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A12557 Paralleles, censures, observations Aperteyning: to three several writinges, 1. A lettre written to Mr. Ric. Bernard, by Iohn Smyth. 2. A book intituled, the Seperatists schisme published by Mr. Bernard. 3. An answer made to that book called the Sep. Schisme by Mr. H. Ainsworth. Whereunto also are adioyned. 1. The said lettre written to Mr. Ric. Bernard divided into 19. sections. 2. Another lettre written to Mr. A.S. 3. A third letter written to certayne bretheren of the seperation. By Iohn Smyth. Smyth, John, d. 1612. 1609 (1609) STC 22877; ESTC S103006 171,681 180

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ber pag. 81. First he saith the Scripture never setteth forth any of Gods people by this marke say you so Mr. Bern is not the Scripture plentiful in declaring vnto vs that the L. addeth dayly to the Church such as should be saved Act. 2.47 that they that gladly receaved the word were baptized added to the Church continued therin Act. 2.14.42 doth not the Apostle teach that ther is one faith one body one baptisme one Lord but one Eph. 4. And that they that are not of this faith body baptisme Lord are without the faith without the body that is the Church without the true baptisme without this true Lord King Iesus Christ so are none of Gods people visible none of Christs Kingdome none of Christs body none of his faith baptisme Are not true faith prayer baptisme the Lords Supper the true church plaine pregnant do monstrative proper adjuncts of Gods visible people how can you with any face of truth or a good consciēce of your judgment knowledg say that to be of a true visible church is no note of Gods visible people out you say further that he synneth which doth not live in a true cōstituted Church ordinarily when he can hath meanes offered nay we say further then so that he synneth that doth not seek meanes to live in a true constituted Church not only he that vseth not meanes offered so to doe wherfor we say that which you say more also but I pray you what meaneth your ordinarily living in a true constituted church doe you hold that ther are two sorts of mēbers conversers in the true church some ordinary some occasional or extraordinary do you think that to be of a true chuch to live in a true church are one thing we say that members of true churches are al ordinary of one kind consideration further we say that it is one thing to be of a true church or a member of a true church another thing to live in the true church a man may be a member of a true church potentialy actualy as I have already declared in the 4. former particulars but al this is nothing to that which I affirme for I say thus that he which is not of a true visible Church is no subject of Chr. Kingdom that is he is not vnder the visible dominion Lordship of Chr. in his church which is his Kingdom I do not say that he is invisiblie none of the L. people for a man may be one of the L. people in election grace invisiblie yet not in the true visible church which is Chr. visible Kingdom againe take an instance to exemplifie the mater al we that are of the seperated churches in these contryes are of the common wealth of England therfor subiects of the King of England our Soveraigne Lord on earth though we are not actually vnder the execution of his lawes courts officers by reason of banishment that we may submit to Chr. ordinance c. So a true seperated Christian is a subject of Chr. visible politie Kingdom which is his church eyther actually or potentially although by banishment that is by vndeserved communication by imprissonmēt by other occasions he be actualy absented seperated from the presence therof wherfor Mr. Bern. I doe in this section indite you before the L. the world as one that of purpose so maliciousty perverteth my meaning slaundereth this excellent truth of God doth not your consciēce tel you may you not read it in the copy of my lettre that I distingnish betwixt Gods people which are of two sortes visible subjects of Ch. visible church which is his Kingd invisible ones known only to the L. certaynly particularly further this doctryn of myne you say is contrary to 4 places of Scripture pa. 81. the first place is Gal. 3.7.9 the Apostles wordes are these They which are of saith are the children of Abrahā vs 7. they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham which scripture proveth my doctryne or rather the L. truth I say that faith heer is oposed to the works of the law that faith signifieth a visible faith For the Apostle Iames saith Iam. 3 21-24 Speaking of the same matter viz of Abrahams faith that it was made perfect by works for if Abrahams faith had not been manifested by his workes it had been invisible it would not have been discerned by mā therfor in the same place vs 14. the Ap. speaketh directly of a visible faith this place of the Ap. therfor confirmeth my assertiō plainly that they that are not of a true constituted Church are no subjects of Chr. Kingd bicause they do not by their workes shew their faith _____ but if they have faith they have it with God not with man who can judg only by the fruites The second place is 1. Ioh. 3.14 where the Apostle speaketh thus VVee know we are trāslated from death to life bicause we love the brethren VVho are the brethren are not they that cal God Father who can cal God Father but they that have Christ for their Lord Mr. for their Elder brother To whome is Christ Lord Mr. but to them that are subjects of his Kingdome So that this place also maketh most evidently for the confirmation of this truth of God which I defend But you Mr. Bern. dreame of am visible faith of an invisible Kingdome of an invisible brotherhood or consanguinity whereas Christ saith directely that they which doe the wil of God are his brethren of his Fraternity Marc. 3.35 what have we to do with things invisible hidden secreat Deut. 29.29 I avouch that you cannot prove to me by any rule of Gods word certaynly that those that are not members of a true constituted Church are subjects of Christs Kingdome invisible as you I am sure intend it Further what is the love of the brethren wherof the Apostle speaketh is it not a visible love testified in the performance of the visible ●utyes of love Christ faith Ioh. 14.25 if ye love me keep my commaundements obedience is the true touchstone of the love of God 1. Ioh. 3.17 whosoever hath this worlds good seeth his brother need chutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him So the visible dutyes of brotherly love are the true touchstone of brotherly love but the principal visible dutyes of brotherly love are the dutyes of admonition consolation supportation patience 1. Thes 5.14 Exhortation edification vs. 11. among thē admonition is most excellent Mat. 18 15-17 compared with Levit. 19.17 they therfor that altogether omit these visible dutyes of admonition in the degrees thereof injoyned by Christ the Apostles how can they be said to love the brethren but al they that live out of a true constituted Church wholy omit the visible dutyes
