point I shall speake somewhat in the next part Thus much shall suffice to haue spoken of him which sitteth on the horse which is Iesus Christ our king and onely captaine The next and last generall head to be spoken of is the armie of Christ The beast and his armies fight against Christ and his armie The Church of Christ is called by many names but here in the matter and time of warre it is called an armie Likewise Salomon sayth of it that it is terrible as an armie with banners Paul vsing the same Metaphore will haue vs put on the armour of light and saieth that the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mightie through God to cast downe holdes and willeth vs to put vpon vs the whole armour of God that we may be able to stand against the assaults of the deuill and of himselfe he witnesseth that he had fought a good fight and finished his course So that there is a warre and armour and weapons and fighting that belongeth to gods people and they altogether make an armie The Church of England is an excellent and noble band of this armie Wee are Christs souldiers we beare his colours he rideth before vs and among vs vpon the white horse he is our captaine and we are his armie Two kinds of enemies we haue that labour to perswade thēselues the world that we are not Christs armie the Papists and the Barrowists Against the Papists we haue maintained that the sound teaching of the word of God and the lawfull administration of his Sacraments are the most sure ensignes whereby his armie is knowen and that we haue these among vs and they are effectuall in vs. When we allege that which Christ saith My sheepe heare my voyce and a strangers voyce they will not heare That which Esaie hath To the lawe and to the testimonie if they answere not according to this it is because there is no light in thē When we allege these and the like places we obtaine that the true and sound setting forth of the worde of God is a most certaine signe and note of the Church That which Paul hath If any man preach another gospel let him be accursed That which Iohn saith He that abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God and if any man bring not the doctrine of Christ receaue him not declareth that a false doctrine of the gospel and Christ destroyeth the Church especially if the errour be in the foundation which is our iustification by faith in Christ and all those things which doe necessarily depend vpon it Therefore the Apostle saith Other foundation can no man lay then that which is layed euen Iesus Christ And againe Ye are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone For this cause Paul doth so carefully and oft stand vpon the clearing of this article of our iustification by faith in Christ in so manie of his Epistles The true doctrine of the Gospel is thus founde to be the note yea and seede of the Church That the right and lawfull administration of the Sacraments pertaineth to the description and declaration of the Church we may easisily confirme Our Sauiour ioyneth the Sacraments to the worde Goe teach all nations baptizing them The Apostle doeth the like when hee sayeth Christ hath clensed his Church by the washing of water through the worde And of the other Sacrament it is sayde Doe this in remembraunce of mee And drinke yee all of this And the first Church gathered together after Christes ascension is thus described They that gladly receaued his worde were baptized and the same day there were added to the Church about three thousand soules and they continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and praiers These things by the benefite of God we haue the trueth of the Gospell and the whole new and olde Testament in all points of substance of doctrine truly taught and set footh in this lande the sacraments also are rightly administred Wherefore we haue the true notes of the Church These are the true notes of the Church such notes as are also causes of it for the word and sacraments doe beget and nourish faith by which we are vnited to Christ as to the heade Many other things agree to the Church as good workes mutuall loue true repentance shunning of idolatrie a right inuocation of the name of God and the like But these are partes and effects and ornaments of the former and concurre together with them for the word taught must be vnderstood to be fruitfull and so the sacraments to worke in mens soules and both to be of power or els they are no longer tokens to vs that wee are of the Church of God These things thus vnderstood are the true and sufficient markes whereby he that hath spirituall eyes may see the Church of God These by the speciall working of Iesus Christ we yet retaine in such sorte as they bring foorth fruite in mens hearts and liues God grant they may continue with vs and be more effectuall to worke amendment in all As for those marks wherby the Papists would haue the Church to be discerned they are deceitfull they can not point it out Antiquitie hath erred Vniuersalitie hath bin