A common apologie of the Church of England against the vniust challenges of the ouer-iust sect, commonly called Brownists. Wherein the grounds and defences, of the separation are largely discussed: occasioned, by a late pamphlet published vnder the name, of an answer to a censorious epistle, which the reader shall finde in the margent. By I.H.

SECTION. XXV.

What separation England hath made.

THE Church of England dooth not now wash her hands of Babilonish abhominations, but ra∣ther shewes they are cleane. Would God they were no more foule with your slander then her owne An∣tichristianisme. Here will bee found not pretences but proofes of our forsaking Babylon; of your forsa∣king vs, not so much as wel-coloured pretences: You beginne to be ingenuous; while you confesse a re∣formation in the Church of England: not of some corruptions, but many, and those many not sleight, but maine.

The gifts of aduersaries are thankelesse: As Ierom said of his Ruffinus, so may we of you, that you wrong vs with praises: This is no more praise then your next page giues to Antichrist himselfe. Leaue out Many, and though your commendations be more vncertaine, we shall accept it: so your indefinite pro∣position shall sound to vs as generall▪ That we haue reformed the maine corruptions of the Romish Church: None therefore remaine vpon vs; but sleight and superficiall blemishes, so you haue forsa∣ken a Church of a foule skinne, but of a sound heart, for want of beauty, not of truth.

But you say many, not All, that if you can picke a quarrell with one, you might reiect all: yet shewe vs that one maine and substantiall error, which we haue

not reformed: and you doe not more embrace those truths with vs which we haue receiued, then we will condemne that falshood which you haue reiected: and imbrace the truth of that Separation which you haue practised.

The degrees whereby that strumpet of Babylon got on Horse-back you haue learned of vs, who haue both learned and taught, that as Christ came not ab∣ruptly into the world, but with many presages and prefigurations (The day was long dawning ere this Sunne arose). so his aduersary (that Antichrist) breaks not suddenly vpon the Church, but comes with much preparation, and long expectance: and as his rise, so his fall must be graduall, and leisurely: Why say you then, that the whole Church euery where must at once vtterly fall off from that Church where that man of sinne sitteth? His fall depends on the fall of others, or rather their rising from vnder him: If neither of these must be sudden, why is your hast? But this must not be, yet ought: as there must be he∣resies, yet there ought not: It is one thing what God hath secretly decreede, another what must be desired of vs: If we could pull that Harlot from her seate, and put her to Iezebels death, it were happy: Haue we not endeuoured it? VVhat speake you of the hy∣est Towers, and strongest pillers, or tottering remain∣ders of Babylon: we shew you all her roofes bare, her walles raced, her vaults diged vp, her monuments defaced, her altars sacrificed to desolation: Shortly al her buildings demolished, not a stone vpon a stone

saue in rude heapes, to tell that here once was Baby∣lon: Your strife goes about to build againe that her tower of confusion. God deuides your languages: It wil be wel, if yet you build not more then we haue reserued.

Notes

• Sep.
• But here in the name of the Church of England, you wash your hands of all Babylonish a∣bominations, which you pre¦tend you haue forsaken, and her for, and with them. And in this regard you speake thus: The Reforma∣tion you haue made of the many and maine corrup∣tions of the Romish Ch. we do ingenu∣ously acknow∣ledge, and de•• withall im∣brace with you all the truths which to our know∣ledge you haue receiued in stead of them▪ But Rome was not built all in a day. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Hierom. Apol. aduers. Ruffi. 1. l. 1. ••tissa est mihi ••au∣datio tua, id est accusatio mea. Bonum ex integra natura, malum ex singulari defectu.
• Sep.
• The mistery of iniquity did aduance it selfe by de∣grees, and as the rise was, so must the fall be. That man of sinne, and lawlesse man, must languish and die away of a consump∣tion. 2. Thes. 2 8. And what though manie of the highest Towers of Ba∣bel, and of the strongest Pil∣lers also be demolished, & pulled down, yet may the building stand still, though tottering to and fro (as it doth) and on∣ly vnderprop∣ped and vp∣held with the shoulder and arme of flesh, without which in a very moment it would fall flat vpon, and lie leuell with the earth.