that which you doe from hence vsually collect and vrge against vs. CHAP. II. A confutation of another description of the true visible Church giuen by the Brownists Where much is said concerning the first gathering of a Church and commixture of good and bad in the Church BVt omitting this description of H. Barrowes wee will proceed to another of theirs laid downe in their Apologie Apologie 44. It is say they a company of people called and seperated from the world by the word of God and ioyned together by voluntary profession of the faith of Christ in the fellowship of the Gospell If this be a true description then whosoeuer is not called and seperated from the world by the word of God c. is not a member of the visible Church for of such a company so called and qualified it doth consist as you affirme But some not called and seperated from the world c. haue bin are and shall be of the vâ—sible Church as is euident by that which followeth this therfore is not a true description of the visible Church It is a company of people say you called by the word of God whereby you meane that by the power and force of the Word only in the Ministery and preaching therof men are brought to be of this societie that is of the visible Church and not by the call perswasion or commandement of the Magistrate or any mortall man And this you put downe in your description that thereby you might proue our Parish assemblies to bee no true but false visible Churches because in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths raigne the people then liuing were not called by the Word and gathered by the preaching thereof but all brought in at once by her commandement and proclamation Hereupon it is that in the former description of the visible Church they say It is a company gathered in the name of Christ Iesus And Master Iohnson applying this to vs saith We were neuer rightly gathered together according to Gods ordinance Defence of the Churches and Minist of Eng. 86. that is as heere he speaketh not called by the word of God meaning the preaching thereof as appeareth by his quotations of Scripture in the margent We answere If we speake of a Church when it is first planted I meane of a Nation when first it commeth to embrace and professe the Gospell and true Religion the people of such a Nation for a great part there of are called by the word of God before they come to be a visible Church By the power and truth of the Word and diuine maiestie shining euery where therein the children of men be brought to forsake their false Religion and worship and to ioyne together in the profession of true Religion whereby they become a visible Church And this is confirmed throughout the whole story of the Acts of the Apostles both in the conuersion of the Iewes or gathering visible Churches of them set downe in the nine first Chapters and likewise of the gentiles continuing from the beginning of the tenth Chapter to the latter end of that booke In the second of the Acts where mention is made of a great increase or addition to the visible Church that before that time was among the Iewes of about three thousand soules and in the fourth of the Acts of a further increase to about fiue thousand Act. 2.14 and 4.4 in both these places the meanes is specified whereby this was brought to passe and that is said to be the hearing and and receiuing of the word of God preached by Peter and other of the Apostles In the eight chapter of the Actes wee reade of a Church gathered in the Citie of Samaria by Philip his preaching Christ vnto them and in the eleuenth Chapter of the Acts of a great Church gathered by the preaching of certaine Prophets and Euangelists in Antiochia in Syria In a word where in the Acts we reade of the conuersion of a people to God as in Antiochia a Citie of Pisidia in Iconium Listra Derbe Philippi Thessalonica Berea Athens Corinthus and Rome in the same places we heare that they were called and the said visible Churches gathered by the preaching of the word But mark all these Churches were now first planted and these people newly conuerted from Iudaisme or Gentilisme that is eyther from the Iewish Religion or false Religion of the Gentiles to the Christian Religion In such a case to the gathering and beâ—ng of a Church the preaching of the Word is absolutely necessary so as without it a company of people cannot bee brought to be a Church But if we speake of a Church established or of a Country where for some time true Religion hath beene professed and God truly worshipped though sometimes interrupted broken off and discontinued which is our case then this holdeth not As vnder the Law both Iewes and Gentiles professing the Iewish religion by Circumcision so by Baptisme Christians vnder the Gospell are incorporated into the visible Church and made members thereof Are not the children of the faithfull by Baptisme receiued into the visible Church and thereby made members thereof And not by the call of the word the sound whereof many of them do not heare and if they doe they cannot vnderstand it And what letteth why some of these when they bee growen men may not thorough hypocrisie continue in the Church though in the hardnes of their hearts they neuer were affected and touched with the word many such hypocrites and hard-hearted men dead in their sinnes and trespasses and that haue consciences seared with a hot Iron haue euer beene are and shall be in the Church who neuer by the call of the word and power thereof would haue become members of the Church nor haue felt any touch that way but onely because they were borne and brought vp in the Church and not cast out either through the want of due execution of discipline or else through their deepe dissimulation and hypocrisie they being like painted tombes which appeare beautifull outward but are within full of dead mens bones and all filthinesse Surely it is not to be thought that Cain Ismael Esau with others that many of the fatte Bulls of Basan that many of those who in Israel killed the Prophets and stoned them which were sent vnto them that many of the Scribes and Pharisies were affected with the Word or so much as tasted of the power and sweetnes thereof and yet were they all of the visible Church How were these then called by the word of God Againe that without this call by the word men may come to be of the visible Church it is yet more euident by the scripture In the twelfth chapter of Exodus where mention is made of the departure of the Children of Israel out of Egypt it is said That a great multitude of sundry sorts of all people went out with them Verse 38. now all or most of these we may assure
the first borne of the Iewes that were by Gods appointment to be sanctified to the Lord Exod. 13.2 and are they which out of mankind are of God sanctâ—fied and put apart to an holy vse that is the seruice or worship of God the rest of mankind attending proâ—ane and worldly affaires Also Exod. 4.23 Psal 4.6 Matth. 22.5 Esa 49.15 because they of this Church or company are as dearely nay more dearely beloued of God then the first borne children are of their parents Fourthly this Church is said to be written in heauen because all of them are chosen and appointed to life eternall and their names written in the booke of life enioying or hereafter to enioy it in heauen Lastly he maketh mention of the spirits of iust and perfect men meaning the soules of the faithfull which are now in heauen Whereby wee learne that part of the Church is now in heauen and the other in earth and hereafter to be on earth both these making the Church This Church or company then containeth all Gods Elect that euer haue beene are and shall be in this world from the beginning thereof to the end Whereof part we see is in heauen triumphing as hauing got the victory ouer their enemies and praysing God and is therefore called the Church triumphant and part on earth hereafter on earth to be warring or fighting with their spirituall enemies the flesh the world and prince thereof the Diuel called therefore the Church militant This Paul teacheth likewise in the 3. to the Eph. saying I bow my knees vnto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Vers 14.15 of whom is named the whole family in heauen and in earth By whole family he meaneth the whole Church one part whereof saith hee is in heauen with God the Lord Master of this Family magnifying him and namely for his goodnes towards theÌ„ the victory that by him they haue obtained Exod. 4.23 the glory honor and immortality he hath bestowed vpon them the other on earth for a time attoÌ„ding the busines he hath appointed them which is to worship him This the Apostle likewise teacheth Ephes 1.10 and in the first to the Coloss vers 20. In both which places he affirmeth that God hath reconciled to himselfe in Christ all things which are in heauen and which are in earth By the word Things hee meaneth Men as Reuel 21.27 where Iohn speaking of the new Ierusalem saith There shall enter into it no vncleane thing meaning no vncleane man or person By all things then both which words be vsed in eyther of these places the holy Ghost meaneth all the Elect for of these the Apostle speaketh in both places of which society part he telleth vs now three times is in heauen and the other in earth none in purgatory and that each part and euery member thereof is in and through Christ reconciled God and such only be the Elect. This whole company of the Elect is the Church which Ephes 1.22.23 proueth Christ is appointed the head to the Church which is his body the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all things As the parts of a man soule and body make but a man not men and the seuerall parts of the body one body not diuers so the societies whereof I haue spoken in heauen and on earth make but one Church We doe not then beleeue two Churches not two Spouses of Christ but we beleeue only one yet considered diuers wayes One as shee is in the blade growing and to grow together with the tares in the field or in the flore mixed with chaffe another as shee is in the garner one in the mine and another purifiâ—d one yet wrapped in the confusion of this world and wicked men another before her Spouse without spot or wrinckle But leauing the triumphant Church which is in this pure and perfect estate we will now intreat of the Militant The militant Church is vniuersall or particular Ephes 4.13.16 Vniuersall are all those throughout the world who beleeuing in Christ are by the spirit vnited to him and by loue one vnto another In a word the whole company of the faithfull Hereof Paul speaketh 1. Cor. 12.28 God hath ordained some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets c. And Ephes 4.11.12 where the very same in part is layd downe but in other words He therefore gaue some to bee Apostles and some Prophets c. for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministery and for the edification of the body of Christ In stead of the word Church he first vseth Saints because the Church is nothing else but the Congregation of Saints Secondly The body of Christ meaning that part of his body which is on earth the whole being set for a part by a Synecdoche And of this is that to be vnderstood in the Creed I beleeue the holy Catholike Church A particular Church is the whole company of beleeuers that be in a Country Citie Towne or Village Such was the Church at Ierusalem Rome Corinth the Churches of Galatia c. as after in the ninth chapter of this Booke is proued Paul an Apostle 1. Cor. 1 2. Gal. 1.2 vnto the Church of God which is at Corinthus Paul vnto the Churches of Galatia And thus rightly we doe and may call all the faithfull in England in Scotland in France the Church of England the Church of Scotland the Church of God in France and all the true beleeuers be they more or lesse in Islington the Church of Islington Thus haue we many Churches and yet but one Church many particular Churches and yet but one Catholike or vniuersall Church 1. Pet. 2.9 To the Militant Church Peter speaketh saying But yee are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people that yee should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknesse into his maruailous light Where he speaking to the Elect and beleeuing Iewes telleth them that they need not to feare nor be dismaid at this that God hath ordained some to destruction whereof he had spoken in the two next verses before for as much as they were not of those or of that Generation whom God to glorifie his Iustice and to shew his anger against sinne hath appointed to condemnation but were of that Generation and stock which out of mankind God hath chosen and ordained to life euerlasting that so hee might declare the riches of his glory and mercy in sauing them Of this societie the beleeuing Iewes whom Peter speaketh were part And therefore it is that the Apostle vseth this particle but saying But yee are a chosen generation Those that Peter calleth heere the chosen Generation are the same which the Scripture often cals the Church and Diuines vsually the inuisible Church And it is that company of men which God out of all mankind hath chosen in Christ to giue or bestow vpon them eternall
and sanctifieth or maketh holy that before and till then were prophane and from vnder the power of Satan and his slauery bringeth into the glorious liberty of the sons of God bestowing his free spirit vpon them All this God doth to this end that they might shew forth the vertues of him who hath chosen and called them hereunto that is praise him for his exceeding rich mercie and goodnes towards them As in the aforesaid ninth verse so likewise in the fift verse of the said Chapter this our Apostle in the beleeuing Iewes doth yet further describe and set forth the Church or rather part thereof the Militant whereby wee may the better vnderstand the same and who be of it And yee speaking of the elect and beleeuing Iewes as liuely stones are made a spirituall house an holy Priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ First the company of true beleeuers all which be the Militant Church are called liuely or liuing stones as hauing spirituall life or the life of God in them from that liuing stone Christ Iesus Ephes 4.18 mentioned vers 4. who is also the chiefe corner stone of this building As these before the time of their calling and vntill they doe beleeue are as stones without life Rom. 6.13 Ephes 2.1 2. Tim. 5.6 Iohn 5.25 Matth. 7.22 dead in sinne like to the widow who liuing in pleasure was dead while shee liued and to those of whom Iesus speaketh The dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God meaning in the Ministery of the Word and againe Let the dead bury the dead and being thus dead haue no more power or strength to doe those actions which are pleasing vnto God which we call good-workes then a dead man to performe the actions of life as to eate drinke talke walke c. So as soone as they be called and beleeue and euer from that time forward they haue a power conueyed into them from God whereby they are quickned and made able to doe the workes of God whereupon they are called liuing or liuely stones And it commeth thus to passe I speake of the inward and effectuall calling When God calleth a man which is when he receiueth grace to beleeue in Christ Iesus then hee bestoweth his Spirit on him according to that of Paul Ephes 3.17 Christ dwelleth in your hearts by faith meaning that in all which doe beleeue Christ dwelleth by his Spirâ—t which is confirmed by that other speech of the Apostle to the Romans Chap. 8.9 If any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his This Spirit being the Spirit of life as it is called Rom. 8.2 killeth and subdueth in whomsoeuer it is sinne so as though it remaine still in man yet it hath not that dominion and command that before it had and quickneth or inableth them in some measure to lead an holy and righteous life As is taught Rom 8.10 If Christ bee in you to wit by his Spirit or if the Spirit of Christ be in you the body meaning the body of sinne as Rom. 6.6 is dead because of sinne and the Spirit is life for righteousnesse sake From hence I say it is that the faithfull who bee the Militant Church are called liuing stones 1. Cor. 3.16.17 Secondly they are said to be a spirituall house and elsewhere the Temple of God as wherein God dwelleth by his Spirit whereof the Tabernacle and materiall house or Temple built by Salomon were a type and figure Of this inhabitation of God by his Spirit we shal heare more hereafter Thirdly as in the ninth verse they are termed a royall Priest-hood so heere an holy Priesthood They are said also to offer vp spirituall sacrifices As the Priests vnder the law were to offer sacrifices so these royall and holy Priests both vnder the Law and Gospell did and should offer not Lambes Calues yong Bullockes Psal 51.17 Psal 4.5 Heb. 13.15 or any earthly or corporall sacrifices as the Leuiticall Priests did but sacrifices of another kinde spirituall and heauenly the sacrifice of a contrite spirit and broken heart the sacrifice of righteousnesse the sacrifice of praise or the calues of the lippes yea themselues for a sacrifice consecrating themselues wholly to God throughout the whole course of their liues in all their actions studying to please him It is said further that the sacrifices which these Priests doe offer are acceptable to God by Christ Iesus Wherein are implied two things First Though all the sacrifices of the Leuiticall Priests were not pleasing to God and accepted of him yet all the sacrifices which these Priests offer that is all the good workes they doe should be accepted of God Secondly That these sacrifices bee not acceptable to God for any perfection or worthinesse that is in them but in and through Iesus Christ Confession of faith 6. and to Communion of Saints 248 and 470. Apologie 44. Counterp 198. Description of the visible Church p. 2. his mediation and intercession These two places of Peter viz the fift and ninth verses and likewise Reuel 1.6 and 1. Cor 3.16 17. our brethren of the Separation vnderstand of the visible Church and members thereof as hereafter we shall heare I trust by that is already said this error of theirs is manifest Yet haue we something more to say thereunto in his due place Finally of this blessed company that is to bee vnderstood in the Creed I beleeue the holy Catholike Church Where euery true beleeuer not onely professeth that hee beleeueth and is perswaded that there is such a blessed society as is aforesaid to whom only the benefits and priuiledges following in the Creed doe belong to wit the Communion of Saints the forgiuenesse of sinnes the resurrection of the flâ—sh and life euerlasting but that he himselfe is one of them This Church is said to be holy for that it consisteth of persons holy but of this we haue spoken already It is termed likewise Catholike that is Vniuersall because of this fellowship there are some heere and there through the vnâ—uersall world as also for that it containeth in it all the Elect and such as are and shall be saued from the beginniâ—g to the end of the world so that out of this Church there is no saluation Lastly it is to be obserued that we doe not say I see but I beleeue the holy Catholike Church whereby wee know that this Church is rightly said to be Inuisible Heb. 11.2 bâ—cause faith is of things which are not seene We beleeue this Church it must needs then be inuisible And it is called Inuisible hauing reference to men who can neither sound the secrets of God nor yet which is lesse the heart of man because I say we can doe neither of these much lesse both and so cannot see or know who be Elect of which alone this Church standeth therefore it is said to he Inuisible 2. Tim. 2.19 1.
We account of all men next to the King his children most honorable and happy especially his sonne and heire that is to inherit the Kingdome Hereupon the seruants of Saul speaking thus to Dauid Behold 2. Sam. 18.23 the King hath a fauour vnto thee be now therefore the Kings sonne in law DAVID answered Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the Kings sonne in law seeing that I am a poore man and of small reputation What then may it seeme vnto vs who are but dust and ashes nay worse then so by nature the children of wrath and of the Diuell to become by grace the adopted children of God Ephes 2.3 Iohn 8.41.44 It is a matter of great honor and dignity to bee the sonne and heire of a Noble man specially of a King And is it not a much more glorious thing to be the sonne and heire of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings All men bestow and leaue vnto their children according to that themselues be and haue The meane man an inheritance or portion according to his abilitie be it more or lesse The Gentleman leaues to his children according to his estate and worth The noble-man after his and the King according to his greatnesse Euen so it is betwixt God and his children What and how great then shall be the portion and honor of these children seeing it shall be agreeable to the greatnesse of their heauenly Father and that which beseemeth the children of such a Father It must needs be such as neither eye hath sâ—ene nor eare hath heard nor euer came into mans heart in a word incomprehensibly glorious Because of this the estate of these in the world to come is not only called a glorious estate Rom. 8.18.21 and vers 17.30 1. Iohn 3.2 Phil. 3.21 and the glorioas liberty of the sons of God and they then said to be glorified and to be like vnto Christ partaking with him in glory both in soule and body their vile bodies being made like vnto his glorious body but is also inlarged thus that they shall then haue a most excellent and eternall waight of glory 2. Cor. 4.17 To set forth also the excellent an glorious estate and condition of these in the world to come it is often said in the Scriptures that they shall haue a Kingdome Feare not little flocke Luke 12.32 for it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you a Kingdome Matth. 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit for there is the Kingdome of heauen And to the same end it is called the kingdom of God and of heauen 1. Cor. 6.9 Heb. 12.28 2. Tim. 4.8 1. Cor. 9.25 Mat. 5.3 and said to be such as cannot be shaken On the heads of these Kings shall be set a crowne of righteousnesse yea an incorruptible crowne of glory Happy then and a thousand times happy are all of this Church and company that shall haue such and so glorious a kingdome whereof also there is no end but they shall raigne for euermore These 1. Pet. 1.4 2.1.11 howsoeuer they be not borne nor come by discent to this heauenly kingdome and inheritance Ephes 1.4.5 Act. 13.48 yet are they of God chosen and ordained thereunto before the foundation of the world was laid as appeareth by that sentence of Christ the Iudge of all men which he shall one day pronounce vpon them Come yee blessed of my Father Matth. 25.34 take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world And therefore they who in their minoritie and nonage haue not yet receiued this inheritance and kingdome are as sure of it as if they were inthronized and in possession thereof Because as God himselfe so all things in God and namely this election of part of mankind vnto saluation is vnchangeable So that heauen and earth shall sooner passe away then any one of this chosen generation perish Are not they now happy who are sure to inherite this Kingdome albeit they yet haue it not What though in this world and for the present 1. Cor. 15.19 they bee of all men the most miserable yet neuerthelesse if we haue respect to their future estate Heb. 11.26 1. Pet. 1.4 to this great recompence of reward and inheritance immortall by the power of God reserued for them in heauen they are of all the children of men the most happy and those only who be happy all others being in a most accursed estate coÌ„dition And thus much concerning the Church or that we cal the Inuisible Church the knowledge whereof we referre to God the searcher of hearts proceed we now to entreate of the visible Church which men can know and discerne and is therefore called visible into which all they must retire themselues in this world that will be gathered with the inuisible Church into heauen in the world to come according to that saying Act. 2.47 And the Lord added to the Church from day to day such as should be saued For this cause it standeth vs vpon diligently to search and enquire into this matter and so for thee Christian Reader to giue good eare to that which followeth CHAP. III. Of the visible Church and diuers acceptation of the word Church AS sometimes this word Church must be taken in that sence I haue already spoken of that is for all the elect or some speciall company of the elect as is manifest by the premises so in many other places of holy Scripture it cannot possibly be so vnderstood but must of necessity haue some other signification Verse 3. In the 8. of Acts Luke reporteth of Saul that he made hauocke of the Church And no lâ—sse doth the Apostle say of himselfe 1. Cor. 15.9 I am not meete to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God In these places and very many more by Church we cannot vnderstand the Elect except we will imagine eyther that Saul knew whom God had elected or that all bee elected who are persecuted both which are very false How then must wee vnderstand this word Church heere And what may we doe to finde out the true sence and meaning of this word in these and such other like places where it cannot be taken in the former signification Surely it may easily and and safely be done by conference of Scripture as we shall see Verse 3. In the 22. of the Acts Saint Paul hath these words of himselfe I was zealous towards God as yee all are this day vers 4. And I persecuted this way vnto the death binding and deliuering into prison both men and women And Galath 1. Thus he likewise speaketh of himselfe Vers 13. yee haue heard of my conuersation in times past in the Iewish religion how that I persecuted the Church of God extreamely and wasted it 14. And profited in the Iewish religion aboue many of my companions of my owne Nation and was much more
God in vaine Matth. 15.9 not one of them worshipped God aright in spirit and truth neyther did they liue after the lawes of God and Christ but after the lawes and customes and fashion of this world whereof they were When men spake to them of peace they were bent to warre and in stead of loue vnfained they did beare a perfect hatred to the Saints These men then were not such as be heere described yea none of them had any one of these properties which you necessarily require in euery member of the visible Church much lesse all of them And therefore by this description none of them were of the visible Church and yet by the Scripture it is plaine that they were all of the visible Church Thus we see your description accordeth not with the holy Scriptures neither hath warrant from thence but by them is easily conuinced notwithstanding you alledge for confirmation thereof sixe and thirty testimonies of holy Scripture But a thousand more so peruerted will not make good your description nor any other of your errors And because I know you will hardly leaue this hold and for that if this be battered downe and made euen with the ground you must needs betake your selues some other way I will therefore againe assault you by the force of another Argument If the visible Church be a company of faithfull and holy people that worship Christ aright are peaceably and quietly gouerned by his officers and lawes keepe the vnitie of faith in the bond of peace and loue vnfained Then none haue been at any time of the visible Church but such as haue beene faithfull and holy did worship Christ aright c as followeth in your description But some haue beene of the visible Church who were not such as be heere described as Cain Ismael Esau Saul Doeg Ioab Absalom the Scribes and Pharisies with infinite others Therefore the visible Church is not a company of faithfull people worshipping Christ aright c. The Consequence of the Proposition I doe illustrate and confirme by the like If the visible Church be a company of people professing the true Religion then none haue beene of the visible Church but such as haue professed the true Religion If the inuisible Church be the company of the elect then none haue beene or are of the inuisible Church but such as were and are elect and their names written in the booke of life The assumption your selues will grant Againe I reason with you on this manner If this be a true description then no reprobates euer haue bin are or shall be of the visible Church but only the elect for none haue beene are or can bee such as are heere described but the elect But many reprobates haue beene are and shall be of the visible Church Therefore this description of the visible Church is false The Proposition must needs be true except Christ Iesus be the King Priest and Prophet of Reprobates and that Reprobates worship Christ aright in Spirit and truth be gouerned by his lawes as their only King keepe the vnitie of faith in the bond of peace and doe vnfainedly loue the brethren Matth. 22.14 The Assumption will not be denied and it is manifest by that short speech of Iesus Many are called but few chosen This description being heretofore found fault with by some and Master Ainsworth iustifying the same it shall not be amisse to heare what hee saith in answere to them and in defence thereof Câ—unterpoys 208. They cauill at our description of a Church when we say that it is a company of faithfull people that truely worship Christ and readily obey him this say these Ministers is vtterly vntrue if it be vnderstood of the visible Church This is strange What would they haue vs describe the Church to be A company of Infidels or a company of faithfull and of infidels together when Paul teacheth that there is no communion betweene such 2. Cor. 6.14 15. or should wee say a people that falsely worshippe Christ Indeed if so we held we might well returne to their Church of England for there is false worship more then enough The Apostle writing to the visible Church of Ephesas calleth them Saints and the faithfull in Christ Iesus Will they say that this also was vtterly vntrue Their owne articles of Religion in England * Aâ—no 1562. Aâ—t 19. say thus The visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithfull people c. And is this also vntrue I answere you hauing respect to your owne words A visible Church is a coÌ„pany professing true faith or a company professing the true worship of God some whereof haue faith in Christ I meane true and iustifying faith and worshâ—p God indeed euen in spirit and truth the rest being the greatest part are hypocriticall worshippers void of true faith hauing only eyther the temporall or historicall faith or no faith at all but very Atheists Yet professe they the true worship of God and faith in Christ Iesus and in this respect may be called faithfull in Christ Iesus and Saints because whatsoeuer they be their profession is holy and he holy in whom they would seeme to belieue and whom they seeme to worship truly And in this sence our Church saith A visible Church is a Congregation of faithfull people that is of such as professe faith in Christ Iesus Of this sort of Infidels and counterfeit Professors were Cain and for a time Ismael Esau also Saul Absalom Iudas Simon Magus with infinite more Vnderstanding Infidels thus as they may well be called Infidels or vnbeleeuers who haue not true faith Then I say the Church is a company of saithfull and of Infidels 2. Cor. 6.14 But if by Infidels you meane the same the Scripture vsually vnderstandeth by this word such as worship a false god and doe not so much as professe the worship of the only true God or faith in him then it is true that a visible Church is not a company of faithfull and Infidels together And the hauing communion with such Infidels as these in their false worship is that which the Apostle condemneth He doth not forbid to partake in diuine worship with such Infidels as formerly I haue spokeÌ„ of wicked vngodly men void of true faith as euery where very fondly you tel vs nor yet to communicate with these Infidels he speaketh of in true diuine worship but this he condemneth and argueth against That the children of God may not haue communion with Infidels and Heathens in their false and Idolatrous worship as some of the Saints at Corinth as it might seeme did repairing to the Idols Temples and ioyning therewith their neighbours that were Idolaters in their idolatrous worship This they thought they might lawfully doe so long as in their hearts and inward affections they condemned it and kept them pure as may be gathered from 2. Cor. 7.1 And this is it that Paul reproueth and nothing lesse then
