by persons who possibly never shall be saved and therefore who have not any saving grace The visible Church consisteth of good and bad as at the beginning we see it did in Cain and Abel whereupon our Saviour compareth the Church to a net in which are fishes good and bad But I shall conclude the matter out of doubt with the observation made for us by the industrious exposition of the English Articles The members of the visible Church it saith are some of them for God and some against God all of them not withstanding deemed parts of the Church so long as they make no manifest and open rebellion against the Gospel which also addes that the Churches bear witnesse hereunto referring us to confes l. Hel. v. 1. Art 14. and 2. c. 17. Bohem. c. 8. Gal. Art 11. Wittimb Art 32. Survic Art 15. whereunto I also refer my Reader CHAP. XXIII The judgement of the Brownists and of our Church against them herein THe third more special occasion exacting the judgement of the Church herein was given by the Brownists whereupon we shall briefly note two things to serve us in our passage 1. That it was the opinion of the Brownists that the essence of the visible Church consisted in saving grace contrary to what I am labouring to prove 2. That this was judged an errour and a great part of the errour of Brownisme as such by the eminent patrons of our Church and truth in that generation going onely before as in the present designe 1. That this was the opinion of the Brownists indeed viz. that the essence of the visible Church carrieth in it saving grace most plentifully appears by their asserting owning and pleading for the same in all their writings witnesse Smith Barrow Ainsworth Robinson Johnson and Cann c who tell us Defence of the churches p. 17 their Apol. p. 44 counterpoison p. 115. and 200 Barrows true description of the visible church p. 2 Principles and infer p. 8. 10 that the Church is a separated company of righteous men from the open wicked men of the world and that it cannot consist of all sorts good and bad in which no unclean thing or person entreth that keepeth the unity of faith in the bond of peace and love unseigned that is a company of faithful people that truely worship Christ and readily obey him a company of Converts a visible communion of Saints that is such as are separate from all known sinne practising the whole will of God known growing in grace and knowledge and continuing to the end And more fully and accurately let Smith be heard once more in the name of the rest the true forme of a true visible Church saith he is partly inward and partly outward the inward Princ. inf p. 11 part of the forme consisteth in three things 1. The Spirit 2. Faith 3. Love The Spirit is the soul animating the whole body faith uniteth the members of the body to the head Christ Jesus love uniteth the members of the body each to other the outward part thereof is a vow promise oath or Covenant betwixt God and the Saints 2. Now that this was held the errour of the Brownist and a part of their Brownisme and that it was not the allowed opinion of the true Church especially in England appeares abundantly in the disputations of all our Divines against them wherein we find these two propositions irrefragably proved 1. That an Assembly may be a true visible Church though its worship be very corrupt 2. That persons may be members of the visible Church by professing the true Religion though without sincere grace or holy life the latter of which is directly for us and in defence whereof Dayrel so smartly replied to Mr. Ainsworth you speak saith he you know not what for herby you imply a true visible Dayr p. 36 37 Church is a company of people professing and practicing such things as will bring them to salvation Whereupon it follows that there is no hypocrite in the visible Church for whose practice is answerable to his holy profession he is no hypocrite nor reprobate or any that shall be damned and thus you unawares confound the visible and the invisible Church Johnson himself testifieth thus much on our behalf even while he His defence of the churches and Ministry of England p. 71. saieth his accusation against us the forward preachers of England as he pleaseth to call them teach saith he that the true visible Church of Christ is not a separated company of righteous men from the open wicked of the world but may consist of people good and bad Neither may we think that that this was the doctrine of the Episcopal A book by sundry godly and learned Ministers standing out suffering in the cause of non conformity party alone for the very non-conformists have a book extant intended purposely against the separation and therein neere the beginning of that book they openly acquit themselves of and charge Barrow and the old Separatists with this errour that they held the visible Church to be a company of faithful people that truely worship Christ and readily obey him CHAP. XXIV Seven Arguments yet further proving that the judgement of the Church hath alwayes been on our side introduced by two Objections THere is a twofold distinction by some made use of to evade or weaken the authority aforesaid 1. It is urged that some eminent Divines assert that hypocrites are onely equivocè and not verè of the visible Church But hereunto we need only remember what hath formerly been I think truely observed that such Divines understand by Church in the proposition the Church of the saved which they themselves usually called the Church Catholick or the Church inviand none can doubt but such Church-membership is predicable of hypocrite onely nominally or equivocally and not really 2. It is also pleaded that some as eminent affirme and teach that hypocrites are onely in the Church not of the Church But * This tenent may seeme to cross many of our own Dâ—vines in their writings against the Papists but indeed it doth onely seem so for it is manifest that the Church which they intend is not the same with this which I have to deal withal for they speak of the Chuâ—ch catholick consisting only of the Elect. Hudson his Epistle Here we may fairly understand our Divines to meane the visible Church in the former and the invisible Church in the latter branch of this distinction q. d. they are in the visible When Willet had let fall that expression that wicked men are in but not of the Church he presently corrected himself adding yea they wicked men may be members of the visible church for a time Gen. 2. contro of the church p 62 Church but not of the Church invisible as the number of the saved Or as before we received from Doctor Field We are to take them as intending onely when
it is a genus or a compositum of Heresie and Schisme 203 204 The onely ebjection Artificially framed against my main conclusion answered 105 c. Augustines judgement about the point discovered 151 152 Authour of the Church viz. God may be so considered without the bestowing of saving grace p. 43. Amesius asserts both the Catholick and particular Church to be integral p. 6. his difference 'twixt ecclesia in genere and ecclesia Catholica 5 B Baptisme the right of some gracelesse parents children p. 212 213. as also of the openly profane p. 213 to 217. as also of the excommunicate and such as receive not the Supper 217. Baptisme enters into some kinde of right unto all other Ordinances proved 257 258 259 Beleeving is Virtual Actual p. 29 30 Bound some are passively whom they do not actively binde themselves 97. The Brownists held that saving grace was essential to the visible Church which our Church adjudged an error in them 156 157 The Brownist objection against our Churches answered p. 208 209 210 C What Censures are 284 Censure are two Admonition and Excommunication 285 Before Censures are past we may not account the scandalous to be without 289 290 We are bound to proceed against the scandalous in a way of Censure 291 292 Members are froward to censure 292 The great hindrance of reformation 293 The Called and the Church are of equal latitude The Elect are members of the Church onely as called 36 Some non-Elect yet called in Christs account 36 and 38 Calling is Active direct Passive reflex Partialis this Totalis 65 How the common call is effectual with an Apology for the terme 36 37 38 The common call a true call proved 38 The Causes of the Church have no necessary respect to saving grace 42 c. The summe of the Argument from the causes 97 The Church is an individual integrum p. 4. and totum aggregativum The Churches being consisteth not in consideration onely 20 The onely true Church the reformed sense about it 105 c. The excommunicate are of the Church and have both habitual and actual communion with it 194 Communion in Ordinances fitter to define the Church by then personal qualifications 87 to 92. shewn by seven considerations Community yet more necessary 93 94 95 96. proved by six Reasons Conference why desired with all our people 279. and why before the Sacrament rather then at any other time 280. why not before every administration 280 Consent is given by seeming dissenters that the command to receive is mediate 236 237 Consent how far necessary to ones being in Covenant 187 Consent negative keeps men in Covenant 188 What is constitutive of visible membership Mr. Cottons and Mr. Hudsons answer to this considered The Covenant of the Church considered 96 97 98. little reason to dispute much about it 98 Covenant is implicite or actual an actual Covenant is mental or vâ—cal called expresse 98 Knowledge dark and general consistent with being in Covenant 188 189 Church is taken strictly largely the Church largely taken is so comparative and absolute by the Reformed Divines 109 111 Confirmation not used as a new admission into the Church 138 Ours are true Churches and rightly constitute 204 c. In what Court is self-examination to be held Our Churches are made up of three sorts of people a middle and two extreams 296 D Denying the Supper to some the negative and positive grounds of it 259 to 271 Definitions of the visible Church given us by the reformed Divines take not in saving grace 100 c. One definition may be given to the Church as largely taken and another as strictly taken and yet there may be but one Church 116 117 118 Divorce is given by God to men either mediately or immediately and both two wayes 196 197 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 1 Cor. 11. 28. largely examined 241 to 249 Dogmatical faith meerly is not sufficient to entitle to membership 118 Dogmatical faith is the proper principle of profession of faith yet none ever really professed the Doctrine of faith but he hath something of an Applicative faith common or saving 62 We may not proceed against wicked members but by discipline 283 E Ecclesia aequivoca shut out of this controversie 21 22 The Efficient of the visible Church may be considered without respect to saving grace 42 c. The proper end of the Visible Church is cultus gloriae Dei and is attainably without saving grace 46 47 48 49 Evidence of Church-membership what giveth it to others 181 182 226 Evidence of saving grace not necessary upon the examining our selves to warrant our coming to the Supper proved 245 to 249 The Excommunicate are members more then potentia or conditionaliter 192. they have both habitual and actual coÌ„munion with the Church 194 They may be known to be Church-members 182 183 Self-Examination what it is not p. 240 241. What it is p. 241 In what court it is held p. 242 243 244 245. What is the necessary issue of it p. 246 247 248 Who are to be judged not to examine themselves 268 269 270 Saving grace not of the Essence yet of the excellency of the visible Church 32 33 F Faith is True and saving True and not saving p. 28 Faith true and not saving proved 81 to 86 Faith is Virtual Actual p. 29 Some do not actually beleeve others renounce the faith 29 30 Some do formally and some onely by consequence deny the faith 31 32 Faith is Relative Qualitative p. 83 Relative or foederal faith is seated in the childe and not in the parent 83 84 The visible Church hath a real constitutive form not depending upon saving grace 65 1. This forme is not external vocation 65 66. 2. Nor external profession pag 66 67 3. Nor faith 70 But community respecting communion in Gods worship 70 to 74 That which partakes of the accidental Forme of any thing must needs partake also of the essential forme of that thing 68 69 G God himself is pleased to give many titles to wicked men equivalent to Church-member 126 to 133 God the Authour of the Church may be considered to be so without the bestowing of saving grace 43 44 H Heresie cutteth off from the Church and when 198 199 200 Heresie how it differs from Apostasie 200 201 Hildershams Reasons pretended against the Baptizing of the children of wicked men examined and he found to hold that such children have a right to baptism 214 215 216 The Head of the visible Church viz. Christ may be considered to be such without respect to saving influence proved 45 c. and explained and Objections to it answered 51 52 53 54 Hypocrite what he is 32 We may not say that wicked men are hypocrites further then they are so 33 No Hypocrite as such can be a member of the Church either visible and invisible 33 Holinesse of life is a separable accidental note of a true visible Church 78 Foederal holinesse
whether the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without saving grace but without respect to saving grace For if the Church neither ever were nor yet is nor ever shall be or exist without this i. e. true saving grace it will not help or profit us much to finde whether it be so in our Consideration or not yet if it shall be proved that saving grace is verily Quarto modo neither of the essence or property of the Church it will thence easily follow that there is no contradiction in considering a Church to be truely such without it yea I suppose it will further follow that this visible Church so considered without saving grace hath not its being onely in reason or consideration but hath some foundation of being in re and is at least ens rationis ratiocinatae and so considered conceptu objectivo as the Metaphysicks speak Yea I know not but that happily it may claim one step further and be termed ens reale if we mean ens real potentiâ non actu but 3. The question lastly is not whether the visible Church may be i. e. actually without saving grace but whether it may be considered to be truely a Church without respect to saving grace that is whether saving grace be either of the essence or property of the Church or so neere unto the nature and being of it as that it cannot be conceived to be but respect must be had to saving grace this is the very sense of the question before us yet concerning this which is denyed to be our question viz. the actual being of the Church without saving grace I shall crave leave to expresse my self in a few particulars which I humbly conceive may have yet some further and direct subserviency to the cheering of my mind touching the question with which I shall conclude that word I readily grant that though saving grace be not of the essence or property of the visible Church yet saving grace is of the excellency bene esse of it but even therefore saving grace is denied to be necessary in our consideration of the nature and being of the visible Church A symmetry of part strength of body lively colour consistency of braine quicknesse of fancy soundnesse of minde retention of memory and good discourse all these are of the excellency and glory of a man yet not one of them require a necessary place in one consideration when we would conceive of his nature and property quatenus homo as he is a man for he may be a man without all these and therefore he may doubtlesse be conceived a man and truely without respect to any of them the application hereof to our present discourse is easily left to my Reader 2. I further grant that as it cannot be but that many individual men among the rest of the kinde will be thus excellently qualified as before so neither can it ever be but that many individual members of the visible Church shall be endued with saving grace according to that of Vrsin in ecclesia semper sunt aliqui Catech. p. 408 non omnes electi sancti 3. Yet I humble offer whether the cause of this impossibility may not be thought to lie rather in the will of God so determining and consequently be a thing extrinsecal to the being of the Church then in the nature of the Church or any thing intrinsecal thereunto and whether the visible Church might not for any thing in the nature thereof to the contrary be truely a Church of Christ though there should not be one member in it for a time savingly qualified though it be still granted that for the glory of grace the Lord hath so ordained that it never shall be actually so Even as to follow my present similitude it is impossible but there should be many wise and judicious men in the world yet this necessity lieth not in the nature of man but rather in the will of God that hath so ordained for the glory of his own name and the good of society in the world And if at last it issue thus I see not but that we may safely conclude the visible Church without saving grace to be in the former sense Ens reale id est potentia if he define ens reale well that saith it is quod habet esse ex parte Rei actu vel potentia seeing such a Church hath its being ex parte rei potentia and the onely reason why it hath not the same actualitèr is not ex parte rei sed ex parte Dei 4. Yet once more I humbly offer that seeing there may be a Corporation of men without one wise or learned man amongst them why may not there be a particular Church in the world without one member savingly qualified at least for some certaine space of time c Indeed Ames concludeth and doubtlesse soundly maximè probabile esse nullam dar◠c. that it is most probable that there is no particular Church where the profession of the true faith Medul de ecclesia flourisheth but that there are some therein that are true believers yet none can construe maximè probabile impossible to be otherwise and if it be most probable 't is not necessary and then the being of the Church dependeth not thereon but it may be without it for he that saith any thing is most likely to be even thereby intimates that that thing is not certaine to be and then it may not be and that is all I querie for Neither can those words of God to Paul for I have much people in this City inforce any such thing though we grant that much people to be the Elect for 1. These words carried extraordinary encouragement against the Vid. Act. 18. 9 10 extraordinary trials which that City had for Paul and therefore will conclude onely that in the like case where a Minister is called to much suffering he shall be an instrument of grace to much people 2. However much people might have been first wrought upon to an outward profession before this much people had been savingly converted and yet have been a true particular visible Church though it 's very unlikely that it was so SECT II. What grace is necessary to visible Church-membership There now seemeth but one intimation more requisite for the due explication of this last terme viz. that it is not question'd whether the visible Church may be so considered without respect to any grace but without respect to saving grace for it rather seemeth to imply some kind of grace is necessary and questioneth onely of that kind which is saving The question then here is how farre any kind of grace may be thought necessare to visible Church-membership or with what cautions we exclude that kind of grace which is saving there-from wherein I shall now betake my self to expliate my minde as plainly as I can in the following distinctions and conclude
