on earth must be celestiall and such as becomes the sonnes of God The second that God or Christ in the choyce or admission of Citizens into this celestiall Corporation doth not tye himselfe to any one Kingdome Nation or Prouince to any visible Societie or Corporation here on earth But as heauen it selfe is alike distant from euery part of the earth so euery Nation or Kingdome of the earth are alike free to stand for or solicite their election or admission into this heauenly societie which wee tearme the holy Catholique Church Of these two branches of beliefe this third is a necessary consequent that God hath not bestowed such priuiledges vpon any visible Church or Ecclesiasticall Societie whatsoeuer vpon the face of the whole earth as diuers Founders of Colledges in our Vniuersities haue done vpon some Grammer Schooles founded likewise by them Many haue beene chosen and admitted for perpetuall Fellowes of the celestiall Academie which neuer were trained vp in the doctrine or discipline of the Grecian English or Romish Church God is the sole Founder of the vniuersall Church and of euery particular true Church As for particular visible Churches all are alike free all their sonnes alike capable of admission into the holy Catholique Church or if any ods there be it is in the different measure of their obseruance of the lawes prescribed to all especially the Law of louing God aboue all in Christ and of louing others as our selues for Christs sake 2 The last point is that of all such as are effectually called or authentiquely admitted into this Societie none euer reuolt againe to the Synagogue of Satan or to the world Their effectuall calling and solemne admission makes them such pillars in the house of their God that they cannot bee remoued Him that ouercommeth will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall goe no more out and I will write vpon him the name of my God and the name of the Citie of my God which is new Ierusalem which commeth downe out of heauen from my God And I will write vpon him my new Name Rev. 3.12 So he had said before vers 5. Hee that overcommeth the same shall be cloathed in white rayment and I will not blot out his name out of the booke of life but I will confesse his name before my Father and before his Angels Wherein this victorie consists and how in this life it may be obtained are points belonging to another Argument and haue beene elsewhere discussed at large That their names who thus ouercome are whilest they liue on earth written in the booke of life is euident out of the 20. chapter ver 12. the dead were iudged out of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes The difference betweene that part of Christs Church which is triumphant and that which is militant here on earth may be resembled by the estate of a visible Societie or Corporation of which the greater part or principall members liue at home in wealth in peace and quietnes whilest others of the same societie soiourn as Factors or Apprentices in forraigne lands yet certaine of their admission to the same priuiledges which the other enioy after they haue serued out their Apprentiship and performed all duties and services required by the lawes of their Corporations 3 Two questions or rather two branches of one and the same question yet remaine which euery one that sincerely mindeth matter of saluation will often make with himselfe First whether every one that sincerely professeth beleife of this article of the Holy Catholike Church be bound to beleeue that he himselfe is a true liue-member of the same Church The second whether euery one which professeth this article be bound to beleeue that there is a true possibilitie left him by the founder of this Church or Kingdome that hee may in good time become a true and liue-member of it Vnto the latter question my answer shall be out of the words of a woman to her husband distrusting Gods loue and fauor towards them whose words became Canonicall Scripture We shal surely die saith Manoah vnto his wife because wee haue seene God But his wife said vnto him If the Lord were pleased to kill vs he would not haue receiued a burnt offring and a meat offering at our hands neither would hee haue shewed vs all these things nor would at this time haue shewed vs such things as these Iudg. 13. vers 22 23. All and euery one ought to bee assured that if the Lord had any purpose to exclude them from being liue-members of this Holy and Catholike Church he would not so often so louingly inuite them by the preaching of the Word and exhibition of his holy Sacraments all which he mightily prophanes whosoeuer otherwise receiues them then as vndoubted pledges of Gods loue and fauour vnto him in particular 4 To the former question the answer is negatiue All are not bound to beleeue that they are actuall or reall members of the Catholike Church For none can truly beleeue thus much of himselfe but he that hath made his election sure and is certaine that his name is written in the booke of life Now though it be