King here and makes vs to raigne as Kings with him for euer hereafter This is the inward Gouernment Secondly the outward Gouernment that is the power and direction that God hath put ouer to the sonnes of men for the well gouerning of the Church whereby there must bee first sufficient and painefull Ministers to instruct the people in the wayes of saluation teaching them Repentance towards God and Faith in Iesus Christ and secondly there must bee others that are holy and religious men chosen for their Assistants for the dispatch of such Ecclesiasticall businesse as they may bee helpefull in And thirdly there must be certaine godly and Christian Lawes and customes established amongst them by the common consent of the Church for the maintaining of peace and order in the Church for the punishment of sin and sinners and for the encouragement of well-doers and for the better execution of all such ordinances as the Lord in this case hath prouided to bee done in his Church And this is the Gouernment which we here meane and which wee seeke after that is the power and direction and administration that God hath committed to his Church specially to the Ministers and ouerseers thereof to see that the whole body be well ordered and that euery member carry themselues godly and religiously both in priuate especially in publike both towards God and the World In the third place wee are to speake of the necessity of Church-gouernment how needfull and necessary it is in the Church for the good thereof For the better vnderstanding of this Point wee must know that there is a twofold necessitie one absolute the other conditionall Absolute that is when one thing is so necessarily required to another as that it cannot be without it Secondly there is a necessitie that is not absolute but conditionall that is when one thing is so necessary to another as that it cannot well bee without it of this latter sort the necessity of this Gouernment in the Church of God is for the Church may bee without it in some kind of being but it cannot haue her well-being except this concurre The Point lyes fit to bee handled by way of Obseruation and therefore so I will deliuer it The Obseruation is this namely Doctr. That there is necessarily required an outward forme of Gouernment in the Church of God to bee exercised and administred by men All the former part of the Obseruation as necessity Church and gouernment haue beene before explained onely the last words administration by men needes some opening I say it must bee administred by men I doe not say It must bee deuised of men for it must be of Gods owne ordaining either in particular or at least in generall and it must bee administred that is men as Ministers and Instruments must put in execution that which God hath ordained And what men must these bee Surely they must bee members of the same Congregation For first these men must not bee such as are of no Church for what haue wee to doe with them that are without or they with vs Nor secondly it must not bee done by them that are members of another Church for what hath one Church to doe to meddle with anothers Gouernment except it bee by aduice or in case of necessity or in such causes as concerne diuers Churches but they must bee members of the same Church These are the parties that may and must Administer this Gouernment so that wee see the Note stands vpright namely that of necessity there is to bee required an outward forme of Gouernment in Gods Church to be exercised and administred by men For the proofe of this point in Rom. 12.4 5 c. The Apostle compares the Church to a body and Professors to parts and members of that body Now saith hee euery member hath not the same office no for that were superfluity and would breed confusion but seuerall members are tyed to seuerall offices for the good of the whole body Now there the Apostle speakes of outward gouernment in the Church as verse 5 c. and there must bee sundry Offices and Officers to exercise that Gouernment and who should these bee but the members of the same body In the 1 Cor. 12. from the 12. to the 21. verse there the Apostle presseth the same comparison further and growes to more particulars calling one the eye another the foote the hand the head c. of purpose to shew that as in the body and the parts thereof it is so ordered that some are to gouerne others to be gouerned so it is in the Church some must gouerne others must be gouerned and still vnderstand that the Apostle speakes of outward Gouernment in the Church and that they that gouerne must bee members of the same Church for so the comparison holds they must bee members of the same body And this the Apostle doth set downe generally for a rule in the first Epistle of the Corinthians Chap. 14. vers 40. Let all things be done decently and by order where wee see that the Apostle expresly commandeth order in the Church that is Gouernment for it is all one for things to be well ordered or well gouerned and it is intended of outward businesses in the Church as verse 26. Where the Apostle speakes of their comming together and it is a Charge Let all things c. there is the necessity of it and all is imposed vpon men as we see in the 26 verse Brethren when yee come together c. yee that are members of the same Church And according to this generall Rule so the Apostles carry themselues the Apostle writing to Timothy 1 Tim. 3.14 15. saith These things write I vnto thee that thou mayst know how to behaue thy selfe in the house of God Now that which hee wrote to him of was partly of outward Gouernement as verse 1. and forward where he speakes of the Office of a Bishop and the words in the fifteenth verse shew it plainely hee writes to him that hee may know how to behaue himselfe in the house of God that is in the Church of God But you will say hee was but a particular man and therefore what doth this concerne the whole Church I answer Though it were written particularly to him yet hee being the chiefe ouer-seer in that Church it consequently concernes the whole Church And this was so necessary that hee would not respite it till his comming though hee were to come shortly but for the more suretie hee wrote before-hand that so the Church might not bee destitute of so materiall an ornament as outward Gouernment is And he charges Timothy most seuerely in Chap. 5. vers 21. and in Chap. 6. vers 13. and 14. that the same be duly obserued And so in Tit. 1.5 there the Apostle writing to Titus that was Bishop of the Church of Creta saith For this cause left I thee in Creta that thou shouldest continue to redresse the things that
intendment as the thing it selfe tending directly to the damage and hurt of the Church and yet God so ouer-rules them as that they are meanes of the being of the Church as first hearing or reading the Word or some other good bookes with intent to deride or scoffe or cauill at them as we reade of one Virginius a Bishop of Rome who being set to write against Caluin and â—eading ouer Caluins bookes for that end hee saw the light so cleare against him that hee was conuinced and would write no more against him so that whereas he read ouer his books with intent to cauill at them God so ouer-ruled it that against his owne intendment he became a member of the true Church thereby Secondly the sinnes of Gods chosen why a man would thinke that they should tend directly to the hurt and damage of the Church yet God doth so ouer-rule the sinnes of his chosen as that he makes them causes of the being of the Church Thus God ouer-ruled the sinne of Saul in persecuting the Church to the making of him to be of the Church Act. 9.4.5 Thirdly the falling away of others from the faith is sometimes ouer-ruled by God to bee a cause of the raising of others to bee of the Church And this is the estate of vs all at this day the Iewes they fell away and through their fall saluation is come to the Gentiles as the Apostle shewes Rom. 11.11 Fourthly persecutions of the faithful that is so ouerrul'd by God as that it is made helpefull to the being of the Church Why what is more hurtfull to the Church euen to the destruction of it than this And yet this is sometime so ouer-ruled by God as against its owne bent and intendment it is a cause of the being of the Church for the cruelty of the Persecutors makes those that are of any humanity to detest them and their courses as also the constancy and holinesse of the Martyrs that are persecuted won the hearts of many euen of strangers yea of their aduersaries many times to the truth Examples of this wee haue had at home in our owne Land When were there euer more fruitfull times of the Churches increase in this Land than in Queene Maries bloody dayes at least euer since by occasion of those persecutions Lastly sometime the scattering of the Church in time of persecution is occasionally by the ouer-ruling hand of God a meanes of scattering the seed of the Word into many places and so of causing many Churches as in Act. 8.4 there was great persecution and the Word was scattered abroad what could hurt the Church more than this Yet this was so ouer-ruled by God as that hee made it a meanes of the propagation of his Church in many places whereas before it was in Iudea onely by this meanes it is come into Samaria too But all these are by-causes and therefore wee doe onely point at them and so passe them by yet this is worthy herein to bee taken notice of the wonderfull power wisdome and mercy of God that brings light out of darknesse and makes whatsoeuer pleaseth him euen besides and against its owne bent and intendment seruiceable meanes for the being of his Church The other sort of causes which were the first are such as cause the Church directly and of themselues and these are more proper and materiall than the other First then take the Church in a comparatiue sense as it is compared to a building and so the causes are to be apprehended thus As a building hath foure principall causes so hath the Church first in a building there is the foundation secondly the builders thirdly the matter of the building fourthly the forme So in Gods Church there is these foure causes of it first the foundation and that is Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Iesus Christ and metaphorically the Prophets and Apostles as they teaching Christ 1 Cor. 3.10 As a skilfull master-builder I haue laid the foundation saith the Apostle Ephes 2.20 and are built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Christ Iesus being the head corner-stone c. Secondly the builders and they are the Teachers for so they are called 1 Pet. 2.7 The stone which the Builders refused c. that is which the Iewish Teachers refused And 1. Cor. 3.10 the teachers are called Master Builders Thirdly the matter of the building and they are Saints by calling liuing stones for so the faithfull are called 1 Pet. 2.5 liuely stones a spirituall house And in the 1 Cor. 3.9 they are called Gods building Lastly the forme of the building and that is the laying and the coupling of the faithfull together Ephes 2.21 22. In whom all the building coupled together groweth vnto an holy Temple in the Lord in whom yee are also built together to be the habitation of God by the Spirit And thus the Church is to be apprehended in a comparatiue sense as it is compared to a building Againe take the Church absolutely in it selfe and then it hath an efficient cause an instrumentall cause a materiall cause a formall cause and a finall cause First it hath an efficient cause from which it hath her being for that is the efficient cause of a thing from whence a thing hath that being which it hath Now the efficient cause from whence the Church hath her being is God himselfe he is the Author of it Act. 2.47 The Lord added to the Church c. so that God himselfe is the efficient cause of the Church Secondly the instrumentall cause or meanes of the being of the Church and they are of two sorts either outward or inward outward as first the Ministers of God they are the instrumentall causes whereby we are brought to beleeue as in the 1 Cor. 3.5 and these are sometimes ordinary sometime extraordinary ordinary that is when they haue an ordinary Calling as most Ministers if not all haue in these dayes extraordinary that is then when they are extraordinarily called as the Prophets and Iohn Baptist and the Apostles were The next outward instrumentall cause of the Church is the Word Ioh. 20.31 These things are written that ye might beleeue 2 Thes 2.14 whereunto he called you by our Gospell And in the 2 Cor. 5.19 both these outward instrumentall causes of the Church are laid downe together God hath committed vnto vs saith the Apostle the Word of reconciliation Then the Sacraments they are the next outward instrumentall causes or meanes of the being of the Church and first Baptisme Rom. 6.4 Know yee not that all we that haue been baptized into Christ haue been baptized into his death And the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 10.16 The Cup of blessing which wee blesse is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ The Bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the body of Christ By Baptisme we are made members of
Christs mysticall Body and by the Lords Supper we are nourished in this Body which is his Church Now all these three outward meanes are laid downe together Matth. 28.19 Goe teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Goe that is spoken to the Apostles Teach there is the Word and Baptize there are the Sacraments one exprest the other implyed These are the instrumentall causes without vs. Now the instrumentall causes within vs are first repentance Act. 11.18 God hath granted to the Gentiles Repentance to life Secondly faith Act. 15.9 And he put no difference betwixt vs and them after that by faith he had purified their hearts And lastly and principally Gods Spirit that is the testimony of Gods Spirit in our hearts whereby we are perswaded of Gods loue and fauour 1 Cor. 2.12 We haue receiued not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are giuen to vs of God And all these sixe instrumentall meanes inward and outward are laid downe together in the second of the Acts in the case of the first Church that was planted after our Sauiours Ascension from the fourteene verse to the six and thirtie there is their Minister and the Word his Sermon Then Peter life vp his voice c. Then there are their Sacraments first Baptisme in the 38. and 41. verses Then they that gladly receiued the Word were baptized c. and the Lords Supper in the 42. and 46. verses and they continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread c. there are the outward causes So likewise the inward as first there is Repentance vers 37. and 38. They were pricked in their hearts then secondly there was Faith too as in the 41. and 44. verses They that gladly receiued his Word and all that beleeued c. And lastly there was the Spirit of God for in the seuenteenth verse it is said that it was prophesied before of them that God would powre out his Spirit vpon them And in the 38. verse the Apostle bids them repent and be baptized c. and yee shall receiue the gift of the holy Ghost so that they repenting and beleeuing did receiue the gift of the holy Ghost So these are the instrumentall causes or meanes of the being of the Church The next cause is the materiall cause and that is the people of God Saints by calling 1 Cor. 1.2 The members of the body of Christ 1 Cor. 12.27 Citizens with the Saints c. Ephes 2.19 As members are the matter of the body and Citizens the matter of a City so the members of Christ are the matter of the body of Christ which is his Church Fourthly the formall cause of the being of the Church and that is inward and outward that which is inward is the effectuall calling and gathering of Gods people to Christ when the faithfull are perswaded in their hearts to beleeue and obey the Gospell of Christ the outward formall cause that is their ioynt and publike profession of the sauing faith and the outward communion that they hold in the meanes of grace both for duties of piety to God and of charity each to other yee shall find both these in the case of the Church at Ierusalem Act. 2. first their effectuall calling which is their inward formall cause that is laid downe in the 37 38 41 and 44. verses they were pricked in their hearts repented baptized added to the Church c. there is their effectual calling Their outward formall cause that is set downe in the 41 42 44 45 46. verses They continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship c. and had all things common c. there is their ioynt and publike profession of the sauing faith and their outward communion These are the materiall causes of the Church Lastly the finall cause of the Church which is the end of a Church and that is to bee considered in many respects first in respect of Gods glory that some of Adams seede might glorifie the Lord God here in his Church by beleeuing obeying calling vpon him and hereafter in heauen singing euerlasting prayses to his glory Rom. 9.23 That he might declare the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared to glory Secondly the finall cause of the Church is in respect of the faithfull themselues and of their saluation and glory for God will not haue all mankinde cast away as they well deserued but some he would haue of his free grace and mercy to obtaine saluation and glory by Iesus Christ 2 Thes 2.14 and to receiue the end of their faith which is the saluation of their soules 1 Pet. 1.9 Thirdly the finall cause of the Church is in respect of the truth of God that the same might be embraced and maintained and kept aliue on earth that some men might not onely know the truth but beleeue it and liue in the obedience of it and also that the Scriptures the records of truth might be safely preserued first that the body of the Scriptures might not bee mangled or torne by Heretikes secondly that the sense of the Scripture might not bee depraued by the enemies of it lastly that the Scriptures might not bee as a sealed booke but that there might bee some on earth to interpret it and to teach it and that it might be openly taught and practised on earth this is one end of Gods Church Fourthly the finall cause of the Church is in regard of the wicked that they might bee left without excuse when as the pretious truth of God is propounded to them by his Ministers and by his Church and when as they denie it as false or contemne it or at least carelesly neglect it as a vile thing not worth hearkening to that then they might iustly perish in their owne wilfulnesse Thus you haue heard concerning the causes of the being of the Church both of those that cause it directly and of themselues and also such as cause it not of themselues directly but onely as by the way being ouer-ruled by God to that end Wee will draw it into an Obseruation Doctr. we heard first that God is the efficient cause of his Church and all other causes are from him he note then is this That howsoeuer there bee many things in the world which concurre and haue a great hand in the causing and constituting of a Church yet the cause of all causes is the Lord himselfe and indeed he is all in all in it this is so in all other things that God is all in all in them specially it is so in the Church as first that being more specially respected of God than any thing else and secondly as the Church depending more neerely vpon him then any thing else in the world Ephes 4.6 the Apostle speaking there of the Church saith There is one God and Father of
Hezekiah sent forth messengers throughout all Israel and Iudah with godly letters for the keeping of the Passeouer and the wicked laughed them to scorne but the Text notes in the twelfth Verse that the hand of God was in Iudah so that he gaue them one heart to doe the Commandement of the King The King might haue commanded long enough yet if God had not giuen the people a heart they would neuer haue obeyed him so that all other meanes are vtterly voide yea nothing without God 1 Co. 3.7 Neither is he that planteth any thing nor he that watereth but God that giueth the increase Now if God giues vs these outward instrumentall Causes of the being of his Church hee giues vs the inward much more as Repentance and Faith and principally the chiefe of all Gods Spirit is giuen vs meerely and freely of God 2 Cor. 1.22 Who hath also sealed vs and giuen vs the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts So that wee see the instrumentall causes of the Church both inward and outward are of God So also the materiall cause that is of God too 1 Cor. 3.9 Ye are Gods building saith the Apostle The formall cause that is of God also the outward formall cause which is our ioynt and publike profession of the faith 1 Cor. 12.3 No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost specially the inward formall cause is of God 1 Cor. 1.9 Wee are called of God to the fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ Lastly the finall cause that is of God too Gods Word labours husbandry ordinances Church c. are not onely of and from him as he being the efficient cause of them but also for him and his glory as he being the finall cause of them So likewise if we cast our eyes on the by-by-causes of the Church God is all in all euen in them too yea extraordinarily in these so that hee seemes rather to haue a greater hand in these than in the rest that God should make persecution which tends of it selfe to the destruction of the Church to bee a cause of the being of the Church this then shewes that God is all in all in causing his Church So much for the Reasons The vses are these First Vse is for instruction to teach vs Vse 1 that seeing the Lord is all in all in causing his Church then let him be reuerently and ingenuously acknowledged so to be And in that respect First let such congregations as haue tasted Gods bounty in this kind ascribe all the honour and praise and glory of that their blessed state to him alone and that which I say of whole congregations let euery one in particular practise and that both for the congregation and specially for himselfe We must not dote on the meanes though they be singular helpes vnder God the Ministers gifts nor any other thing the Church hath it must not bee doated vpon It is true that wee must esteeme highly of them and labour for the good of them and acknowledge what benefit we haue receiued from them and be thankefull to them yet still I say it is all the Lords doing and let him haue all the glory of them and if euer there should such a presumptuous thought come into our heads of doating vpon them we must euer haue that in a readinesse in our minds which the Apostle speakes 1 Cor. 3.5 They are but ministers by whom we beleeued let God haue the honor and praise of all that the Church hath for it is all his doing Secondly as this should stirre vs vp to thankfulnesse for the good we haue already receiued so it should stirre vs vp to prayer and continuall calling vpon God that he would bee pleased in his good time to afford the meanes of his Church where they are wanting And that where they are there God who is all in all in his Church would bee pleased to confirme increase and continue them for euer that so he may haue a Church there to the worlds end Alas what is it to haue care for our selues onely as Iosiah had Lord saith hee let there be peace in my dayes but we must haue a care of our posterity and pray that God would continue his Church to them too and this is a necessary duty both for Ministers and People and that each for himselfe and one for another the Minister hee is to pray for himselfe that the Lord would open his mouth and sanctifie his heart and affections that he may preach powerfully and effectually and for the people that they may bee teachable and tractable humble willing and ready to vnderstand and beleeue obey and practise that which they are taught And so likewise the people they are to pray for their Minister and for themselues too that God would open their Ministers mouth and sanctifie his heart and affections that he might preach powerfully and effectually to them and also that they might haue teachable hearts ready and willing to heare and to obey and that God would water their hearts with his Spirit that they may be fruitfull Thirdly this should stirre vs vp to vse the meanes profitably which are the causes of the Church let them not be vnprofitable towards vs much lesse let them bee contemned of vs but let vs make a good vse of them as of Gods speciall ordinances which hee will surely reuenge if we contemne them Doth the Lord bend himselfe wholly and all his forces as it were to make vs vnderstanding wise and obedient and to bring vs to himselfe and shall wee neglect so great saluation and not make vse of it to bee brought vnto God Doe not receiue such a pretious grace of God in vaine but embrace it take the opportunitie of it now is the accepted time now is the day of saluation now God stands at the doore and knockes now the Table is prepared the victuals are ready and the Guests are called therefore let vs now quicken vp our selues let vs take hold on the promise of Grace and let vs receiue the Word not as the word of man but as it is indeed the Word of the eternall God powerfull to saue vs if we beleeue and obey it or else if wee refuse and contemne it powerfull to condemne vs and to cast vs headlong into hell Vse 2 The second vse is matter of comfort to vs seeing God is all in all in constituting his Church then it assures vs of the welfare of the Church it shall goe well with the Church although Satan bend all his forces against it though the wicked maligne and persecute it God is for it who can be against it It is of God and therefore it shall stand in despight of Satan and all his forces It is God that plants his vine who can roote it out He makes a hedge about it who can breake it downe Yea God is a wall of fire about his Church therefore whosoeuer comes neere to hurt it shall be consumed
answer we haue not our calling from the Church of Rome but from other ministers professing the same faith with vs as they haue Answ this might be a reason against Luther and other Ministers that had their calling in the Church of Rome Obiect it can be none against vs. Yea but say they Answ it came through their hands at first I answer that is nothing to vs many good things may come through theeues hands when the Arrian heresie spread it selfe ouer the world many Ministers came through their hands and therefore if this were a good Argument to proue wee were not a true Church then there should bee no true Church since the Apostles dayes But if wee had had our Calling from the Church of Rome I doe not see but that those Ministers that were ordained by the Church of Rome are warrantable and lawfull but I am sure ours now is lawfull if euer there were any since the Apostles death Yea but say they you haue no couenant made betwixt you and God Obiect I answer yes we doe make a couenant with God in Baptisme Yea but you were not gathered by the Word but compelled by a Proclamation in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths Raigne I answer Yes wee were gathered before in King Henery the eighth Answ and King Edward the sixth dayes so that this Proclamation was but a restoring of vs to our former estate as it was in the daies of Hezekiah 2 Chron. 30.5 where the people were restored to religion by the Kings Proclamation and this compulsion by the Proclamation was but to the outward meanes But now in our times there is no such compulsion but men are gathered by the word therfore this is vnseasonably applied to vs. Yes saith Ainsworth It is so still I answer If it be so that we are still compeld it is but to the outward meanes as I haue said but yet so many of vs as since the preaching of the Gospel doe voluntarily ioyne and enter couenant with God and the faithful are euen by our Aduersaries confession true members of a Church and therefore consequently such are a true visible Church Or else secondly they say If wee haue the meanes yet we haue not the successe Yes we haue the successe too for many of vs feele it and taste it to our singular consolation many of vs are conuerted Answ comforted instructed confirmed c. in our Church yea many of themselues were conuerted here amongst vs which is a manifest argument of our warrantable calling in that we haue experience of Christ that speaketh in our Ministers not weake but mighty in vs 1 Cor. 13.3 Or thirdly they say it may be effectually sometimes but it is not ordinarily effectuall I Answer What is more ordinary For first we haue many conuerted amongst vs and secondly this is dayly done and thirdly by these meanes that we haue amongst vs the preaching of the Word and fourthly this is as vsuall here as in any visible Church yea I dare vndertake that our Church is as fruitfull in gathering people and begetting Children vnto God as euer any Church was since the Apostles dayes they indeed had an extraordinary Calling and so an extraordinary successe which we must not looke for but ours is ordinarily effectuall for it is wrought vpon many and that day by day and also by the power of the meanes which is amongst vs and also as vsually as in any Church since the Apostles times And therefore ours must needs be a true Church therefore let none of vs entertaine any such thoughts into our heads as to thinke wee haue not the causes and meanes of a true Church amongst vs or that they be not effectuall to our conuersion and saluation or that they be not ordinarily effectuall But let vs blesse God for the means and the successe which daily they haue amongst vs lest for our vnthankfulnesse God depriue vs of them and turne from vs as he did from the Iewes and take his Church and presence from amongst vs. The eleuenth Lecture of the Church HAuing acquainted you already with the definition as also with the Causes of a true Church It remaines that we proceed in the third place to speake as we propounded of the members of the Church For whereas the visible Church is compared to a Body and every body consists of diuers parts and members framed and ioyned proportionably together if therefore wee would exactly know the body of a true visible Church we must be well instructed touching the parts and members of the same for the presence of the members proues the presence of the body looke where the members are there likewise is the body also And the state of the members well considered instructs vs rightly to esteeme of the state of the body for the body is to be accounted sound or vnsound accordingly as the members thereof are affected Now when we speake of the members of the Church we may as well vnderstand the head as the other parts for in a generall sense the head is as well a member as the rest of the parts of the body or else we may speake of all the other parts besides the head for so in a more strict and particular sense the head and the members are opposed against each other as they being diuerse from the head and the head from them Now because we desire to carry the matter fully before vs as neere as we can therefore we will speake of this body in the generall sense as including both head and members too First of the head for that being the chiefe and principall member is first and principally to bee spoken of specially in this case the head being here infinitely greater and more excellent than all the body besides and therefore first of that That which we will speake of in this point we will contriue into these three heads First that the visible Church must haue a head secondly that it must haue one head thirdly that this head is Iesus Christ and hee alone First that the Church being a body must haue a head for so in the first place the course of nature requires it for in the course of nature a headlesse body is a monstrous body imperfect without forme fashion life or gouernment Secondly as the course of nature requires it so the necessity of the Church requires it for the Church must be endued with spirituall life therefore it must haue a head to conuey life into it Thirdly the wisdome of God requires it for God is the God not of confusion but of order in all his works specially in his special workmanshippe that is his Church What a confused heape of stones would a Church be if it had not a head corner stone to hold all the other stones together euery one in his due place and what a disordered Assembly would the Church be if the members were without a head to order it and to releeue it Secondly as
