seede yet there may be in it adulterate seede or Tares and in the knitting vp of the same Section in Hypothesi you say That the Church of England because it is not sowen with good seede onely without Tares but hath tares or adulterate seede in it it therefore cannot be the Lords field And where you happily imagine that we thinke that the Lords field is not sowen onely with good seede Know yee that wee are otherwise minded We are not ignorant that this is expressely taught in this parable verse 24.27.36 and that the tares are from the enuious man the Diuell neither doe we forget that which else where is written to this purpose Act. 2.47 And the Lord added to the Church from day to day such as should be saued You produce this as an argument against vs to proue that the Church of England is not the Lords field that is the Church of God but by your owne words before it is plaine that it neither makes for you not against vs. Thus we heare what M. Iohnson saith against the mixture of good and bad godly and wicked in the Church also what M. Robinson saith in Iustification thereof and our defence and answere thereunto Let vs now see what M. Ainsworth saith for the maintenance of the same and conuiction of vs who be contrary minded In the end of his booke called the communion of Saints he teacheth that there are no open wicked in the Church Hee granteth there are wicked in the Church but saith he they are inwardly wicked restrained by the terrour of the Law from all open wickednesse but outwardly religious increasing outwardly in externall righteousnesse When the Scriptures saith 2. Tim. 3.15 That the wicked wax worse and worse deceiuing and being deceiued Againe open wicked saith he licentious and profane liuers be neither of the Church nor in the same And againe in the same place There are three sorts of men open wicked hypocrites Saints The first of these are without the Church the other two within and this all of them doe teach But herein they swarue altogether from the truth He should rather haue distinguished men into two sorts whereof one is without the Church who doe not so much as professe the true Religion and they all are wicked the other within the church professing the Religion of God of which some are religious and holy indeede and such as they professe and seeme to be and they be but a few others wicked onely religious and holy in name and in regard of their outward profession and of these there be many Mat. 20 1â— and 22.14 The first of these are Saints indeed and so called The latter hypocrites yet called Saints because the religion they professe is holy but are indeede wicked and prophane And of these hypocrites some be open wicked and easily knowne to bee wicked and some so close and secretly wicked as they are hardly discerned to be wicked That this which we affirme is true and that you teach false it is manifest by the 3. of Ezekiel Ezek. 3.7 21. Son of man I haue made thee a watchman vnto the house of Israel therefore here the word of my mouth and giue thou warning from me 18. When I shall say vnto the wicked thou shalt surely die and thou giuest not him warning nor speakest to admonish the wicked of his wicked way that he may liue the same wicked man shall die in his iniquitie but his bloud will I require at thy hand 19. Yet if thou warne the wicked and he turne not from his wickednesse nor from his wicked way he shal die in his iniquitie but thou hast deliuered thy soule 20. Likewise if a righteous man turne from his righteousnes and commit iniquitie I will lay a stumbling blocke before him and he shall die because thou hast not giuen him warning he shall die in his sinne and his righteous deeds which he hath done shall not be remembred but his bloud will I require at thy hand 21. Neuerthelesse if thou admonish that righteous man that the righteous sinne not and that he doth not sinne He shall liue because he is admonished also thou hast deliuered thy soule Heare wee learne first that in the Church there are wicked and godly and so a mixt company of good and bad Saints and sinners The godly are mentioned The wicked in the verses precedent which is contrary to the Doctrine of these Schismatickes Secondly that of the wicked some are open vvicked hauing not so much as an externall righteousnesse Such are the contemners of the word and Ministers thereof the persecutors of the Saints the scorners blasphemers whoremongers murtherers theeues drunkards oppressors extortioners railers slanderers and such like whâ—reof there haue euer been are and will be store in the Church of God These are called wicked not onely because they are such but because they appeare and are knowne to bee such by them I meane that can discerne betweene things and persons that differ and that as