because in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths raigne and likewise at this day our parishionall assemblies are no such societies as consist of such onely but had and now haue in them many false and counterfeite Christians and Professors Therefore at the first they were and so continue false visible Churches Is there any so blind who seeth not that hereby they shut out of the Church all Hypocrites For true Professors are opposite to false and counterfeite Professors which are those we call Hypocrites A true Professor is he who is the sonne in trueth that he professeth and maketh shew to be Who professing godlinesse is godly Directly contrary to this man is the Hypocrite The like may be saide of a faithfull and true Christian But a true visible Church saide those Schismaticks is a company of true Professors and Christians and not a mixt company of true and false Professors Therefore in the visible Church by their doctrine there are no Hypocrites With Barrow and Robison doth Maister Ainsworth accord Counterp 72. as being led by the same spirit The Apostle saith he sheweth Iam 1.18 1. Pet. 1.23 That Christs Church is a people begotten with the word of trueth that is the Gospell but your Church was first begotten gathered constituted ordered and is still continued by the Magistrates word and authoritie which if it did not enforce the people the estate wherein you now stand would soone bee changed and your Church dissolued And where you learned so to inforce faith and constraine men to bee members of your Church Alcoran chap. 18. 19. I can not tell vnlesse you would follow Mahomets doctrine who taught that men should bee compelled to the faith by the sword Before you teach that a visible Church is a company of people that doe repent and beleeue the Gospell and here you terme it a people begotten by the Gospel and borne a new nor of mortall but of immortall seede and so all are regenerated that bee in the visible Church and consequently shall inherit the Kingdome of heauen For can hee dye that is begotten and borne of immortall seede whereof both these Apostles speak This doctrine and all of this kinde hereafter following take it as it is by you deliuered and it is palpably false so as it needeth no confutation But your meaning it seemeth is that All in the true visible Church liue so holily righteously and soberly touching their outward carriage before men that wee cannot in equity nor charity account otherwise of them then faithfull and such as haue repented and are conuerted to God and are begotten and borne a new Principles and Inferences 7. yea Elect as M. Smith saith And for this cause as these men suppose all in the visible Church are called Saints and Faithfull As Ephes 1.1 Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ c. But herein it must needs be they are deceiued seeing there haue beene true visible Churches in former times wherein some members and those not a few haue beene so vile and abominable as the faithfull then liuing could neither in equitie nor charitie iudge so of them as you speake Except they should haue iudged otherwise of the tree then according to the fruits nay cleane contrarie to it whereas our Lord sayth Yee shall know men by their fruits Mat. 7.16 euen as the tree is knowne by the fruits thereof That which M. Smith here affirmeth I haue answered here after in the next Chapter and thither I referre the Reader for further satisfaction Obserue besides the abuse of scripture here Note here their peruerting of Scripture The words of Iames be Of his owne will begate hee vs with the word of truth that wee should be the first fruits of his Creatures By vs who are said here to be begotten by the Gospell the Apostle meaneth himselfe and the rest of the faithfull members of the inuisible Church and not himselfe the rest of the visible Church as you fondly imagine and beare the simple Reader in hand Rom. 6.13 12.2 As the first fruits vnder the Law were dedicated to God and offered vnto him so all the faithfull consecrate and giue vp themselues wholly to God a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable vnto him which is their reasonable seruing of God and not all of the visible Church as you in the application of this Scripture tell vs the most whereof giue themselues and their members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse vnto sinne wherein they walke according to the course of this world and after the Prince that ruleth in the ayre euen the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience Of true beleeuers and none others S. Peter also speaketh For they onely are borne a new of that immortall seede hee mentioneth which Iohn 1.12 proueth As many as receiued him to them hee gaue power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name Againe these that are thus borne a new as 23. vers are said to be redeemed vers 18. to beleeue in God verse 21. To haue their soules purified by the Spirit verse 22. But such as bee of the inuisible Church onely are redeemed beleeue in GOD Counterpoys 158. are purifyed by the Spirit Of such therefore the Apostle here speaketh Hereby it is plaine that you speake vntruely when you say That places setting forth the inuisible Church are not by you brought to set forth the visible Church Yet Ainsworth in slandering and blaspheming our Church is worse and more intollerable then Barrowes whereof wee haue heard before Hee saith not onely that our Church was first begotten and gathered but addeth and is still continued by the Magistrates word and authoritie excluding the words of GOD as if our Church were neither begotten at first nor continued now by the Ministerie of the Word And where learned yee say you so to inforce Faith and constraine men to be members of your Church I answere Not out of the 18. and 19. Chapters of Alcoran which you by your Cotation in the margent imply but out of the sacred scriptures Not from the example of Mahomet but from the commended examples of the godly Kings of Iudah as I haue shewed Thus much you cannot tell or see The greater is your ignorance and blindnesse A spirit of errour hath put out the eye of your vnderstanding But where learne you to compare the doctrine of God to Mahomets doctrine and the examples and practise of the good Kings of Iudah which you acknowledge all Christian Princes should follow with Mahomets example and practise Counterpois 230. Cursed is that zeale which carieth a man beyond all bands of truth and sobrietie Paul being very zealous spake yet the words of truth and sobernesse The Lord lay not this blasphemie to your charge To that which hath been said I onely adde this That if a visible Church were a company of men truely and vnfainedly religious as you in your whole doctrine of the visible church
pretend then thus farre you had rightly described the Church For no man can be ordinarily religious indeede except as you speake here hee first be called by the Word of God Here the counsell perswasion commandement and threat of man will not auaile No humaine force and compulsion will serue the turne it must be diuine and from God whereof we reade Luke 14.23 Salomons song 13. Iohn 6.4 Act. 16.14 Compell them to come in God himselfe by the Ministerie and preaching of the Word his Spirit accompanying the same must perswade and draw else we hang backward and continue still irreligeous and prophane as we see in the example of Lydia whose heart the Lord opened that she attended vnto the things which Paul spake Neither can we without this calling by the Word be assured that wee are of the inuisible Church This is that we call the internall and effectuall Calling and is proper to the inuisible Church All that haue this calling may assure themselues of their election and saluation This the Apostle confirmeth Rom. 8.30 11.29 and of this calling speaketh where he saith Whom he predestinated them also he called and whom hee called them also be iustified and whom he iustified them he also glorified And againe the gifts and calling of God are without repentance And thus are all of the inuisible Church called in their appointed time But concerning the visible Church this calling by the Word is not necessarie so that without it we cannot come to be of this fellowship Which we cannot chuse but see if we call to minde that which we haue beene taught That a visible Church is a company professing true religion To ioyne in which outward profession whereby we become members of the visible Church one may be drawne by the commandement threat counsell and perswasion of man the Word of God neuer comming neare his heart And so I leaue the first part of your description and proceede to examine that which therein followeth A visible Church say you is a company of people seperated from the world This doe we also hold and teach rightly vnderstood that is touching their professioÌ„ of the true religion and so are we seperated from Heathens Infidels Turkes Papists Anabaptists c. But thus you vnderstand not these words you meane hereby that a visible Church is a company of faithfull and righteous men onely or Saints not mixed with but seperated from the open wicked of the world That this is your meaning it is plaine by your owne Treatises as forthwith we shall heare and namely where you say Defence of the Churches and Ministers of England 71. that a visible Church is a seperated company of Righteous men from the open wicked of the world and cannot consist of all sorts of people good and bad And for the proofe of this point and part of your description you send vs to Iohn 17.14 I haue giuen them thy word Apologie 44. Marke here their peruerting of Scripture to the end of this Section and the three next following and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world as I am not of the world Whosoeuer shall aduisedly reade this Chapter may easily see that these words are meant of the eleuen Apostles being parcell of that part of Christs prayer hee made for them in particular That Iesus speaketh here of his elect Apostles it is manifest both by the words going before this 14. verse and specially by verse 12. as also by the verses following after and namely by verse 18. and 20. what is this at all then to purpose Surely no more for the proofe of the point then if you had produced the first words of Genes In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth Frame your Argument and the vanitie of your proofe will appeare If that the Apostles members of visible Churches were separated from the world then all the members of a visible Church must bee separated from the world But the first is true Therefore the second To this effect you must marke your Argument or none at all Giue mee leaue now to argue after the same manner If the Apostles members of visible Churches were preachers of the word and had the gift of miracles then euery member of the visible Church must be a preacher of the word and haue the gift of miracles But the first is true therefore the second Thus could I proue that the members of visible Churches must haue no certaine abiding place but goe from place to place â—rom one countrey to another throughout the world for the Apostles did so Therefore in vaine is this testimonie alledâ—ed by you and you therein take Gods name in vaine I doe not deny but that many things spoken of or to the Apostles or required to be in them are likewise required and happily found in euery member of the visible Church The Apostle prayed and heard the word so it may bee doe all the members of the visible Church Some of the Apostles Iesus commanded that they should fast and pray lest they did enter into temptation the same he requireth of all in the Church But this is it I say and meane That it followeth not necessarily that because this or that qualitie or gift was or ought to be in the Apostles therefore it is and ought to bee in euery member of the visible Church But happily you will not vnderstand this scripture of the eleuen Apostles but extend it further Seeing by the Text it is euident that Christ spake and meant it onely of them without falsifying the Text you cannot stretch it an haire breadth further But suppose the words might be vnderstood more largely the vtmost extent must be to the Elect. First because Iesus speaketh of them for whom he prayed and these be onely the Elect. Secondly hee speaketh of those which are hated of the world and of such as being in the world are not of the world and such alone bee the Elect. Now this maketh not at all for you no more then the former For what though the Elect which are in the visible Church be separated from the world which is true as Christ here meaneth doth it therevpon follow that all in the visible Church are separated from the world Iudge your selues So one may proue that all of the visible Church shall be saued because the Elect which be in the visible Church are heyres of Saluation Another fault which in alleadging this Scripture you commit is this that you mis-vnderstand these words of our Sauiour are not of the world whereby he meaneth not separated from the world in your sence that is from the open wicked in the world but that his Apostles were not worldly indeede louing the things of the world or that they were such as would not conforme and fashion themselues to the manners and customes of this world would not follow this world as worldly minded men doe in that which is euill
If you looke vpon the outside of these men and further for certaine wee cannot goe I meane the carriage of themselues towards God and sometimes to man specially to godward in the parts of his vvorship you vvill thinke they be Saints indeede Such a one was Iudas vvhom none of the Apostles did discerne to bee an hypocrite and so like to be the traytor Iesus spake of And Demas vnknowne for a time to the Apostle Paul And all those it is probable Iohn speaketh of 1. Ioh. 2.19 such as these you accompt to bee hypocrites and none other as appeareth by M. Ainsworth vvho describing Hypocrites saith they bee such As are outwardly religious Commun of Saints in the end but inwardly wicked such as ashamed of their nakednesse couer it with Fig-leaues of their owne externall righteousnesse And againe Hypocrites saith he are they who restrained by the terrour of the Law from open wickednes doe increase outwardly in righteousnesse This kinde of hypocrites you only acknowledge Whereupon it is that Maister Ainsworth in the same place permitting Hypocrites to be in the Church doeth yet cleane shut out of the Church open wicked licentious and prophane liuers which cannot stand together if any open wicked may be Hypocrites But you must knowe that there is another sort of Hypocrites which bee not close Hypocrites and hardly discerned to be Hypocrites and consequently wicked but open or manifest Hypocrites easily knowne to be Hypocrites and therefore wicked as bâ—acke is knowne from white These are the open wicked in the Church wherewith it hath euer abounded doeth and will vnto the worlds end Of this kinde were these hypocrites oft mentioned before Ismael Esau Saul Absalom Ioab Doeg the Scribes and Pharisees and vsually they who in al ages haue murdâ—red and persecuted the Saints specially among the Iewes before the comming of Christ Of such Hypocrites as these Paul speaketh 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5. verses and Titus 1. vers 16. These you may as easily discerne to be Hypocrites as knowe a Goate from a Sheepe and tares from wheate And of this kinde of Hypocrites bee the open wicked in our assemblies whom had you knowne to be Hypocrites you would neuer haue denied our Parish assemblies to be true Churches because they consist partly of them or because of the mixture and confusion you so much speake of and condemne in our Church Considering a truâ— visible Church is a mixt company of Saints indeede and Hypocrites and that such companies be our pâ—râ—shioners assembles and therefore true visible Churches Of both these kindes of Hypocrites the Apostle speaketh 1. Tim. 5.24 Some mens sinnes are open before hand and goe before vnto iudgement but some mens followe after Of the latter sort or kind in these words Some mens sinnes are open before hand and goe before vnto iudgement of the first in these some mens follow after Obiection But let vs now come to the maine obiâ—ction that not some but all of you doe make You obiect that of the Apostle 1. Cor. 14.33 God is not the authour of confusion but of peace Apologie 44. as we see in all the Churches of the Saints By Churches say you he meaneth visible Churches the members whereof he calleth Saints Againe say you the same Apostle writing to the Church at Rome at Corinthus Ephesus Phillippi c. Writeth to visible Churches in the beginning of which his Epistles he calleth them Saints To the Saints which are at Ephesus To the Saints which are at Philippi Are not all the members then of the visible Church Saints and such as haue at least an outward holinesse Answ We answere S. Paul writing to the Church of the Thessalonians beginneth thus Paul vnto the Church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Iesus Christ 1. Thess 1.1 2. We giue God thankes for you all 3. Remembring your effectuall faith and diligent loue 4. Knowing beloued brethren that yee are elect of God 6. And yee receiued the word in much affliction with ioy of the holy Ghost Now by this reason of yours if it were good can I prooue that all of the visible Church are in Christ Iesus to whom is no condemnation haue this effectuall faith Rom. 8.1 diligent loue and ioy of the holy Ghost nay are the elect of God because the Apostle writing as you say to the visible Church of the Thessalonians saith thus of them yea of them all as it might seeme by vers 2. Againe thus arguing can I prooue that all in the visible Church are beloued of God because Paul writing to the Church of Rome saith of them that they all are beloued of God called Saints And consequently there are no wicked in the Church neither openly nor secretly wicked seeing God hateth all such And whereas the most in the visible Church are the children of the Diuell Psal 5.5 Rom. 1.7 one may prooue by this kinde of reasoning that they are all the children of God because Paul writing as you affirme to the visible Church at Rome saith Rom 8.16 Yee haue receiued the spirit of adoption And to the visible Churches of Galatia yee are the sonnes of God And that which is more yee are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus From this ground also it followeth that all in the visible Church are Saints indeede and haue the spirit of God sanctifying them and making them of prophane holy and that there is no carnall man and by consequent no Hypocrite in the Church for all hypocrites be carnall Because Paul writing to the visible Church at Rome saith thus of them Yee are not in the flesh but in the Spirit that is yee are not carnall but spirituall because the Spirit of God dwelleth in you Rom. 8.9 And writing to the Church at Ephesus Ephes 1.13 saith of them yee are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise and to the Church of Galatia Gal. 4.6 God hath sent forth the spirit of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father Thus also can I proue the contrary herevnto that all in the visible Church are carnall and none spirituall because Paul writing to the visible Church of Corinthus as you tell vs saith of them that they are carnall 1. Cor. 3.13 And I could not speake vnto you as vnto spirituall men but as vnto carnall for yee are yet carnall for whereas there is among you enuying and strife and diuisions are yee not carnall and walke as men He saiâ—h not onely that they were carnall and this often and that without any limitation or restraint also that they walked as men that is liued after the manner of naturall or carnall men but besides all this prooueth that they were carnall by certaine workes of the flesh whereunto they were giuen and wherein they liued Hereby wee may plainely see that this is a deceitfull kinde of reasoning and that this they obiect is of no momâ—nt
he had care and pittie and not generally the Israelites or visible Church consisting of them so the l st sheepe of the Iewes and Gentiles are they whom Christ in his second sending of hâ—s Apâ—stles and in their prâ—aching and writing respected and of whom he had care and pittie and not the visible Church or Churches among them And this is further confirâ—ed yea cleared as I thinke by that speech of Paul in his Seâ—mon to them of Antiochia in Pisidia Actes 13.26 Yee men and brethren children of the generation of Abraham and whosoeuer among you feare God to you is the word of this saluation sent All they to whom Paul spake this professâ— the feare of God and therefore by them that are heere saide to feare God wee cannot vnderstand such seeing hee puâ—s a difference betwixt those in the Congregation that feared God and the rest It is one thing to feare God in deede and another thing to professe the feare of God This profession all in the Church doe make and so many of them as haue an externall righteousnesse wee are to iudge thus of them that they feare God yet onely they who be of the Church dâ—e indeede and trueth feare God the rest making a shewe of that they doe or haue not For the feare of God is a grace or giâ—t of Gods sanctiâ—ying Spirit which God of his grace giueth to all and onely to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus It is proper to Gods Elect and them who be of the inuisible Church and to bee found in none other And this the Scrâ—pture teacheth where it s ith The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisâ—dome Prou. 9.10 And againe Blessed is them an that feareth the Lord. Psal 112.1 Now to these who haue this feare the word of saluation is sent and therefore the Apostolicall Epistles whereupon iâ— followeth necessarily that the Epistles were not sent to the visible Churches If iâ— be so that the Apostles write their Epistles to the Elect members of the inuisible Church then that they in their Epistles do ca l them to whom they write Saints I adde sanctifiâ—d â—n Christ Iesus fa thfull a chosen Generation a royall Priâ—st o d an holy Nation â—iuely stones a spiritual house the Temple oâ— God the habâ—tation of God by the Spirit the Body of Câ—rist c. maketh nothing at all to prooue this That a true visible church is a company of Saints sanctified in Christ Iesus faithfull the Body of Christ c. Neither doe these titles nor any othes of this kinde scattered euery where throughout the Epistles which be attributed to them of the invisible Church hinder this That a visible Church is a company of holy and vnholy faithfull and vnfaithfull and so your obiection is friuolous making nothing against vs. But graunt wee that the holy Apostle meant and writ his epistles to the visible churches at Rome Corinthus c. Neiâ—her will that helpe you though you imagine it doeth greatly And then I answere that Paul calleth the members of a visible Church Saints not because they were all holy and righteous men either in deede or outward appearance and caryage of themselues towards God and man as these men fondly imagine and very confidently affirme expounding thus this word Saints but in one or moe of these sences following In the 5. of Leuit those are called holy things that were consecrated vnto the Lord Vers 15. Vers 9.10.21 and in the 27. of the same booke the field whâ—ch was dedicated vnto the Lord is said to be an holy field and the beasts that were offered in sacrifice are called holy Euen so all of the visible Church are or may be called holy ones or Saints because in baptisme they be all dedicated vnto the Lord and giuen or resigned vp into his seruice Secondly Paul calleth or might call all of the vis Church Saints or holy ons because they aboue all people that are vpoÌ„ the earth are of God called or commanded to be holy Heb. 12.14 2. Thess 4.7 God saith the Apostle hath not called vs vnto vncleanenesse but vnto holinesse Hereunto belongeth that speech so oft repeated in the Law and after by Peter Leuâ—t 11.44 19.2 1. Pet. 1.16 Be ye holy for I am holy And that Exod. 22.31 Ye shall be an holy people vnto me And againe Leuit. 11.45 I am the Lord that brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God 1. Cor. 1.2 and that you should he holy for I am holy For confirmation of th s exposition serueth that Paul terming them Saints addeth by calling Paul vnto the Church of God which is at Corinthus Saints by calling Rom. 2.7 Psal 79.2 Deuâ— 7.6 14.2.21 and in his Ep to the Romans To all you that be at Rome beloued of God called Saints And in this sence the Nation or people of the Iewes are called Saints and said to be an holy people because the Lord hath chosen them to be such Thirdly all of the visible Church were or might bee called Saints because of their holy profession or holy religion which they professed Whatsoeuer they vvere their religion was holy and hee whom they in the middest of heathens and infidels confessed and professed was holy euen that holy One. Luke 1.35 In this respect because they professed holinesse and themselues to be holy all of the visible Church may fitly bee called Saints that is holy ones Euen as they are called faithfull and that with the same breath yea faithfull in Christ Iesus Paul an Apostle to the Saints which are at Ephsus Ephes 1.1 and to the faithful in Christ Iesus not that they all had faith in Christ which is true and iustifying faith but because they professed faith in him in vvhich sense we describe the visible Church to bee a company of faithfull people When therefore Paul saith To the Saints which are at Ephesus and to the Saints which are in Phillippi it is all one as if he had said To the Christians or professors of the Christian religion which are at Ephesus and Phillippi And so in the inscriptions of his Epistles to the Romans and Corinthians where he saith To all you that be at Rome callâ—d Saints vnto the Churcb of God at Corinthus Saints by calling it is as much as if he had said called or by calling Christians And thus thâ—s word Saints is often taken in the Epistlâ—s as else where in the New Testament as Romans 16.14 Phil. 4.21 Acts 26.10 compared vvith Act. 9.1 22.4 M. Bernard teaching that men are caâ—led Saints because of the profession of faith in Christ who maketh all true beleeuers holy and Saints M. Robinson answereth thus Iustif 110. It is true you say that Christ makes all true beleeuers holy and Saints but I deny that euery profession of faith in Christ argues a true beleeuer A false dissembler is he and no true beleeuer that in
word pretends faith in Christ and in deede denies him This is yâ—ur full answere and that a worthy one Hereby you impâ—y That none are in Scripture called Saints nor may lawfully be so called who be not true beleeuers holy Saints indeede their hearts being purified by faith But all in the visible Church be in holy Scripture called Saints and may lawfully therefore be so called Ergo all in the visible Church by your wise answere be true beleeuers And consequently they shall all be saued Iohn 3.16 For whosoeuer beleeueth shal not peâ—ish but haue euerlasting life If you deny that your words imply that I say then to what purpose serue they certainely they are then idle and haue not so much as the shew of answere in them which makes as little for your credit or cause But grant wee this it mattereth not much seeing but in the lease before in plaine words you in effect teach thâ— same Iustif 107. The scriptures say you doe call men Saints because they are Saints and not for any other cause Your reason followeth For what is it to be a Saint but to be holy We may well therefore thinke that you meant as much as I affirme I deny say yâ—u that euery profession of faith in Christ argues a true beleeuer So doe we A false dissembler is he say you and no true bâ—leeuer that in word pretends faith in Christ and in deede denies him The same say wee What of all this what makes this for you or against vs Nothing at all But besides the former implication it shewes that your fingâ—rs itched to bee scribbling against the profession of faith wh ch for asmuch as it may and doth often fall into dissemblers â—iues you no content and therefore in euery one of thâ— visible Church you will haue besides this profession true faith in Christ and all the members thereof true bâ—leeuers and consequently no disseâ—blers in the Church Thus you shut out of the visibâ—e Church all hypâ—crites and yet both a little before and after confesse that there bee such yea many such in the Church Reconcile But tell me M. Robinson why may not they that professe faith in Christ that holy one be therefore called holy or Saints notwi hstanding they haue no part of Christ his holinesse nor his holy Spirit dwelling in them as well as be cal ed Christ ans of Christ though they partake not vvith him in that holy annointing Againe the profession of Christ an Religion or of faith in Christ is an holy and glorious th ng and therefore vvhatsoâ—uer the persons be that thus professe be they holy or prophane worthily and fitly an holy and glorious name to wit Saints â—ay be giuen to such This saith M. Robinson is all one as if you should say The Scriptures doe not call men Saints because they are Saints but for some other causes knowne to you For what is it to be a Saint but to be holy Iustif 107. And what to be holy but to be of a sound iudgement pure affections and vnblameable conuersation Reply It is one thing to be called a Saint and an other to be a Saint one thing to be a Saint by nomination an other to be such in deede and veritie All that bee Saints indeede are Saints by nomination so called and to bee called and accounted But all that be Saints by nomination so called by the holy Ghost are not Saints indeede and so to bee reputed as you will needs haue it For then all in the Church of the Iewes were Saints or holy indeede forasmuch as they by the Holy Ghost are so called and consequently they were all saued which I trust you will not say Deut. 7.6 14.2 this is rendred for a reason why the Israelites should not conform themsâ—lues to the Nations about them neither in their religion or worship nor yet in other things of lesse moment as in cutting themselues in making baldnesse betweene their eyes for the dead For thou art an holy people vnto the Lord thy God And Deut. 14.27 Ye shall eate of nothing that dieth alone c. For thou art an holy people vnto the Lord thy God Againe Iam. 2.7 Doe not they euen those blasphemers saith Iames blaspheme the worthy name after which yee be named Hereby it is plaine that we are sometimes named or called not according to that which we be but in some other respect or as you say for some other causes else all of vs should alwaies bee such as our names pretend then vvhich nothing is more false The blasphemers here spoken of were named or called Christâ—ans yet sure you will not say they were Christians indeede They who at this day are baptised into Christ Iesus and profâ—sse faith in him haue the worthy and glorious name of Christians from Christ after whom they be so called yet all such bee not true Christians euen so all of the visible Church are called Saints and such by nomination and yet be not all Saints indeede not all of a sound iudgement pure affection and vnblameable conuersation as you tâ—ll vs. Lastly the Apostle might well call all in the visible Church Saints hauing respect and relation to those in it that vvere Sainâ—s indeede sanctified by the Spirit of God and faith in Christ Iesus the visible Church hauing this denomination of the better part by a Synecdoche all being called Saints because part of them are so indeede With this exposition maketh that those he nameth Saints are said to be sanctified in Christ Iesus Paul an Apostle to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus Saints by calling And vvhy might not Paul in this titlâ— Saints respect only the true Saints Elect of God as well as in some other speeches of his in his Epistles 1. Cor. 12.27 6.11.19.20 and namely in these Ye are the body of Christ your bodies are the members of Christ your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you Ye are bought for a price Rom. 8 15. Gal. 4.6 Ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are iustified in the name of our Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God Ye haue receiued the Spirit of Adoption Ye are the sonnes of God with infinite more such like Wee see a man is said to be a reasonable liuing creature of the better part the soule wherein alone is both the reason and life the body which is another parâ— wanting both Thus we vse to say Goe winnow the wheate in the barne not naming the chaffe though there bee more chaffe then wheate in the heape and that the wheate cannot be well seene for the chaffe Euen so the visible Church may bee called Saints in respect of the better part though the lesser and fewer in number be many the scripture therein ascribing to all that which is due properly and belongeth onely to some vvhich is vsuall in the holy scriptures as appeareth by the aforesaid testimonies
and by 1. Cor. 3.1.2 3. Mat. 18.17.18 and by comparing 1. Cor. 6.11 with 2. Cor. 2.21 and with 1. Cor. 5.1 Often you tell vs the Apostles speech 1. Pet. 2.9 But ye are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy Nation c. is to be vnderstood of the visible Church Well if this be so I am sure the vis Church â—s calâ—ed a chosen generation in respect of the better and more principaâ—l part thereof those vvhich God hath chosen to euerlasting life opposed to the generation of Reprobates verse 8. Why then may not likewise in this respect visible Churches be called the Churches of the Saints Hereunto M. Robinson answereth thus The Scriptures neuer ascribe holinesse to a people for some fewes sake if the rest be vnholy and prophane This is sooâ—er said then proued And vvhy I pray you may not the scriptures call those of the visible Church holy for some fewes sake in it which bee indeede holy as well as giue this witnesse of the twelue Spies which were sent to search out the land of Canaan That they brought word againe and said it is a good land Deut. 1.25 which the Lord our God doth giue vs where but a few of them two of the twelue thus reported the other ten saying Num. 13.31.32 we be not able to goe vp against the people for they are stronger then we a land that eateth vp the inhabitants thereof And so brought vp an euill report of the land which they had searched But I will disproue you by your owne words Not three leaues after Iustif 115. you vvrite thus Here speaking of the vis Church is no such mingle mangle as M. Barnard would make of good and bad but all good and so auowes by the holy Ghost though without doubt many of these were masked and hallow hearted hypocrites If all in the visible church be good men so auowed by the holy Ghost though many Hypocrites bee in it and consequently many bad men then all in the vis Church be Saints and are or may be so auowed by the holy Ghost though there be in it many vnholy and prophane But the first is true by your owne confession Therefore the second Notwithstanding all this that hath beene saide I doe not meane that notorious wicked men are to bee suffered in the church and not to be cast out except they repent God fordid But this is it I say and meane that albeit there be not through the default of the church gouernours a due execution of the church censures vpon the openwicked but that through their negligences or remissenes there remaine in the church many open wicked vncorrected that this impunity maketh not a nullitie in a church as they of the seperation doe teach Secondly I doe meane and out of the premises doe learne That albeit the church of God is to labour to preserue it selfe pure from these spots yet it seldome or neuer attaineth to that beautie and perfection but that some more or lesse bee in the true visible church who ought ratâ—er to be spued out then to haue any place there Which commeth to passe either because these wicked persons cannot be conuicted by manifest euidence or for want of that seueritie in discipline which ought to be in the Church Christ Iesus knowing this that through the corruption of man and wickednes of this world there will be in the church a mixture of good and bad holy and prophane he hath therevpon not onely foretold this and taught it by compaâ—ing the visible church to a field wherein groweth wheatâ—â—nd taâ—es and to a draw-net that gathereth things both good and bâ—d but therewithall seemeth to comfort the faithfull agaiâ—st this mixâ—ure and miserable coâ—pouâ—d assuring the eâ—ect that howsoeuer they shall be thus mingled with the wicked Matth. 13.30 aâ—d enemies of God for a time euen as the wheate and tares be that grow together yet it shall not be alwaiâ—s so with then but that there will come a time of separation when that as the tares are gathered into sheâ—uâ—s to be burned and the wheate into the barne so the wicked shall be cast â—nto a suâ—â—ace of fire where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth and the iust shall shine as the Sunne in the kingdome of their Father Apology 45. 61. Hereby also another error of yours is conuinced That all the Church is defiled by retaining open wicked in it For if in the Church from time to tiâ—e the e haue beene many open wicked as hath beene plainely shewed how can this position of yours possibly be true But you will prooue it by Scripture 1. Cor. 5.6 A little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe If a known wicked man in the Church be to the whole Church as a litle leauen in the dough is to the whole lumpe how commeth it to passe that the Church of Corinth by the incestuous person was not vnsanctified all that time tydings were carrying of that notorious sinner from Corinthus in Achata to Paul at Philippi in Macedonia and the Apostles Ep stle carrying backe from Philippi to Corinthus But thaâ— notwithstanding all this sowring aâ—d defyling these men speake of the Apostle writeth to them thus To the Church of God which is at Corinthus to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus Saints by calling That the sinne of the incestuous p rson was knowne to the Church it is hereby manifest in that the Apostle doeth so sh rpely rebuke them for that they had not excommunicated him which otherwayes he could not iustly haue done That all this time notwithstanding his sinne was knowne the Saints at Corinth held communion with him and he with them and were all of the same body societie it is likewise manifest by these words of the Apostle 1. Cor. 5.2.13 Put away therefore from among your selues that wicked man Hore is an open wicked man in the church of Corinth 1. Cor. 5.2.13 and not onely he but sundry more as appeareth by 2. Cor. 12.20.21 and by diuers other places and yet notwithstanding a true church Concerning this place of Scripture A litle leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe and some other Scriptures peruerted by you I forbeare to speake here because I haue occasion to say something of them hereafter If 〈◊〉 shall thinke that I neede not to haue spent so many words to prooue the mixture of good and bad in the Church and that in the same there haue beene and remained many open wicked Albeit the Brownists deny such confusion and mixture yet thye make no great matter of it neither doe they from thence conclude that our church is a false church nor iustifie their seperation setting downe this for a cause and reason thereof If any I say thinke thus they shall see by their owne words here following as partly also we haue heard before that they doe greatly mistake the matter and them and that besides the conuincing of
