Many there are then who bear the name of Christians ay and of Catholicks too who yet are in Christ John 15.2 6 but as withered branches in the Vine yea they are in the Church as Wens in the Body not in a vital and internal communion but in a formal and external profession Thus speaking of the Authors of Heresie and Heads of Faction which separated themselves from the communion of the Church They went out from us says the Apostle but they were not of us 1 John 2.19 for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us They went out from us as to the external and accidental form of the Church as it is the visible company of Professors but they were not of us as to the internal and essential form of the Church as it is the invisible Body of Christ Very fitly then is the visible Church compared in Scripture unto a field in which there grows up together Wheat and Tares Matth. 13.29 30. Matth 3.12 Matth. 13 47. to a floor on which there lies together Corn and Chaff to a draw not in which are contained good Fish and bad for that in the Church as it is visible there are Hypocrites mixt with true Believers the wicked with the godly And therefore the Apostle compares the visible Church to a great house 2 Tim. 2.20 where there are not onely Vessels of Gold and of Silver but also of Wood and of Earth yea Some to honor and some to dishonor Thus in the visible Church there are not onely strong Believers but also weak Christians not onely those who are more eminent in the gifts and graces of the Spirit but also those who are weaklings and of less spiritual abilities then others Yea further as there are some to honor that is some who through the Election of Grace shall at last inherit eternal glory so some to dishonor Rom. 2.5 that is some who through their impenitence and hardness of heart treasure up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath and shall be plunged in eternal misery And thus ye have seen in its several particulars What the Church is of which Christ is said to be the Head 3. How the Church of which Christ is the Head is said to be a Body viz. Especially from the communion of the faithful as Members Eph. 4.4 a communion so near that they are all said to have but one Spirit Acts 4.32 yea one heart and one soul and all this from the efficacy of love Col. 3.14 that bond of perfectness and knot of unity A Sacramental representation of this Mystical Communion 1 Cor 10.17 is given us in the holy Eucharist according to that of the Apostle We being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all partakers of that one Bread That Bread which exhibites to us the flesh of Christ our quickning and enlivening Food Food not which we convert by any carnal digestion into the nature of our body but which converts us by a spiritual operation into the nature of Christs Body making us to be heavenly and spiritual as he is spiritual and heavenly We change not it but it changeth us for so is the powerful operation of spiritual Food to convert into the nature of its self action still following the stronger force and spirituals are more powerful then corporals grace more active then nature By vertue of this communion of the Faithful the Church is said to be Corpus compactum connexum Eph. 4.16 a Body fitly joyned together and compacted no rents of Schism but every member hath its proper place Vers 13. and its peculiar connexion in the whole and this Till we all meet in the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Unto a perfect man this does intimate the near and full communion of Christs Church all the Faithful being as one political person in Christ Gal. 3.28 according to that There is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female but all are one in Christ Jesus and it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not one Body but one Person Now to grow up to a perfect man according to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ is the increase of the Church till consummate in its communion of Members and fulness of perfection which shall be at the last day when the whole number of the Elect is gathered and so Christ in the Church and the Church in Christ have mutually their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their compleat growth like that of the Head in the Body and the Body in the Head and all in one political person and perfect man To close then such is the communion of the Faithful one with another as Members and all in Christ as their Head that he who by Schism separates from the Church though never so seeming a Saint he cuts himself off from Christ and in the prosecution of this separation though he should zealously give up his life unto death his goods unto the spoil his body unto the fire 1 Cor. 13.2 3. yet all this would not be fidei corona Cypr. de Unit Eccles n. 12. but paena perfidia as St. Cyprian speaks not a crown of Faith but a punishment of unfaithfulness the suffering not of a Martyr but of a Malefactor For let the cause be what it will to die in Schism without the Pale of the Church is to perish in sin without the Gate of Heaven Indeed as the Branch withers which is broken off from the Root the River dries up which is cut off from the Fountain so the Soul shall perish