easily as darknes is knowne from light Such were Ismael Esau Saul Absalom the Scribes and Pharisees and the like Of these the Prophet speaketh verse 18.19 Others be inwardly and secretly wicked but outwardly holy and righteous hauing an externall righteousnesse and shew of godlinesse and because they appeare and Iseeme to men to be righteous or godly they are therefore caled righteous Such vvere Iudas and Demas with others of these the Prophet speaketh ver 20. And lest we should shift of this by saying these three kindes or sorts of men were not all of them in the Church but the open wicked without as M. Ainsworth and the rest of them tell vs wee must remember that this admonition or warning conteined in the 18.19.20 and 21. verses was sent from the Lord by the Prophet to the Iewes who then onely were the visible Church as is manifest by verse 17. Sonne of man I haue made thee a watchman vnto the house of Israel therefore heare the word at my mouth and giue them warning from me Obserue here the repugnance and contrarietie betweene the Prophet and the doctrine of these Schismaticke The Prophet telleth vs of three sorts of men in the Church of open wicked of righteous or godly in shew onely or appearance and of such as are indeede godly euen the same they seeme and professe to be M. Ainsworth and his fellowes say no The two last sorts of men onely are in the Church the first be neither of the Church nor in the same Chuse now Reader to whether of these thou wilt giue eare But they vvill say wee acknowledge that there euer haue been are and will be hypocrites in the Church mixed with the godly and such were the wicked mentioned before that vvere in the Church of the Iewes Cain offered sacrifice as well as Habel The same is said of Saul Also that he worshipped the Lord so likewise did Doeg Ismael and Esau vvere circumcised and
SVMMARIE OF THE CHAPTERS THE FIRST BOOKE OF the Church triumphant and militant And sundry Titles in holy Scriptures given to the same specially to the Militant Church Chap. 1. pag 1. The Vse of the former doctrine Chap. 2. pag. 14. Of the Visible Church and the diverse acceptations of the Word Church Chap. 3. pag 20. The visible Church is a mixt companie compounded of Christians true and false the greatest part being the worst Chap. 4 pag 23. Of Religion what it is and how distinguished Chap 5. pag. 32. That the Profession of Religion maketh one a member of the visible Church Chap. 6. pag 3. That the Church of England is a true Church and our parish assemblies true visible Churches Chap. 7. pa. 41. THE SECOND BOOKE A Confutation of H. Barrow his description of a true visible Church Chap. 1. pag. 51. A confutation of another description of the true visible Church giuen by the Brownists Where much is said concerning the first gathering of a Church and commixture of good and bad in the Church Chap. 2. pag. 60. Of the matter and forme of the visible Church Chap. 3. pag. 161. Whether thc Couenant of life and saluation which God made with Abraham and his seede where made with the visible or inuisible Church Chap. 4. pag. 186. The titles which the Separists ascribe to the visible Church are to be vnderstood of the inuisible Church onely Chap. 5. pag. 197. The Churches of the Brownists by their owne doctrine are false churches and therefore men ought to separate and come out from among them Chap. 6. pag. 215. The controuersie betweene vs and the Brownists concerning religious communion is here debated Where is shewed First that wee may lawfully ioyne in diuine worship with them which are not members of the Church Secondly with the open wicked And that thereby neither the faithfull nor the holy things of God are polluted Chap. 7. pag. 217. The Arguments of the Brownists whereby they would proue our church to be a false church and the answere vnto them Chap 8. pag. 229. How the Separists to iustifie their separation from the Church of England doe shamefully peruert the holy Scriptures Chap. 9. pag. 257. THE FIRST BOOKE CHAP. I. Of the Church Triumphant and Militant and of the sundry titles in holy Scripture giuen to the same THe word in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated Church signifieth an assembly or company called out from other and in the new Testament thereby sometimes is meant The company of the Elect 1. Cor. 1.10 euen that whole company that God hath chosen and called and wil call out of mankind vnto the fellowship of Iesus Christ in him to haue life eternal And this is manifest by the fift to the Ephesians Husbands loue your wiues euen as Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it 26. That he might sanctifie it and clense it by the washing of water through the Word 27. That hee might make it vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should