Church So that in Ioh. 21. where our Sauiour saith three times to Peter Feede my sheepe c. What a slight ground is this to build the headship of the Church vpon And if they aske then why Christ should thus presse it vpon Peter so often The Fathers answer them that it is onely a speciall charge binding to Duty not any vniuersall authority or iurisdiction pressed thrice vpon him for his former threefold deniall of Christ that so hee might be the more carefull for the time to come else the charge is alike to all the rest of the Apostles for shall wee think that any of them were not bound to feede the sheepe of Christ as well as he The Apostle giues this charge to all Ministers 1 Pet. 5.2 Feed the flocke of God c. Yea but Peter is the Rocke and vpon this Rocke Christ will build his Church Matth. 16.18 I answer if the Church were built vpon Peter then it was either built vpon his person or vpon his Confession but it was not built vpon his person for then when he died the Church must haue failed too Therfore the place must be vnderstood of Peters confession or of his faith or of that Christ which he confessed Christ built his Church on the confession of Peters faith because himself was the substance of his confession c. Peters confession of his faith is the Rocke in making knowne the Church But Christ himselfe is the Rocke as being the substance of that his confession so that the Church is not built vpon Peters person And if it had what is that to the Pope Vnlesse they can proue these two things First that Peter sate at Rome as head of the vniuersall Church secondly that hee intended to leaue his headship to the Pope of Rome and to none other which is a meere fancie and deuice of their owne braine for which they haue no colour So then Christ neuer gaue Peter much lesse the Pope this headship Secondly as Christ neuer did giue it so he saith expressely he neuer will giue it Luk. 22.25 26. Our Sauiour saith to his Disciples that it was enough for the Gentiles to be Lords and to raigne one ouer another but it shall not bee so amongst you saith he so that Christ checks them for hauing but a conceit of superiority so far is he from giuing it to any of them Further this being a great part of Christs glory as he is Mediator to be head of his Church hee will not giue it to any other Isai 48.11 My glory will I not giue to another And as Christ neuer gaue this nor meant to giue it to any other so no man is able to weeld or sway it no more than any one temporall Gouernor can rule all the Kingdomes in the world no this power is reserued onely to him that made the whole world and all things therein So that we see they ouer-reach in saying the Pope is the head of the vniuersall visible Church Secondly they ouer-reach as far in saying he is the head if you aske them what head they meane They will say onely a ministeriall head vnder Christ heere is some shew of modesty But aske them further what power they ascribe to him And then they bewray themselues for they say that the gouernment of the whole Church through the world depends on him that he hath power and authority to iudge and determine of all causes of Faith and Religion to rule Councells to order Bishops and Pastors to excommunicate and to suspend and to inflict other penalties vpon offenders yea whatsoeuer concerneth either preaching of Doctrine or the practice of Discipline in the Church of Christ the power of gouerning in all such causes they say lies in the Pope Is this to be a ministeriall head This is rather to be an absolute supreame head If by head they meant onely some chiefe Gouernour the name head in that sense might agree to some one man in respect of some one particular place for so the Scripture vseth the word in other cases in the 1 Cor. 11.3 The man is the womans head c. But neuer in this case for a man to be the head of the whole Church This transcendent power by them ascribed to the Pope is a great part of Christs owne power and can neuer agree to any man in the world for Christ is the onely Doctor of his Church Mat. 23.8 10. How then can the Pope determine all matters of faith and religion Is not this to make him a great Doctor yea the onely Doctor No say they for hee doth it but vnder Christ But he doth it of himselfe if the Pope in controuersies would take Christs booke and vse prayer to God for direction therein and in humility and sincere loue of the Truth would examine euery cause and so iudge there were some hope that he would doe many things well and that he would iudge rightly as in Christs stead and so honour his Master and doe good seruice to the Church But first he takes no such course but mingles with the word and vseth his owne Canons in stead of the word and he is so farre from vsing prayer to God for direction as that he presumes the truth is tyed to his Chayre and therefore that he cannot erre in any of his Sentences likewise hee is sinisterly affected to the Truth framing it to the state and practice of his owne Church and accordingly hee iudges and pronounces Secondly if he should take the former course yet his reach is not infinite hee cannot iudge rightly in all causes of faith and religion for no one man that euer was Christ Iesus onely excepted and his Apostles that was able to iudge of all Truth Therefore euery Pope in particular must be at least as one of the Apostles nay he must be as Christ is For if the Apostles could doe it yet they had fellowes Paul as well as Peter could do this But the Pope is without any fellow yea he will take vpon him to iudge of the Apostles owne Doctrine and writings so that though he pretends to be Peters successor only yet vpon the point he takes on him to be Peters Master euen to be Christ so proues himself to be very Antichrist yea and he not onely takes vpon him Christs Office but he takes his name vpon him also hee calls himselfe the chiefe Shepheard which name is proper to Christ onely 1 Pet. 5.4 What is this but to step into the throne of Christ But they except against vs and say doe you finde fault with vs for saying the Pope is the head of the Church Why you your selues make the King supreame head of the Church I answer how do we say the King is the head of the Church as they say the Pope is No but wee say the King is the head of the Church within his iurisdiction to see Gods religion maintained Answ and to see the
are amisse and that thou shouldest ordaine Elders in euery Citie c. There by name are two principall parts of outward Gouernment set downe redressing things that are amisse and ordaining elders And these are imposed vpon Titus being Bishop of that Church and that of necessity for he was left there for this very cause And in the second and third Chapters of the Reuelation there are directions sent from heauen to the Angels of the seuen Churches and that for many things that did concerne euen the outward as well as the inward Gouernment of the Churches If wee looke into the estate of the Church from time to time we shall see that the practice was answerable that still of necessitie there was outward Gouernment in the Church Our Sauiour while hee was vpon earth among his Disciples how orderly did hee gouerne them When any thing was amisse amongst them how quietly did hee order it How orderly did hee send them out to preach How carefully did he giue them Rules for the outward Gouernment of the Church for the time to come So the Church after Christs ascension how well was it ordered and gouerned As wee may see Act. 1.13 14. Where it is said that the Apostles continued with one accord in prayers and supplications with the women and Mary the mother of Iesus and his Brethren And Act. 2.42 they continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer And Act. 6.2 3 c. When that matter of difference arose concerning the poore how wisely did they order it and chose out men from amongst them fearing God for the performance of this businesse So here we see how well the Church was ordered and gouerned after our Sauiours Ascension See it further Act. 15.2 and forward when there arose dissention in the Church about Circumcision what did they doe They called the Apostles and Elders together and so they ordered what should bee done in that businesse so here wee see is outward Gouernment still And so Phil. 1.1 the Apostle writes to the Bishops and Deacons of that Church that is to the Gouernours of it So that we see that of necessity there is required an outward Gouernment in the Church of God to bee administred by men And so much for the proofe of the point The Reasons are many and of diuers sorts some are drawne from the nature of God some are drawne by comparison from other Assemblies the third sort are drawne from the persons that are to be Gouerned and the last sort are drawne from the Offices that are to be exercised and the businesses that are to be done in the Church The first sort of Reasons drawne from the nature and will of God are these First God is the Author not of confusion but of peace as wee see in all the Churches of the Saints 1. Cor. 14.33 The Apostle giues all the Churches of the Saints for instance in this point that God is the Author of peace in all them as hee commanding it and they obeying Now what peace can there bee or how can it be maintained but by Gouernment therefore wheresoeuer there is a Church of Saints there must of necessity bee Gouernment Againe secondly Holinesse becomes Gods House for euer saith the Prophet Psal 93.5 but without Gouernment there can be no Holinesse at least in the outward man and therefore of necessity outward Gouernement must bee in the Church The second sort of Reasons are drawne by comparison from other Assemblies what Company is there without Gouernment In heauen there is order and Gouernment amongst the Saints and Angels themselues some amongst the Angels for order sake are aboue the rest there are Principalities and Powers and Thrones c. I do not say as the Papists doe that one Angell is aboue another in degree but in order at least Christ is the Head and gouernour of them all and that personally so there is a Gouernment in heauen And as it is in heauen so it is in earth What Company or Corporation either in the City or Kingdome is or can consist without Gouernment And is not the Church the Company of Gods Saints so they are called Ps 89.7 and can that be without Gouernment So in an house there can be no peace nor liuing together in it without Gouernment The Church is the House of God the City of God the Kingdome of his owne Sonne and therefore there must be of necessity an outward gouernment in it exercised by men yea Hell it selfe though it bee the place of all disorder and confusion yet they haue some Gouernment amongst themselues else their kingdome cannot stand The third sort of Reasons are taken from the nature of the persons of whom the Church consists and they are men and therefore to be gouerned and that by men Some are tractable and these are gently to be led others are obstinate those are to be drawne with strong hand some are Nouices and they are to be fed with milke others are of stronger growth and they are to be fed with stronger meat some are out of the Church that must be called in these are to be admitted others are within the Church misdemeaning themselues these are to be cast out Therefore there must be Order and Gouernment in the Church for the doing of all this Lastly there must be gouernment in the Church in respect of the offices and businesses that are to be done in it the Word and the Sacraments are outward things and therefore are outwardly to bee administred Officers are to be chosen Lawes to be made controuersies and contentions are to bee pacified the Sicke are to bee visited the Poore are to be releeued Offences are to be punished and sundry other things are to be done which without outward Gouernment it is not possible they should bee well done Therefore of necessity there must be this outward Gouernment in the Church Vse 1 The Vses of this point are these First this is against Anarchy and for reproofe of such as will haue no Gouernment in the Church their owne necks will endure no yoke and therfore they blush not to say that there should be no yoke at all laid vpon Christians and some of them haue gone so farre that they will not endure ciuill Magistracy neither they hold it vnfit for the estate of the Gospell to be vnder Gouernment Wee are called to liberty say they Iesus Christ hath set vs free and therefore we need no Gouernours It is true wee are called to liberty but wee must not vse our liberty as a cloake to our sinnes What liberty and freedome is it that wee haue Is it not from sin and Satan and the curse of the Law It is not a state of liberty in respect of the outward man but in respect of the inward man for the best liberty the outward man can haue is when it is made conformable to the ordinances of God and such wholesome Lawes
TWENTY NINE LECTVRES OF THE CHVRCH Very necessary for the consolation and support of Gods Church especially in these times Wherein is handled first in generall concerning first the Name secondly the Titles thirdly the Nature fourthly the diuision of the true Church Secondly of the visible Church first the Definition secondly the Causes thirdly the Members fourthly the Markes and Notes fifthly the Gouernment sixthly the Priuiledges seuenthly the Aduersaries eighthly the Authority And lastly the application of it to all Churches in the World so farre as they are knowne to vs. By that Learned and Faithfull Preacher Master IOHN RANDALL Batchelor of Diuinity Pastor of Saint Andrewes Hubbart in little Eastcheape London and sometimes Fellow of Lincolne Colledge in Oxford Published by the Coppie perfected and giuen by the Author in his life time carefully preserued and adorned with Notes in the Margent by the late faithfull Minister of Christ Master William Holbrooke Glorious things are spoken of Thee O City of God Psal 87.3 London Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Nathanael Newbery at the Starre in Popes-head Alley 1631. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL TRVLY RELIGIOVS AND MY much honoured Friend Mr. Richard Knightly of Preston-Capes in the County of Northampton Esquire and one of his Maiesties Iustices of Peace in the same County Grace and peace be mulplied c. Worthy Sir IT is a Prouerbe no more common than true that True Loue will creepe where it cannot goe as appeares in that fact of Mary Magdalen who wishing well to the person of Christ shee washeth his feet yea it will begin below at the ground to ascend vp to the top as Zacheus when hee climbed the figtree to get the sight of Christ. Loue to Christ will shew it selfe by a loue of his Church and ascend to him in heauen by speaking a good word for it and seeking and procuring her welfare here on earth Jt is that spirituall Temple to which Christ hath promised his perpetuall presence during the time of this world And it is the duty of euery Christian so farre as in him lyeth to further the building thereof according to that of Chrysostome Hom. in Act. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that euery one of the faithfull ought to edifie the Church Jf they can doe nought else yet let them imitate Dauids patterne Psal 51.18 And hearken to his precept Psal 122.6 Sutable to the practice of the Jewes in the building of the Temple some did giue one gift some another some did labour in hewing squaring others in bringing and bearing them to the raising vp of the structure But especially is the burden of this work layed vpon the shoulders of Ministers which like Bezaleel and Aholiab are fitted and furnished of God for this worke and haue the cure and care thereof committed to them Now the Lord hath not giuen to all alike but to some more some lesse yet all for the good of his Church To the Author of this Treatise he had giuen more than ordinary gifts as his works already published do shew He had the honor to be a wise Master-builder to be like those builders in Nehem. 4.17 with one hand he wrought in the worke with the other he held a weapon as you shall see apparently in this Treatise wherin hee doth confirme professed truths and confute opposite errors Jt pleased God whilest he was liuing to make him an happy instrument of staying many in the Church who were ready to fall from it and to gaine many in which by seducements had been drawne away And as God gaue such successe to his Labours when he was aliue So J trust they shall find the same though he be dead if read with a single eye I dare assure you it is not the Treatise of any other but of him whose labours need not feare the Light Jt was perfected by his owne hand in his life and giuen to a neare and deare friend of mine who rests in the Lord who had hoped to haue published it in his life but being called away ere he could effect it J haue endeauoured to helpe to bring it forth to light and J doe here dedicate it to your Worship whose worthy care and earnest desire I know is so farre as in you lieth to further the good of the Church J might say much of your worth to the world but those that doe not know you will thinke I flatter those that doe will thinke J say too little But what Salomon saith of the vertuous woman Prou. 31. vlt. so I of you your owne workes praise you in the gates And as Boaz said to Ruth so may J of you changing the words a little All the people not onely of that place where you liue and I was borne but all the people of that country know you to be a vertuous Gentleman Go on good Sir stand for God and he will stand for you honor him and as he hath so he will honour and what seruice J may doe you by my prayers or otherwise you shall be assured of The Lord blesse you and yours and all your ample and religious kindred Your Worships in any thing J may to be commanded Ithiel Smart THE FIRST LECTVRE OF THE CHVRCH Your Question is What is a true visible Church HAuing spoken of God in the first place and of Christ in the second place it now followes in the third place that wee speake of the Church wherein we will stand vpon these two generall Points First an Introduction to prepare the way to the question secondly we will descend to the question it selfe First the Introduction and that consists of two branches first wee will shew that the order of the question is very naturall secondly that the matter is of great weight and importance First the order of the questions amongst themselues and so our worke and manner of proceeding is very naturall and that first in respect of God in the first question and secondly in respect of Christ in the second question and thirdly in respect of all the three questions laid together First in respect of God for our faith hauing been first informed and instructed concerning God himselfe the Authour and worker of all it is then in the next place to be informed touching his workes and amongst them first and principally of the first and chiefest of them all that is the Church For the Church is Gods owne speciall workmanship formed by his owne hand separated as a peculiar people to his owne Maiesty consecrated to his owne worship and seruice gathered by his owne Word purchased by his owne Sonne quickned and directed by his owne Spirit and ordained from all eternitie in his owne secret Councell to be partakers of his owne glory Besides of all the workes that God exerciseth towards his Creatures the greatest and best are they that God exerciseth towards his Church as Election Calling Iustification Sanctification Glorification c. Yea further whatsoeuer God doth worke besides in the
administration of the World he doth it respectiuely to his Church for the good and benefit of his chosen There being then such a neere coniunction betwixt God and the Church and the Church carrying the precedency aboue all other of Gods works that are who seeth not that the doctrine concerning the Church doth very closely depend vpon the Doctrine concerning God and therefore hauing been informed and instructed in the Doctrine concerning God it followes naturally that we now be instructed in the Doctrine concerning the Church Secondly the order is as naturall in respect of Christ in the second question for there is a more immediate and farre neerer communion betwixt the Church and Christ in particular then betwixt the Church and God in generall for Christ is the King the Church is the Subiect Christ is the purchaser the Church his possession he is the Shepheard they his Sheepe he is the Vine they the Branches he is the Head they his Body hee is their Husband and they are his Spouse and therefore except we will dis-sunder these whom God hath ioyned most neerely together after we haue spoken of Christ it followes next and immediatly that wee speake of his Church You heard in the second question that Christ was incarnate and that hee was a fit Mediatour betwixt God and Man Now in this third question we are to heare who they are for whom he was incarnate and for whose sake he doth accomplish this work of Mediation and those are the Church And therefore in respect of the Doctrine of Christ handled in the second question it followes naturally that now in this third question we doe handle the Doctrine of the Church Thirdly in respect of all the three questions compared and laid together the order is very naturall ioyne them all together and they sweetly and orderly expresse the summe of all Religion God doth saue his Church by Iesus Christ God is the Author that saues Christ is the Instrument or meanes by whom hee saues the Church is the subiect or matter to be saued God purposed to saue his Church but not without the mediation of Christ Christ came to saue the Church but not without warrant frō God the Church is saued but not without God nor without Christ but by God in Christ according to that in 2. Cor. 5.9 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe where God is set downe in the first place Christ in the second and in the third the reconciled world that is the Church So you see the first branch of the Introduction the order of the questions in themselues and so our order to bee very naturall The second branch is this that the matter of the question is of great weight and importance For first the right knowledge and vnderstanding of the true Church is very profitable and of necessary vse and secondly the ignorance or mistaking of it is exceeding dangerous and hurtfull First the knowledge and vnderstanding of it is very profitable and of necessary vse and that in many respects first for direction secondly for confirmation thirdly for confutation and fourthly for consolation And first for direction for on the one side generally most men are endued with this principle that they ought to ioyne themselues to the true Church or else they can haue no saluation And on the other side generally all Heretikes and Schismatikes doe challenge to themselues the name of the Church as if they were the true Church and none else What is to be done in this vncertainty Wee must search the Word of God first learne there what the true Church of God is and that is the onely right Assembly that safely and boldly thou mayst ioyne thy selfe vnto Therefore for direction this question is very profitable Secondly for the confirmation of our faith for howsoeuer the Word and the Spirit are the best and most sufficient witnesses that the Faith wee embrace is the true sauing Faith yet our weakenesse requires also some outward witnesse to testifie the same vnto vs the best and onely witnesse in this kind is the true Church which is the Pillar of Truth Therfore we must first know what this true Church is and then finding that it doth embrace the same Faith with vs and we the same with it we are thereby certainely assured that we are in the right Faith Thirdly the knowledge of the true Church is profitable and necessary for the confuting of Aduersaries for the Papists on the one side and the Brownists on the other doe lay hard against vs that either we are no Church or at least a false Church therefore it is most necessary for vs to know what the true Church is that so we may discerne them and to iustifie our owne Church and our standing in it against all the oppositions Fourthly it is necessary for consolation and comfort of conscience for what greater comfort to a Christian soule then to know that it rests in the bosome of Gods owne Church I must first therefore know what this Church is before euer I can attaine to any sound comfort in this Case Therefore in these respects the question is very profitable and of great waight and importance Secondly the ignorance and mistaking of the true Church is exceeding dangerous and hurtfull for first many men are carelesse and wretchlesse and will not ioyne to any Church at all aske them the cause they wil answer First that there is so much difference about the Church that they know not what to make of it Secondly others would faine ioyne to the true Church but they dare not ioyne to this or that particular Church because they know not which or what is the true Church Thirdly others mistake the false Church for the true and so ioyne to the false in stead of the true and so runne headlong from God to the Diuell from truth and saluation to errour and condemnation I dare say that the very name of the Church misvnderstood hath been one of the greatest snares that euer the Diuell vsed whereby to entangle men in Popery and this one Allegation hath made more to become Papists and to continue Papists then any ten of their best Allegations and pretences besides Lastly those that doe ioyne themselues to the true Church are doubtfull of their standing whether they be in the right or not and not knowing the true Church are easily carried away to another Church that is worse or to a false Church So yee see how dangerous it is to mistake or not to know the true Church wee haue lamentable experience of these things amongst vs in these dayes some turne Papists some Brownists some become of no Religion at all euen for this that the true Church is either not knowne or not rightly vnderstood of them yea the best and most tender Consciences amongst vs are somewhat vncertaine and fearefull of their standing because they are not rightly acquainted with this
refuse to come No let vs be thankefull for it it is a pretious Iewell and let vs take heed we doe not relinquish our Calling let vs not looke backe for no man that putteth his hand to the Plough and looketh backe is fit for the Kingdome of God Vse 4 Fourthly by this we may know whether wee are of the Church of God or no. Euery one that liues in the Church pretends to be of the Church but here is the tryall Art thou called Yes Why then thou art of the Church in some sense so farre as thou art called so farre thou art of the Church If thou hast onely an outward calling thou art but an outward member but if thou haue an inward and effectuall calling then thou art a true and liuing member of it But you will say how shall I know whether I haue this effectuall calling or not I answer It is easie to know it doest thou finde Gods Spirit worke effectually in thee to cause thee to leaue thy sins to stirre thee vp to repentance and to faith and to doe good workes As thou hast a new name so hast thou by this calling a new heart and a new life and new motions and affections new courses If thou hast then thy calling is effectual else it is but a dreame The surest marke of all is thy Conscience Doth that check thee for euery knowne sinne and infirmitie And doest thou labour in truth to obey it and renounce and ouercome that sinne thy Conscience checks thee for This is the surest mark of an effectuall Calling For when the Spirit hath thus quickned and purged thee and doth instruct thee and deale effectually with thy Conscience and frames thee to obedience to it here is a sure marke of an effectuall calling If we flee the Corruptions that are in the world through lust and if we giue our selues diligently to a course of grace and sanctification if we ioyne with our vertue faith c. this makes our calling sure and our Election too 2. Pet. 1.5 9 10. And if we doe these things we shall neuer fall Vse 5 The last vse is matter of reproofe or confutation of such as deny vs and the Church wherein wee liue to be a true Church We haue a true calling and that from God to sanctification by the Word and Sacraments and by the Spirit therefore we are a true Church This they cannot deny Ainsworth and others amongst themselues confesse that they had their Calling here yea their effectuall Calling and they will not say but theirs is a true Calling therefore so is ours and so our Church a true Church Yea but say they this calling is extraordinary I answer What is extraordinary in it The meanes are ordinary as the Word preached read and conferred on the Sacraments administred and Prayers offered vp to God It is extraordinary when wee are called without meanes or by rare and strange meanes but the meanes here are ordinary therefore the calling is so too Besides many thousands in our Church haue a true and effectuall Calling The meanes is dailie powerfull through Gods mercy either to winne or to confirme not a few but many thousands therefore the commonnesse of it proues it to be ordinary Yea but say they It is so in the Church of Rome too many are called there and yet that is no true Church It is strange that they will blind themselues so wilfully and not discerne betwixt things that so notoriously differ For first in the Church of Rome few or none are conuerted here in our Church are many Secondly they haue onely a generall call to a confused notice of God wee to the particular and precise knowledge of every Article and Point of Religion needfull to saluation Thirdly they haue not the meanes the Word truly preached nor read in a knowne Tongue wee haue Therefore it is strange that they should once open their mouthes to make such an absurd comparison The second Lecture of the Church NOw in the second place wee are to speake of the titles giuen to the Church there is no great difference betwixt the name and the title of a thing for sometime the name is called the title and the title the name yet as it is with persons of great place and qualitie they haue their names and their titles too as Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ c. Paul there is his name an Apostle c. there is his title and so it is generally with all things of any great note they haue their names whereby they are ordinarily called and their titles whereby some extraordinary or speciall matter is attributed to them and affirmed of them So in the matter in hand concerning the Saints or company of the faithfull the name Church doth propound them barely or simply to our vnderstanding The titles raise vs vp to the consideration of some further matter in the nature and state of the Church then the name doth import and therefore hauing spoken of the name now we are to speake of the titles of the Church There are many worthy and goodly titles ascribed to the Church as it is said Psalm 87.3 Goodly and glorious things are spoken of thee Oh Citie of God Many as being much variety of matter to be considered in the estate of the Church and glorious as euery title commending the grace beauty and glory of the Church after a speciall manner And the Lord doth adorne her with these many glorious titles for many causes As first to giue vs a more full and perfit view of the whole Doctrine concerning the Church no one title is able to expresse all the particulars that concerne the Church therefore the Lord vseth many that what is wanting in some may be supplied by the rest Secondly that he might expresse and set forth the greatnesse of his loue to his Church which being infinite and extended in many excellent kinds requires many and glorious titles to expresse it by It is true that none indeed though neuer so many and glorious can expresse it according to the measure of his loue but these that wee haue doe fully expresse it according to the measure of our capacity so farre as we are able and as it is fit for vs to vnderstand Thirdly because by these many glorious titles giuen to the Church the Lord would inamour vs with her loue and allure vs to her communion that wee may the more willingly and chearefully be associated and gathered vnto her and the more sweetly and comfortably repose our selues in her bosome when wee heare so many and so glorious things spoken of her I cannot relate much lesse handle all the titles affirmed of the Church only I will reduce them to certaine heads and cull forth the choise of them out of each Testament They are of two sorts First some are absolute that concerne the Church simply in it selfe Secondly some are not so absolute but respectiue which concerne the Church as iâ—
shall be made as white as snow Secondly here is comfort against their wants and defects and infirmities thou canst not pray nor performe any other good duty as thou oughtest yea but thou art a member of that blessed and glorious Church whereof Christ Iesus is the Head and therefore all thy wants and infirmities are couered and supplied by the perfection of Christ Thirdly here is comfort against temptation and against the Diuell and all his power for thou art a member of the true Church which is like to Mount Sion that cannot be remoued but shall stand fast for euer and euer the Gates of Hell nor all the power of the Diuell shall euer preuaile against thee the Lord for his owne glory which he hath set vpon vs will neuer see vs ouerthrowne Lastly here is comfort for vs against all the reproches of men that howsoeuer wee be as the off-scowring of the world in their vniust censures yet in Gods sight who iudgeth according to the truth wee are beautifull and glorious And therefore let this suffice to giue vs content against all the scoffes and nick-names in the world If wee bee so blessed and beautifull in Gods eyes what neede wee care though wee bee contemned in the world The fifth Vse is matter of terrour to the world that persecute Vse 5 and oppose themselues against Gods Church they know not who it is they make their force against it is euen against God and therefore they shall neuer preuaile and against the people of God the most glorious and blessed company that are And therefore first they may bee dismaied for they rush against a Rocke and kicke against the prick Act. 9. they shall neuer haue good successe yea secondly they shall be punished with the fierce and full vengeance and wrath of God because they resist the Lord and oppose his glorious and annointed Ones Vse 6 The sixth and last Vse is to reproue the peruerse opinion of the world that are blind and can see no grace nor beauty in the Church like vnto the wicked Iewes that would not see any forme or beauty in Christ Isai 53. they looke onely on the outward man and indeed there is nothing to bee seene but deformity and misery but if they could looke within there is perfect glory Yea but say they this is but your words wee can see no such glory in the Church but we can see a great deale of sinne and misery among you why doe you then face it out thus I answer we must vnderstand it with these limitations First it cannot bee discerned but with a spirituall eye and therefore the world cannot see it because they want this eye to discerne it withall Secondly it is vnderstood of the Church as they are considered in their Head Christ and not as they are considered by themselues If they consider the Church thus they shall perceiue perfect glory Christ himselfe being perfectly glorious and he couers and supplies our wants and deformities and presents vs as glorious to God his Father Thirdly it is so rather in our desires and Gods account then in actuall possession Fourthly we haue not thâ—s glory and blessednesse here but onely in the beginnings of it we haue some grace and some beauty and some glory here but it is to be perfected in heauen when there shall be a new Ierusalem Reuel 21.2 and then Christ shall present vs a glorious Body vnto God his Father without spot or wrinckle Ephes 5.27 which because some haue attained to already and the rest shall surely obtaine hereafter and haue some beginnings of it here already it may therefore bee iustly said in respect of some of her parts now and of all hereafter Thou art all faire my Loue and there is no spot in thee Thus you see how beautifull the Church is and blessed and glorious though the world be blind and can see no such thing in her And so much concerning the second generall Point propounded to be handled in the Doctrine of the Church The third Lecture of the Church THe third generall Point propounded to bee handled in the Doctrine of the Church is the Nature of the Church for so the order of teaching requires that when once wee doe know the name of a thing what it is called and the titles that it is graced withall then it followes that wee should search out the nature of the thing that is thus called and thus intituled For the names and titles of things may and are oft-times imparted to others But the nature of euery thing is proper to it selfe and cannot bee communicated to any thing else And therefore howsoeuer the name and titles set it forth vnto vs and make vs esteeme of it yet the nature will more fully expresse it and make vs the highlier to esteeme of it The name bearing diuers significations in ordinary method ought to bee diuided first and defined after But because the whole nature of the thing may bee aptly enough comprehended in one generall description and because the diuision hath a more neere dependance with that which followes making a ready steppe and passage thereunto we will first define therefore the nature of the Church and then proceede in the next place according to our order set downe to diuide it into seuerall kinds and branches The nature of the Church is thus described The Church of God in the true generall nature thereof is the whole company of Gods chosen both in heauen and earth where they are described by three things First by the efficient cause of their being of the Church Gods electing or chusing them Secondly by their number the whole Company Thirdly by the places where they are in heauen in earth First by the efficient cause of their being of the Church for the principall reason why any man is a true member of the true Church is because God hath chosen him to it First to saluation and glory as the end secondly and consequently to be of the Church as the means to the end Therfore the Church ofttimes is called Gods chosen Psal 33.12 Euen the people whom he hath chosen for his inheritance And in Psal 132.13 The Lord hath chosen Sion that is his Church And Rom. 8.33 The Apostle speaking of the Church calls them by that expresse name Gods chosen And hence it is that the Faith of Gods Church is called the Faith of Gods chosen Titus 1.1 And therefore they are called The first borne whose names are written in heauen Heb. 12.23 Which what is it else but to bee written in the Booke of life That is to be Gods chosen It is true that it is much more agreeable to the name of the Church to bee defined by their Calling rather then by their Choosing as in the first Lecture because they are a Company called But yet it is more agreeable to the right nature of the Church to be defined by their choosing rather then by their Calling and that