which is divided from Christ And that Soul is certainly divided from Christ the Head which separates from the Church which is his Body His Body in a communion of the faithful as Members Here it will be a seasonable service to resolve you these four Questions 1. Whether the Church of Christ on Earth may totally fall away 2. What is meant by that common saying That out of the Church there is no Salvation 3. What have we to answer those who say We have no Church 4. Seeing we are to hold communion with the Church how may we know which is a true Church with which we may hold communion First Whether the Church of Christ on Earth may totally fall Quest 1 away We see in the World such a general defection from truth and holiness that some may haply propose this Question as well worthy our present resolution Indeed Polutheism a worshipping many gods hath ever been an argument for Atheism a not worshipping any God And in these our days whilst men see so many
in the Ceremonial ordinances being abolished the Gentiles are receiv'd into communion with the Jews Eph. 3.6 being made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellow-heirs of the same eternal inheritance heaven yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellow-members of the same mystical body the Church lastly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellow-partakers of the same gracious promise that made to Abraham Gal. 3.8 when the Gospel was preached unto him that in his seed should all the nations of earth be blessed Thus we have done with the first particular what it is to disciple it is to receive into the communion of the Church 2. Who they are that are to be discipled who they are that are to be receiv'd into the Churches communion even of all Nations as many as believe and the believing Parents bringing in with them their Infant-children Of believing parents we have no doubt of the Infant-children is all the question Wherefore how come they to have any right to or share in the communion of the Church To resolve this grand Quaere I will first prove that Infants of believing parents they have a right and interest in the communion of the Church Secondly give you the reason of that interest and right First prove that Infants of believing parents have a right and interest in the communion of the Church from three Arguments 1. Because the Jews infants were members of the visible Church therefore are the Christians 2. Because our Saviour testifies that to them belongs the kingdom of God Mar. 10.14 1 Cor. 7.14 3. Because S. Paul affirms them to be holy 1. Arg. Because the Jews infants were members of the visible Church therefore are the Christians That infants were accounted members of Christs visible Church under the Law and before the Law if not from Adam as it is probable yet from Abraham as it is infallible Ger. 17.11 12. Circumcision the then initiating seal of Church-communion is our argument and proof invincible Now that infants should be within the communion of the Church under the Old Testament and not under the New under the Law and not under the Gospel is repugnant to Gods mercy and inconsistent with the Gospels fulness in the dispensations of grace Besides observe the state of Church-communion is not chang'd in its nature and essence by the access of the Gentiles For some of the natural branches being broken off Rom. 11.17 we of the wild Olive are ingraffed in and made to partake with them of the root and fatness of the good Olive-tree As with the Jews they and their children are broken off so with the Gentiles they and their children are graffed in yea with the natural branches the ingraffed Gentiles partake of the root and fatness of the Olive that is they partake with the Jews of the promises and priviledges of the Church of which priviledges this is a chief one That the infants of believing parents are members of the visible Church If it were not so the Jews children which were in Church-communion before their parents became Christians they should lose the priviledge they before enjoyed and become so far from being bettered in their estate by their parents believing in Christ come in the flesh that their estate is made very much worse And if this be so that children lose the benefit and blessing under the Gospel which they enjoyed under the Law shew us what guilt in infants forfeited it or what act of Christ repeal'd it Sure we are infants were members of the Jewish Church and that of our Saviour Mar. 10.14 Suffer little children to come unto me we shall hereafter prove confirms them members of the Christian To enlarge a little further When Jews and Gentiles are united we find in Scripture Eph. 2.14 it is by taking down the partition-wall not taking away the Churches communion If there were any change in this sure we are it were for the better not for the worse even such as might advance the grace and riches of the Gospel so that the Jews should not lose though the Gentiles gain not they have less priviledge though the Gentiles more in being one Church with them Wherefore that children should be in Church-communion before Christ's and not after Christ's coming in the flesh is so absurd a Tenent and opinion as deserves none other confutation then to be