A iustification of separation from the Church of England Against Mr Richard Bernard his invective, intituled; The separatists schisme. By Iohn Robinson.

1. Uphold the manifest good therein.* 1.1

A man vpholds that which is good most naturally, by his per∣sonal* 1.2 practise of it, and actual communion in it: & thus we ought to mainteyn every good thing in our places, if sinn ly not in the way betwixt vs and it. But since by the confusion which is vpon the face of the earth, good & evil are ought times so intermingled, as that men cannot touch that which is good, but some evil wil cleave unto their fingers, when this so falls out, then have we a dis∣pensation from the Lord to forbeare even that good which with∣out syn can not be practised. Rom. 3. 8. And yet then also wee must acknowledge that good thing to be as it is, in what person or estate soever, and so vphold it.

And lastly so far as possibly we can we must sever and select the good from the evil, & so even in our practise also vphold & main∣teyn that good being so severed, whereof whilest it was commin∣gled with the evil, we could have no lawful vse.

And all these wayes we vphold whatsoever manifest good we know in the Church of England: whether doctrine, ordinance, or perso∣nall grace, to our vtmost.

We do acknowledge in it many excellent truthes of doctrine,

which we also teach without commixture of error, many Christian ordinances which we also practise being purged from the polluti∣on of Antichrist, and for the godly persons in it (could we possib∣ly separate them from the prophane) we would gladly embrace them with both armes.

But being taught by the Apostle speaking but of one wicked person, and of one Iewish ordinance † 1.3 that a little leven leveneth the whol lump, we cannot be ignorant how sour the English Assemblies must needs be: neither may we justly be blamed though we dare not dip in their meal, least we be soured by their leven.

The second and third Rules follow, which for order-sake I will invert, setting the latter in the former place.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mr Ber.
• * 1.2

  Answ.
• † 1.3

  1 Cor. 5. 6 Gal. 5. 2. 9.