there are none of the diuels children for the diuell raigneth in all his children But you say in the visible Church there bee none in whom the Prince of this world the deuill raigneth for it is a company seperated from all such Therefore in the visible Church there are no children of the diuel and so by consequent are all the children of God by faith in Iesus Christ But these things you knowe and acknowledge to be false that therefore from whence they are inferred which all of you stiffely hold and maintaine to wit that the visible Church is a company of people seperated from the world is likewise false This generaall doctrine of theirs he thus applieth to vs. Answere to a censorious Epistle pag. 5. Which seperation the church of England neither hath made nor doeth make but stands actually one with all that part of the world within the kingdome without seperation for which cause amongst others we haue chosen by the grace of God rather to seperate our selues to the Lord from it then with it from him in the visible constitution of it Answere It is true we neither haue made nor goe about to make a seperation from the men of this world and betwixt them whom Christ by his spirit ruleth and them in whom the Prince of this world raigneth This passeth our skill and power and is such as is vnpossible to be performed by vs. Our Lord Iesus onely can and will doe this by the Angels in the day of his glorious comming to iudgement And where you say that wee stand actually one with all that part of the world within the kingdome it is false and slanderous For we onely stand actually one with all those in the kingdome that professe the same religion with vs which the Pap among vs who be not a few with whatsoeuer other hereticks or schismatiks do not except it be in hypocrisie which we cannot hinder but must leane to God therfore I say we stand not actually one with all in the kingdome except there be in our land no Papists no Heretickes or Schismaticks If you obiect heere our Church Papists and say that we receiue Papists into our Church and communion with vs. It is answered already and I adde They professe to be of the same Christian Religion with vs and to forsake poperie in comming to our publike assembles and pertaking with vs there in the holy things of God If they doe this hypocritically what is that to vs But especially marke that this is one cause of their seperation yea a principall cause thereof as he saith in another place In these two respects principally Answere to a censorious Epistle pag. â— your Babilonish confusion of all sorts of people in the body of your Church without seperation and your Babilonish bondage vnder your lords the prelates we account you Babylon and flee from you And speaking of this want of seperation Ibid. 43. and confusion else where he hath these words It is not by our sequestration but by your confusion that Rome and hell gaines Your odious commixture of all sorts of people in the body of your Church in whose lap the vilest miscreants are dandled sucking her breasts as her naturall children is that aduantageth hell Wee see how this man condemneth the mixture of good and bad godly and vngodly in the Church calling it an odious commixture confusion and Babilonish confusion that principally for this and one other cause they account vs Babylon and flye from vs. And yet hath this commixture of all sorts of people beene euer in the Church as hath beene manifested out of the sacred Scripture What age then could these men haue liued in wherein they might not for this cause as iustly haue seperated from the Church and haue accounted it likewise Babylon It cannot be denied but that in Sauls raigne there were most vile men dandled as you tearme it in the lap of the Church considering he himselfe the head of that people was so vile Nay by the booke of the Psalmes it is euident that in Dauids time there were store of leawde and vile men in the Church Psal 12. 69. And so were there in the dayes of Isaiah Ieremiah and other of the Prophets Yea what say you M. Robinson to the age wherein Christ Iesus liued and his Apostles The Scribes and Pharisees then were most vile miscreants and they being principâ—l members in the Church as the eyes re in the body it must bee confessed that they did sit in the lappe of the Church and sucked her breasts as if they had beene her naturall children No lesse vile were those that had crept into the church of whom Iude speaketh Yet notwithstanding this commixture and Babilonish confusion as you call it did neither the Prophets nor Iesus nor his Apostles seperate from the Church but had religious communion with this confused society consisting of all sorts of people The commixture then in our Church you speake of is no iust cause of seperation and why you should account vs Babylon But râ—turnâ— we to M. Robison Ibid. 4. The seperation wee haue made in respect of our knowledge and obedience is indeede late and newe yet is it in the nature and causes thereof as auncient as the Gospel which was first founded in the enmitie which God himselfe put betwixt the seede of the woman and the seed of the serpent Gâ—n 3.15 Which enmitie hath not onely ben successiuely continued but also visibly manifested by the actuall seperation of all true churches from the world in their collection and constitution before the Lawe vnder the Lawe and vnder the Gospell Gen. 4.13.14.16 6.1 2. 7.1.7 with 1. Pet. 3 20.21 12. Leu 20.24.26 Neh. 9.2 Ioh. 17.14.16 Act. 2.40 19.9 1. Cor. 6.17 Aâ—swere If we speake of practise among vs your seperation is as auncient as Browne who first caused or at least greatly furthered that seperation and schisme from our Church where vpon you are called Brownists But if you speake of the doctrine August Tom. 7 contra Cresco Gram. lib. 2. cap. 34. then is it as auncient as Donatus after whom some were called Donatists or rather as some schismaticks in Cyprians time of whom Austen writing against the Donatists maketh mention That the visible Church is not a mixt company consisting of good and bad but is a company seperated from the world that is from the men of the world or a seperated company of righteous men which all of you doe hold this I say is neither founded of the Lawe nor Gospell nor any part of Gods word but in the bottomles pit by the diuell the father of lyes I meane of all lying and false doctrines and was long since publ shed August Tom. 7 Collâ—tiâ—nâ—bus cum Donatists and contended for by the former heretickes specially the Donatists who for this cause seperated from the Church of God in their times and is now after many hundred
the Epistles of Paul Peter and Iames there is nothing meant of the inuisible Church Because the saide Epistles were written as you say to the visible Church Also that nothing in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus are spoken either of the inuisible or visible church But of Ministers The foundation whereof is that to whomsoeuer an Apostle writ an Epistle of them all in that Epistle is spoken and to be vnderstood Secondly I deny your assumption and affirme that Peter writ to the Church whereby I meane the same which we call the inuisible Church and euen so did the rest of the Apostles those Epistles excepted which were written to some speciall person For the ministery is giuen to the Church or Saints and Body of Christ Ephes 4.11.12 Which Body the inuisible Church is and not the visible And heere I reason thus as I haue once before To what Church or societie the ministery and Ministers were giuen of Christ to the same the Canonicall Epistles were written But to the Church militant the ministery and Ministers were giuen therfore to it the Epistles were written The proposition is manifest the assumption Ephes 4.11.12 doeth clearely prooue We may remember also heere how Peter in his first Epistle writeth expressely and by name to the Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father vnto sanctification of the Spirit and in the second thus Peter to you which haue obtained like precious Faith with vs which Faith onely the elect haue and therfore is the same in effect with the former Peter to the Elect c. In answering our aforesaide and last obiection Iustif 107. M. Robinson addeth this If you would graunt that onely they are true members of the Church which by the word of God which must be the rule of our iudgement may be iudged Saints it would end this controuersie But all that professe Religion may by the word of God bee iudged Saints as before I haue shewed Otherwise Saul Doeg Ioab Absalom the Scribes and Pharisees Iudas Demas with infinite such were not true members of the visible Church which with any truth you cannot affirme See that you be now M. Robinson as good as your word let this controuersie concerning the matter of the visible church bee ended And thus much concerning the matter of the vis Church Let vs now heare what is the forme thereof The forme say we is the profession of true religion The Separists teach otherwise some that this is the forme some that M. Ainsworth writeth thus Counterp 107. Ibid. 174. To the constitution of a Church there belongs first a people as the matter whereof and 2. a calling gathering and vniting together as the forme whereof the Church consisteth We must remember here that a little after these words he teacheth that Saints by calling are the matter of the visible Church If this be true then calling is comprised vnder the matter and therefore not vnder the forme so that gathering and vniting together must make the forme or else we haue here none That gathering now and vniting together are not the forme I doe thus prooue If a people be the matter and gathering and vniting together the forme of the true visible Church then euery people gathered and vnited together is a true visible Church But the latter is false Therefore the first The proposition is grounded vpon this certaine and vndoubted trueth that where matter forme of a true vis church is there is a true church The assumption to wit that euery people gathered and vnited together is not a true vis Church is likewise true otherwise the congregations of Papists Anabaptists c. bee true Churches for they consist of people gathered and vnited together But leauing this man let vs heare what M. Smith sayeth Principles and Inferences 11. The true forme saith he of a true visible Church is partly inward partly outward The inward part of the forme consisteth in three things 1. the Spirit 2. Faith 3. Loue. The Spirit is the soule animating the whole body Faith vniteth the members of the body to the head Christ Iesus Loue vniteth the members of the body each to other The outward part thereof is a vowe promise oath or couenant betwixt God and the Saints Euery peece and parcell hereof he seemeth to himselfe and to his Disciples to proue substantially he alleadgeth no lesse then twelue testimonies of Scripture for the proofe of one point Reply The forme saith he is partly inward and partly outward Then the matter of the visible Church must bee so too except he will haue a forme without matter which I know you will not say Tell vs therefore what is the inward matter of the visible Church and what is the outward for assuredly wee know not But let this goe The inward forme is the Spirit Faith Loue. One would thinke that this was rather the forme of the Church militant considering these three Spirit Faith Loue are onely to be found in the elect and cannot fall into any reprobate whereof the visible Church consisteth for a great part And first as touching the Spirit it is proper to the chosen as is manifest by Romans 8.14.17 Gal. 4.6 Tit. 1.1 And for this cause Faith is called the Faith of Gods elect because I say it is proper to the elect of God which is further confirmed by that in the Acts Acts 13.48 1. Ioh. 3.14 as many as was ordained to eternall life beleeued And concerning Loue Iohn telleth vs that thereby wee may know and bee assured that wee are translated from death to life The spirit saith hee is the soule animating the whole body By whole body he vnderstands the whole visible Church and his meaning is that as the body of man and all the members and parts thereof are animated that is are quickened and receiue naturall or corporall life from the soule so the whole visible Church and all the members thereof haue spirituall life from the Spirit of God From whence this necessarily followeth that euery one of the visible Church hath the Spirit of God Rom. 8.10.11 quickening him to righteousnesse and holinesse of life here and to immortalitie and eternall life in the world to come For both these effects the spirit worketh in whomsoeuer it is and is there fore-called the spirit of life The which if it bee true Rom. 8.2 I meane that euery member of the visible Church hath the Spirit of God as all of you doe in effect teach and namely as oft as you doe tell vs that a true visible Church is the bodie of Christ then in the visible Church there are none dead in trespasses and sinnes no dead but all liuing stones forasmuch as the whole body and consequently euery member thereof is animated and quickned by the Spirit from whence floweth spirituall life and motion Then in the visible church there be no hypocrites nor carnall or naturall men no wicked person neither openly
they are not of that generation and stocke of mankinde which God hath ordained to destruction as the former despisers of Christ but of the generation which God hath chosen and appointed to life euerlasting which generation is that we call the inuisible Church Why the elect bee heere called a chosen generation you may reade further Chap. 1. And there also see that these titles royall Priesthood holy Nation peculiar People which these men vnderstand of the visible Church cannot be so taken But are meant of the faithfull or true beleeuers al which are of the inuisible church Both by the words themselues then of this Scripture â— meane verse 9. and also by the coherence or depeâ—dance thereoâ— with that goeth bâ—fore it is euident that this Scripture is peâ—uerted by thâ—se men and misapplyed Nay this is euident by their owne vvritings And here with mee obsâ—rue a secret ouer ruling hâ—nd of God M. Ainsworth hauing made a large Treatise iâ—tituted the Communion of Saints and there hauing spoken many excellent and glorious things of the Saints rightly vnderstood that is of Saints indeed or the faithfull sanctified by the Spirit of God and Faith in Christs who are so of the visible Church as withall they be of the inuisible Church but by him meant and misapplyed to all the members of the vis Church Saints by profession which shameth the whole Treatise making it almost as full of lies as lines Hee I say hauing done this euer and anone throughout his whole booke behold how in a conclusion which he affixeth to the said booke he conuinceth himselfe of errour touching a great part of that hee had said before and namely concerning this place of Peter which a Pag. 470. before he vnderstood of the visible Church and members thereof Thus beginneth he his conclusion b 487. 4. 88. seeing we haue receiued such grace from God so many as beleeue in the name of his Sonne Christ as that we are raised vp from the graues of sinne c. being through his mercy made a c 1. Pet. 2.9 chosen generation a kingly priesthood washed from all our sinnes d Deut. 1.5 in the bloud of Christ and e Reu. 5.10 raigning with him on earth by mortifying and subduing our earthly members what remaineth but that wee purge our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit With your owne weapons thus I fight against you All they and they only who beleeue in Christ are by his bloud washed from their sinnes mortifie and subdue their earthly members are this chosen generation and royall priesthood But onely the elect and inuisible Church beleeue in Christ are by his bloud washed from their sinnes mortifie and subdue their earthly members Therfore the elect onely and inuisible Church are this chosen generation and kingly priesthood and therefore not the visible church as these men do teach The proposition is your owne the Assumption deny if you will But M. Ainsworth by three reasons will proue that this scripture is not to bee vnderstood of the inuisible Counterp 158. but of the vis Church The first is layed downe in these words This place of Peter speaketh of and to the vis or sensible Church for the Apostle wrote to the vis Christians the strangers that then dwelt in Pontus Galatia c. In the tenth Chapter of this booke I haue answered this reason at large and shewed the vanitie of it notwithstanding something I will adde heere Be it granted that Peter writ to the vis church though something might be said against it as that he writeth to them that had obtained like precious faith with him which none but the chosen and of the inuis chureh haue yet this proues not that this 9. verse is true and to be vnderstood of the vis Church no more then it followeth that these sayings of Paul are true and to bee vnderstood of the vis Church and all the members thereof Yee are bought for a price 1. Cor. 6.20 Rom. 8.15 Gal. 4.20 3.26 Ephes 1.13 yee haue receiued the spirit of Adoption ye are the sonnes of God who hath sent forth the spirit of his Sonne into your hearts ye are all the sonnes of God yee are sealed with his holy Spirit of promise the earnest of our inheritance with many such like because the Epistles wherein these are vvere vvritten as you affirme to visible or sensible Churches The second reason followeth in these words This which Peter speaketh chap 2.9.10 is as Moses spake of old to the visible Church of Israel Exod. 19.6 I answere though Exod. 19.6 was spoken to the vis church of Israel yet it was in respect of them therein vvho were of the inuisible church and of Gods elect and is true onely of such as I haue shewed before euen so it is here Your last reason followeth Againe say you Peter mentioneth the end of their calling to this dignitie viz. to shew forth the vertues of him that hath called them out of darknesse into his maruellous light which whether it appertaines not to the visible Church I leaue it for euery true member thereof to Iudge It cannot be denied but that Peter speaketh of them vvho of God are called out of darknesse that is out of sinne and ignorance into his maruellous light that is to the knowledge of God and holinesse for which maruellous mercy receiued out of the very sense and feeling therof they praise God and indeauour all the dayes of their life to walke worthy of it which is heere called the shewing forth of the vertues of him that hath called them But the inuis church onely and company of the elâ—ct are called out of darknesse into this maruellous light being called therefore the children of the light and they alone out of a sensible feeling of this great mercy doe praise blesse God for the same and indeauour to liue to him vvho hath thus called them Of the inuisible Church therfore called heare a chosen generation doth the Apostle Peter speake in this place So this reason maketh greatly against you Counterp 158. No lesse blame-worthy are you for maintaining this That no places of Scripture setting forth the inuisible Church are by you brought to set forth the visible Church The contrary to this appeareth plainely by this Treatise To proue that they vvho be of the true vis church are called out of the world Apologie 44. Counterp 133. or seperated from the world a seperated company of righteous men vsually you quote Ioh. 15.15.19 and 17.9.14 16.20 Tell mee now who be they that beeing in this world are not of this world Are not the elect onely such know you not that they who be not of this world doe belong to a better world Moreouer doth Christ pray for the vis Church or the inuisible onely and company of the elect what meane you then to apply Scriptures concerning these things to the vis Church seeing they be spoken
in your schisme and errours and hearken to the counsell of Salomon Pro. 19.27 My sonne heare no more the instruction that causeth to erre from the words of knowledge Goe not I beseech you in the name of Iesus one step more forward in the way you are in For I call heauen and earth to record that it leades to destruction And why will ye die O ye children of men It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God for our God is a consuming fire I know you perswade your selues of better things and such as accoÌ„pany saluation You think that the way you now are in is the only way to life But what if you mistake it Christ telleth vs that many shall seeke to enter in at the straight gate Luk. 13.24 and shall not bee able Which cannot be vnderstood of men minding earthly things whether it be their profits or pleasures For they neither desire nor seeke after any such thing But of heretickes Schismatickes and sectaries You will say I know that you are no schismatickes because you separate from a false Church onely and ioyne to a true in deede if that which you teach of the visible Church were true then were all our congregations false Churches But heare and marke well what I say Such a visible Church as you require and pretend to be there is not in the world neither euer was You teach in this point that which is repugnant to the Scriptures and a thing vnpossible in it selfe to be Such a societie as you say a true visible Church is is not visible cannot possibly be seene or discerned But some of you will say are not our Ministers learned Yes That lets not but that both they may and indeede doe grossely erre in those things wherein they dissent from vs and from all the learned in the world Who knoweth not that among the Papists there be many of great learning and gifts which haue very great knowledge and skill in the arts in the languages are of excellent vtterance expert and ready in holy Scriptures can speake and write truely agreeing with the Scriptures of sundry of the secrets of the Kingdome of heauen as of God his nature persons attributes Of Christ Iesus his incarnation his birth life preachings sufferings comming to iudgement of the Resurrection of the life to come with many more of this kinde and yet notwithstanding in those points wherein they differ from the Church of England and all other true Churches they are blinde as beetles But you will obiect further that what you of the Separation hold is proued plentifully out of the word of God I acknowledge indeede that you abound and superabound in your allegations of Scripture Neuer any men contending for lyes did therein goe beyond you nor equall you neither If hereunto we adde their externall holinesse wee may safely say that in no faction or schisme that euer yet was in the world Satan did more transforme himselfe into an Angell of light then in this But what Their Scriptures being peruerted as the truth is and so tending to the destruction of the Reader all this is but sheepes clothing Mat 7.15 whereof Christ biddeth vs to beware Horrible and fearefull is your abusing and wresting of holy Scripture and to some incredible It had been well for you if you had been more sparing in your quotations then had yee lesse taken Gods Name in vaine who will not hold you guiltlesse for the same except ye repent And now dearely beloued behold Christ Iesus stands at the doore and knockes aloud tarrying and abiding there as one very desirous to come in and loth to be kept out He that hath the keyes of the house of Dauid who shutteth and no man openeth and openeth and no man shutteth open the doore of your soule that you may let Christ enter in And to that end open I humbly beseech you the eyes of your minde that you may bee able to discerne betweene things that differ and know truth from falsehood and reiecting and abhorring the one which is from the Diuell may imbrace the other which is from God And here my deare countrimen who lately are gone out from vs and become Anabaptists I beseech you consider of this one thing with me When you first separated from the Church of England did not you highly esteeme and reuerence the Church of Amsterdam euen as the deare spouse and body of Christ I meane the Brownists Church there Would not you then gladly haue had communion with them if possibly you could when you refused the same with vs Did not then all of you assure your owne soules that that way which then and still we call Brownisme was the onely way to life wherevpon in that way you would needs walke come on it what would imprisonment or banishment life or death Did not then some of the chiefe of you in my hearing magnifie M. Fr. Iohnson and their bookes specially the Apologie aboue all bookes next to the holy Bible And in all this you reioyced exceedingly How commeth it now to â—asse that so quickly not onely our Churches but the aforesaid Church at Amsterdam is likewise become an Harlot and Babylon That you abhorre now as much to haue religious communion with them as with vs How commeth this I say to passe but because that which the Apostle saith generally of all deceiuers is and must needs be in the particular true of you your selues being deceiuers That you wax worse and worse deceiuing and being more and more deceiued Thus haue I in few words by way of commination exhortation dehortation and supplication indeuoured to perswade you my brethren of the Separation speecially my countreymen who are lately entred into this way to renounce your errours and to breake off by repentance your grieuous sinne of separating and all the sinnes accompanying it If this I haue published preuaile not thus farre though not with all yet with some of you as to bring you to the sight and acknowledgement of your erronious doctrine concerning the visible Church and your peruerting of holy Scripture for confirmation thereof as my hope is it will I for my part doe confesse that I vtterly despayre of doing any good of you and say to you as I haue learned from the Apostle to speake in this case If any man be ignorant let him be ignorant I shall also hold it vaine to contend any further with you 1. Cor. 14.38 11.16 If any lust to be contentious saith Paul wee haue no such custome nor the Churches of God And so I end leauing the successe hereof both with you and others to the Lord whom in Iesus Christ I beseech to accept of this my poore and weake seruice and to grant that it may prosper to that end wherevnto by me his most vnworthy seruant it is intended euen to the glory of his great Name and edification of his Church Amen IOHN DAYRELL A
life as is aforesaid For which cause as the Church is heere called the Chosen generation Matth. 20.16 22.14 24 so often in Scripture the chosen or the Elect Many are called but few chosen which is in effect the same with this Many are in the Church but few of the Church If it were possible they should deceiue the very Elect. And Tit. 1.1 the elect of God or Gods elect According to the faith of Gods elect These elect and beleeuing Iewes or Church of the Iewes are heere called first a royall Priesthood because all of them and not all of the visible Church as the Separists doe teach and Kings and Priests vnto God as Reuel 1.6 and 5.10 where those which Christ hath redeemed loued and washed from their sinnes in his blood which are the Elect and Church inuisible hee is said to haue made them Kings and Priests vnto God euen his Father 2. Cor. 10.45 As Kings and conquerors in this life they subdue and cast downe holds Rom. 8.10.13 Gal. 5.24 casting downe the imaginations and euery high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God bringing into captiuity euery thought to the obedience of Christ and doe kill sinne which before as a King raigned in them Rom. 6.12.14.21.23 7.11 and had dominion ouer them and else would haue slaine them These as Kings ouercome also this world and the Prince thereof treading him vnder their feete 1. Iohn 5.4 Gen. 3.15 Rom. 16.20 Ephes 6.12 Rom. 8.37 Hebr. 1.2 Psal 8.6.7 8. Thus are these Conquerers not onely of flesh and bloud but of principalities and powers yea more then conquerours through him that loueth them They of this chosen generation and royall Priesthood as Kings are in and through Christ heires of this world and of the things therein as of the fish of the sea the fowles of the ayre and the beasts of the earth hauing a right to that which they inherit and possesse so as they may say it is their owne and are not vsurpers as men of another generation bee 1. Cor. 3.21.22 And in the world to come all of this chosen generation and royall Priesthood as Kings and Conquerors shall raigne and inherit a Kingdome that is eternall 2. Tim. 2.12 2. Pet. 1.11 1. Pet. 1.4 reserued for them in heauen Rightly therefore are all of the Church said to bee royall persons and Kings These Kings are also Priests and are therefore called a eoyall Priesthood As Priests they offer sacrifices the spiritual sacrifices whereof we shall heare forthwith and in the life to come the sacrifice of praise and thankes to God and vnto him that sitteth vpon the Throne for the victory and conquest he hath giuen them and for all his goodnes and louing kindnesse towards them Reuel 5.9.10 The Church of the Iewes to whom Peter writ is likewise called an holy nation and in the fift verse an holy Priesthood because all the members of the Church be holy and none of them vnholy or prophane Among these there is no vncleane person neyther whosoeuer worketh abomination that is no sinner or worker of iniquity But as all their names be written in the booke of life of which we haue spoken so are they all Saints indeed their hearts being purified by faith and they sanctified and made holy by Gods holy Spirit Act. 15.9 Rom. 8 9.10 dwelling in them Holy are they in this world but more holy in the world to come In part heere but hereafter perfectly holy and without blame not hauing spot or wrinckle Holy in regard of their renued righteousnesse Ephes 5.27 2. Cor. 7.1 1. Pet. 1.15 1. Iohn 3.3 2. Cor. 6.21 which is begun in this life and perfected in the life to come And holy because of Christs holinesse which being without them is imputed to them and becomes theirs by imputation as their sinnes were his This society is further called a peculiar people or a people or company which God claimeth to be his owne in a speciall and more principall respect that is by right of redemption as being that society or part of mankind which Christ Iesus hath bought and deliuered out of that spirituall captiuity and bondage to sinne Satan and condemnation not with gold or siluer or any such corruptible thing but by his owne pretious bloud in another and more generall respect all mankind being his that is by right of creation Exod. 19.5 or as he is their Creator Of this People we reade Matth. 1.21 Thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Hereby are meant those whom God the Father hath giuen to Christ Iesus in him to haue life eternall that is the Elect which Christ meaneth by these words so oft repeated by Iohn Iohn 6.37.39 17.2.24 Those which my Father hath giuen mee And this is confirmed by the Syriake translation where for peculiar people we haue the Congregation redeemed Iesus then in dying paid not a ransome or price of redemption for all men but for a certaine congregation or company of men Act. 20.28 Costerus cap. de Iustificatione de causis et modis Iustif Apologie 44. Conterpo 158 A true description of the visible Church pag. 1. euen that wee call the Church I say not for all men as the Papists hold nor for the visible Church as the Brownists in vnderstanding this Scripture of the visible Church vnawares doe teach and in plaine words in their Confession of faith Art 17. and Master Robinson in his Iustification 115. where he saith That all of the visible Church are purchased with the blood of God Moreouer of this society it is said heere that of God they are called out of darkenesse into his maruailous light that is out of sinne and ignorance wherein they remaine vntill the time of their calling to knowledge and holinesse To the same effect are those words Act 26.18 where Paul is said to be sent to the Gentiles to open their eyes that they might turne from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan vnto God As all of the Church Ephes 14 in the eternall decree and counsell of God are chosen and appointed to life euerlasting before all times euen before the foundation of the world was laid as we haue heard so betweene this decree and the execution thereof in this world are they all in time euen in their appointed season effectually called and translated from the kingdome of darknes and the Prince thereof the Diuell Colos 1.13 into the kingdome of God his deare sonnes to be from thenceforth gouerned by his spirit and word and do walke in the light And this the Apostle teacheth in the eight to the Romans saying whom he predestinated meaning to life them also he called Veâ—s 39 Lastly Peter sheweth wherefore God hath chosen out of the stock of mankind some to life whom in his time hee calleth to be Kings and Priests vnto him
