swimming with the streame of Expositors I might take a just occâ—sion to fall upon that Anabaptisticall errour wherever it is found which affirmes and maintaines the true visible Church to consist only of true believers such as are good A doctrine charged upon us by our Adversaries of Rhemes in their Glosse upon the Text but with what truth let the joint consent of all the writers of our profession testifie all which with one vote have censured and condemned the Tenet upon all occasions averring and maintaining the visible Church of Christ to be a mixed company mingled of good and bad believers hypocrites c. Such a company the Church here is As for those who seeke for any other Church here upon earth they seeke for that which they shall never find Mundam in mundo immundo Ecclesiam saith Aretius A pure Church in an impure world Those which will joyne themselves to no Church but such an one they must as the Apostle saith goe out of the world for it But I will not spend time in confuting of this Errour which I presume there is none here present that will dare to owne To come nearer In the second place Is the Church of Christ a floore in respect of mixture why then let not any be scandalized or offended at what ever mixtures either are or are supposed to be in the Church or Churches of God amongst us Mixtures happily there may be mixtures there are we grant it Possible some corruptions cleaving to some of the Ordinances However corrupt men mingling themselves with the people of God not only coming with them into the house of God but siâ—â—ing downe with them â—t his Table having communion with them in the most sacred ordinances of God A sad mixture I pleade not for it Bâ—t what shall we hence inferre a nullitiâ— of the Church No true Church because oâ— these mixtures Surely the very Barne-floore will cry out against this inference There we see wheate and chaffe lying upon the same heape and who wonders at it â— Doe we meeâ—e with a liâ—e mixture in the Church or Churches of God be not â—â—andalized be not oâ—â—â—â—ded at it Iâ— iâ— that I nonceive which the Apostle 〈◊〉 aimes and drives at in the place fore named a Tim. 2. to take off that scandall which any might take at scandalous Apoâ—â—atâ—â— persons openly wicked in the Church Here let me not be mistaken a thing which we are very 〈◊〉 to in poinâ—â— of the nature It is far from my purpose to patronize what ever mintâ—res in the Church of God to plead either for Admission or Toleration of persons openly prophane and scandalous their Admission into the Church their Toleration in the Church Much lesse for the promiscuous resorting of all sorts of persons to the Lords Table without any regard had to their qâ—alificâ—tions or conversations An errour I confesse which till it may be redressed I shall mourne over wishing that all this Leaven were purged out and this floore of Christ amongst us throughly purged from the chaffe and drosse of what ever corruption is yet remaining in it But in the meane time though I plead not for mixtures yet let me plead for the Church that Church whereof God hath made me a member and a Minister which all the mixtures that are in it cannot Vnchurch make to be no Church or yet warrant a separation from The Church of the Jewes at this time when the Baptist preached to them it was I suppose in as corrupted nay a far more corrupted state then the Church of England at this day is or ever yet was since the first Reformation of it How was that floore all covered with chaffe How many foule corruptions had even overspread the face of that Church Humane Inventions and Traditions being brought in even to the thrusting out of the Ordinances of God Ceremonies eating out the heart the power and substance of Religion Those which sate in Moses his chaire as vile as could be imagined A generation of vipers Such were their teachers and Church-governours Blind guides having a corrupt and unlawfull entrance into their calling and demeaning themselves as corruptly in it and no question like Priests like people The state of that Church most corrupt little else but chaffe to be seene in that floore yet for all that a floore still So the Baptist here calleth it telling them that Christ would purge that floore of his Purge it not presently leave it cast it off or else breake it up as some hot spirits would doe at this day who because of the chaffe that is in it would presently be breaking up the floores For some supposed corruptions in the Church presently unchurch it a matter of a higher nature then many in this last age have taken it to be Not so but purge it purge it So will Christ deale with his floore hee will throughly purge his floore True may some say If it were a floore of Christ then it ought not to be broken up if a true Church then purging would serve the turne But such is not the Church of England such are not the Churches in England And why not why they faile in constitution which is a fundamentall errour They are not rightly constituted And why not Because the members of them were not rightly gathered nor yet knit