Works of Joseph Hall, Section 47
SECTION XLVII.
On what ground Separation or Ceremonies were obiected.HEE that leaues the whole Church in a groſſe and wilfull errour, is an Heretike; he that leaues a particular Church for appendances, is a Schiſmaticke: ſuch are you, both in the action and cauſe: The act is yelded, the cauſe hath beene in part ſcanned, ſhall be more: This I vainely pretended to be our conſorting in Ceremonies with the Papiſts: Behold here the ground of your lowd challenge of my ignorance: Ignorance of your Iudgement and practice: Here is my abuſe of you, of my Reader: and, how durſt I? Good words (M. R.) What I hauehave erred, I will confeſſe: I hauehave wronged you indeed: but in my charitie: I knew the cauſe of Browniſme, but I knew not you: For (to ſay ingenuouſly) I had heard and hoped, that your cauſe had beene leſſe deſperate; My intelligence was, that in diſlike of theſe Ceremonies obtruded, and an hopeleſneſſe of future libertie, you and your fellows had made a ſeceſſion, rather than a ſeparation from our Church; to a place where you might hauehave ſcope to profeſſe, and opportunitie to enioy your owne conceits: whence it was that I termed you Ring-leaders of the late ſeparation, not followers of the firſt, and made your plea againſt our Church, imperfection, not falſhood: I hoped you, as not ours, ſo not theirs: not ours in place,Inq. into M. White. ſo not quite theirs in peeuiſh opinion: I knew it to bee no new thing for men inclin ng to theſe fancies, to beginne new Churches at Amſterdam, ſeuerall from the reſt: witneſſe the letters of ſome (ſometimes yours) cited by your own Paſtor: I knew the former ſeparation, and hated it; I hoped better of the later ſeparation, and pittied it: My knowledge both of*Which vponupon the Lo…ds Praye. hath …nfuted ſome … of …. M. Smith whom you followed, and your ſelfe, would not let me thinke of you, as you deſerued: How durſt I charge you with that, which perhaps you might diſauow? It was my charity therefore, that made my accuſations eaſie: it is your vncharitableneſſe that accuſes them of ignorance. I knew why a Browniſt is a true Schiſmaticke; I knew not you were ſo true a Browniſt. But why then did I write? Taking your ſeparation at beſt; I knew how iuſtly I might take occaſion by it to diſſwade from ſeparation; to others good, though not to yours: Now I know you better, or worſe rather, I thinke you heare more: Forgiue mee my charity, and make the worſt of my ignorance. I knew that this ſeparation (which now I know yours) ſtands vponupon foure grounds, as ſome beaſts vponupon foure feet. Firſt, God worſhipped after a falſe manner;Barr. and Gr…en. paſſim. Penr. Exam. Secondly, Profane multitude receiued; Thirdly, Antichriſtian Miniſtery impoſed; Fourthly, Subiection to Antichriſtian Gouernment: The Ceremonies are but as ſome one paw in eueryevery foot: yet if we extend the word to the largeſt vſe, diuiding all Religion into Ceremony, and Subſtance; I may yet, and doe auerre, that your ſeparation is meerely grounded vponupon Ceremonies.
SEP.
And touching the ceremonies here ſpoken of, howſoeuer we hauehave formerly refuſed them, ſubmitting (as all others did and doe) to the Prelates ſpirituall Iuriſdiction, (herein through ignorance ſtraining at Gnats, and ſwallowing Camels) yet are we verily perſwaded of them, and ſo were before we ſeparated, that they are but as leaues of that tree, and as badges of that Man of ſinne, whereof the Pope is head, and the Prelates ſhoulders. And ſowe for our parts ſee no reaſon why any of the Biſhops ſworne ſeruants (as all the Miniſters in the Church of England are Canonically) ſhould make nice to weare their Lords liueries. Which Ceremonies notwithſtanding we know well enough, howſoeuer you for aduantage extenuate and debaſe them vntounto vsus, to be aduanced and preferred in your Church, before the preaching of the Goſpell.
It is much that they being not ſo much as Reed, nor any part of the building (as you pretend) ſhould ouerturne the beſt builders amongst you as they doe. The proportion betwixt Zoar and them holds well: Zoar was a neighbour vntounto Sodome, both in place and ſinne, and obnoxious to the ſame deſtruction with it: and it was Lots errour to deſire to hauehave it ſpared, Gen. 19.15, 18, 19, 20. and ſo he neuer found reſt nor peace in it, but forſooke it for feare of the ſame iuſt iudgement, which had ouertaken the reſt of the Cities, verſe 30. The application of this to your Ceremonies, I leaue to your ſelfe, and them to that deſtruction, to which they are deuoted by the Lord.