most true that whosoeuer is elect was elected frō al eternity whosoeuer is reprobated was reprobated from all eternity yet will it not hence follow that every man is at all times either in the absolute state of election and salvation or in the absolute state of reprobation and damnation This is too desperate a diuision to put Nouices in faith vpon it a cruell racke for tender consciences The best aduice which I can in this point giue is that no man especially no nouice in faith how strong a disputant soeuer he be seeke to winde himselfe into this Catholike Church by strength of syllogisme lest Sathan thence take occasion to wrest his hopes out of his hands by the same or like engine The iudicious Reader is to take further notice that many syllogismes which goe currant amongst some good Diuines haue many foule though secret flawes as hard to bee espied in this subiect of reprobation election and the like as in any other for these are hardly fashioned into syllogisticall forme Many propositions are often in vulgar matters taken for vniuersall when they are but indefinite First to instance in a subiect wherin the fallacie is more grosse and more easie to be discerned Quicunque dicit Alexandrum fuisse animal generosum is verum dicit At quicunque dicit Alexandrum fuisse Bucephalum dicit Alex 〈…〉 Ergo Quicunque dicit Alexandrum fuisse Bucephalum is verum dicit Whosoeuer saith Alexander the great was a generous creature saith true but he that saith Alexander was Bucephalus saih Alexander was a generous creature Therefore whosoever saith Alexander was Bucephalus saith true Others perhaps may answer otherwise but the onely flaw in this Syllogisme if wee examine it by the rules of Art is that the Major
A TREATISE OF THE HOLY CATHOLIKE FAITH and CHVRCH Diuided into three Bookes By THOMAS IACKSON Dr. in Diuinitie Chaplaine to his Maiestie in Ordinarie and Vicar of Saint Nicolas Church in the Towne of Newcastle vpon Tyne The first Booke LONDON Printed by M. F. for Iohn Clarke and are to be sold at his Shop vnder St. Peters Church in Cornehill 1627. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL and truly worthy Knight Sir RICHARD ANDERSON of Pendley in Hartfordshire the blessings of this life and of that to come bee multiplied RIGHT WORTHIE SIR YOur vnfaigned Loue to Learning and true Religion well knowne by reall testimonies to all true Louers of them which haue the happines as my selfe for long time haue had to be acquainted with you drew this short Treatise vpon its first returne vnto mee to whom it hath beene from its first birth a stranger to take you for its Foster-Father Could it speake for it selfe it would I am perswaded complaine of wrong if I should direct it to seeke another Patron being not acquainted with any Family which beares a more liuely image of a well-ordered Church than your Family doth Nor is there any other to whom I more heartily wish all furtherance in good beginnings and proceedings then I doe to yours and to that Honorable Family vnto which you are happily vnited Of this my desire of my best respect vnto your selfe and to your Noble Lady I haue no better token for the present then this Treatise of the holy Catholike Faith and Church Thus commending both of you with all yours and it vnto the blessing of him who is the sole Fountaine of Faith and Head of the Holy Catholike Church I take my leaue and rest Yours euer in the surest bonds of sincere loue and obseruance THOMAS IACKSON From my Vicarage in Newcastle vpon Tine this first of Ianuary 1626. Courteous and Christian Reader THe summe of this Treatise was deliuered in Catechisme Lectures for the benefit of yonger Students in Pembrook Colledge in Oxon at the request of the Master of that Societie my Reuerend and Worthy Friend and of some other good friends to whose religious desires my hope was to haue giuen better satisfaction if my continuance in that ancient and sweet Nurserie of Learning had been longer or my studies there lesse interrupted with other occasions But God be praysed that Colledge hath beene furnished since with one of their owne body of whose learned and polite Labours I hope one day to be with others a partaker This Treatise as now it is hath beene for the most part since in the hands of others being committed by me to the perusall of that great light of the Northerne parts my then Reuerend and dearest Friend Doctor Birkhead from whose iudicious censure I hoped then this and other of my Labours should haue receiued some perfection and I much comfort from his company But it pleased the Lord whose good pleasure we must obey not question to call him from vs no doubt to his greater good though to the great losse and sorrow of euery true member of the English Church which knew him before it was my hap being then absent from these parts to heare from him or speake with him Since his death it hath past through many hands but all as it seemes good friends in that it returnes vnto me intire And from it as it is I hope no orthodoxall Reader shall