſie. If wee crie Peace, whiles you crie Apoſtaſie; ſurely we flatter, whiles you raile: betwixt theſe two dangerous extremes, we know an wholſome meane, ſo to approue, that we foſter not ſecuritie: ſo to cenſure, that we neither reuile, nor ſeparate: and in one word; to doe that which your Paſtor could exhort the Separators from your Separation (for euen this Schiſme hath Schiſmes) If we ſhould miſlike, yet to reſt in our differences of iudgement, and notwithſtanding peaceably to continue with the Church: Had you taken this courſe, you ſhould neither hauehave needed to expect our pittie, nor to complaine of our crueltie. Surely, whether our louelove be cruell, or not, your hatred is: whereof, take heed leſt you heare from old IACOB, Curſed bee their wrath, for it was fierce, and their rage, for it was cruell.
How can you expect compaſſion, when you breath fire, and write gall? Neuer mention the fury of others indignation, till the venomous and deſperate writings of Barrow and Greenwood be either worne out with time, or by the Thunderbolts of your (not rare) cenſures be ſtrucke downe to Hell, whence their maliciouſneſſe came. I forbeare to recapitulate: how much rather had I helpe to burie, than to reuiue ſuch vnchriſtian exprobrations?
SEP.
The firſt action laid againſt vsus, is of vnnaturalneſſe and ingratitude towards our Mother the Church of England, for our cauſeleſſe ſeparation from her: to which vniuſt accuſation, and triuiall querimonie, our moſt iuſt defence hath beene, and is, that to our knowledge wee hauehave done her no wrong: we doe freely, and with all thankfulneſſe acknowledge eueryevery good thing ſhee hath, and which our ſelues hauehave there receiued.