Tim. 3.5 Iohn 8.12 Christians in name or false Christians be they who professing true Religion or godlines haue denied the power thereof Or professing Christianity 1. Iohn 3.3 Rom. 2.28 and themselues to be Christians walke not as Christ after whom they are called walked As Paul saith He is not a Iew which is one outward circumcised only in the flesh so say I hee is not a Christian who is one outward Baptised alone with water And as in the same place the Apostle saith thus of one and the same man Thou art a Iew and yet thou art not a Iew A Iew before men but not a Iew before God So may we say of these men that they are Christians and yet are not Christians Christâ—ans before and in the reputation of men and yet not Christians before God and in his account A little before Rom. 2.17 to these kind of Iews the same Apostle speaketh thus Behold thou art called a Iew and restest in the law and gloriest in God 18. and knowest his will and triest the things that dissent from it in that thou art instructed by the Law 19. and perswadest thy selfe that thou art a guide of the blind a light of them which are in darknes c. Yet for as much saith he as thou breaking the law dishonorest God thou art no Iew. So to these I doe say yee are called Christians and glory in the Lord that hee is your God and yee are his people not Heathens or Infidels and seeme to your selues to know his will instructed by the Law and perswade your selues many good things of your selues yet for as much as through breaking of the Law yee dishonor God and cause his name and that holy Religion you doe professe to be blasphemed and euill spoken of you are indeed and truth and in the account of God who iudgeth according to truth no Christians All Christians of this kind be Hipocrites which of all people bee most hatefull to God Nay our Sauiour saith they bee Blasphemers Reuel 2.9 and 3.9 and therefore sinners in a very high degre I know the blasphemie of them which say they are Iewes and are not but the Sinagogue of Satan And marke how our Lord Iesus doth threaten these Hipocrites and deepe dissemblers with God and men in matters appertaining to God Behold I will make them of the Sinagogue of Satan which call themselues Iewes and are not but doe lye And heere we must remember that vsually the greatest part of the visible Church are Christians in name onely Hipocrites wicked and vngodly men reprobates which though they professe Christian Relâ—gion are in truth irreligious and though they professe holinesse are indeed prophane the lesser part of the visible Church hauing that faith in Christ that piety and holines whereof all make profession And this is confirmed by the parable of the seed The a This parable doth not onely teach that in euery place where the seed is sowen ordinâ—rily these foure different kinds of grouÌ„d are to be fouÌ„â— But besides that the greatest part of hearers and consequently of the visible Church is the worst field where this seed is sowen is the visible Church three parts wherof Iesus telleth vs is bad ground and only a fourth part good and fruitfull whereby our Sauiour teacheth vs that ordinarily the greatest part by ods and as it were three parts of foure in the Church visible be bad and vnfruitfull hearers like to the barren ground which is neere vnto b Hebr. 6.8 cursing whose end is to be burned and but a small part thereof good Wee may not vnderstand Christ iust according to the letter For as at sometimes and in some Churches there may be happily some more then a fourth part that receiue the seed of the Word into good and honest hearts where it taketh root downeward and bringeth forth fruit vpward so at other times and in some other Churches it may so fall out that nine parts thereof be bad and onely a tenth good nay why may not nineteene parts or more be naught and but the twentieth part good and yet be Churches of the Saints 1. Cor. 14.33 as Paul speaketh and so to bee called of the better part though it be farre lesse as a man is called a reasonable liuing creature Secondly this is manifest by that other speech of our Sauiour Many are called but few chosen Matth. 22.14 All that be and remaine vnder the voice and call of God that is the Ministery of the Word whereby God stretching forth his hands crieth aloud and calleth vpon the children of men that they would repent and beleeue and so bee saued bee of the visible Church Of this Church Christ telleth vs the number being great that yet few therin be good and such as shal be saued Me thinks that none of vnderstanding should deny that the former of these propositions Many are called is to be vnderstood of the visible Church and the latter But few are chosen of those of the inuisible Church who are in the visible This latter none will deny and the former is no lesse true which both the coherence or dependance of this verse with that which goeth before and also the very words doe euince and it is as if in more words it were thus said That society and company of men whom God the Father inuiteth to the Marriage of his Sonne to partake with him in his glory and the ioyes of the Kingdome of heauen is very great they be not a few but many to whom God maketh this offer and tender of saluation nay calleth vpon and is instant with them rising rarely and late first by Patriarkes then by Priests and Prophets afterwards by Apostles and their Successors Pastors and Teachers that they would be saued But in all ages among this great multitude of Iewes and Gentiles a few only be of Gods election and such as shall be saued Hereupon considering they who haue and enioy the external calling are the visible Church it followeth ineuitably that the most or greatest part of the visible Church are Reprobates such as are appointed to iust coÌ„demnation For if few in this great nuÌ„ber of the visible Church be elected many are reiected If now the most in the visible Church be reprobates then are they wicked and vngodly how holy a professioÌ„ soeuer they make This short speech Many are called but few are chosen our Lord vseth diuers times as Mat. 20.16 22.14 not so much for the certainty thereof as that we might the better learne and remember the same being iterated but chiefely that the faithfull might not bee offended and stumble at the multitude of the wicked and paucity of the godly in the Church seeing it is no new or strange thing but the very state and condition of the Church so as seldome or neuer it doth or can goe otherwise with the Church Wel and truely therefore saith a In Ecclesia etiam mali
he as the Diuell himselfe professed some true and sound doctrine so doe his Instruments as witnesse the writings of Papists Anabaptists and other Antichristians wherein they also make profession of these things But we haue learned of the Apostle Tituâ— 1.16 That there are some who professe they know God but by workes deny him and are abominable and disobedient and vnto euery good worke reprobate Seeing then a company of Reprobates may professe all doctrine needfull to saluation yet practise such things as will bring them to damnation We cannot be perswaded though all your three markes were granted to be in your Parishes that therefore they are true Churches of Christ for we know they doe the workes of Antichrist I reply Neyther Papists nor Anabaptists nor any false Church or Sinagogue of Satan professe true Religion They professe indeed some true and sound doctrine yea the Diuell himselfe did so but it is another thing to professe true Religion and enioy and submit our selues to true worship But say you A company of Reprobates may professe not only some but euen all doctrine needfull to saluation and yet practise such things as will bring them to damnation we cannot therefore be perswaded that a company professing Christian Religion make the Church of Christ You speake you know not what for hereby you imply and secretly teach that A true visible Church is a company of people professing and practising such things as will bring them to saluation Whereupon it followes that there is no Hypocrite in the visible Church for whose practise is answerable to his holy profession he is no Hypocrite Hereupon also ensueth that in the visible Church there is no Reprobate or any that shall be damned and that it is a company of Elect onâ—y and such as shall be saued For all that practise such things as will bring them to saluation shall be saued But this practise of holines ouer and besides an holy profession doe you require in all the members of the true visible Church condemning them as no members that want it and which making this profession doe practise those things which lead to damnation Therefore by your Doctrine all of the visible Church shall be saued and none therein damned And thus vnawares you confound the visible and the inuisible Church but that is vsuall with you In effect you affirme that those mentioned Titus 1.16 were without But that is more then you or any man can proue It is more probable that they were in the Church for they were professors They professe saith the Apostle that they know God Vnder the knowledge of God comprehending also their professing to feare God to loue him and to beleeue in him and to obey him And I am very sure that notwithstanding their extreame wickednes they might be of the visible Church which onely maketh you thinke they were not of it Whether those Professors were in the Church or without it mattereth not I am sure that if not these yet infinite others as abominable as these haue beene in and of the visible Church as hereafter shall bee made manifest Seeing then in many members of the visible Church as Cain Ismael Esau Saul Absalom the Scribes and Pharisies with innumerable more there was no practise at all of godlines but only a profession thereof being no better then Atheists denying God in their workes abominable disobedient and to euery good worke Reprobate why doe you necessarily require practise in al the members of the visible Church so as without it one cannnot be a member of the Church and for want of practise condemne our Parishes for false visible Churches Behold heere men deliuered vp to a reprobate sence that were of the visible Church Are any in our Parishes worse and more vile then these Were these because of their outward profession of the true visible Church notwithstanding their prophane liues And may not they in our Parishes making the same profession bee likewise members of the true visible Church albeit their liues be prophane so long as by excommunication they be not cast out of the Church Your Parishes say you we cannot be perswaded are the true Churches of Christ because they doe the workes of Antichrist Be it that we are guiltie of this trespasse that we doe some workes of Antichrist that is that some such things wee doe or yeeld vnto as Antichrist hath brought into the Church Doth it thereupon follow that our Parish assemblies are not the Churches of Christ Answ to Master Stone about the 2. pag. Verily no Except euery abomination of Antichrist make a Church to become false and Antichristian whereunto your selues answeres negatiuely and renders thereof a good reason in these words For the best Churches are subiect to errour and some abominations of Antichrist were crept into Christian Churches while the Apostles liued By this reason of yours and your owne confession the Primitiue Churches were not true Churches In the eight chapter of Iohn Iesus saith to certaine Iewes Vers 41.44 Yee doe the works of your father And againe Yee are of your Father the Diuell and the lusts of your father yee will doe If these notwithstanding they did the workes of the Diuel were of the true visible Church as the truth is then sure may we be of the true visible Church notwithstanding we doe some works of Antichrist except Antichrist and the doing of his workes be worse then the Diuell and the doing of his workes But the Answere to Master Stone proceedeth If you teach your people that profession without practise is sufficient to saluation you are but a deceiuer of their soules Who amongst vs teacheth such diabolicall doctrine The Lord knoweth and his people know that wee teach the direct contrary that it will not suffice to say Lord Lord but we must doe the will of our heauenly Father if we will enter into the Kingdome of heauen yea yee your selues know this What meane you then to vse these words whereby you would eyther intimate to the Reader that we vse this cursed doctrine and so slander vs or at least that you doubt thereof whereas you certainly know the contrary Take heed your selues proue not the deceiuers of soules Nay as sure as the Lord liueth you are such But let vs come to Master Ainsworths last answere concerning this point of profession Againe Counterp 21. I deny that your Parishes doe truely and rightly professe these things and would heare your proofe we know that your Parishes professe not aright neyther Law nor Gospell neither repentance from dead workes nor faith in God but lye dead in trespasses and sinnes idolatries and many other hainous abominations I reply We know that among vs some few doe rightly professe being the same in deed which they professe and make shew to be and that is as much as is to be looked for in the visible Church Seeing all in the visible Church a few excepted are Hypocrites and that no Hypocrite
the Church generations of Vipers Math. 3.7 12.34 23.33 who notwithstanding their shew and profession of holines are as full of malice and hatred towards the godly as a Viper of poison Moreouer where you say Thus the world and the Church betweene whom there hath beene perpetuall warre might soone be reconciled in this or such like speach by the world wee are to vnderstand the men of this world that is worldly minded men such as whose hearts and affections are set vpon this world and the things thereof whether they be in the Church or out of it and by Church the company of the faithfull members of the inuisible Church for these alone together with their head are meant by the Woman and her seed Betwixt these the World and Church thus taken is the warre or enmity you speake of foretold by God himselfe saying I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman Gen. 3.15 and betweene thy seed and her seed In stead hereof by World you vnderstand them that are without the Church and by Church the visible Church Whereby it appeares yâ—u speake you know not what such is your ignorance and rashnes Lastly say you if this be a lawfull and orderly course Counterpois 224. it is strange that Christ sent forth poore fisher-men to conuert soules by preaching and set not Princes to make Disciples by compulsion and penaltie We answere hee hath done both and this latter he hath done by giuing Kings to be nursing fathers and Queenes nursing mothers to his Church These by their authority compell men otherwise vnwilâ—ing to submit themselues to the outward worship of God whereby they come to be members of the Church or Disciples and so some of them by Preaching to be conuerted to God Thus the Magistrate in causing men to heare the Word helpeth forward and so herein is a nursing father the conuersion of soules by preaching You seeme to confound the conuerting of soules and the making of Disciples which are things different It is one thing to be turned and conuerted to God by true and vnfained repentance which is proper to the elect and inuisible Church and another to be a Disciple that is a Christian or professor of Christian Religion or member of the visible Church which is common to the reprobate with the elect There haue beene many Disciples whose soules were neuer conuerted by preaching Obiection But happely some of you will say we haue no example of this compulsion to the seruice of God in the new Testament not one in all the Actes of the Apostles where mention is made of the first planting or gathering of many Churches partly among the Iewes but chiefely the Gentiles All which were gathered onely by the Preaching of the word as your selfe haue formerly shewed and the gathering of none of them any way helped or furthered by the Commaundement and authoritie of the Magistrate Answere I answere Must all points of Religion and all Christian doctrine needes be confirmed and exemplified out of the new Testament Then the Scripture of the old Testament serueth not for probation but for some inferiour vses as to illustrate amplifie c. And who knoweth not that there be a thousand particulars whereof one cannot giue an example or instance in the new Testament why then doe you necessarily require it in this particular Secondly it is no maruell though we reade nothing thereof in the new Testament considering the Magistrates then were enemies and not friends to the Christian Religion Being not Christians but Heathens and Infidels without God in this world and strangers from the coÌ„mon wealth of Israel It is not therefore to bee imagined that they would make edicts and decrees send foorth their royall commands and threates for the erecting and setting vp or for the peaceable and well gouerning of this common-wealth But is rather to be thought that being iealous of their owne crownes and dignities and vpon some causeles feare that their owne coÌ„mon wealth could not stand with this they would set themselues with might and maine against the Church as indeede they did Obiection If you say the vntaught people in the beginning of Q. Elizabeths raigne suddenly receiuing the Gospell by commandement not by hearing could not beleeue at the first though they profâ—ssed and therefore at the first were no true Christians nor Churches and that such we continue I answere that not faith Answere but the profession thereof is necessarie to the making of a member of the visible Church and that they might be true Churches though all the members thereof were not true but many of them false and counterfeite Christians For a true visible Church consisteth as well of false and counterfeite as of true Christians of Christians in name onely as of Christians in deede as before hath beene shewed And therefore the Parish assemblies in England in the beginning of Q. Elizabeths raigne were true visible Churches seeing they all made outward profession of Faith and Christianitie and had among them some true beleeuers and Christians in their assemblies that generally they did make an outward good profession is manifest and notoriously knowne to all Christian nations and that there were then some true beleeuers and Christians in their assemblies we cannot doubt as touching very many assemblies in this land and in charitie which beleeueth all things and hopeth all things we may conceiue so of all Considering the Religion and worship of God was not then heare first established but restored againe and purged which had beene discontinued and corrupted in the dayes of Q. Mary which were not many For this cause we cannot deny true Faith and Christianitie to all these assemblies Shall we thinke that the fire had deuoured and eaten vp all the faithfull of the land No verily Exod. 3.2 No more then the bush in Horeb being on fire was consumed by the fire Whereby was signified that the Church is not consumed by the fire of afflictions Nay we are rather to thinke that as it was with the Hebrewes that the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied so it was with the Israel of God at this time in England the more they were persecuted for Christs sake the more they increased in true Christianitie So as out of the ashes of the Martyres there did spring a multitude of beleeuers besides the faithfull that were in the land before Whereof some hauing fled beyond the Seas did now returne home with ioy others hauing hid themselues as it were in caues and holes came forth These were scattered throughout the land and it is to be thought there were many thousands of them which neuer bowed the knee to Baal And these mixed with others who came vnto them and ioyned with them in one and the same profession made true visible Churches Whereby we see that albeit many receiued the Gospell for the Commandements sake yet not all Some there were that hungered and thirsted for the Gospell before it
therefore the world should hate them With this speech of Christ agreeth that of Peter It seemeth to them strange 1. Pet. 4.4 that ye runne not with them to the same excesse of ryot therefore speake they euill of you Suppose then that Iesus did not speake here onely of the Apostles nor yet solely of the Elect but that his speech was more generall and reached euent to the visible Church yet would not this testimonie proue that for which it is by you produced to wit that a visible Church is a company not mixed with but separated from the open wicked of the world Much lesse then vnderstanding this Scripture aright and as is before expounded Thus is to set the holy Scriptures not on the tenters which is euill but on the racke which is farre worse No lesse faultie are you in alledging to this purpose the 20. verse of this said 17. Chapter I pray not for these alone but also for them which shall beleeue in me through their word Where Iesus speaketh of and prayeth for the Elect onely and inuisisible Church militant and not for the visible Church But grant it were spoken and meant of the Church visible yet would it not serue to proue that for which it is by you alledged In like manner you here peruert Act. 19.9 Rom. 1.6.7 10.14 15 17. Ezek. 36.38 which for breuitie I passe by contenting my selfe to haue giuen you and the Reader a taste onely of your abuse of Scripture And here marke I beseech thee Christian Reader and forget not that this dâ—ctrine of these men is as contrarie to the Scriptures as darknesse is to light They teach you see that a true Church is a company of people separated from the world that is a separated company of righteous or godly men from all open vngodly or wicked and cannot consist of these two sorts or kindes of men of godly and vngodly good and bad holy and prophane such a mixt and confused company cannot be say they a true visible Church This mixture they condemne and vs for teaching it and euery where in their bookes cry out against it with open mouth Saying it is a a Confession of Faith 6.10.11 confused order and such societie a confused and mixed people that b Aâ—swere to M. Stone 6. lye scattered in the dust mixed with the prophane without seperation and it is an Antichristian confusion And tell vs that a true visible Church is an other manner of society That it is c A true desâ—ription of the visible Church pag. 1. a company of faithfull and holy people worshipping Christ aright gouerned by his lawes keeping the vnitie of Faith in the bond of Peace and loue vnfained Againe that it is a company of Conuerts of such as are d Apologie 37. already conuerted to God Moreouer that it is e Principles and inferences concerning vis Churches 7. a visible communion of Saints that is f Priâ—c and Ius 10. Iustification 105. of men seperated from all knowne sinne practising the whole will of God knowne growing in grace and knowledge and continuing to the end Because of this say they the visible Church is g Apologie 44. A true Description of the visible Church 1. confesâ—ion Faith 6. called a Church of Saints a Kingdome of Priests a Royall Priesthood a chosen Generation and an holy Nation And to make vp the full measure of their errour in this particular they assure vs if wee will bee so mad as beleeue them that a true visible Church hath in it onely such as if none other affirming that h A true Description of the visible Church pag. vlt. Communion of Saints into it entreth no vncleane thing neither whosoeuer worketh abominations and lyes but they which are written in the Lambes Booke of Life But without this Church are Dogges and Enchanters and Whoremâ—ngers and Idolaters and whatsoeuer loueth and maketh lyes as if none such were within the church And to put this doctrine of theirs out of all doubt and controuersie i Illud ostendere tentauerunt Donatistae â—rolatis multis testimoniis diuâ—narum Scripturarum quod Ecclesia Dei non cum mâ—loâ—um hominum commiss one futura praed cta sit August Tom. 7. collat cum Donatistis Defence of the Churches and Ministers of England 7. Counterpois 14. and 23. they alleadge for proofe thereof all most infinite places of Scripture Thus we see summarily what these men do held and teach concerning the subiect or matter of the visible Church and this part of their description thereof euen the same with the Donatists And applying this doctrine vnto vs they affirme that the Church of England is a false Church and our parish assemblies false visible Churches because they are not separated from the prophane of the land but remaine still in confused assemblies Let vs now heare what God teacheth vs in his word Certainely that which is directly contrary vnto this In the holy Scriptures wee learne that as in the barne-floore there is Chaffe mingled with Corne Mat 3.12 13.25.47 and in the field Tares growing together with Wheate and in the draw-net cast into the Sea things gathered of all kindes and as in a great house there are not onely vessels of golde and siluer but also of wood and earth some for honour and some for dishonour 2. Tim. 2.20 So in the visible Church there are men of all kindes Hypocrites and sincere good and bad holy and prophane faithfull and vnbeleeuers Nay by the Scriptures it is manifest By vnbeleeuers I meane men void of true Faiâ—h that the greater part of the visible Church are Reprobates Hypocrites vngodly men prophane walking after their owne lusts as by that which followeth doth appeare In the 32. of Numbers of the Church and people of God Moses saith that they were a company of sinfull men Verse 14 and behold yee are risen vp in your fathers stead as an increase of sinfull men still to augment the fierce wrath of the Lord toward Israel and in the 5. of Deut. Ye haue beene rebellioas vnto the Lord since the day that I knew you In the first of the Prouerbs wee haue wisedome Verse 24. that is Christ Iesus the wisedome of the Father speaking after this manner I haue called meaning by his seruants in the Ministerie and yee refused I haue stretched out mine hand and none would regard But yee haue despised all my counsell and would none of my correction And a little after they hated knowledge and did not chuse the feare of the Lord. They would none of my counsell but despised all my correction These contemners were prophane and vngodly persons and yet were they of the visible Church because they were within the sound of wisedomes voyce and call Yea marke further how some times almost all of the visible Church are despisers of the Ministerie and word of God and therefore prophane and godlesse For it is not said
as within the Church and doe therefore threaten and denounce the iudgements of God against them as the pestilence famine and specially the sword and leading into captiuitie Let the first chapter of the first of all their prophecies suffice for all Isa 1.4 Ah sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquitie a seede of the wicked corrupt children they haue forsaken the Lord c. And in the 10. vers Heare the word of the Lord O Princes of Sodome hearken O people of Gomorah Heere were men notoriously wicked not without but in the Church and those not a fewe but almost all a sinfull nation a people not some of the people laden with iniquitie and so were their fathers whose seede they were Princes and people being like to them of Sodome and Gomorah And if in the Church there had not beene open and known wicked from generation to generation How could there haue beene in the Church in all ages so many despisers of the Word and of the Ministers thereof the holy Prophets Apostles and their successors so many murtherers whoremongers thieues proud couetous idle and malicious persons railers slaunderers and in a word giuen to all manner of abominations as is manifest by holy writ there haue beene Yea sometimes swarmes of these haue beene in the Church as Psa 12.1 Isay 1. Ier. 9.2 Micah 7.1 doe manifestly shew Isay 1. from v. 2. vntill 26. And no better was the estate and condition of the Church in the dayes of Christ Whereupon our Sauiour calleth the Iewes an euill and adulterous generation Matth. 11.16 and compareth them vnto little children which sit in the markets and call vnto their fellowes and say we haue pipâ—d vnto you c. declaring thereby their vniuersall contempt of his owne and Iohns Ministery which argueth the generall and open vngodlinesse of that people In a word it is euident by the Gospell that the Church then did abound with open wiâ—ked But for the further confirmation of the point in hand and the exemplifying therof let vs call to mind and consider a little more of that we haue already heard It is cleare that all the aforesaid despisers of the Word and ministery thereof all the aforesaide reproaches and mockers of Dauid and blaspheamers of God all the aboue named murderers of the Prophets and seruants of God were open wicked men their sinnes being as it were written in their foreheads with great capitall letters so as he that did runne might reade them and yet were they in the true visible Church In this manner Ismael Esau Saul Doeg Absalom were knowne wicked men openly and notoriously wicked and yet of the visible Church But aboue all other this is manifest by the Scribes and Pharises who were as vile and wicked men as euer liued For feare of them men durst not confesse Christ Iesus If any did they excommunicated them They blaspheamed Christ and his workes Saying that he was a glutton a drinker of wine a friend of Publicanes and sinners a deceiuer a traitour that he who deliuered him was not Cesars friend that he was a Coniurer casting out Diuels by Belzebub the Prince of Diuels wherein they committed the greatest sinne of all euen the sinne against the holy Ghost They made the people that not long before had cryed Hosanna saue I pray to cry Crucifie him Crucifie him Being vpon the Crosse they mocked him Thou that saued others saue thy selfe Now these sinnes of theirs were not secrete but open being committed in the sight of the Sunne These men were as well knowne to be wicked and abominable to Ioseph Mary to the Apostles to the 70. Disciples and generally to the faithfull then liuing as the Pope with his Cardinals Archbishops Bishops and all that sinfull and adulterous generation who are daily shedding the blood of the Saints are now known to vs to be wicked and abominable yet were these men neuerthelesse in and of the visible Church Matth. 23 2.3 yea principall mâ—mbers therein as the eyes in the body euen teachers in the Church and such as Christ commaunded his people to heare In the visible Church therefore there haue beene and remained open wicked And therefore the being and abiding of such in a visible Church doeth not nullifie the same and so not ours by consequent Obiection All the aforesaid testimonies and examples cited out of the Old Testament and the rest of the same kinde M. Smith will thus auoid That the Church of the Iewes being but a ceremonie and tipe morall holinesse was not required of the members thereof but ceremoniall onely Answ I answere if Morall vncleanenesse did aswell pollute their sacrifices vnder the Law as it doth ours vnder the Gospel then Morall holinesse was as well required of the members of that Church as now it is of the members of the Church of God But the first of these is true Therefore the later The proposition is so cleere that it needs not any proofe The Assumption is manifest by the first of Isaiah Isay 1.11.12 16.3.4 and the 66. of that prophesie also by Psal 50.16 Where we learne that all the sacrifices and seruice that the wicked Iewes offered performed to God was no lesse hatefull vnto him and abhord of him then the seruice and sacrifice of wicked men at this day And who doubteth but that in all ages the sacrifice of the wicked was an abomination to the Lord. Pro. 15.8 But come wee now to the Churches of Christ vnder the Gospell yea to the primitiue Churches and purest that euer were If in them we can shew there were open wicked I trust this matter will be decided The Apostle writing to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 12.21 saith thus I feare lest when I come againe my God abase me among you and I shal bewaile many of them which haue sinned alreadie and haue not repented of the vncleanenesse and fornication and wantonnesse which they haue committed Here were men in the Church of Corinth liuing in vncleanenesse fornication and wantonnesse of which sinnes Paul feareth they will not haue repented when he shall come againe vnto them Now hereby wee may perceiue that the sinnes of these wicked men had crept forth and were knowne in that the Apostle had intelligence thereof whereupon he thus reproueth them as also for their strife 2. Cor. 12.20 enuying wrath contentions backbitings whisperings swellings discord And these sins as it should seeme did raigne among them which occasioned Paul often to rebuke them for the same and sundry times to tell them that they were carnall 1. Cor. 1.11.12 3.3.4 meaning a great part of them and did walke as men that is liue after the manner of naturall or carnall men which haue not the spirit Ver. 4.8.10.11.12.13 S. Iude tels vs of certaine that were crept into the Church who were vngodly men turning the grace of God into wantonnes of whom he saith that they did defile the flesh despise