their opinions with those that directly and in very termes renounce it so neither savours it of much charity or indeed justice that wicked men that directly professe the faith both vocally with their mouth and really by attending on the Ordinances of God be equally condemned with Apostates and Hereticks that rase the very foundation of all religion though in works they deny him Therefore such as stand baptized into the faith of Christ and yet remaine in visible Communion with the Church and do not renounce the faith of Christ either with their mouths or in the intent and purpose of their hearts cannot onely by their disobedience or wicked lives as I shall anon labour to prove unchurch themselves or declare themselves as some would rather say to be no true members of the visible Church There are in the Church such as 1. Seem and are not 2. Are and seem not 3. Are and seeme and Distinct 6 are none visi not seen 4. Are and seem and are seene also He that is and seemes not is a David in desertion he that seemes and is not is a Judas betraying with a kisse he that is and seemes and is not seen is a Saint in a cave he that is and seems and is seen also is I presume not onely the man savingly qualified professing the same before men but our ordinary professour and Church-member that usually attends upon visible communion with the Church though wanting saving grace The same persons in divers respects may seem to be what They are Distinct. 7 They are not Or the same persons may be said in one respect to be hypocrites and in another respect true beleevers so that though we are wont to condemn all for hypocrites that professe Religion without real holinesse yet I suppose I shall not erre if I say we ought to do it not without caution and limitation I confesse that if not all that thus professe Religion without saving grace yet most of them are hypocrites in that they pretend if not seem to be what they are not viz. savingly qualified and I humbly offer whether it be not in this sense that Divines generally charge such professours as have no saving grace with the sin of Hypocrisie even because they pretend to have that Mr. Perkins speaking of temporary beleevers on Luk. 8. 13. saith these though they are not sound yet they are void of that grosse kind of hypocrisie Their mindes are enlightned their hearts are endued with such faith as may bring forth these fruits for a time and therefore herein they dissemble not but rather shew that which they have His Ep. to the Reader before his Treatise tending unto a declaration of a mans estate grace and interest in Christ or as they would say in the true mysticall invisible Church which indeed they have not But let us seriously consider can either they or we with any colour of reason or justice adjudge men to be hypocrites farther then they are so or for professing themselves to be what indeed they are though also they should professe themselves to be what they are not may not men be so far illightened as to know and beleeve the Scriptures really and yet not be so far sanctified as to believe effectually to salvation and may he not professe this faith which he truely hath though he also professe and pretend to more and is he not a true beleever and a true professour so far as he hath though false and hypocritical in professing more and to be accounted a true Beleever as to the Church visible though a hypocrite as to the Church invisible A hypocrite is one that pretendeth or seemeth to be what he is not but when men that have no saving grace pretend or seeme to be visible Church-members relatively holy Gods Covenant-people common believers c. they pretend and seeme to be what in truth they are therefore thus farre they are no hypocrites but true beleevers so far as they truely beleeve and true men so far as they professe But what they thus truely believe and what they truely are The devil is an hypocrite while he professeth himself an Angel of light but when he acknowledgeth what he truely believeth that there is a God and that he is a fearful avenger of wicked spirits and that Christ is the Sonne of God c. in this the devil is no hypocrite so what is good in wicked men is still good and what is true in them is still true notwithstanding all the evil and falshood that they are guilty of Their hypocrisie in one respect cannot destroy their reality and truth in any other In a word a hypocrite as such cannot possibly be truely a member of any Church whether it be visible or invisible for that which is false as such can never be true so he that pretends to saving grace and interest in the Church invisible if his pretence to that saving grace be false his interest in this invisible Church cannot be true and likewise he that pretends to the common faith and yet doth really renounce it cannot possibly be a true member of the visible Church yet one that is an hypocrite as to the Church invisible may in another sense be a true beleever and have a real interest in the visible Church accordingly CHAP. IV. Arg. 1. From the Etymology or the Name of the Church HItherto of the Termes of the question and the sense thereof by what I have already intimated I am bound to adhere unto the affirmative part which turneth it selfe into this Thesis The visibly Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace Thus I shall now proceed as the Lord shall assist me to prove from these five considerable places or heads of Argument viz. the Etymology of the Church visible Causes of the Church visible Definition of the Church visible Testimony on my side Absurdity on the contrary First then as method requires we shall set down the Etymology of the Church and argue from it The name or word signifying Church in the Greek original which is generally allowed to be argued from is known to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which primitively derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and more immediately from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contained in it both Calling and calling out a right improvement of each of these I presume wil help us with its Argument SECT I. My first Argument then ariseth from the calling that we find Arg. 1 included in the name and is indeed inseparable from the nature Primum illud quod actu eccle siam constituit est vocatio unde nomen definitionem suam accepit ecclesia enim est coetus hominum vocatorum Med. 161 162 Inter Orthodoxos qui ecclesiam definium coetum electorum vel per electos intelligunt secundum electionem vocatos vel non ecclesiam quae actu existit Medul 161 of the Church thus Arg. 1. The Church
it for me it was noted before Apol. p. 88. that he allowed us the former branch of the distinction viz. vocation unâ—ffectual as common to Pagans and again in terminis he affords the latter viz. vocation which is effectual only to bring men to an outward profession which he also saith is larger then Election 4. Lastly I acknowledge 't is the sense of the distinction and not the terms I contest for and if I may be granted that let these be censured as my reader pleaseth 2. Now that this external or more properly common call is truely a call and that those that are called therewith are truely called though not savingly appeareth thus 1. This was the called which our Saviour affirmeth the many were called withal For first these were called not with the calling common to Heathens onely nor with that calling which is proper to the Elect therefore they were called according to that only branch remaining viz. the common effectual call which brought them into the visible Church 1. This Call cannot be meant of the uneffectual call common to Heathens these words of Christ many are called are the close of two Parables Matth. 20. 16. and 22. 14. the one of labourers called to the vine-yard the other of guests called to the feast and in both applyed to them that answered to the call that came and laboured in the vine-yard that came with other bidden ones to the feast and not to those that refus'd 2. Neither yet can it be meant of the saving effectual Call for we see it is applied by Christ unto more then are capable of saving vocation more then are Elected as before was noted therefore it must needs be meant of that which is termed an effectual call opposed to that which is ineffectual and a common call opposed to that which is more then common viz. saving 2. This must needs be truely a call because it is the same call which the Elect partake of I grant rhe Elect partake of an higher call viz. a saving which the reprobate never enjoy yet the Elect have the same call which the reprobate have as seemes clearly to be collected from the words before us for the few chosen are apparently included in the many called they were all called and but few of them chosen 3. This common Call is a true effect therefore also truely a call yea a divine effect a work of God himself and that he is Vocatio communis est actio Dei Instit p. 109 pleased to efficere as Trelcatius speaks who further and more expressely termes it Gods action therefore doubtlesse not counterfeit but true in its kind 4. This common call is also a true cause and therefore it must needs prove it self to have a true being to be truely a call in its kinde for nihil agit quod non est It is a true cause for it worketh true effects persons by this common call are truely brought out of the world of infidels and united to the visible people and Church of God to own and professe Jesus Christ to attend upon the wayes and Ordinances of his worship to see some necessity of faith and repentance and of yeelding obedience to the Gospel of Christ as Trelcatius aptly asserts vocatio communis est Actio Dei gratiosa qua homines ab infidelitate ad fidem evecat Instit p. 109. 5. In this common call are both the necessary parts of a Duo enim haec concurrere necesse est ut vocatio sit efficax vocationem Dei nostram ad illam vocationem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu relationem p. 222. true Call truely and really therefore the totum also Trelcatius teacheth that two things concurre to make a call effectual or true the call on Gods part and the answer on ours so that all those that do answer the call wherewith God calleth them truely and really in aâ—y measure are so far truely and really called of God though not fully and savingly as the Elect regenerate are But now none can doubt but that men by this common call alone may and do answer the call of God truely and really in a great measure as before is noted therefore the common call is truely and really such CHAP. V. Arg. 2. From the Etymology or the name of the Church WE now descend to the second Argument offered us from Ecclesia ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name of the Church as it is more immediately derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and denoteth a calling out But that we may lay the foundation well before we begin to build there are three things to be truely premised before we fix the Argument 1. That this Etymology of the word doth not in the least contradict but most evidently perfect and compleat the former for by the former the Church is concluded to be called in a general and simple sense and by this the Church which was thus before said to be called is in a more strict close and respective sense said to be called out where we have plainly intimated to us that there is some special term place or state out of which or from which it is called 2. That this Etymology is generally allowed by those that we Etymologicè ecclesia est coetus publicaÌ„ autoritate evocatus de eccles p. 214. finde most accurate upon this subject Etymologicè saith Trelcatius the Church is a company called out by publick authority and pasor doth not onely derive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evoco but even renders the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine by Caetus Evocatus which is in plaine English a company called out 3. That this calling out which we finde in the name of the Church doth not so properly or exactly note the inward state from which as the outward caetus or society out of which it is called which will be easily granted me to be the world therefore we finde the Church set in opposition to the world out of which and not to sinne darknesse or Satan from which we are called according to that of our Saviour I have chosen you that is by calling as we know he did his Disciples out of the John 15 19 world Whence as the Learned Master Baxter seals with a certainly all Divines in their definitions of the Church are agreed that it is a society of persons separated from the world to God or called Against Tombs out of the world and therefore no society the calling of whose members hath not the world for its terme from which hath persons Nullus coetus cujus membrorum vocatio non habet mundum terminum aquo habet sanctâ— voâ—atos pro proximâ mateâ—iâ Norton in â—eâ—p ad totam quest syllâ—g p. 1â—5 of a holy calling for its next matter or by consequence can be a true Church as another argues who cannot be imagined possibly partial to my cause namely that learned and
Scholastical Divine Reverend Master Norton of New England These things thus premised the Argument hence is this As the visible Church may be considered to be called out of the world so it may be considered to be a Church of Christ. What hath beene said hath put this out of doubt But the visible Church may be considered to be truely called out of the world without any respect to saving grace Therefore the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace The minor here which is all that is left questionable is easily evident if we distinguish of the world as we are wont to distinguish of the Church viz. to be visible and invisible the visible world is the world of infidels and such as openly detest the true Messias the invisible world is the world of ungodly which being as tares amidst the what of the godly cannot be discerned by men The first is opposed to the visible Church the latter to the invisible out of the visible world the visible Church is called and out of the invisible world the invisible Church or the Church of the saved is called Againe the visible Church is as truely called out of the visible world of Pagans and Infidels and such as live without the pale of the Church as the Church of the saved is called out of the world of the vngodly doth not the eye of the whole world see this and bear witnesse to it viz. that the visible Church is by the calling of God in this sense effectually in that it is really separated Vocatio communis ab infide litate ad fidem evocat Trel ut supra from and stands in distinction and opposition unto the whole world of Infidels Pagans Turks and Jews and all other societies and parties of men in the world as the called of God his lot and portion and peculiar people all which and a great deale more Master Baxter as well as many others is pleased to acknowledge that the Scriptures attribute to the visible Church CHAP. VI. Arg. From the visible Church in its causes and first as it is of God HItherto of the quid nominis proceed we now to the quid Rei and to seek for that thing and nature and truth of being in the Church which the name we have found doth import I shall put my self and reader into the way of this search by an offer of this general Argument taken from the causes of the visible Church As we may consider the causes of any thing so we may consider the thing it self But we may consider the causes of this Church to be real causes without respect to saving grace Therefore the Church to be truely a Church without respect to saving grace I think the major will not be question'd by any seeing whatsoever any thing is in it self it is the same first in its causes Quicquid est in effectu prae existit in causis Causatum quod ex causa suum esse habet yea the very definition of the effect is that it is but the result or that which hath its very selfe of the cause and depends by its cause and therefore it is called effectum or a thing done or standing as it is by it cause and causalum that is a thing caused that is such a thing as is Causalitas sive causatio est influxus ille seu concursus quo unaquaequc causa in suo genere actu influit in effectum Suarâ—z no more a thing then what it hath from its cause or as it is caused and causality or causation which is but the formal reason of the cause is nothing else but that Influx or concurrence whereby every cause in its own kinde doth actually flow into the effect The minor onely then resteth upon proof viz. That the visible Church may be considered to have its true and real causes without respect to saving grace which I shall labour to maintaine by a particular induction and examination of the several causes of the visible Church in order the efficient the end the matter and form thereof Here now are two things to be joyntly enquired after First what these causes are Secondly whether they may be considered to be real causes of the visible Church without respect to saving grace Let us first then begin to consider the efficient cause of the visible Church thus namely what it is and what kinde of effects it worketh without respect to saving grace 1. The efficient cause of the visible Church is Principal Instrumental The principal efficient of the visible Church is secundum Efficient Constitutionem Ordinationem The principal efficient in the constitution of the Church is God Rom. 2. 