corrupted Vnitie may be in falshood Succession in place may be without succession in trueth their other marks are of like nature The worde and Sacraments rightly set forth and receaued and bringing forth fruite can neuer deceaue vs but bring vs directly to the true Church of Iesus Christ. But what shal we say to them that make discipline a necessarie marke of the Church because our Sauiour saith Baptize them teaching thē to obserue whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you The obseruation that our Sauiour speaketh of is not of some certaine forme of outward gouernement but generally of obedience to faith to loue and to the whole lawe and Gospell As for that discipline by Elders in euery parish it will not be found in those wordes of Christ. The Church can not well stand without all ecclesiasticall gouernement Yet it seemeth it did so stand in the captiuitie of Babylon but without that forme it may very well stand and florish and so hath done in this and former ages in many places Wherefore the worde and sacraments remaine as the markes in generall whereby the Church may be discerned But the Barrowists and such of whome they haue learned their principles descend into a more speciall and neere description of the Church The worde and Sacramentes are not such notes with them as can point out a Church What then is the Church of Christ in their account diuerse of them haue gone about to describe it but one especially would seeme to doe it most fully therefore he describeth it in these wordes at large The true planted and rightly established Church of Christ is a companie of faithful people separated from the
Church altogether Nowe then how shall we knowe whether a thing be popish and Antichristian or no By the names that can not be Names of their nature be indifferent the thinges contained in the names as they are vsed of vs must be examined And how shall we finde whether they bee popish and Antichristian If they serue to promote poperie then are they popish then are they Antichristian But if they further Christs glorie his kingdome then may they bee retained in the Church of Christ and we hauing them bee his Church Therefore if none of these offices nor courtes nor Ministers helpe to maintaine idolatrie or the Popes supremacie or mens traditions against the written worde or free wil against the grace of Christ or mens merites against iustification by faith or the Idole and sacrifice of the Masse or pilgrimages or purgatorie or prayer for the dead or auricular confession or satisfactions for sinnes by penance or indulgences or the keeping of the worde of God from the people in an vnknowen tongue or such like if they doe not maintaine vice nor iniustice nor heresie among vs but are directed to roote out poperie to keepe vs in the true faith to aduance the worde of God to establish our iustification by faith to further repentance and good workes to punish sinne to define that which is equall and right to keepe the common peace of the Churche then are they not popish seeing they are bent and exercised to the ruine of poperie but they are Christian and holie and appertaining to the Church of Christ for as much as they further the kingdome and glorie of Christ our Sauiour All that are zealous striue for two thinges wherein all men are to put to their helpe by counsel by credite by authoritie by power and by all lawfull meanes that bee in them One that the worde of God maye bee more diligently and commonly taught the other that sinne may bee more seuerely and generally punished If these two may by this gouernement bee more set forwarde much of these troubles and contentions will be easier stopped There is no fault in the names or in the offices but they may helpe forward these or any good things Wherfore they be not simplie popish or Antichristian but in the abuse they were in the right vse they are now holie Christianlike Now let vs see what scripture doth condemne these names and offices Two places are brought out against thē One out of the Psalme The kings of the earth band themselues and the princes are assembled together against the Lord and against his Christ let vs breake their bands and cast their cords from vs. But do our gouerners all the people in this estate band themselues against the Lord and against his Christ doe they not band themselues for the glorie of the Lorde and of Iesus Christ It might be done I knowe more plentifullie yet this gouernement setteth forth Christ onely to vs with his benefits to saluation Christs deitie Christs gospel Christs sacrifice Christs iustice Christs kingdome by this is aduanced Wherefore they band not themselues against Christ neither do they say let vs breake their bands cast their cordes frō vs but rather they willinglie receaue the bands yea the chaines of Christ if neede be We are contēt that his lawe binde our feete hands eyes and hearts also but we cast off their bands because we cast away their gouernement by Elders They are not the bandes of Christ they are