had the signe and seale of the righteousnes of faith in and vpon their flesh And that the Scribes and Pharises vvere hypocrites it is euident by the testimonie of our Sauiour Mat. 15.1.7 and by that speech of his so often repeated Mat. 23. Woe be to you Scribes and Pharises Hypocrites But the most of your assemblies be open and knowne wicked men some of them being knowne to be swearers others to be Prophaners of the Sabbath Drunkards Theeues Whoremongers couetous and malicious persons c. and cannot therefore bee accounted hypocrites And your selfe doe confesse that in the Church there are these two sorts of men onely hypocrites or hypocriticall professors and sincere worshippers I answere you well vnderstand not who be hypocrites and doe wholly mistake the matter in supposing that open wicked men cannot be reputed such whereas the open wicked nay most vile and abominable men notoriously also knowne to be such professing true religion be hypocrites Esau was very prophane and as his prophanenes did no doubt shew it selfe in the whole course of his life so in taking for his wiues two women of the Hittites but chiefly in selling his birthright for a messe of pottage Now these his sinnes were knowne specially the former to Isaack his family vvhich then vvas the Church Hereunto adde that he both purposed and said that he vvould slay his brother Iacob Gen. 27.41.42 and that this vvas knowne to some of Isaacks family who told it to Rebekah Yet vvas this notorious prophane man and knowne murderer an hypocrite Doeg vvas an horrible murderer his murther also could not but bee knowne to the whole Church of God and an hypocrite For it is said that vvhen Dauid came to Nob vvhere the Tabernacle of God then was Doeg was abiding or caused to tarry before the Lord 1. Sam. 22.18 22.7 either because of the Sabbath or some vow or some such religious respect whereby is implyed that he continued there for some dayes worshipping God or to that end That Saul vvas an hypocrite I neede not to proue Hee vvas so forward in offering to the Lord burnt offerings and in the outward worship of God 1. Sam. 13.12.13 and 15.22.23.31 That by Samuel hee was diuers times reproued sharpely for the same Yet did hee so hate and so openly and furiously persecute Dauid to his death as it could not but bee knowne to all Israel and so was openly and notoriously wicked But this is more then manifest by the Scribes and Pharisees who were very wicked and vile men hating blaspheming and persecuting Christ and his members and knowne to be such to the Saints then liuing who tasted of the fruit of their hatred and yet by the witnesse of Christ Iesus they were Hypocrites Euen so vndoubtedly were all they which killed the Prophets and stoned them which were sent vnto them Mat. 21.35 and 22.6 and 23.37 open vvicked men and Hypocrites Hypocrites also vvere they and yet knowne vvicked men of vvhom Christ speaketh thus They shall excommunicate you yea the time shall come Ioh. 16.2 that whosoeuer killeth you will thinke that he doth God seruice I omit to vrge that place of Paul to Timothy where foretelling of the grieuous sinners that shall bee in the last dayes vvhereof some be open sinners in the end he knitteth it vp thus 2. Tim. 3.1.5 They shal haue a shew of godlinesse but haue denied the power thereof Whereby he sheweth that this he meaneth of the Church and hypocrites that shall be therein and not by them vvho are vvithout As if he had said The wicked pâ—rsons I speake of who shall be so grieuous to the godly specially to godly Teachers and cause the last times to be so perilous as ver 1. be the hypocrites that shall be in the Church But I cannot passe by that Tit. 1. is They professe that they know God but by workes they deny him and are abominable and disobedient and vnto euery good worke reprobate Hereby it is euident that open wicked men disobedient to God yea such as bee abominable and reprâ—bate to euery goâ—d vvorke may be hypocrites For the Apostâ—e speaking thus of professors They professe said he that they know God it is thereby plaine that he meaneth this of them that were in the Church and so of the hypocrites therein and not of them vvho be vvithout for they make not this profession Thus we see that very vvicked and vile men and notoriously knowne to be such haue been and may be hypocrites And therefore the open scandalous wicked in our assemblies may be and indeede are all of them hypocrites Our assemblies being mixt companies of Saints indeede and hypocrites and such a company hath euermore the true visible Church been It is a fancy and vaine imagination of yours that the vvicked in our assemblies are not hypocrites and so to be accompted because their wickednesse is not secret but manifest and to be seene of all men Whereas all that professe Christianitie and liue not the liues of Christians are hypocrites But such bee the open and secret wicked in our publike assemblies Therefore as well the open as the secret wicked in our publike assemblies are hypocrites In Math. 15. our Lord vseth these words to the Scribes and Pharises O hypocrites Esaias prophecied well of you saying This people draweth neere vnto me with their mouth and honoureth me with their lips but their heart is farre of from me But in vaine they worship me Hence wee learne that all they vvhich draw neere vnto God vvith their mouths and honour him vvith their lips hauing their hearts farre off from him be Hypocrites But such bee both the open and secret wicked in our assemblies Therefore both the open and secret wicked in our assemblies are hypocrites I am assured you vvill greatly maruell at me and it may be some of you be ready to hisse at this that the open wicked in our parish assemblies be hypocrites Your ignorance herein hath been one principall cause of this false doctrine of yours In the true visible Church there are no open wicked but it is a separated company of righteous men vpon which false ground you condemne our parish assemblies to be false Churches and therevpon haue departed from vs which hath also caused mee to insist so long vpon this point You confesse there bee hypocrites in the Church according to the Scriptures But you suppose them to bee such as haue an outward holinesse and such as in charitie we cannot but accompt Saints or holy ones whereas those that make profession of godlinesse though they haue no externall righteousnes nay be notoriously vvicked are hypocrites vntill such time as by excommunication they be cut off from the Church And for the better satisfying of you herein you must vnderstand there be two sorts of hypocrites First close hypocrites vvhich are such as goe in sheeps clothing when as indeed they be goats These are in appearance Saints
In the second of Haggai the Prophet hath these words If a polluted person touch any of these shall it be vncleane and the Priests answered and said it shall be vncleane Then answered Haggai and saide so is this people and so is this nation before me saith the Lord. As heere notwithstanding the visible Church and people of the Iewes are said to be vncleane yet there were then in the Church many Saints Zerubbabel Iehoshua Haggai with many others as appeareth by chap. 1. v. 12.13 chap. 2. v. 5 6. Euen so albeit in holy writ the members of visible Churches are called Saints yet were there vndoubtedly in the same Churches not a fewe that were polluted and vncleane Neither is there any more force in this latter allegation to proue that all in the Church are outwardâ—y holy then in the former to proue that all in the Church in the Prophet Haggai his time were vncleane This might well suffice for an answere I will notwithstanding adde more therevnto that if it be possible your mouthes may be stopped But to come to a more direct answere I deny that Paul indited and writ his Epistles for and to the visible Churches in Rome Corinth Ephesus c. But to the seuerall and particular Churches that is societies of the faithfull in those and other cities and so framed his stile accordingly vnto this blessed and holy people many wicked and vnbeleeuers voide I meane of true faith ioyned themselues in the profession of the same faith and in holy Communion worshipping the same God after the same externall manner with them These latter and bad sort being all of them Hypocrites were in the Church but not of it no more then the chaffe that is mixt with wheate is wheate the first and good sort onely making the Church so much commended vnto vs in holy writ and the confused and mixt company of both these that wee call a visible Church They went out from vs saith Iohn but they were not of vs 1. Iohn 2.19 for if they had beene of vs they would haue continued with vs. Now to the Churches I say and not to the visible Churches the Apostle meant and writ at least chiefely his Epistâ—es as the inscriptions of the most of them besides many sayings in the same doe manifestly declare whereof we haue had a tast in the precedent section of which some I will repeate and adde some others To all that be at Rome beloued of God vnto the church of God which is at Corinthus to theÌ„ that are sanctified in Christ Iesus To the Saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithfull in Christ Iesus To them which are at Colosse Saints and faithfull brethren in Christ In like manner doth Saint Peter Peter an Apostle to the strangers that dwell here and there elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father vnto sanctification of the Spirit And in the second Epistle thus Simon Peter to you which haue obtained like precious faith with vs. And as in the inscriptions so in the Epistles themselues the Apostle vsually speaketh as to the Church and not to the visible Church To the Romanes Rom. 8.9.15 to whom he writ thus yee are not in the flesh but in the spirit because the spirit of God dwelleth in you Againe yee haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but yee haue receiued the spirit of adoption To them he writ at Corinthus 1. Cor. 1.7 vers 26.30 yee are not destitute of any gift waighting for the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ 8 Who shall confirme you vnto the end that yee may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Iesus Christ 9 God is faithfull by whom yee are called vnto the fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ Brethren you see your calling how that not many wise men after the flesh c. But yee are of him in Christ Iesus Your bodies are the members of Christ Your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost yee are bought for a price 1. Cor 6.15 19.20 v. 27. Gal. 3.26 4 6. yee are the body of Christ To the Galatians thus Yee are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus Because ye are sonnes God hath sent foorth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts These speaches with infinite more of this kinde are true and can properly be said onely of the Churches and members thereof and improperly of the visible Churches and therefore mee thinketh it is very hard to vnderstand them of the visible Churches and members thereof rather then of the Churches themselues Neither can I conceiue what there is in religion or reason to leade vs from the litterall sence to your tropicall exposition specially considering these kinde of speeches be so frequent in the Epistles and few or none to be found in them which can properly be saide of the visible Churches This is further confirmed by 1. Cor. 12.28 but more plainly by Ephes 4.8.11.12 Where the ministery and Ministers are saide to be ordained for and giuen to the Church and Saints and body of Christ which body the Church or that we call the invisible Church is and not the visible And heere I reason thus To what Church or societie soeuer the ministery and Ministers of Christ were giuen to the same the canonicall Epistles were written But to the Church militant the ministery and Ministeis were giuen Therefore to it the Epistles canonicall were written The proposition is in it selfe cleare the assumption the former place of the Ephesians doeth manifestly prooue Whatsoeuer things are written Rom. 15.4 and therefore the Epistles of Paul and of the other Apostles are written for our learning or instruction who be of Gods election that we the elect of God through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope These things saith Iohn haue I written vnto you that beleeue in the name of the same God 1. Iohn 5.13 that yee may know that yee haue eternall life If Iohn write to the faithfull and to those who might assure themselues of eternall life which Faith and Life only the Church militant and elect that be on earth haue then vndoubtedly the Apostle Paul did write vnto the like seeing they were both guided by the same spirit and as pennes in the hand of the same Writer Finally as the Apostles whiles they were limited and confined to the nation and people of the Iewee were sent by Iesus to Preach to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel that is the elect Israelits Matth. 10.6 so vndoubtedly when the Apo coÌ„mission was enlarged they to Preach to all nations some of them to write they were of Iesus sent and inspired to Preach and write to the lost sheepe that is the elect of the Iewes and Gentiles And as the lost sheepe of the house of Israel were they whom Christ in his first sending and preaching of his Apostâ—es respectâ—d and of whom
religion from all those which make no such profession so are without the Church Thus the Iewes vntil the death of Christ were seperated from the Gentiles Thus in the Apostles time and after the Saints that is the professors of Christian Religion in Rome Corinthus Ephesus Galatia c. were sepâ—rated from their neighbours being heathens and infidels And thus are we seperated from all Pagans Turkes and Infidels Of this seperation the Lord speaketh Leu. 20. I am the Lord your God which haue seperated you from other people Ver. 26.24 that ye should be mine This seperation agreeth with the Scriptures and hath good warrant from the same and thus farre you and we agree But you rest not here but require besides a seperaration in the Church and among the aforesaid professors vrging and enforcing this that the godly in this societie must seperate from the wicked and haue no religious communion or fellowship with them Ephes 5.11 1. Cor. 5 9.1â—.11 Herein we differ Yet wee confesse that the godly must be seperated from the euill manners customes and fashions of the wicked that they may not haue any fellowship with them in the vnfruitfuâ—l workes of darknesse neither may thâ—y haue them to be their familiars in these such like respects the righteous must seperate from the wicked in the Church and haue nothing to do with them But that they may not communicate together in diuine worship but must seperate in things concerning God this seperation is manifestly repugnant to the Scriptures as appeareth by the premises and shall further appeare hereafter In the meane season this I affirme that if this doctrine of yours were true then for as much as in all ages there were aboundance of notorious wicked men in the Church of the Iewes the Prophets Christ and his Apostles should haue had no communion with them at least in their Synagogues the contrarie wherevnto you both know and acknowledge Then also there ought to haue been a seperation made at Corinthus and in the Churches of Galatia not only from the Infidels and grosse Idolaters amongst whom they liued but also betwixt the Saints and professors of Christian Religion seeing among them there were diuers knowne wicked men as is in the next Chapter made manifest But wee read of no such seperation made or yet vrged by the Apostle either among the Corinthians or Galatians or any other of the Churches to whom hee writ Therefore there hath not been in former times nor ought to be such a seperation in the Church as you speake of to wit betwixt the godly and the vngodly If any obiect here 2. Cor. 6.14 c. I answere that the Apostle perswades the Christians at Corinth to seperate from and to haue no communion with the idolaters their neighbours in their false and idolatrous worship or idol feasts and not to a seperation among themselues The seperation pressed by Paul-was betweene them in the Church and those which bee without which we deny not and not a seperation in the Church betwixt the godly and the wicked there which is that you vrge and we gaine say But I returne to M. Ainsworth Counterp 133. A third argument for confirmation of the point now in hand hee hath in another place which may fitly be inferred here Seperation saith he from the vngodly vnto this day is resisted and pleaded against and the holy scriptures vnsufferably abused to maintaine a confuse mixed multitude of all sorts of people to be a true Church But Christ is no Mediator for such a mixture as himselfe said to his Father I pray not for the world c. Ioh. 17.16 Your reason is this Christ is the Mediator of euery true vis Church But Christ is not the Mediator of any confused and mixt company consisting of all sorts of people Thereâ—ore no confused and mixt company is a true visible Church Wee deny your Proposition and say That Christ is the Mediator of the inuisible and not of the visible Church but in respect of them in it that are of the inuisible You tell vs heere secretly and after in expresse words That Christ is the Mediator and Aduocate of the visible Church and for proofe thereof alledge Ioh. 17.9.16 and afterwards 1. Tim 2. â—5 1 Ioh. 2.1 Act. 4.12 Counterp 131. Note their peruerting of Scripture If this Proposition of yours be false as in the last Chapter of this booke is made manifest then are these Scriptures abused by you The 9. and 16. verses of the 17. of Iohn are spoken and meant of the eleuen Apostles The same you apply to the vis Church herein you abuse the Scripture though alwaies I confesse this holdeth not In the former of these verses of the eleuen Disciples Iesus saith thus I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast giuen mee for they are thine Behold your proofe and how you doe vse the Scripture who tell vs so often of our abuse thereof Christ prayeth for or is the Mediator and aduocate of the Apostles Ergo he prayeth for and is the Mediator and Aduocate of the vis Church By world here all men of iudgement vnderstand the Reprobate for thereby must needs be meant those for whom Christ prayeth not and such are the reprobate generation you say thereby is meant a confuse mixed multitude wherein your selues acknowledge be many of Gods chosen I hope this also is an abuse of holy Scripture The words of the 16. ver are They are not of the world as I am not of the world Where our Sauiour affirmeth that to bee in part true of his Disciples vvhich vvas wholly and altogether and perfectly true of himselfe that though they were in the world yet they were not of it that is worldly minded affecting and chiefely desiring and seeking after the things of this world This testimonie of Iesus you produce to proue That a true visible Church is not a mixt company consisting of all sorts of people good and bad or That Christ is no Mediator for such a mixture For proofe of whether so euer of these you meane it who seeth not that this Scripture is likewise abused by you 1. Whether you or we then do vnsufferably abuse the Scriptures and namely touching the mixture of bad with good in the Church let the godly Reader now he hath heard vs iudge Oftentimes you tell vs of this abuse The word say you Counterp 171. pag. 171. is vnsufferably abused to the maintenance of the confusion that is among you This doth as ill beseeme you as a common Strumpet to call an honest and sober matron Whore But let vs heare what M. Ainsworth saith further against this confusion or commixture of all sorts in the Church Your church saith he hath the essentiall note of a false church Counterp 14. namely a confuse prophane worldly people Thus can I proue that the Church in Dauids time in Isaiah his time and other
rubbish bryers and brambles of the wildernesse fitter for burning then building nay I grant you all that you vpbraide vs with and obiect against vs that wee are such for the most part what then Are wee therefore a false Church This is that you doe from hence inferre and conclude O foolish men and vnwise Is euery one in the visible Church a liuely stone and all the matter thereof fit for building and none for burning This you here imply and Barrow plainely affirmeth Then in the visible Church there are no reprobates for they I am sure are fit for burning and not for building Prou. 16.4 Matth. 13.40 25.41 They are made saith Salomon for the day of euill And Iesus thus The tares are gathered and burned in the fire And againe depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire I hope the rubbish the bryers and brambles in our Church are no more vnfit for building nor more fit for burning then tares be which are so mixed among the wheat that without daÌ„ger to the wheat they caÌ„not be weeded out nor seperated from it vntil the haruest But tel me I pray you wheÌ„ the church was without this rubbish bryers and brambles you speake of It is cleere by the Scriptures not in the daies of the Apostles nor of our Lord Iesus not in Isaiah his time nor Ieremiah his time nor yet any of the Prophets Not in Dauids time nor in Moses time nor yet when the Church of God was shut vp in a Family for in Isaack his family there was an Esau as vvell as a Iacob and in Abrahams an Ismael as vvell as an Isaack nay there vvas some of this rubbish to be found in the Church when it consisted but of eight persons yea but of foure Nay this vvill proue your ancient Church at Amsterdam to bee Babylon at least if any credit be to bee giuen to the report of diuers vvho haue been in and of that Church to the printed bookes of M. White and G. Iohnson and that of late set forth by foure wherevpon some haue left and forsooke that Church and come backe to ours It may bee also M. Robinson that for this cause you your selfe haue left both M. Iohnsons Church then and M. Ainsworths also I will therefore say nothing of their Congregations but onely aske you a question or two concerning your owne Is your Church the Temple of God compiled and built of spiritually hewen and liuely stones and of the Cedars Firrs and thine trees of Lebanon Are there no dead defiled and polluted stones therein no rubbish but all liuely stones elect and precious No bryers nor brambles but all vines bringing forth pleasant Grapes No vvicked and vngodly men but all Saints sanctified by the Spirit of God who dwelleth in his Temple giueth life to euery stone thereof and causeth euery branch of the Vine to bring forth fruit Surely then are not ye also a true visible Church for it is a mixt company consisting of good and bad godly and vngodly as hath been proued at large But such a societie is not yours and therefore not a true visible Church At least this proueth you not to bee a true visible Church as you imply it vvould proue vs one if these things could be truely said of vs. For as a visible Church may be knowne and discerned by men and therevpon it is said to be visible so it is knowne to be a Church by such things as men can see that is know and discerne of But that yee all are liuely stones none dead none defiled among you and that in that vineyard of yours there groweth no bryers nor brambles but onely the pleasant and sweet grapes is more then men can possibly know or discerne yea that any of you is a liuing stone much lesse that you all bee such They may hope well of you giuing credit to the testimonie you giue of your selues which is suspitious but this is not knowledge This notwithstanding then your congregation also may bee no better then a false Church and a company of Schismatickes But you will say if there were but some bryers and brambles of the wildernesse in your Church it were to bee borne with but ye are such for the most part Bee it so this notwithstanding we may be a true Church for the Iewes in the times of Dauid Isaiah Ieremiah Micah and of Christ Iesus were for the most part no better then brambles and bryers and yet then a true Church Micah 7.1.5 The good man saith Micah is perished out of the earth and there is none righteous among men they all lye in wait for bloud euery man hunteth his brother with a net The best of them is a brier and the most righteous of them is sharper then a thorne hedge And here I demaund of you and the rest of your faction who condemne our Church for a false Church because there be in it many wicked and few godly whether the greatest part of the visible Church be not Reprobates Mat. 13.3 and by consequent wicked rubbish briers and brambles fit for nothing but the fire I know you will answere negatiuely otherwise you are conuiâ—ced What say you then to the parable of the seede Mat. 22.14 and to that speech of our Lord Iesus so often vrged before by mee many are called but few chosen Thus wee see this allegorie of yours is not worth a bramble or is as a bryer or bramble compared with sweet flowers seruing rather to pricke annoy and hurt then to send forth a sweet sauour For the aboue named cause you account vs Babylon depart from vs and say That you take your selues rather bound to shew your obedience in departing from our Church then your valour in purging it If we be Sion then you slander a whole Church and Blaspheme in calling it Babylon and your departing from it is so farre from obedience that it is rebeâ—lion which is as the sinne of Witch-craft But you are bound you say to depart from vs. Who hath obliged you therevnto Not God in and by his word to whom onely wee stand bound and owe our selues and seruice Rom. 8.12 but M. Iohnson and M. Ainsworth or happely Browne or Barrow in and by their writings The holy Prophets Christ Iesus and his Apostles haue giuen you other example whom you should haue imitated As they did not forsake the Church because of the manifold corruptions therein but continuing in the same sought by all good meanes the purgation and reformation of it so ought yee to haue done Lastly you tell vs That as the hee goates flee before the flocks so doe you from our Church If from our Church you had crept with the Snaile you had made two much hast away But heare and consider what I say vnto you in the name of the Lord. Repent you of your lyes and errors of your slandering and blaspheming of the Church of Christ from which you haue so hastily
onely erect and build further vpon that which they haue laid These discreete priuate men they alone are fathers begetting men to the faith and as for the Ministers they are but nurses to giue sucke nourish and bring vp men in it Thus you doe not onely crosse this Scripture and ordinance of Christ who hath perpetually appointed Pastors and Teachers in the Church to the aboue-named ends but doe also hereby prefer priuate mens teachings aboue Ministers For is it not a matter of great power and excellencie to conuert men vnto God then to confirme them that be conuerted and to beget men to the faith then to nourish them that are begotten Consider what I say and the Lord open your eyes that you may see your errour But leauing this hearken what further reasons we haue against your description of Saints and matter of the visible Church Thirdly I haue in the former Chapter shewed that many haue been members of the visible Church that haue wanted externall holinesse yea being outwardly and openly prophane this to a wise man may suffice for the confutation of this description yea of all that you teach concerning both the matter and forme of the visible Church Cain Ismael Esau Saul Doeg Ioab Absalom Iudas the Scribes and Pharises were all of the visible Church and yet not thus qualified Nay as contrary to these Saints as darknesse to light and as farre from this sanctimonie as heauen is from earth Such Saints then as you speake of are not the matter of the visible Church For then the aforesaid persons were not of the visible Church seeing they were not such matter which I trust you will not affirme And if such vvicked and abominable men as these openly and apparantly wicked were matter of the visible Church and vvere Saints to wit by calling or by profession which kinde of Saint-ship sufficeth to make men members of the visible Church how do you truely affirme That all Saints are men seperated from all knowne sinne doing all the knowne will of God growing in grace and continuing to the end and that such are the onely matter of the visible Church And with what truth doe you teach that all the members of the visible Church haue been are and of necessitie must be outwardly holy hauing an externall righteousnesse for which cause they bee called Saints so as if men bee not thus qualified they are not true matter neither of nor in the Church But proceede wee now from the Church of the Iewes vnder the Law to the Churches of the Gentiles vnder the Gospel and specially to the primatiue and purest Churches that haue been which you thinke are so cleere for you and against vs as nothing can bee more cleere and euident In the Church of Corinth there were many very corrupt men some in iudgement others in manners and conuersation or in both To omit diuers of their errours some held a 1. Cor. 6.12.13 fornication to be lawfull or a thing indifferent as to eate or to drinke others that which was farre worse and more dangerous that b 1. Cor. 12.20 there was no resurrection which caused the Apostle by many reasons to proue it In the same Church there was great c 2. Cor. 12.20 1. Cor. 1.11 3.3 strife enuying wrath contentions back bitings whisperings swellings discord and as about other things so namely their Ministers some depending of one some of other some despising all did call themselues the Disciples of Christ and would heare none In it there were diuers whom Paul not onely calleth d 1. Cor. 3.3 carnall but by some vvorkes of the flesh vvherevnto they were giuen proueth to be carnall and to walke as men that is to liue as those who be more naturall men not hauing the spirit In the same Church there were not onely that e 1. Cor. 6.1.6.8 went to Law together a brother I say with a brother and that vnder vniust and infidell Iudges but that did wrong and harme euen to their brethren In it there were which liued f 2. Cor. 12.21 in vncleannes and fornication wantonnes yea there could not but be many sornicators considering they held fornication to be no sinne from whence it is that Paul vseth g 1. Cor. 6.13 sundry forcible reasons to dehort them from this sin and those words chap. 5.9 I wrote vnto you in an Epistle that yee should not company together with fornicators and least they should mistake him he telleth theÌ„ that he meaneth not this of them that were without the church the Infidels but of the fornicators that were in the church that professed the Chris Relig Nay ther was h 1. Cor. 5.1 such fornication among theÌ„ as was not once named or heard of among the Gentiles that one should haue his fathers wise And that which is more the delinquent for so haynous a sin was not at all censured yea they were not so much as sorry at so great a scandall in the Church but this notwithstanding whatsoeuer things besides were amisse in their Church they were puffed vp and reioyed as though all were well and nothing amisse There were in this Church that went to the Lords table i 1. Cor. 11.17.18.21.29.30 not to their profit but to their hurt eating and drinking vnworthily not discerning the Lords body and so did eate and drinke their owne iudgement by reason of the discentions among them they would not tarie one for another and some being drunke went to the Lords Supper In it there were also that called k 1. Cor. 9.1.2.3 the Apostle his office into question despised and disgraced both him and his preaching saying That howsoeuer l 2. Cor. 10.1.10 11.6 he being absent was very bold in his letters yet when hee was present and among them he was base his bodily presence weake and his speech of no value nay ruder in speaking And thus they preferred their vaine-glorious and eloquent teachers and their Ministers who m 2. Cor. 2.1.4 came vnto them with axcellency of words and in the intising speech of mans wisedome more like orators then Preachers of the Gospell aboue the holy Apostle and his heauenly ministerie Moreouer in this Church there were that accused S. Paul of pillage and to be a craftie and subtile man that howsoeuer he did not openly take wages and charge them yet sor as much n 2. Cor. 12.16.17 he was craftie he tooke some secretly and by guilc Did I pil you saith the Apo by any of them whom I sent vnto you as I am accused to haue done Thus there were in the Church of Corinth who did not onely deny S. Paul to bee an Apostle debase his preaching but that did besides touching his â—fe and conuersation slaunder him and take away his good name as much as in them lay In the churches of Galatia there were diuers false Apostles who taught the rightâ—ousnesse of workes that man is â—ot iustified