29. in the administration or ordination of it is Christ thus God Rom. 12. 5 1 Cor. 3. 11 Col. 1. 18. is properly the authour and Christ is properly the head of the Church The instrumental cause of the Church especially in its constitution Acts 2. 41 2 Pet. 2 23 1 Tim. 2. 15 is the preaching of the word for how can they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how can they hear without a preacher this distribution needeth no proof seeing it is generally allowed 2. Let us now come to our task and examine whether these efficient causes may not be considered to have a real influence into the visible Church which yet doth not include saving grace As for the instrument the preaching of the word we need not insist particularly thereupon partly because the instrument is but subordinate to its principal efficient in the same operation and therefore if the work of principal efficient be real so is doubtlesse the same work relating to the instrument of it and partly because the influence of this instrumental cause the preaching of the word into the constitution of the visible Church is reserved to be largely handled in answer to a great objection against cur Churches in England at the latter end of this discourse Therefore we have but two things here before us whether God may be considered to be truely the Authour or Christ to be truely the head of the visible Church without respect to saving grace and of these in order I shall humbly signifie my opinion by forming the same into Arguments The Argument from God as the Authour of the visible Church If God in the constitution of the visible Church by the preaching of the Word may be considered really to effect the same without the bestowing of saving grace then he may without doubt be considered to be the real Authour of the visible Church without respect to saving grace But now God in the constitution of the Church by the preaching of the word may be considered really to effect the same without the bestowing of saving grace Here is nothing to be interposed but these foure things Mr. Perk. speaking of temporal beleevers saith 1. They have knowledg 2. they
give assent 3. they give assent to the Covenant of Grace 4. They are perswaded in a general maÌ„ner that God will perform his promises to the members of his Church Ep. to his declar of a man estate And ads Mark here is a true faith wrought by the holy Ghost yet not saving faith either First that the calling whereby men are brought to leave the world to renounce Idols to embrace the true religion Hystorically to believe the Gospel to see a necessity of depending on Christ repentance and obedience to salvation are no real works but this would be against common sense for we see the contrary with our eyes Or secondly that these common works are also saving works but this would be against experience which sadly tells us that men may go so farre and yet no further in the way to heaven or else against the doctrine of perseverance Or Thirdly that these common graces do not really constitute a visible Church but this would be against what we have formerly proved Or Fourthly and lastly that God is not the worker of these common effects by his Word which would indeed be against Religion I shall therefore conclude this Argument with those known and pertinent words of Amesius hence saith he even visible Hinc ecclesiae etiam visibiles particulares ratione fidei quam profiteutur rect è dicun tur esse in Deo paTre in domino Jesu Christo 1 Thes 1. 1. 2 Thes 1. 1. Medul p. 168. and particular Churches by reason of the faith which they professe as also I might adde by reason of the grace which they have received from God are rightly said to be in God he doth not say ratione fidei qua but ratione fidei quam profitentur that being the faith of God which they professe through the work of the common grace of God upon them they are rectè or truely said to be in God without any further consideration of any saving grace by which they believe received from him CHAP. VII The Argument from Christ as the head of the visible Church THe second Argument from the efficient is taken from Christ as the cause efficient of the visible Church according to dispensation or as he is the head thereof Thus Christ may be considered to be truely the head of the visible Church without respect to saving influence therefore the visible Church may be considered to be truely his body without respect to saving grace The reason of the connexion here is most evident but I must needs confesse that the antecedent requires as well a modest inquisition as strong demonstration seeing it is easily noted to crosse many plain expressions of eminent Divines In this antecedent there are two distinct branches First that Christ is the head of the visible Church this passeth Secondly that he may be so considered without necessary respect to saving influence this is my task which I shall humbly undertake after I have gotten a faire understanding with my reader therein For I desire it may be heeded that I do not affirm that Jesus Christ doth performe the office of a head fully without saving influence but as it is expressed truely i. e. in some measure truely 2. It may be also observed that truely here stands not in opposition to mystically but to falsly or to seemingly onely for though our Divines do usually mean by the mystical body the Church invisible yet doubtlesse Master Cotton as is well noted of him by others also doth not speak improperly when he termes a particular visible Church a mysticall body and if that be granted the visible Church though not particular may also challenge the same title and if the visible Church be granted to be the mystical body of Christ then Christ may be said to be its mystical head Besides if Christ be indeed the head of the visible Church as none do doubt and if he be not the head thereof as it is Physically or Mathematically taken which none will affirme who can deny but that he is so Mystically 3. Further may it be noted that it is not said that Christ doth performe the office of an head to the Church truely without saving influence in any other consideration but as it is the visible Church for if any will assert a Church invisible I am not bound at all to follow him and say that this Church invisible also hath true influence from its head Christ which is not saving a thing not to be imagined 4. Lastly neither do I offer to say that Christ is the head of his body visible without saving influence but that he may be so considered without respect thereunto seeing there are influences not saving which yet descend from Christ as the head upon his body the Church and upon many of the members thereof that shall never be saved and this is enough for my present purpose because in whatsoever sense Christ may be said to leave the influence of a head upon his Church the Church may in the same sense be said to be his body and if it shall truely be made to appear that Christ doth really performe the office of the head when he doth not give saving grace it will thence easily follow of it selfe that the Church may be consideâ—ed to be truely his body without respect thereunto Now that Christ may be considered to be thus truely the head of the visible Church without respect to saving grace I think appeareth thus Arg. 1. Christ truely dispenseth gifts and graces not saving to the visible Church and to many particular members thereof Arg. 1 that shall never be saved as he is a head therefore he may be considered to be truely the head of the visible Church without respect to saving influence The Antecedent which is alone to be proved hath three parts 1. That Christ doth truely dispense gifts and graces not saving to the visible Church which none that know what the gifts of prayer preaching healing c. or what the graces of illumination conviction common faith and common love are will offer to deny 2. That Christ bestoweth these both gifts and graces upon some particular members of the visible Church which shall never be saved this also will be easily granted me 1. Concerngifts in Judas and in those that are reserved to cry out another day we have prophecied in thy Name and in thy Name we have Mat. 7. 22 cast out devils and Secondly concerning graces if we but once shall think upon that sad catalogue the Apostle recordeth Heb. 6 4 5 6. 3. That Christ bestoweth these gifts and graces not saving Profession of saith before a visible Church uniteth to Christ as head of the visible Church whether the person be sincere or no cobbet of Inf. Bapt. p. 57. as a head which is also very evident 1. Because they are gifts and graces abound in the Church alone 2. Because they are conveyed to the Church by the dispensation of Ordinances which
all in this case it is that which giveth life and being to every member united to his body so as whosoever maketh this profession and useth this submission being knit to this body and not cut off by excommunication is in and of the visible Church Dayrel of the Church pag. 36. But if life here be intended to signifie such as is essential to ones being a member of the Church of the saved as it seems to be I answer that either unlesse it be proved that the Church visible and the Church of the saved are of equal latitude which I wholly despair to see there are four terms in the argument the major intending the visible and the minor the invisible Church or else there is the fallacy termed ignoratio elenchi discovered in it the conclusion being onely that life is essential to a member of the Church of the saved which was never questioned when it should as easily appears have been that this life is also necessary to visible Church-membership to which it carrieth no aime at all Object 2. The second great objection against this Argument is taken from those known words of Zanchie de eccles 534. Membra sunt Satanae non Christi Hypocrites and reprobates are members of Satan and therefore they can be no members of Christ Answ In answer hereunto I shall first consider the sense of Zanchy in these words and then his reason 1. I conceive that Zanchy did not intend by these words that they were not members of the visible but of the invisible Church which I have observed to be the general meaning of our reformed Divines when they speak of the members of Christ insomuch that there is almost ground to think for one that is well accustomed to their writing they distinguish betwixt the members of the visible Church and the members of Christ as they also generally attribute two other termes viz. Catholick and Mystical as if they were peculiar to the Church invisible whereas I presume hardly any of those same Divines but would upon a little consideration thereof allow all the three viz. Mystical Catholick and members of Christ unto the visible Church also for if the visible Church be not a natural 't is a Mystical body and if it be unversal which they did not deny it must needs be Catholick and if it be not the body of Christ whose is it yet I say 't is of most easie observation that seldome either of the three are given by them to the visible Church and therefore not likely to be so here and if he meant of the Church invisible 't is nothing to our question Again another reason why Zanchy may be thought here to speak onely of the Church invisible offers it self from the scope of the place for he is evidently striking at the Papists excessive errour touching the members of the Romish Church as if every one that had the honour to be a member thereof was thereby a member of the Church of the saved which Zanchy seemeth to anticipate as other our Divines in the like case asserting that there are reprobates and hypocrites in the visible Church and these are not to be thence concluded to be real members of Christs invisible mystical body or in a state of salvation and thus membra sunt satanae non Christi quoting that place that is seldom if ever interpreted of the members of the visible Church viz. they were not of us 1 John 2. 19. for confirmation thereof and that his secret bent is against the Papist as I have said is more then intimated by his next words quicunque spiritum habent non Christi sed Antichristi Thus much for his sense now for his reason here that one cannot be both a member of Christ and a member of Satan but wicked men are members of Satan I answer 1. By concession for it is most true one cannot be both a member of Christ and a member of Satan at the same time and in the same respect one cannot be a member of Christs Is it then possible that the self same men should belong both to the Synagogue of Satan and to the Church of Jesus Christ Unto the Church which is the body mystical not possible howbeit of the visible body of Jesus Christ c. Hook eccles polit p. 84. visible body and of Satans visible body that is a Christian and an infidel a beleever and an unbeleever at the same time and in the same respect this is a plain contradiction But Secondly by way of exception I answer further that the same person may at the very same instant of time be both a member of Christ and a member of Satan in divers respects he may be a member of Satan internally and a member of Christ externally and yet both really a member of Satan habitually a member of Christ relatively a member of Satan by obedience a member of Christ by profession a member of Christ by Covenant a member of Satan by service Lastly a member of Christ his visible Kingdome and a member of Satans invisible Kingdome and both really and truely so as a man that is openly and really the husband of an honest wife may yet the member of an harlot by a close and reserved course of uncleannesse with her even so one that is really and openly in Covenant with Christ and truely a member of his body may yet by a secret course of unfaithfulnesse to him be also a member of Satan CHAP. VIII The Argument from the End of the visible Church HItherto of the efficient causes of the Church and the Arguments thence arising next proceed we to the end thereof and argue thus As a thing may be considered to have its end so it may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. Nihil potest esse causa nisi in quantum est ens Si medium non existit non producitur finis considered to have its being for nothing can be further a cause then it hath a being therefore not negation or privation an possibly be a cause of a real and positive effect but that which is a cause of a real and positive effect must needes be something real and positive in it selfe 2. If the meanes do not exist the end is not produced and therefore if the end be produced the means is thereby certainly discoved to have its existence But now the visible Church may be considered truely and really to have its end without respect to saving grace therefore also its being There are three things which may tend by a briefe dispatch to the clearing of this Assumption 1. To assigne the ends of the visible Church 2. To prove the same to be real and proper ends therefore 3. To shew that the visible Church as it is a means thereof may be considered without respect to saving grace First the ends of the visible Church is ultimately the glory of God in the world and more immediately his worship in the world the
