CHAP. XXIII.
Thirdly, whereas I urged a speech of his own,viz.that God had not prospered the way of separation, and conceives that I understood him of outward prosperity: he affirms the puritans to have been worse used in England than the separatist, and thus writes: “The meeting of the separatists may be known to the officers in court and winked at, when the conventicles of the puritans, as they call them, shall be hunted out with all diligence, and pursued with more violence than any law can justify.”
God’s controversy for persecution.
Answer.Doubtless the controversy of God hath been great with this land, that either of both have been so violently pursued and persecuted. I believe they are both the witnesses of several truths of Jesus Christ, against an impenitent and unchristian profession of the name of the Lord Jesus.
The sufferings of the separatists and puritans in England compared. Mr. Udall, Mr. Penry, Mr. Barrow, Mr. Greenwood.
Now for their sufferings: as the puritans have not comparably suffered, as but seldom congregating in separate assemblies from the common,[263]so have not any of them suffered unto death for the way of nonconformity to ceremonies, &c. Indeed the worthy witness Mr. Udall,[264]was near unto death for his witness against bishops and ceremonies;[265]but Mr. Penry,[266]Mr. Barrow, Mr. Greenwoodfollowed the Lord Jesus with their gibbets on their shoulders, and were hanged with him and for him, in the way of separation:[267]many more have been condemned to die, banished and choaked in prisons, I could produce upon occasion.
Few conscientious separatists, but first were puritans. The nonconformist’s grounds enforce separation.
Again, I believe that there hardly hath ever been a conscientious separatist, who was not first a puritan: for, as Mr. Canne hath unanswerably proved,[268]the grounds and principles of the puritans against bishops and ceremonies, and profaneness of people professing Christ, and the necessity of Christ’s flock and discipline, must necessarily, if truly followed, lead on to and enforce a separation from such ways, worships, and worshippers, to seek out the true way of God’s worship according to Christ Jesus.
But what should be the reason, since the separatist witnesseth against the root of the church constitution itself, that yet he should find, as Mr. Cotton saith, more favour than the puritan or nonconformist?
Most of the separation of the lower sort of people.
Doubtless the reasons are evident: first, most of God’s servants who, out of sight of the ignorance, unbelief, and profaneness of the body of the national church, have separated and durst not have longer fellowship with it:—I say, most of them have been poor and low, and not such gainful customers to the bishops, their courts and officers.
The poverty of Mr. Ainsworth. The nonconformists have been a fair booty for bishops.
That worthy instrument of Christ’s praise, Mr. Ainsworth, during some time, and some time of his great labours in Holland, lived upon ninepence per week, withroots boiled, &c.[269]Whereas on the other side, such of God’s servants as have been nonconformists have had fair estates, been great persons, have had rich livings and benefices, of which the bishops and theirs, like greedy wolves, have made the more desirable prey.
The separatists have been professed enemies; but the puritans in many things professed friends and subjects to the bishops.
Secondly, it is a principle in nature to prefer a professed enemy, before a pretended friend. Such as have separated have been looked at by the bishops and theirs, as known and professed enemies: whereas the puritans professed subjection, and have submitted to the bishops, their courts, their officers, their common prayer and worships: and yet, as the bishops have well known, with no greater affection than the Israelites bore their Egyptian cruel taskmasters.
Mr. Cotton.
He saith, “God hath not prospered the way of separation with peace amongst themselves, and growth of grace.”
A false church may enforce a present peace greater (though false) grace than the true spouse of Christ Jesus. God’s people have found infinite sweetness and peace in some times of their holy communion. Breaches have been and must be among all God’s people, to make them celebrate the Lord’s holy ordinances according to due order.
Answer.The want of peace may befal the truest churches of the Lord Jesus [as] at Antioch, Corinth, Galatia, who were exercised with great distractions. Secondly, it is a common character of a false church, maintained by the smith’s and cutler’s shop, to enjoy a quiet calm and peaceable tranquillity, none daring, for fear of civil punishment, to question, object, or differ from the common road and custom. Thus sings that great whore, the anti-christian church, Rev. xviii. [7,]I sit as a queen, am no widow, see nosorrow: while Christ’s dearest complains she is forsaken, sits weeping as a widow, Lam. i. [1.] Thirdly, God’s people in that way, have sometimes long enjoyed sweet peace and soul contentment in England, Holland, New England, and other places, and would not have exchanged a day of such an holy and peaceable harmony for thousands in the courts of princes, seeing no other, and in sincerity seeking after the Lord Jesus. And yet, I humbly conceive, that as David with the princes, and thirty thousand Israelites, carrying the ark on the shoulders of the oxen, leaped and danced with great rejoicing, until God smote Uzzah for his error and disorder, and made a breach, and a teaching monument of Perez Uzzah, the breach of Uzzah: so in like manner all those celebrations of the spiritual ark or ordinances, which yet I have known, although for the present accompanied with great rejoicing and triumphing, yet as they have not been after the due order, so have they all met with, and still must, a Perez Uzzah, breaches and divisions, until the Lord Jesus discover, direct, and encourage his servants in his own due holy order and appointment.
Many graceless Judases amongst God’s people. Multitudes of gracious and holy persons that have professed separation.
And for growth in grace, notwithstanding that amongst all sorts of God’s witnesses some false brethren creep in as cheaters, and spies, and Judases, dishonouring the name of Christ Jesus, and betraying his witnesses: yet Satan himself, the accuser of the saints, cannot but confess that multitudes of God’s witnesses, reproached with the names of Brownists, and anabaptists, have kept themselves from the error of the wicked, and grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus, endeavouring to cleanse themselves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit, and to finish holiness in the fear of God. I will not make odious and envious comparisons, but desirethat all that name the name of the Lord Jesus may depart wholly and for ever from iniquity.