that there is nothing worth the answering in M. Smith which M. Robinson hath not and as for M. Ainsworth hee declaimes both the position the errors that be gathered from it as before we haue heard so that if M. Robinson be answered the reader may rest therewith satisfied Against this doctrine then of yours wee say further That this is rather a description of the invisible Church militant and members thereof then of the visible Church Hereunto M. Robinson answereth thus Iustif 105. All the true and lawfull members of the visible Church are to me members of the invisible church to me I say which am bound to iudge them to be in trueth as outwardly they appeare and so I am taught by the Apostle himselfe who accounts the whole visible Church and euery member of it Elect redeemed iustified sanctified which are conditions competent to the inuisible Church Act. 20.28 1. Cor. 1.2 Ephes 1.3.4.5 Gal 3.27 Phil. 1.4.5.6 7. And this is your entire answere to this obiection Reply I confesse that if the visible Church were in your sence a people seperated from all knowne sinne doing all the knowne will of God c. As you teach or a company hauing externall righteousnesse and increasing therein as M. Ainsworth and all Separists doe hold then were all the members of the visible church to vs members of the inuisible Church because outwardly they did appeare so to be and we must as you say well iudge of men as outwardly they appeare But we must knowe that for as much as the visible Church through the corruption of man not by Gods appointment hath in it as well bad men as good wicked as godly and that in appearance and outward shewe as well as in deede and trueth that therefore euen by your owne reason we cannot deeme all of the visible Church to be Elect and of the inuisible Church They that were of Abrahams familie which then was the Church could not well iudge mocking Ismael nor they of Isaaks familie prophane Esau to be Elect and of the inuisible Church The same may be saide of Saule Ioab Absalom the Scribes and Pharisees whom to haue iudged to be of the inuisible Church had beene no better then to account them good which were euill Is this to iudge the tree by the fruits whereunto the Scripture doth direct vs But this the Apostle hath taught you Nothing lesse For the Apostle in the titles and speeches you mention and quoate and such like hath respect and reference to the Church or faithfull inde de not in proâ—ession onely for whose sake he did write his Epistles nay the whole Scripture was inspired To them he meant all the speeches he vseth of this kinde and of them onely he would haue them to be vnderstood of whom onely they are true for they alone are Elect redeemed iustified and sanctified And farre was it from Saint Paules meaning to haue these speeches the like to be vnderstood of the whole visi Church and of euery member of the same amongst whom hee knewe very well that there were many reprobates many which were not redeemed not iustified nor sanctified And this in the Chapter going before haue I shewed more at large Besides the Apostle did not vndoubtedly account the false teachers in the churches of Galatia whom we cannot deny to be members of the saide Churches members of the inuisible Church for then he would neuer haue prayed against them as he did Ephes 5.12 Would to God they were cut off which trouble you You learne not this then from the example of the Apostle as you affirme Thus wee see the insufficiencie of your answere the obiection therefore remaineth goâ—d against you being yet vnanswered Againe we obiect That this description of yours secludes hypocrites from being true matter of the visible Church and so there should bee no hypocrites in the visible Church which is repugnant to the Scriptures Hereunto M. Robinson answereth thus And for hypocrites Iustif 106. as they may performe all the conditions here required visible or to vs as M. Smith hath answered so doe we take knowledge of none such in the Church in the particular till they be knowne in their day by the out-breakings of sinne and being so discouered they are no longer to bee retained in the Church but to beare their sinne except they repent and then who can repute them hypocrites And this is your full answere Reply If here you will haue a full proposition without your parenthesis to wit this Hypocrites may performe all the conditions here required then is it so palpably false as it needs no confutation But if you vvill haue it part thereof then is your parenthesis idle and superfluous vvhich is a fault also though a lesse then the former You adde that you take knowledge of no hypocrites in the visible Church in the particular vntill they bee knowne in their day by the out-breakings of sinne I reply If your Churches bee such holy and blessed socieâ—ies as by your doctrine you beare the world in hand they be all of them separate from all knowne sinne doing all the knowne will of God increasing in grace and abiding euer therein it is no maruell though you know no hypocrites in none of your Churches but if we may giue credit either to mens reports or vvritings concerning your Churches then wee are sure there be some in your Churches vvhich may as easily be knowne to be hypocrites as Chaulke from Cheese But leauing your iudgement concerning hypocrites and your Churches we must know that other men in other Churches haue taken knowledge of hypocrites in the particular or at least might lawfully so haue done as the Apostles Zacharias Ioseph with other faithfull then liuing who did no doubt know the Scribes and Pharisees to be hypocrites and so accounted them And here vve may remember that which hath been taught before That there be in the Church two sorts of hypocrites First close hypocrites which being goates and children of darknes doe yet goe in sheepes clothing and are like to the children of light hauing an externall righteousnesse Such vvere Iudas and Demas Secondly 1. Tim. 5.24 open or manifest hypocrites such as Ismael Esau Absalon with others The first kinde of hypocrites cannot bee knowne in particular vntill the Lord be pleased to vncase them but the other are at all times as easie to be discerned in the particular by them vvho can discerne of spirits and betweene things and persons that differ as it is to know tares from wheate and goates from sheepe And vvhere you say that hypocrites being discouered they are no longer to be reteined in the Church except they repent and then who can repute them hypocrites I confesse all this to be very true But what if through the corruption that is in men their negligence partialitie or remissenes such hypocrites bee not excommunicated but remaine still in the Church Is therefore the said societie
because of this impunitie become no church or a false church Answere vs I pray you for this question commeth to the quick If you answere affirmatiuely that such a societie notwithstanding the vvicked that be in it is a true Church you doe at one push put downe a great deale of that rotten building you haue been a long time setting vp If negatiuely then I will not feare to affirme that neither the Church of Corinth nor sundry of the Churches of Galatia were true Churches when the Apostle writ vnto them which vvere blasphemie to affirme M. Bernard obiecteth further that this makes Dauid Iehoshaphat and the Church of God in their dayes to be no true matter of a visible Church for there was marrying many wiues the continuance of the high places the brazen serpent worshipped Ioabs murder permitted the bill of diuorcement allowed by Moses Herevnto this answere is giuen Iustif 106. I doe answere to this exception first that you cannot proue the holy men you name to haue sinned in all the particulars wherewith you charge them much lesse that they were conuinced of sinne in suffering these things and yet suffered them I reply Be it they sinned not in all the aforesaid particulars yet did they in some of them and what say you to them Dauid both sinned in suffering Ioabs murder and was in his conscience also conuinced thereof from whence it came that in his last will as I may say he chargeth Salomon his sonne concerning Ioab that as he had shed bloud so he should cause his to be shed 1. Kin. 2.5.6 and not suffer his hoare head to goe downe to the graue in peace But suppose that in this deferring of Ioabs punishment Dauid did not sinne which no man of good vnderstanding will affirme yet without controuersie he did and most grieuously in the matter of Vriah and lay a great while therein during which time his conscience did now and then checke him for the same for in this time Dauid was not a man dead in trespasses and sinnes or like them whose consciences are seared with an hote iron Now M. Robinson answere me Was Dauid in and during this time in the Church or without You cannot but acknowledge that hee remained at this time in the Church and was a member thereof But Dauid now was not seperated from all knowne sinne did not practise all the knowne will of God increase in grace and therein continue foras much as at this time he liued in knowne sinnes and decreased in grace Dauid therefore was matter of the visible Church and yet not such a Saint as you describe and consequently your doctrine is false that such Saints as you here describe are the onâ—ly matter of the visible Church M. Robinson inlargeth his answere thus But what countenance doe the infirmities of these holy men giue to the prophane and gracelesse multitude against whom we deale and whom alone we cast out of the account of Saints with what conscience or coulour can any man bring in the infirmities of Moses Dauid and Iehoshaphat to plead the Saint-ship of all the godlesse crue in the English assemblies Reply These examples were not instanced to countenance the profane among vs but to disproue your description of Saints and that such Saints are not the onely matter of the visible Church and therevnto they serue very well which is all that was by M Barnard intended For thus in effect he reasoneth Dauid and Iehoshaphat vvere matter of the visible Church for they were true members of a true vis Church But they vvere not such Saints as you define Saints to bee Therefore such Saints as you define are not the onely matter of the visible Church But to draw little neerer vnto you euen in Dauids time Psal 12.1 much more in worser times there was no lesse profane and gracelesse a multitude in the Church of Iudah then is in the Church of England at this day Wherevpon Dauid complaineth thus Helpe Lord for there is not a godly man left the faithfull are failed from among the children of men they speake deceitfully euery one with his neighbour flattering with their lips and speake with a double heart Which though it doe not countenance the vngodly among vs yet it manifestly disproueth your definition of Saints and supposed matter of the visible Church and proueth demonstratiuely that a people may bee a true Church notwithstanding there be in it wicked men nay a multitude of profane and gracelesse men as Iudah vvas in the dayes of Dauid Vzziah Iotham Hezekiah and other Kings of Iudah Isai 1.10 For marke vvhat Isaiah saith concerning the people of the Iewes in the raigne of the Kings lest mentioned Heare O Princes of Sodome hearken O people of Gomorrah A prophane therefore and gracelesse multitude and if you will a godlesse crue for the most part were the Iewes in those dayes and yet a true Church What letteth it then why wee may not likewise be a true Church notwithstanding there are many wicked and very vngodly among vs. Our last exception is That the Scriptures which for the conforming of this your false doctrine you bring are places speaking of the inuisible Church properly or of the vis figuratiuely Iustification 107. To this you answere thus It cannot bee manifested that wee bring one Scripture meant of the inuisible Church to proue the holinesse of the visible Church The vanitie of this obiection hath beene discouered in the exposition of that your picked instance 1. Pet. 2.9 Reply To proue the holinesse of the visible Church you quote a Description of the visible Church 2. the 17. Chapter of Iohn and oftentimes sundry verses therein b Apology 44. verse 14.20 and your selfe a little after this vaunt of yours c Iustif 115. verse 16. Now what in all Scriptures is to be vnderstood of the inuisible Church militant that is the Elect on earth and hereafter to be on earth If not this 17. of Iohn which you frequently apply to the visible Church This Chapter containeth in it onely a prayer which Iesus made for himselfe and men a little before his passion from whence it followeth that he speaketh of them for whom he prayed but he prayed onely besides for himselfe for the Elect as hee himselfe saith expressely ver 9. of this Chapter I pray not for the world meaning thereby the Reprobates of the world therefore hee speaketh here onely of the Elect. Here is one Scripture nay diuers seuerall testimonies of Scripture which being meant of the inuisible Church you apply to the visible Nay your selues teaching that the inuisible Church containeth in it all the Elect of God that haue been are or shall be doe for proofe therof produce d Description of the visible Church 1. Iohn 17.19.20 To proue the holinesse of the visible Church you e Ibid. alledge Ioh. 6.36 All that the Father giueth me shall come vnto me and him that commeth to me
I cast not away If this bee not meant and properly and onely to be vnderstood of the Elect I know not what is Those here spoken of are said to be giuen to Christ of his Father Secondly to come vnto him that is to beleeue in him as ver 35. declareth Thirdly none of these Christ casteth away that is reprobateth and condemneth But these things are true onely of the Elect Of them therefore alone Christ here speaketh and therefore not of the visible Church as you tel vs wherin be many that the father hath not giuen to Christ and which beleeue not in him and which he will cast away as a man doth drosse or reprobate siluer Againe to the same end you f Apology 44. Iustificat 115. quote Act. 2.47 where Luke speaketh first of them that had singlenesse of heart which grace is peculiar to the Elect Secondly of such as should bee saued and that I trust your selfe will confesse the elect onely shall be Moreouer you produce to the end aforesaid g A true description 1. Rom. 8.34 where the Apostle speaking expressely and by name of the elect in the verse precedent Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that Iustifieth Hee addeth vers 34 Who shall condemne meaning any of the said chosen whom God iustifieth And this hee further confirmeth in the words next following to wit that none of this societie shall be damned forasmuch as Christ died for them rose againe and maketh intercession This also all the verses following to the end of the said Chapter doe confirme Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ It is hereby euident and by verse 39. that Paul speaketh of those whom God loueth in Christ But in Christ Iesus God loueth the elect onely therefore of the elect alone hee here speaketh All the places of holy Scripture which you alleadge concerning h Descript 2. Apology 44. the body of Christ are so many abuses of Scripture in this kinde as Ephes 1.23 and 4.11.16 1. Cor. 22.27 as I haue else where made manifest in this Treatise Nay your selfe M. Robinson haue your part herein if you be not the chiefe in this trespasse To proue the holinesse of this visible Church you i Answere to a Censorious Epistle 33. produce 1. Pet. 2.5 which in the end of the Chapter precedent I haue shewed is true onely and to be vnderstood of the militant Church or whole company of the faithfull members of the inuisible Church Furthermore but foure leaues after this you vaunt That not one Scripture forsooth is brought by you to proue the holinesse of the visible Church which is meant of the inuisible You teach k Iustification 115. that all of the visible Church were purchased with the bloud of God were all partakers of the grace of God hauing effectuall faith diligent loue and patient hope in the Lord Iesus growing in grace euery one of them And for proofe of these positions and a few such like you quote Act. 20.28 Phil. 1.3.4.6.7.8 1. Thess 1.2.3 2. Epist 1.3 Now all these Scriptures with many more must bee vnderstood of the Militant Church or if we vnderstand them of the visible Church they must bee taken figuratiuely the whole Church being set for a part thereof by a Synecdoche which in effect is the same Againe in the same place to proue the holines of the vis church Iustif 115. you tell vs m that the visible Church bee such and none other as are not of the world but chosen out of it and hated of it as do receiue the word and cōmunicate al of thē in all things gladly as euery one hath neede and that in gladnesse and singlenes of heart and haue receiued testimony by the holy Ghost himselfe that they were such as should be saued And for confirmation therof you quote Ioh. 15.18.19 17-16 Act. 2.41.42 46.47 I would as soone beleeue you if you should teach that all in the visible church shall be saued For I pray you are not they sure to be saued of whome the holy Ghost testifieth that they shall be saued But this testimony of the holy Ghost say you all and euery one of the visible Church haue Therefore all and euery one of the visible Church shall bee saued and none therein bee damned Thus many testimonies in holy Scripture which are onely spoken are meant and true of the inuisible Church you vnderstand of the visible Church and apply to that societie and yet spare not to say that you bring not one Scripture meant of the invisible Church and apply it to the visible Let the Reader now iudge whether herein you speake truely or the contrary imputation of ours be iust As touching 1. Pet. 2.9 M. Robinson hath foure arguments to prooue that it is meant and to be vnderstood of the visible Church and therefore not of the inuisible his first argument is this If Peter wrote to the visible Church of the Iewes Iustif 44. and not to the inuisible among them then in Cap. 2.9 Hee speaketh of the visible Church and not of the inuisible But Peter wrote to the visible Church of the Iewes and nor to the inuisible among them Therfore in Chap. 2.9 he speaketh to the visible Church of the Iewes and not of the inuisible The proposition or consequence of this argument which we deny as being palpablie false he indeuoureth not to proue at all to wit that to whomsoeuer Peter writ of them all that which he writ must be meant and vnderstood which no man of vnderstanding will graunt The assumption he strengthens with sundry reasons as first Peter wrote to that Church and societie whereof hee was the Apostle But he was the Apostle of the visible Church of the Iewes Ergo Peter wrote to the visible Church of the Iewes and consequently not to the inuisible 2. Peter wrote to that Church and societie which he knewe But hee did knowe the visible Church and not the inuisible which is knowne onely to God Ergo he wrote to the visible Church and not to the inuisible These proofes he inserts in his first reason but not content therwith he confirmes his assumption with two more arguments laide downe in his third and fourth reasons To that Church Peter writ wherein were Elders and a flocke depending vpon them But the visible Church had Elders and a flocke depending vpon them and not the inuisible Therefore to the vis Church Peter write not to the inuis Againe to that Church which had the word of God preached amongst them the Apostles did write But the word was preached to the visible Church Therefore to it he writ The summe of these three arguments 1.3 4. is this Peter writ to the visible Church Ergo 1. Pet. 2.9 cannot be meant of the inuisible Church but of the visible By this argument I can prooue that the Epistles to Timothy Titus and Philemon excepted in all
and vs one would thinke should now be ended considering how clearely the trueth shineth on our side yet for feare it prooue otherwise I will adde something more In the third to the Galathians verse 29. Paul saith thus to them And if ye be Christs then are yee Abrahams seede and heires by promise As if he had said If yee beleeue in Christ whereby you are made one with him then are ye indeede the seede of Abraham and heires of eternall life according to the promise God made with Abraham From hence I reason thus All they and onely they who be Christs that is are ingrafted into him by faith are Abrahams seede to whom the promise of eternall life is made But all of the church inuisible and onely they are Christs ingrafted into him by faith Therefore all of the inuisible church and onely they are Abrahams seede to whom the promise of eternall life is made The Proposition is proued by these words of the Apostle If Christs then are ye Abrahams seede The Assumption needs no proofe Againe I argue from hence thus against you If the vis Church be Abrahams seede and they to vvhom the promise of saluation was made then the vis Church and consequently all the members thereof are heires of saluation But this latter is false Therefore the first The Assumption you will not deny and the Proposition is as cleare by this Scripture and needs must be true seeing God is faithfull and constant in the performance of his promise which he could not be if any one of those should goe to hell to whom he hath made promise of heauen God is not as man Num. 23.19 that he should lye neither as the sonne of man that hee should repent Hath he said and shall hee not doe it And hath hee spoken and shall he not accomplish it No no. God is true Rom. 3.4 though euery man be a lyar If therefore God haue made a couenant or promise of saluation vvith the vis Church as you all affirme and specially M. Smith euer and anone in his Parralleles then all of the visible Church shall be saued But for as much as many of that societie shall be damned it cannot be that to them this promise was made but to some other company euen to the heires of saluation And this latter may bee confirmed and so you conuinced by your owne words By faith saith M. Ainsworth we are the seede of Abraham and consequently heires by promise of the blessed inheritance and so doe enter into his rest Com. of Saints 321. Here you affirme that the company of the faithfull or true beleeuers are the seede of Abraham with whom God made this couenant which manifestly ouerthroweth you Secondly that they who be the seed of Abraham are heires of the heauenly and blessed inheritance And heere I reason thus from your owne words They onely are the seede of Abraham vvith vvhom God made that gracious couenant of life euerlasting that be heâ—res of the blessed inheritance and doe enter into the hâ—auenly rest But the elect or inuisible Church onely are heires of the blessed inheritance and doe enter into the heauenly rest Therefore the elect or inuisible Church onely are the seede of Abraham with whom God made that gracious couenant of life euerlasting The Proposition is your owne the Assumption I trust you abhor to deny imbrace therefore the conclusion wherevpon necessarily followeth that God made not this couenant with the vis Church as all of you doe teach but with the inuisible as wee affirme But you tell vs that 1. Tim. 4 8. doth proue this Bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable vnto all things which hath the promise of the life present and of that that is to come Here is mention indeede of a promise concerning life eternall But to whom it is made Paul answereth to the godly But such onely are the elect and inuisible Church Therefore to them and not to the visible Church is the promise made of life euerlasting by Christ So that this Scripture maketh against you Moreouer you alleadge here 2. Pet. 1.3 According as his diuine power hath giuen vnto vs all things that pertaine to life and godlines Peter here telleth vs that all good things belonging to life eternall are giuen vs of God But to whom To the visible Church We reade no such thing but cleane otherwise To vs saith he As if he had said to me and the rest of the elect That by life here the Apostle meaneth life eternall no man will deny Neither that life eternall shall bee giuen vnto them to whom all things appertaining to that life are giuen Seeing then the inuisible Church onely haue all things pertaining to life giuen them of God forasmuch as they onely enioy that life and that the Apostle speaketh of them who are made partakers of this gift it followeth necessarily therevpon that hee speaketh onely of the inuisible church Obserue besides that hee saith not onely that God hath giuen vs all things that appertaine vnto life but addeth and godlinesse Implying thereby that they to whom this life is giuen of God haue first all things pertaining vnto godlinesse bestowed vpon them in this life before they enioy that life eternall in the world to come But to the inuisible Church onely all things pertaining to godlinesse are giuen Therefore of the inuisible Church the Apostle here speaketh and not of the visible as you affirme And here marke how M. Ainsworth applying this Scripture to the vis Church doth conuince both himselfe and his friends Let vs saith he consider some principall of the many good thâ—ngs Communion of Saints 165. 168. 170. that God doth giue vs pertaining vnto life godlinesse Among these he nameth Faith And what faith That saith hee whereby our fathers walked with God pleased him wrought many good workes obtained good report and in the end the saluation of their soules It is the gift of God vnto his chosen people which therefore is called the faith of Gods elect And a little after The most excellent fruit that we reape of faith is our iustification in the sight of God by his grace in Christ Iesus Hereby it is plaine enough though there is much more seruing to this purpose that hee speaketh of iustifying faith Another good thing pertaining to life and godlinesse that is giuen vs of God is saith he sanctification Ibid. 177.179.183.186 also the feare of the Lord loue out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith vnfained the loue of God and his loue shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto them with other graces of this kinde From these words of your owne I argue thus against you Of that Church or company of men Peter here speaketh to vvhom of God are giuen iustifying faith sanctification and the other graces before specified But the said graces are giuen onely to the elect and
Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it 26. That hee might sanctifie it and cleanse it 27. That hee might make it vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blame Here be diuers reasons to proue that that Church which in the holy scriptures is said to be the body of Christ and whereof Christ is the head is the inuisible Church and not the visible as you do hold For first Christ is the Sauiour of that Church or company of men which is his body But hee is the Sauiour and giueth saluation onely to the Church inuisible Ergo c. Secondly Ps 55. 11.5 Christ loueth the Church which is his body But hee loueth onely the elect and church inuisible hating all others as workers of iniquitie Rom. 9.13 Ergo c. Thirdly Christ died or gaue himselfe to death for the church which is his body But hee died onely for the elect and church inuisible Ergo the inuisible church on ly is his body Fourthly that church which is the body of Christ Iesus by his spirit in this life sanctifieth and cleanseth in part and peâ—fectly in the life which is to come at which time it shall be without spot or wrinkle holy and without blame and so a glorious church indeede But this onely Christ doth to the inuisible church and all the members thereof and not to the vis church the greatest part whereof hâ—e leaueth to the vncleane spâ—rit who leadeth them into all manner of vncleanenesse and wickednesse Therefore the inuisible church onely and not the visible is the body of Christ The seuerall Propositions of these foure arguments are euident by this present Scripture The Assumptions of them all are so cleere that you neither will nor dare deny It resteth therefore that you imbrace the conclusion Ephes 2.22.23 4.12 15.16 Col. 1.18.24 And here we learne how to vnderstand those places of holy Scripture where Christ is said to be the head of the Churth and the Church is called his body Not of the vis church as you doe but of the inuisible church or that company of the elect vvhich is by faith vnited to Christ and by loue one to another that is of the faithfull These are they which are the mysticall body of Christ whereof he is the head Counterp 127. Apologie 44. A true Description of the vis church 2. pag. 1. 1. Cor. 12.27 1. Cor. 6.19 7.23 But you will say doth not the Apostle writing to the vis church at Corinth say Ye are the body of Christ and members for your part What proofe can be more plaine then this I answere doth not the same Apostle writing to the same church likewise say Ye are not your owne yee are bought with a price If this argument of yours were ought hence it vvould follow that Christ Iesus hath redeemed the vis church and so by consequent Reprobates When Peter teacheth that only the Elect or church inuisible are redeemed with the precious bloud of Christ 1. Pet. 1.2.18 Confession of faith 26. which you likewise acknowledge From hence also it will follow that all of the vis church are in Christ Iesus and that Christ is vnto them wisedome righteousnesse sanctâ—fication and redemption because Paul writting to the Corinthians saith yee are of him in Christ Iesus 1. Cor. 1.30 2. Thess 1.1 who of God is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption By this reason you may as well Prooue that all of the visible Church are the Sonnes of God and that therein is no childe of the diuell because Paul writing to the visible Churches of Galatia saith thus Yee are all the Sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus Gal. 3.26 And that all in the visible Church haue faith in Christ Iesus that is true and iustifying faith and an hundred more of most false positions will ensue of this kinde of reasoning as hath ben shewed before To make this argument good you must proue that all the speeches of Paul in his Epistles written to Church or churches were by him spoken meant to all the members of the visible Church and are true of them In the meane season for the better informing both of you and others we must vnderstand that where the Apostle writing to a Church or certaine Congregation saith that they are redeemed by Christ 1. Cor. 6.15.1 are in Christ Iesus that they beleeue in Christ that the Spirit of God dwelleth in them that their bodies are the members of Christ the Temple of the holy Ghost are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise the earnest of their inheritance Ephes 1.13 that they are all the Sonnes of God the body of Christ and euery one a member for his part and he their head Wee must I say knowe that these speeches with many more of this kinde are not spoken and meant simply of the visible Church and so of all the members thereof but of some certaine persons in the inuisible Church that is the elect These also are very probable the Apostle respected and meant onely in and by the title of Saints so often vsed in the beginning of his Epistles as Rom. 1.7 1. Cor. 1 2. Ephes 1.1 If by Saints we vnderstand Saints indeede that is such as whose hearts are purified by faith and sanctified or made holy by the Spirit of God which exposition these two last testimonies fauours much then this title he vsed onely in regard of the elect that were in the visible Churches whom solely or at least chiefly he respected in his saide Epistleâ— and for whose sake he did write them and not in respect of the visible Churches with all their members Which being so as it is very absurde to conclude from this title of Saints that none are in a true visible Church but Saints I meane Saints indeede so is it no lesse absurde to collect from this speech of Paul yee are the body of Christ and members for your part that the visible Church is the body of Christ and euery member thereof apart Yea this latter the two next verses going before these wordes yee are the body of Christ doe manifestly conuince for in them it is saide and implyed that as the members of a mans body haue care one for anoâ—her 1. Cor. 12.25.26 and such a fellow-feeling as if one member suffer all will suffer with it and if one member be had in honour all the members reioyce with it so is it with the members of the body of Christ But this care and fellow-feeling this mutiall sorrowe and reioycing is onely to be found in the faithfull and Saints indeede members of the inuisible Church they therefore are the body of Christ or at the most the visible Church is so called hauing relation to these These are they that weepe with them that weepe and reioyce with them that reioyce
in the prosperitie one of another These alone remember the affliction of Ioseph and them that are in bonds as if they were bound with them But with the visible Church it is cleane otherwise The visible Church we haue heard is a mixt company of good and bad Prou. 11.10 nay that in it there be men notoriously wicked Now when these perish saith Salomon there is ioy meaning amoÌ„g the godly And so on the other side when it goeth hardly with the godly as it doth alwayes more or lesse the wicked that bee in the Church they reioyce Of the members of this Church some forget and minde not the affliction of Ioseph others clap their hands for ioy Behold the care fellowfeeling the mutual sorrow reioycing that is between the meÌ„bers of the visi church Such it is as was betwixt Cain Habel of whom the one slew the other betweene Ismal and Izhak Esau and Iacob Saul and Dauid the Scribes and Pharisees and Christ himselfe with all that acknowledged and professed him whereof the one sort hated and abhorred the other as appeareth by the holy Scriptures Remember also what in holy writ is geneâ—ally saide that the righteous are an abhomination to the wicked Prou. 29.27 the wicked vnto the righteous This considered how can the visible Church bee the body of Christ and the particular persons of the visible Church members for their parts and this is yet further confirmed in the very same Chapter 1. Cor. 12.13 when Paul speaking of the body of Christ saith that by one spirit we are all baptized into one body and all the members of this body made to drinke into one spirit Whereby we learne that all the members of the body of Christ haue the spirit of Christ by which they are quickened and vnited to him the head But this spirit haue onely the membâ—rs of the inuisible Church who truely beleeue in Christ and by faith are ingrafted into him they therefore alone are the body of Christ The error of these men in this particular springeth from hence that those things which by the Apostle are spoken in a certaine respect and of a part of the visible Church they vnderstand simply and of the whole visible Church And that we may yet further and better see both your folly and sinne herein remember wee here First that the visible Church is a mixt company consisting of diuers sorts of people good and bad godly and wicked Saints indeede and sinners Secondly that from thence doe arise different kinde of speeches of and concerning the Church accordingly as God in his word directeth and intendeth his speech to the godly or wicked in the church When to the wicked God applyeth and bendeth his speech reproouing them or denouncing iudgement against them because of the multitude of such in the church he speaketh as if they were all wicked and no godly in it And this is frequent in the Scriptures The oxe knoweth his owner the asse his maisters scribbe but Israel hath not knowne my people hath not vnderstood 4. Ah sinfull nation a people laden with iniquitie c Isa 1.3 Heare O Princes of Sodom hearken O people of Gomorrah vers 10. Oh that I might leaue my people and goe from them for they bee all adulterers and an assembly of rebels Ier. 9.2 Trust you not in any brother for euery brother will vse deceite vers 4 5 6. The good man is perished out of the earth and there bee no righteous men they all lye in waite for blood euery man hunteth his brother with a net c. Micah 7.2 On the other side when in his holy writ God applieth and intendeth his speech to the Godly as either commaunding exhorting or comforting of them he speaketh as if all in the Church were such Of this kinde are these Yee are all the sonnes God by faith in Christ Iesus Gal. 3.26 Yee are sealed with the holy spirit of promise Ephes 1.13 1. Cor. 3.17 The Temple of God is holy which yee are knowe yee not that yee are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you You are the body of Christ and members for your part 1. Cor. 22.27 And where the Church is called Christs Spouse his Loue Salomons long Counterp 66. his Queene his Doue his Sster c. And let vs here remember a speech of M. Ainsworths and apply it to them You may saith hee much abuse any mans wordes if what hee speaketh respectiuely you will take and alleadge as spoken absolutely Thus deale you my brethren with the word of God Those things which in holy writ are spoken with respect and relation had to them of the inuisible Church you take as spoken absolutely of the visible Church Is this by your owne confession a great abuse and iniurie offered to mens writings and is it none torwe ye to deale in this manner with the holy Scriptures and writings of God In your Apologie you doe not onely tell vs that the visible Church is the body of Christ but who be the members of this body Not the Elect as one would haue thought but say you the Officers be members thereof Apologie 42. and 53. And some pages after The Church Officers are members of Christs glorious misticall body whereby Iudas comes to be a member of Christs misticall body for he was a Church officer If such be members of the misticall body of Christ then to be in Christ ingrafted into him euen a member of his body bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh is not a matter greatly to be reioyced in seeing it may fall into a reprobate which I hope you abhorre to say If you doe not speake it out Then also reprobates may be members of the misticall body of Christ For some Church Officers are reprobates and all Church Officers by your diuinitie are members of the misticall body of Christ But I will let these goe and vrge them no further If the visible Church be the body of Christ then say I againe all of the visible Church be members and not Church Officers alone And this you teach in vnderstanding 1. Cor. 11.27 Yee are the body of Christ and members for your part of the visible Church and M. Ainsworth in the 128 129. pages of the Counterpoyson In telling vs now that the Church Officers are members and therein appropriating the being of a member to an Officer and denying it to others and in another place and booke that all of the vis church are members of Christ his glorious body what doe you else but contradict your selues But to come nearer vnto you I confesse the visible Church is or may be compared to the body of man and the Officers of the Church to the members thereof thus or in this respect that as the body being one hath yet many members euery meÌ„ber his distinct office the tye to see the eare to heare the nose