can judge onely according to appearance in his visible worship saving grace is an invisible thing then what necessary use can there be thereof in such visible effects as may be done without it and such as in their present consideration respect only such creatures as cannot discern things invisible I grant that saving conversion of visible Church-members is one great end of the visible Church and that therefore the promises of first grace do most especially belong unto them but this if well heeded rather helps then hinders my designe for it evidently supposeth the visible Church and visible Church membership to have its being before his conversion or saving grace of Finis est postorior medio in executione which the visible Church is said to be a means for the Rule is that the end is after the means in execution CHAP. IX The Argument from the Matter of the visible Church HItherto of the external causes of the visible Church and the Arguments thence arising let us now consider the causes thereof remaining which are called internal viz. the matter and forme From matter of the visible Church in general I argue thus The visible Church may be considered truely to have the matter of the Church of Christ without respect to saving grace Therefore to be truely a Church of Christ without respect thereunto This consequence simply taken I confesse is not so warrantable because the matter doth prae-exist before and remaine sometimes after the forme yet take it respectively to the forme afterwards to be maintained and to the question in controversie which is chiefly concerning the matter of the Church and especially to the opinion of my present Opponents we readily affirm that all the question is about the matter of the Church that if this be fained so is our Church and if this be real so is our Church and I doubt not but it will passe without interruption However the thing that I am dispatching doth not engage me for the consequence though the other causes have been found so pregnant as to bear such a particular improvement onely to assigne and maintain to the visible Church all its causes and therefore its existence truely so in our consideration without respect to saving grace which I presume hath been done already as to the Authour the Head and the End of the Church to which I now proceed to add the matter thereof affirming as before in the antecedent that the visible Church may be considered to have the true matter of the Church of Christ without respect to saving grace The matter of the Church habet rationem Partium Subjecti 1. The matter of the visible Church having the reason of the parts is the Ministers and the people the pastors and the flock ecclesia utens and ecclesia docens as some speak and as we read 1 Cor. 12. both making up the compositum the Church and this Church must needs be the visible Church for there are no such organical parts no Minister but Christ himself in the Church invisible Now may we consider both these parts of the matter of the Church as truely such without respect to saving grace did not Judas truely teach and do not thousands truely professe in the Church of Christ being truely called though not savingly chosen without any measure of saving grace but this will more fitly meet us in the next consideration of the matter of the Church viz. as having the reason the subject matter Next we enquire what the subject matter of the visible is and whether it also may be considered without respect to saving grace 1. What is rhen the subject matter of the visible Church Trelcatius tells us that it is all such as are called out and externally professe the faith which I think none can choose but approve of when they consider that faith is a thing invisible and therefore not any way fitted to commend the matter of the Church to us as visible and though it be granted that faith doth unite men to the Church yet it must still be yeelded that profession thereof doth render them members of the Church as visible 2. But here seeing most do consent that professors of the faith are the subject matter of the visible Church it will I presume be worth our enquirie what is meant by the faith so professed Certainly it must be either the doctrine or the grace of faith and which of these is properly or usual said to be professed 1. Is it the grace of faith which men professe certainly no for that is the faith by which and not the faith which we profess 2. How incongruous a speech would it be to say I professe that I believe while it is good and sound and relishing upon the minde of the hearer to say I professe what or that doctrine which I do beleeve 3. If the meaning was that we do professe the grace of faith then the Epithite true which Divines do generally annex to faith should be put to profession and whereas they usually speak of the profession of the true faith they should should say the true profession of the faith 4. This appeares in its contrary out of doubt for such as fall away from the faith are not said to deny their own faith but the faith or doctrine of Christ 2. Then it is doctrine of faith which we professe as members of the visible Church and if this be the note or character of the matter of the visible Church it can in the most strict and rigid sense that can possibly be put upon it onely require two things truth in the object professed and truth in the subject professing i. e. that he professe the true doctrine of faith and that he believe what he professeth i. e. that he have a good profession and that he have a good principle answering to it such a faith as such a profession doth require to make it not dissembled but true and real and thus though we do not professe the grace of faith yet the grace of faith so farre is consented to as is requisite to a true profession seeing thereby we truely beleeve what we so professe 3. Yet though this faith is supposed to be true where the matter of the Church is true the matter of the Church doth not receive its denomination of being true from the truth of this grace of faith but from the truth of its object or doctrine beleeved and accordingly professed which as also what was before asserted viz. that the doctrine of faith is the object of proper profession or the faith properly professed appears by abundant example in Scripture The Eunuch being being demanded dost thou beleeve answered not my faith is sincere but I beleeve that Jesus Acts 8. 37. is the Sonne of God The like did they Matth. 14. 33. when reproved for their unbeleef they professed saying of a truth thou art the Sonne of God John also bare record and what was it that is the Son of
God Joh. 1. 34. so Nathael professing said thou art the Son of God v. 49. But most remarkable is that eminent profession of Peter with Id est super hauc firmam confessionem tuam qua confiteris credis me esse Christum filium Dei viventis edificabo ecclesiam meam as Bucer in loc Christ his approbation annex'd to it Matth. 16. 16 18. thou art saith he Christ the Sonne of the living God to which our Saviour answers upon this rock upon this rock as some eminent expositors conceive of profession or upon this profession as upon a rock will I build my Church Christ then it seems will build his Church upon this rock of profession of the doctrine of faith and such as are built thereupon are true stones in his house and the true subject matter of his visible Church and those that require a profession of the grace of justifying faith or of saving grace as necessary to our entring the visible Church seem to lay another foundation thereof then Christ himself hath laid Therefore answerable hereunto is that of the Apostle being built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets i. e. as Bullinger teacheth upon their doctrine not their grace nor yet Eph. 2. ult our own not as if the Apostles and Prophets were the foundation of the Church in their persons yet it seems they were so in their doctrine which was indeed the doctrine of that one foundation other then which none may lay viz. Jesus Christ Therefore accordingly the true visible Church hath ever hitherto been argued and knowne by the truth of the doctrine which it hath professed and not by the truth of its graces 4. Therefore the true and proper principle of this profession is but a dogmatical faith seeing that faith which is the principle of such a profession must needs fix upon the same object with that profession Faith is termed hystorical in the Schooles that goeth no farther then to give assent and credit to the story of that which God speaketh to be true Culverwel of faith p 16. Vid. Rogers of faith p 6. and Ball of faith page 3. Temporary faith hath more then the former adding to knowledge and assent a profession of the Word yet living still in their sinneâ— in a carnal estâ—te Rogers page 7 Temporal faith is to assent to the heavenly doctrine to professe it and to glory therein the devils beleeve historically Ursin Cat. English by Par. page 134 135. we professing what we beleeve and beleeving what we professe viz. the doctrine of faith as the common sense within receiveth the same object which the outward organ of the eye or ear seeth or heareth Yet I further yeeld that there is an act of faith more then meerly dogmatical or historical that doth many times if not ever engage a man to be so beleeving to make a profession to the world of what he beleeveth for it is not the bare beleeving of such a truth that puts a man on to professe it but usually something of an applicative faith added thereto which faith also must needs be yeelded to be very farre short of a justifying faith and is termed by Divines a temporary faith 5. Againe this profession put on as farre as it is possible is but either vocal by word or real by deed I meane be attendance upon the visible administration of the Gospel and worship of Christ whom we professe in the sight of men for that other profession of a holy life is so indirect a profession and so uncertaine a character of the true visible Church as that it was yet never allowed by the Church of Christ in any age to be a necessary requisite to the matter of a true Church 6. But by the two former branches of this profession the matter of the Church receiveth the name both of professours and worshippers which latter terme of worshippers I cannot but expresse my good liking to 1. Because the proper quality use end and businesse of the visible Church in the world is cultus gloriae Dei as before viz. to worship God 2. And Christ himself assureth us that his Father under the Gospel-dispensation sought a people to serue him by this very terme namely to worship him John 4. 3. And the rule for the finding out the material cause of a thing is Cujus rei propria qualitas in aliquo composito reperitur id est hujus materia 7. But to conclude not any one or all of these do necessarily suppose that faith which justifieth or saving grace a man may Eternally those are within the Covenant who expressing their repentance with their profession of the truth though they have not the sound work of faith nor never shall Hook surv p. 36. truely beleeve and outwardly profess the doctrine of Christ and constantly attend upon the Ordinances of worship a man may be a professour of the true faith and a worshipper of Christ with outward worship and thus be truely a part of the matter of the visible Church and all this without saving grace as none can deny 8. Therefore the subject matter of the visible Church may be truely considered to be the matter of the Church of Christ without respect to saving grace 9. Yea if we speak of particular members and not of the whole I conceive that so much as is already yeelded is not absolutely necessary to the matter of the visible Church for one that is born within the Church and never yet did actually renounce his relation thereunto though he do not actually beleeve or vocally professe c. as is the very case of Children Ignorants Ideots and Mad-men I doubt not to affirme to be a real part of the matter thereof For as Reverend Master Cotton from His holinesse of Church members p. 1. New England teacheth such as are borne of Christian parents and baptized in their infancy into the fellowship of the Church are initiated members of the same Church though destitute of spiritual grace until they justly deprive themselves of the priviledge of that fellowship CHAP. X. The Argument from the forme constituent of the visible Church HAving found the viâ—â—ble Church considerable as truely such in all the rest of its causes we now proceed to examine and argue from the form thereof And if we shall be able to prove that this cause also may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace I presume that nothing can possibly intercept this our conclusiâ—n there-from viz. then the visible Church may be considered Posita forma in materia cengrua necessario fit compositum Arist formam vâ—cat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be truely such in it selfe when it hath beene found to be truely such in all its causes without respect thereunto For Forma tribuit essentiam completam câ—mpâ—sitâ— it presupposeth the matter informed by it yea it is said not onely to perfect but even to give the very being to
a thing for before any thing hath its forme it is not that thing and so soone as ever hath its forme it instantly hath the being and justly challengeth the name of that thing Yea it is the very reason and principle of the being of a thing yea it s very essence as Aristotle saith and ipsum quid sit But now the forme of the visible Church being not essentially Forma 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 depending upon saving grace may be considered to be truely such without respect thereunto whether we intend it systatically the forme by which the visible Church is constituted such or diaretically by which the visible Church being constitute is distinguished and knowne to be a true from a false Church The consideration of each of these will afford us its Argument 1. From the constituent form of the visible thus The visible Church may be considered to have a real constitutive forme without respect to saving grace therefore also to be truely a Church of Christ without respect thereunto The consequence must needs be yeelded me because its contrary implies a contradiction for to say that any thing hath a real constitutive forme is as much as to say that it really and formally is therefore to deny that any thing hath not really or truely a being is formally to contradict its having a real constitutive forme Then nothing but the minor requires proof which is that the visible Church hath a reali constitutive forme which hath no necessary dependance upon and may consequently be considered without respect unto saving grace which I presume will appear upon a short and easie debate Trelcatius who in some other of his passages seemeth not to favour this opinion overmuch yet assignes to the visible Church as it is distinguished by himself to the Church invisible as all the other causes so this of the forme and calls it by this very terme of the forme constituting the visible Church 2 Neither can it be thought that he intended such a form as did imply saving grace for he termes it externa vocatio as it stands opposed by himself to that effectual call which he accounts to be the forme of the Church invisible 3. Nor yet can any imagine that he thought it not a real call because he addes quam mediatè Deus efficit which God himselfe works though mediately Yet I must needs enter my exception against this forme assigned to the visible Church by Trelcatius and others viz. external vocation I shall easily allow it taken in an active sense to be an efficient or taken in a passive sense to be a necessary condition as before in the matter of the visible Church but in no sense at all to be the form thereof For 1. If this external calling were the forme of the Church then every particular member would be a formal Church for every particular member is externally called and where the forme of a thing is there we may truely say that thing it self is 2. Persons qua called seem rather to be matter of the Church and external vocation to be onely a condition requisite in the matter of the visible Church being near the same with external profession or outward worshipping my reason is because that persons externally called may pre-exist a Church informed as also remain when the forme of the Church is lost for when two or three are called out of the world by the preaching of the word we cannot presently say there is now a Church formed though these be good stones to begin the building withal and a Church may be possibly consumed even to two or three or dissolv'd and scattered and so loose its forme though persons called still remain which according to the rule should rather be accounted the matter of the Church for si forma perit manente aliquo Col. Conim br materiam illud esse necesse est 3. For which Amesius seemeth directly faith saith he Fides ut insiugulis fidelibus existens distributive est forma vocatorum sed in omnibus collective spectata est coetus vocatorum i. e. forma ecclesiae Medul 163. as it is existing in single beleevers distributively is the forme of the called who are the matter and not the forme of the Church Amesius teacheth that the forme of the visible Church quoad externum statum or as it is distinguished from the invisible is internae fidei externa professio Which external profession is either personal or ecclesiastical if personal then every professor as it was reasoned before having the forme of the Church would be a true Church and if ecclesiastical yet this external profession seemeth rather a formal â—ction or an action of the Church presupposing its being and existence and flowing immediately from the form of the Church which it self is not for before there can be an ecclesiastical profession or the profession of a Church there must be ecclesia or a Church in the order of nature at least which could not be if this profession were the forme thereof for forma est ratio essentiae and rather before or at least simul natura cum composito However if this external profession be the forme of the visible Church it will serve my turne well enough For 1. It will not be denied to be a real thing by Amesius himself who allows it power to interest a person in the external state of the Church 2. Nor yet to consist without saving grace as his own words directly expresse illi autem qui professione tantum sunt fideles Medul 168 c. I confesse that Amesius accounts this externall profession to be but the accidental forme of the Church and that it is in terminis distinguished by him from the essential forme thereof Yet he acknowledgeth that some persons who do not at all partake of that essential forme which is distingushed by him to Illi autem qui professione tantum sunt fideles dum remanent in illa societate sunt membra illius ecclesiae sicut etiam ecclesiâ— Catholicae quoad externum tantum non quoad internum statum aut essentialem Med. p. 168. this accidental forme do yet truely partake of this accidental form of the Church are by consequence in his own words membra ecclesiae the sense of which he limits in the next words according to the external and not according to the internal or essential state of the Church If I may be modest and yet bold I should be bold to say that Amesius seemed here in a strait betwixt two he was loath to say that external professours wanting true grace were true members of the Church of Christ therefore saith he they are not so quoad statum internum aut essentialem and yet as loath to say they were not truely so and therefore saith they are membra ecclesiae quoad statum externum the Papist held the one and the Brownist the other how then dare he or we hold either the Papist was