think that the Lord accepteth of a false saith ministery baptisme prayer preaching excommunication the rest make these things agree Mr. Bern. if you can if you cannot cease your scoffing give glory vnto God I demaund of you do you think that God accepteth the prayers Religious exercises of the Papists the Arrians the Anabaptists the Familists or any other heretiques or Antichristians if not what is the true cause that God accepteth them not is it not for that ther is not that true communiō of the Saynts there the true Church the true spouse of Christ the Spiritual Temple where God hath provised his presence So then it followeth invincibly that a tiue constitution of a church that is a true communion of Saynts is that only lawful religious society or communion of men wherby God wil be honoured wherin he wil be served wherto he hath promised his presence acceptance as conventicles are vnlawful assemblies of men in civil states so are al false churches vnlawful ecclesiastical assemblies the actions therein performed vnlawful so abhominable in the sight of God the summe of all 〈◊〉 breefly thus much That communion of men wherto God hath given the covenant the Holy things the promises Christ for King Preist Prophett is only accepted their Ecclosiasticall actions only acceptable But a true visible church that is a communion of Saynts joyned together in the true covenant is that only communion of mē wherto God hath given his covenant his promises his holy things Christ for King Preist Prophet Therfor a true visible church that is a communion of Saynts their actions ecclesiastical as preaching prayers c. are only accepted by consequent on the contrary 〈◊〉 inserre thus That communion of men wherto God hath not given the covenant the holy things the promises Christ for King Preist Prophet is not accepted of God neither their actions ecclesiastical are acceptable A Church falsely constituted as in the old Testament was the Apostate church of the ten tribes in the new Testament is the churches of Antichrist is such a communion of men wherto God hath not given the covenant the holy things the promises Christ for King Preist Prophet Therfor a church falsely constituted is not accepted of God neither are their actions ecclesiastical as prayer preaching c. acceptable in the sight of God Herevppon I conclude not as Mr. Bern. blasphemously scoffeth that the Idol or Goddesse constitution but that the true constitution of a Church which is the Lords Holy ordināce is that which Sanctifieth al ecclesiastical actions that a false idolatrous Antichristian constitution of a church corrupteth polluteth stayneth al the ecclesiastical actions of that false church So saith the Apostle vnto the pure al things are pure but vnto them that are defiled vnbeleeving is nothing pure Tit. 1.15 this is my welbeloved sonne saith the Father from heaven in whome I am wel pleased Mat. 3.17 God heareth not synners but only the true worshippers Ioh. 9.31 Finally I avouch that a falsely constituted church is a greater more abhominable Idol then any Idol that possibly can be in a true church For a false worship Ministery government may be indeed in a true Church through ignorance the like occasions But a true ministerie worship government cannot possiblie be in a false Church For the true Ministerie worship Government are the Holy things of God which are not given to false Churches but only to the true Churches of Christ the true communion of Saynts a false Church being an Idol doth conveigh her idolatrous false constitutiō as a poison through all her Ecclesiasticall actions or workes off communion Breefly therefore to compare True False Idols Ordinances together Bonum qu● communius eo melius Malum quo communius eo peius They are two maximes true in nature experience so also in Religion Truth ordinances the more common vniversal the better more excellent Falsehood Idols the more common generall the worse more pernitious For example a true Church better then a true worship then a true Ministery then a true government c. A false Church worse then a false worship then a false Munistery then a false government c. For a true Church is the first most noble vniversal in Religion from whence al the rest issue as a streame from the Fountayne a false Church is the first most ignoble general qualifying al the ecclesiastical actions of the Church with her owne falsehood idolatry Therfor I am bould to pronounce your false idolatrous Church constitutiō to be worse then your false Ministerie worse then your false worship worse then your false government c. on the contrary our true constitution to be the most honorable beautiful ornament of our Church more glorious then our true Ministerie worship government sith these latter issue do flow from the former as from the spring ●r Fountayne A true man may have a wooden legg an eye of glasse So a true Church may have a false ministery worship or government A man carved out of wood cannot possiblie have any truth of a man in him but al his parts limmes are wooden evē as the image is of wood So a false Church can have nothing true in it but al is false idolatrous vsurped for what agreement hath Christ with Belial These things are playne enough to them that will vnderstand The fourth Section Your ninth position followeth viz 9. That those which are not of a true constituted Church are no subjects of Christs Kingdome This you hold error I hold it truth which I wil manifest vnto you most evidently The true Church in the Scripture is called the house of God Heb. 3.6 The Temple of God which the L. inhabiteth wherin he walketh 2. Cor. 6.16 The household of fayth Gal. 6.10 the body of Christ Eph. 4.15.16 The Kingdome of heaven of Christ of God Eph. 5.5 Mat. 3.2 Luk. 19.11.12 Act. 1.3 Further this true Church is but of one shape forme fashion or constitution Eph. 4.4 The body that is the Church is one that is of one shape For one in that place signfieth vnum specie not vnum numero for ther are many Churches in nomber but one true Church in the frame or constitution Let this therfor be set downe for an invincible truth that the true visible Church is the Kingdome of Christ wher Christ the King only ruleth raigneth in his owne lawes officers over his owne subjects al those that wil not be subiects to this King in this his Kingdome he accunteth his enemies wil have them slayne before his face Luk. 19.27 Hence then it followeth that those that are not members of a true constituted Church are not subjects of Christs Kingdome which you say is error wherin you see