to smell with c. Euen so a visible Church as it were or like a body hath many officers euery office hauing his distinct office Will you hereupon collect that the visible Church is the body of Christ the misticall body I say of Christ By the same reason we may conclude that whatsoeuer in Scripture is compared to a body the same is the body of Christ Such collection is very absurde And thus much concerning the titles which these men ascribe to the vis church and that which is farre worse with respect had to the whole church as appeareth by their writings whereas by the holy Ghost they are meant and giuen to the inuisible church or if to the visible it is in respect of the Elect which are therein who onely are the body of Christ his Sister his Loue his Spouse c. CHAP. VI. The Churches of the Brownists are by their owne doctrine false Churches and therefore men ought to seperate and come out from among them YOu measuring our Parish assemblies by this crooked line of yours I meane your false doctrine of the visible church it is no maruel though they be not right and straight in your eyes Nay marke what we say vnto you Prooue your description of the visible church by the word of God prooue that to be the matter and forme and those to be the a With respect had to the whole churâ—h titles of the visible church which you say confidently are and wee will acknowledge all our Parishionall assemblies to bee false churches and as you say holdes of soule spirits and cages of euery vncleane and hatefull bird Defence of the churches and Ministers of England 6. and whatsoeuer else you charge vpon vs and accuse vs to be But if this you cannot doe as is euident by the premises you are greatly in fault for obtruding that doctrine of the people of God as true which is false to the great disturbance of the peace of the church and disquieting of many a poore soule Certainly if the description that you giue of a true visible church were true and that you of the seperation were such a church hee was a foole and worse then a foole euen a madman and out of his wits who would not seperate from vs and be of your societie Whether your doctrine of the visible church be true or false it is easie to discerne by the premises Let vs now consider whethet your congregations be by your owne doctrine true visible churches yea or no that so we may the better see whether we be in our wits or out of them in not ioyning with you To this end let vs apply your doctrine of the visi church vnto you and measure your church by the same line you meate ours Euery true visible church is a company of faithfull and holy people called and seperated from the world by the word of God worshipping Christ aright gouerned by his lawes knit together by the bond of peace and loue vnfained But your churches are not such companies Therefore they are not true but false churches The proposition standeth vnmoueable being grounded vpon the foundation your selues haue laide and as you thinke vpon a rocke If you deny the assumption and auouch that each Church of yours is such a company as is by you described I reply then there are no Hypocrites nor reprobates in your Church but all Elect for the Elect onely worship Christ aright that is in spirit and trueth as your selues doe interprete it are gouerned by his Lawes knit together by the bond of peace and loue vnfained and therefore your congregations are not true visi Churches Because in the true visible Church there be tares and chafle as well as wheate that is reprobates as well as Elect. Thus we see it is an easie thing to beate you with that rod which you haue prepared for our shoulders wherewith you haue a great while lashed vs according to your strength And thus much touching the description of the visible Church the matter and forme and titles thereof according to the doctrine of the Brownists and the confutation thereof CHAP. VII The controuersie betweene vs and the Brownists concerning religious communion is here debated where is shewed First that we may lawfully ioyne in diuine worship with them which are not members of the Church Secondly with the open wicked and that thereby neither the faithfull nor the holy things of God are polluted AMong sundry other errours of the Separists concerning the vis Church which for breuitie Iomit this is one Princip Infer 9. That no religious communion is to be had but with members of a visible Church This is manâ—festly conuinced by the practise of the Apostles in the first gathering or planting of churches Paul and Barnabas and generally the Apostles preached the Word vnto the Gentiles who then were Infidels here were religious communions When sundry men ioyne together in any religious exercise or part of Gods worship as the Apostles and these their hearers did that is a religious communion Againe these were not ciuill communions these societies were not met together to bee occupied about any worldly affaires or matters appertaining to this life therefore they were religious communions In these religious communions and in the worship of God the holy Apostles did ioyne with those that were not members of a visible Church not within but without the Church and yet did not sinne therein Therefore a religious communion may lawfully be had with those which are no members of the church By this practise and example of the Apostles who did nothing herein but that which Iesus commanded them and therefore did not sin we learne a Principle or Inference cleane contrarie to yours namely that lawfully and without sinne we may ioyne in the worship of God with those that are without and not in or of the church How else except we would doe euill that good might come thereof shouâ—d these that are without be added to the Church and such be conuerted tâ— God seeing the preaching and hearing of the word are the meanes which God hath appointed for the coâ—uersion of men and that these are parts of Gods worship Hereby we see their must bee a religious communion or ioyning together in the worship of God before those which are no members become members of the church Now this communion say you cannot be without sinne Now therefore say I can be added to the Church without the sinne of him by whose ministerie they are added besides the sinne of others in the church ioyning with him therein 1. Cor. 14.25 If all prophecie quoth the Apostle and there come in one that beleeueth not or one vnlearned he is rebuked of all men and iudged of all men And so are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so hee will fall downe on his face and worship God and say plainely that God is in you indeede Here vvas a religious communion here
by the testimonies themselues Now herein you might haue saued your labour and rather haue bestowed more paines in prouing that we deny then that we grant But any thing you thinke will serue to delude the simple Yea but the three last testimonies 2. Cor. 6.17 Act. 2.42 Heb. 10.24.25 speake to the issue for they directly prooue That the children of God of the light and day and the heires of blessing are commaunded to seperate from meaning in diuine worship the children of men of this world of the diuell and of curse and to entertaine and continue an holy communion among themselues onely Thus saith M. Ainsworth in plaine and expresse wordes It is true that in the first of these places to the sonnes and daughters of God this commandement is giuen Come out from among them and seperate your selues But vvho are those of whom the Apostle speaketh and from whom he commandeth the children of God for to seperate and not ioyne with in diuine worship It is euident they were the Corinthian Idolaters that worshipped a false God The highest degree of Idolatry and most grosse Idolaters that can be What doth Paul now require of the Corinthian Saints to whom he writ this That they ioyne not with these idolaters their neighbours in their idolatrous and false worship nor in any other of their pollutions This hindreth or prohibiteth not but that they might communicate with these Idolaters in true diuine vvorship publike or priuate But suppose that this place of Paul prohibiteth all communion with all idolaters in their false and idolatrous worship whether they worship a false and fained god or the true God falsely which is all that is forbidden in the word that letteth not but that wee may haue religious communion with idolaters in true Diuine worship If then we may lawfully ioyne together with idolaters in the worship of God in hearing the word and Prayer then certainely with the children of men of this world of the Diuell and with them that are without and no members of the church For such as these are all Idolaters Thus wee see this Scripture makes nothing for you and is therefore peruerted by you Let vs now proceede to the next testimonie Act. 2.42 And they continued meaning the members of the vis Church in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers This declareth how greatly they of the Church were affected towards the word and worship of God vvherein they did dayly exercise themselues both in publike and priuate but neither denyeth nor forbiddeth all communion in diuine worship with them that are without no more then this Scripture there following And they sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men of the Church as euery one had neede forbiddeth all communicating of our goods with them which are without And as well may one from hence conclude that such as are of the visible Church may not minister vnto the necessities of them that are without as this from ver 42. that they of the visible Church may haue no religious communion with them that are without Fâ—ame your argument when you please for the proofe of this latter and I will compâ—se as good a one for the former Your third and last testimony is Heb. 10.24.25 Let vs consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes not forsaking the fâ—llowship that we haue among our selues as the manner of some is but let vs exhort one another We answere first it is not cleere that the Apostle speakes here of the publike assemblies but happily of the priuate meetâ—ngs the faithfull had And this latter is probable for these two Râ—asons Fâ—rst bâ—caâ—se the priuate and brotherly fellowship serueth spâ—cially to the increase of mutuall loue wherevnto the fai hfull be here exhorted Secondly in the words immediatâ—ly precedent and subsequent hee exhorteth to priuaâ—e duties wee may vvell therefore thinke he doth the like also If this now be so this Scripture maketh nothing at all for you no more then that of Peter 1. Pet. 2.17 Loue brotherly fellowship But be it granted that this is meant of the pubâ—ike assemblies against which I vvill not contend notwithstanding it makes not any thing against vs. For who doubteth but that the faithful that is the professors of faith in Christ or members of the vis Church doe vsually they alone and none but they assemble and ioyne together in hearing of the Word and prayer And that vsually it falleth out in the Church that some playing the Apostates forsake these assemblies of the Saints eyther ioyning themselues to some other assemblies as being Heretickes or Schismatickes or else vvith Demas imbracing this present world This is it we here learne and from this latter onely wee are here dehorted Doth it now herevpon follow that the faithfull may not admit vnbeleeuers and them that are without the Church to communicate with them in diuine worship and haue religious communion together with them Nothing lesse Here is no such thing forbidden no more then in and by this speech Gal. 6.10 doe good to the houshould of Faith that is to all that professe the same faith with vs to wit the members of the vis Church we are forbid to doe good vnto all or to them that are without But besides these expresse and plaine testimonies of Scripture as you thinke you haue a forcible reason drawne from the word for the fortifying of this your opinion Wee may not say you ioyne with them that are without or with the open wicked in the worship of God Communion of Saints 469. or haue any holy communion with them For by their wickednesse both the faithfull Defence of the churches and Mâ—nistery of England 70. and the holy things of God are polluted This doctrine of your owne you apply vnto vs. Into your assemblies say you doe come many open and notorious sinners knowne drunkards whoremongers prophaners of the Sabbath swearers c. Whereby the holy things of God and the faithfuâ—l are defiled Reasons for Seperation for this cause wee dare not haue religious communion with you but seperate Wee answere It maketh nothing for you nor against vs that there are knowne wicked in our assemblies which vvee deny not seeing by their presents neither the faithfu l nor the holy things of God are polluted vnto the faithfull which thus we make manifest If any sinners pollute the holy things of God to the faithfull as the word sacraments prayer then certainely doe notorious wicked Ministers which in such speciall manner are occupied about them They are the mouth of God to the people and the peoples to God they touch with their hands the holy elements But notorious wicked Ministers defile not the holy things of God to the Saints Therefore none be they neuer so notorious wicked That Ministers notoriously wicked pollute not the worship of God nor the faithfull ioyning with them therein it is manifest by
Paul meaneth not when to the Corinthians he saith A little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe but this that the hainous and notorious sinne of one much more of diuers when for the same the partie is not censured as it was for a time with the incestuous person is enough by his euill example and impunitie to encourage and drawe others to doe the like In this sence is the open sinne of one when it goeth vnpunished in danger to spread and infect others as doeth a litle leauen sower the whole lump And in this sence the open sinne of a man may be saide to defile others in being an occasion to others to commit the like then I say it may be saide to defile But we must know that it is not onely the sinne but the impunitie also thereof that causeth this defilement we speake of I doe also acknowledge that the open sinne of a man and impunitie thereof defileth them that haue authoritie and power to punish the delinquent and doe it not that is maketh them also guiltie of sinne or to partake in that sinne If I should reason with you after the same manner and from the same or like ground that you doe sure you could not chuse but see the vanitie of this your argument In the fifth to the Gallathians the Apostle hath the verry same wordes that he hath in this 5. to the Corinthians A little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe but in another sence For in the Epistle to the Gallatians by leauen he meaneth false doctrine Whereunto Christ also compareth it saying to his Disciples Beware of the leauen of the Saduces and Pharisees He now that will argue as you doe Matth. 16.6.12 may from hence conclude that one point of false doctrine in a Sermon sowers the whole and one false line in a booke be it neuer so large marreth and defileth the whole Treatise so as Christians should abhorre to read it And why Because a little leauen that is a little false doctrine leaueneth the whole lumpe In the 5. of Matthewe the true Ministers of Christ are by our Lord compared to salt where he saith to his disciples Ye are the salt of the earth From hence one may as well proue that such a Minister doeth sanctifie a whole congregation of wicked men as a little salt seasoneth a pot full of pottage Thus doe you argue when you sâ—y that a knowne wicked man in a Church is to the whole Church as a little leauen in the dough is to the whole lumpe But cease I aduise you in the feare of God to peruert this and such like prouerbiall speeches A little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe a little colloquintida marres a potfull of pottage Dead flyes cause to stinke and putrifie the oyntment of the Apothecary Which are so vsuall with you Thereby to proue that all is polluted all naught in our Church worship leyturgy and ministery because some things therein are amisse Thus one might easily prooue that in the Church of God all things haue beene polluted and naught in all ages precedent for as much as some things haue euer beene amisse in the Church The rest of your testimonies for breuitie I omit I will not proceede to shewe further the vanitie of this your reason but in stead thereof will argue against your position For if that be false your reason also is naught Besides the arguments I will vse serue likewise against your reason of pollution if the Reader please to apply them that way Thus then I reason against you With all in the visible Church it is lawfull to communicate in diuine worship But in the visible Church there be open wicked Therefore with open wicked it is lawfull to communicate in diuine worship The proposition is manifest and such as you your selues doe teach The assumption I haue already prooued and that at large where I shew that in the visible Church there haue beene from time to time and so will be to the ende of the world open wicked men c. My second argument is this With such as Christ hath bid or permitted his people to communicate in diuine worship we may lawfully haue religious communion But with notorious wicked men to wit the Scribes and Pharisees Christ hath bid or permitted his people to communicate in diuine worship Therefore we notorious wicked men we may lawfully haue religious communion The proposition is cleare The assumption is prooued in the 23. of Matthew The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses seate whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and doe My third argument followeth With such as Christ and his Apostles did communicate the faithfull may lawfully communicate But Christ and his Apostles did communicate with open wicked men Ergo with open wicked men the faithful may lawfully communicate The proposition or first part of this argument needeth no proofe The assumption is hereby strengthened in that Iesus and his Desciples had religious communion with the Iewes Their Sinagogus they did vsually frequent Luke 2.41.42 and 4.15 Iohn 7.8.10.14 and 18.20 Acts 3.1 13.5.14.42 Communion of Saints 328. Counterp 9. Vnto their solemne feasts held at Ierusalem they did goe as the quotations in the margent doe shewe This also your selues confesse saying Christ often visited the Temple and Synagogues also his Disciples And againe Christ and his Apostles communicated with the Church of the Iewes But generally the Iewes at that time were openly wicked with open and knowne wicked persons therefore it must needs be that Iesus and his Disciples had religious communion That generally the Iewes euen that whole nation though not euery particular person therein was in the time of Christ and his Apostles after him notoriously wicked it remaineth that I doe prooue As the Scripture speaketh Isa 24.2 so ordinarily it falleth out like Priest like people But the Priests then were notoriously wicked as often hath beene shewed in the Scribes and Pharisees Therefore if not all yet most of the people This is also confirmed by that speech of the Baptist Matth. 3.10 Now is the axe put to the roote of the trees therefore euery tree which bringeth not foorth good fruite is hewen downe and cast into the fire In that he threatneth present destruction temporall and eternall to this people it doeth argue their intollerable wickednesse that they were altogether barren vnfruitfull and rotten trees fit for nothing but the fire and that their wickednes was such so vniuersall and so great as the land could not beare but was readie to spewe them out as a man doeth that which his stomacke abhorreth Shall I not visit for these things saieth the Lord Ier. 5.9 What were the things for which God must needs iudge his people in Ieremiah his time The prophet declareth a little before Yee shall be torne in pieces because your trespasses are many and your rebellions are increased To the former expostulation the Lord addeth another Shall not my soule bee auenged
on such a nation as this Whence wee may gather that the Lord then vseth in iudgement to visite and not to take vengeance of a people when they are become such and so vile that he cannot as it were indure or forbeare them any longer Which is confirmed by the destruction of the old world of Sodom and Gomorah and of the Cananites Perizites Hiuits c. Gen. 6.7 15.16 18.20 Whom God did not iudge till their wickednesse was full These things well weighed together with the fearfull destruction that befel the Iews according to this denuntiation of Iohn not long after the death of Christ wee cannot deny but that which is recorded of the people of Sodome and Gomorah may bee truely saide of the Iewes in Christs time and his Apostles that they were exceeding grieuous sinners and their crie was come vp before God into heauen He came saith Iohn vnto his owne meaning the Iewes Iohn 1.11 and his owne receiued him not Heere is an vniuersall reiecting or contemning of Christ by the Iewes offered to them in his own ministery in the ministery of Iohn the Baptist of the 12. Apostles and of the 70. Disciples All which preached thus Repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand Matth. 3.2 and 4.17 Mat. 6.12 Notwithstanding this gracious offer of saluation and kingdome of heauen by Christ Iâ—sus so that they would râ—pent and beleeue in the Messiah by whom they shouâ—d haue entrance into heauen behold thâ—y contâ—nuâ—d in thâ—ir sinnes and iâ—fidelitie Is not heere a sinfull nation indeede and a people laden with iniquitie that not withstanding the great and mightie meanes the Lord vsed to conuert and saue them by Preaching and miracles would yet remaine in their sinnes nay is not heere open wickednes and that vniuersally in this people in their generall contempt of Christ and loue of earth aboue heauen yea of those that seemed to receiue him who professed faith in him flocked after him into the wildernesse and euery wheere so as he and his Disciples had no leisure to take meate for them as though they had forsaken all to follow him For marke what our Lord himselfe saith of them Ioh. 6.26.27 Yee seeke me not because yee saw the miracles but because ye eate of the loaues and were filled If the best and holiest of this people heere one and there one excepted were thus prophane with Esau preferring a messe of pottage before the heauenly inheritance how prophane how notorious vile and abominable were the rest and worst of the Iewes And surely had they not beene such as I speake of they had neuer killed the Lord of life his life doctrine and miracles considered The people thus generally being wicked and fâ—w righteous to be found how can it be but in such a swarme of wicked persons where iniquitie had ouer spread the land there were very many yea abundance of open knowne wicked whom those few godly at that time liuing such as Ioseph Mary c. knew as well to be wickd as a man knoweth the right hand from the left Hereunto adde that which our Lord himselfe saith of this peopâ—e Whereunto shall I liken this generation it is like vnto little children which sit in the markets and call vnto their fellowes 17. And say wee haue piped vnto you and yee haue not danced wee haue mourned vnto you and yee haue not lamented 18. For Iohn came neither eating nor drinking Maâ—th 11.16 and they say he hath a diuell 19. The Sonne of Man came eating and drinking and they say behold a glutton and a drinker of Wine a friend of Publicans and sinners but Wisedome is iustified of her children Heere our Sauiour by a comparison declareth that this people or nation of the Iewes a fewe of Gods Elect among them excepted called the Children of Wisedome did not onely neglect or contemne his owne ministery and Iohn the Baptist but did besides blaspheame and speake eui l both of Iohn and of himselfe Of the one that hee was a glutton a drinker of wine and a friend of sinners and of the other that he had a diuell Heere be horrible sinnes committed openly in the viewe of all men and with an high hand and that not by a fewe but generally by the natâ—on of the Iewes in the age and time wherein Iesus liued on earth Were not the Iewes then generally in the dayes of Christ openly wicked This considered vvas it possible that either Christ Iesus or his Disciples and the faithfull then liuing could either celebrate their solemne feastes in Ierusalem or frequent their Synagogues and not haue religious communion with open wicked And no lesse vile and abominable was generally this peopâ—e after Christ in the dayes of the Apostles did not they cause grieuous persecution against those fewe amongst them that confes Christ did not they furiously run vpon Stephen and stone him as men thirsting after his blood and the blood of the Saints Who vexed the Church killed Iames imprisoned Peter and would haue slaine him also Act. 7.57 12.13 had not the Lord miraculously deliuered him Not Herod so much as the Iewes For it is saide that vvhat Herod did it was to please the Iewes The Iewes also were they that persecuted Paul from Citie to Citie 2. Cor. 11.24 so as no vvhere vvheresoeuer hee came hee could be quiet for them as appeareth in the Acts of the Apostles Of the Iewes he was beaten with rods of them fiue times he receiued 40. stripes saue one by them also vvas he stoned But vvhat needes more proofe of this seeing the Apostle saith expressely as much of them The Iewes haue both killed the Lord Iesus and their owne Prophets and haue persecuted vs and God they please not 1. Thess 2.13 and are contrary to all men 16. And forbid vs to preach unto the Gentiles that they may be saued to fulfill their sinnes alwayes for the wrath of God is come on them to the vtmost Who seeth not that the people generally of England at this day are not vvorse and more notoriously vvicked then vvere the Iewes in the dayes of Christ and his Apostles yea God forbid they vvere altogether so vile and abominable as they Did Christ Iesus now and his Disciples communicate vvith the Iewes in diuine vvorship notwithstanding in their publike assemblies there vvere present and could not otherwise but be present many open vvicked and may not the faithfull communicate in diuine vvorship vvith vs because there bee some open vvicked in our assemblies yea consider further vvith me that as in the dayes of Christ and his Apostles so in all ages the godly haue had religious communion vvith the open vngodly as Abraham the Church in his house vvith Ismael Isaac and the Church of God in his house vvith Esau and so forward I migh goe This is hereby manifest also in that the faithfull in all ages had and lawfully might haue religious
communion vvith all the members of the Church vvhereof some euer vvere open vvicked Why then may not the godly at this day haue communion in diuine vvorship vvith the open vngodly in saying that the godly and the holy things of God are defiled by communicating vvith open vvicked doe you not thereby condemne all the assemblies of the Saints in all ages and bring pollution vpon them and the vvorship they offered to God seeing in the saide assembles they did communicate with open vvicked Prou. 17.15 If to condemne one man for doing that vvhich is lawfull holy or iust though ignorantly is abhominatin before the Lord much more is it an abhomination before God to condemne the generation of the iust for doing that vvhich is lawfull holy and good though it be done ignorantly Thus vve see that these are two palpable errors 1. That the faithfull may not ioyne with the open wicked in the worship of God or haue any holy communion with them 2. That the faithfull communicating with such both they and the holy things of God are thereby polluted But answere me Are none such as these no knowen or open sinner to bee found in other reformed Churches you will not say it if you doe you speake that vvhich is notoriously false Doe the open vvicked leauen and sower the Churches in England as a litle leauen doeth the whole lumpe of dough and at length because they are not cast out nullifie the same and haue not their presence and in being in the Church of Scotland France and the Low-countries the like effect yes verily So that then all the râ—formed Churches are false Churches as wel as ours And concerning this I challenge you all if you gainesay it I will prooue it to your reproach Thus you condemne the liuing and the dead and all men beside your selues Your Church and Church assemblies are holy pure and vndefiled so in them there is not a knowne wicked man But al other for as much as in them there are some knowne wicked they are polluted vnholy and prophane and all religious exercises performed in and by them CHAP. VIII The arguments of the Brownists whereby they would proue our Church to bee a false Church and the answere vnto them WE haue heard of sundry false doctrines and errors concerning the visible Church that they whom we call Brownists doe hold and the confutation of them And therein we haue heard of two of their principall reasons which they vse against our Church to prooue that it is a false Church and therfore not be communicated vvith Both the saide arguments are contained in and grounded vpon their description of a visible Church which foundation of theirs being already ouerthrowne I meane the falsehood of their said description being made manifest their arguments as the building erected thereupon must needes fall to the ground Your first reason concerneth the gathering of our Churches which say you for Argument 1 as much as they were not rightly gathered to wit by the preaching of the word therefore they are false Churches For the further enlargement of this argument on your part and our answere thereunto I refer the reader to that which is saide before in the beginning of the 9. Chapter The second reason is this Argument 2 Euery true vis Church is a seperated coÌ„pany of righteous men and not a confused and mixt company of people consisting of good and bad The parish assemblies in England are not separated but confused mixt companies consisting of men good and bad Therefore the parish assemblies in England are not true vis Churches Againe thus you reason Whatsoeuer assemblies haue in them as members thereof many open and knowne wicked the same are false visible Churches The parish assemblies in England haue in them as members many open wicked Therefore the Parish assemblies in England are false visible Churches That these are your very arguments it is manifest by that I haue formerly aledged produced out of your owne books To each of which and the seuerall parts of them I haue alreadie returned answere at large the summe whereof here followeth Answere The Proposition or first part of these two Arguments being the same in effect vve deny and affirme that they are palpably false so as he vvho is blinde may grope and feele it if he vvill but reach out his hand And I cannot but admire that any of vnderstanding should once doubt thereof considering they be so manifestly repugnant to the holy Scriptures and so easie to be conuinced by the estate of the Church in all ages And this I haue made manifest before wherevnto I refer the Reader for his full satisfaction therein What your confirmations be of these Propositions we haue likewise heard and an idle Tautalogie it were to repeat the same in whole or in part As for the Assumption of them both being likewise in effect the same vvherevpon you so much insist you had done vvell to haue saued your vvhole labour and neuer haue troubled the world vvith so many idle lines seruing to no purpose Who euer denied either of your Assumptions Why then doe you proue and at large that which we deny not If these arguments of yours be ought then are all the reformed Churches false Churches For they are not separated companies of righteous or godly men vvherein are not open vvicked but haue in their Churches many knowne vngodly and this they themselues do and will freely acknowledge and confesse Nay hereby you condemne all the Churches that euer vvere in the vvorld For there vvas neuer vis Church vvherein all the members thereof vvere so qualified as you require and no open vvicked to be found in it Your third reason followeth Argument 3 Whatsoeuer Church hath not a right constitution the same is a false Church The Church of England hath not a right Constitution Therefore the Church of England is a false Church Proue this your Proposition and wee vvill grant you the conclusion And that therein you may not erre nor vvander out of the vvay you must first know that that is a right Constitution vvhich in al things agreeth vvith the word And that a Church rightly constituted which is framed and ordered in all things to that streight rule Nothing concerning the Constitution must be wanting which God in his word requires nothing superfluous or redundant but in euery thing according to the patterne When ye haue performed this then I wil proue that the Church of the Iewes in the dayes of Christ and his Apostles vvas a false Church and so by consequent Christ Iesus himselfe and his Apostles did communicate with a false Church and in a false worship Beware therefore I aduise you before-hand what you doe To the aforesaid arguments M. Ainsworth hath added diuers in his Counterpoison which here I will set downe and returne answere vnto them The first is this Argument 4 Euery true Church is the bodie of Christ and hath him for the