and joyned together in the formality of a Church Covenant Even as if one should reason after this manner It is the same man though in other cloathes the same argument though in different expressions The Corne was not brought in at the right doore or the floore is not a boarded floore or at least the boards were not joynted and fastened together not right layed at the first but either it is a Clay floore or else the boards are layed loose and warping therefore it is no floore no true floore The absurdity of the one will sufficiently discover the weakenesse and inconsequence of the other But how then shall we know a true Church if we see it A. Why even as we may doe a true floore I will not goe out of the Text for a demonstration Where the fanne is ordinarily at worke there is the floore and where Christs fanne is ordinarily at worke there is his floore his Church What this fanne is I have told you already the fanne of the Word the word preached This is the fanne which the Baptist here principally speaketh of the fanne of the word which is in the hand of Christ both in respect of liberty and efficacie as I have shewen you Now where this fanne is ordinarily at worke where the word is ordinarily preached and dispensed in the publick ministery of it especially if it be with efficacie and power certainely there Christ hath a Floore a Church Now this I think will not be denied but that this fanne hath been at worke in the Churches of Christ amongst us and that with such efficacie
it corruptions in Doctrine corruptions in Worship corruptions in Manners so to make a mixture which he doth in opposition unto that God who being himselfe a pure and simple Essence is most delighted in purity and simplicity Put these together and you see a first respect wherein the visible Church of Christ is compared to a floore A floore for mixture Secondly A floore Because here is the same Husbandry used that is in the Barne-floore Here is threshing here is fanning here is winnowing All these shall we find no where more frequent more ordinary then in the Church as if the Church were the proper element for every of these The Church is Christs threshing place O my threshing his fanning place his winnowing place No where shall we find the flaile the fanne the sive more buâ—â—â— then here The Worlds flayle Gods fanne the Devils sive the flayle of persecution the fanne of Affliction the sive of Tentation no where so busie as in the Church Well may the Church in all these respects be called a floore But I will confine my selfe to the Text Here is the fanne at worke What fanne why that fanne which is in the hand of Christ the fanne of the word This fanne is walking and working in this floore and not without some efficacie and power What ever the Husbandmans fanne doth in his Barne-floore that doth this fanne in the Church which is the proper place for this fanne to stirre and move in and in that respect againe fitly called a floore Here it is where Christ standeth with the fanne in his hand working upon his corne his Elect severing them from the chaffe of sinnefull corruption dressing them that they may be pure corne fit to be laid up in his heavenly garner The Church is a floore And in the second place Christs floore The visible Church is Christs floore His first by Guift Secondly His by Purchase 1. His by Guift Guift from God his Father who hath indeed given unto him the whole world Aske of mee and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy Possession All the Kingdomes of the earth are put into the hands of Jesus Christ as Lord paramonnt over them all Even Heathens and Infidels which know him not which never heard of his Name yet they are under his governement But the Church after a more speciall manner as being his peculiar Seigniâ—rie I have sâ—t my King upon my holy hill of Sion In the Church Christ hath a more peculiar interest The Church it selfe and all the members of it being given to him by God his Father I all the members of the visible Church they are also given unto Christ Of all that thou hast given me I have lost none save the Sonne of Perdition All the Apostles I Judas amongst the rest though a son of perdition lost in Gods decree and marked out for hell yet given unto Christ to follow him in an outward profession And thus are all the members of the visible Church even all that professe the Name of Christ they are given unto Christ And consequently the Church is His his floore His by Donation And secondly His by Purchase What his Father gave him he also bought and purchased Even as David purchased the Threshing-floore of Araunah the Jebusite that he might offer a Sacrifice upon it Thus Christ hath purchased this floore his Church not that he might offer Sacrifice upon it but that he might offer it up as a Sacrifice unto God his Father Take heede unto your selves and to the flock of God whereof the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feede the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood The Church purchased with the blood of Christ True it is if we speake