hist out of the Church Yet for your clearer satisfaction I thus plainly and fully argue the cause When the Jews were converted to the faith of Christ did their children which were before Church-members then cease to be of the Churches communion If so I ask what cast them out If the repealing of that priviledge give testimony of that repeal if the forfeiting that blessing give witness of that forfeiture On the contrary did the Infant-children of the believing Jews retain and shall not then the Infant-children of believing Gentiles receive this priviledge of the Churches communion Sure had it been the doctrine or practice of Christ or his Apostles to exclude Infants from the communion of the Church we should have heard on 't and that loudly too from the unbelieving Jews complaints and clamors though the Apostles pens and tongues had been ne'r so silent Yea doubtless had this so dearly priz'd this so long enjoy'd priviledge been either prohibited or omitted so great a change of so great a concernment would have had some special precept to warrant it or even amongst believers themselves some notable dispute if not disturbance rais'd about it 2. Arg. Our Saviours testifying that to little children belongs the kingdom of God And his testimony we have from S. Mark s Gospel Mar. 10.14 where we find some zealously devoted bringing young children unto Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sucking children Sure we are they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Suidas speaks of some children borne in arms for so it is implied in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adferebant non adducebant Apud Scap. in Lex graec they brought them in their arms not led them in their hands and Christ receives them as they brought them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He embraced them in his arms So that it is apparent beyond all contradiction they were little children very babes or infants v. 16. And these they bring to Christ as a great Prophet sent of God or the Messiah in whom they believed and to this end they bring them that he might bless them But the Apostles for what reason we know not they forbid them whose imprudent or sinful act moves our Saviour's just displeasure yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was much displeased saying Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not Where the negative command is the stronger enforcement of the affirmative precept Of both which if we enquire the reason our Saviour answers Of such is the kingdom of God that is they have a right and interest in the communion of the Church and the Covenant of grace
of Conscience Oh how is a conscientious man intangled in a snare of perplexities surrounded with a maze of distractions Who cannot in his ordinary affairs of life be quieted in his Conscience in the resolution of things lawful and expedient without Scripture proofs to determine it The rule of Reason That is readily applied by a man of ordinary prudence but the rule of Scripture is not to be applied to every action by the ablest Textuary in the World he stands in need to carry a Concordance in his hand who makes the Scripture the onely rule of all his actions and yet not avoid perplexity of Conscience neither Thirdly A seditious contempt of Humane Laws whether Civil or Ecclesiastical This opinion is that which will break the bonds of all subjection and temporal obedience both of children to Parents of servants to Masters and of subjects to Soveraigns who will by influence of this Error question when they should obey and call into dispute when they should put in practice the lawful commands of their Superiors As for these kinde of men who will not obey Magistrates forsooth but in a Gospel-way upon a Scripture proof for every Law I call the whole World to witness whether ever yet they proved themselves good subjects and sure we are according to that maxim of antient and known experience Qui nescit servire nescit imperare He that knows not how to serve knows not how to govern they will never make good Masters who themselves never were good servants Thus having discovered to you the dangerous falshood and evil consequents of this Vulgar Error That the sacred Scriptures are the onely rule of all our actions give me leave to answer the Objections urged by the Brethren of the Separation the first broachers and the continued abettors of this Error Their main Arguments and Objections are drawn from that of the Apostle Whatsoever ye do 1 Cor. 10.21 do all to the glory of God And again that Whatsoever is not of Faith Rom. 14.23 is sin The first Argument is framed thus We must do all to Gods glory but Object 1 that cannot tend to his glory which is not directed by his Law and therefore in every thing we must be directed by his Law seeing in every thing we are to aim at his glory Answer All this is true and yet the Error remains which is this Answ That the sacred Scripture alone is this Law whereas God in his providence hath ordained several Laws distinct in nature and degree but in subordination the lower to the higher and all to him the supream Lawgiver So that to measure all mens actions by one kinde of Law were to confound that sacred Order of divine