for these Reasons first many of the Church are chosen that are not yet called as Paul an Elect vessell before his conuersion and yet not called and so all the Elect before their conuersion nay many are chosen that shall neuer be called as the Angels which belong to the Church too and are a part of it And therefore the Church in the nature of it is to be described by their choosing and not by their Calling Secondly many are Called that are not chosen so saith our Sauiour and therefore if we should describe them by their Calling we should make such to be of the nature of the true Church which are not chosen and so are no true members of Christ nor shall euer enter into the heauenly Ierusalem Thirdly those which are chosen are called too their Election and chusing is the cause of their Calling and not their Calling the cause of their chusing Rom 8.30 whom he predestinated them also hee called Therefore in these respects it is fittest and most agreeable to the nature of the Church to be described by their election rather then by their Calling And so much of the first part of the Description namely the efficient Cause of their being The second thing they are described by is their number the whole company c. Which wee musâ— vnderstand thus First that all that are of the Church are God chosen and none else and that all that are chosen are of the Church none excluded as who should say the whole company of Gods chosen all these and none but these Here may be an exception made for you will say Are the elect of the Church before they are Called Yes sure in the purpose and account of God though they bee not so in their owne account nor in the account of thâ— World though they be not as yet actually assembled to the Church yet they are in the way and first or last they shall certainely haue an effectuall Calling whereby they shall bee made actually of the Church both in faith and in their owne knowledge and account And secondly we must vnderstand that all those together make vp one Church the whole Company of God Choseâ—â—s his Church as they are considered all together as members of one body and incorporated into one societie or Company and not as they are members apart And also so â—ll togâ—â—her as that all the chosen of all times and places and kinds make vp one only Church So much of the second part the number they are described by The third thing they are described by is the places where they are in heauen and in earth And so we do first fetch in all Gods Saints whether liuing or departed whether fighting on earth or triumphing in heauen As also secondly the Angels that haue kept their habitation in heauen are all comprehended together as so many seuerall parts of the Church to make vp the whole Body So yee haue the particular heads of the Description expounded and inlarged the whole company of Gods chosen in heauen and in earth Now that the holy Angels are parts of the true Church because yee shall not thinke that it is a deuise of mine owne braine yee shall see that the Apostle vseth the same words Eph. 1.10 That in the fulnesse of time he might gather together in one all things both which are in heauen and which are in earth And Eph. 3.15 Of whom is named the whole family both in heauen and in earth And Col. 1.20 To reconcile to himself through him I say all things which are in heauen and which are in earth All which places must be vnderstood not onely of the Saints departed that rest in heauen but also with reference to the holy Angels in heauen that fell not who hauing a benefit by Christ the mediator as well as wee are therefore to be seated with vs in the society and body of the Church Doctr. Now to make this matter more plaine I will draw it into an obseruation and that is this Namely That the holy Angels that kept their first estate are parts and members of the true Church as well as we are The Scripture is plaine for this First in expresse wordes secondly by necessary consequence First by expresse words Heb. 12.22 23. But ye are come to Mount Sion c. and to the innumerable company of Angels Where the Apostle speaking of the Church takes the holy Angels as Limmes of that Body and members of that Company And Reuel 19.10 The Angell tels Iohn I am thy fellow Seruant one of thy Brethren I haue the testimony of Iesus the Spirit of Prophesie I am thy fellow Seruant as who should say A fellow of the same House and Family with vs that is the Church A Brother as hauing the same Father God and the same Mother the heauenly Ierusalem that is the Church hauing the testimony of Iesus that is communicating in the same gifts and graces of the Spirit as the Spirit of Prophesie which is peculiar to the Church onely as 1. Cor. 12. So wee see by expresse Scripture that they are members as well as wee Secondly by necessary deduction and consequence First the Angels are elect 1. Tim. 5.21 and therefore they are parts of the Church Secondly Christ is their Head Col. 2.10 yee are complete in him that is in Christ who is the head of all principalities and Powers therefore they must be parts of his Body Which is his Church Thirdly the Angels peepe and prie into the misteries of our redemption by Iesus Christ 1. Pet. 1.12 therefore except we will make them busi-bodies to prie and meddle with that which they haue not to doe in which is vtterly against their wisedome and vprightnesse they must needes be parts and members of the true Church and so much of the Proofes The Reasons are these First the Church is the most excellent Reas 1 and glorious and blessed Assembly that is as wee haue shewed before the Angels therefore that excell in strength and beautie and glorie and absolute happinesse must needs be members of it Secondly the Church is that fulnesse of Christ that filleth Reas 2 all things Eph. 1.23 If the Angels be left out where is that fulnesse Thirdly it is against the bountifulnesse of Christ and Reas 3 the worthines of his obedience that any Creature should know and embrace the Doctrine of the mediation of Christ and yet not receiue benefit thereby for themselues But the chosen Angels do know and embrace it worshipping him and doing him all the seruice they could in the dayes of his flesh whilst he was working this mediation And therefore they haue benefit thereby to themselues And so consequently they must needes bee parts and members of the Church For to them are all sauing benefits peculiar and properly belonging Fourthly the euil Angels that fell away are a part of the Reas 4 malignant Church of the Sinagogue of Sathan as our Sauiour Christ giues vs
and therefore they must needs be holy Fifthly the effects which they feele in themselues are Reas 5 holy effects holy motions and holy desires holy life and holy obedience and their spirituall life that is to say their faith is most holy Iude 20. therefore they are holy Sixtly they are chosen to Holinesse 1. Pet. 1.2 and therefore Reas 6 they are holy Seuenthly they are regenerate and borne again to Holinesse Reas 7 and therefore cannot sinne 1. Ioh. 3.9 and Eph. 2.9 we are created in Christ Iesus to good works and therefore must needes be holy The vses are these First this shewes the essentiall difference Vse 1 betwixt Gods Church and all other Congregations whatsoeuer For this is holy and all other are vnholy And this Holynesse carries a kind of Reciprocation with Gods Church for euery Church of God is truly holy and euery Congregation that is holy is the true Church of God And so wheresoeuer there bee any men or women that bee truly holy though they be out of the knowne Church yet they are liuing members of the true Catholike Church And on the contrary wheresoeuer there are any that are not holy though they liue in the visible Church and are in great place and of great gifts yet they are no members of the true Church of God So then here is the triall whether we be of the true Church or not if wee haue holinesse in our hearts and in our desires then wee are of the true Church else we are not But you will say Is euery one holy that is of the true Church I answer Yes in some measure first or last Secondly this should teach vs to labour for Holinesse Vse 2 without which we shall neuer see God to our Comfort in heauen nor by faith here on earth Psal 15.1 2 c. The Prophet askes this Question Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle or who shall rest in thy holy Mountaine The answer is euen he that walks vprightly and worketh Righteousnesse and speaketh the Truth in his heart Reuel 21.27 There shall enter no vncleane thing into the heauenly Ierusalem there if euer we will see God with Ioy and Comfort we must labour for a pure heart and pure hands It should teach vs therefore First to take heed of sinne and to auoide it for it is filthinesse and vncleannesse as opposite to Holinesse as darknesse is to light and Satan to God himselfe Let euery one that calls on the Name of the Lord that is euery member of the true Church depart from iniquitie let them leaue their lying and swearing and couetousnesse and labour to flie from the corruptions that are in the world through lust and resist the inticements of the Diuell and fight against the rebellions of their owne hearts and not suffer their corruptions to breake forth but to roote them out put off your shooes for you stand on holy ground lay by your sinnes and wicked affections for the Church is a holy Church that you are members of the Temple of God is holy which Temple yee are defile not your selues with sinne and vncleannesse therefore remember what God saith Ier. 11.15 What should my Beloued tarry in my house seeing they haue committed an abomination As if hee should say I haue no roome for them in my house if they commit abomination And Psalm 50.16 What hast thou to doe saith God to the wicked to take my Couenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to bee reformed Therefore say with the Church in the Canticles Chap. 6.5 I haue put off my coat how then shall I put it on I haue washed my feet how shall I defile them And as it teacheth vs to flie sinne so in the second place it teacheth vs to follow that which is good Whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are honest c. thinke on those things Phil. 4.8 Giue your selues to holy meditations and conferences frequent good companies and exercises vse the meanes of holinesse be conuersant in hearing and reading the Word and receiuing the Sacrament and be frequent and earnest in Prayer to God for the Spirit of sanctification that hee may make your harts mindes willes and affections and liues holy and vnblameable that so as you professe your selues to be Saints so you may liue like Saints Lastly this may serue for reproofe of the gracelesse and Vse 3 wretchlesse people of the world that scoffe at the holinesse of Gods people there are a kind of people in the world that if they be in their Cups or vpon the Stage or in their pastimes or in their ordinary talke if they can haue a lest at the holy Brethren in it though without cause or sense it makes them all merry it seasons all their businesse But first let them know that they haue no part in Gods Church for all the parts and members thereof are holy And further let them know that they must be either Saints or Diuels either of the seede of God or of the Diuell And therefore let them know that as they scoffe at vs vniustly so the Lord from heauen doth most iustly deride them and will one day laugh at their destruction and this is to them a token of perdition and a most certaine token too because they are not onely without holinesse themselues but they hate it and deride it in others but to vs it is a signe of saluation both that we are endued with holinesse and also that we suffer persecution for it Heb. 3.3 The Apostle vseth this word very grauely which they doe so deride he calles them holy Brethren And therefore in the second place let vs bee so farre from being daunted by their scoffing at vs as that it may rather incourage vs to be more holy Let vs say as Dauid did to Michal when she scoft at him for dancing before the Arke Am I vile in thine eyes for this I will be yet more vile So let vs say Doth our holinesse displease you I will be yet more holy Let vs therefore labour by prayer to God and all good endeauour not onely to begin but to grow on from grace to grace from one measure of holinesse to another notwithstanding their scoffes that so at last we may bee fit to enter into that holy place whereinto none vnholy nor vncleane thing shall enter The fifth Lecture of the Church HAuing entred into the Point concerning the Church of God in heauen and in earth together we shewed that in as much as it is an Article of our Faith to beleeue the Catholike Church that therefore it was needefull that we should vnderstand and speak of it out of that Article of the Creed which concernes the Church That Article saith I beleeue the holy Catholike Church the Communion of Saints c. Wherein I noted sixe things whereby the Church was marked out First that it is one for so saith the Nicen Creed and so this Article intendes when it saith Church and not Churches secondly that
outward face nor appearance of it to men It is true that it is for our sinnes that the Church is so distressed and Gods glory so hidden and true Religion so decayed and therefore we are to grieue for our sinnes but yet this is our comfort that it is not so bad as it seemes to bee for the Church of God and his Religion haue then as true a being as euer they had though not in that euidence and approbation before the World and therefore though thou seest it not yet God sees it Elias poore man saw none left with whom he might ioyne but God saw many thousands What if all be so desolate as it was in his time that thou canst see none of Gods Church but thy selfe that thou canst see no visible society of men in the world that thou canst safely ioyne withall yet know God hath his Church happily many thousands though they make little profession for the time that neuer bowed their knee to Baal Therefore let vs not iudge by sight but by faith and let this comfort and satisfie vs in the most desperate times that are The last Vse is for satisfaction to the Papists demands Vse 3 when they aske vs Where was your Church before Luthers time or what is become of all our Ancestors that were members of the Romish Church For answer to the first wee aske them Where shall the Church be in Antichrists time that is when they thinke Antichrist shall bee They answer it shall bee much obscured then But shall there bee a Church then or not Yes no doubt but there shal else their own Pillar of the Churches perpetuitie falles to the ground Why then might not our Church be a true Church in the daies of Popery whom we call Antichrist though it were much obscured We had a Church amongst them that did professe our Religion though much obscured by them euen before Luthers time To the second demand concerning our Fathers that liued in their Church what is become of them say the Papists are they damned Wee answer many of them though they liued amongst them were of the inuisible Church for the rest wee leaue them to stand or fall to their owne Master yet wee haue great hope of many that were members of their Church that liued before the Councell of Trent and before the Order of the poysoning Iesuites came vp And so much for answer to them as also for this Point The ninth Lecture of the Church THe last generall Point we spake of was concerning the diuision of the Church wherein we shewed that the Church was distinguished in it selfe in many respects the last whereof was this in regard of the outward state of it in the eye and appearance to the World In this state we shewed that it was sometime visible to bee seene by the eye of man and sometime inuisible not to be seene at all or at least very hardly to be seene Of the inuisible state of the Church wee haue spoken already in the last Lecture Now it remaines that by Gods assistance we speake of the visible Church for that is the Point chiefely in question Therefore leauing the inuisible Church to God he onely knowing who are his wee in the meane while beleeuing it and esteeming reuerently thereof wee proceed now to speake of the visible Church which may and is knowne not to God onely but also to the eye of the world That which hath been already spoken of the Church in generall and especially of the inuisible makes the way plaine before vs for the vnderstanding of that which followes so that now wee may find out the visible Church without any difficulty at all In speaking of the visible Church we must handle these Points first the definition of it secondly the causes of it thirdly the members of it fourthly the markes and notes of it fifthly the gouernment of it sixthly the priuiledges of it seuenthly the aduersaries of it eighthly the authoritie of it and lastly the application of it to all Churches in the world so farre as they are knowne to vs. First for the definition of it it is this Namely A true visible Church is a Company of people called and ioyning together in the publike profession of the true Religion Marke the parts of this Definition first that they may be a Church they must be a Company of people called secondly that they may be a visible Church they must ioyne together in publike profession And thirdly that they may bee a true Church they must professe the true Religion For the first they must be a Company for one man cannot make a Church a Church being as much to say as a Congregation and a Congregation consists of diuers persons one man cannot make a Congregation and therefore one man cannot make a Church Now whether this Company bee great or small three thousand or but three it is not much materiall so long as they be a Company more or fewer if they be so qualified as the rest of the definition requires they are a Church Secondly it is a Company called for so you may remember that I shewed you before that Church hath her name in the Greeke from calling Now whereas there is a double calling one outward the othe inward those that haue onely an outward calling are visible members if they obay the outward calling it is sufficient to make them to bee reputed in the Church But if they be true and sauing-members of the Church ordinarily they must be called not outwardly only but inwardly too and must yeeld obedience vnto both Thirdly a Company of people which is not spoken definitiuely as discouering what company that is a Company of men and women for that is vniuersally vnderstood but indefinitely and to inlarge the Capacity and boundes of the Church to all people and Nations in the world For so it was in part euen vnder the former Testament strangers ioyning with the Iewes were reputed of that Church Exod. 12. much more is it so now vnder the Gospell the partition wall being beaten downe Iew or Gentile or any people vnder the Sunne if they be rightly qualified as in the definition may make a true visible Church So much for the first part of the definition that they must be a Company and a Company called and a Company of people called Secondly that they may bee a visible Church as they must be a Company called to the profession of Religion so they must ioyne together in the publike profession of it wherein there are three things first that they must make profession secondly that their profession must be publike thirdly that they must ioyne together in this publike profession First there must be a profession for a Church is visible onely so farre forth as their faith and Religion is visible but this is not to be discerned but by their profession and therefore the Church is not visible but onely by profession so then there must be a
this as a generall ground that the onely way whereby we are to find out the true Religion is by the true visible Church which may be true in some sense but not in this And their reach herein is to make all the Christian World to suspend thēselues vpon their Church as that being alwayes visible and so to receiue that Religion and none but that which their Church doth teach For say they there is no way to find out the true Religion but by the true visible Church but ours is the true visible Church therefore if euer you will find out the true Religion you must find it out by our Church It is not to be denied but that a true visible Church is a good meanes to find out the true Religion being assisted with the continuall presence of Gods Spirit and being furnished with the Word and Sacraments and gifts for that purpose but whereas they say it is the onely way it is not true for the Scripture hath another way and a better Ioh 5.39 Search the Scriptures saith our Sauiour for they testifie of mee Againe if this be the onely way to find out the true Religion by the Church then a man must first be well assured which is the true Church before hee can safely relie vpon her iudgement for the truth of Religion so that whereas before his care was to find out the true Religion and thereupon resolues to search it out from the true Church now his first and greatest care is to find out which is the true Church for other companies that are not may and doe bragge oft-times that they are the true Church when there is no such matter what are wee to doe in this case This Doctrine tells vs directly what is to be done where is it that the sauing truth is professed There and no where else is a true visible Church so that whereas they say the Church is the onely way for the finding out of the true Religion it is plaine as we haue shewed that the true Religion professed is the onely way or at least the chiefe way to find out a true visible Church The case is this we say the true Religion shewes forth the true Church the Papists say the contrary that the true Church shewes forth the true Religion And this that they say is true in some sense but that which we say is true in a better sense for the true Religion shewes the true Church as the cause shewes the effects but the Church shewes the true Religion as the effects shew the cause As for example the Sunne-shine is the cause of the day and the day proues that the Sunne shines Now one man may reason thus from the cause to the effect and say The Sunne shines therefore it is day another from the effect to the cause It is day therefore the Sunne shines and both say true but the first is the more forcible kind of reasoning when we reason from the cause to the effects So when I reason thus Here is the true Religion therefore the true Church here I reason from the cause to the effects and this is a more forcible and better reason then to say Here is the true Church therefore here is the true Religion which is but to reason from the effect to the cause This wee shall find to be true in the Scripture phrase where the Church is compared to a Candlesticke now what serues that for but onely to hold out the light then the sauing truth is the Light or Candle now the Candlesticke is not seene at all without the Light of the Candle in the dark night though it were of gold so in the darknes of this World the Church which is the Candlesticke if it hold not forth the sauing truth which is the Light or Candle it cannot be seene it selfe So that it is the truth of Religion that makes a true Church and the profession of this truth makes it visible then the Church is not the only way to find out the true Religion nor yet the best way but the best and safest way to find out the true visible Church is to find it out by the true Religion which they professe And so much for the reproofe of the Papists Vse 2 The second Vse is for triall Is it so that euery Congregation openly professing the sauing truth of God is a true visible Church then here is the straitest and precisest Rule to measure the being of a true visible Church by the definition containing all true visible Churches and no more Therefore look wheresoeuer the true sauing faith is profest there is a true visible Church And looke where there is a true visible Church there true sauing faith is profest for these hold in reciprocall termes so that whether wee would proue any assembly to bee a true visible Church or reproue and conuince any for a false we must lay it to this Rule so whether they professe the sauing truth of Christ or not and accordingly esteeme and iudge of them to bee true or false Churches Here certaine exceptions may bee made to this Doctrine The first exception is this What doe you say that a company professing the sauing truth makes a true visible Church Will profession onely make a true visible Church I answer No First it is required Answ that the sauing truth be amongst them indeed else they are no true Church Secondly that being amongst them it is not to bee smothered but profest Thirdly that it bee not onely outwardly profest but inwardly imbraced too at least by some of them Rom. 10.10 The second exception is this But what say you if they professe it with their lips and deny it in their liues and practise is such a Church a true visible Church I answer Answ a fearefull state are all such Churches in for God cannot bee more dishonoured his Spirit more grieued his Gospell more reproched his children more offended Satan and all Gods enemies more gratified and aduantaged then by this yet farre bee it from vs to denie them to bee a true visible Church so long as Gods sauing Truth is profest amongst them it cannot bee though there be neuer so great and generall a falling away from the practise of it but that some doe liue as they professe though they be not seene to vs. And therefore for their sakes though they bee but few and not to bee outwardly discerned it is to be reputed a true visible Church though a very corrupt and impure one The third exception But what say you of such a Church which though they professe the whole sauing faith yet they doe in certaine some crosse opinions which ouerthrow it Answ I answer wee must consider what manner of opinions these be which that Church holdes First whether they be such as ouerthrow the foundation secondly whether they bee publikely profest as the Doctrine of that Church thirdly whether they bee persisted in after they haue been admonisht by
if wee consider the State of this Land from the beginning Before Christs comming what were wee but Gentiles and so without Christ And secondly euen since Christs comming what were wee but euen Pagans in the highest degree Like Nimrods and Giants most brutish and vnreasonable and therefore it is a wonder that any of their seed should be wrought vpon and brought to grace Thirdly when we were conuerted by what meanes was it but by the Romish Church Which though it were more pure then then it is now yet it was in her declining dayes and they could teach no better then they had themselues and therefore that wee hauing been Gentiles and Pagans and afterward conuerted by the Papists that wee I say should professe Gods sauing Truth and so bee a true visible Church this should stirre vs vp to the more thankefulnesse to God Fourthly England hath beene as true a Slaue to Popery and the Kings of England as true Slaues to the Pope as Spaine or any other Kingdome in the world is to this day Fiftly Consider when Reformation beganne King Henrie the eighth and Luther were at great variance the King opposing him and threatning that if the Duke of Saxony would not punish him he would fetch him thence by the eares Sixthly consider how all conspired together to keep out the true Religion Abbies and Monasteries filled the land that were built of purpose for the honour of the Romish purple Whore Seuenthly consider that King Edward that first restored Religion amongst vs was but a Child and yet out of the mouthes of Babes and sucklings God ordayned strength for the establishing of his Truth amongst vs. Eightly his life being but short what followed As bloody a Persecution as euer was all being bent against the profession of this sauing faith and yet for all this that God should preserue his Church amongst vs this is a great blessing and worthy of all thanks for the bloodshed then was so farre from destroying the Church as that it was a meanes to increase it many by seeing the constancie of the Martyrs then were conuerted and many by reading their stories since haue been confirmed in the Truth so that that which the Diuell intended for the destroying of Gods Church was the meanes of establishing it amongst vs. Ninthly come to Queene Elizabeths time shee went through many troubles and was very hardly preserued yet at length shee obtayned her right and came to the Crowne and she established Gods Truth amongst vs against all the practises of the Instruments of Satan yet she was but a weake woman much indangered yet still preserued and by her meanes God continued his Truth long amongst vs. Tenthly come to our King Iames it was very strange that he should come in in peace though it were his right it was the Gospell that had preuailed with vs and subdued our affections else there being an heart-burning betwixt that nation and vs we hauing beene enemies there would haue followed a bloody warre or else some ciuill dissention which would haue made a foule wracke of Religion and a destruction of Gods Church amongst vs. Lastly if we consider how many Fauorites Popery hath had and that of men of State and Authority which haue laboured vnder hand to bring in Popery againe and yet that God should not withstanding all his enemies continew his sauing-truth amongst vs this should stirre vs vp to great thankfulnesse we cannot consider of these things but wee must confesse them to be the finger of God And therefore this should stirre vs vp to the more thankfulnesse to God that hath thus brought in and continued his Religion amongst vs and so to continue vs to be a true visible Church as also it should stirre vs vp to pray for the Continuance of it And so much for this point The tenth Lecture of the Church NOw that wee haue spoken in the first place concerning the definition of a true visible Church wee come in the second place to speake of the causes of it For that was the second point laid downe to be spoken to in the handling of the visible Church Wee must know the Causes of it for vntill we know the causes of a thing wee can haue no perfect knowledge of that thing for then wee know a thing rightly and in its kind when wee are well acquainted with the Causes thereof This point is the more carefully to be lookt into because wee are challenged and endited by many of our Aduersaries especially those of the separation that our Church hath not her being from such causes as it should and therefore that ours is a false Church Now vpon the discouery and view of these causes it wil appeare to any man that can and wil ingenuously apply it that wee haue the right Causes of a true visible Church and therefore that our Church is a true Church of God The causes of the being of a Church are generally of two sortes the first sort are such as cause the Church directly and of themselues purposely tending to that end the second sort are such as doe not cause the Church directly and of themselues but onely as by the way being ouer-ruled by some other cause that makes them helpfull to the being of a Church and that sometimes besides sometimes against their owne bent and intendment We will speake of these last sort of causes first First God ouer-rules some things to make them helpfull to the being of the Church besides their own bent intendment as when the thing it selfe is neither here nor there to the being of the Church yet by accident it furthers it As for instance Sometimes a mans ordinary busines is a cause of the being of the Church as wee see in the woman of Samaria Ioh. 4 7. shee came about her ordinary businesse to draw water at Iacobs Well now this in it selfe could bee no cause of the Church yet this was so ouer-ruled by God that it was a Cause of the being of the Church in Samaria For she heard Christ and beleeued in him and ranne and told it in the City and they came also and heard him and beleeued in him and so became a true visible Church The second cause is matter of affliction and this is sometime so ouer ruled by God that it causeth men to be of the Church and this was the case of the prodigall Child Luk. 15.17 he might haue perished in his affliction yet God made this a by-cause to make him to be of the Church Lastly the death of some great man that is sometime so ouer-ruled by God that it is the cause of the being of a Church As the death of Herod Act. 12.23.24 What was the death of Herod to the being of a Church more then the death of an Hog Yet God so ouer-ruled it that besides it owne intendment it was helpefull to the being of the Church Secondly some things are ouer-ruled by God against their owne bent and