found in particular beleevers scattered I cannot imagine how this conclusion can be intercepted particular believers have the forme of the Church and consequently are truely a Church though not in coetu or in societie do they want the mattter of the Church no for they are considered apart in his own words the called of God and the called of God are the true matter of the Church none will deny Neither 2. Will it be helped to say that faith in beleevers considered collectively is the form of the Church For 1. The form of a thing is real which hath being extra mentis operationem it receiveth no part of its nature from consideration and therefore if faith be in it self or properly the essential forme of the Church so it still will be whether we consider it distributively or collectively and wheresoever we finde it viz. in materia congrua in fit matter as the called doubtlesse are Besides 2. Then something is apparently added to faith to informe the Church viz. the collection of the persons so beleeving and then I humbly offer whether whatsoever faith be meant here it belong not exactly to the matter and most unproperly to the forme of the Church for that which doth not perfect the essence or give essential perfection to a thing is not the essential forme of that thing but faith doth not give essential perfection to the Church for where faith is there is not this essential perfection of the Church without something else viz. collection or association of the subjects of this faith together added 3. Therefore he saith 1. Fides est forma ecclesiae and then 2. Coetus est forma ecclesiae wherein I am yet to seek his meaning for either these differ and are two things and then there are two formal causes of the Church or else faith and company are all one in his sense and indeed almost in his words fides spectata collectivè est coetus vocatorum id est forma ecclesiae which I cannot comprehend 4. If coetus vocatorum be indeed a definition of the Church as Amesius saith then either vocati are the forme or coetus or both Med. p. 163. 12. if vocati distinct from coetus be then coetus is not if coetus distinct from vocati then the vocati are not and if both together be the forme then where is the matter 5. Again if this be a perfect definition and consequently the whole cannot be the forme one of the parts must and now which is likeliest coetus or fideles not fideles of the faithful because that these prae-exist before the Church is informed and something as was before observed is necessarily to be added to perfect the essence of the Church 2. One of these two must be the matter of the Church but coetus cannot because the matter is presupposed to the forme but coetus or the consosiation of beleevers doth praesuppose beleevers 3. Therefore the cleanest account with me is that beleevers are the matter the coetus and the collection or community of them is the true essential forme of the Church That wherein they have communion is the publick exercise of such duties as we ead Act 2. 47. Hook eccles pol. 89. Here then at length I pitch that the forme of the Church lieth in society or community stâ—ictly and properly that collection taken actively or unitâ—on is the immediate efficient collection taken passively or union is the effect or proper state of the Church that communion is its formal action but corporation society or community is strictly the forme thereof Which learned Ames himself doth seeme more than to intimate if we let passe the foresaid obscurities saying that faithful Med p. 163. 13. men are the Church of God prout conjunctim vel collectivè considerantur in coetu and yet more plainly in the page before p. 162. 9. Coetus dicitur quia in multitudine consociata vel communitate multorum proprie consistit non in aliquo uno vocato So that in short account the remote matter of the Church Ad homines restringitur iste coetus p. 162. 10 is men the lesse remote matter of the Church is men called and the next matter of the Church is a many or a multitude of men called and now that which is to be added to compleat the Church is the society or community as Ames exactly of these many or this multitude of men called and this is properly the forme thereof Which further appeares For 1. The Church is allowed by all to be totum aggregativum or a holy heap now where lieth the forme of an heap but in the society of the parts thereof they being put together 2. 'T is therefore called a body in Scripture corpus coagmentatum and compactum ex variis membris as Ames noteth from Ephes 4. 16. as also a House a Family a City a Kingdome a Flock and where lieth the forme of all these but in society or community 3. This notion suits so well with the principles of many that they are called Congregational men and their way called Emphatically the Congregational way doubtlesse then their Church is a Congregation yea the opinion of many of them is that their Church-Covenant is the forme of their instituted Church which Covenant is onely the bond of the company or society Lastly that which being put in any matter the thing is necessarily Quo posito in materia aliqua necessario constituitur compositum sublato tollitur id est illius forma constituted and being taken away the thing is dissolved is the forme of that thing but society or community being added to many men called which is the matter of the Church the Church is necessarily constituted and society or community being taken away the Church is dissolved therefore society or community is the forme of the Church 5. Szegedine teacheth that true doctrine and the true use of the Sacraments are the formal cause of the Church But these I conceive are rather either the means of communion which is as was said before the formal action more properly then the very forme it selfe of the Church or else the distinguishing forme whereby the Church is known rather then the constitutive form whereby the Church hath its being But to draw up this discourse of the constitutive forme of the Church 1. Whatsoever it appear to be I hope to prove that it may be truely considered without respect to saving grace if it be calling or faith or profession it hath before appeared that these may be considered to be truely when not savingly such and if it be society or community as hath partly appeared already and will more fully appear when we handle the definition of the Church I presume none will question but this also may be considered to be truely such without any respect to saving grace 2. But if Ames should mean as he truely seemeth to do that coetus vocatorum or societas fidelium
in an united and conjunct sense is the forme of the Church that is neither the called nor society but these both together as a company or society of the called or the faithful though then we know not as before was said where to finde the matter of the Church and that the whole definition will be taken up in the form and consequently we may not grant it yet I conceive we may safely give it for the visible Church may be as well considered to be a society of persons called conjunctively as persons called and a society without respect to saving grace 3. And although we should farther give him that which also we have before denyed to grant him viz. that that faith which is the essential forme of the Church is a saving faith yet he is pleased freely to recompense us again with with as much in affirming that persons that are onely externally called and such as onely professe as himself speaks are truely members of the Church of Christ according to the outward state thereof or as it is a visible Church which is freely acknowledged to be all that is necessarily sought in the present controversie 4. Indeed he also adds that such profession and outward calling is but the accidental form of the Church as before which assertion we conceive will hardly bear this his conclusion however this is nothing unto us We thankfully take his concession and leave the consequence to be further considered CHAP. XI The Argument from the distinguishing forme of the visible Church WE now descend to the other branch of the formal cause called distinguens vel discriminans contained in those notes or marks whereby the Church is known to be true and distinguished from a false Church Whence the Argument is this The notes or marks of a true Church may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace therefore the Church her selfe None will venture upon the consequence for if those very things viz. the notes whereby alone we take to our selves a consideration of the Churches being and truth cannot be affirmed to have any dependance upon saving grace then certainly the Church may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace The Antecedent appears by an easie induction of the notes and marks of a true Church They are either essential or accidental it is generally agreed Professio verae fidei est maxime essentialis ecclesiae nota Med. p. 171. that the essential note of the Church is profession of the true faith which as Amesius saith is maximè essentialis in the highest manner essential to the Church Now the nature of an essential mark as the Schooles teach is certo demonstrare infallibly to demonstrate the essence of that thing of which it is a mark therefore profession of the true faith doth thus certainly infallibly demonstrate the essence and nature of the true Church but now profession of the true faith may be truely considered without respect to saving grace for the true faith may be professed by a Cain a Judas a Simon Magus a Demas and those that have no share at all in saving grace and that truely to as none I think will venture to question But this profession of the true faith I humbly conceive if we speak exactly as it is a mark of the true Church must be taken ecclesiastically and not personally for there may be a private personal owning and profession of the faith where there is no formal proper and exact Church and there we cannot affirme profession of the faith an essential note of the true Church personal profession I grant is a certaine mark of a member of the Church i. e. universal and ecclesiastical profession of the Church it self This ecclesiastical profession I conceive consists in attendance upon the Ordinance of divine worship and is rather a real then a vocal profession for the end of the visible Church being properly the worship of God the note thereof is properly that which renders it serviceable to its end which is attendance upon those things which are ordained for that end the Ordinances of divine worship I confesse Amesius intends a profession of faith formally and vocally taken which he distinguisheth from the solemne preaching Professio ista in coetu aliquo potest antecedere solennem verbi praedicationem Sacramentorum administrationem Med. p. 172. 30. of the Word and administration of the Sacraments By which he either meanes a profession made by all those that are admitted into an instituted Church which cannot I conceive be proved from Scripture to be a necessary duty much lesse an essential mark of the true Church and is not very consonant with reason seeing if this be maximè essentialis nota the Church may possibly through want of occasion of admitting be many years without such an essential note the nature of which if I mistake not requires that it be more usual Besides how such a profession can be looked upon as the profession of the whole which is of some necessity for its being a mark of the whole I know not it being not made by a publick Minister but a private member yea hardly a member if the end of his confession be in order to his admission but however 't is clearly the profession of the party and a note onely of his faith and worthinesse of admission and in any sober sense can hardly be look'd on as the profession much lesse the note and least of all the essential the chiefly essential note of the whole Church as indeed we never found affirmed before by any Authentick authour in the Church of Christ and which I humbly conceive is not Ames his sense here onely I took this occasion to free him from it because I fear these words of his are made a patron of such a practise But if this be not the profession of faith which Amesius affirmeth to be the note of the Church it must needs be the set and solemn declaration of the faith by the mouth of the Church to wit the Minister which was wont to be done as he requireth before the Sermon But this I humbly conceive is not to be distinguished from the Word and Sacraments as it is maxime â—ssentialis ecclesiae nota according to Scripture reason or the judgement of most if not all that have anciently written upon this subject is not the same faith professed by the Minister in preaching and the people in hearing and by both in participating in the Sacraments or seales thereof which is read in the Creed and are not these actions as visible and as essential to the Church as the reading and hearing of the Creed or dare any say that where there is a constant and diligent attendance on the preaching of the true doctrine and lawful administration of prayers and Sacraments that there we cannot discerne a true Church without a solemne declaring of the faith in a set Creed and most of our
Churches in England that have at present I know not for what cause laid aside that practice are therefore not visible true Churches Though I highly approve of such a solemn declaration of the faith if possible in the same sound forme of words to be universally made yet I humbly conceive that this is but a prudential humane Ordinance and therefore not so necessary or so neer the essence or so essential a mark of the Church as sound doctrine and pure Sacraments both which are undoubtedly of immediate divine institution and without which the Church cannot exist Which thing Trelcatius doth thus most accurately and fully open the proper and essential note of the visible Church which flows immediately from the very forme of it is but one viz. the Nota propria essentialis ecclesiae visibilis proximeque fluens ex forma illius unica est veritas scilicet verbi Dei Revelati ac communicati cui veritas Sacramentorum tanquam connexum inseperabile conjuncta est Utriusque enim veritas ita proprium essentiale est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ecclesiae ut veritas haec ecclesia convertantur Instit Theol. p. 224. truth of the Word of God revealed and communicated to which the truth of the Sacraments is inseparably joyned for which he quotes Heb. 4. 12. John 10. 27. Matth. 28. 10. Rom. 4. 11. for as he addes the truth of both is such a proper and essential mark of the Church that this truth of both Word and Sacraments and the Church are convertible But of this I shall have more occasion in the next Chapter therefore I have onely this to do here namely to set this profession of the faith before you to consider whether it doth necessarily suppose saving grace or not in any of these senses 1. May not personal vocal profession be made without saving We are to acknowledge a Church of Christ more or lesse corrupt according to the greater or lesse abuse of Gods Word and worship Bp. Usher p. 39. his sum of Rel. grace and the truth be professed as well as beleeved where saving grace is wanting 2. May not ecclesiastical profession whether more formally by a solemn Creed read and silently consented unto by the people be also done and considered without any respect to saving grace in the declarer or consenters 3. Or that other real profession consisting in attendance upon the Ordinances of God be considered to have truth for its object both in Word and Sacraments and yet without respect to saving graces Againe the accidental notes of the Church are also generally acknowledged to be of two sorts inseparable or proper and separable or common The separable and proper notes of a true Church are said to be the pure preaching of the Word and the lawful administration of the Sacraments which are but the meanes or actions of conveyance and application of the foresaid truth of both unto the Church and so near unto the profession thereof which was said before to be the essential mark of the Church that I have already reduced it thither and need not repeat it here againe The separable notes of the Church whatsoever they be cannot conclude any thing against me because they are such I meane separable and therefore not necessary in our consideration of the being of the Church However that we leave not them onely untoucht they are usually reduced unto two heads 1. Ecclesiastical power 2. And holiness of life Ecclesiastical power hath three branches the power of Ministry the power of Order the power of Discipline all which may easily be considered without the least respect to saving grace 1. Judas may truely exercise his Ministry And 2. Outward Order may be fix'd and observed And 3. Discipline may be erected and dispensed without any necessary supposition of saving grace either in the parties so dispensing or in the objects openly scandalous on which the Discipline is dispensed as hath beene touched before and will be more fully handled hereafter I confesse holiness of life cometh neerest to shew its respect to saving grace but this also shewes as much respect to my cause as easily appeares by this concluding argument If holiness of life be separable from a true Church then saving grace is separable from a true Church for if a holy life doth not alwayes suppose saving yet saving grace doth not always produce a holy life But it is still confessed by those which write most accurately on the Church that holinesse of life is a separable accidental note which is onely necessary to the order and welfare of the Church and not to the being or truth thereof Now if saving grace be separable from a true Church then it may be considered to be truely such without respect thereunto The summe of the general Argument from the causes is this The Summe of the Argument from the causes in general All the causes of the visible Church may really exist without the work of saving grace viz. The efficient as Authour God Head Christ The end of the Glory of God on earth before men Worship The matter whether it be Professors of the faith The outwardly called Outward worshippers The form whether it be Constituting Distinguishing he forme constituting whether it be Faith Calling Society or community The form distinguishing whether it be Essential Profession of the faith or truth of word Sacraments ccidental inseperable Pure preaching of the word and administration of Sacraments Therefore the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace CHAP. XII The Argument from the definition of the visible Church first from its special quality HAving done with the causes we proceed to the definition whence we thus argue The definition of the visible Church doth not suppose saving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grace therefore the definition the visible Church it self may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace for the definition of a thing is but that whereby the nature of that thing is declared or explicated and is plainly convertible with the thing defined Now whether the definition of the visible Church be inclusive of saving grace or not may appear First from the parts thereof severally considered And Secondly by a view of such definitions of the Church as are already given us by approved Authours 1. The parts are three 1. The special quality of the visible Church 2. Or the special work and employment thereof Or lastly the state and condition wherein the Church so qualified is rendred capable of that employment First let us look upon the special quality of the visible Church which may be conceived to be either the faith calling or profession thereof Whence by some the visible Church is in short defined to be a company or society of Beleevers or a company of men called by external vocation or a company professing the Christian and true Religion where the weight and emphasis rests upon