Providence in which his Government of the World is so eminently glorious Some actions are within the bounds of nature as we are Creatures for these we have a Law natural some are within the limits of Reason as we are men and for these we have a Law rational Some within the verge of Secular community as we are Subjects for these we have a Law politick some within the sphere of Faith as we are Christians and for these we have a Law divine Lastly some within the orbe of External communion as we are visible Members of the Church and for these we have a Law Ecclesiastical And such is the sweet order of these several Laws in the constitution of Providence that neither opposeth other but all consent in an harmonious subordination unto God and Christ in the Government of the World and of the Church So that we may say of Law Mr. Hoâ—ker Eccles Polit. she is sacred her seat is the Throne of God her voice the Harmony of the World all things in Heaven and in Earth do her homage the very least as feeling her care and the greatest as not exempted from her power Angels and men and the whole number of the Universe though in different manner yet in uniform consent they reverence and admire her they obey and extol her as the Mother and Nurse as the Queen and Patroness of their Peace and Joy Object 2 The second Argument is framed thus Whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Rom. 14.23 but where there is no Word there can be no Faith and therefore whatsoever action hath not warrant from the written Word of God commanding it it must needs be sinful Answ Answer This Argument however it may seem to set forth the perfection of Gods sacred Law yet does it indeed destroy much of Gods sacred Truth For what St. Paul means by Faith we see plainly from the context is neither fides quae creditur nor fides quá credimus neither the object nor the act neither the doctrine nor the belief of Supernatural Revelation Which Revelation we acknowledge perfect in order to eternal life in the sacred Scriptures But by Faith most evident it is the Apostle means an inward perswasion of minde believing That what we do may lawfully be done whereas to do any thing of which we are not thus perswaded it is sin So that by Faith here the Apostle does not mean the doctrine of Scripture but the dictate of Conscience and most certain it is Let the light and information of Conscience be from Reason as well as from Scripture the dictate of Conscience cannot be resisted without sin against God whose Vicegerent it is in the Soul of Man In things then ordinary quotidianae incursionis of daily incursion yea in matters Civil debitae subjectionis of due subjection Our warrant is sufficient as to Conscience if we know no Law of Scripture to contradict it though we know none in particular to confirm it So that it is the inverted order of right Argumentation to say this or that we may not do because Gods Word does not command it whereas we should rather say this or that we may do because Gods Word does not forbid it For observe What things are indifferent in their own nature as being neither directly expressed in the Word nor necessarily deduced from it nor any way opposit to the Word or inconsistent with it those things we acknowledge left to the prudence of Governors for the preservation of order and unity in the Church which things indifferent in their nature do by the command of lawful Authority become necessary in their use And upon this firm ground upon this sure basis are fixt those Ecclesiastical Laws and Ceremonies of our Church which have been so loudly decryed and so hotly pursued 2. 2. Vulgar Error That every private person who pretends to the Spirit may be a fit Interpreter of sacred Scripture From this evil principle it is that as Hilary complained of of old Annuas atque menstuas fides habemus Every year every moneth produceth some new Doctrine of Faith This is somewhat modest and fair to our Factions and Frenzies in which we have Non modo annuas aut menstruas sed vel diurnas fides
Religions they not knowing which to chuse think it best to be of no Religion and whilst they behold the eager opposition of Churches all professing Christ they are ready to question whether indeed Christ hath now any Church But to stop the mouths of Atheists and confirm the Faith of true Christians I shall resolve unto you this Quare Whether the Church of Christ on Earth may totally fall away To which I answer Answ Some particular and visible Churches of Christ have and still may fall away but the universal and invisible Church the Body of Christ cannot And this stability of Christs Church is founded upon the immutability of Gods Covenant his promise cannot fail and therefore his Church cannot perish In all her variety of states and conditions Non mutat voluntatem sed vult mutationem so the Schools from the Master of the Sentences and he from St. Augustine When God alters his work he changeth not his will but wills those changes so as to establish his promises Amongst which promises to his Church Matth 16.18 observe that The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against her And again Lo I am with you saith our Saviour what onely for a short time Matth. 