all which is aboue all and through all and in you all And in the 1 Cor. 12.6 the Apostle speaking of the edification of the Church vseth the very word in the note There are diuersities of operations saith he but God is the same which worketh all in all And this we shall find to bee the voyce of Gods Church Psal 95 6 7 8. Come say they let vs worship and fall downe before the Lord our Maker c. hee is our Lord our Maker our God and wee are his people of his pasture his sheepe of his hand Why but all other are his people Yea but we are his people after a speciall manner Ephes 2.10 Wee are his workmanship But you will say so are all things else Yea but we are another kind of workmanship wee are created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes we haue not onely our being but our well-being from him hee hath not onely created vs as men but re-created vs or regenerated vs as new men wherein howsoeuer many things concurre as the Word and Sacraments c. yet all is his doing hee is the worker of it he is all in all Let vs inlarge our thoughts in this point that God is all in all in causing of his Church and let vs consider first how euery one of the three persons in the Trinitie haue a speciall and an effectuall hand herein First God the Father the first person he hath a speciall hand in it Ioh. 6.44 No man can come vnto me except the Father which sent mee draw him So likewise the second person Iesus Christ hee hath a speciall hand in it Ioh. 14.6 No man commeth vnto the Father but by me So likewise the third person the holy Ghost he hath a speciall hand in it 1 Cor. 12.3 No man can say that is by a true perswasion that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost God the Father he loues the world and in that loue of his hee decreed that such and such should be gathered to his Church and so be saued and also in that loue sends his Sonne to redeeme vs and to pay our ransome and giues vs his Spirit to sanctifie and to comfort vs that are his Church So likewise Christ Iesus hee loues the Church and in this loue of his comes downe from heauen and takes our nature and our sinnes and our punishment vpon him and layes downe his life for vs that hee might purchase the Church with his owne blood as the Apostle speakes Act. 20.28 and incorporates vs into himselfe and makes vs bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Ephes 5.30 and brings vs to his Father Ioh. 14.6 So likewise the holy Ghost he loues them and in that loue which hee carries to them hee comes and dwels in them and enlightens them gouernes them and frames them to obedience sanctifies them and applyes the meanes of grace to the particular conscience of euery one of them hee makes them apprehensiue of that course whereby they are saued and applyes it vnto them 1 Cor. 2.10 12. Secondly euery part and seuerall worke that tends to our saluation is of God as first Election that is from God Ephes 1.4 He hath chosen vs in him c. so our Calling is from him Rom. 8.30 Whom he predestinated them also he called likewise our regeneration is from him Ioh. 1.13 Which are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God So also our teaching is of God Ioh. 6.45 They shall be all taught of God Our iustification is also of him Rom. 8.33 It is God that iustifieth Lastly our sanctification is from him 1 Thes 5.23 Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout c. So that euery seuerall worke that tends to our saluation is of God Lastly euery seuerall meanes both within vs and without vs is Gods doing but of this we shall speake in the Reasons and therefore we will now come to them Reas 1 The Reasons are these God is all in all in his Church First because the Church is Gods House 1 Tim. 3.15 now who should build a House for God but God himselfe Reas 2 Secondly the visible Church is a meanes to worship God by Deut. 12.11 Where God puts his name there he will be worshipped Now who shall or can prescribe Gods worship but himselfe therefore he is all in all in his Church Reas 3 Thirdly the living members of the Church are Gods adopted Sonnes members of Christs mysticall body Kings and Priests unto God in all which the like causes God is most sensibly all in all in his Church for hee makes them Kings and Priests c. Revel 1.6 Fourthly to be made a Church or a true member thereof Reas 4 is altogether a worke wrought vpon the heart now God onely workes upon the heart all other meanes and instruments are excluded but onely so farre as they are assisted by him Lastly consider the efficient cause in comparison to all Reas 5 other causes and then it will appeare plainely that the cause of all causes is the Lord himselfe First the efficient cause is God himselfe yea and hee alone which is proofe enough that God is all in all Secondly the instrumentall causes they are wholly and onely of him First for the outward causes as the Word Sacraments Ministers and Gifts First God ordaines them and giues them their being and therefore they are called Gods Word and Gods Sacraments and Gods Ministers and Gods Gifts Eph. 4.11 12. he hath giuen some to be Apostles some to be Prophets and some to be Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the gathering of his Saints for the worke of the ministery c. Secondly he vouchsafeth the presence and tender of them to such persons and places where hee would haue his Church to be as we may see Act. 16.6 Paul Silas were forbidden by the holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia and Vers 7. the Spirit suffered them not to goe into Bithynia And in the tenth Verse it is said they went into Macedonia being assured that the Lord had called them to preach the Gospell there Sometimes God restrayneth the meanes from some and enlargeth them to others as Matth. 10.5 Goe not into the way of the Gentiles compared with Act. 13.46 47. It was necessary saith the Apostle to the Iewes there that the Word of God should first haue been preached vnto you but seeing ye put it from you and iudge your selues vnworthy of euerlasting life Lo we turne to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded vs c. Lastly God giues the successe and blessing to the meanes and so makes them effectuall 1 Cor. 3.5 6. Paul planteth and Apollo watereth but it is God that giueth the increase And Act. 11.21 the hand of the Lord was with them so that a great number beleeued and turned to the Lord. 2 Chron. 30. from the sixth to the twelfth verse
and burnt vp God waters it and makes it fruitfull who shall hinder the growth and increase thereof Surely God will not suffer his owne worke to be hindred by any power in the world If this were well considered it would dismay the aduersaries of the Church and euen daunt Satan himselfe for they know before-hand that they are fighters against God yea against his speciall hand and therefore it is impossible that they should preuaile The wicked after the Flood when they built the Tower of Babel they fought against God but they could not preuaile it turned to their confusion but these fight against God in a speciall manner And therefore this is our comfort they shal neuer preuaile though they band themselues together against the Lord and against his Church yet all they doe is but the imagination of a vaine thing because it is against God and against his people This should comfort the faithfull in all their persecutions temptations and distresses whatsoeuer because that they are built by Gods owne hand and therefore like Mount Sion they shall stand fast for euer and neuer be remoued and likewise they are continually assisted by Gods hand so that their enemies cannot hurt them as the Mountaines are about Ierusalem so the Lord is about his people from henceforth and for euer Psal 125.1 2. So much of the first obseruation arising from the causes of the Church The next Point arising hence is this That wheresoeuer Doct. 2 the true causes of a true Church are effectuall and that by the ordinary blessing of God they haue their due successe there certainely is a true visible Church First I say where they are effectuall for sometimes the causes may bee present yet not effectuall or at least very little effectuall but where they are effectuall onely there they cause a Church Secondly I say by the ordinary blessing of God for extraordinary blessing and successe doth not sufficiently proue a true visible Church The point is cleare in the case of the Church Act. 2. from the beginning to the end the causes of a Church were there as wee shewed before and they were effectuall Vers 41. They were added to the Church and it was ordinarily effectuall Verse 47. The Lord added to the Church from day to day c. and therefore there was a true Church and so it is called in that verse 47. And so it was in the case of the Church of Antioch Act. 11. from 20. to 26. verse there was the meanes the Word and the Ministers of it and it was effectuall for they beleeued and it was ordinarily effectuall for a great number beleeued and turned to the Lord and therefore they were a Church and were also so called vers 26. So likewise in the 1 Cor. 1.2 Vnto the Church of God which is at Corinthus to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus Saints by calling c. They had a Calling then and this was effectuall for they were sanctified in Christ Iesus and so were a true Church The case was thus in the seuen Churches Reuel 1.16 to the end of the Chapter there were the seuen golden Candlesticks that is seuen true visible Churches and there was the Sonne of man that is Christ walking in the middst of them and there were the Starres that is his Ministers vpholden in his right hand and a two-edged sword came out of his mouth that is his Word and the power thereof for so the Word is compared to a two-edged sword Heb 4.12 And these were effectuall too the Starres were vpholden and it was a sharpe two-edged sword so where these are thus effectuall there is a golden Candlesticke that is a true visible Church Reas 1 The Reasons of the point are these First the cause doth alwayes proue the effect necessarily where it hath her worke and is not resisted now here are the causes of a true Church and their worke is not resisted therefore here is the effect too that is a true visible Church Secondly where these causes are there is the definition Reas 2 of a true visible Church that is a company of people professing ioyntly the sauing truth Now where these are there is a true visible Church Thirdly whosoeuer liues in such a Church where these Reas 3 causes are walking in truth and sinceritie and being carefull and conscionable to obey these meanes he is certainely saued and on the contrary whosoeuer liues out of such a Church and doth not obey these meanes ordinarily hee cannot be saued then where these are must needs be a true Church for without the Church ordinarily there is no saluation But our Aduersaries that we haue principally to deale against in this case confesse it that the Word and Sacraments are the instruments and meanes of constituting the Church and conseruing it therefore we will stand no longer on the proofes and grounds of the point The Vses are these First this serues to iustifie our Church Vse 1 to be a true visible Church against the separation that deny it for by this it appeares we haue a true Church because that we haue the causes of a true Church and because they are effectuall yea and ordinarily effectuall amongst vs. If they except against vs they must deny and say either that we haue not the causes of a true Church amongst vs or that these causes are not effectuall or else that they are not ordinarily effectuall amongst vs. Some deny some of these and some deny all of them and therefore say we are no true Church If they say wee haue not the meanes wee answer that we haue through Gods mercy the Word and the Sacraments and Ministers and gifts which are the causes and meanes of a Church Yea but say they yee haue not all Gods ordinances amongst you you want discipline c. I answer first we only waite to see them proued by the word to be Gods ordinances which they so much require Answ and then wee will receiue them with both hands as wee haue done greater things Secondly I answer if wee should not receiue them yet we might bee a true Church though happily not so pure and perfect a Church for Discipline is not a matter of substance to the being of a Church but to the well-being only Obiect yea but say they though you haue the Word among you yet you haue it not out of the Lords mouth for your Ministers haue not a true calling they are not called and sent of God I answer that extraordinary calling we neither haue Answ nor looke for but such ordinary calling as ordinary Ministers haue had in any Church since the death of the Apostles wee haue the same Let them shew vs any since that time and we will proue that ours is answerable to it therefore if wee bee not a true visible Church then there was never any since the Apostles death Yea Obiect but say they you haue your calling from the Church of Rome I
is not made by themselues but by sureties and when they come to yeeres such sureties as are conscionable and likewise the Ministers call vpon them to consider and performe their promise made in baptisme so then first our Church admits none but such as make solemne protestation of faith and obedience And secondly whereas they alleage that wee let the wicked continue in our Church without separation whereas we should cut them off when we finde them to be hypocrites I answer wee doe separate as much as in vs lies for we labour to haue them separated from vs and also Answ 1 wee labour to separate our selues from them First wee labour their separation from vs desiring their remouall bewailing their wickednesse and our condition that liue in Mesech and Kedar and reprouing them for their sinnes and if that will not serue complayning against them to those that are in Authority that they may bee excommunicate and withall wee are instant with God by prayer to stirre up the hearts of such as are in Authority to execute his Ordinances vpon them wee doe what wee can to separate them from vs and it comes sometime to passe that many are so separated from vs but if they should not that indeed were the Churches sinne and a foule sinne too yet it destroyes not the true being of our Church Secondly Answ 2 if we cannot get them separated from vs yet wee separate our selues from them and that is the separation that the Scripture so much beates vpon in priuate persons as we are more conscionable so wee doe more separate from them from their wills affections and courses yea wee must separate as much as conueniently we may from their persons at least from their sinnes which for our parts wee are perswaded to bee the chiefe separation that the Scripture intends Yea but this is a secret separation say they vnder hand not openly knowne Nay this is a notorious and knowne separation For first it is ingenuously profest on our part to the mouing of their after-hatred and despight against vs wee disclayming them that are lewd swearing and prophane wretches and that openly not caring who know it and likewise it is knowne on their part they vpbraiding vs therefore very reproachfully with the names of Puritanes Precisions holy Brethren and such like because wee will not accompany with them if this bee not an holy and a plaine separation What is I maruell then the matter being so notorious that they are not ashamed to say that wee doe not separate from the wicked this therefore is an horrible slander Yea but say they yee should separate from them in the Assemblies from the Word and the Sacraments I answer rather the wicked should separate from vs in these things where the Assembly and businesse are naught in themselues as at Playhouses and such like there the good must separate but where the Assembly and businesse is good in themselues there the bad must separate and the reason is good for it is none of theirs and the good must tarry and be present for it is their owne right and it is sin to refuse Gods ordinances for the pollution of others 1 Sam. 2.17.24 Yea but say they Can your holines sanctifie them If not then your Congregations are prophane I answer No our holinesse sanctifies not them yet our holinesse being true in vs and openly professed and practised it shal be enough to make vs a true visible Church yea and an holy Congregation in Gods acceptation and in the charitable estimation of our Brethren Yea but say they their filthinesse defiles you and your holy things either really or at least by imputation I answer they defile these holy things to themselues indeed Numb 19.22 compared with Hag. 2.14 15. and Titus 1.15 but not to vs so long as by faith we receiue them neither can they defile vs so long as we communicate not with them in their sinnes no not so much as by imputation Galath 6.3.15 The fourth Vse Seeing wicked men and Reprobates Vse 4 may bee members of a true visible Church this may teach vs to bee wise as Serpents to try before we trust be not too credulous to belieue euery show of profession Our Sauiour saith Matth. 7.15 beware of false Prophets that come to you in sheepes cloathing but inwardly they are rauening Woolues c. And the Apostle Iohn 1 Ioh. 4.1 bids vs Beleeue not euery Sprit but try the Spirits whether they are of God or no. And for this end the gift of discerning of Spirits is giuen to the Church 1 Cor. 12.10 therefore let euery one of vs labour to bee wise in this kinde Vse 5 Lastly this teacheth vs that seeing Hypocrites and castawaies may bee members of a true visible Church wee must therefore take heed that wee bee not carried away with this common error that because wee are members of a true visible Church and haue beene baptized therefore wee shall certainely bee saued But take heed fift and examine and bee alwaies digging into thine owne heart for feare of hypocrisie for though thou makest a good profession as thou thinkest yet there is that corruption in thy heart which if it bee not ript vp before God dayly it will betray thee and preuaile against thee to fall away as many doe in these dayes Let vs take heed therefore as the Apostle doth admonish vs Heb. 3.12 That there bee not in any of vs at any time an euill heart and an vnfaithfull to depart away from the liuing God As great and as bright stars as thou art haue fallen from heauen therefore as the Apostle saith Let euery one that thinks he stands take heed lest hee fall not that he which doth stand can fall but hee that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall Try therefore and examine thy selfe daily fift hypocrisie out of thy heart that so as thou art a member of the Church by possession so by thy standing and continuing in the faith and the sincere profession thereof thou maist shew thy selfe to bee a member by right too And so much for this point that Reprobates and Castawaies may be and often are members of true visible Churches And so much likewise bee spoken of the members of the Church The thirteenth Lecture of the Church AFter that we had spoken of the definition of a true visible Church in the first place and in the second place of the causes of it wee came in the third place to speake of the members of it wherein wee handled such points as it pleased God to afford vnto vs. Now wee come in the fourth place to speake of the notes and markes whereby a visible Church is discerned to be a true Church of God Wee know that all Souldiers haue their Banners and colours vnder which they fight and so hath the Militant Church the Souldiers of Iesus Christ her Colours and Banner to fight vnder So likewise euery Corporation and Company haue
God makes a couenant with Abraham there is the Word and in the 10. vers there is the Sacrament Circumcision and in the 23. verse there is Abrahams obedience He circumcised Ismael and all the males in his house So likewise when God sent to gather his people out of Egypt first hee deliuers them his Word by Moses Exo. 3.15 and 6.6 and he giues them the Sacrament of the Passeouer Exo. 12.3 and in the eight and twenty verse of that Chapter there is the peoples obedience The Children of Israel went and did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron euen so did they And what was the Law and Sacrifices in the former Testament but euen as the Word and Sacraments are in the new Testament And did not the Lord require and receiue of the people a precise promise of obedience euen before hee prescribed them either Law or Sacrifices This wee may see hee did Exod. 19.5.8 God sent Moses to the people there before hee deliuered them his Law and before hee prescribed their sacrifices to know whether they would obey or not and they said they would So that vnder the Law there was the Word and the Sacraments and profession of obedience in the people and so a true visible Church And so Ioshua renewing the true worship of God Ios 1.16.18 redresseth the things amisse and brings in the Law and the Passe-ouer and the people they promise obedience in all things euen as they obeyed Moses And so in the 2 King 23.2 3 21 22 23. When Iosiah restored the Church of God First hee caused the words of the booke of the Couenant to be reade to the people in the second verse so there was the Word and in the 21. verse there the King restored the Passeouer so there is the Sacrament and in the third verse there is their obedience for the King made a Couenant with the Lord and all the people stood to it And thus likewise it was in the time of Ezra as you may read Chap. 7.8 And also in the time of Nehemiah Chap. 8. 9. they restored the Word and Sacraments and made a Couenant with God wherein they professed their obedience and so were restored to bee a true visible Church So then these must needs be the principall markes and notes whereby a true visible Church is discerned because they are not onely in the instituting of a true visible Church but also in the renewing and restoring of it when it is corrupted It is in this case as with a Campe in the field who as they are gathered at the first to their Colours and Banners so likewise if the Campe bee put to flight by the enemy the Generall hangs out and displaies his Colours and Ensignes that so they that are scattered may gather to them againe and that so they may bee a Campe as before So it is with Gods Church when it is put to the worst when it is corrupted and polluted hee displayes the Ensignes and Banners of his Word and Sacraments that so whosoeuer is fallen away may enter into Couenant againe and become a member of the true visible Church and fight vnder Gods Banner as well as hee did before Thus wee see how it was in the former Testament that these were the true marks of a true visible Church and so it is also in the new Testament I will giue you a patterne or example onely in two Churches and by them you may esteeme of al the rest The first is the Church of Ierusalem Act. 2.14 41 42. In the fourteenth verse it is said Peter lifted vp his voice c. there is the word preached and in verse 41. there is the Sacrament of Baptisme they that gladly receiued his Word were baptized and in verse 42. there is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper vnder the name of breaking of bread and there is also their profession of obedience for they continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer and so there was a true visible Church The second patterne is the Church of Corinth 1 Corinth 1.13 there was Baptisme and in the 1 Corinth 11.23 There was the Lords Supper and Chap. 15.1 there was the Word preached and also their obedience for the Apostle Paul preacht vnto them the Gospell which they receiued and continued in So that these are the chiefe and most principall markes of a true visible Church And where these are the Word truely preached the Sacraments rightly administred and profession of obedience to that which they doe both require there is a true visible Church of God The ancient Fathers doe acknowledge this in effect for they say that the Word preached and the Sacraments administred are the chiefest markes of a true visible Church but there must be obedience to them both for that is the Life of all and indeed euen the Papists themselues when they are out of controuersie doe grant the Word and Sacraments are the chiefest and clearest markes of a true visible Church And so much for the proofes Reas 1 The reasons of the obseruation are these First the Word and Sacraments are the causes and the definition of a true visible Church as wee have shewed and therefore must needes bee the most infallible markes of it But you will say how can the same things be the causes and definition and also the signes and markes too Yes very well As for instance the Sunne-shine is the cause and definition as also the infallible marke and signe of the Day and so the Word and Sacraments being the causes and definition of a true visible Church must needes also bee the clearest and most infallible signes and markes of it Reas 2 Secondly they must needes bee infallible markes of a true visible Church which are alwayes found wheresoeuer a Church is planted or wheresoeuer it is continued or wheresoeuer it is restored but the Word and Sacraments and obedience are found in all these therefore these are the most infallible notes of a true visible Church In the first planting Math. 28.19 and in the continuing Act. 2.41 42. and in the restoring as Ioshua's and Iosiah's times c. as we have shewed before Reas 3 Thirdly wheresoeuer Moses is taught and obeyed with his Ceremonies there is a Synagogue of the Iewes where the Alcoran is taught and Mahomet observed there is a Church of Mahometans So likewise where the Gospell of Christ is taught and his Sacraments administred and obedience yeelded to them there is a true Church of Christ Fourthly where there is good wheat sowen and thriues and comes up in the blade is not that a field of wheat So likewise where the Word is preached and the Sacraments administred and profession of obedience to them both is not this a true Church Not that profession onely makes a true Church but because as I have shewed it cannot be but whereas these are there is some that doe sincerely professe Fifthly is not shee a right
the true Church and Christ and his Apostles must be Heretikes Lastly for vnitie and consent that is no Note vnlesse it be vnity and consent in the faith and sauing truth of God so that still all their Notes runne vpon this maine point of Faith and sauing Truth which is our Note For how doth the Church of Rome know her selfe to be a true Church Surely by the Word whereby they proue that shee was once a true Church that is the ground of all So that their Notes of Antiquitie Succession Multitude and Vnitie or Consent came in but to second that prouing by these that therefore she is so still because by the Word it is proved first that she hath been a true Church and so that she cannot erre doe they not labour by all might and maine to proue it by the Word that so their Church may be yeelded to be Catholike so that still they iustifie their Church by the Word as well as they can as that being indeed the onely witnesse to iustifie any Church by Also if an heresie arise how doe they disproue it but by the Word principally So that still the Word by their owne practice whatsoeuer for a shift and for contention-sake they professe is the best and truest witnesse of a true or a false of a Catholike or Hereticall Church yea they themselues put these very things into the definition of a true visible Church that is the VVord and the Sacraments and Profession and that chiefly as Bellarmine therefore by their owne confession we that haue these markes are more certainely a true visible Church than they that haue any other markes whatsoeuer So much for the reproofe of these aduersaries that except against this Doctrine Vse 2 The second Vse is for confirmation to vs that our standing is good in this Church because wee haue the true markes of a visible Church I say not that we haue a pure Church free from all corruption we must pray against the corruptions of it but I say we haue a true Church for we haue the VVord as truly and sincerely preached in our Church as in any Church and so we haue the Sacraments rightly administred and if I should grant that any thing were miscarried by the wearing of a Garment or such like thing yet it hurts not the thing it selfe And so for Obedience it is true that many doe not professe obedience but rather prophanenesse and yet some there are that doe professe truly and sincerely Therefore let vs not doubt of our standing but that it is good and let vs praise God for these good meanes and labour to profit by them lest God take them from vs and giue them to others that shall bring forth better fruits than wee haue done And so much bee spoken of the Notes and Markes whereby a true visible Church is discerned The fourteenth Lecture of the Church WEe haue spoken as you may remember concerning the Church visible first of the Definition of it secondly of the causes of it thirdly of the memhers of it fourthly of the notes and markes of it Now wee are to speake in the fifth place according to the order set downe of the gouernment of it And it followes orderly for when we haue seene what this Church is and the causes whereby it is and the members whereof it consists and the notes and markes whereby it is discerned from all other companies then it followes orderly to know in the next place what gouernment this Church hath first whether it hath any at all and secondly if it haue any to know what gouernment this is that is the point then wee are to speake to namely Church gouernment A point in my iudgement that in regard of it selfe needs not to be so exactly looked into and precisely stood vpon now as heretofore but yet in regard of many vnhappy differences and inconueniences that haue risen about it and beene occasionâ—d by it in the Church of God therefore to satisfie the Consciences of some that are weake and to stoppe the mouthes of others that are clamorous humourous and peruerse and to maintaine peace and vnity in the house of God and to iustifie the State of all reformed Churches professing the sauing faith of Iesus Christ that howsoeuer they differ from one another in the matter of Church-gouernment as some haue many faylings and sore blemishes in their Gouernment yet all are true Churches of God I say in these respects I know not any one point of Religion not fundamentall so necessary to bee throughly sought into and aduisedly and duely to bee considered of Therefore in this regard I purpose to speake of it as God shall enable mee That which I purpose to speake concerning this point I will reduce to these heads First I will speake of the harmes and euils that haue beene raised and that haue happened by this question of Church-Gouernment secondly I will shew what is meant by Church-Gouernment thirdly I will shew how needefull it is in the Church Fourthly whether there bee a precise Rule left by the Apostles for this Gouernement Fifthly if there bee not then what is to bee done in this case Hee that resolues mee in these points resolues mee of all that can bee spoken concerning Church-Gouernment Wee will beginne therefore with the first point The harmes and euils that haue been raised vp in Gods Church hereby Infinite are the euils which this matter of Church-Gouernment hath occasionally bred and brought forth in the Church of God I say occasionally not of it selfe for the thing in its owne nature is holy and good and therefore naturally can yeeld no such bad fruits but occasionally as being abused by the malice of Satan and the corruption of mans heart hence it is that it brings forth such bad effects The fault is partly in the Gouernours and partly in the gouerned First the Gouernors sometimes when they bee proud and hauty contemning their inferiours striuing with equals aspiring to the highest places as is euident in the Papall gouernment And some tokens of bad Gouernours the Scriptures giue vs as Couetous giuen to filthy Lucre abusing their places and Authority to their owne priuate gaine negligent and carelesse like Gallio in the Acts making no conscience of the faithfull execution of their Office Secondly there are faults in those that are Gouerned some ambitiously seeking for higher places than they are fit for some are enuious maligning and spiting their superiours some are sensuall despising Gouernment some are ill-tongued speaking euill of those in Authority some are obstinate and rebellious resisting their orders and proceedings and will not endure their necke vnder any yoke Lastly some are humourous and peeuish denying that power set ouer them to bee lawfull labouring for innouations and changes and new platformes of gouernment of their owne deuising contrary to that already established These and the like Aduantages hath the enemy from time to time wrought vpon