bee holy and without blame And a little after No man euer hated his owne flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it Vers 29.32 euen as the Lord doth the Church And againe This is a great secret but I speake concerning Christ and concerning the Church All this must needs be vnderstood of all the Elect which society is foure times heere called the Church For first those which be heere called the Church Christ is said to Loue But on the Elect only Christs loue is set as on his spouse them alone hee nourisheth and cherisheth as a man doth his owne flesh The company of the Elect are meant therefore by the Church Againe it is said He gaue himselfe for the Church thereby also it is cleare by Church is meant onely and all the Elect sith for them alone and for all them he died and not for the reprobate And whereas Christ is said heere Iohn 17 9.20.25 compared with Iohn 10.27.28 Mat. 25.33.34 to sanctifie the Church and cleanse it c. And the Elect only be thus sanctified and clensed this sanctification being begunne onely in them in this life and perfected in them alone in the world to come at which time they shal be without spot or wrinkle their vile bodies being made like to Christ his glorious body and their sinfull soules like to his most holy and glorious soule and so a most glorious Church or company it followeth necessarily thereupon that by Church heere the holy Ghost meaneth the congregation of the Elect which is that we call the inuisible Church and not the visible Church which consisteth as well of Reprobate Matth. 16.8 as Elect as the Separists will haue it Of the inuisible Church also our Sauiour Christ speaketh vnto Peter saying Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke I will build my Church By him vnderstood Christ Iesus and the gates of hell shall not ouercome it Meaning that in him and vpon him the Elect whom heere hee calleth his Church should bee so rooted and grounded that no enemies no not Angels Principalities nor Powers with all their power and subtiltie should be able to preuaile against them or any of them But the visible Church is and hath beene from time to time shaked and battered in her parts yea sometimes made euen with the ground Of it therefore this Scripture cannot bee vnderstood as some affirme but of the inuisible which is nothing else but the communion of Saints that are and shall be Of the Church we haue againe a description together with a distribution in the 12. to the Hebrewes where Vers 22. for the better vnderstanding of the Doctrine we haue in hand wee may obserue the seuerall titles that bee giuen vnto it First it is called the Citie of the liuing God Rom. 12.2 because they of this society when they be called liue not after the lawes customes and manners of this world whereof they bee not though they be in it but are therein as foriners and strangers but after the lawes statutes and ordinances of God set downe in his word Iohn 15.19 17.14 1 Pet. 2.11 Psal 119.1.2 so that in life and conuersation they differ from other men yea from that themselues did sometime leade Secondly it is called the celestiall Ierusalem as whereof that earthly Ierusalem was a figure Also because the Citizens of this Citie seeke those things which are aboue Col. 3.1.2 setting their affections chiefely on heauenly things not minding in the first places earthly things as they doe whose portion is this world Phil. 3.19.20 Psal 119.57 and not God And thus as they of this fellowship are cleane changed and differ from all other in outward carriage and from that themselues were before so in inward affection and disposition Thirdly it is called the Church of the first borne because they are that company which was figured by
from among vs whom wee call Brownists contrarie minded who both reiect the aforesaid doctrine as erronious and condemne our Parish assemblies for false Churches it remaineth we heare what they likewise teach concerning the Church and their Arguments whereby they would proue our Church to be a false Church that so wee may more clearely see on which side the truth is whereby the louers of the Truth shall be preserued from error and Wisdome iustified of her children THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. I. A confutation of H. BARROW his description of a true visible Church WEE haue spoken in the former Chapter of the first vse wee make of the aforesaid Doctrine of the visible Church And there we haue seene how fitly it seemeth to iustifie the Church of England and to proue her to be a true Church now by it wee will also conuince the Brownists false doctrine of the visible Church And that shall be the second and lâ—st vse of the Doctrine aforesaid For the better vnderstanding of the Brownists doctrine concerning the true visible Church let vs heare how it is described by them It is saith BARROW a company and fellowship of faithfull and holy people gathered in the name of Christ Iesus A true description of the visible Church pag. 1. their only King Priest Prophet worshipping him aright being peaceably quietly gouerned by his officers lawes keeping the vnity of faith in the bond of peace and loue vnfained Generalâ—y coÌ„cerning this description I affirme that a Apology 44. Counterp 115. Princ. Infer 8. 