Works of Joseph Hall, Section 57 – Table of contents 6
SECTION LVII.
ALL the ſequell of my Anſwerer is meerely ſententious:The iſſue of Separation. it is fitter for vsus to learne than replie: Where the truth gaines (ſay you) God loſeth not: I tell you againe, where God loſeth, the truth gaineth not, and where the Church loſeth, God (which indowed her) cannot but loſe: Alas, what can the truth either get or ſaue by ſuch vnkinde quarrels? Surely ſuſpition on ſome hands, on others reiection: for (as Optatus, of his Donatiſts) betwixt our Licet, and your Non licet, Inter licet veſtrum, & non licet noſtrum, nutant ac remigant animae Chriſtianorum. Optat. co…. P…m.many poore ſoules wauer and doubt: neither will ſettle, becauſe we agree not: Thanks are not loſt, where new fauours are called for, but where old are denied. While your Poeſie is: Such as the mother, ſuch is the daughter; where are our old, our any mercies? They are vnthankfull, which know what God hath done, and confeſſe it not: They are vnthankfull to God and his Deputie, which knowing themſelues made to obey, preſume to ouer-ru… and vponupon their priuate authoritie, obtrude to the Church thoſe ordinances to be obſe… ued, which neuer had being but in their owne idle ſpeculation.
Your Sequeſtration and our confuſion, are both of them beneficiall, where they ſhould not: and as you pretend our confuſion for the cauſe of your Separation; So is your Separation the true cauſe of too much trouble, and confuſion in the Church: Your odious tale of commixture hath cloyed and ſurfeted your Reader already, and receiued anſwer to ſatietie: this one diſh ſo oft brought forth, argues your pouertie: The viſible Church is Gods Drag-not, and Field, and Floore, and Arke;Non enim propter malos boni deſerendi, ſed propter bonos mali tolerandi ſunt, &c. Sicut tolerauerunt Prophetae, &c. Aug. Ep. 48. Barr. againſt Gyff. here will be euer at her beſt, Sedge, Tares, Chaffe, vncleane Creatures: yet is this no pretence for her neglect: The notoriouſly euill ſhee caſts from her breſt, and knee, denying them the vſe of her Prayers, and (which your Leaders miſlike) of her Sacrament. If diuers through corruption of vnfaithfull Officers, eſcape cenſure; yet let not the tranſgreſſions of ſome, redound to the condemnation of the whole Church. In Gods iudgement it ſhall not; we care litle, if in yours. Wee tell wicked men, they may goe to hell with the water of Baptiſme in their faces, with the Church in their mouthes, we denounce Gods iudgements vnpartially againſt their ſinnes, and them: Thus we flatter, thus we deceiue. If yet they will needs runne to perdition; Perditio tua ex te Iſrael.
Our Clergie is ſo Romiſh as our Baptiſme: If therefore Romiſh becauſe they came thence, we hauehave diſproued it: If therefore Romiſh, becauſe they hauehave beene vſed there, wee grant and iuſtifie it; That ancient confeſſion of their faith which was famous through the world, wee receiue with them: If they hold one God, one Baptiſme, one Heauen, one CHRIST, ſhall we renounce it? Why ſhould we not caſt off our Chriſtendome and humanitie, becauſe the Romans had both? How much Rome can either challenge, or hope to gaine in our Clergie and Miniſtration, is well witneſſed by the bloud of thoſe Martyrs, eminent in the Prelacie, which in the freſh memories of many, was ſhed for God, againſt that Harlot: and by the excellent labours of others, both Biſhops and Doctors: whoſe learned pens hauehave pulled downe more of the walls of Rome, than all the corner-creeping Browniſts in the world ſhall euer be able to doe, while Amſterdam ſtandeth. It is you that furniſh theſe Aduerſaries with aduantages, through your wilfull diuiſions: Take Scilurus his arrowes, ſingle out of the ſheafe, the leaſt finger breakes them, while the whole bundle feares no ſtreſſe: wee know well where the blame is, our deſeruings can be no protection to you: you went from vsus, not we from you. Plead not our conſtraint, you ſhould not hauehave beene compelled to forſake vsus, while CHRIST is with vsus: But who compells you not to call vsus brethren? to denie vsus Chriſtians? your zeale is ſo far from iuſtifying the wicked, that it condemnes the righteous.
SEP.