as by his direction are established we are free indeed from sinne that it should not raigne ouer vs and we are free from Satan that he cannot condemne vs and we haue a freedome from the Law that wee are not subiect to the curse of it but yet we are still bound to doe that which the Law commands and so to obey our Gouernours and to submit our selues to outward Gouernment onely we are free from them in our Consciences that they should not be Lords ouer that Yea but say they wee are a Law vnto our selues wee need not any Rulers A proud allegation from a presumptuous spirit who is there amongst vs that hath made any triall of his heart for obedience to God but is guilty to himselfe that he is dull and backward and needs reproofes and admonitions and censures and all too little to keepe him within the compasse of obedience the humble soule feeles such a rebelliousnesse within it selfe that it cryes out not to God onely but to man too O I am a miserable sinner I pray yee looke to mee watch ouer me reprooue me exhort me censure me terrifie me with shame and punishment for my sinnes for my rebellious heart must be so bridled or else it will breake forth outragiously into sinne Wee know what the Apostle said of himselfe Rom. 7. That he was sold vnder sinne Therefore this comes from a proud spirit in them to say they haue no need of Gouernment because they are a law vnto themselues We see the inconueniences that it breeds in particular men what would the inconuenience be to the whole body if it were suffered in generall surely much more as it was with the Israelites when there was no King in Israel so would it be in the Church if there were no outward Gouernment euery man would doe what he lift Secondly it reproues those that hold Church-gouernment Vse 2 as an indifferent thing they thinke it no great matter whether there be any or not it may bee or it may not be say they and yet the Church may doe well enough But these are sufficiently disproued by the former inconueniences that follow where no Gouernment is And had this been the mind of Christ and his Apostles they would neuer haue taken such precise order for it in euery Church And surely the Churches that maintaine this Doctrine are not the Churches of the Saints for in all the Churches of the Saints God is the Author not of confusion but of peace and order 1 Cor. 14.33 and so likewise that particular member that maintaines it is no sound member of Gods Church Vse 3 The third vse is for reproofe of those that hold outward Gouernment essentially necessary to the Church as if the Church without this could haue no being at all I for my part desire and would gladly go as farre as I see Christ and his Apostles haue gone before me and where they stay there would I stay too I find that the Church can neuer be long nor well without Gouernment but yet it may be sometimes without it and yet bee a true Church It is true of the inward Gouernment for where that is not it is not possible that the Church should haue any being at all but it is not so of the outward Therefore we must rightly distinguish betwixt the inward and the outward Gouernment otherwise we shall run into many absurdities First the inward is meerely spiritual the outward is for the most part bodily that is such as affects the eare or the eye or some other parts onely it is thus farre spirituall in regard of the end it aimes at that is to make vs spiritually minded Secondly the inward is proper to God and reserued to him onely the outward though it be from God too yet it is committed to the administration of men Thirdly the inward is peculiar to the faithfull and elect alone God rules in their hearts and consciences iustifying and sanctifying them and none others the outward is common to all that professe themselues to be members though they be hypocrites Fourthly the inward is the highest and principall the outward is but a seruiceable dispensation fitted to the inward Fifthly the inward seconds the outward and makes it effectuall and fruitfull the outward doth but leade vs by the hand as it were to the inward I note this difference the rather because many men doe clamorously exclaime that Christ is robbed of the one halfe of his Kingdome when that outward forme which they pretend is not obserued And this is the Brownists exception You say they deny Christ to be your King because you owne not his Discipline which he hath prescribed I am 〈◊〉 the Apostle Gods Kingdome consists noâ— of meates 〈◊〉 drinkes and of outward Rites but of righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost the principal part of God Kingdome is when hee rules by his Spirit in the hearts of his children and therefore if there were any such Discipline prescribed by the Word as they pretend yet wee should not lose the one halfe of Christs Kingdome though it were not obserued Happily it is not knowne to them that doe not obserue it and then it is no Rebellion if it be knowne by them the sinne is much the greater if it bee not obserued But yet Christ may still exercise his Kingdome in the hearts of many members of the Church by his Spirit though this were wanting The case may seeme to bee well paraleld by our outward and inward worship in prayer the outward worship is but an appurtenance to the inward for the inward may be true without the outward And so Discipline is rather an appurtenance to Gods Kingdome than the Kingdome it selfe so that we see that Gods Church may be without Discipline though it cannot be well nor long without it where outward Gouernment is wanting the Church may bee defectiue and maimed yea halfe dead in outward shew at least and yet a true Church still Yeâ— but are not the Word and the Sacraments parts of the outward Gouernment and they are necessary to the very being of the Church â—herefore some part of the outward Gouernment is essentiall to the Church I answer That they are not necessary to themselues but by accident because they 〈…〉 to the inward as that it cannot be without this And besides the Word and the Sacraments are not so much of the outward Gouernment of themselues but rather the carriage and manner of vsing of them is of the outward gouernment Lastly I answer they are simply necessary as they are the causes and gathering of the Church but not as they are parts of outward gouernment As Moses his message and gathering of the Israelites to the Lord was one thing his gouerning of them another So that the Word and Sacraments must be considered in both these respects and so in respect of gathering the Church they are simply necessary not in respect of gouerning of it So
to pray for themselues nor must they bee prayed for by the Saints 1 Ioh. 5.16 because now for ought wee can see hee is quite cut off from God our Father nothing can match this state but hell this being the Porch that the House this the Mouth that the Body this the very brinke that the eternall Pit of vtter desolation I herefore wee are to bewaile the misery of our times wherein so pretious an ordinance of God as this is is so abused and wee are to pray vnto God that this Ordinance of his may take effect amongst vs this being an excellent Ordinance of God to reclaime offendors when neither the Sword of the Magistrate nor any other meanes could reclaime them And so much of the fourth Duty The fifth duty is calling of publike assemblies they must be called For matters are not to bee carried in the Church by one mans direction alone but by the Common consent of the whole and consent is not to bee fetcht from house to house of euery man by himselfe for that course is subiect to fraud but Assistants are to bee called parties are to bee warned to bee there and so publikely to testifie their owne consent and our Sauiour hath promised his presence and assistance in such cases Matth. 18.19 20. Now these Assemblies are sometimes greater as of a Diocesse or Prouince sometimes smaller as of a Parish Againe some are ordinary vpon ordinary occasions and as extraordinary occasions doe oft fall out some are extraordinary An assembling together for ordinary occasions and duties they are for the most part these First the preaching of the Word the administration of the Sacraments and Prayer 1 Cor. 11.20 When ye come together into one place this is not to eate the Lords Supper And 1 Cor. 14.26 What is to bee done Brethren when yee come together according as euerie one of you hath a Psalme or a Doctrine c. So that there must be publike Assemblies for these duties Secondly there must bee a calling of publike Assemblies for the election of officers for this cause the multitude were called together Act. 6.2 Thirdly there must bee a publike meeting for Almes for the collecting and distributing to the Saints so the Apostle commands 1 Cor. 16.3 4. Lastly there must bee ordinary publike Assemblies for the execution of Church censures as 1 Cor. 5.4 When ye are gathered together and my Spirit with you c. So there must bee publike meetings vpon extraordinary occasions sometimes God testifies extraordinary mercies and giues extraordinary blessings to his Church and then there must bee an extraordinary assembly of the Church to giue publike thanks to God as it was in Hester 9.22 Secondly some heauie iudgements are either felt or feared to come vpon the Church and then the Church must assemble together for fasting and prayer as it is commanded Ioel 2.15 16. And wee see the practice of it in the Niniuites Ionah 3.5 where they proclaimed a Fast vpon Ionas preaching of destruction to come vpon them Thirdly Lawes and Decrees are to bee made or reuiued for the carriage of Gods worship or such like and so in Act. 15. the Church came together for the decreeing of matters concerning ceremonies And Act. 16.4 they deliuered those decrees for the Churches to keepe then there must be an assembling for the receiuing of them Lastly doubts and controuersies are to be decided therefore there must bee publike Assemblies for the deciding of them So Paul was sent vp to Ierusalem Act. 15.1 2 c. about doubts that did arise and what did they there the Apostles and Elders came together to looke to this matter vers 6. So much of the fifth Duty The sixth Dutie is ouer-sight that all these things may be duely and rightly done this Duty is as needfull as the rest For wee know that euery thing growes out of frame in time except they bee vpheld and renewed by continuall ouer-sight and looking into and therefore it is said Act. 15.6 that the Apostles and Elders came together to looke into the matter This is one most necessary Duty for it is the keeper and maintainer of all the rest if this bee neglected all the rest will faile we know concerning our owne bodies that if we looke not to our selues in our diet all will bee soone out of frame and much more in our soules for who finds not by experience that though hee labour to set himselfe neuer so well in frame in the morning yet before night for want of ouer-sight the Soule wil be much out of Order and were it not for this carefull ouersight our Soules would bee growne ouer with sinnes as the Fields are with weedes so would it bee likewise with the Church Now for this matter of ouersight first it must bee ordered that things once ordained bee established by authority and if it be possible by the authority of the Christian Magistrate at least of the Church Thus Iosiah made a Couenant with God and established it by his authority and made all the people stand to it 1 Chron. 34.32 And so the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.37 establisheth those things which hee had ordained in the Church by the authority of his Apostleship If any man saith hee bee spirituall let him acknowledge that the things which I write vnto you are of the Lord. And if things be not thus established ciuill men will not regard them Secondly euery man must bee quickned vp and incouraged to the performance of this duty and therefore there must bee ouer sight in the Church Thus Iosiah incouraged the Priests to the seruice of the Lord 2 Chron. 35.2 and so Paul quickned vp Timothy to the obseruation of his duty 1 Tim. 5.21 I charge thee in the sight of God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou obserue these things And so the Lord incourageth the Church of Smyrna Reuel 2.10 against her sufferings Feare none of those things saith hee which thou shalt suffer c. but bee faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee the Crowne of life Thirdly there must bee ouer-sight that well-doers may bee commended and approoued so the Apostle Peter commends them to whom hee wrote 2 Pet 1.19 for doing well in that they did take heede vnto the words of the Prophets c. And in the second and third Chapters of the Reuelation there is neuer a Church that had any good thing in it but our Sauiour commends them for it and the want of this duty is a great dismaying to religious proceedings amongst vs. Fourthly things must bee redressed therefore there must bee ouer-sight in the Church and so Paul left Titus in Creta to redresse those things that were amisse Titus 1 5. And so our Sauiour in Reuel 2.5 labours to reforme the Church of Ephesus Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent c. And likewise the Church of Sardi Reuel 3.2 The last duty in the matter of ouer-sight is
in their Synagogues that these were translated from them though this bee probable and likely enough yet it is but a coniecture there is no sure proofe for it But there must bee sure ground to erect a Church-officer vpon Secondly there is no example in all the Scripture of any Church so gouerned Thirdly the places of Scripture alleaged for them are scarce and few and indeed there is but one and that is in the 1 Tim. 5.17 I will not stand to scanne it or to make shifts against it but if it bee so expounded of Gouerning Elders besides Ministers it is subiect to many iust exceptions and also it may admit many interpretations to the contrary agreeable to the Analogy of Faith and fitting to the words themselues and there are a great many more harsh interpretations that passe for currant in farre weightier matters so that first either there were none such at all or secondly if there were such as for my part I will not vtterly deny it yet they were onely in practice then it cannot be proued to bee an Institution for many things were done then which in doing were not instituted Thirdly or if it were by Institution yet it was onely for that present dispensation when there was no Christian Magistrate so that now wee liuing vnder a Christian Magistrate are not bound to it nor haue no such vse of it and therefore it is not perpetuall Fourthly or if it bee perpetuall yet our Church is not vtterly destitute we haue in euery Parish Vestry-men to ioyne with the Minister in such parts of gouernment as needs such persons to heare and reforme some matters with the Minister that he might not carry all alone And therefore there is no cause of such quarrell and exclamation as is made against our Church vpon this occasion And so much for the fourth point concerning gouerning Elders In the fifth place we come to the office of Deacons that is an expresse Office mentioned in Scripture as Act. 6.2 though they are not there expressely called Deacons yet I doubt not but they were such In Rom. 12.8 they are called Distributors and in the 1 Tim. 3.12 there they are by name These are such as at the first were appointed and imployed altogether about the poore and about Church-Treasury but afterwards they did also exercise some ministeriall functions for Philip was a Deacon Act. 6. yet afterward hee preached and baptized Act. 8.5 38. though he did that rather as he was an Euangelist than a Deacon for so we may reade Act. 21 8. that Philip was an Euangelist And afterward the Deacons baptized which sauing the iudgement of the better learned I thinke they rather vsurped than had any right to it by office or other warrant for it yet in succeeding Ages they had generally a degree of the Ministery answerable to that of the Leuites vnder the Law who taught and looked to the Treasury too and the Scripture seemes to fauour it 1 Tim. 3.13 where it is said they haue ministred well c. so that it is neither strange nor much to be found fault with that there are some such amongst vs. But admit they were only imployed in Church-treasury for that is the true originall of them yet either they were onely for certaine times and places and so was the occasion of their first erection Act. 6. Caluin in Acts 21.8 And therefore they are not of necessitie to be in euery Congregation or if they bee necessary we haue Churchwardens and Collectors answerable to them though not so gifted as they were in Act. 6. that may bee the defect of the times that afford not men so well qualified or of the chusers of them that make not better choice and also though they be not so chosen by prayer and imposition of hands which either is not simply necessary in this case or else being omitted that is also the choosers fault But say they if you retaine the Office and not the Title this is to subiect Gods Ordinance to your owne inuention as if one should say he would yeeld to haue his matter moderated and determined in the Chancery and yet not by my Lord Chancellour whom the King appoints but by one of his owne chusing and so in the Church you will haue this matter of Church-treasury ordered and yet not by Deacons whom the Lord Iesus hath appointed I answer This is but a cauill about words so long as wee retaine the thing it selfe there is no such great matter for the name And so much shall suffice to be spoken concerning Deacons In the sixth place we come to Widowes of these we may reade in Scripture as in Act. 6.1 and 1 Tim. 5.3 and it is probable that these are meant 1 Cor. 12.28 where they are called helpers and Rom. 12.8 shewers of mercy Yee shall haue my iudgement briefly in this point and that is this That all these places of Scripture well vnderstood and compared together doe proue onely thus much first that in many Churches there were then such Widowes secondly that wheresoeuer they were there they were to bee relieued thirdly that where they were so relieued there they were to performe workes of mercy and charitie as to attend the sicke to wash the Saints feete and such like as occasion required But that they are a necessary Officer in euery Church and that where they are not there the Church-gouernment is defectiue that can neuer be proued In Geneua they haue rather poore men than women and in the Churches of France they haue no such vse of Widowes at all Seuenthly wee come to speake of other Assistants as Readers Fellowes Acolutiues Exorcists c. concerning whom because they bee not at all found in the Word wee therefore doe passe them by Eighthly and lastly wee come to the Christian Magistrate who though he be last named yet hath not the least hand in Church-gouernment And the question concerning him is First whether hee may bee rightly called a Church-officer I answer Hee may though not in that proper sense as the Minister because he hath not such an immediate hand in the Word and Sacraments but in a large sense he may and that very rightly For being a member of the Church and that a chiefe one too how can he be excluded from being a Church Officer and that a chiefe one too in his nature It is no disparagement to him Christ being the Head of the Church and he being Christs Lieutenant within his lawfull Dominions why may not he be a chiefe Ruler in Church-businesse It is Gods owne promise Isai 49.23 that Kings and Queenes should be noursing Fathers and noursing Mothers to his Church Themselues by Officers are Nurses and their Authoritie and countenance are like Breasts or Dugs to cherish and feede and hatch vp the Church withall And the Apostle layes it as a dutie vpon all the faithfull 1 Tim. 2.2 That they pray for Kings and all in authority that they
his instruments haue a speciall delight in disturbing this peace and spares no means but seekes all aduantages for the sowing of dissention in the Church and the members of the Church are too apprehensiue of it else he could not doe vs that harme he doth vnlesse we were so apprehensiue of dissention amongst our selues Now as the peace of the Church is indangered in many cases so especially in these First when men are addicted to one Minister before another one to Paul another to Cephas c. this comes of a carnall mind as the Apostle sheweth 1 Cor. 3. and thus they wrong themselues and the Ministers too themselues in that they are hindred hereby from the good they might haue and their Ministers because that they make Contention betwixt them where otherwise none would bee Secondly this peace is indangered in the election of Officers some breeding and making factions for one against another as their affections leade them Thirdly it is indangered in deciding controuersies either of Religion or State one will be crossing and thwarting another in the heate of Contention and strife yea happily rent themselues from the Church if it may not goe as they would haue it Let Gods children bee admonished to haue no part in such Contentions but let them labour for the peace of the Church if they will haue peace in themselues for wee are called to peace to mind and to speake one thing if the good things wee seeke for may quietly and peaceably bee obtained it is well let God haue the glory and our selues may comfortably enioy the benefit of them But if they cannot bee had without breaking the peace of the Church what is to bee done They may haue comfort for they haue discharged their Consciences in seeking the best things and let them bewaille the corruptions of the times and keepe themselues vnspotted of those corruptions and pray to God for redresse Thus are wee to seeke the peace of the Church and not bee any cause of dissention whereby it may be broken The fourth Rule to bee obserued in the manner of the carriage of Church businesse is that whosoeuer hath any right in the performance of any such Duties bee not contemned nor rsterained of their right but that they be called to the businesse and permitted to speake and doe freely so farre as the Lord hath put into their hands For then the Lord is best pleased with a Businesse when it is ioyntly performed by eueryone that is authorised by himself therto the Magistrate must not neglect the Minister nor the Minister must neglect the Magistrate The Pastor must not neglect the flocke nor must the flocke neglect the Pastor but euery man must haue his due and doe his duty Looke into Act. 15.23 and see how the businesse was carried there the Apostles and the Elders and the Brethren had a hand in that businesse euery man so farre as concerned him Oft-times it comes to passe that there is a Diotrephes found in the Church as in the third Epistle of Iohn that loues to haue the preheminence and to sway all with their owne hand there this rule is broken sometimes in a Church the Censures of the Church are wrung out of the hands of the Minister and passed by another authority onely he may complaine and publish what others haue done himselfe can haue no further hold in them here likewise this Rule is broken Lastly many abuse their Christian liberty to the offence of the weake and so this Rule is broken for the weak brother hath his interest in my liberty as well as my selfe The fifth and last Rule is that all things in the outward Gouernment of the Church must bee so carried as best so farre forth as may be fits the Gouernment of the ciuill State wherein wee liue I would not haue any thinke that wee would draw Religion to the bent of the outward State but wee speake of outward Gouernment in the Church that wee say must not crosse the well established Gouernment of the ciuill State to cause Innouations and changes and troubles and confusions specially in a Christian Common-wealth It was neuer our Sauiours meaning that the outward carriage of Religion should ouerthrow the carriage of the temporall State But that Caesar should haue as well that which is Caesars as God that which is Gods I speake of a politike State already established by lawfull Authority and confirmed by wholesome Lawes and maintained by the ancient vse and custome of the place there Religion comming in afterwards it must bee framed for the outward carriage of it to the ciuill State except wherein Religion is plainely contradicted Our Sauiour no doubt was as carefull of ciuill Christian States as Moses was of the Iewish Policy but there Church-gouernment was fitted to their ciuill State and so must ours But you will say that both ciuill State and their Church-gouernment were each of them directly and equally from God True and are not all the powers that are ordained of God So the Apostle saith Rom. 13.1 and therefore though the Gouernment of ciuill States bee not now so immediatly from God as the Iewes was yet it is from God too and therefore by proportion where the gouernment of the ciuill State is ratified by vse Religion comming in afterwards in all equitie and reason it is to bee carried accordingly for the outward passages of it When the Apostle Peter perswades the scattered Iewes to submit themselues to all manner ordinance of man for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2.3 it is a plain warning to them that nothing bee done by them in their particular carriage much lesse in the outward Gouernment of the Church which might bee preiudiciall to the gouernment of the ciuill State they must not crosse that vnlesse that crosse Religion as I said before The want of the due obseruation of this Rule hath made many become Anabaptists and despisers of Gouernment and in many places it hath made Religion fare the worse and the professors thereof to bee traduced for rebellious troublesome and dangerous people Enemies to the State So much for the manner of the carriage of Church Businesse Now we come to the third and last generall head namely the end that must bee aimed at in doing these Duties that must bee good too It must bee done with a single end and a sincere affection and intention free from all sinister respects either to themselues or others There are two good ends which wee must ayme at in all actions concerning Church-gouernment the first is the glory of God the second is the edification of our Brethren First wee must aime wholy and onely at Gods glory so the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10.31 Whatsoeuer yee doe let all bee done to the glory of God For it is Gods businesse his gifts and officers and ordinances of purpose appointed for his glory after a speciall manner and therefore this requires a true zeale for the Lord of
Hoasts for the aduancing of his Kingdome and the magnifying of his Name as also it requires vprightnesse of heart that laying aside all guile couetousnesse ambition pleasing of men they may meerely intend the honour and glory of their Lord and Master The second end is that all tend to the edification of their Brethren so the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.26 would haue all things in the Church done for edification and so hee carries himself 2 Cor. 12.19 for the Lord hath ordained officers in his Church giuen them gifts for that end as it is in Ephes 4.12 therfore that is the matter that all must direct themselues vnto Now this matter of edification requires two graces first wisdome secondly loue If we haue not these graces we shall neuer take this course First it requires wisdome to obserue discerne what courses are most profitable for edification and that to follow as the Minister is wisely to obserue the times and seasons he liues in and the Persons that he hath to deale withall and so to insist chiefly on such points as are fit for such seasons and persons to giue milke to the weake and meate to the strong hee must be a wise Steward giuing to euery one in Gods house his portion in due season where this Rule is obserued it wil be a singular furtherance to the labors of the Ministry for the edifying of the Church As wisdom is required in this duty so also in the second place loue is required in commiserating the infirmities of the weake and in hauing compassion of the damnable estate of poore ignorant and vnbeleeuing Soules vnfeignedly desiring and labouring their conuersion and for that cause framing themselues and their courses so as may bee fittest to bring them to God they must with the Apostle become all to all that they may winne some Loue is a farre more excellent vertue and more beneficiall to the Church than knowledge knowledge puffes vp saith the Apostle but loue edifieth 1 Cor. 8.1 knowledge without loue makes men proud it tends to ostentation but loue alwayes seekes and labours for those things onely that may edifie Then doe men swerue from this golden Rule of edification when they enact Lawes ordaine Ceremonies vse preaching generally for the maintenance of the state more than for edification yea then they commit high impiety in this kinde when they vse courses and passages in Church-gouernment to destruction not to edification yea as snares to entrappe tender Consciences at least to prouoke and offend them This is against the Apostles Rule 2 Cor. 1 3. our power saith hee is giuen for edification not for destruction Put the case that those things which bee imposed be lawfull must wee doe them presently No not vnlesse they edifie our brother so the Apostle saith Rom. 15.1 2. Wee must beare with the weake and euery man must please his neighbour in that which is good to edification And Rom. 14.19 Let vs follow those things which concerne peace and wherewith one may edifie another And 1 Cor. 10.23 the Apostle saith All things are lawfull for me but all things edifie not As if hee should say Wee must not doe all lawfull things vnlesse they edifie So then this is the end of all our Actions to bee done in the Church they must bee done to Gods glory and the edification of our brother And so much shall serue touching the rules and lawes whereby the Officers must bee guided in performing their Actions and Duties in the Church Now it remaines onely that I instance as I promised in two or three duties fitting them to the Persons and Rules And first I will instance in the first duty which was the Word Sacraments and Prayer Now as these are to be had in the Church so they must be administred first by such persons and secondly by such Rules as God in his wisdome hath ordained and fitted for them And first we will speak of the Persons then of the Duties First the Persons to deale in euery of these duties in the publike vse are the Ministers be they Bishops Pastors or Presbyters they and all of them and none but they are to deale in them their very name imports so much they are called Ministers of the Word and Sacraments and so Prayer it holds by proportion to the Priests of the Law for they and none else were to offer Sacrifices I speake of ordinary cases But necessitie sometime inforceth otherwise yet some are expresly excepted against in this case as women they are not to speake in the Church 1 Cor. 14.34 and therefore whereas sometimes they take vpon them to baptize this is an horrible presumption in them and a profanation of Gods Mysteries Secondly the Rules whereby they must be directed in doing these duties are these first the preaching of the Word for the matter of it it must bee Gods Word alone and that which is built vpon it for the manner it must be sincerely preacht not making merchandize theroâ— and truly and rightly agreable to the Analogie of faith and instantly and continually in season and out of season reuerently and conscionably and powerfully not as the word of man but as it is indeed the Word of the liuing God secondly the Sacraments those and none other must bee administred which Christ hath instituted and that rightly and in such manner as Christ and his Apostles instituted them but yet wee are not bound to euery Circumstance For Christ and the Apostles were baptized when they were of yeeres so must not wee bee Thirdly Prayer that must bee fitted for euery occasion sinnes must bee confest iudgements must be prayed against blessings must bee thankfully remembred And this must bee done both for themselues and others and all feruently and in the Spirit So much for the first instance The second instance shall be in the second Dutie Election of Officers and here also consider First the Persons that must performe this duty secondly the Rules they must bee directed by First the Persons that are to deale in it for Ministers it must bee those that are in superiour place and degree the Gouernours of the Church but yet with approbation of fellow Ministers So for Deacons or Church-wardens and other inferiour Officers they must bee chosen by the Minister and people together Wee see a president for this in Act. 6. where the Apostles referred this partly to the people that they should chuse out certaine from amongst themselues for this Office and yet still they had an eye to it and a hand in it too as wee may see in that place Secondly the Rules they must proceede by in this Duty and specially in election of Ministers are these First is examination and tryall of their gifts so it is implied of the Ministery in the 1 Tim. 5.21 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man c. And so it is exprest in Deacons 1 Tim. 3.10 Let them first bee proued then let them minister If