receiue any discontent nor any Aduersaries of the truth much aduantage Wherein it is for the matter deficient or not so fully exprest I shall haue opportunitie whether by the aduise of Friends or exceptions of the Aduersarie to amend or inlarge in other Treatises of the same Argument which by Gods assistance shall shortly be communicated to thee And for this reason in part I haue beene the more willing to haue it published at this time Thine in Christ Iesus THOMAS IACKSON ⧠The Contents of the seuerall Chapters handled in this Treatise SECTION I. Containing the description definition and properties of the Holy Catholike Church taken in the prime and principall sense in the sixe first Chapters Chapters Folio 1. That it is easier to oppose than to answer a Romanist in this Argument of the Church The Authors method for meeting with wrangling Sophismes 3 2. The definition of the Church in generall gathered from the diuers sorts of vnion betweene bodies naturall artificiall or ciuill 5 3. Of the nature and properties of the Church taken in its principall sense How it is differenced from other Bodies ciuill Of the peculiar vnity which it hath 13 4. Of the preeminences which the Church hath of other Bodies or Corporations in respect of the Gouernour of it and the Lawes by which it is gouerned Of the two Attributes Holy and Catholike 21 5. Containing the friuolous exceptions of Cardinall Bellarmine and some other Romanists against the former or like description of the true Church or that Church which is principally meant in the Apostles Creed 29 6. Containing the speciall points to bee beleeued concerning this Article of the One Holy Catholike Church How euery one is so to moderate his assent or beliefe concerning it that hee neither incline vnto presumption nor fall into despaire 35 SECTION II. Of the visible Church in generall Of its principall Attributes or Priuiledges vnto the sixteenth Chapter 7. Of the Church Militant and Triumphant In what sense it is said that the true Church is inuisible 43 8. What is required to the constitution of a visible Church Whence the vnitie or pluralitie of visible Churches ariseth What vnity may bee had or expected betweene visible Churches independent one of another for Iurisdiction The diuers acceptions or degrees of the visible Church 52 9. That albeit the true Church be alwaies visible yet it is a grosse sophisme hence to inferre that the visible Church is alwayes the true Church or that one visible Church is more priuiledged from erring than another The strange blasphemy by which the Author of the Antidote seekes to support the infallibilitie of the visible Romish Church 66 10. In what cases Arguments of proportion may bee drawne from Allegories A full explication of the Allegory vsed by S. Paul Gal. 4. and of the Argument or concludent proofe in the same Allegorie contained 75 11 Of the consonancie betweene the promulgation of the old Testament and the New Of the opposition betweene the Law and the Gospell or betweene the old Testament and the New The explication of the Apostles argument Heb. 9. ver 13 14. 86 12. The Allegorie or Argument of proportion drawn from Noahs Arke explicated according to the former rules and retorted vpon the Romanist 92 13. How farre and in what cases that Maxime vsed by the Fathers Extra Ecclesiam non est salus Out of the Church there is no saluation is true of the visible Church or Churches visible 97 14. Declaring by one speciall instance the particular manner and opportunities by which the
whosoeuer entred into the Arke were saued from the deluge This is so expresly and determinately set downe in the Scripture that no Atheist can question the meaning or extent of the propositions wherein it is set downe In the selfe same day saith the Scripture Gen. 7. verse 11. entred Noah and Sem and Ham and Iapheth the sonnes of Noah and Noahs wife and the three wiues of his sonnes with them into the Arke And in the 8. chap. and the 18. verse Noah went forth and his sonnes and his wife and his sonnes wiues with him So that eight soules came into the Arke and eight went forth 3 So then for conclusion Noahs Arke was a type of that Church into which whosoeuer enters shall be saued but such a Church is not the visible Romish Church in what sense soeuer it be taken First it is not true of the vniuersall Church consisting of the Layetie and Cleargie nor of the Church representatiue to wit their generall or prouinciall Councels For none will affirme that all and euery one of their Bishops or such as giue suffrage in their Councels shall haue the suffrage of Christ or their names written in the booke of life They will not astipulate that whosoeuer is graced with a red hat in Rome shall bee sure to weare a Saints or Martyrs crowne in heauen Euen the Pope himselfe whom they make their vertuall Church may bee a notorious vicious man and dye the death of the wicked and therefore neither liuing was the head nor at his death any member of that Church which was prefigured by Noahs Arke because hee