is invisible and visible this distinction is a distribution of the adjuncts of the same subject in divers respects the one internal the other external I confesse the reformed Divines I mean many of them do affirme that the invisible Church is onely revera ecclesia the true Church but their meaning I humbly conceive must be taken with a great deal of caution which with all humility I shall labour to unfold in a few distinctions as neere their owne sense and with as much of their spirit as I am able The Distinctions which may help us herein may be either of the Epithete true or the subject the Church 1. Truth as applicable to the Church is taken Respectu Naturali Vel Entitatis Morali Vel Status Vel Finis Now I humbly offer whether the reformed Divines asserting the invisible Church to be the onely true Church can possibly be though to exclude the visible Church from being true in the first branch of this division viz. in that natural sense whereby a thing is said to have the truth of being and existence why then do they still define the visible Church and give it all its Profession and preaching of the true doctrine is the only proper and certain note of the true Church Hildersham on Joh. 4. p. 161 This was the meaning of Wickliff Husse and others who therefore define the Church to be the multitude of the elect not for that they think them onely to pertain to the Church and no others but because they only pertain unto it principally fully effectually and finally Field on the Church p. 13. Distinct 2. real causes why do they tell us of the marks of the true visible Church why do none of them assert that the visible is not truely a Church or that the invisible Church is alone the Church truely so called yea in that they assert it to be visible they conclude it to be real seeing we cannot see that that is not Therefore they may be granted to meane onely that the invisible Church is onely true with respect to her state in the favour of God and to her end salvation that is the members of the invisible Church alone are certainly and infallible instated in the love of God and to be saved their controversie with the Papist engaged them to both these in their defence of the invisible Church and perseverance but no further for though the question was whether all in the visible Church were in a state of grace or whether all that were in a state of grace should persevere therein to the end yet we never read that they ever came to question whether the visible Church might be truely said to be a Church of Christ or not the centrary being indeed acknowledged on both sides The Church invisible then is the onely true Church in this moral sense it onely being truely in the love and favour of God and sure of salvation but the visible Church is also true in a natural sense it being really and truely a Church of God Or 2. Truth as applied to the Church is so Simpliciter Secundum quid Truth as taken in general large or simple acceptation may be easily conceived to be granted by the reformed Divines even to the visible Church 't is true in its kinde with such a truth as is agreeable to the nature of a visible Church I think none will deny this nor affirm the invisible Church to be the onely true Church in this sense Yet there is a restrained sense of truth in order to some particular determination of it which belongs onely to the Church invisible and which our Divines must needes meane whatever it be yet generally they explaine themselves as Bullinger doth himselfe revera ecclesia saith he viz. fideles Electi Dei viva membra connexa Christo non modo vinculis externis notis sed spiritu fide In which words he plainly expresseth that there is a double way of being knit to Christ 1. Fide spiritu 2. Vinculis externis notis The first of which he intends when he speaks of the true Church viz. that the invisible Church is the onely true Church in this respect of being knit unto Christ by faith and the spirit leaving room for any to conclude besides that such as are knit unto Christ by outward bonds alone are yet so farre truely knit as to be truely members of the visible though not of the Church invisible Vnion with Christ is true outwardly externis vinculis by which the visible Church is truely his Church and true savingly whereby the invisible Church is the onely true Church in that respect The subject of this questioned truth may also be distinguished for the better discovery of the minde of these Divines herein The Church is taken Strictly Largely Consisting of the Elect regenerate Distinct 1. Hac autem ecclesia latius accepta quatenus bonos malos continet Zanch. de eccl p. 65. Militans ecclesia rursus consideratur dupliciter vel enim strictius considerata vel latius malos complexa Bul. Dec. 350. Vox ecclesia ambigui stricte latissime minus late in quo electi hypocrite Ravanel c. Objicis sat scio hypocritas me numerasse c. Dec. p. 347 Good and bad This we may the bolder insist upon because it is of so frequent use amongst the reformed Divines themselves upon the same occasion and as they themselves explaine it the Church strictly taken is the Church invisible consisting onely of the Elect as Trelcatius Bullinger c. or of the Elect-regenerate and called as Ames and others and the Church largely taken consisting of the Elect and reprobate Beleevers and hypocrites good and bad as their general language is To apply it when these Divines affirme that the invisible Church is the onely true Church can they be understood in any other sense then this viz. that they onely are the true Church in this close strict and saving sense as the Church is taken strictly and is it not as evident as any thing in the world that they intend only to shut hypocrites out of the Church in this strict and saving sense and as plaine that they allow them a place in the Church as it is largely taken which large acceptation of the Church is by themselves generally expressed to be ecclesia bonos malos amplexa Bullinger frames an objection on purpose that he may have an occasion to declare his minde to this point his objection is How can hypocrites being members of Satan be members of the Church He answers by distinguishing of hypocrites Some saith he confide in their own righteousnesse as the Pharisees did these are not others do not so but neither hating nor flying from nor persecuting the Church do outwardly joyne with it and professe the same faith a while with it c. these are members of the Church till they fall away and much more those that continue in
against the errors of the Schismatical Aug. lib. de correp gr cap. 9. de don persev c. 8 Sect. And least it should be thought that the heat of dispute should have transported him he giveth us his judgement most clearly and fully upon other occasions about it as before we noted after Dr. Fulk Augustine teacheth us that such as shall certainly fall away and that finally and consequently such as have no saving grace according to their present state that is while they abide with the Church they are truely members thereof Again in the same place upon those known words of the Apostle they were not of us that is saith he they were not of the number of the sons even when they were of the faith of the sons what he means by sonship here he telleth us in his reason in the next words because they that are the sonnes indeed are foreknown and Ecclesia etiam mali sunt imo bonis multo plures ut in co rum comparatione pauci sunt de unit eccles cap. 12 predestinated these men therefore were of the many that were called but of the few that were chosen they were not yea in another place he assureth us that there are not onely evil men in the Church but indeed so many as that the good being compared with them are but a few CHAP. XXII The judgement of the Protestant Writers searched after THe second eminent point of occasion was sharpened by Bellarmine Stapleton the Rhemists and other Papists by their envy and malice against the Reformation falsely charging the doctrine thereof concerning the visible Church to be that none are truely members of it but such as are elected or such as have saving grace Hereby the Patrons of our Protestant and reformed cause are provoked to answer for us and what is their answer do they Am. Ant. Bel. Tom. 2. l. 2. c. 1 n. 5 acknowledge the charge to be just or do they not with Ames cry falsum est it is false that we require internal vertues or saving grace to render one a member of the visible Church according to the outward state thereof Accordingly Dr. Fulk wipes off the like aspersion cast upon us by the Rhemists the visible Church saith he hath both Fulk upon the Rhemists on Mat. 22. 14 Elect and reprobate in it but the Chatholick Church invisible which is the body of Christ consisteth onely of Gods Elect the true members of his body thus you know speaking to the Rhemists right-well but that you are disposed to slander us wheresoever you can take occasion to blinde the ignorant by ambiguity or generality or double understanding of any word Againe the Jesuite having charged us falsly in these words the onely reason by which hereticks hold the Church to be invisible because they imagine the Church to consist onely of the elect or at Whites way to the true church least of the good White not more generally then boldly answers Here the Jesuite bewraieth either hid ignorance or malice let him if he can for the credit of his Word shew where any of those whom he calleth Hereticks do teach or affirme that the Church militant whereof the question is consisteth of the Elect onely Whereupon also Whitaker saith that Bellarmine ought to Debuit Bellar. probare in ecclesia Catholica c. Whita Contro secund qu. pri cap. 7 prove that there are both good and bad in the Catholick that is the invisible Church which when he goeth about to prove from the Parables of the barn-floor c. he ought to understand by the barn-floore in this place not the Catholick but the particular Church in which we confesse that there are both good and bad To whom Doctor Reynolds in his defence of the Church Reynolds in his second thesis which consists of the Elect alone fully accords the wicked saith he must needs be a part of the Church if the name of the Church did signifie the visible Church and we call it consisting of the good and bad Famous Willet also addeth his testimony hereunto when in answer Willet Synop. of the Church to the Papists he openly and freely acknowledgeth that such as do not truely beleeve whom he calleth close infidels are of the visible Church viz. de jure yea and that open sinners are of the visible Church de facto until they be excommunicated Our industrious Fox is very distinct in the point which visible Church saith he having in it self a difference of two sorts Fox Act c. p. 27. of people so it is divided into two parts of which the one standeth of such as be of outward profession onely the other which by election inwardly are joyned to Christ the first are in the visible Church but not in the invisible We have before occasionally noted the consent of Pareus distinguishing the Church of the called from the Church of the Elect Pareus Polanus Bullâ—nger Ravanellus Wollebius Gomarus Apollonius c Vid. etiam Mel. part sept p. 33 Ociand Enchir p. 126 Polanus reckoning the invisible to be but a part not the whole of the visible Church Bullinger Ravanellus c. who distinguish the Church by a large and a strict acceptation and account the visible to be of larger extent then the Church invisible and with Wallebius Gomarus Apollonius and even all the reformed Divines define the Church largely taken viz. the visible Church to containe within it both good and bad elect and reprobate Master Hooker thus reasoneth all are of necessity either Christians or not Christians if by external profession they are Christians Hook eccles pol. p. 84 they are of the visible Church and Christians by external profession they all are whose mark of recognisance hath in it those things which we have mentioned one Lord one Faith one Baptisme yea although they be impious idolaters wicked Hereticks person excommunicable yea and cast out for notorious improbilities yet such we deny not to be Imps and limbs of Satan even as long as they continue such Field assureth us not onely of his own but even of the judgemen Field p. 12 13 14 of such as are most liable to exception in the case and confidently telleth us that the meaning of Wickliffe Husse and others who defined the Church to be a multitude of the Elect was not as if they thought them onely to pertaine to the Church and no others but because they onely pertaine unto it principally fully effectually and finally c. Externally those are within the Covenant though they have not for the present that sound work of faith and may be never shall Hook survey p. 36. Mr. Cobbet confesseth or asserteth rather that there is a Mr. Cobbet Concl. 3. in his just vindication Vid his Book of Inf. Bap. p. 57 Bish Usher sum of Relig. p. 396 Vid. Cottons way p 1 Expos in 39. Art p. 87. bare external being in the Covenant of grace
consequences of it as anon may further appear Object 'T is here objected that infants are borne members of the Church de jure onely and that they are not actually so until they are baptized as Rutherford distinguisheth Answ Our children are borne actually in the Church or actually out of the Church but they are not borne actually out of the Church for then they are borne actual Heathens and not Christians as is generally pleaded against the Anabaptists Ubi ponis parvulos non baptizatos profecto in numero credentium Aug. de verb. Apost Serm. 1. 2. Children are borne to an immediate right to the seal of the Covenant to wit baptisme therefore they are borne actually in Covenant and consequently in the Church for though a right to be taken into Covenant give a remote right to the seale of the Covenant it must be an actual being in Covenant that giveth an immediate title or claime to the seal thereof and that children borne within the pale of the Church have such an immediate right to baptisme is not to be doubted seeing we cannot think upon any neerer cause of title to baptisme in such children then their Birth priviledge or their being borne in the Church 3. I therefore humbly conceive that our children are borne E foederatis nascentes etiam in foedere sunt Dei in foedere comprehenfi ab ipso utero Bez in 1 Cor. 7. 