Angells and there wee shall liue continually praising and glorifying God there we shall haue fulnesse of ioy and pleasures for euermore Psal 16. To conclude therefore let vs not debase our selues to sinfull and vile and slauish courses but let vs labour to walke in some good measure answerable to such great and high priuiledges as these are The Twentieth LECTVRE of the CHVRCH THe last point we spake of was concerning the priuiledges of the Church not humane such as Kings and men endowed the Church withall but diuine such as God endues the Church withall and therein wee handled two points first that there are such priuiledges belonging to the Church secondly what these Priuiledges are there is something to be added to the last point namely what they are For there are two speciall priuiledges something questionable aboue the rest each of them subiect to mistaking and the mistaking of them is and hath beene the cause of much error The first is concerning the infallible guidance of the Church by the Spirit of truth and thereupon ariseth this question whether the Church may erre or no The second Priuiledge questionable is concerning the necessity of being a member of the Church if euer wee will attaine saluation and thereupon ariseth this question whether any can be saued out of the Church or no These are the two points which I purpose to handle at this time The first is concerning the infallible guidance of the Church by Gods Spirit wherupon ariseth this question whether the Church may erre or no And because error is a generall name affirmed as wel of matters of obedience as of knowledge of bad maÌ„ners as well as of false doctrine therfore in plaine and large termes it shall be propounded and handled thus whether the Church may erre either in manners or doctrine or in both or in neither to open the way to the disclosing of the point wee are to vnderstand rightly these words Church and Error First concerning the word Church for whereas sometimes it signifies the whole Company of Beleeuers liuing on earth somtimes some one visible Congregation professing the Faith of Christ the state of the question is not of both alike but we must vnderstand it far otherwise of the one then of the other For whereas in the first sense it containes Beleeuers onely and all of them together it must needs haue some speciall Priuiledge aboue particular Congregations at least for some kinde of Error Euery Beleeuer hath a Priuiledge in that respect aboue an vnbeleeuer therefore all together much more so that if it bee possible that one or two might be seduced to Error yet that all of them together should bee so it is impossible And whereas in the second sense the Church consists of Hypocrites as well as true Beleeuers yea sometime all or most of Hypocrites therefore the Church taken in this sense must needes bee more subiect vnto Error then in the former sense Secondly concerning the word Error The Word of God prescribes euery true and right way and euery swaruing from that is therefore called Error whether it be in Doctrine or manners because it is a going from that true and right way which the Word of God doth teach vs And though Error properly signifie a swaruing from the Truth whether on the right or on the left hand yet it comprehends â—gnorances too that is their not attaining to some heauenly Truthes these Errors are of diuers kindes especially foure First some are either fundamentall or in smaller matters Secondly some are either of obstinacy or of infirmity Thirdly some are either finite and for a time others are for euer Fourthly some are either generall or particular First some are either fundamentall or in smaller matters fundamentall Errors are such which being held doe race the very foundation he that erres in this manner cuts himselfe off from Christ and cannot be saued such was the Error of the Church of Galâ—tia in Gal. 5.2.4 where they ioyned the workes of the Law with Christ in the matter of Iustification and therefore the Apostle tells them in the 2. verse that if they were circumcised Christ should profit them nothing and vers 4. yee are abolished from Christ whosoeuer is iustified by the workes of the Law is fallen from Grace Other Errors are of smaller moment as when men hold the foundation but yet erre in building on it and such notwithstanding these errors may bee saued 1 Cor. 3.12 to 15. the Apostle saith that some build hay and stubble vpon the Foundation but shall this turne to their damnation No themselues shal be saued saith hee but what without Repentance No for in the 13. verse it is said The day shall declare it because it shall bee reuealed by Fire and the Fire shall trie euery mans worke of what sort it is that is the Day or Light of Gods Truth shall dispell this darkenesse and the Fier of Gods Spirit shall purifie and purge away these errors from them so that they must repent of these errors But then yee will say what difference is there betwixt those that erre in the foundation and those that erre in smaller matters for they that erre in the foundation shall be saued too vpon their Repentance It is true but yet there is great difference betwixt them for first they that erre in the foundation are seldome and hardly reclaimed not one amongst a hundreth but they that erre in smaller matters are vsually and easily reclaimed for if the foundation bee ouerthrowen all must bee reared vp a new but if any thing that is built vpon it be amisse it may be easily amended yea those that erre in smaller matters cannot chuse but bee reclaimed as hauing the foundation and therefore cannot possibly perish Secondly those that erre in the foundation must repent particularly of that error and must also embrace the contrary Truth else hee cannot be saued But those that erre in matters of lesse moment though they doe not repent of their error in particular Nay though they do not know them for who knowes his errors yet if they repent in general of them they shall find mercy pardon from God so that we see there is a great difference betwixt these Secondly some errors are either of Infirmity or of Obstinacy Of infirmitie as when wee are either by negligence Ignorance Ouersight weakenesse as being taken tripping in a snare against our knowledge and against our purpose and holy desire or by other occasions such the Apostle speakes of Gal. 6.1 Brethren if a man be suddenly fallen into any offence yee which are spirituall restore such a one c when as they see it not to bee an error or if they doe see it to be so yet they haue some weake desire and labour against it but yet the assault is so strong and their corruption so great that they cannot ouercome it this is an Error of Infirmitie Some errors are of obstinacy that is
our loue will faile too So also it is for the triall of our Faith in his promises to see whether we will still build and rest vpon them in all our Crosses with all manly Confidence when in outward appearance it is vnlikely that they should bee performed and stand So it is also for the triall of our Patience to see if wee will quietly endure all Crosses and oppositions and speaking against of Sinners and all manner of euill dealings for Christs sake Lastly it is for the triall of the corruption that is in vs For commonly many corruptions breake out of our hearts in these oppositions as wee see in Iob who was a Iust and vpright man and yet we see in his afflictions what a Sea of corruption burst out of him These are the Reasons that the Church hath so many aduersaries and opposits The vses are these The first vse is matter of Instruction Vse 1 teaching vs what to esteeme of the life of a Christian in this world for that which is the portion of the whole church in generall is also the portion of euery member in particular what is the life of a Christian here Surely a continuall warfare against many Aduersaries so that when thou entrest into the profession of the Gospell know that thou entrest into a Sea of troubles and a world of oppositions dreame not therefore of outward peace and ease there for that state cannot affoord it but looke for warres and bickerings continually either within or without either with one enemy or other and when thou hast passed one or many conflicts do not sit downe and say now I hope my payne is past but bee sure that so soone as one trouble is ended another will follow it at the very heeles A state of worldly Tranquillity and peace is a most dangerous estate and where there is such a state wee may feare that the Diuel possesseth all in peace there as our Sauiour saith Luk. 11.27 And in Luk. 6.21 22. he saith Blessed are yee that weepe for yee shall laugh Blessed are ye when men hate you c. there is the estate of the faithfull but we be to you that laugh now for yee shall waile and weepe woe be to you when all men speake well of you vers 25.26 there is the estate of the Reprobate Do wee laugh and haue we our pleasure now and doe all men speake well of vs then certainely wee are not of the number of the blessed but our estate is a woefull estate wee must take this as a Rule that to whom Abraham our heauenly Father may say Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasure to those shall be also said after this life now thou art tormented Luke 16. the Torments of hell are the end of such an estate but on the contrary if it be with vs as it was with Lazarus that our heauenly Father may say of vs that we haue had our paines here he shall also affirme of vs after this life as of him but now hee is comforted paynes are bitter here but they are sweete hereafter I doubt not but Gods children haue many times peace here and yet goe to heauen and the wicked may haue many crosses and yet goe to hell But I speake here of crosses and sufferings that befall vs for Christs cause and for his sake because wee are the Church of Christ and these we must look for in this life as Christ was a Signe to bee spoken against Luk. 2.34 or a butt to shoot at so is his Chruch and euery paricular member and this is it wee are to looke for in this world heere is our warfare in heauen is our crowne And therefore while we liue here let vs looke for many Adùersaries and oppositions Vse 2 The second vse is for matter of reproofe and that of many for there are many that make the crosses and opposition of the Church as a stumbling blocke to hinder them from heauen and to make them fall into hell For first it keeps many from entring into the Church what say they Shall wee enter into so many troubles If they could separate the Church from the crosse then they would be of the Church like vnto the high Priests and the Scribes and the Elders and Pharisies in Matth. 27.42 that said Let him come downe from the Crosse and wee will beleeue in him so these men if yee can separate Christ from his crosse they will beleeue in him Secondly it is a stumbling blocke to many to make them flie away from the Church at least for a time so did the Disciples of Christ Matth. 26.56 when their Master was in trouble for his life they all forsooke him and fled this was but for a time But many in the time of opposition and persecution fall away finally from the Church such are they that are compared to the stony ground Mat. 13.20.21 that receiued the seed of the Word with ioy for a time but because it was not rooted in their hearts therefore when persecution commeth they fall away Thirdly it is a stumbling blocke to others that are beholders of these oppositions causing them to passe hard and vncharitable censures on vs either scoffingly by way of insultation as they did ouer our Sauiour in Matth. 27.43 He trusted in God let him deliuer him now if hee will haue him for he said I am the Sonne of God because our Sauiour was brought to a shamefull death therefore they scoffe at him and insult ouer him as if he were not the Sonne of God and so this was a stumbling blocke to keepe them from beleeuing in him or else it causeth others to passe hard censures on vs reprochfully taxing vs as notorious sinners because wee are so continually molested as they did of our Sauiour Esa 53.34 they thought him to be a wicked man and that therefore he was plagued and smitten of God and so in Acts 28.4 they iudged of Paul when the viper hung vpon his hand that hee was a wicked man and therefore though hee had escaped the Sea yet vengeance would not suffer him to liue Thus many make the persecutions and oppositions of the Church as a stumbling blocke to keepe them from ioyning with the Church these are all here reproued Vse 3 The third vse is for matters of exhortation to stirre vs vp to the practice of many duties Is the Church opposed with many aduersaries then we must learne first to fight and to take vp armes and to beare vp our selues with good spirit and courage against all our aduersaries the Apostle 1 Cor 16.13 exhorteth vs to this duty Stand fast in the faith quit your selues like men be strong c. seeing we are matched with so many aduersaries wee must fight manfully and quit our selues like Christian men for shall they fight against vs and that continually and shall wee lye still either not fighting at all or if wee beginne to fight shall wee like cowards giue
ouer and suffer them to trample vs vnder their feete God forbid this were not onely to bring our selues and our soules into our enemies hands but also to deliuer God himselfe as much as in vs lyeth and his cause and Religion into the hands of his enemies If wee be opposed in an outward fight as men wee are ready to take vp armes and to strike againe and to make all resistance where wee should not but in this case wee should rather yeeld and giue place and not resist euill as our Sauiour teacheth vs Matth. 5.39 c. Being therefore opposed as Christians and members of the Church and our faith being dearer to vs then our liues and the Lord hauing giuen vs an expresse charge to resist and fight it out why doe we not then quicken vp our spirits and resist euen vnto blood if neede require that so these aduersaries may not haue their wills on vs. Secondly as wee must fight so wee must fight lawfully as the Apostle saith 2 Tim. 2 5. that is as we must fight on a good ground so wee must fight by good and lawfull meanes when wee come to haue bickerings with the wicked wee must not doe by them as they doe by vs to quit them like for like if they wrong vs wee must not wrong them or if they slander or reuile or ouer-reach vs wee must not doe the like by them no wee must fight against them by lawfull meanes such as are infallible by Gods Word we are to deale so by lawfull courses against them as they doe vnlawfully against vs. Thirdly that wee may striue lawfully wee must put on the whole Armour of God Ephes 6.11 as wee must fight so we must be armed our aduersaries come forth armed against vs and shall we goe forth naked against them No wee must be armed too yea they are in compleat harnesse well appointed in euery respect to hurt vs and yet to keepe themselues harmelesse so must wee haue compleat armour too from the head to the foot wee must haue the helmet of saluation the brest-plate of righteousnesse the shield of faith the sword of the spirit the Girdle of verity and we must be shâ—d with the preparation of the Gospell of peace Besides as they are furnished by the diuell their captaine so must wee by God our captaine vpder whose colours we fight we must put on the whole armour of God and that this may be pressed the more vpon vs the Apostle doubleth his exhortation in 13. verse and saith For this cause take vnto you the whole armour of God Fourthly we must watch so the Apostle coÌ„mands vs 1 Cor. 16.13 and Peter 1 Pet. 5.8 Be sober and watch wee must watch for first our aduersaries are many secondly euery one assaults thirdly they watch to ouerthrow vs fourthly they haue much craft and subtilty amongst them euen as much as the Diuell can put into them and therefore wee had neede to watch continually and to stand on our guard and to haue our eyes open and to cast euery way about vs to discouer and preuent the enemy and to saue our selues remembring still that the enuious man preuailed in his purpose against the good seed while men were sleeping Matth. 13.25 that is while they were not watchfull and wary to preuent him The fifth duty which we must practice is that with our fighting and watching we take all opportunities and aduantages for our owne defence wee must learne of our aduersaries who are exceeding wise in doing euill so wee must be wise in doing good as they spie out their best aduantages when they are strongest and best prepared and when it will be most for their benefit and our hurt and when wee are weakest and most vnprouided not so able to make our party good against them so must wee doe against them specially wee must take such aduantages as God affoords vs in his Word when wee read how others of Gods children haue defended them selues in such assaults let vs take aduantage by their example and still in all our assaults let vs lay vp something for our defence against another time Sixthly Let vs throw away all hindrances 2 Tim. 4.2 no man that warreth intangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life c. Souldiers carry little with them to the warre but cast away all that is troublesome to them so must wee throw away all hindrances that may trouble vs in this fight as the loue of the world and of our selues and of pleasures yea and if neede be we must loaue father and mother wife and children too and throw them all away rather then they should comber vs in this battell wee must rid our hands of all things but what necessity ties vs to that so we may be free from incombrances in the mannaging of this spirituall warfare The Apostle in the 1 Corinth 9 26 27. propounds himselfe for an example in this case so fight I saith he not as one that beateth the ayre but I beat downe my body and bring it in subiection c. hee knew that if hee did not beat downe his body and so cast this hindrance away he should but beat the ayre teaching vs that wee must throw away all that hinders vs in the mannaging of this Spirituall fight The seuenth duty is confidence in Gods loue wee must cast our selues by faith vpon the power of God as the Apostle exhorts Ephes 6.10 My brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and if we doe thus it shall goe well with vs in this our battell and this faith and confidence is nor onely a part of this fight but the very victory it selfe as the Apostle saith 1 Iohn 5.4 this is the victory whereby we ouercome the world euen our faith and in this respect it is called a shield to quench all the fiery darts of Satan Ephes 6. The eighth duty which we are taught from hence to practise is the duty of prayer this is a speciall meanes to preuaile in our fight therefore the Prophet Dauid saith Psalme 56.9 when I cry then mine enemies shall turne backe and this the Apostle Paul practised in his spirituall fight when the messenger of Satan was sent to buffet him he besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from him and the same Apostle Ephes 6.18 exhorts vs hereunto in many termes pray alwaies with all manner of prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watch thereunto with all perseuerance wee must haue helpe and strength else wee cannot withstand our enemies they being so strong and we so weak and whence should we haue helpe but from God And how shall we obtaine it of him but by prayer and therefore wee must pray alwaies vnto God that he would helpe and strengthen vs in our fight and that hee would daunt and draw all good successe from our enemies that so they may not preuaile against vs but that wee may preuaile against them Exod. 17.11 When
dangerous enemies and it is hard for vs to preuaile against the whole world Tenthly the flesh that is the vnregenerate part in our selues this alwaies fights against the spirit Gal. 5.17 and seeke the destruction of our soules 1 Peter 2.11 Abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule this is a pestilent aduersary which wee carry alwayes in our bosoms and cannot possibly either flie from it or cause it to fly from vs which is the singular mischiefe of this enemy aboue and beyond all others The diuell himselfe if we resist him will fly from vs but this we carry alwayes about with vs. The eleuenth aduersary is sinne this is a deadly enemy to the soule too the Apostle saith Rom. 7.11.13 Sinne tooke occasion by the Commandement and thereby slew me and sinne that it might appeare sinne wrought death in mee The last Aduersary is the diuell hee is the aduersary of all aduersaries and the commander of all the rest And this being the principall oposition of all we will speake God willing the more largely and particularly of it by way of obseruation And the obseruation is this Doctr. That Satan is the Grand-aduersary and the capitall and chiefe enemy of the Church of God and the Generall of the field fought against the faithfull all other aduersaries are his souldiers and his forces and instruments Gen. 3.15 The maine enmity betwixt vs and our aduersaries is from the Serpent himselfe as hee being the head all other are but his seed Reuel 12.37 The red Dragon the diuell he fought and his angells hee is the Arch enemy the other are but his angells 1 Pet. 5.8 your Aduersary the diuell c. What are there not many aduersaries besides him yeâ— but he is an aduersary by way of excellency the aduersary of aduersaries he hath the rule of all the rest Eph. 6.12 the Apostle saith We wrestle not against flesh and blood Doe wee not wrestle against flesh and blood yes that wee doe but they are but instruments the author of them are principalities and powers c. The diuell and his angells Matth. 13.28 Who sowed the Tares amongst the good Corne the enuious man did it as who should say whatsoeuer the meanes were yet he was the chiefe Agent and therefore they are called his seede vers 38. and thefore hee is said to deceiue the whole world Reuel 12.9 because hee leads the world after him to doe his will he it is that works in the children of disobedience Ephes 2.2 as he being the mouer and they his engines he their father they his children So that Satan is the Grand-aduersary of Gods Church all other aduersaries are but his instruments c. See this proued further in euery particular enemy before named first all false Churches whose are they the Synagogues of Satan Reuel 2.9 secondly they which are without not yet admitted into the Church they are his too they are vnder his power Acts 26.18 thirdly Heretikes they are his Reuel 2.24 fourthly Schismatikes are his Iames 3.14.15 Satan himselfe was the first Schismatike and that in heauen fifthly Apostates are his and Apostacy is by the working of Satan 2 Thes 2.3.9 sixthly Persecutors are his Reu. 2.10 the diuell is said to cast some of them into prison when as persecutors did it And 1 Iohn 3.12 Cayne that slew his brother is said to be of the wicked one that is of the diuell seuenthly Hypocrites are his false apostles are Satans Ministers 2 Cor. 11.15 the diuell was in Iudas heart Iohn 13.15 and the wicked Iewes are said to be of their father the diuell Iohn 8.44 eighthly excommunicate persons are his vassalls 1 Tim. 1.20 they are deliuered to Satan ninthly the world is his hee is the Prince of the world Iohn 14.30 yea he is the God of the world 2 Cor. 4.4 tenthly the flesh is his messenger 2 Tim. 12.7 Lastly Sinne is his Snare 2 Tim. 2.26 So that the diuel erects false churches possesses them that are without inspires Heretikes incenseth Schismatikes seduceth Apostates incourageth persecutors begets hypocrites triumphs in the excommunicate commands the world and hath them in a string prouokes the flesh inticeth to sinne he imployes all and euery one of them busily and eagerly in the disturbance of Gods people The Reasons are these First God himselfe is the generall Reas 1 of the Church therefore Satan is the generall and commander of all their enemies Secondly Satans outragious and incessant malice against Reas 2 God and his Faithfull to which if wee adde his strength it is a sufficient Reason to prooue that hee is the Grand enemy of the Church Thirdly if there be any losse to the Aduersaries it Reas 3 is his losse if there be any gaine to them it is his If they preuaile against vs there is so much added to his kingdome if wee preuaile against them there is so much detracted from his kingdome therefore it is reason that hee should bestirre himselfe and all his Instruments against the Church The Vses are these First this teacheth vs that seeing Vse 1 Satan is the conductor of all these forces therefore wee are to be the more vigilant and prepared and armed to resist him It is the Apostles owne Inference Ephes 6.13 For this cause saith hee take vnto you the whole Armour of God for what cause why because we wrestle not onely against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers c vers 12. and 1 Pet. 5.8 your Aduersarie the diuell goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure whom resist saith the Apostle so that if hee bend himselfe and all his forces against vs we should labour to bend all our forces against him to resist him Secondly here wee are taught what to esteeme of all Vse 2 wicked people that oppose the Church whosoeuer thou art that troublest the Church thou art no better then the Diuels souldier and slaue he is thy master and captaine and so the motions of the flesh are the Diuels darts the euill examples of the world his brokers he sets them all to worke and hee shall pay them their wages No meruaile therefore though Gods children are carried with such a zeale against the wicked for they are but diuels as it were and therefore our Sauiour saith Goe yee cursed into euerlasting Fire prepared for the diuell and his angels Matth. 25.41 Thirdly let vs consider the wonderfull power and mercy of God here is the wonderfull power and loue of God that keepes vs so long and so safe from so many Deuils as I may say that are continually beleaguering Vse 4 vs. And therefore lastly this should encourage Gods children in the fight because so oft as wee resist I say not onely so often as wee ouercome them but so oft as wee resist them and keepe them from preuailing ouer vs so many victories we get ouer the Diuell himselfe and so many wounds we giue to the Serpents head but on the
managed this fight with simple wisedome in holines meeknes compassion in obedience to Gods ordinaÌ„ce c as before we haue bin taught If we haue failed in the least of these let vs be touched in our hearts for it as Dauid was in the 1 Sam. 24.26 when he had but cut off the lap of Sauls Garment though he had not taken away his life yet his heart smote him for this And let vs for the time to come labour to reforme wherein-soeuer wee haue failed and looke better to our steps euer after But if we haue taken these courses and obserued these directions then it may bee a great Comfort to vs whatsoeuer the Issue be whether wee haue ouercome or not if we haue ouercome how boldly may we goe to God and giue him thankes for his owne victory and not for ours because wee haue got it by his meanes and courses If they haue ouercome vs yet wee may haue comfort in our foiles that it hath not beene through our mis-behauiour we haue done as God would haue vs and therefore there is good hope that though now we be ouercome by our enemies yet at last wee shall ouercome them howsoeuer we are sure not to loose our Crowne because wee haue striuen lawfully for the Crowne is promised to them that striue lawfully as well as to them that ouercome Vse 2 The second vse is to teach euery one of vs to labour to bee well fitted prepared and furnished for this fight euery one of vs hath a fight to make against our Aduersaries either inwardly or outwardly or both and therfore it is needfull for vs to prouid and to be in a good readinesse before hand Reason teacheth vs this for when once wee know that we haue Enemies and that they haue a purpose to inuade the land we do presently then get vs more munition and weapons and all manner of furniture needfull for our defence Let grace then teach vs and quicken vs vp to be as wise for the Lords battailes as we are for owne Our Enemies are alwaies assaulting vs let vs therfore get faith wisdome and holinesse compassion meekenesse and all manner of spirituall Armour that we may defend our selues and hold our owne and stand fast and safe against all their assaults And that wee may be thus fitted and prouided First we must be well acquainted with Gods Word for there the Lord teacheth vs how to fight and prescribes vnto vs all manner of weapons and how wee are to vse them and chargeth vs to resist our enemies and encourageth vs with the promise of helpe and comforts vs with the assurance of victory this is our cheife helpe against our Enemies Secondly wee must marke well the courses of our enemies their power malice subtilty and diâ—igence that thereby we may bee quickned to a more carefull and through resistance Thirdly wee must obserue our owne former experience we must consider where we haue been foiled before time and there to looke better to it and to preuent it another time And also consider where thou hast put the enemy to the worst and be carefull to vse the same meanes stil Fourthly obserue also the examples of other of the faithfull in the like case especially of the old beaten Souldiers of Iesus Christ as of Abraham Iob Dauid Paul and the like Let vs obserue their ouersights and their failings and shunne them also obserue their religious practices and courses and follow them not doubting but God will blesse them to thee as hee did to them Principally let vs obserue our Captaine Iesus Christ and follow his Example as farre as wee can Lastly let vs be earnest with God from whom euery good thing comes that as he hath appointed vs his Souldiers so he would furnish vs with helpe fitting thereunto And so much shall serue for this fourth point namely how the Church behaues and carries her selfe against her Aduersaries The fifth and last point concerning the Aduersaries and opposites of the Church is how the Lord in this case carries himselfe both towards the Church and towards her Aduersaries for the Lord sees and beholds all on both sides yea and he works on both sides too though in a contrary manner hee is for and with the Church in mercy to deliuer them and hee is with the wicked in Iudgement to confound and ouerthrow them Then the obseruation is this Doctr. That in all the Battailes that are mannaged betwixt the Church and her Aduersaries for Gods Truth the Lord so carries himselfe on both sides and to both that he is altogether for and with the Church to helpe and deliuer them and altogether against their enemies to confound and destroy them so saith the Prophet Psal 34.15 16. The Eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his Eares are open to their cries but the face of the Lord is against them that doe euill to cut off their remembrance from the earth So in Esa 66.5 the Prophet saith Heare ye the Word of the Lord all ye that tremble at his Word your brethren that cast you out for my names sake said Let the Lord be glorified but yee shall appeare to your Ioy atnd they shall be ashamed And Phil. 1.28 In nothing feare your Enemies which to them is a token of Perdition and to you of saluation and that of God Thus God was with the Israelites to saue them and with the Egyptians to drowne them in the red Sea Let vs see this point proued a little more plainely in particulars God is with and for the faithfull in many respects First as a party in the cause fighting with them and for them Reu. 3.7 Michael and his Angels fought c. and thus God is with his Church either inwardly or outwardly Inwardly teaching them to fight Psal 144.1 and strengthning them and comforting them Luk. 22.43 and defending them Psal 118.13 and giuing a blessing and good successe to them Or outwardly as supplying them with meanes and raising vp friends and Captaines and such outward helpes Thus hee raysed vp Ioshua and others to deliuer his Church And so by ministring to the faithfull many gracious opportunities either to preserue themselues or to ouerthrow their enemies Secondly God is with his Church as a Deliuerer to saue them from the hands of all their enemies so Dauid acknowledgeth Psal 70.5 that God is his helper and deliuerer And Zach. 2.8 the Lord promiseth to bee a wall of Fire about Ierusalem And in the 9. Chapter and the 8. vers the Lord saith that he will campe about his house and no oppressor shall come vpon them Thirdly hee is with his Church as a Rewarder to Crowne them after the fight Reu. 2.10 be thou faithfull vnto the Death and I will giue thee the Crowne of Life 2 Tim. 48. I haue fought a good fight saith he Apostle I haue finished my course from hence forth is laid vp for mee a Crown of rhteousnesse which the Lord the righteous
Lord will be altogether with vs to saue and defend vs and altogether against our enemies to confound and destroy them The three and twentieth LECTVRE of the CHVRCH HAuing propounded nine seuerall heads to be spoken to concerning the visible Church wee haue through Gods assistance spoken of seuen of them It remaines therefore now that wee come to the eighth namely the power and authority of the Church A point which was named and pointed at before amongst the Priuileges of the Church For surely the power that God hath endued the Church withal is none of her smallest priuileges if it be not one of her greatest as the greatest priuilege of a King is his Kingly power and authority then wee pointed at it but wee respited the full handling of it to this place partly because in the beginning wee propounded it as one of the principall heads in this question but especially because it is both large and waighty large and so requires waighty and so deserues worthily to be handled in a seuerall Title by it selfe it hath also some affinity neernesse with the fifth head namely the Gouernment of the Church for many of the same things that are incident to the Gouernment of the Church are also incident to the authority of it and such things wee will onely touch as wee meete with them referring you for further knowledge of them to those places that already they haue beene handled in But there are somethings belonging to the power of the Church which could not so fitly be reduced to the gouernment of the Church and these are the points which God willing here wee will speake vnto The power and authority of the Church I call it power and authority for in effect they are both one It is true that they are sometimes distinguished and then this is the difference power signifies an ability to doe a thing and authority a warrant from God to exercise that ability but here they signifie one and the same thing and the reason is plaine because the Church of all other sorts doth absolutely deny her selfe to haue any power to do ought but that which she hath authority and warrant from God to doe The points that I will speake of concerning this matter are these First that the Church of God hath power and authority belonging to it Secondly what manner of power and authority this is And thirdly what it is that shee hath power in First that there is power and authority belonging to the Church for howsoeuer she be weak in outward forces and contemptible in the eyes of the world and for the most part spurn'd out ouer-borne and troden vnder foote by the Potentates of the earth and for the mannaging of any temporall administration or state able to doe little and warranted to doe lesse yet if she be taken within her owne element that is in Church affaires she is armed with much power and great authority euery State and society hath power and authority annexed to it whereby it is vpholden the Church then being the worthiest State and happiest Society that is hath it Reas 1 much more for there are many offices and duties of diuers kindes and sorts daily and necessarily to be performed in the Church wel-doers must be encouraged sinne must be punished lawes must be executed orders must be obserued and obedience must be practised these and such like must be daily performed in the Church Now without power nothing can be done and without authority nothing must be done And therefore the Church must haue power and authority Againe the Reas 2 greatest and waightiest workes that are done in the world are done in the Church the conscience commanded soules conuerted comforted and saued Gods owne life wrought into the hearts of men Christ and his Kingdome of grace that is highly aduanced Satans kingdome and his power quailed and subdued therefore the Church must needes haue great power to effect such great workes Lastly shee must haue this power Reas 3 and authority that shee may be able to hold vp her head against her aduersaries that doe commonly and ordinarily except against her saying By what authority doe you these things as they did to our Sauiour Matth. 22.23 and to Moses Exod. 2.14 Who made thee a man of authority c. so that except shee be furnished with sufficient authority there is no hope that they or their proceedings should finde any acceptance the people were astonished at Christs Doctrine because he taught with authority and not as the Scribes Mat. 7. Mar. 1.27 hee commands euen the foule spirits with authority and they obey him as who should say if he had not commanded them with authority they would neuer haue obeyed him they would know good cause why first This serues first to incourage the Church to the doing of Vse 1 her duty in excecuting Gods Lawes and in aduancing his ordinances seeing shee hath power sufficient in her owne hands to strengthen and countenance her preceedings and to make them effectuall It would neuer grieue a man to bestow time and labour in good endeauours though with much danger and with many opdositions when hee knowes before-hand that he hath power and authority enough to be beare him out in it therefore this should encourage the Church in her duty heerein And also this serues to reproue those that Vse 2 lightly esteeme of the Church and of that which shee doth as if they were nothing worth but let such know that the Church is a powerfull worker and that that Doctrine which she teacheth is a word of great power able to saue or to destroy and the Censures that she passeth are Censures of power able to kill or giue life and whosoueuer withstandeth these shall finde them matters of power to their destruction in hell if they be obstinate but whosoeuer obeyes them shall finde power enough in them to bring them to God and to his Kingdome So much for that first point The second point is what manner of power this is for this wee must looke well into lest mistaking wee goe too farre or come too short each being a dangerous error you shall vnderstand therefore that this power is not humane but diuine Secondly not temporall but spirituall Thirdly that though it be spirituall yet it is bounded and limited First it is not humane that is it is not of men though they be men that exercise it and howsoeuer where it is publikely practised it is vsually and needfully ratified at least permitted by the authority of the temporall State yet it hath not his power from men but it is diuine and hath his power directly from God himselfe the first beginnings of this power is from him as wee may see Matth. 10.1 to 5. where our Sauiour calls his Disciples and giue them power to preach to cast out diuels and to heale the sicke c. and the promise of more power is also from God as his