properly this purchase is peculiar unto Gods elect his Church invisible for whose sake Christ dyed But for their sakes from whom the Church taketh the denomination as being the better and most considerable part of it it is attributed to the whole Church even to the Church visible It is his floore by purchase Yet further in the third and fourth place It is his floore in respect of his presence his providence His presence in it his providence over it His presence in it which is continuall The Story telleth us of Boaz that he went downe to his floore and lodged there lying downe at the end of the heape of Corne Even â—o is Christ ever present in his Church There he lyeth downe there he lodgeth Shew me O thou whom my soule loveth where thou feedest where thou lyest downe at noone It is the Spouses speech to her welbeloved to which his answer followes If thou knowest not O thou fairest among women get thee forth by the steps of the flock and feede thy Kids by the Tents of the Shepheards Would we know where Christ feedeth lodgeth where he manifesteth his presence chiefely and principally upon earth It is in his flock by the Tents of the Shepheards In his Church in the midst of his Ordinances Christ is ever present in this floore manifesting his presence in it And fourthly Exercising his providence over it His providence first in watching then in governing 1. Watching in and over this floore To this end Boaz lay downe in his floore at the end of the heape of corne to watch it least it should be stroyed or stolne or purloyned away To this end is Christ present in his Church his floore viz. to watch his corne in it to defend his people against enemies without or enemies within to defend his Church against the open hostility of bloody tyrants and persecutors Beasts which would stroy this corne as also against the secret devices of cunning seducers Theeves that would stâ—ale away his corne deceiving the very Elect if it were possible To this end he watcheth in this floore watcheth and that not as Boaz did in his lying downe and sleeping there No The watchman of Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth He exerciseth a speciall providence in watching over this floore 2. And secondly In ruling and governing it ordering all the businesses in it Even as the Husbandman ordereth all the businesse in his own floore giving direction to his servants for threshing fanning c. So hath Christ the ordering of this floore Not an Ordinance in his Church but is of his ordering and appointing He it is that ruleth the whole businesse of his Church both for substance and materiall circumstances prescribing Lawes to his Church governing it which he doth by his word Put these together and you see the doctrinall part of this first Branch of the Text opened and illustrated I see I must wade no further into it at present What use shall we make of this which hath been spoken As briefely as I may First Is the Church of Christ a floore in respect of mixture Here
What is the chaffe to the wheat saith the Lord Jer. 23. Gods truthâ—s as wheat sound and solid False Doctrines are as chaffe Such are corruptions in Doctrine and such are corruptions in worship and such are corruptions in Discipline all as chaffe that will not endure the Fanne of the word And from this chaffe shall this floore of Christ the Church be purged viz. both from corrupt men and from corruptions themselves 1. Corrupt wicked men Hypocrites and others they are in the Church as ill humours in the body In the body but not of it Joyning themselves to the mysticall body of Christ but no true Members of it And being such they shall be purged out Wicked men Hypocrites and others they are as Drosse and Tinne mixed with the good and pure mettall and being such they shall be purged out I will purge away thy drosse saith the Lord amongst other her corrupt Judges and Councellours which should be taken away Wicked men they are the Goates which now flock and feed together with the Sheepe Joyning themselves unto the people of God and having communion with them in many it may be in all the publike ordinances of God They are the Tares which grow up together with the wheat in the same field They are the chaffe which cleaving close to the Corne lyeth with it upon the same Goaffe upon the same heape Being so they shall be severed they shall be weeded purged out The Church shall be purged from corrupt men 2. And secondly from Corruptions themselves Corruptions there are and will be creeping in and cleaving to the state of the visible Church or Churches of Christ upon Earth Corruptions not only in manners which are personall but corruptions in Doctrine corruptions in worship corruptions in Discipline Church-corruptions Now from all these shall the Church be purged I will take away all your Tinne What ever it was that corrupted the state of that Church This will Christ doe for his Church under the Gospell He will purge away all her Drosse all her corruptions be they as I said in manners Doctrine worship Expresse and full is that of the Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 36. 