Plaine euidences The Church of England is apostolicall, the separation schismaticall. Directed against Mr. Ainsworth the Separatist, and Mr. Smith the Se-baptist: both of them seuerally opposing the booke called the Separatists schisme. By Richard Bernard, preacher of the word of God at Worsop. ... Set out by authoritie. Anno. 1610.

Reply vnto Mr. Smiths Answere to this fourth Errour.

MAster Smith to this first, answeres two things: First, That all members of a true Church are within: spea∣king generally, as M^r. Ainsworth doth; but not particularly of the Brownists Church, as the position is meant: so it is an answere, and no answere indeed. Secondly, Hee saith, that all members of a false Church are without: and so they account our Church, & therefore without: But sithen our Church is not a false Church, as is alreadie proued, his argument is lost, and we are not yet without.

In Page. 23. 24. hee defends the Scriptures, as truly al∣ledged against Antichristian Churches, which in my answer to M^r. Ainsworth I deny not: but it rests for him to proue

that we be Antichristians, which in that section he doth not.

He answeres my second Reason, which M^r. Ainsworth durst not meddle with, and there he will proue, as he saith, that the Scripture Phrase, without, may be applyed against vs, and thus he proceeds.

The first Argument; Churches that are in condition equall or worse then Assemblies of Pagans, are without. Reuel. 11. 2. Antichristian Churches are in condition equall or worse then Assemblies of Pagans, Ergo, Antichristian Assem∣blies are without. The second Argument; false churches are without; but Antichristian Churches are false churches, Er∣go. The third, Dogs, Enchanters, Whoremongers, murtherers, Idolaters, &c, are without. Antichristian churches are such, Ergo. The fourth, The habitation of Diuels, &c, are with∣out. Antichristian Assemblies, or Babilon, are such, Ergo. The fift, The vtter court &c. is without: But Antichristi∣an churches are the vtter court, Ergo. The sixt, The serpent and his seed, &c, are without. Antichristian Churches are the Serpent, and his seed and Angels, Ergo.

All these be easily answered; not to spend time about the syllogismes, and the falshood of some parts: I say, they con∣clude not the question. For the question is, Whether we, that is, the Church of England be without. See the truth of this by my second reason in my former booke, page 82. and by his owne words in his booke, pag. 25. line 2. Now he concludes, that Antichristian churches are without: if we be not Anti∣christian, what is that to vs? This here he proues not, but refers the Reader to the tenth Section of his Booke; and if there hee say any thing, the Reader shall there find a Re∣ply. In the meane space, note here; that he takes for gran∣ted all the Minors of these syllogismes be true, as if wee were an Antichristian church; whereby he auoucheth al the Propositions or Maiors to be as true of vs: to wit; first, that in condition we be equall or worse then Pagans: secondly, that we are a false church; thirdly, that we be Dogs, Enchanters, Whoremongers, Murtherers, Idolaters, &c. fourthly, that we be the habitation of diuels, the hold of all foule spirits, the cage

of euery vncleane and hatefull bird: fiftly, the vtter court cast out: and sixtly, the serpent, his seed and Angels; for thus holds he an Antichristian church to be. How hee proues vs Anti∣christian, in this section he shewes not: but what an accur∣sed iudgement he hath of vs, may here appeare, to be both odious and detestable.

Notes

• This proposi∣tion is false, for though in some respect the true church may be worse then Pagans, yet it follow∣eth not that that church is without, that is, no church of God at all, for that is to be without.
• M^r. Ains∣worth hath confuted his Exposition of this, in his booke against M^r. Smith.
• M^r. Smiths vn∣godly censure of the Church of England.