14. Baptizandi sunt infantes non ut sancti sint sed quia sancti sunt Whitaker Church-members not onely de jure but also de facto and sealed rather then made such actually by baptisme though truely such as deny them to be born so actually if they as Rutherford doth will but grant that they are baptized actual Church-members my turne is thereby sufficiently served seeing most of our people were not onely borne de jure but also baptized de facto within the Covenant and members of the visible Church Object 2. It is again objected that infants are not perfect Church-members as Ames non adeo sunt perfecta membra c. Answ 1. There is a difference betwixt perfectè and perfecta membra one may be a member of the Church perfectly that is no perfect member thereof perfectly with regard to being or state not perfect with respect to nature or quality perfect naturally not perfect morally such a Church-member viz. in infancy may be and not such as such a Church-member viz. in years ought to be 2. I hence assume that Infants borne and baptized lawfully within the Church though they are not perfect members as neither are many growne persons yet they are truely and perfectly so For these Reasons 1. They are either members perfectly so or not at all for all motion from corruption to generation is instantaneous and there is no time when such a thing may be said to be partly and not wholly what it is particularly this change from a state of Heathenisme to a state of Church-membership hath no degrees of magis and minus but being wholly wrought in instanti a man is perfectly the one or the other and not halfe an Heathens and half a Christian Omne ens est verum perfectum Now none but Anabaptists will offer to say that such infants are in no respect Church-members therefore they are so perfectly 2. They are perfectly disciples therefore perfectly Church-members for disciple and Church-member are synonimous that they are perfectly disciples appeares by considering what is requisite to make a disciple perfectly so namely entrance or admittance into the Schoole or the society of such as are to be taught indeed one cannot be a perfect or compleat Schollar without learning yea and much learning but one may be truely perfectly and compleatly a Schollar before any thing at all be learned and a Schollar is so denominated not quia doctus sed ut sit doctus as is noted by many now it s generally urged against the Anabaptist that infants are admitted disciples into Christ his Schoole by Baptisme Infants are thus perfectly in Covenant otherwise we seal in Baptisme such as are partly heathens and but partly in Covenant which sounds absurdly therefore they are perfectly members of the Church for as they are in Covenant so they are in the Church the Church alone being the party in Gods Covenant 4. Lastly it may be well observed that Ames his words give no just ground for this objection for he doth not say that such infants are not perfect members much lesse not perfectly members onely that they are not so perfect members as to have a next Non adeo sunt membra perfecta c. vid. Am. Med. and immediate right to all the Ordinances as the adult or persons of age have which is as easily as readily granted by my cause CHAP. XXVIII The Terms upon which adult persons are admitted visible Church-members PRoceed we next to consider the conditions upon which persons borne and educated under Heathenisme may become Christians or members of the visible Church Now though the former discourse concerning infants be of most concernment yet here lieth the burden and stresse of Argument In general that might here satisfie which Reverend Master Cotton from the words of our Saviour hath given us viz. that such a person as is by nature and birth and breeding a Heathen and no Christian to the end he may become a Church-member he must be discipled that is as Master Cotton explaineth it he must be entred into Christ his Schoole Which I humbly conceive is truely done 1. In his own part by a voluntary offering himself to be admitted And 2. On the Churches part by receiving him and sealing him by Baptisme a member of her own society upon lawful termes I grant that there is some measure of the knowledge of Christ and some kinde of profession of the faith inherently necessary of the very designe of Baptisme in Christs Name but I think no more then that is absolutely necessary though a great deale more may I doubt not be expediently and prudently required by the Church I would not be thought to condemne the ancient practise of the Church in her more strict and severe proceeding towards the Chatecumeni though others have so freely lash'd it yet 't is known that the work of admitting proselytes by circumcision in the time of the Law and Christians by Baptisme in so many thousonds in the dayes of the Gospel by John and the Apostles was more speedy Worthy Master Hudson hath an expression which I cannot but note as very helpful and preparatory to my set and fixed answere page 127. the Church saith he is called entative not because of inward grace but from the receiving and embracing the Christians Catholick faith which is essential to a visible Beleever accordingly my answer is A serious embracing of the Christian Religion as distinct from all Ex probabilibus conjecturis an aliquis ad Christum pertineat puta in adultis si
had his Church because he had thousands which never bowed their knees to Baal but whose knees were bowed unto Baal even they were also of the visible Church Apostasie a genus or an integrum of heresie and schisme And if it be yet urged that apostacy should be reckoned among the meanes of unchurching I reply that Apostacy may be thought to be a genus of heresie and schism or a compositum made up of both and the perfection of heresie and schisme as it is in the first respect totum universale or in the latter respect totum essentiale vel integrale whose species or whose parts are heresie and schism 1. Now if we consider apostasie as a genus of heresie and schism Apostasie as a genus c. is such in grammar and Scripture then we may conceive heresie or a falling from the faith to be one kinde of Apostasie and Schisme or a forsaking the Assemblies to be another kinde of Apostasie by the one men fall from the truth and by the other from the Church and by either or both from God Apostasie thus understood as I humbly conceive both according to grammar or the Etymology of the word which is in general onely a falling from which may equally respect the truth and the Church and also according to Scripture or the use thereof in the Scripture is such in the first and properest sense of the word Now if we take Apostasie in this signification it cannot be reasonably added as a third meanes of unchurching unto Heresie As a compound the usual sense and schisme seeing that a genus is universale and not individuum and existing onely in its species and not as distinct thereunto or in it self 2. If we take Apostasie in the sense of the Church wherein it is usually taken for a compound of perfect or total Heresie and Schisme or a perfect and absolute renouncing the faith and forsaking the communion of the faithful then I answer that it seemeth needlesse to adde this as a third means of unchurching in this sense either seeing it hath no other nature or force thereunto but what it received from its parts to wit heresie and schisme which have been before insisted upon so that all the difference is that heresie and schisme considered in themselves do unchurch apart and considered in Apostasie they do unchurch together or they are considered to do that together in Apostasie which they were considered to do before apart in themselves and this need not be added as a third meanes which hath no energy to do this effect but that which it receiveth from the other two yea even as it consisteth wholly thereof I conclude this discourse with a synopsis of what hath been said herein given us in those pertinent words of Learned Willet Synop. of the second contr of the Church he first tells us who may not be of the visible Church viz. Infidels i. e. such as are not baptized 2. Hereticks 3. Schismaticks to which he addes excommunicate persons he secondly teacheth who are or may be of the visible Church viz. 1. Such as are not predestinate 2. Manifest sinners de facto 3. Close Infidels i. e. hypocrites CHAP. XXXV Our Churches in England are true Churches inferr'd from the former discourse I Had once resolved to have written no more but finis to the former discourse and to have entrusted it as it is to the impartial improvement of my Readers Genius for who seeth not what great things a very little use of reason may inferre therefrom both touching our Churches Sacraments and Censure However though peaceable prudence be ready to advize as things and persons now are to be very sparing in taking the advantages offered us thence yet love to the truth and the zeale of the house of the Lord hath prevailed with to add something upon each of these heads as most direct and easie conclusions from the former premises and first concerning our Churches thus If we seriously consider what hath been said what can possibly hinder us from concluding therefrom that our publick Congregations in England are true Churches Were not all our members borne in the Church baptized in the Church and have they not hitherto remained in communion of the Church hath Apostasie Heresie Schisme hath a removal of the Candlestick or excommunication it self if it have such a power unchurched them Are not all our Congregations called out of the world of Infidels Turks Jews yea and Papists too and do not they stand as holy communities separate therefrom to the true worship and ordinarily exercised in the Ordinances of God Doth the Scripture require any more to the essence of the Church then ours have or doth it note any thing sufficient to unchurch that ours are not free from are not all the causes distinguishing marks of the true visible Church eminently in ours or doth not the whole definition thereof agree to them do not all the Churches salute and own us as true Churches and would not many dangerous absurdities both in judgement and practice immediately follow the denial thereof Are our Churches corrupt in their conversation true but the essence of the Church consisteth not in saving grace nor its visibility in an holy life besides what Scripture-Church is there except one viz. that at Philippi but is even by the Scripture it self both blamed for corruption and also acknowledged to be a Church or people of God But I intend not to enlarge here having elsewhere largely anticipated this discourse onely having often observed one great objection taken from the first constitution of our Churches to be the last and onely hold of the ancient Brownists as also of the subtiler sort of our later Anabaptists to whom we might adde the Papist I shall spend the remains of this chapter in the view and answer thereof 't is this Obj. Our Churches were not rightly constituted at first therefore they are no true Churches Answer This Objection as it lieth thus in general may be easily evaded upon all our adversaries own principles 1. To the Papists we reply that our Church was at first rightly constituted upon Popish principles for do they not say that we were at first converted unto Christianity by the preaching of Augustine the Monk and that he was commissionated thereunto by the Pope himself 2. To the Brownist we say that we were at first converted by the Ordinance of preaching whether of Joseph or not to which we may adde in answer to the Anabaptist that our ancestors were then baptized upon their personal professing the faith at years of discretion which thing cannot be rationally doubted seeing all are agreed that Heathens are not to be baptized but upon such profession of the faith and againe that our Ancestours were Heathens before their conversion to Christianity Object I know that all these adversaries are ready to reply that something hath since intervened that hath destroyed our Churches Answ Yet then the objection taken
unto him by the command of these Kings in like manner our gracious Queen Elizabeth did her duty to God in following these happy Kings in the like case in England and the people did no lesse then their duty to God and the Queene in returning to their God at the Queenes command 2. Neither can it be sufficiently proved that the preaching of the Word is of absolute necessity at the first constitution of a particular Church especially where some Knowledge of God and his wayes is presupposed as our case in England then was 1. I grant that in ordinary cases the preaching of the Gospel is required to the constitution of a Church but that there can be no extraordinary exception to this rule I deny especially when men would thence reason us out of our senses as well as our Churches we see our Churches in all the parts and essentials of true Churches shall we yet argue against what we see and not believe our own eyes because their first constitution was not as we would have had it or as indeed ordinarily Churches are constituted would it not have been judged a madnesse in Caine and Abel to have reasoned their parents out of the number of man-kinde because they were not born of a woman as men ordinarily are Let who will undertake to prove that our Churches in England were not constituted at first by the preaching of the Word and I dare engage to make good the assumption that our Churches in England are true Churches and thus we may haply discover another extraordinary way of constitution of Churches besides the preaching of the Word 2. The preaching of the Word as necessary to a true Church may be thought to be either antecedent or subsequent to the constitution thereof either of which is sufficient provided that the people are brought to a willing embracement of the Christian profession by any other means so that where the Candlestick is pitched and the Ministry of the Word is fixed among any people that freely attend upon it there none may doubt but that God hath chosen a people to be his Church for here are found the infallible marks of a true Church Now none can deny but that our Congregations in England if they were not at first reduced by the Minstry yet they have enjoyed it ever since that their reduction from the Popish yoak in the dayes of that famous Queen and that none may have cause to say that this our attendance on the Ordinances of God is generally forced by a Law as was wont to be laid to our charge we have of late a most clear evidence that it is indeed free and voluntary seeing all compulsory meanes are known to be rebated and taken away in the present liberty 3. Much lesse can it without grosse ignorance or dangerous impudence be denied that the Ministery of the word was instrumental with the Queens command to the reduction of the people in her dayes from Popery to Protestantisme yea 't is well known that divers Ministers were sent into all parts to satisfie the people touching that change in Religion which she then was about and allowed the people that their returne might be free above half a years time to consider of it and what law was made at length to compel in any regard was made by consent of the people themselves in Parliament all which are so evident in history that I shall need say no more thereof However suppose that all these things should be granted them 1. That we lost our Churches in Queen Maries dayes 2. That a true Church can be constituted onely by the preaching of the Word 3. That our Churches in Queen Elizabeths dayes were gathered or rather compelled onely by the Queens Command 4. And consequently that they then were no true Churches but societies of Heathens all which have appeared to be false yet what will this adversary conclude from thence against our present Churches especially if we adde the serious consideration of these four following particulars 1. That our people have had the preaching of the Word ever since 2. That they are now a willing people in Gods publick worship all meanes of compulsion being now taken off 3. That they became thus willing to embrace and abide in the true Religion by the preaching of the Word seeing no other meanes by their owne principles could make them so 4. And therefore consequently we stand true Churches now by their own principles being constituted such at length by the long abiding of the same among us if not so at first by the preaching of the Word CHAP. XXXVI Inferences from the former discourse concerning Baptisme and title to it WE have found the former doctrine helpful to us in the vindication of the truth of our Churches let us follow it a little further and it may haply discover something also touching their title to Sacraments And First of Baptisme Secondly of the Supper Concerning Baptisme it follows that if the former principle stand the children of foure sorts of persons may lawfully communicate Baptisme thereof the children of such as have no saving grace nor evidence of it the children of visibly wicked persons the children of the excommunicate and the children of such as ought not to be admitted to the Lords Table which will fall into so many Positions 1. Then first saving grace in the parent is not absolutely necessary to a real-right nor its evidence to a visible right in baptism for his child or the children of such as have no such grace and make no satisfactory evidence thereof to the Church may yet have a clear and good title to Baptisme and be lawfully baptized 1. The children of such as have no saving grace may have a Children of graceless persons have right in Baptisme real right in baptisme because such parents may notwithstanding their want of saving grace be really members of the visible Church and be themselves really baptized which is all that is requisite to entitle their children to visible Church-membership and consequently to baptisme the children of such parents are within the Covenant and interest in the Covenant carrieth Foederatis competit signum foederis doubtlesse a right in it to some seal of the Covenant and if to any must it not be to the first viz. Baptisme 2. The children of such as give no satisfactory evidence of saving grace may yet have a visible title to baptisme and a just claime for it from the hands of the Church because such parents may without such evidence have evidence enough of their interest in the Covenant and the visible Church sufficiently satisfying the Judges thereof by some other means for that which being real giveth real right to Ordinances in Gods account being visible or seen and known or not to be doubted of by men giveth visible right thereunto in the Court of the Church But something else besides such saving grace being real giveth real right to Ordinances therefore