28.20 No it is for a long date alway even unto the end of the world Indeed to suppose the Church to fall totally from grace were to separate Christ from being Head and to divide him from the Body Eph. 1.23 and so make him who is the fulness of perfection to be himself imperfect Of particular visible Churches indeed we say That they have and may fall away so did the Church of Israel in the time of Elijah so hath the Church of Ephesus of Antioch of Jerusalem and many other particular Churches they have faln away yet the Universal hath not But still in the height of Heresie there have been some to profess the truth in the deepest Apostacy some to hold fast unto Christ and the purity of his worship Thus in the time of Arianism when as St. Hierom tells us Ingemuit totus orbis se Arianum esse miratus est The whole World groaned and wondered to see it self become Arian yet then there was an Athanasius to be Arianorum Malleus the Hammer and Hammerer of the Arians yea there were stout Professors of the Truth in the several parts of the Earth true Propugnatores fidei the Churches Champions for the Faiths defence Rev. 13.5 Yea see when the whole World wonders after the Beast even the Princes of the Earth dread his power court his friendship adore his greatness yet even then God hath a remnant left A remnant which worship him in Spirit and in Truth But further yet I observe The old Adversaries of the Protestant Faith the Papists they take advantage of our present distractions and whilst our Church labors under an Eclipse they seek to gain Proselytes by this Argument viz. Necessary it is to be of some Church for it is a truth received on all hands That out of the Church there is no Salvation and now as for the Church of England say they where is it or what is it That hath ceased to be but the Church of Rome that continues in her ancient glory So that unless now you will be Roman Catholicks you can be of no Church and if you be of no Church you can expect no Salvation Wherefore to discover the subtlety and overthrow the strength of Quest 2 this Argument I shall resolve this Second Quaere What is meant by this ancient truth and common saying That out of the Church there is no Salvation Answ Answer It is meant of the Church Universal not of this or that or any other particular Church There is no particular Church on Earth but may under a cloud of persecution cease to be any longer visible in respect of the outward Ministry of the Word and Sacraments and yet continue to be of the Church Universal the Body of Christ in the inward sanctification of the Spirit and Grace So that when we say Out of the Church there is no Salvation it is not spoken of the Church of Rome any more then of the Church of France or of the Church of England or of any other particular and National Church on Earth But it is spoken of that Una Sancta Catholica Ecclesia That one holy and Catholick Church the Body of Christ for that out of it indeed there is no Salvation And therefore do the Ancients make Noahs Ark Gen. 6.16 17 18. a Type of the Church for that as all within the Ark so all within this Church are saved and as all without the Ark so all without the Church are destroyed Per portam Ecclesiae intramus in portam Paradisi so St. Augustine through the door of the Church we enter the Gate of Paradise and as the same St. Augustine observes well He that hath not the Church for his Mother cannot have God for his Father and he that hath not God for his Father cannot have Christ for his Saviour and without Christ there is no Salvation For as that which is not of the Body does not receive life Natural from the Head so he that is not of the Church does not receive life Spiritual from Christ We proceed then to the resolution of our Third Quaere Quest 3 What we have to answer those who say we have no Church viz. That a Church does not then cease to be Answ when she ceaseth to be glorious but is visible in her constant sufferings when not visible in her publick Ministry Be it so then that we cannot shew the rich Plate on the Cubbard yet we can shew it cast into the Furnace and do but wait the Artists time and it shall come out more refined and beautiful The Church is the Kings Daughter Psal 45 13. though clothed in Raggs though covered with contempt yet all glorious within Tell me is not the Church then most truly eminent when most eminently suffering for the Truth Innocency is more illustrious upon a Dunghil then injustice on the Throne Fa th and Truth more honorable in a Dungeon then Schism and Superstit on in the Temple wherefore theâ—e Christ hath his Church where Truth hath her Martyrs And let not then any insulting Romanist say Where is your Church in contempt and scorn whilst we can point him to those who give Testimony to the Faith by their innocency and sufferings To close with the Fourth Quaere Seeing we are to hold Communion Quest 4 with the Church how may we know which is a true Church with which we may hold communion Answ Answer By these inseparable and infallible Notes a sincere Preaching of the Word a right Administration of the Sacraments and a firm Profession of the Faith All which by how much they are the more or the less perfect by so much is the Church the more or the less pure And now blessed be God even for ever