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

The 7. Reason to prove the Elders the Church, is, the iudgement, and practise of all reformed Churches.

As the reformed Churches do abhorre from your practise, as* 1.1 intollerable, yea almost incredible, that the power of excommuni∣cation should be in the hands of one man, and that a forreyn Pre∣late, or Officiall, that most like never so much in his life as once came in the congregation, whereof the offender is a member, as may be seen in one for all, Beza Epist. 12. so bycause you will needs thus beare over all with all the reformed Churches, I will a little step out of my beaten way, and call in a few (well-deserving audience) of the reformed Churches to testify what their judgement is in the case, joyning vnto them also a few of our own men seeming to be of the same mind, whatsoever the practise is eyther of the one, or of the other.

To omit then the judgement and practise of the more ancient times, whether whole councels, or particular persons, (as of the Council of N••ce, where Paphu••tius, no Church officer, both had & vsed such liberty of speach, as he perswaded the whole assembly touching the maryage of Ministers: of Tertullian before that, who Apol: chap. 39. makes the officers onely Praesidents in the assembly, where manners are censured: of Ciprian who would never do any thing in his charge, without the consent of the people. lib. 3▪ epist. 10. and in par∣ticular thinks it specially the peoples right to chuse or reiect worthy, or vn∣worthy Ministers, then which what power is greater? Of Austin, that thinks it helps much to the shaming of the party, that he be excommunica∣ted by the whole Church, lib. 3. contra epist. Parmen: and lastly of Ie∣rom ad Demetr. which affirms that the Church it self hath right in ex∣communication, as the Elders have in other Church censures) the first is Zwinglius, who arti••▪ 8. explanat: speaking of the contention which hath been what a Church is, acknowledges none other Churches but 1. the cōpany of sure & firm beleevers scattered through the vniversal world, which we call the catholik Church: & 2. severall congregations, which

••ōveniently meet together in some one place, &c. and of these he affirmes Christ to speak, Math. 18. Tell the Church, and Paul. 1 Cor. 1. To the Church which is at Corinth. And answering an objection touching a Church representative he saith, of this I find nothing in the scri∣ptures: out of mens devises any man may feyn any thing.

Next Perter Martyr, in his comon places pant: 4. chap. 5. sect. 9. making the Church a Monarchy in respect of Christ, an Aristo∣cracy in respect of the Elders, addeth also that bycause in the Church there are matters of great weight, and importance referred vnto the people, as excommunication, absolution, of choosing Ministers, & the like, it hath also a consideration of popular government: and vpon 1 Cor. 5. 4. The A∣postle as great as he was would not excommunicate alone, but did take coun∣sel with the Church that the thing might be done by common authority. Which notwithstanding the Pope, and other Bishops dare do. The Apostle indeed goes before the rest, which is the duty of the ancients of the Ch: that the more ignorant multitude by their suffragation before going, may be directed in iud••ing.

With him ioyn Bucer, who in his first book chapt. 9. de regno Christi, affirmes that Paul accuses the Corinthians, for that the whole Church had not excommunicated the incestuous person.

Bastingius in the 4. place, quaestion 85. of his Catichism speak∣ing of the difference between the two keyes that of preaching, & the other of discipline places it in this, that the former which is of the preaching of the gospel is committed to the Ministers, the other, bycause it perteyns to the discipline of excommunication, is permitted to the whole Church.

Lastly, even Beza himself, how streyt soever he be to the multi∣tude in this case, hardly graunting them the liberty which “ 1.2 Mr B. yea which the very * 1.3 Iesuits do, namely that they were with the El∣ders gathered together in the name of the Lord Iesus, 1 Cor. 5. 4. yea & do playnely deny it in his Annotations vpon 2 Cor. 2. 6. Yet vpon v. ••. he is constreyned to affirm, that Paul intreats that the incestu∣ous person might by the publique consent of the Church be declared a bro∣ther, as he was by the Churches publique consent cast out.

Now to these speciall lights in the reformed Churches abroad, I will annex a few of the cheif endeavours of reformation at home.

The first of them is Mr Hooper, who in his Apology writes, that ex∣cōmunicatiō should be by the Bishop, & the whole Parish, & that Pauls con∣sent, & the whole Church with him did excōmunicate the incestuous man.

To him adde Mr Fox, whose judgement in the book of Mar∣tyrs, pag. 5. 6. 7. is, and so is inforced by him that writ the discove∣ry of D. Ban••r ofts vntruthes, and slaunders against reformation, that every visible Church, or congregation, hath the power of binding, and loosing annex∣ed to it. If it be sayd the Church hath it, if the Officers have it: I see not but it may be as well sayd, the Church hath the scriptures in a known tongue, if the Officers so enjoy them.

Thirdly Mr Cartwright in his reply to D. Whitgifts answer, pag. 147 both affirms, and proves, that Paul both vnderstanding, and observing the rule of our Saviour Christ, communicates this power of excommunication with the Church, Him also an other writing A demonstration of dis∣cipline, alledgeth, adding further that they which were met togither, 1 Cor. 5. 4. 5. were to excommunicate the incestuous person: with whom also consorteth he that wrote of the certayn form of ecclesiasticall govern∣ment••, who vnder that head of the authority of the Ministers of the word that by the Church Math. 18. Christ meanes a particular Congregation, the Pastor, Elders, & people consenting, making that the iudgement of the particular congregation which is spoken of 1 Cor. 5. 12.

In the 4. place Mr Iacob in his book to the King for reformati∣on, pag. 28. pleads for the peoples consent and voyce-giving in elections, & excommunications: to whom I ioyn them that made the Christi∣an offer to iustify against the Bishops, and their adhaerents, that▪ every ordi∣nary assembly of the faithfull, hath by Christs ordinance power in it self imme∣diately vnder Christ, to elect, and ordeyn, deprive, and depose their Ministers, and to exequute all other ecclesiasticall censures. Proposition 5. & Prop. 8, that the officers can do no materiall ecclesiasticall act without the free consent of the Congregation.

Lastly * 1.4 the godly Ministers in the end of Mr Bernards book do directly judge against him, interpreting the Church. Math. 18. to be a particular Congregation, and excommunication the iudgement, & censure of that particular congregation whereof the offender is a member.

Notes

• * 1.1

  ••ns.
• “ 1.2

  first book pag. 98.
• * 1.3

  Maldo∣natus ••••on Math 18.
• * 1.4

  pag. 180.