And for the ſuſpition of the rude multitude you need not much feare it. They will ſuſpect nothing that comes vnderunder the Kings broad ſeale▪ They are ignorant of this fault. Though it …ere the Maſſe that came with authoritie of the Magiſtrate, they (for the moſt part) would b… wit… out ſuſpition of it: ſo ignorant and profane are they in the moſt places, 1 Sam. 10.10. It is the wiſe hearted amongſt you, that ſuſpect your dealings, who will alſo ſuſpect you ye… more, in your vnfound dealing ſhall be further diſcouered.
SECTION LVIII.
The Browniſts ſcornefull opinioo of our people.HOw ſcornefully doe you turne ouer our poo…e rude multitude, as if they were beaſts, not men; or if men, not rude but ſauage! This contempt needed not: Theſe ſonnes of the earth may goe before you to Heauen: Indeed it was of old ſaid, that all Aegyptians were Phyſitians: So may it now of you; All Browniſts are Diuines, no Separatiſt cannot propheſie: No ſooner can they looſe at the skirts of this hill, but they are rapt from the ordinarie pitch of men: Either this change is perhaps by ſome ſtrange illumination, or elſe your learned paucitie got their ſkill amongſt our profane and rude multitude: we hauehave ſtill many in our rude multitude, whom wee dare compare with your Teachers: neither is there any ſo lewd and profane, that can not pretend a ſcandall from your ſeparation: Euen theſe ſoules muſt bee regarded (tho not by you.) Such were ſome of you, but yee are waſhed, &c.
The wiſe-hearted amongſt vsus doe more than ſuſpect, finde out our weakneſſes, and bewaile them; yet doe they not more diſcouer our imperfections than acknowledge our truth: If they be truely wiſe, wee cannot ſuſpect them, they cannot forſake vsus: Their charitie will couer more, than their wiſdome can diſcouer.
SEP.
Laſtly, the terrible threat you vtter againſt vsus, that euen whoredomes, and murders ſhall abide an eaſier anſwer than ſeparation, would certainely fall heavy vponupon vsus, if this anſwer were to be made in your Conſiſtorie Courts, or before any of your Eccleſiaſticall Iudges; but becauſe we know, that not Antichriſt, but Chriſt ſhall be our Iudge; we are bold vponupon the warrant of his Word and Teſtament, (which being ſealed with his bloud may not be altered) to proclaime to all the world Separation from whatſoeuer riſeth vp rebelliouſly, againſt the Scepter of his Kingdome, as we are vndoubtedly perſwaded, the Communion, Gouernment, Miniſterie, and worſhip of the Church of England doe.
SECTION LIX.
The Concluſion from the fearefull anſw. of Separation. Troub. and excom. at Amſt. G. Ionſ. profeſſes he found better dealing in the Biſhops Conſiſtories; & might hauehave found better in the Inquſition. Ierom. Cypr. de ſimplit. praelat. Ad pacis praemium venire non poterunt, qui pacem Domini diſcordiae fur…re ruperunt. Ibid. Inexpiaebilis & grauis culpa diſcord…a, nec paſſione purgatur.MY laſt threat, of the eaſier anſwers of whoredomes, and adulteries, than Separation, you thinke to ſcoffe out of countenance. I feare, your conſcience will not alwayes allow this mirth; Our Conſiſtories hauehave ſpared you enough: let thoſe which hauehave tryed, ſay, whether your corrupt Elderſhip be more ſafe Iudges: If ours impriſon iuſtly, yours excommunicate vniuſtly; To be in cuſtodie is leſſe grieuous, than out of the Church; at leaſt if your cenſures were worth any thing, but contempt: As Ierome ſaid of the like; it is well that malice hath not ſo great power as will: you ſhall one day (I feare) finde the Conſiſtorie of Heauen more rigorous, if you waſh not this wrong with your teares; That Tribunall ſhall finde your confidence, preſumption; your zeale, furie. You are bold (ſurely more than wiſe) to proclaime: wee hauehave no need of ſuch cries: doubtleſſe your head hath made Proclamations long, now you hand beginnes. What proclaime you? Separation from the Communion, Gouernment Miniſtery, and worſhip of the Church of England: what need it? Your act might hauehave ſaued your voice: what ſhould our eyes and eares be troubled with one ….