10. as al the rest of the descriptions or definitions of the visible Church which they do giue so this likewise is rather a description of the inuisible Church militant then of the visible That which is hâ—ere set downe is true onely of the Elect and cannot properly and truely bee spoken of any Reprobate whereof a true visible Church may in part consist as well of the Elect for as the Elect only are faithfull and holy indeed and effectually called so Christ Iesus is their onely b Though Christ Iesus be in diuers respects King of the visible Church yet he is not King Priest Prophet of the visible but only of the inuisible Church hee cannot be said to be Priest of the visible Church but with relation had to them that be of the inuisible Church King Priest and Prophet they alone doe worshippe him aright are gouerned by his lawes keepe the vnity of faith in the bond of peace and loue vnfained But let vs brifely consider of the seuerall parts of this description That your meaning is the visible Church consisteth only of faithfull holy persons it is hereafter made manifest and appeareth also by the last page of H. Barrow his book intituled A true description of the visible Church where hee saith that into the visible Church there entereth no vncleane thing or person but all such are without how true this Doctrine is wee shall anon heare as also of the gathering heere spoken of And that the visible Church and consequently all the members thereof haue not Christ Iesus to be their King Priest and Prophet in the end of this booke it is made manifest Omitting therefore these things wee will come to that which in the description followeth In it you adde that the visible Church consisteth of a Company that worship Christ aright and to proue this you send vs to three places of Scripture the two first viz. Exod. 20.7.8 Leuit. 10.5 speake neuer a word for you The last and onely testimony you haue is Ioh. 4.23 where Iesus saith That the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and truth and that the Father requireth such to worship him And hereof our Lord rendereth a reason in the words next following saying God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and truth which in effect is this that God being of a spirituall nature requireth a spirituall seruice agreeable to his nature Of a company of such kind of worshippers say you doth the visible Church consist But how can this possibly be true seeing Christ Iesus speaking to some of the visible Church Matth. 15.7 saith thus O Hypocrites Esaias prophecied well of you saying this people draweth neere vnto me with their mouth and honoureth me with their lips but their heart is farre from mee but in vaine doe they worship me These were no true worshippers worshipping God in Spirit and truth but only outwardly and Hypocritically whereupon Iesus calleth them Hypocrites and yet were these worshippers members of the visible Church And whereas of the visible Church the greatest part are Hypocrites or hypocriticall worshâ—ppers by this description and doctrine of yours there can be no Hipocrites in it for you teach that the visible Church is a company that worship God in Spirit and truth but no Hypocrites worshippe God in Spirit and truth therefore by your doctrine no Hypocrites are of or in the visible Church That no hypocrites doe worship God in spirit and truth which resteth only to be proued it is hereby manifest First because they doe not worship God with a true and sincere affection of the heart Secondly Because this worshipping of God in spirit and truth is that worship which God requireth to be performed to him by men accepteth of and is well pleased with but the worship of hypocrites God forbiddeth reiecteth and abhorreth Hypocrites therefore doe not worship God in spirit and truth Thirdly As many as thus worship God in this world Heb. 11.6 Psal 19.11 he will honor in the world to come and for their poore seruice done to him on earth he will aboundantly reward them in heauen now woe be to Hypocrites saith Christ And againe giue him his portion with Hypocrites This is the hypocrites reward Where you say that the visible Church is a company peaceably and quietly gouerned by Christ's officers and lawes considering the greatest part