or actual right to be admitted by the Church to the Lords Supper but may and in some cases ought to he debarred thetefrom First that every person lawfully baptized hath a right to the Lords Supper appears from precept promise and ptecedent in Scripture and Reason grounded upon or drawn from Scripture 1. Those whom Christ commands to celebrate his Supper have certainly some kind of right so to do fot what better right or Reas 1 from the command Debitum agendi debitum habendi warrant can we have to do any thing or receive any thing then our Masters command Thus duties and priviledges are inseparable what God commands is both These things I command for your own good and if we must do what God commands as our duty then we may do what God commands as our tight and priviledge But now God commands every disciple and lawfully baptized person to receive the Supper and to do all that Christ hath commanded his Church Do this in remembrance of me Teach them to observe and do whatsoever I command you This will not conclude that every Church-member must receive the Supper without any further consideration This hath been and may be further cleared for this command is but mediate and consequently gives but a mediate obligation to such as cannot and a mediate right to such as can and do not examine themselves yet it is a right though but remote or mediate and it is an obligation though it be conditional seeing the condition is commanded also and though the condition of this obligation be such as we before have heard 2. God hath conveyed and granted all Covenant-priviledges from the promise Reas 2 and consequently this of the Supper to all that are taken into and sealed in Covenant else why are we taken into Covenant if not to enjoy the priviledges of the Covenant yea what is the object of our right by Covenant but the priviledges of the Covenant Therefore the Covenant still runs thus I will be thy God and I will give thee c. yea can we have a right in God the greater and not in the Ordinances of God which is the lesse qui habet habentem omnia habet omnia how shall he not with him give us all things and with a right in him give us a right in all things I grant the Covenant is but a conditional Covenant and therefore a right unto the priviledges thereof is but a conditional right But now though differences rise high about the way and terms of being in covenant yet al agree that Church-membership discipleship and lawful baptism are of equal latitude with being in covenant Therefore wherever God begins with I will be thy God it necessarily follows and thou shalt be my people and wherever God ownes a people to be his is to be his Covenant-people 3. Those whom the Scripture admits to actual possession from example Reas 3 without requiring any new evidence or title have a plain and evident right to the Supper without any new evidence or title This cannot be denied because we have no other rule to judge of persons right to the Supper but the Scripture and because that would not admit to possession such as have no right unto it But now we finde Acts 2. 41 42. the Scripture admitteth persons baptized putting no barre by ignorance or scandal against themselves immediately without requiring any new evidence or title of them to actual communion with the Church in doctrine fellowship breaking of bread and prayers viz. in all Gospel-worship 4. A baptized Church-member stands not at the same distance from Scripture-ground Reas 4 from the Supper with persons that are neither Church-members nor baptized for he is visibly at least drawn out of that state of distance and being afarre off wherein the world of Infidels lies and is in Scripture acknowledged to be made nigh in opposition to Infidels Gentiles and those without Eph. 2. 11 12 Therefore a baptized Church-member must needs be granted to have some kinde of right to all Ordinances and consequently to the Supper for though there be a latitude in right yet there is no medium betwixt est and non est right and no right And if the baptized be nearer in right to all Ordinances then an Infidel he hath some kinde or degree of right thereunto not to be questioned if he be not ar the same distance with such as have no right he must needs have some kinde of right He that is not so far off from the Supper is nearer to it and he that is nearer to the Supper is nearer only in a way of right for there is no proceeding towards a legal possession but by a line of right Digression 4. The Grounds of the Churches power to deny the Supper to some Church-members materially considered Though every person lawfully baptized hath some kinde of right to the Lords Supper yet the Church hath power to withhold the present use thereof from some persons lawfully baptized The truth of this Proposition is generally allowed even in the granting 1. That children are lawfully baptized 2. That children are not to receive or not to be admitted to the Lords Supper I shall rather therefore spend this digression in digging for or fixing the grounds of this truth according to Scripture Which Grounds may be aptly considered Materially Formally The material Grounds are the objects about which this power of denying the Sacrament is exercised the Matter for which persons though baptized are to be denied the Supper or the grounds of denying the same to such persons The formal grounds are the grounds of the power it selfe by which the Church denieth the Sacrameâ—t to such the grounds on which this authority of the Church is built So that the present discourse is visibly engaged upon these two questions Quest 1. What are the just and lawful causes for which the Church may deny the Sacrament to baptized persons Quest. 2. On what is this power of the Church to deny the Sacrament upon such causes fixed or whence is it taken or derived Quest 1. First then what are the just and lawful causes of denying the Sacrament to baptized persons I answer that these causes are either privative viz. the want of some necessary qualifications conditional to this Communion or positive viz. some apparent ill quality or blemish for which a person though baptized ought to be debarred from this Communion the first is more eminently noted in 1 Cor. 11. and the latter in 1 Cor. 5. the first may be termed unworthinesse 1 Cor. 11. 29. the latter wickednesse or scandal 1 Cor. 5. ult persons under the first of these may be thought to be unfit and to be kept off upon principles of care and merciful caution persons under the latter may be thought to be und eserving and to be cast out upon principles of Justice The first are therefore rather not to be admitted ratione cautelae whose suspension called
handsome remain successeless Here we may see with tears in our eyes and pity and sorrow in our hearts the blessed childe of Reformation stick notwithstanding all our care pains and diligence for strict admissions to the Sacraments or the hot separations of others from our Churches Yet let me not be mistaken I know we ought to proceed in censure according to rule in fit season not when it is like to do no good in due measure not publikely when the fault is private in a right manner with shew of love and prudence and by a person that is likeliest to prevail if the Lord will And lastly we are not to proceed to excommunication as before was noted until obstinacy appear after admonition yet though it must be done fitly it must be done though all the circumstances must be heeded the substance may not be sleighted though there must be a right object place time measure manner and person observed as near as we can in doing the duty yet it is still in it self a duty and to be undertaken by us though it seem grievous 'T is sad to observe how froward the spirits of most are unto a right execution of this great duty which I must have leave to note in a few particulars 1. There are some that hold themselves obliged to admonish Some will admonish the Communicants only such only as are fellow-communicants with them at the Lords Table and this we have cause to bewail as a general errour though a very great one Are not the rest of the Congregation brethren and within and Church-members as well as the Communicants do their prejudices and surmizes against the proceedings about admission which hinders their present communion or their scandalous conversation destroy their Church-relation and cut off their brotherhood yea this Ordinance of brotherly admonition the very excommunicate have interest in account him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother 2. Others there are that though they do sometimes in a cold Some admonish but look not after the issue Mat. 18. 15 and carelesse manner tell a brother of his fault yet they look not after the issue they go no further in the way of Christ then this one step whereas they are charged to expect repentance or else to proceed with a further application towards excommunication Here also we might sit down and weep this is the great Remora of Reformation on the peoples part and their general and deep guilt for my part I cannot see any ground to hope for any considerable suecesse of discipline until this plain and weighty duty be wisely seriously and resolvedly undertaken by our people and chearfully and faithfully gone through withal For if that famous text Mat. 18. 15 16. were but once suffered to write it selfe in its power upon our hearts we should be fully satisfied that all the work of Discipline and Church-Reformation doth not lie upon the Ministers hands 3. Above all those of the people must needs be blamed that Some expect the Minister should do all and separate for that which is their own fault are either departed already or are still threatning to separate from us because many of our members are scandalous Alas that such would look throughout the Bible and see that the scandal of the brethren is no just ground of separation Besides the true reason why our members are so scandalous is their own neglect of this duty of Admonition which ought to precede their excommunication Had such first observed their duty according to the degrees of it enjoyned by Christ and brought the businesse to the hearing of the Church or but their Minister and then such admonished-scandalous-obstinate persons had been cherished and indulged and his good and regular endeavours discountenanc't there had been some cause indeed to complain though not to depart but alas the world knows the matter is otherwise Such persons generally first neglect their own duty of admonition and then unreasonably clamour against their Minister for either not doing their duty for them or for suffering that which he cannot help and then labour to set all on fire and run away I had now ended but that me thinks I hear the people murmure and some of my brethren in the Ministry object against what hath now been urged The people I know are apt to say What must we admonish Obj. all that are scandalous why this is to bring the world about our ears Besides many are dogs and swine and we must not cast Mat. 7. 6. our pearls before swine nor give holy reproof unto dogs But such may be easily answered though hardly satisfied Let us do our duty and though the heavens fall we shall catch no harme who is he that shall harme you if ye be followers of that which is good How safe is that soul that commits it selfe in well-doing into the hands of a faithful Creator how happy is he whom when the great Master cometh he shall finde so doing in the midst of a people so carelesse of this great duty Again how do we know our brethren to be dogs and swine before we have tried and found them such by their evil entertainment of the pearle of admonition and the holy thing of reproof but suppose the worse thy labour of duty to Christ and love to thy brother is not wholly lost for thou hast prepared him for a further Ordinance appointed by Christ for his repentance recovery and salvation viz. the admonition of the Church and Excommunication That which some of my brethren are apt to say me thinks is Obj. this That the Censures so much pressed seems contrary to the general practice of the Ministers who only suspend the scandalous from the Supper of the Lord and do not excommunicate any True I choose rather to terme this censure excommunication Answ or a rejecting and casting out but for no other reason but because thus it seemeth more warrantable from Scripture 2. Because the true meaning of the word Suspension is in controversie And 3. This term of suspension in this sense seemeth offensive to some brethren And I intend it in no other sense then Amesius doth upon the head of Ecclesiastical discipline where lie purposely treats of excommunication and calleth Suspension from the Supper c. Excommunicatio minor The truth is that which I have so much pressed under the name of Excommunication is no other thing then that which other brethren call suspension And provided that this suspension be intended and regularly proceeded unto as a Church-censure distinct from the suspension of the ignorant which is no censure and which we have debated before Me thinks this might at least for the present suffice us Considering 1. That all do maintain without difference that uspension from the Supper is a necessary and main part of the greater excommunication grounded on all those Scriptures that warrant that greater censure 'T is therfore also called Excommunicatiominor as before as the first
therefore as Peresius saith when opportunity is offered and consequently not necessary if no opportunity be offered or it cannot be had Object But if confirmation be a necessary ingredient to a proxime right in the Lords Supper how can it be supplied or how can a person have such a right without it Answ Therefore it may be remembred that confirmation or examination giveth no right at all to the person it Confirmation giveth no right onely evidenceth and confirmeth his former right and lets him into possession by admission to the Sacrament the person if self-examined hath right according to the word before confirmation 1 Cor. 11. 28. and by confirmation or approving of the Church hath indeed that which is called an Ecclesiastical right yet very improperly it being onely an evidencing and testifying of the former right which before he had as to God and conscience now in the Court of the Church for no man can convey a title to Gods Ordinances We must hold the distinction betwixt the means of conveying aright which here is self examination and the meanes of discovering this right and giving possession which is Church-examination approbation or if you will confirmation which I conceive is necessary to be submitted to by the people when it is required but not any necessary ingredient into any thing of their right or title to any Ordinance Confirmation when it is required is necessary to possession but not to right in the Lords Supper but when not required necessary to neither for if the Ministers neglect their duty in not â—equiring the people to be confirmed there is no reason the people should be kept from the Sacrament which is doubtlesse a clearer duty and a better meanes of the peoples confirmation then that which hath appropriated the name thereof 2. Secondly I conceive confirmation or examination is not so necessary when the end is attained before without it When the end is otherwise attained Discipline is no farther a duty then it is a meanes and meanes as such are onely necessary for the attaining their ends therefore where the end is attained unto there is no doubt lesse need of the meanes thus where a discovery of a persons grace and knowledge and fitnesse for the Sacrament the ends of confirmation is attained as it sometimes is by other meanes there I conceive that confirmation is not absolutely necessary to the letting in of a person to possesse his right in the Lords Supper it being no more required for the said ends then any other meanes conducing thereunto onely as it is a better meanes and in it selfe more likely and apt to obtaine them 3. Thirdly I conceive that confirmation not absolutely When likely to do hurt necessary to be used but may and ought to be dispensed with when the putting it in practice is likely to do more hurt then good viz. when upon a serious consideration of the peoples jealousies prejudices or any other kinde of distempers upon them it is rationally judged that seeming new and great and solemne undertaking will rather make some violent disturbance rupture or schisme among them and alienate their hearts and persons further from us then any way better reform or order them The Churches in Switzerland see much in that of Augustine that sometimes the wickednesse of the people is such that they are not fit for discipline and Augustine thought the Apostle saw the same in the Church of Corinth God grant we may not too soone have cause of the same complaint in England especially as to so solemne an Ordinance of discipline and so little as yet understood by the people as confirmation is where a medicine is like to do good 't is folly to omit it but where it is likely to hurt 't is folly I think to apply it especially after we have tried somewhat already of a very like nature to the same sore with but indifferent or bad successe Object But it may be said that if confirmation be required by God in Scripture it may in no case be dispensed with Answ I think the rule holdeth not to any part of discipline as discipline opposed to doctrine and worship a reproving our brother or telling him his fault is more clearly commanded then confirmation yet in some cases this is to be dispensed with Matth. 6. 7. 2. But secondly confirmation as now desired I think is not to Confirmation not expresse in Scripture or ancient churches as now desired be found in any expresse command or example in Scripture or indeed the ancient Churches Confirmation may bee lookt on in three special periods First as it was in the times of the Apostles Secondly as it was in the times next the Apostles 3. As in times nearer to us 1. First in the times of the Apostles I do yet beleeve Confirmation as used by Apostles that confirmation was nothing else but imposition of hands with prayer on persons without exacting any Covenanting or profession of the faith in order thereunto that they might receive the extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghost Thus the holy Ghost himselfe hath interpreted it in Acts 19. verse 6. when Paul had laid his hands upon them the holy Ghost came on them and they spake with tongues and prophesied and why it should not be thus understood whatsoever a learned man conceiveth to the contrary in chap. 8. 17. I see no reason considering the phraze verse 16. as yet the holy Ghost was fallen upon none but them a phraze I think peculiar to the extraordinary descentions of him in those dayes as also that had been onely to have strangthened them in the truth against persecution as Simon could hardly or not so easily have seene that so presently as v. 18. so would he scarcely have thought it worth his money wherewith he thought to have purchased that gift of God verse 19 20. In this extraordinary sense of the holy Ghost I am also apt to conceive of imposition of hands Heb. 6. 2. with great respect to that most ingenious and elegant glosse of the Reveverend authour of the first Epistle to the exercitation yea from this very Text I humbly conceive the Ancients took their usual formes of speech of enlightening and receiving the holy Ghost referring the first to baptisme and the last to laying on of hands and truely methinks this same reference is even percevable in the Text it selfe being vid. Heb. 6. 2 4 once enlightened seeming to relate to Baptismes and being made partakers of the holy Ghost to laying on of hands 2. Secondly if we look upon laying on of hands as it was used Confirmation as used in times next the Apostles in the times next and immediately after the Apostles or as soone as we reade of its use in the Churches after the times of the Apostles we finde not that I can yet discerne any examinations or confessions immediately preceding it or coming between baptisme and it we do not finde that children were called at ripenesse of age