But … …eparate you from theſe? Becauſe they riſe vp rebelliouſly againſt the Scepter of Chriſt: The Scepter of Chriſt is his Word: he holds it out, we … and …ſſe it: That one ſentence of it doe we wilfully oppoſe? Away with theſe folliſh … you … a … into your Sauiours hand, and ſay, Haile, King of the Iewes, and will needs perſwade vsus, none but this is his rod of yron. Laſtly, vponupon what warrant? Of his will and Teſtament. You may wrong vsus; But how dare you faſten your lies vponupon your Redeemer and Iudge? What clauſe of his hath bid you ſeparate? We hauehave the true Copies: As we hope or deſire to be ſaued, we can finde no ſentence that ſoundeth toward the fauour of this your act: Muſt God be accuſed of your wilfulneſſe? Before that God and his bleſſed Angels and Saints, we feare not to proteſt that we are vndoubtedly perſwaded, that whoſoeuer wilfully forſakes the Communion, Gouernment, Miniſtery, or worſhip of the Church of England, are enemies to the Scepter of Chriſt, and Rebels againſt his Church and Anointed: neither doubt we to ſay, that the Maſterſhip of the Hoſpitall at Norwich, or a leaſe from that City (ſued for with repulſe) might hauehave procured that this ſeparation from the Communion, Gouernment, and worſhip of the Church of England, ſhould not hauehave beene made by IOHN ROBINSON.
FJNJS.
A TABLE OF ALL THE SECTIONS CONTAINED in this BOOKE.
THE entrance into the Worke. 549
The Anſwerers Preamble. 550
The parties written to, and their crime. 551
The Kindes of ſeparation, and which is iuſt. 552
The Antiquity and examples of ſeparation. 553
What ſeparation is to be made by Churches in their planting, &c, 555
What ſeparation the Church of England hath made. 556
Conſititution of a Church. 557
Order, 2. Part of conſtitution, how farre requiſite, &c. ibid.
Conſtraint requiſite. 558
Conſtitution of the Church of England. 559
The Anſwerers Title. 561
The Apoſtaſie of the Church of England. ibid.
The Separatiſts acknowledgements of the graces of the Church of England. 564
The vnnaturalneſſe of ſome principall Separatiſts. 565
What the Separatiſts thinke themſelues beholden to the church of England for. ibid.
The motherhood of the Church of England how farre it obligeth vsus. 566
The want of pretended Ordinances of God, whether ſinfull to vsus, &c. 567
The bonds of Gods word vniuſtly pleaded by the Separatiſts. 568
The neceſsity of their pretended Ordinances. 569
The enormities of the Church in common. ibid.
The Church of England is the Spouſe of Chriſt 570
How the Church of England hath ſeparated from Babylon. 571
The ſeparation made by our holy Martyrs. 573
What ſeparation England hath made. ibid.
The maine grounds of ſeparation. 574
The truth and warrant of the Miniſtery of England. 575
Confuſed Communion of the profane. 576
Our Errors intermingled with Truth. 577
Whether our Prelacy be Antichriſtian. 578
The iudgement and practiſe of other Reformed Churches. 579
Our Synods determination of things indifferent. 580
Sinnes ſold in our Courts. 581
Our loyalty to Princes cleered, theirs queſtioned. 582
Erros of free-will, &c. fained vponupon the Church of England. 583
Kneeling at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper. 583
Whether our Ordinarie and Seruice-booke, be made Idols by vsus. 584
Marriage not made a Sacrament by the Church of England. 587
Commutation of Penance in our Church. 588
Oath ex Officio. ibid.
Holy-dayes how obſerued in the Church of England. 589
Our approbation of an vnlearned Miniſterie diſproued. 590
Penances inioyned in the Church of England. ibid.
The practiſes of the Church of England concerning the Funerals of the Dead. 591
The Churches ſtill retained in England. 592
The Founders and Furnitures of our Churches. 593
On what ground Separation or Ceremonies was obiected. 594
Eſtimation of Ceremonies, and ſubiection to the Prelates. 595
The ſtate of the Temple, and of our Church in reſemblance. 597
Whether Miniſters ſhould endure themſelues ſilenced. ibid.
Power of reforming abuſes giuen to the Church, and the iſſue of the neglect of it. 598
The view of the ſinnes and diſorders of others, wherevpon obiected: and how farre it ſhould affect vsus. 600
The neereneſſe of the State and Church, and the great errors found by the Separatiſts in the French and Dutch Churches. 601
Conuerſation with the World. 603
The impure mixtures of the Church of England. 604
The iudgement of our owne, and our neighbours, of our Church. 605
The iſſue of Separation. 607
The Browniſts ſcornefull opinion of our people. 608
The Concluſion from the fearefull anſwer of Separation. ibid.