head thereof for it is written Counterp 127. God hath appointed him ouer all things the head of the Church which is his body Ephes 1 22.2â— and againe to the Church of Corinth it is said Ye are the bodie of Christ 1. Cor. 12.27 But the Church of England is not the body of Christ neither hath him for the head thereof Therefore the Church of England is not a true Church This Argument M. Smith likewise vseth against our Churches and Particular Congregations Your Parish assemblies haue not Christ for their head Ergo they be false churches Paralleles 87. Ephe. 1.22.23 1. Cor. 12.27 Gal. 3.16 Ephes 5.23 Wee answere that these and all other places of holy writ wherein Christ is said to bee the head of the Church or the Church is said to be his body that by Church wee are to vnderstand that societiee we call the inuisible Church or company of beleeuers which be a part therof or if in any of them we may vnderstand the vis Church it must needs be spoken in respect of them therein that are of the inuisible Church which commeth all to one And thus Christ Iesus is the head of the church of England and it is his body and so your Assumption is false Surely it is admirable that all of you are so farre blinded as to teach that a Confession of faith 10. 52. 58. 68. Apologie 44. Communion of Saints 6. 455. 475. Description of the vis church pag. 1. The visible Church is the body of Christ and that without any limitation exception respâ—ct or restraine For shew mee one line in all your bookes tending this way And heere behold the absurditie of your Proposition Euery true Church is the body of Christ meaning euery true particular visible Church or congregation wherevpon followeth that how many particular Churches there be so many bodies of Christ and so you make a monster of Christ But how monstrous soeuer this is you wil proue it and that by Scripture For it is written say you God hath appointed Christ ouer all things the head of the Church which is his body Ephes 1.22.23 I answere You speake of euery particular visible Church and the Apostle here of the inuisible Church which is Catholicke or vniuersall part whereof is now in heauen and part on earth as verse 10. For confirmation whereof also serue these words verse 22. God hath appointed him ouer all things How maketh this Scripture then any thing for you The inuisible Church and company of the Elect is the body of Christ Your proposition is Euery true particular visible Church is the body of Christ These are different propositions and euery babe may see the former of these is no proofe of the latter and that the former being true this latter may notwithstanding be false That this Scripture is to bee vnderstood of the inuisible Church it is manifest by that hath been said Also by the words next following in verse 23. which is his body euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all things Whereby we learne that without the Church here spoken of Christ Iesus doth not account himselfe full perfect and entire but as it were maimed euen as a head without a body Such is his loue to this church and high account of it But this fulnesse to Christ doth the inuisible Church bring Of the inuisible church therefore doth the Apostle here speake And marke how neither of the first words of your Proposition are vsed here by Paul He saith not euery Church as you doe which might seeme to haue implyed that he had spoken of the vis Church or Churches nor true Church which had made it cleare on your side For true cannot fitly be said of the inuisible Church forasmuch as there is no false inuisible Church Onely the word Church he vseth without any such addition which word in holy writ is indifferently vsed for the inuisible and visible Church as before I haue shewed and here for the inuisible as the reasons aforesaide doe manifest This Scripture therefore is preuerted by you and maketh nothing for you But bee it graunted that Paul speakes here of the visible Church and that there is no abuse of Scripture at least that if not here yet 1. Cor. 12.27 he speaketh of the Church visible yet neither will that helpe you seeing the visible Church cannot bee saide to bee the Body of Christ but in respect of the Elect that are in the visible church now this will not profit you at all for to vnderstand these Scriptures of the visible Church as you will haue it marke how your argument must be framed Euery true visible Church is the body of Christ and hath him for the head thereof in respect of the Elect therein The Church of England is not the Body of Christ neither hath him for the head thereof in respect of the Elect therein Therefore the Church of England is not a true visible Church Thus your argument should haue beene composed and what is wanting is to bee vndeâ—stood and then wee answere you by denying your assumption and doe affirme that the Church of England is the body of Christ and hath him for the head thereof in respect of Gods elect that be in it And in this sence also as well as in the former the same may be said of vs that Paule saide of the Corinthians Yee are the body of Christ and members for your part And here I cannot chuse but wonder at the extreâ—me folly of this maâ— Who prouing that the Church of England is not the body of Christ neither hath him for the head thereof whereas he should direct his speech against the goâ—ly among vs and prooue thaâ— they are not the Body of Christ nor haue him for their head in steaâ— thereof he doth direct it to vse his owne words to our prophane people Counterp 128 mockers and contemners of Religion that blaspheame God and his holy name euen in the stretes as they walke such as call themselues the damned crewe Familists Atheists and all other sorts of miscreants and wicked liuers These children of wrath saith he this sinfull generation cannot possibly be members of the Body of Christ nor haue him for their head seeing they are not partakers of his life and spirit nor called to his faith neither admitteth he any such vnto him vntill they repent he hath no concord with Belial therefore not with the children of Belial the members of his glorious body must not be the dead stinking and abhominable members of Sathan Light and darkenesse heauen and hell will as soone bee vnited together And in this path doe tâ—ey all tread Thus can I prooue that the church of the Iewes as in other ages so namely in Dauids time and in Isaiah his time was a false Church for as much as the Iewes then were a prophane people Isa 2 3â— mockers and contemners of Religion c. Of the
Church in the one of these times this complaint was taken vp Ah sinfull nation a people ladâ—n with iniquitie c. And of the other this Helpe Lord for there is not a godly man left c. These children of wrath might I now argue with you this sinfull generation could not possibly bâ—e members of the body of Christ nor haue him for their head and therefore was not a true but a false Church And marke heere gentle Reader I pray thee how this man affirmeâ—h first That all of the visible Church are members of the Body of Christ Secondly but more truely that all the members of the body of Christ are partakers of his life and spirit so as whosoeuer doeth not participate with this life and spirit is no member But with this lâ—fe and spirit the inuisible Church onely and company of the Elect I meane so many of them as are effectually called doe partake as before I haue prooued Therefore not the visible but the called of the inuisibâ—e Church are members of the body of Christ and make that body whereof Iesus is the hâ—ad And hereby he excludeth and shutteth out of the visible Church all reprobates all hypocrites and wicked men as well secret as open wicked and maketh it to consist onely of godly or righteous men indeede or if you will of the Elâ—ct alone For saith he all the members of the true visible Church are members of the Body of Christ not dead but liuing members partaking with the spirit and life of Christ But no râ—probate hypocrite or wicked man is a liuing member of the Body of Christ partaking with the spirit and life of Christ Therâ—fore none such are of the true visible Church Againe onely the Elect and sincere or truely godly are such liuing members Therfore onely such by your wise doctrine are of the true visible Church Moreouer obserue heere that by this mans doctrine in the true visible Church there are no children of the diuell For saith he Christ hath no concord with Belial therefore not with his children Againe All the members of the true visible Church are members of Christ his glorious Body But the dead stinking and abhominable members of Sathan are not members of Christs glorious Body therefore not of the true visible church Wherevpon foâ—loweth that all of the true visible Church are the children of God and so heires of saluation for if children heires And particularly that Cain Ismael Esau Saul Absalom Iudas and the Scribes and Pharisees were the children of God and are sauâ—d for all these were members of the true visible Church And tell me M. Ainsworth yâ—u that will haue no children of Beliall no dead stinking and abhominable members of Sathan members of the true visible Church but require that all the members of the visible Church bee members of the glorious Body of Christ hauing him for thâ—ir head fâ—r which cause you condemne the Church of England for a false Churâ—h because in it there be many dead and rotten members tell me I say in your next Treatise first whether this reason of yours proues not as is in part aforesaide as well the Church of the Iewes in Christs time as also before and after in the dâ—yes of his Apostles to be a false Church as weâ—l as ours Secondly whether Cain Esau Iudas and the rest aboue named were liuing members partâ—king of Christ his life and Spiâ—it or dead stinking and the abhominable members of Sathan And this latter being true which you cannot deny whether dead stinking and abhominable members of Sathan haue not beene members of the true visible Church seeing these were no better members and yet were all of the vis church Marke also how in the former words hee requireth faith and repentance in euery member of the visible Church And so he doeth a little before The people of EnglaÌ„d in the beginning of Q. Elizabeths raigne Counterp 127. did not enter into the church by repentance faith in Christ but by the commandement of the Magistrate were compelled vnto the Church Sacraments and ministery Now the Magistrates lawe cannot worke faith in any Ephes 2.8 Rom. 10.17 seeing faith is the gift of God and by his word onely is wrought in mans heart I haue told you before and now tell you againe that not faith and repentance but the profâ—ssion of these is necessary to the making of a membâ—r of the visible church and that thereunto the Magistrates law and authoritie will drawe and perswade men Had you and the rest of your societie learned this you would neuer then haue required these graces nor such holinesse at least externall in all the members of the visible church as you doe But it is no maruell though you requâ—re faith and repentance not in the iudgement of charitie but in deede and veritie in euery member of the visible Church Communion of Saints 321. and tell vs else where that this is the doore whereby a man must enter into the Church considering you teach that the visible Church is the Body of Christ and that all the members of the visible Church are members of his misticall body and partakers of his spirit and life For no vnbeleeuer and impenâ—tent person is member of the misticall bodie of Christ You now that require true faith and repentance in euery member of the visible Church say whether any of the visible Church can be damned For the Scripture saith He that beleeueth is saued alreadie hath passed from death to life And that If the wicked returne from all his sinnes which he hath committed and keepe all Gods statutes Ezech. 18.21 that is If he repent he shall surely liue and shall not die After many friuelous lines tending hereunto that there is peace and agreement betweene Christ and all of the visible Church That in the Church among the members thereof there is no hatred or enmitie both which are palpably false you drawing to an end of the proofe of your Assumption vse these words following By this it may appeare that Christ is no head of such Antichristians Pag. 130. nor of any other prophane wicked worldlings seeing his spirit giues them not life and motion but they are carried by the spirit of Satan that possessed them neither can they bee knit vnto him by ioynts or bands as all his body and members thereof are Therefore saith hee the Church of England is not the true Church of God Thus the second time you tell vs and truely That Christ his body and all the members thereof haue his spirit giuing them life and motion wherby as by ioynts or bands they are knit vnto him the head But againe say I the called of the inuisible Church only haue this spirit by this spirit are knit vnto the head Christ They therefore onely are the body of Christ and to him vnited as the head Againe many of the true visible Church that I say not the greatest part therof haue
and inuisible church onely as is plaine by those two testimonies your selfe quote in the margent Ioh. 8.32 Reu. 1.6 The elect therefore and inuisible Church onely haue Christ for their King Secondly Their King Christ Iesus is who abstaine from errour false-worship and all other euill whatsoeuer deliuering thus their owne soules But the elect and inuisible Church onely abstaine from euery euill way and deliuer their owne soules Therefore the elect onely haue Christ Iesus for their King Thirdly They onely are the people and subiects of Christ and haue him for their King for whom hee hath subdued Sathan and sinne and whom he hath redeemed out of all Satanean bondage that sinne should reigne no more ouer them But Christ hath subdued Sathan and sinne onely for the elect and invisible Church and them alone hath he redeemed out of all Satanean bondage that sinne should reigne no more ouer them Therefore the elect and inuisible Church onely are the people and subiects of Christ and haue him for their King Thus what you build with the one hand you put downe apase with the other Ephes 4.8.11 Heb. 3.6 Yet do not I deny that Christ hath appointed the offices and officers and giuen lawes to the vis church by and according to which only it ought to be gouerned that in thâ—s respect he is the onely King thereof Also Mat. 28.18 Reu. 17.14 in that all power is giuen vnto him in heauen and in earth and is King of the whole earth being King of Kings thus likewise hee is King of the visible church And as King hee defendeth it from the enemies thereof for his own glory and name that is called vpon them for his elect sake that are among them And lastly in this respect he is also King of the visible church that these rebels and enemies of his that will not suffer him to reigne ouer them neither regard his lawes and statutes he will take vengeance of them and destroy them Thus I acknowledge our Lord is King of the visible church but not so a he is King to them to whom he is Priest and Prophet as you doe affirme Come we now to the second part of the aforesaid proposit on Counterp 141. and to M. Ainsworth his 4. argument Euery true visible Church hath Christ for the Priest of the same The vis Church of England hath not Christ for the Priest of the sâ—me Therefore the Church of England is not a true visible Church I deâ—y your proposition which to be false I doe thus make manifest If Christ Iesus be the Priest of the visible Church then Christ died for the vâ—sible church and maketh intercession for all of that societie for doubtlesse hee performed all the parts of his Priesthood for them to whom he is a Priest If Christ now died for the visible church then all of the visible church shal be saued and none of them damned for Christs death shall be effectual to saue all those from perdition for whom he died Who shall condemne saith the Apostle It is Christ which is dead Rom. 8.34 Intimating that none of those can possibly be damned for whom Christ died Now the aforesaide inference is false seeing there be many reprobates of the visible church for which Christ neither dyed nor maketh intercession and therefore is that false from whence it is inferred deduced Nay I will disproue this by your owne words In the 32. p. of your confession of faith thus you write Touching his Priesthood Christ hath appeared once to put away sinne by the offering of himselfe and to this ende hath fully performed and suffred all those things by which God might be reconciled to his Elect. From hence I reason thus If Christ in that he was a Priest hath by the oblation of himselfe taken away the sinne of the Elect onely and reconciled vnto God onely the Elect then is hee the Priest onely of the Elect or inuisible church But Christ in that hee was a Priest hath by the oblation of himselfe taken away the sinne of the Elect onely and reconciled to God onely the Elect Therfore Christ Iesus is the Priest only of the Elect or church inuissible and by consequent not of the vissible church as you affirme The Proposition is so cleere in it selfe that it needes no proofe The Assumption is prooued by your owne confession Though you doe not vse this word onely yet must it necâ—ssarilie bee vnderstood This your selfe also M. Ainsworth doe further confirme Counterp 141. The Church of England say you hath not Christ for the Priest or Sacrificer of the same Because the gifts and sacrifices which it offereth vnto God are not presented and offered vnto him by Christ neither is this Church reconciled vnto God by him from hence also I argue thus Whose spirituall sacrifices Christ doth present and offer vnto his father their priest he is But the spirâ—tual sacrifices of the elect and inuisible church onely doth Christ present and offer vnto his Father Therefore Christ is the Priest of the elect and inuisible church onely Agaiâ—e To proue that Christ is the prophet of the inuisible church this in a word may suffice To what societ e soeuer he is king aâ—d priest to the same hee is a prophet But to the inuisible church onely he is a king and priest Therefore a prophet the Proposition needes no proofe The Assumption hath alreadie beene prooued This likewise may be coâ—firmed by your own lines and therefore I may well be sparing of mine Counterp 139. Moreouer the church of England wanteth part and communion with Christ in that propheticall office which he hath imparted to his people namely power and freedome to witnesse professe practise and holde forth the word of life and all that Christ hath commaunded And therefore concludeth he The church of England hath not Christ for the prophet thereof from hence I reason thus To that church or company of men whatsoeuer which hath power and freedome to witnesse professe practise and hould forth the word of life and all that Christ hath commanded to them onely is Christ a prophet But this power and freedome hath the inuisible church onely Therefore of the inuis church onely is Christ a Prophet The proposition is your own The assumption is very cleare for though all of the visible church and many reprobates haue power to professe yet onely the Elect haue the abilitie to practise the word of God and to obserue all that Christ hath commanded that is earnestly endeauor to obsâ—rue and keepe the coÌ„mandements of God Christ in all things which is that we call euangelicall obedience This obedience wherof our Lord speaketh Mat. 28.20 Teaching theÌ„ to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you is proper I say to the elect and cannot fall into any reprobate But these words of Iesus you vnderstand of the politie of the church and being generall you restraine to all things
from among vs whom wee call Brownists contrarie minded who both reiect the aforesaid doctrine as erronious and condemne our Parish assemblies for false Churches it remaineth we heare what they likewise teach concerning the Church and their Arguments whereby they would proue our Church to be a false Church that so wee may more clearely see on which side the truth is whereby the louers of the Truth shall be preserued from error and Wisdome iustified of her children THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. I. A confutation of H. BARROW his description of a true visible Church WEE haue spoken in the former Chapter of the first vse wee make of the aforesaid Doctrine of the visible Church And there we haue seene how fitly it seemeth to iustifie the Church of England and to proue her to be a true Church now by it wee will also conuince the Brownists false doctrine of the visible Church And that shall be the second and lâ—st vse of the Doctrine aforesaid For the better vnderstanding of the Brownists doctrine concerning the true visible Church let vs heare how it is described by them It is saith BARROW a company and fellowship of faithfull and holy people gathered in the name of Christ Iesus A true description of the visible Church pag. 1. their only King Priest Prophet worshipping him aright being peaceably quietly gouerned by his officers lawes keeping the vnity of faith in the bond of peace and loue vnfained Generalâ—y coÌ„cerning this description I affirme that a Apology 44. Counterp 115. Princ. Infer 8. 10. as al the rest of the descriptions or definitions of the visible Church which they do giue so this likewise is rather a description of the inuisible Church militant then of the visible That which is hâ—ere set downe is true onely of the Elect and cannot properly and truely bee spoken of any Reprobate whereof a true visible Church may in part consist as well of the Elect for as the Elect only are faithfull and holy indeed and effectually called so Christ Iesus is their onely b Though Christ Iesus be in diuers respects King of the visible Church yet he is not King Priest Prophet of the visible but only of the inuisible Church hee cannot be said to be Priest of the visible Church but with relation had to them that be of the inuisible Church King Priest and Prophet they alone doe worshippe him aright are gouerned by his lawes keepe the vnity of faith in the bond of peace and loue vnfained But let vs brifely consider of the seuerall parts of this description That your meaning is the visible Church consisteth only of faithfull holy persons it is hereafter made manifest and appeareth also by the last page of H. Barrow his book intituled A true description of the visible Church where hee saith that into the visible Church there entereth no vncleane thing or person but all such are without how true this Doctrine is wee shall anon heare as also of the gathering heere spoken of And that the visible Church and consequently all the members thereof haue not Christ Iesus to be their King Priest and Prophet in the end of this booke it is made manifest Omitting therefore these things wee will come to that which in the description followeth In it you adde that the visible Church consisteth of a Company that worship Christ aright and to proue this you send vs to three places of Scripture the two first viz. Exod. 20.7.8 Leuit. 10.5 speake neuer a word for you The last and onely testimony you haue is Ioh. 4.23 where Iesus saith That the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and truth and that the Father requireth such to worship him And hereof our Lord rendereth a reason in the words next following saying God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and truth which in effect is this that God being of a spirituall nature requireth a spirituall seruice agreeable to his nature Of a company of such kind of worshippers say you doth the visible Church consist But how can this possibly be true seeing Christ Iesus speaking to some of the visible Church Matth. 15.7 saith thus O Hypocrites Esaias prophecied well of you saying this people draweth neere vnto me with their mouth and honoureth me with their lips but their heart is farre from mee but in vaine doe they worship me These were no true worshippers worshipping God in Spirit and truth but only outwardly and Hypocritically whereupon Iesus calleth them Hypocrites and yet were these worshippers members of the visible Church And whereas of the visible Church the greatest part are Hypocrites or hypocriticall worshâ—ppers by this description and doctrine of yours there can be no Hipocrites in it for you teach that the visible Church is a company that worship God in Spirit and truth but no Hypocrites worshippe God in Spirit and truth therefore by your doctrine no Hypocrites are of or in the visible Church That no hypocrites doe worship God in spirit and truth which resteth only to be proued it is hereby manifest First because they doe not worship God with a true and sincere affection of the heart Secondly Because this worshipping of God in spirit and truth is that worship which God requireth to be performed to him by men accepteth of and is well pleased with but the worship of hypocrites God forbiddeth reiecteth and abhorreth Hypocrites therefore doe not worship God in spirit and truth Thirdly As many as thus worship God in this world Heb. 11.6 Psal 19.11 he will honor in the world to come and for their poore seruice done to him on earth he will aboundantly reward them in heauen now woe be to Hypocrites saith Christ And againe giue him his portion with Hypocrites This is the hypocrites reward Where you say that the visible Church is a company peaceably and quietly gouerned by Christ's officers and lawes considering the greatest part of the visible Church are reprobates and so rebels against Christ taking part with Satan against him how can this be truely said of the visible Church and consequently of all the members thereof Cain Ismael Esau Saul Absolom the Scribes and Pharisies were all of the visible Church These and thousands more such in the Church haue beene so farre from being quietly gouerned by Christs lawes that with them in the second Psalme they haue said Verse 3. Let vs breake their bonds and cast their cords from vs. The visible Church therefore is not a company of such loyall and obedient subiects to Christ as these men affirme How peaceably and quietly was Saul gouerned by the lawes of God and Church officers then when he caused the Priests of the Lord to be slaine and eagerly persecuted Dauid thirsting after his bloud and that all his life time The same may be said of Cain killing Abel of Ismael mocking or as the Apostle saith persecuting Isaak of Absalom
when he killed his brother rebelled against his father lay with his Concubines and vsurped the Kingdome of the Scribes and Pharisies traducing blaspheming mocking and putting to death the Lord Iesus and lastly of all the domesticall enemies of the Church who haue reuiled slandered imprisoned banished and murthered the Saints All these were of the visible Church and yet were none of these peaceably gouerned by Christs officers and lawes but were rebels against Christ transgressors of his lawes and despisers of his officers You speake therefore most vntruely when you say that the visible Church is a company fellowship peaceably quietly gouerned by Christ his officers laws Finally in requiring loue vnfained in all the members of the visible Church seeing this loue is an effect of faith vnfained as Paul sheweth 1. Tim. 1.5 Doe you not therein also require of them that be of this society that faith which worketh by loue 1. Pet. 1.9 euen the true and iustifying faith the end whereof is the saluation of mans soule Whereupon followeth that the visible Church is a company of faithfull indeed and consequently of such as shall be saued This that I inserre how false soeuer you feare not to teach saying They keepe the vnitie of faith in the bond of peace This loue vnfained they onely haue which loue the brethren not in word and tongue but in deed and truth as appeareth also by their quoting of Ioh. 13.34 But this loue whosoeuer haue are translated from death to life and thereof may assure themselues The whole company therefore of the visible Church hauing this loue as you teach are by this doctrine sure of life and saluation Doe you not blush to tell vs in effect that that loue is to be found in euery member of the visible Church which the holy Ghost doth giue vs for an infallible marke of the child of God and heire of saluation Another place of Scripture that in the margent is quoted for the proofe hereof is 1. Cor. 13. 4. Can that loue trow you the Apostle there speaketh of fal into the reprobate and be found in any but Gods elect coÌ„sidering the heaueÌ„ly effects it hath in whomsoeuer it is Among other things of this loue it is said that it thinketh not euill it reioyceth not in iniquity but reioceth in the truth and that it doth neuer fall away In which respect it doth excell faith and hope as is said in the last verse now abideth faith hope and loue but the chiefest of these is loue What meane you to require this loue which is proper to the elect in all the members of the visible Church of the which the most are reprobates Cain slew his brother Ismael persecuted Isaak of Esau it is said That he hated Iacob Cen. 27.41 because of the blessing wherewith his father had blessed him and therefore purposed to slay him How deadly Saul did hate Dauid and hunt after his life as one would hunt a Partridge the holy story maketh mention And as for the Scribes and Pharisies their extreame hatred against Christ and all that confessed him is manifest in the history of the Gospell their crucifying of Christ and persecuting of his members did shew the hatred that was in their hearts Hereunto we may adde the persecutâ—rs and murtherers of the Saints that haue beene in the Church almost in all ages many whereof were of the visible Church yet were they so farre from louing the brethren that they did hate them with a cruell hatred We see then men haue bin of the visible Church and therefore may be at this day who haue not this vnfained loue of the brethren nay are as far from it as hatred from loue and darknesse from light How then doe you truly describe the visible Church that it is a company of men who loue one another vnfainedly Thus in effect you teach that the visible Church consisteth of a company and fellowship of people who as they are at peace with God and among themselues so haue they vnfâ—ined loue one to another Wheras the most of the visible Church being reprobates wicked and vngodly men as they haue no peace with God according to that of the Prophet Isa 48.22 there is no peace saith the Lord to the wicked so neither are they nor can be at peace with men I meane the rest of the Church which are the elect Except you will haue peace betweene the Serpent and the woman and both their seeds The Scriptures tell vs there is and will be no peace nor loue Gen. 3.15 but perpetuall enmitie and warre betwixt these You tell vs in effect nay that these meeting together in the Church they are peaceable and kind louing vnfainedly one another you should adde as Ioab did Abner and Amasa 2. Sam. 3.27 and 20.10 whom vnder the pretence of brotherly loue he killed with the sword As Ioab kissed Amasa and Iudas Christ so vsually doe some members of the Church kisse some others Prou. 29.27 Salomon saith That the righteous are an abomination to the wicked and the wicked to the righteous but in the visible Church there are righteous and wicked men therefore in the visible Church there are some that abhorre and haue others in abomination You say nay they are all tyed together by the bond of peace and loue Iesus saith of himselfe That he came not to send peace into the earth Matth. 10.34 Luk. 12.49.51 but rather debate and a sword nay fire and what is his desire but that it be kindled Is not this sword and fire the seperation also and enmity that our Lord further speaketh of which commeth through the preaching of the Gospell to be found in the Church and betweene the members thereof But only betwixt them that are in the Church and those that are without If any be thus fondly conceited let him looke backe to the premisses and his error will be corrected As the aforesaid members of the visible Church Ismael Esau Saul the Scribes and Pharisies had not this loue vnfained so neither had they the other essentiall properties which you require in all them who be of a true visible Church They were not faithfull and holy indeed nor yet holy in the face and outward appearance which you require at least nor otherwise faithfull and holy then the most open wicked of our Land They had not Christ to be their King Matth. 1.21 Priest and Prophet They were rebels and none of Christs subiects or people all which he will saue The Diuell was their father and king and they his children and vassals doing the lusts of him their father in stead of the wil of God As he was a murtherer from the beginning so were they all murtherers in their times The like may bee said touching Christ his not being their Priest nor Prophet Worshippers of God they were indeed but hypocriticall not true and sincere worshippers of many of them Iesus said Yee worship