owne free gift Matth. 16.19 I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shall binde on earth shall be bound in heauen And so the performance of more power is from him as deriued from his owne Pattent Matth. 28.18.19 Goe teach all Nations c. teaching them to obserue all things and lo I am with you to the end of the world The Church is furnished with power from Christ euen as hee is from his father Ioh. 20 21.22 As my Father sent mee euen send I you c. and yet a more full increase of this power is from God too Luke 24.49 Behold I send the promise of my father vpon you but tarry yee in the City of Ierusalem vntill ye be endued with Power from on high And Acts 1.8 yee shall receiue power after that the Holy Ghost is come vpon you These places proue that the Power which the Church is endued withall is not humane but diuine conferred God himselfe And the Reason is plaine because all Power is from Reas 1 God Rom. 13.1 And there is no power but from aboue as our Sauiour tells Pilate he could haue no power except it were giuen him from aboue If all power euen the power which the wicked haue be from God much more is the power and authority which the Church hath from God too And that after a speciall manner so much the more immediately as the Church is more nearer ioyned to Christ then any other State whatsoeuer And to much the more rightly as Christ is more rightly a spiritual King then a temporall as Ioh. 18. my Kingdome is not of this world c And so much the more properly as Christ is the head and ruler of the Church more properly then of the Commonwealth And so much the more effectually as the Lord doth more magnifie himselfe in Church causes then in causes of the State This teacheth first that if the power and authority Vse 1 which the Church hath be from God then we haue the more and greater assurance that it shall stand fast for euer against all oppositions of men or Diuels as Gamaliel said Acts 5.38.39 If it be of God yee cannot destroy it if it be of God so directly it must needs stand most firmly aboue all other power whatsoeuer Secondly it teacheth the Church that they bee the Vse 2 more wary and carefull in executing this power that they abuse not Gods owne Power to the satisfying of their owne humors and lusts but that they vse it to that end God hath appointed it that is to his Glory and the Churches good Thirdly seeing this power is so directly from God then this teacheth vs that it must bee the more dutifully obeyed and submitted to of them that liue vnder it else if wee despise it we despise not men but God as it is Luk. 10.16 hee that despiseth you despiseth me c. But you will say Quest Is then the Church to bee obeyed in all things Must all her sayings be beleeued All her lawes obeyed and all her proceedings yeelded to as if they were Gods owne proceedings and so bind the Conscience I answer Answ no for sometimes shee saith false things and doth that which is directly euill and therein we are altogether free from her Authority as that being vsurped and not from God and as shee therein bewraying some frailty and infirmity and not exercising this diuine power But you will say how shall I know when she speakes true or false when shee doth right or wrong I Answer The Lord hath giuen both her and vs the Word to rule and measure things by this is the rule that she must goe by in her proceedings and this is the rule that wee must measure her proceedings by But sometimes the Church inioynes things in themselues indifferent neither simply good nor bad neitheir simply commanded nor forbidden in the word In this the Church is to be yeelded to for order sake as she hauing therin a general power from God but yet the Conscience is not subiect to them because the particular choice and determination of these indifferent things is from themselues out of their own lawfull liberty I note this the rather because some not only in the popish church but among vs too stick not to affirme that the churches constitutions in this latter kind be of diuine authority and to be accoūted as the Constitutions of God himself But I haue shewed you how you are to receiue and to submit to them for order sake in respect of the general power she hath from God in these things The second branch of this second point is that this power is not temporall but spirituall and therefore it is not so often called a Sword to smite or a scepter to sway as Keyes to open and shut and what doth it open and shut Euen the Kingdome of heauen Matth. 16.19 and therefore it is a spirituall Power The Ciuill Magistrate hath to do about our bodies goods and outward State the Church hath to doe with the Soule and Conscience and the inward man Temporall power and authority serues to maintaine a temporall Life begun and ended here spirituall Power and Authority maintaines a spirituall Life begun here but perfected and finished hereafter in the life to come Temporall power rules by the lawes of men spirituall Power rules onely by the Lawes of God temporall power fights and defends it selfe by the materiall Sword and worldly Policy Spirituall Power renounceth these and therefore Christ said to Peter Mat. 26.52 put vp thy Sword into his place for all that take the Sword shall perish by the Sword Christ would not bee defended by the Sword Spirituall Power betakes it selfe to better Weapons to spirituall and heauenly Weapons 2 Cor. 10.4 5. the Weapons of our warfare saith the Apostle are not carnall but spirituall mighty through God c they are not carnall but spirituall not weake but mighty and that not of themselues nor through the power of him that vseth them but through God And what are these weapons They are the Word and the Spirit Faith Repentance Prayer c. It is true that sometimes both these Powers do concur together in the Church that is when the Magistrate is Christian and surely then Gods worke goeth happily forward and then this is a blessed thing both for our Soules and bodies too if wee haue grace so to vse it but though they doe sometimes concurre yet they are neuer confounded though they be not diuided yet they bee distinguished they must each of them keepe in it 's owne ranke and mannage their seuerall Charges by seuerall administrations The Church is not to vsurpe on the temporal power for that is flatly forbidden Matth. 20.15 16. the Gentiles raigne ouer them but it shall not be so amongst you saith our Sauiour to his Disciples and 1 Pet. 5.3 Be not Lords ouer Gods Heritage Nor is the temporal power to vsurpe the
be beleeued besides the Word Gal. 1.8 Reas 6 Lastly the practice of the faithful is answerable to this both of teachers and learners the Teachers they haue referred the people still for certaine proofe of the truth to the Scriptures Esa 8.20 to the law and to the testimony if they speake not according to this Word it is because they haue not light in them Acts 10.43 to him giue all the Prophets witnesse saith Peter to Cornelius referring the truth hee taught to be tryed by the Scripture and so this hath beene the practice of the learners Acts 17.11 12. The men of Berea seached the Scriptures to try whether the things were so as Paul had taught them and yet Paul was a principall member of the Church and in his Doctrine hee was specially guided by the Spirit more then euer any Church was since and the Bereans are commended for this and not accounted curious So that the Teachers and the Learners haue still referred themselues for the tryall of the truth to the Scriptures and not to the Church and therefore the authority of the Scripture is greater then the authority of the Church Yea Obiect but you will say so the Scriptures are vsually referred to the censure of other Scripture and yet that is no proofe that therefore one Scripture is of greater authority then another how then doth this proue that the Scripture is of greater authority then the Church I answer Answ yes It proues the first ponit of the obseruation plainely that is that the Church is not aboue the Scripture which is the maine controuersie Nay if it be well considered it proues the second point of the obseruation that the authority of the Scripture is greater then that of the Church I say it proues it as sufficiently though not at the first sight so plainely for still in euery kinde there must be one highest which all the rest must settle vpon else there will be no stay at all but we shall runne on infinitely and without end now the Scripture or the Church is the highest thing in this kinde whereon we are to rest for they cnanot be equall then the Scriptures must needs be highest and if they be referred to any at all it must be to themselues for there is none greater nor higher as in the matter of an oath Heb. 6.13 to 16. men sweare by him that is greater then them selues But God sweares by himselfe because there is none greater to sweare by So likewise the Church is referred to the Scripture for trial because the Scripture is higher then the Church but Scripture is referred to Scripture because there is none higher to be referred to nor there cannot be two highests in one kinde for that is against nature and reason too and therefore when the sayings of the Church are referred to the approbation of Scripture it is the referring of them to an higher and so the authority of the Scripture is greater then the authority of the Church The vses are these The first is matter of refutation Vse 1 against the Papists that vsually disparage the holy Scriptures and set them downe too low and doat on the Church aduancing it too high their reach therein is not so much the loue they beare to the Church it selfe but that thereby they might exalt themselues and their owne Church and that their faith might be reputed the onely true sauing faith because their Church teacheth it So that God and his Word must goe downe that they might be lifted vp but if it be true that the Church were aboue the Scriptures yet except they can proue their Church to be the only true Church of God which they are neuer able to doe it helps not their cause It is strange to see and heare what monstrous and blasphemous speaches and positions many of them haue deliuered to this purpose as that the Scripture is of no more authority without the approbation of the Church then Esops Fables Oh horrible blasphemie there are some others of a better kinde that are more modest that say that the Scriptures are to be fitted to the times and the sense thereof is to be altred as the times alter others there are that say that the Churches are not bound to take the Scriptures as true without the allegation of the Church and that the Church hath authority to reiect or allow Scripture and that yee may know that by the Church they meane their Romish church and by that the Pope hearken how blasphemously they ascribe vnto him all power in heauen and in earth that hee may dispence against the Apostles and their Canons and against all the commandements of God in the old and new Testament c. Here the world may see that the church of Rome is that whore of Babilon an impudent and shamelesse strumpet that sets such a brasen face and belches out such whorish filthy blasphemies against God and his Word the very naming of these positions is refutation enough for them in any Christians iudgements To come to their best positions in this controuersie Position 1 First the Church say they is supreme Iudge in all controuersies of Religion but yee see by this obseruation that it is not so God is higher and the Scripture is higher the Spirit indeede is the Iudge and the highest Iudge speaking openly and plainely in in the Word and secretly in the minde and heart of euery beleeuer 1. Ioh. 2 20 27. you haue anoyntment from that holy one and know all things And againe the same anoynting teacheth you of all things Obiect yea but say they are not men sent to the Priests to enquire at their mouhes Mal. 2.7 and is not the Priest the highest Iudge then Answ I answer What are wee to goe to the Priests for for the Law not for their owne Iudgement whereto if they speake wee are to receiue it yet not because it is their saying but Gods Law but happly they can deliuer no other but Gods Law that is flatly contradicted verse 8. where the Prophet saith that they are gone out of the way and haue caused many to fall by the Law yea but say they the high Priest was the Iudge as wee may see Deut. 17.8 12. But hee was to iudge according to the Law as we may see in Vers 11. so that except they will arrogate more to themselues then the messengers of the Lord of hoasts did vnder the law they cannot be Iudge nor Iudges of the Scripture The second position of theirs is this Position 2 That whatsoeuer the Church saith we must take it as a Law and obey it It is true that whatsoeuer the Church saith according the Law and Word of God we must obey it not otherwise The Scribes and Pharises were to bee obeyed as they sate in Moses chaire that is as they taught his Doctrine Matth. 23 2 3. but if they transgresse and bring in the precepts of men and their owne traditions
as sometime they did then is their Doctrine vayne and to be reiected Marke 7 7 8. so that it is plaine that the Church is to bee beleeued and obeyed so long as they goe according to Gods Word but when they swerue from that they are no more to be beleeued Esa 8.20 to the Law and to the Testimony if they speake not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them except they speake according to the Scripture they are but darke and blind guides no light in them at all and that which is pretended to the contrary Matth. 18.17 is directly vnderstood of Church Censures which yet are not simply authenticall in themselues but as they are proceeded in Christs name Ver. 20. that is according to his order else there is no danger in it Iohn 9.34 Their last Position is this Position 3 which is directly against this obseruation namely That the authority of the Scripture depends vpon the authority of the Church In which grosse assertion they first dishonour God exceedingly as who should say man is to bee beleeued before God at least that God should not be beleeued but because of man Besides whence had the Scripture its authority in the writers of it from God or man Surely from God he is the author himselfe of Scripture 2. Timothy 3.16 euery Scripture is giuen by Inspiration from God then it must haue its authority from God who is the author of it Againe who giues vs faith the Church No it is the worke of God Iohn 6.29 Therefore that wee beleeue the Scripture to be Scripture or any booke of it to be Scripture it is wholly from God himselfe who workes Faith in vs to beleeue it Well Ob say they it is of God indeed that the Scriptures haue their authority but yet by meanes of the Church Answ I Answere It is true as the Church is the propounding witnesse thereof but not as enduing it with authority for that is from God alone and it is a great dishonour to him to giue any part of it to any other Secondly as it dishonours God so it disgraceth the Scriptures making them inferior to the Church whereas indeed they are the cause of the Church and subiecting them to the arbitrement of man whereas all our faith and discerning and thoughts are to be framed by direction from Scripture Ob. But they except and say It is no disgrace to the Scriptures that the Church is thus aduanced no more then it was to Christ that his Apostles gaue witnesse to him Answer I Answer yes for they make the Church aboue the Scripture in this case but the Apostles were witnesses of Christ as his vnderlings and Disciples They reply But the Protestants doe magnifie euery one himselfe as much as we doe the Church Answer I Answer No for euery one of vs beleeue that we are in the right because we goe by the right rule of the Scripture and the Spirit and so farre as the Church goes by that rule we will follow her as soone yea sooner then any particular man Thirdly this weakens and indeed ouerthrowes Religion setting it vpon man a ground weakeand insufficient whereas Religion must stand vpon Diuine authority else it is not sound Fourthly it spoiles the faithfull of their surest comfort which is this that God is the author of their faith and not man Fifthly it bereaues the Church of her maine hould and defence against the aduersary for whiles she saith the Religion which she professeth is true because shee saith so her selfe she layes her selfe open to the scoffes insultations of the aduersary For by that reason euery Religion wil be a true Religion seeing the professors thereof will say It is true as well and as confidently as the Church whereas if she say her Religion is true because God saith so in his word and so prooues it this is sufficient to stop their mouthes or else to leaue them without excuse Vse 2 The second vse is for Instruction teaching vs how to carry both our selues towards the Church and towards the Scriptures that is with an euen hand as our Sauiour said of tribute money giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars and vnto God that which is Gods So must we giue vnto the Church that which is the Churches and vnto the Scripture that which is the Scriptures First esteeme of the Scripture as Gods owne Word 2 Pet. 1.21 22. able to make vs wise to saluation and perfect to euery good worke 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17 Secondly esteeme of the Churh as the Piller that is as the keeper and vphoulder of the truth 1. Tim. 3.16 not that light but a witnesse of that light Iohn 1.8 she is to inquire search propound expound pronounce teach approue iudge according to Scriptures themselues and not otherwise she is as the woman of Samariah that propounded the Messiah to the men of the city and brought them to him but when they heard him they say now we beleeue not for thy saying but we haue heard him our selues and know that this is indeed that Christ Iohn 4.42 So the Church propounds and brings vs to the Scripture but when we looke into it and heare it speake then we beleeue But ye will say how then do we know which is Scripture or how shall we know that the contents therein are true and of God I Answer First wee shall know it from the Scripture it selfe as the Sunne is knowne by his owne light so the Scriptures are knowne by their owne light God speaking and shining in the Scripture Doe wee then beleeue the Scriptures because the Church saith they are Scripture No but because the Scriptures themselues say so 2 Tim. 3.16 Secondly we shall know them by the Spirit working in vs together with the Word and perswading vs that they are true 1 Iohn 5.6 Thirdly they are made knowne to vs by the miracles whereby they were first confirmed Iohn 20.30 31. Fourthly wee know them by the testimony of the Church that is that congregation that truly professeth the sauing faith of Christ So that first not euery company that professe themselues to be the Church but professing the sauing faith are to be beleeued And secondly not whatsoeuer the Church saith is to bee beleeued but that which she saith by the euidence of the Scripture it selfe and interpretation of the Spirit And thirdly that which is so beleeued is not chiefely to bee beleeued because she saith so but in a second place aftre the Word and Spirit And fourthly not formally or essentially but instrumentally as an outward instrument onely Fifthly and that which shee doth say so shee speakes not infallibly but with some faylings errors and imperfections mans corruption still bewraying its selfe euen when he is much inlightned Sixthly that which she speakes without error is not absolutely to be beleeued because the Church saith it but conditionally because shee speakes according
proportion in like cases Christ himselfe when hee came to teach saluation spake nothing but from the father Iohn 12.49 50. and whatsoeuer the Spirit doth teach hee receiued it from Christ Iohn 16.13 If Christ doe tye himselfe to teach those things and nothing but those things hee receiued from the Father and the Spirit nothing but those things he receiued from Christ then I hope the Church hath not greater liberty in respect of the Scripture then Christ in respect of his Father and the Spirit in respect of Christ Therefore as Christ spake nothing besides that hee heard of his Father and the Spirit nothing but that hee receiued from Christ so by proportion the Church is to speake nothing in matters of saluation besides Scripture Reas 6 Sixthly the Church is to do nothing heerein but by direction and assistance from the Spirit and as it is horrible presumption to say the contrary so the Papists themselues sometimes ingenuously confesse that the Testimony oâ— the truth consists in the holy Ghost and the Prelates iointly so that it is not in the Church alone without the Spirit And what doth the Spirit teach the Church any new Doctrines or Reuelations No but that which Christ hath reuealed before If ye compare Iohn 14.26 with Iohn 16.13 14 15. you shall finde that the holy Ghost whom Christ promiseth to send shall teach all things that Christ hath taught which beâ—ng the same which is in the Scripture then the Spirit teacheth the Church nothing besides Scripture And so the Church is able to decree nothing besides the Scripture because shee is able to doe nothing without the Spirit Lastly when things are decreed by the Church are Reas 7 we to receiue them hand ouer head or vpon tryall and examination If ye say haâ—d ouâ—r head without examination that were a gracelesse speech and vtterly vnlawfull being against the rules of the Word 1 Thess 5.21 Trye all things 1 Iohn 4.1 Trye the Spirits If then they must be receiued vpon tryall and Examination how must they be tryed and by what rule Eyther by the Iudgement of the present Church or by the Scripture If ye say by the Church that were to make her Iudge in her owne cause then it must bee examined by the Scripture as the men of Berea did Paules Doctrine Act 17.11 they searched the Scriptures daily whether the things were so as he taught So the things the Church decrees must bee tryed by Scripture and if that cannot approue them as being not there found they are to be reiected and the authority of the Church in imposing them to be disclaimed So we see in reason that the Church hath no power nor authority to decree anything or matter of substance in Religion â—yth 〈◊〉 faith oâ— for obedience without or besides Scripâ—â—â— The â—irst vs◠〈…〉 of reproofe of sundry Popish practises and positions not to name all For indeede if this point be well vnderstood it razeth and ouer throweth the very foundation of Popery Here then we see first that the Church cannot coyne any new Articles of faith why is any man so gracelesse to doe so yes the Papists doe so And howsoeuer many of them will not seeme to fauour it in word yet their practise makes them guilty of it Pope Pius the fourth propounds a Creede and tyes his children the Papists to it wherein after hee had set downe the twelue articles contained in the Nicene Creede he addeth twelue more of his owne concerning traditions Purgatory c. And these hee will haue acknowledged and vndoubtedly beleeued as the former and is not this to coyne new articles of faith Ob. But say they why may not we doe so as well as you that haue your articles of Religion and all reformed Churches haue their seuerall confessions wherein there are many things besides those in the Creede and yet professed and beleeued Answ as well as they I Answer It is not a like comparison for we though we doe beleeue many things that are not in the Creede yet wee beleeue nothing besides Scripture and that which is soundly proued by Scripture is to be beleeued as well as that in the Creede But theirs are such for the most part as haue little or no shew of Scripture for them but are matters besides Scriptures which they obtrude on the people meerely or at least principally by the authority of the Church But hath the Church then no authority about Articles of Faith newly to be made I Answer No But onely as thus if any article hath beene neglected obscured and layen hidden in former times the places of Scripture whereon it is grounded being not well vnderstood then the Church hath power to declare and publish it vpon the better vnderstanding of such places as it is proued by And this is not to make new articles of faith but to reuiue and renew those that were before and that not beside the word but with and by the word This may be cleared by an Instance The article of Iustification by Faith had lyen hidden for many yeeres before Christ came but when Christ and his Apostles came they reuiued it and yet made no new article of it but the same that was taught from the beginning of the world to come neerer home After that this doctrine was againe obscured lay hid for many yeeres till it pleased God to raise vp Luther and others which brought it forth to that cleare light that it was in in the Apostles times And is this to make new articles No but to reuiue and to bring to light that which had lyen hid a long time And thus far the Church may goe and no further The second Position is this that the Church cannot make any booke to be Canonicall Scripture which is not so of it selfe For this is to ordaine and decree matters of substance in Religion besides Scripture But do the Papists doe this yes they doe and therefore are here to bee reproued for it as being vtterly vnlawfull for them so to doe For first the number of Canonicall bookes are certaine as themselues confesse and therefore no authority can admit more Secondly if the Church hath power to make bookes that are Apocrypha Canonicall then also shee hath power aswell to reiect some that are Canonicall for hee that hath power to build hath also power to destroy And what were this but for the Church to mayme and mangle the Booke of God as shee list her selfe what an horrible wrong were this to God Thirdly the sheepe of Christ heare his voice they doe not make or frame it Lastly as a Gold smith takes a peece of gold and tries it whether it bee right or counterfeit by the touch stone and before he finds it to be true Gold he doth not make it true Gold for if he finde it to be counterfeit all the Gold smiths that are cannot make it true so must the Church cry which are Canonicall
the Scripture the written Word of God and nothing else The Scripture is the onely rule of Faith and of obedience what it teacheth must onely be beleeued and what it commands must onely be obeyed and nothing else as necessary to saluation And generally all Churches acknowledge the Scripture to be the canon yea the Popish Church to his day retaines the name though they cast it out at the backgate yet at the foregate they take it in the Canon that is as much to say as the rule Now what is to be done with a rule All things are to be fitted to it and not it to any thing Carpenters and Masons they fitte their tymber and stone to the rule and not the rule to the tymber or stone so then the Scripture being the rule whatsoeuer is to be beleeued or obeyed must be squared by it and looke how much it comes short or goes beyond or misseth on this hand or that of the rule so much it comes short of true sauing faith and obedience and so much wee goe out of the way of Saluation therefore cast away all other measures as crooked traditions customes c. and sticke fast onely to this rule as to the perfect square of all Religion we must put nothing to Gods Word nor take ought there from this the Lord himselfe commands Deut. 4.2 and 5.32.35 Secondly as this is the rule of faith so it is the tryall of euery truth the Scripture is the onely touch stone of truth if Paul teach the truth it must be tryed by the Scriptures Act 17.11 Let heathen men bring their Paganisme the Turcks their Alcoran the Iewes their Talmud the Papists their Catechismes councels customes and traditions to this touchstone and this this will shew them all to be starke counterfeits very drosse and filth not worthy to be once looked after much lesse to bee esteemed the pretious golden truth of God that soules should be saued by Lastly yet mistake not as to thinke that all matters of substance and saluation were expresly in the word that is by name and in so many words as we are to apprehend it but at least by consequence and to be deducted by sound and sanctified reason applying it to the circumstances of the Text and to the analogy of faith And so we haue finished those things that concerne matters of substance Wee come in the next place to matters of circumstance and these are of two sorts either miracles or discipline either miracles for indeed it is a part of the power of the Catholique visible Church as it containes altogether from the Apostles themselues downe to our times for with them it was an ordinary thing to doe miracles Matth. 10.1 Our Sauiour gaue them power against vncleane Spirits to cast them out c and Marke 16.17 and 1 Cor. 12.9.10 to another is giuen the the guifts of healing to another the operation of great workes by the same Spirit And it was very necessary at the first planting of the Gospell that they should haue this power for the confirming of their office and authority that planted it but now there is no vse of miracles their Doctrine and writings being sufficiently confirmed already and therefore that power is restrained and what Church soeuer challengeth this power may iustly be censured for Anti-christian spoken of in the 2 Thes 2.9 Secondly or Discipline and that is of two sorts either matter of Gouernement or matter of Ceremonies of the first wee haue spoken already of the second wee will speake a word by Ceremonies we vnderstand the time place and gesture to be obserued in Gods worship and seruice we will contriue the whole businesse into this obseruation Euery particular visible Church hath power from God to ordaine some outward Rites and Ceremonies for the outward carriage of Gods worship within that Church or Congregation Marke the parts of the Note Doct. First I say euery visible Church for the inuisible not being contained within the bounds of any one setled outward state can haue no such orders Secondly I say particular for besides that a generall visible Church cannot so be properly assigned to a place and if it were yet being of so large an extent as commonly it is it cannot be brought within the compasse of the same outward Rites Thirdly I say hath power from God to ordaine Ceretaine Rites Fourthly I say for the outward carriage of Church businesse for they haue nothing to doe with the Inward man Fifthly I say they must be within that particular Church for one Church is not to prescribe another what they should doe except their case be very like and that there be a willingnesse in the Receiuer So the Note is cleare we come to the proofes Acts 15.1 2. In the Church of Antioch there was a matter in question as touching Circumcision an outward Ceremony the Apostles being then at Ierusalem were by the consent of the Church of Antioch consulted withall about it and accordingly they deliuer their iudgement in the 23. verse c. And therein shew their power and consequently the power of the Church after them for the causes being perpetuall the course must be perpetuall too and they shew their power both in disanulling some Ceremonies as Circumcision vers 10. as abstaming from meat offered to Idolls and blood verse 20. which were certainely things in their owne nature indifferent as the Apostle shewes of meats 1 Corinth 8.8 And yet all this they did with the assistance of the holy Ghost verse 28. and that onely in things needfull as in the same verse and this they did not so much for the thing it selfe but for the auoyding of offence And so in the 1 Cor. 11.2 c. where the Apostle mentions the ordinances which hee had deliuered them already which are generally vnderstood of matters of order and decency and the circumstances make it plaine enough for after verse 3 c. he deliuers them other ordinances keepe which hee had not deliuered them before concerning the vncouering of the mans head and the couering of the womans head which were things indifferent in themselues yet for comlinesse sake hee doth there inioyne them and verse 20 c. hee deliuers certaine other ordinances concerning the outward carriage of Gods worship in the Lords Supper as their tarrying one for another eating before c. verse 33.34 And whereas many other things were out of frame with them he promiseth in the end of 34. verse to order the rest at his comming to them where it is cleare that the ordering of things concerning the outward carriage of Gods worship is in the power of the Church it selfe for still the Rule holds that the disease continuing alwaies requires a continuall reamedy from time to time So in the 1. Cor 14.26 40. The Apostle would haue all things done decently and in order hee giues them this generall rule for matters of Ceremony and they must draw particulars accordingly