of the visible Church are reprobates and so rebels against Christ taking part with Satan against him how can this be truely said of the visible Church and consequently of all the members thereof Cain Ismael Esau Saul Absolom the Scribes and Pharisies were all of the visible Church These and thousands more such in the Church haue beene so farre from being quietly gouerned by Christs lawes that with them in the second Psalme they haue said Verse 3. Let vs breake their bonds and cast their cords from vs. The visible Church therefore is not a company of such loyall and obedient subiects to Christ as these men affirme How peaceably and quietly was Saul gouerned by the lawes of God and Church officers then when he caused the Priests of the Lord to be slaine and eagerly persecuted Dauid thirsting after his bloud and that all his life time The same may be said of Cain killing Abel of Ismael mocking or as the Apostle saith persecuting Isaak of Absalom
religion from all those which make no such profession so are without the Church Thus the Iewes vntil the death of Christ were seperated from the Gentiles Thus in the Apostles time and after the Saints that is the professors of Christian Religion in Rome Corinthus Ephesus Galatia c. were sepâ—rated from their neighbours being heathens and infidels And thus are we seperated from all Pagans Turkes and Infidels Of this seperation the Lord speaketh Leu. 20. I am the Lord your God which haue seperated you from other people Ver. 26.24 that ye should be mine This seperation agreeth with the Scriptures and hath good warrant from the same and thus farre you and we agree But you rest not here but require besides a seperaration in the Church and among the aforesaid professors vrging and enforcing this that the godly in this societie must seperate from the wicked and haue no religious communion or fellowship with them Ephes 5.11 1. Cor. 5 9.1â—.11 Herein we differ Yet wee confesse that the godly must be seperated from the euill manners customes and fashions of the wicked that they may not haue any fellowship with them in the vnfruitfuâ—l workes of darknesse neither may thâ—y haue them to be their familiars in these such like respects the righteous must seperate from the wicked in the Church and haue nothing to do with them But that they may not communicate together in diuine worship but must seperate in things concerning God this seperation is manifestly repugnant to the Scriptures as appeareth by the premises and shall further appeare hereafter In the meane season this I affirme that if this doctrine of yours were true then for as much as in all ages there were aboundance of notorious wicked men in the Church of the Iewes the Prophets Christ and his Apostles should haue had no communion with them at least in their Synagogues the contrarie wherevnto you both know and acknowledge Then also there ought to haue been a seperation made at Corinthus and in the Churches of Galatia not only from the Infidels and grosse Idolaters amongst whom they liued but also betwixt the Saints and professors of Christian Religion seeing among them there were diuers knowne wicked men as is in the next Chapter made manifest But wee read of no such seperation made or yet vrged by the Apostle either among the Corinthians or Galatians or any other of the Churches to whom hee writ Therefore there hath not been in former times nor ought to be such a seperation in the Church as you speake of to wit betwixt the godly and the vngodly If any obiect here 2. Cor. 6.14 c. I answere that the Apostle perswades the Christians at Corinth to seperate from and to haue no communion with the idolaters their neighbours in their false and idolatrous worship or idol feasts and not to a seperation among themselues The seperation pressed by Paul-was betweene them in the Church and those which bee without which we deny not and not a seperation in the Church betwixt the godly and the wicked there which is that you vrge and we gaine say But I returne to M. Ainsworth Counterp 133. A third argument for confirmation of the point now in hand hee hath in another place which may fitly be inferred here Seperation saith he from the vngodly vnto this day is resisted and pleaded against and the holy scriptures vnsufferably abused to maintaine a confuse mixed multitude of all sorts of people to be a true Church But Christ is no Mediator for such a mixture as himselfe said to his Father I pray not for the world c. Ioh. 17.16 Your reason is this Christ is the Mediator of euery true vis Church But Christ is not the Mediator of any confused and mixt company consisting of all sorts of people Thereâ—ore no confused and mixt company is a true visible Church Wee deny your Proposition and say That Christ is the Mediator of