but small threeds that wil easily bee broken Luke 19.14 The other place which they alleage against those titles offices is in Luke Now his citizens hated him and sent an embassage after him saying we wil not haue this man to reigne ouer vs. These places that were spoken of the obstinate Iewes that hated the name faith of Christ of the heathen idolaters that worshipped false Gods and would not acknowledge Christ to be God of the Mahometicall sect that reiect Christs gospel denie his redēption of the Antichristian popish rable which keepe his name and denie his efficacie sufficiencie in redeeming vs those I saye they bring against them that acknowledge all which they thēselues doe for sufficiencie of saluatiō for infalliblenes of his truth and for all his benefites onelie because wee yeeld not to thē for a certaine forme of outward gouernment But they must proue more euidentlie that those thinges are euill or else we will not be terrified by those places but that we may safelie say that that true Church of Iesus Christ is with vs euen in this gouernmēt To returne againe to their other notes which remaine whereby they will describe a visible church of Christ they say that Christs Church must be gouerned by his own lawes takē out of the olde newe Testament and no other They thinke as it seemeth that no lawes neede more to be made for any thing but that the lawes of Moses shoulde stand be sufficient to determine all matters Or if for ciuil matters they will admit more yet for punishments in matters Ecclesiasticall it is certaine they will acknowledge no more nor anie other Their groundes for this opinion are these scriptures First out of Saint Matthewe Mat. 17.5 This is my beloued sonne heare him It extendeth to matters of doctrine and saluation and all that hee hath taught but not to matters of gouernement Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall in particular For hee hath not made such lawes The next is out of the Epistle to the Hebrewes Heb. 3.6 Hee is Lorde of the house 1. Cor. 2.16 therefore hee is to bee obeyed in so much as hee hath set downe Particular ordināces he hath not prescribed for gouernmēt but left it free Thē they bring this out of the Epistle to the Corinthians We haue the minde of Christ hee meaneth for matters of saluation and the worship of God but not for particular actions that must be considered in gouernement After this commeth that to the Galathians Gal. 3.15 A mans testament when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate or addeth to it Paul speaketh of iustification by faith whereto works as a cause of iustification must not be added nothing there of outward gouernement Now as for their other places 1. Tim. 6.13 they inferre not that in the worde are sufficient lawes set downe for all thinges but that such as are commanded should be obserued as that to Timothie I charge thee that thou keep the commandement without spot and vnrebukeable vntil the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ That which Paul hath set downe as a commandement to be kept or hath so declared that must be kept for euer But who can saye that Paul hath set downe lawes for all things in that Epistle Ephe. 4.11 And that to the Ephesians doth not conclude their purpose Hee hath giuen Apostles for the worke of the Ministerie and gathering together of the Saintes til we all meete
of the obseruation of dayes and ceremonies of the lawe with opinion of necessitie to saluation iustification we repose neither saluation nor iustification in any ceremony or outward thing which we vse not in the gouernment not in apparel this or that In the vse of them our minds are free The like meaning hath that to the Collossians Collos 2.20 If yee bee dead with Christ from the ordinances of the worlde why as though yee liued in the world are yee burthened with traditions There is no tradition in our Church that can be a burthen to a mans conscience being rightly taken seeing there is no idolatrous tradition among vs nor any ioyned with opinion of necessitie or worship of God or merite to saluation But in those things the soule is left free to depend wholly vpon Iesus Christ The like meaning hath that to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 7.23 Yee are bought with a price bee not the seruauntes of men Paul condemneth not obedience in things lawfull but in voluntarie worshippe And as for vs we place no necessary part of Gods worship in the traditions of any mē The booke of cōmon praier is not reckoned so necessary as if God were not otherwise rightly worshipped neither yet absolutely as meere traditions of men for as much as it is either scripture or agreeable vnto scripture Outward ceremonies are retained for order but no part of Gods worship placed either in crosse or garment To these places of scripture as of like nature may be ioyned that of the Actes Acts 4.19 Wee ought rather to obey God then men that is whē they cōmand things contrary But in the gouernmēt or in the ministery or in