rest Westerne Churches Secondly according to their language and so some are Greeke and some Latin Churches And because the most famous of the Easterne Churches vsed the Greeke tongue therefore vsually the Easterne haue beene called the Greeke Churches and on the other side most of the famous Westerne Churches haue vsed the latin tongue and haue therefore been called the latin Churches The Easterne Churches haue the precedence both for time and order and therefore we will speake first of them but because some both Easterne and Western Churches haue beene Hereticall and Schismaticall therefore this generall point offers it selfe by the way to be discussed viz. Whether Schismaticall or Hereticall Churches may be accounted true visible Churches which generall being cleared will giue great light to the right censuring of particular churches First for Schismaticall Churches that is such as embrace and professe the common sauing faith of the Catholike Church but yet haue separated themselues from the outward communion of those particular visible Churches that sometimes they haue beene and should be members of the cause of such Schismes is sometimes pride discontent weakenesse wilfulnesse pretended zeale a factious spirit alwaies it is Satans instigation and mans acceptation whatsoeuer the cause be and how great soeuer the Schisme be though they be iustly condemned as Schismaticall in regard they are rent from the outward fellowship of such visible Congregations as they belong vnto yet because they hold correspondency with the Catholike Church in matters of sauing faith and accordingly professe the same they cannot be denied to be true visible Churches Such were the Donatists of old and such are the Brownists at this day But you will say Ob. Thus wee giue them great vantage and cause of reioycing for they vtterly deny vs to be a true Church and therefore wee accounting them to be such the standers by may thinke it safer to be of their Church then of our their 's being confessed to be a true Church euen by their enemies themselues and ours being not so confessed to be a true Church by them I answer Answ that they deny vs to be a true Church the greater is their sinne and it makes their Schisme the more damnable that we acknowledge them to be a true Church and call them brethren it is our ingenuousnesse and charity and the standers by if they haue grace and Religion should rather ioyne with vs wee so louingly and charitably carrying our selues like to Christ our head euen to our reuiling aduersaries then with them that are so bitter vncharitable censurers and mercilesse iudges of vs They know we beleeue in Christ Iesus and in him crucified as our only Sauior they haue bin baptised in our Church into his name and they doe not yeeld to be re-baptized by which very practice of theirs they acknowledge that which in words they deny namely that wee are a true Church for there can be no true baptisme administred in and by a false Church where there are true Sacraments there is a true Church as wee shall heare further hereafter So much for Schismaticall Churches In the second place wee come to Hereticall Churches and they are such as hold and stiffely maintaine any materiall point in Religion contrary to the common faith of the Catholike Church a particular man is not to be reputed an Heretike except hee ioyne with his error obstinacy and that he wilfully persist therein against the admonitions and allegations of the Church and so a Church is not to be reputed Hereticall till they be obstinate in their error and this obstinacy must be in all or at least in the chiefest greatest part of them so that none of note amongst them do testify their dissent from them nor oppose themselues against their heresie but if any of note be found amongst them though but few that doe openly contradict the rest that Church till separation be made of the sound from the vnsound is rather in charity to be wel thought of because of the right beleeuers then in zeale to be vtterly condemned as hereticall because of the mis-beleeuers though they be the greater part Now Heresies are of two sorts first such as directly ouerthrow the foundation secondly such as affirme it in expresse words but yet hold some crosse positions which by necessary consequence doe ouerthrow it That wee may the better vnderstand this wee must know what is the foundation and that is Iesus Christ God and man the onely Sauiour of the world as hee is reuealed in the Scripture for so the Scripture propounds it First that Iesus Christ is the foundation the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 3.11 other foundation can no man lay then that which is laide which is Iesus Christ Secondly Iesus Christ God the foundation Mat. 16.16 18. And Simon Peter answered thou art Christ the Son of the liuing God And I say vnto thee thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church In both which places he is expresly spoken of as the foundation Thirdly Iesus Christ man the foundation 1 Iohn 4.2 Euery Spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God And there by implication he is spoken of as the foundation too for they that so beleeue are of God as who should say they are within the foundation and contrarily they that doe not so beleeue are not of God Vers 3. that is are not within the foundation Fourthly Christ the only Sauiour of the world the foundation Acts 4.12 neither is there saluation in any other for among men there is giuen none other name vnder heauen whereby wee must be saued And there he is spoken of expresly as the foundation for looke in the 11. Verse and it is said hee is the stone cast aside of the Builders and is become the head of the Corner Lastly Christ the foundation as hee is reuealed in the Scriptures Colos 2.7 rooted and built vp in him and stablished in the faith as yee haue beene taught that is in the word for this is as truely a part of the foundation as any of the other and therefore the Scriptures else-where by a borrowed kinde of speech are called the foundation it selfe Ephes 2.19 And are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets c. for it is not enough to Saluation to beleeue the former of the definition without this clause as making a full and compleate description of the foundation to say that Iesus Christ God and man the onely Sauiour of the world is the foundation is not enough vnlesse this be added to make it compleate as hee is reuealed in the Scriptures for they teach concerning him his Nature Offices Birth life Death and Resurrection c And therefore the Layers of this foundation make the Scriptures the rule or line that they worke by they proued that which they taught by the Scriptures So the Apostle Paul Act 26.22 23. witnessing both to small and
eight and Twentieth LECTVRE of the CHVRCH WE haue as ye haue heard made our diuision of Churches into the Easterne and Westerne Churches and we haue made an end of our discourse concerning the Easterne And haue entred into the discourse concerning the Westerne And these wee shewed were of two sorts first some that receiue and acknowledge the Pope to bee their head as the Church of Rome and other her accomplices secondly some that refuse to communicate with her at least in her abuses and are therefore called the Reformed Churches Concerning the former we haue spoken of them all in the name of the Church of Rome for what is said against her is said against them as is the mother so are her daughters Now therefore we come to speake of those that renounce the head-ship of the Pope and refuse to communicate with the Church of Rome And are therefore called the reformed Churches for whereas the Church of Rome was sometime a true and sound visible Church but in processe of time did degenerate and staine her selfe with sundry corruptions and abuses both in Doctrine and practise as hath beene shewed It pleased God to inlighten the minds of many godly and learned diuines amongst them that they saw and discerned these corruptions and withall stirred vp their hearts to oppose openly against them both by preaching and writing Now those congregations that by these mens labours were called out of Babylon and embraced a purer profession did thereby gaine the name and title of reformed Churches as leauing the Church of Rome as a deformed Church still wallowing in her owne corruptions but themselues hauing recouered in some sort the ancient Beauty and Integrity of the ancient time and sounder Churches Now to make the way plaine before vs wee will speake first of the causes of this Reformation secondly of the manner of it first for the causes of this Reformation they were waighty and necessary many notorious errors and grosse abhominations both in Doctrine and manners as before we haue shewed possessing the whole body of that Church yea the head and all such as the Christian world hath oft complained of and the godly had groned sore vnder the burden of them for many yeeres and could beare them no longer so then they had waighty causes for this Reformation Secondly the manner of the carriage of it was approouable and good they did nothing herein for the substance of the businesse but that which might well beseeme Gods people and whereof they had many commendable presidents of other godly men in like cases For first they gaue notice to that Church that such and such corruptions were amongst them secondly they made proofe out of the Scriptures the onely Iudge in matters of Religion that they were corruptions thirdly they besought the guides and Gouernors of the Church as they tendred Gods truth and glory and the peoples Saluation for some speedy redresse of these things fourthly they denounced Gods Iudgements against them if they did not reforme and that was their vtter ruine both here and for euer if they did not hearken vnto them fifthly after all these meanes vsed and after long expectation of some good euent and yet nothing dâ—ne finding no amendment but that indeede matters did waxe worse and worse that old burthens were continued new imposed that were worse their admonitions reiected errors corruptions stiffely maintained the seekers of reformation hated reproached persecuted excoÌ„municated and the like finding no redresse they left them gaue them ouer as our Sauiour commanded his Apostles so they shooke off the dust of their feete against them As if they should haue said vnto them after this manner Doe you serue what gods yee will wee and our Congregations will serue the Lord doe yee worship God as yee list your selues we will worship him after his owne will reuealed in his word seeing we cannot procure a generall redresse of these corruptions amongst you wee must and will redresse them in our selues what could these men doe more then they did or what fault iustly can be charged on these proceedings The Papists deride and scoffe at this reformation and deny it to be any reformation at all but rather say they it is an Innouation made by Heretikes but till such time as they can proue the truth of God in his Word to be heresie they shall be neuer able to conuince this for an hereticall Innouation as they falsely and maliciously slander it but in despight of their malice it must be acknowledged and stand good for a godly and Religious reformation of things amisse another manner of reformation then that of the Papists in the Councell of Trent wherein though some things were well and commendably redrest yet the whole Tenor of that reformation runnes on this promise that the authority of the Pope be no way impeached the Councell would haue some reformation but yet so as the Popes authority may not be mâ—ddled withall wheras that very authority is partly one of the chiefe corruptions it selfe and partly thâ— maiâ— occasion and ground of all the rest at least it is th◠〈◊〉 hinderance that the rest is not reformed 〈◊〉 â—â—at except that be reformed there can be no sound and through reformation at all so that there is great difference betwixt their reformation and ours For wee square all by the rule of Gods Word they by the authority of the Pope So much of the reformed Church in generall There is also another Title that these Churches are stiled with and that is Protestant Churches the reason of that name is this vpon the first sounding of the Gospell by Luther in Germany there was great stirre and much adoe among the people and not onely there but generally in all places some embracing the Doctrine of Luther others still continuing in the Popish Religion the Emperour and the States consult together how to pacifie these tumults many meetings they had and many Decrees they made against it one Decree more famous then the rest was made at Spier in Germany Anno 15 29. where it was enacted by the States of the empire that men should not abolish the Masse nor make any further change in Religion till there should be a generall Councell to determine these differences which because the people should not thinke they would delude them they promise to call it within a conuenient time within a yeere or thereabouts This Decree was much distastfull to those Princes and States that had ingaged themselues with Luther in this worke of reformation and therefore they made a generall protestation against it to this effect That howsoeuer they did vnfainedly affect the peace of the State both in Church and Common-wealth and would willingly satisfie the Emperor in all that lawfully they might yet because that reformation in hand was Gods owne worke it must not tarry mans leysure for God was to be obeyed before man and therfore they were bound in
conscience to proceede in it as they had begunne whatsoeuer Decrees of men were to the contrary notwithstanding if any trouble did ensue of it it was not their sinne nor any fault in the cause but in mens ill dispositions that would abuse so good a cause to their bad purposes vpon this very protestation it was that then presently and euer since not onely there but generally in all places these Princes and States and all other men and Churches approuing the reformation were called Protestants The name we for our parts do neither greatly approue nor much dislike yet seeing it was imposed vpon so good an occasion that is that Princely and Christian resolution to hold out zealously for God and his Religion against all Decrees and threatenings of man wee see no harme in it and so are well enough content to beare and weare his Title And so much be spoken in generall concerning the reformed Protestant Churches Now we are to descend to a more particular handling of these Churches and so to the maine marke which all this while we specially aimed at of these reformed Churches some are more some are lesse reformed and each of these either for Doctrine or Discipline for some are more reformed in Doctrine then others but lesse in Discipline some are more disciplined then others yet their Doctrine is not so sound as theirs whose Discipline is faulty The Churches in Geneua France and Holland and others of that mould both for Doctrine and Discipline are thought by some the best reformed and yet I heare that the Brownists deny euen Geneua to be a true Church but first I see not but that they may say as much and as iustly against their aduersaries as their aduersaries against them Besides if it be proued that those which are lesse reformed be true Churches it will necessarily follow that these are so much the rather and therefore we need not to bestow time and paines to proue them to be true Churches Those that are accounted lesse reformed are as some thinke the Lutheran Churches The Lutheran Churches are lesse reformed for Doctrine first we will speake of the Lutheran Churches they are so called because they maintaine certaine priuate opinions that Luther held or at least is pretended to haue held contrary to the iudgement of other reformed Churches for our better vnderstanding I will speake first of their difference in opinion from vs Secondly of the tumults that haue risen betwixt vs and them by reason of these differences And thirdly I will shew what wee are to esteeme of these Churches notwistanding these differences And first of their difference in opinion they are first more easie and fauourable in matter of Images then wee are though they worship them not besides they teach that the elect may vtterly fall away from the estate of grace which we deny but the greatest and mainest difference betwixt them and vs is partly in the matter of vbiquity and partly in the matter of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper For the first they affirme that Christ euen according to his humane nature is euery where whereas we hold and teach and haue Gods Word for it that since his ascention his body is contained in one certain place namely in heauen Acts 3.21 So in the Sacrament they affirme that his body is really present in vnder and with the Bread and Wine we say that Christ is really there onely to the faithfull Receiuer and onely Sacramentally and Spiritually and not bodily as Iohn 6.63 These two be matters of very dangerous consequence such as if they were throughly prest they would giue a shrewd blow to the ouerthrowing of the truth of Christs humane nature for if Christ haue a true body then it cannot be but in one place at once I am not heere to discusse these points but onely as falling in by the way haply heereafter I may haue some fit opportunity to speake of them more fully onely let it suffice for the present that these their opinions nor any of them doe directly deny the foundation nor any part thereof So much for their opinions Secondly the tumults and vnnaturall contentions raised betwixt vs and them by reason of these differences they are growne to a great heighth very bitter and vncharitable on both sides wee are bitter enough against them but they as men of fiery spirits are maruellous bitter against vs as bitter as against the Papists yea they are more bitter against vs then they are against the Papists I cannot thinke or speake of these things but with griefe of heart therefore I will suppresse them in silence it had beene best if they had neuer beene broacht but now that they are it is best to bury them in silence and perpetuall obliuion but yet seeing there are such dissentions I will first shew what exception the Papists take against vs for them Secondly what vse we are to make of them For the first the Papists reioyce greatly at it it is meat and drinke to them that we are thus together by the cares and they insult ouer both parties alleaging it as a firme exception that therefore the reformed Churches are no true Churches and their Religion no true Religion this is a very malicious but yet a very weake consequence it is a malicious practice of theirs to build vp themselues on other mens ruines yet when all is done others ruines will make but a weake and sandy building First wee will answer to the men and then to the matter first to the Papists we answer what if there be dissention betwixt vs what get they by that Indeed if they agreed with them in all things that they oppose vs then it were some exception but the maine difference betwixt the Lutherans and vs is in the matter of vbiquity and consubstantiaton wherein they are as opposite to them as to vs and therefore they haue little vantage by that Besides if dissention betwixt vs make vs to be no true Church then they are no true Church for the Papists themselues are at as great dissention and as bitter one against another as euer wee were and that not only of old but euen at this day the Iesuits and Secular Priests maintaine a mortall hatred betwixt them And therefore if this be a sufficient exception against vs It is so also against them and therefore wee answer them with Chirst in the Gospel Hypocrite first pul out the Beam out of thine owne eye c. Mat. 23.2 First let them purge their Church of their owne dissentions and differences and then let them charge ours Secondly wee answer to the thing or matter it selfe that consent doth not alwayes proue them to be a true Church that doe consent nor that to be a true Religion that is consented in neither doth dissent alwaies proue them to be a false Church that doe dissent in some things nor that a false Religion that is in some things dissented in First
either more or lesse pure Fourthly they are more or lesse perfect Exception 1. Exception 2. Exception 3. The Church of England a true visible Church Eleuen Considerations to moue vs in England to be thankefull for the truth of God amongst vs and they shew the greatnesse of the blessing The second thing considerable in a true visible Church are the causes of it And they be of two sorts The second sort of causes haue first spoken of and they of two sorts Of this diuers Of this diuers The first sort of causes handled such as cause the Church directly and these are foure taking the Church in a comparatiue sense Taking the Church absolutely there are siue The efficient cause The instrumentall cause First outward Secondly inward How all the three persons haue a hand in causing the Church The Church of England iustified to be a true Church against the Separation The Church of England hath the meanes of saluation and of a Church Obiect You want dâ—scipline Your Ministers haue not a true Calling You haue your Calling from the Church of Rome You haue no couenant betwixt you and God Obiect You want the successe of the meanes It is ordinarily effectuall The first thing considerable in a visible Church the members of it In it first of the head And in it three things Corpus adaequatum Sit Christus Christiani caput Aug. lib. 3. cont Petil. c. 42. Reinolds confer 5. The blasphemy the Church of Rome doth run into in saying the Pope is the head of the Church The blow they giue to Christ therein in two respects First in regard of the body the Church The Pope is Antichrist Christ neuer gaue the headship of the Church to Peter Papists plea for the headship of the Pope answered Places alleaged by them for this answered as Mat. 16.19 And Ioh. 21.16 17. And Mat. 16.18 Christ saith He neuer will giue it None is able to weeld and sway it Secondly in regard of the Head Christ The power and authority that is giuen to the Pope proueth that he cannot be a ministeriall head as is pretended but rather a supreame head The Pope is made the Doctor yea the only Doctor of the Church The Pope doth what he doth of himselfe and not as vnder Christ for he taketh not the course prescribed by Christ in that he doth The Pope taketh vpon him to iudge the Apostles doctrine and so to be Peters Master and so proues himselfe to be Antichrist The Pope takes Christs name vpon him viz. Chiefe Shepheard Obiect You make the King head of the Church The word Head of the Church to be warily vsed because not found in the Scripture Christ the Head of the Church is visible Matter of comfort to the Church many wayes The second thing considerable in the third thing touching a visible Church viz. the members thereof in a more strickt sense and they are of three sorts The first sort and of the diuers kinds The second sort And of this two sorts The third sort Hyper. method 574. Additum diminuens A Church cannot be denied to be a true visible Church though there be an hundred hypocrites in it to one beleeuer The Brownists obiection of our Church being a prophane multitude answered diuers wayes Obiect You let wicked ones continue in your Church without separation Hyp. 577. 580. c. Bernard against Brownists 1034. where the assemblies are bad there the good must separate but where the assemblies be good there the bad must separate The fourth generall thing considerable in a visible Church viz. the Markes of it Reasons why there should be Markes of the Church Two qualities of these Markes to make them legitimate The first quality and It is attended with three other tha◠〈◊〉 subordinate to them The second qualâ—â—â—â— of these markes Vrsin 582. Vogel 727. Caluin inst lib. 4 cap. 1 sect 10. in Acts 2.42 Non secùs ac belli duces vt dissipatum clade aliqua exercitum recolligant signa militaria vel accensos ignes ex edito loce conspiciendos proponunt quo pedem referant quotquot ex clade dispersis palantes vagantur Morn de eccles p. 27. Morney â—6 29 One sort of excepters against this doctrine and their exception Two considerations necessary Bernard against Separat 122. 123. â—â—Second sort of excepters against this doctrine and their exceptions Third sort of aduersaries to this doctrine viz. the Papists and the Markes they alleage and answers to them Bellar. de eccles mili p. 184. 188. The fifth thing considerable in a visible Church viz gouernment Vid. Polâ—â— 426 459. And in it fiue things handled First the harmes and euils that haue been raised in the Church of God occasionally by Church-gouernment Second thing in Church gouernment what is meant by it The third thing considerable in Church-gouernment viz how needfull it is Reasons and that of some sorts First sort of Reasons Second sort of Reasons Third sort of Reasons Fourth sort of Reasons Fiue differences betwixt the inward and outward gouernment of the Church 〈…〉 The fourth thing considerable in Church-gouernment viz. whether there be any prescript forme of Church Gouernment in euery particular set downe in the Word What the Scripture saith herein deliuered in two positions The first drawn into an Obseruation Two extremes to be auoided Second thing considerable in this fourth point of Church-gouernment viz. that there is not any one particular forme of Church-gouernment for euery particular set downe in Scripture The fifth thing considerable in Church-gouernment The whole forme of Church-gouernment consisteth of three principals First the dutie or actions to be done in Church-gouernment and they are sixe principall Vid. separat sâ—bisâ— 137. The second duties to be done Vid. Zegred 120. The third sort of duties to be done The fourth sort of workes to be done Church censures Reasons of this How to proceed â—â— this The 〈◊〉 dutyâ— The sixth duty The second principle whereupon Church-gouernment consisteth viz. the Persons or Officers that are to performe this duty generally Church-officers must haue two things First they must be qualified with a competent measure of gifts Secondly they must be lawfully appointed to such offices Particularly What these Officers are First Bishops First their name Secondly their office consisting in two things First in ordaining Ministers The obiection that the Apostles did ordaine as Apostles not as Bishops and Timothy and Titus as Euangelists not as Bishops answered Secondly in redressing things amisse Secondly Presbyters Their office first generally Secondly more particularly Thirdly Doctors Fourthly gouerning Elders Fifth deacons Philip preached and baptized rather as hee was an Euangelist than a Deacon Sixthly widdowes Eighthly the christian Magistrate wherein first that hee is a Church Officer Secondly wherein this office consisteth First generally Secondly particularly in fiue things The third pillar whereupon the Church-gouernment consisteth viz. the Rules and Lawes by which the Gouernours are to be directed And they are reduced to three heads
to be diuorced and cut off as a filthy Strumpet The Popish plea for Images that they doe not worship the Image but God in and by the Image Answdred The heathen made images of the true God The resembâ—ing of the inuisible God in any made Image is flat Idolatry The Papists doe worship the Image The Popish distinction giuing the lesser honor to the Image the greater to God Answered Papists giue the greater worship to the bread in the Sacrament to the wooden crosse to the Image of God and Christ The fourth head of the errors of the church of Rome in Doctrine viz. concerning Iustification The difference betweene the Papists saying we are iustified by grace and the Apostles saying so The second thing wherein the church of Rome erreth viz. in maâ—ter of practice and this is twofold first in the carriage of Gods worship and this is shewed first in the generall Gods worship as it is carried by the popish faction is fitter for man yea for an Idoll then for the true and euâ—â—lâ—uing God First it is a caâ—â—all seruice â—ull of â—ites and Ceremonies And most agreeable to flesh and blood The Papists giue but the blood of the body for the sinne of the soule Naturall men had rather be scourged then vndertake the spirituall combate Secondly they haue a wil-worship for the most part of their owne deuising Thirdly they haue policy in their Religion for the maintenance of their outward state Secondly in the particular parts of it First in respect of the Word first it is obscured Secondly little or seldome preached amongst the Papists The people kept from the Word amoÌ„gst the Papists Secondly in respect of the Sacraments First in respect of the number of them and so those that Christ neuer ordained Secondly in respect of those which Christ did ordaine they are full of abominations as first Baptisme Secondly in the Lords supper in the very soâ— and heaâ—â— Thirdly in respect of their Discipline The Papists haue scarce any thing sound in their Discipline Fourthly in respect of their prayers they are corrupt first in that they are made to Saints and not to God alone secondly in that they are made in an vnknowne tongue Things are farre worse now in the popish church in diuers respects The second thing wherin the Church of Rome erres in matters of practise viz. in matter of manners The corruptions of the Church of Rome in matter of manners are in a manner heathnish and such as they maintaine to be lawfull Particular errors of the Papists maintained 1. equiuocation and mentall reseruation 2 disobedience to superiors 3. treasons and murthers of Kings and Princes No people or state in the world matcheth the Church of Rome with the defence and practise of so many villanies as she doth defend and practise Cruelties exercised by the Iesuits vpon the Indians The second branche of the Doctrine No communion to bee had with the Church of Rome without certaine danger of our soules Vses of both branches together No reconciliation to bee dreamed on betwixt Papists and vs. They will not yeeld to vs we must not yeeld to them Our separation from the Church of Rome iustified No Schisme to separate from the Church of Rome Except 1. Answ 1 Except 2. Answ What we are to thinke of such aâ— continule in the Church of Rome The second part of the distribution of the Westerne churches viz the Reformed Churches 1 Why they be called Reformed Churchches First of the causes of Reformation Secondly of the manner of reformation and herein 5. things The reason why these churches are called Protestant Churches These reformed churches are more or lesse reformed Churches accounted more reformed Churches accounted lesse reformed and therrein first of the Lutheran churches and herein of 3. things concerning them First of their difference in opinion The second thing concerning the Lutheran churches viz. the tumulâ—s and vnnaturall contentions raised betwixt vs and them The Lutherans more bitter against vs then against the Papists And heerein first what exceptions the Papists take against vs for them Answered diuersly SecoÌ„dly what vses we are to make of these differences The third thing concerning the Lutheran churches is what wee are to esteeme of them The second sort of Churches accounted reformed viz. our owne Church The Church of England if a true and sound Church too in some good measure The whole company of Professors in England make one nationall Church And this speech iustified by 3 reasons It is a true Church Reasons to proue it to be a sound visible Church in some good measure The Separatists exceptions Except 1â— Answ Except 2. Answ Aynsw 11. Aynsw 25.26 Except 1 Answ Except 2. Exept 3. Ob Answ Vse 1. for instruction diuersly We may safely communicate ioyne with the Church of England Motiues to moue to ioyne with our Church 2 things taught in this vse viz. Thankfulnes in two respects Third thing in this vse Second vse of reproofe Wherein two sorts of Aduersaries are reprooued 3. the Papists Our Church and religion is warranted against the Papists by prouing that our reliâ—ion is better then the religion of the Church of Rome which is proued by the callâ—ng out of six or seuen of the principall differences betweene them and vs. weighed by foure ballances The points which are weighed and wherby the triall is made are 1. weighed in the first ballance viz. Gods glory The second Instance weighed by the first Ballance The third Instance weighed by the first ballance The fourth Instance weighed by the same ballance The fifth Instance ballanced by the same rule The sixth instance tryed by the same rule The last instance tryed by the same rule The same things tryed in the second ballance viz. Gods Word The first instance tryed by the second rule The second instance tryed by the second rule The third instance tryed by the second rule The fourth instance tryed by the second â—ule The fift instance tryed by the second rule The sixth instance tryed by second â—rule The seuenth Instance tried by the second rule The same things tried in the third balâ— The fift instance tryed by the third rule The sixt instance tryed by the third rule The 7. instance tryed by the third rule The same things tryed by the fourth rule viz. comfort of conscience The first instance tryed by the fourth rule The second instance tryed by the fourth rule The third instance tryed by the fourth rule The fourth instance tryed by the fourth rule The fifth Instance tryed in the fourth rule The sixth instance tryed by the fourth rule The seuenth Instance tried by the fourth rule Secondly this vse is for reproofe of separatists their exceptions briefly answered 1. Except Your Church hath a false constitution Answ both consequence and antecedent be false What constitution signifieth The second exception that wee haue a false gouernment and therfore a false Church Answ both consequence and antecedent be false The third exception gainst our Seruice that wee haue a false Seruice Answ Fourthly against our stinted praieâ—s answered The fift exception against our Ministery that wee haue a false Ministery answered The sixth exception that wee haue a false people answered