the inuisible and not of the visible Church but in respect of them in it that are of the inuisible You tell vs heere secretly and after in expresse words That Christ is the Mediator and Aduocate of the visible Church and for proofe thereof alledge Ioh. 17.9.16 and afterwards 1. Tim 2. â—5 1 Ioh. 2.1 Act. 4.12 Counterp 131. Note their peruerting of Scripture If this Proposition of yours be false as in the last Chapter of this booke is made manifest then are these Scriptures abused by you The 9. and 16. verses of the 17. of Iohn are spoken and meant of the eleuen Apostles The same you apply to the vis Church herein you abuse the Scripture though alwaies I confesse this holdeth not In the former of these verses of the eleuen Disciples Iesus saith thus I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast giuen mee for they are thine Behold your proofe and how you doe vse the Scripture who tell vs so often of our abuse thereof Christ prayeth for or is the Mediator and aduocate of the Apostles Ergo he prayeth for and is the Mediator and Aduocate of the vis Church By world here all men of iudgement vnderstand the Reprobate for thereby must needs be meant those for whom Christ prayeth not and such are the reprobate generation you say thereby is meant a confuse mixed multitude wherein your selues acknowledge be many of Gods chosen I hope this also is an abuse of holy Scripture The words of the 16. ver are They are not of the world as I am not of the world Where our Sauiour affirmeth that to bee in part true of his Disciples vvhich vvas wholly and altogether and perfectly true of himselfe that though they were in the world yet they were not of it that is worldly minded affecting and chiefely desiring and seeking after the things of this world This testimonie of Iesus you produce to proue That a true visible Church is not a mixt company consisting of all sorts of people good and bad or That Christ is no Mediator for such a mixture For proofe of whether so euer of these you meane it who seeth not that this Scripture is likewise abused by you 1. Whether you or we then do vnsufferably abuse the Scriptures and namely touching the mixture of bad with good in the Church let the godly Reader now he hath heard vs iudge Oftentimes you tell vs of this abuse The word say you Counterp 171. pag. 171. is vnsufferably abused to the maintenance of the confusion that is among you This doth as ill beseeme you as a common Strumpet to call an honest and sober matron Whore But let vs heare what M. Ainsworth saith further against this confusion or commixture of all sorts in the Church Your church saith he hath the essentiall note of a false church Counterp 14. namely a confuse prophane worldly people Thus can I proue that the Church in Dauids time in Isaiah his time and other
by faith onely in Christ but by obseruing and keep ng the Law of God giuen by Moses not the Law morrall onely but the ceremoniall also whereupon they vrged circumcision as neâ—essary for Christians vnto saluation This was very dangerous doctrine and pernitious ouerturning as I may say the foundation which made the Apostle to write thus Gal. 5.2 If yee bee circumcised as the false teachers which be among you would haue you Christ shall profit you nothing 3. For I testifie againe to euery man which is circuÌ„cised that he is bouÌ„d to keepe the whole law 4. Yee are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the law yee are fallen from grace And because S. Paul had formerly in the planting of these Churches taught Iustification by Faith onely in Christ without the workes of the Lawe as also that the ceremoniall Lawe giuen by Moses was by Christ abolished which doctrine being true theirs must needes be false therefore they said that Paul was no Apostle but spake of himselfe and preached mans doctrine not Gods but as for them they came not of themselues but were sent os the chiefe Apostles This doctrine so dangerous these seducers did no more readily teach then the Galatians receiue and beleeue as appeareth by these speeches of the Apostle Gal. 1.6 I maruell that yee are so soone remooued away vnto another Gospell from him that had called you in the grace of Christ And againe O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the trueth Ye now which teach glorious things of all the members of the visible Church answere mee Were all in the Churches of Galatia and Corinth such Saints as you speake of Were they that denied the resurrection that were giuen to strife enuying wrath contentions backbitings whisperings swellings and discord that liued in vncleannesse fornication and wantonnesse that denied Paul to be an Apostle disgraced and despised both him and his preachings traduced and slaundered him Were these I say seperated from