can neither saue himself nor such as haue committed their soules to bee wafted ouer to the new Ierusalem by this presumed Pilot of Peters pretended ship So that either Peters ship was not such a type of Christs Church as Noahs Arke was or else the Pope is no Pilot of it 4 Doe wee speake this as men doth not the Scripture say the same doe wee make these collections as sectaries or hath not S. Peter made them vnto our hands For speaking of the Arke wherein few that is eight soules were saued by water he saith The like figure whereunto euen baptisme doth also now saue vs not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 3. cap. verse 20 21. His meaning is that as Noahs Arke was the type of that Church extra quam nulla salus intra quam salus certissima out of which there is no saluation in which saluation abounds so the waters by which the Arke was consecrated or hallowed to be the receptacle of safetie to mankinde was a type or figure of that sacred Lauer by which the Church is consecrated or hallowed to bee as the wombe or breast of saluation to the faithfull Baptisme it selfe answereth in proportion to the doore or window of Noahs Arke But of what baptisme was the water by which such as entred into the Arke were saued a type A type of externall Baptisme No externall Baptisme and the waters of Noah were types of the same ranke both were types or shadowes of that internall Baptisme which is wrought by the Holy Ghost by which we are incorporated into the body of Christ and become more vndoubtedly safe from the euerlasting fire then such as entred into Noahs Arke were from the deluge of water 5 The Apostles argument Heb. 9. holds as truely of Christs Church as of his Sacrifice If the Arke which Noah built did saue all such from the deluge as entred into it how much more shall that holy and Catholike Church which Christ hath built and sanctified by his most precious blood giue life eternall to all such as in this world become liue-members of it Such members they are made not by externall Baptisme or by becomming members of the visible Church but by internall grace or sanctification But neuer did the Iew doat halfe so much on externall circumcision and legall sacrifices or the Aaronicall Priesthood as the moderne Romanist doth on the Sacraments of the Gospell and on his imaginarie Priesthood after the order of Melchisedeck or other like notes or sensible cognizances of the visible Church Now it were more then wonder if the excesse of this his blinde zeale vnto these externals did not draw him to much greater more direct diametrall opposition vnto Christ vnto an higher pitch of inueterate malice against the members of his Holy Catholike Church or Kingdome spirituall then the high Priest or Elders exercised against his person whilest he was present in the flesh Thus much for this time of the allegorie or argument of proportion drawne from Noahs Arke As for the generall Maxime extra Ecclesiam non est salus There is no saluation out of the Church although it be absolutely and punctually true onely of that one Holy Catholike Church which was exactly typified by Noahs Arke yet the same Maxime is literally applyable vnto and in certaine cases vndoubtedly true of some visible Church or other All true visible Churches haue some right or interest in it CHAP. XIII How farre and in what cases that Maxime vsed by the Fathers Extra Ecclesiam non est salus Out of the Church there is no saluation is true of the visible Church or Churches visible 1 THe persons that are extra Ecclesiam are of two sorts First such as neuer were members of any visible Church as all Infidels moderne Iewes and Mahumetans c. Secondly such as haue beene members of some visible Church but haue beene either cut off from it by Ecclesiasticall censure or haue separated themselues from the visible Church or Churches wherein they liued In respect of the first sort that is of all such as neuer were members of any visible Church the Maxime extra Ecclesiam non est salus there is no saluation out of the Church is not vniuersally true yea taken vniuersally it is vniuersally false in respect of time that is it could neuer be verified of all and euery one that was extra Ecclesiam visibilem out of the visible Church in any age There was a time wherin Gods visible Church was confined to one people or nation to the ofspring of Abraham Now it were an heresie to say that no sonnes of men besides the sonnes of Abraham or such as did associate themselues vnto the visible Church then resident onely in Abrahams family were saued during the time of the Law or before the Law was giuen righteous Iob was no sonne of Iacob yet the sonne of God And it were vncharitablenesse though no heresie to say that Iethro Rechah or Ionadab were all sonnes of perdition or were sonnes as our Sauiour said of the Iewes of their father the Deuill because they were not the sonnes of Abraham or had not the visible Church of Israel for their mother In respect of this present time to say Wee know no meanes by which any