Gods worship or in the admission of men to the sacraments the lawes of this land doe not commaund things contrary to God for any thing that we haue yet found Last of all for our bondage Apoc. 14.19 they produce first the Reuelation where it sayeth If any man worshippe the beast or his image The gouernment by Byshops they take to be the image of the beast They were we confesse so to be accounted while they maintained the Pope and his lawes but now they are not so when they are set to further the Gospell and truth of Christ These are the places by which they would conuince vs to be in bondage But the Scriptures by which they chalenge their large and infinite liberty are these Ioh. 8.33 first that of Iohn Ye shall knowe the trueth and the trueth shall make you free Christ speaketh of freedome not from lawes and Magistrates and Ecclesiasticall gouernment but from sinne and Satan for he sayth He that committeth sinne is the seruaunt of sinne The next that is pretended to speake for their liberty is Paul to the Galathians Gal. 4.6 Ierusalem which is aboue is free which is the mother of vs all Paul disputeth of our freedome from the curse of the lawe and from circumcision and other ceremonies so that the curse is not to be feared of vs that are made free by Christ nor iustification to be sought by the ceremonies of the lawe nor any part of Gods worshippe to be reposed any longer in them And the same is his purpose in the fift Chapter when he sayth Stand fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free This is the freedome of conscience the libertie from the curse pronounced by the lawe and from the ceremonies thereof with opinion of worshippe or merite of saluation Thus are we free We are vnder a gouernement and haue some fewe ceremonies but we neither count them parts of Gods worship nor any cause of our iustification or saluation Thus our minds are free although our bodies be bound in an outward obedience They may therefore become subiect with vs to this gouernment and yet inioy due Christian libertie The tenth and last note of their Church is this that it must haue the power that Christ hath giuen to his Church to the worlds end and all the powers in earth and hell cannot take from them namely to bind and loose and to reforme things that are amisse Which power they say we haue not For our assemblies as they iudge cast out Satan by the power of Satan namely say they by these impes of Antichrist the Byshops Commissaries and Priests These be their words Then if they say true in deed in this Church gouernement we haue no binding sinners and loosing them that doe repent but by the deuill Let vs see what binding or loosing the church of God should haue and how farre that which we haue is wanting and disagreeing from the trueth The power giuen to the Church in this respect they affirme to becōtained in these places which follow Psal 149. First in the Psalme when it is said To bind their Kings in chaines their nobles in fetters of yron This place seemeth properly to be vnderstood not of Ecclesiastical censures but of outward victory gotten by the sword against Gods enemies by his people after their oppression This God giueth oftentimes to his Church and hath his name be praysed giuen already vnto vs God graunt when need shall require we may obtaine it hereafter The next place by which they chalenge this power is in Matthewe If hee will not heare them Mat. 18.17 tell it to the Church and if hee refuse to heare the Church also let him be vnto thee as an heathen man and as a publicane By the Church might here be vnderstood the gouernors to whō this authority should be committed of the church or els the whole assembly speaking by the voice of one or fewe for the declaration of the obstinacie and damnable state of such an one but as for a presbyterie in euerie congregation it cannot serue seeing if it be spoken by relation to the practise of the Iewes they had no such thing but in Ierusalem in one citie one assemblie one consistorie of such iudgement for all After this they seeke somewhat for their excommunicating presbytery in Luke Luk. 10.19 Behold I giue vnto you power to treade on serpents and scorpions and ouer all the power of the enemie and nothing shall hurt you This was a miraculous gift conferred vpon the Apostles both for their preseruation and the glorie of Iesus Christ as Paul by the viper hanging on his hand receyued no hurt The thinges going before are referred to the power of the word beating down Satan from the soules of men As for excommunication or punishing the wicked by censures this pertaineth not to that That to the Corinths maketh the most shewe for their purpose When ye are gathered together and my spirite by the power of our Lord Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 5.4 let such a one be deliuered vnto Satan But this maketh against that which they seeke seemeth to fauour that order which we haue For Paul being one man alone did decree this sentence The Church was to declare it But