all knowne sinne and did all the knowne will of God so farre as men can iudge Did these growe in grace and therein continue to the ende or as M. Ainsworth saith Did righteousnesse encrease outwardly in these Of the most of which the Apostle saith thus Gal. 3.3 4.92 Are yee so foolish that after yee haue begun in the Spirit ye would be made perfect in the flesh ' Also how turne ye againe vnto impotent and beggerly rudiments whereunto as from the beginning you will be in bondage againe Or had these that externall righteousnesse and outward sanctimonie or holinesse which you say all in the visible Church haue M. Robinson in a large Treatise of his lately set foorth Iustif 107. hath these words It is all one M. Bernard as if you should say the Scriptures doe not call men Saints because they are Saints but for some other causes knowne to you For what is it to be a Saint but to be holy And what to be holy but to be of a sound iudgement pure affections and vnblameable conuersation That which this man heere saith they all doe hold and this is one speciall stone whereat they often stumble I demaund therefore of them all whether all the Corinthians and Galatians I speake of were such Saints and holy ones as they teach all in the visible Church are and namely whether they were of a sound iudgement pure affections and vnblameable conuersation If they answere affirmatiuely that they were all men will cry fye vpon it and then the incestuous person in the church of Corinth the false teachers among the Galatians were such to wit men of a sound iudgement pure affections vnblamable conuersation If they answer negatiuely then forasmuch as these were in the Church some are in the Church who are not Saints and so to be called which is against their owne doctrine or then some are in the church who are not such Saints as these men say all in the visible church are and must be And here we are to remember these things 1. That many of the persons we speake of were openly wicked That these were godly men and Saints indeede hauing their hearts purified by Faith no man sure will affirme If they were not godly then which must needes be true of some of them I meane the false teachers among the Galatians because against them Paul wisheth or prayeth thus Ephes 5.12 Would to God they were euen cut of which doe disquiet you which hee would neuer haue done had they beene godly And if they were wicked then openly wicked and knowne to be so because their sins were open and knowne to men 2. Wee must remember that these Churches when S. Paul writ vnto them were true visible Churches which must needes bee because by the holy Ghost they are so called and intituled and this the Separistes doe readily acknowledge yea that they were of the purest Churches that haue beene 3. That all the members of a true visible Church are Saints by nomination so called in Scripture and consequently all these aforesaide in the Churches of Corinth Galatia This also the Separistes will freely confesse 4. We must know that all which be once admitted into the church do remaine members of the same Church be they neuer so wicked vntill either they themselues depart from it or else by excommunication be cast out and that coÌ„sequently all the scandalous persons aforesaid were in and of the Church yâ—a the incestuous man till hee was excommunicated This they of the Seperation will likewise acknowledge to be true Now from the premises these two conclusions doe necessarily follow 1. That a societie of men wherein be sundry wicked yea openly wicked may notwithstanding be a true church 2. That the open wicked and scandalous persons in the church are Saints by nomination and the Scripture doe sometimes call men Saints not because they are holy but for some other causes or respects whereof hath beene spoken in the former Chapter The Brownists teach conclusions directly contrary to these which is the cause of their erring so grossely in the doctrine of the visible Church and the principall cause of their condemning our Church to be a false Church and consequently of seperating from vs. But whether they or wee doe herein agree with the Scriptures let the Christian Reader iudge Some other arguments did I long since set down against your aforesaide description and this That such Saints as those you dedescribe be the onely matter of the visible Church which M. Bernard hauing thought of also and published and M. Robinson lately answered I thought it ther fore best rather to spend some lines about a reply to M. Robinson then inlarging and pressing those arguments It is true that both M. Ainsworth and M. Smith haue likewise answered that Booke of M. Bernards wherein the reasons I meane are contained The title of this booke is Separatists Schisme but we must know