25. From all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you saith the Lord Cleanse them from their filthinesse from corruptions in manners â—hose spirituall pollutions and defilements From their Idols all corruptions in Doctrine in worship And let me adde also corruptions in Discipline too It is the Lords promise to the Church of the Jewes in that place fore-named Isa. 1. 26. I will purge â—â—ay thy â—rassv c. And I will restore thy Iudges as at the first and thy Counsellours as at the beginning And this will Christ doe for his Church under the Gospell He will restore her Judges as at the first and her Counsellours as at the beginning Restoring his Church to Primitive Order and Discipline purging out what ever corruptions are in this respect crept into it All this without question shall be done the Church shall be purged And throughly purged {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} perpurgabit Thus did Christ purge the Temple in the dayes of his flesh he made a thorough sweepage driving out all the buyers and sellers c. And thus will he purge his Church {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} He will throughly purge it Purge out All corrupt men and All corruptions I will purely purge c. Repurgabo ut purificationem so Montanus renders the place I will diligently and throughly purge thee as the Fornace or fining pot doth the silver This is that which the Prophet Malachi tels the Church Mal. 3. where prosecuting the same Allegory he sets forth the sedulity and exactnesse of Christ in this purging of his Church He shall sit downe to try and to fine the silver hee shall even fine the sonnes of Levi and purifie them as gold and silver Marke it full expressions Christ shall purge and purifie his Church and this he shall do both diligently and throughly Diligently not cursorily He shall sit downe to try c. As a man that intends a worke seriously he sitteth downe to it Throughly he shall try and fine and purifie c. The Prophet multiplieth words heaps up expressions all to intimate the throughnes the perfectnes of this work Gods works they are all perfect works As for God his way is perfect Psal. 18. Such they either are or such they shall be before he leave them Such was his worke of Creation perfect at the first Every thing which he had made was very good i. e. perfect Such shall his worke of new Creation be the worke of Regeneration though imperfect at the first yet before hee leave it it shall be perfect He who bath begun â— good worke in you will perfect it saith Paul to his Philiâ—pians The new birth though at the first â—n 〈◊〉 yet it shall grow to a perfect man This will Christ doe as for every true member of his Church The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me saith the Psalmist Psal. 1â—8 last so for the Church it selfe The â—â—w Heaven and th◠〈◊〉 Earth shall be as perfect as the old ever was He that hath begun the good worke of restoring purging his Church will also perfect it he will purge it throughly purge it He will doe it Who Why that shall the Lord Jesus Christ There have you the answer to the second enquiry which I am fallen upon unawares He shall throughly purge his floore saith the Baptist The floore is His as I have showen you and being so he will take care as for other things so for the purning of it To this end God the Father the great Husbandman hath put the Fanne into the hand of this his Servant that he should dresse his Corne purge his floore To this onâ— amongst other hath he given all Power and Authoriâ—y to him as over the whole world so over his Church after a speciall manner that he should purge it And this he will doe which is properly his worke He is like a purging fire and like Fullers soape saith the Prophet Malachi speaking of Christ Mal 3. 3. He shall sit downe to try c. He shall make it his worke to purge the Church And indeed who but he should doe it I who but he can doe it The purging of the Church is a great worke So was the purging of the Temple a greater worke then it is ordinarily apprehended Temple purgatiâ— maximum miraculum saith the Father The purging of the Temple it was one of the greatest miracles that ever Christ did in the dayes of his â—lesh That a private person so he was then accounted and taken to be nay a despicable person of so inferiour a ranke the Sonne of a Carpenter should come into the Temple with a whip in his hand
yet remaining in it That there is Chaffe yet remaining in this Floore it must not be denyed Certainly were there not this Fanne the Fanne of the Crosse the Fanne of Judgement should not be so busie at worke as at this day it is and now for so many moneths hath been It is Jobs speech to his Friends Doth the wild Asse bray when hee hath grasse or doth the Oxe low over his fodder The very bruit beasts doe not complaine when they have what they would have Surely it cannot be but something must be amisse amongst us otherwise God would never deale with us and other of his Churches as at the present he doth Certainly we may hence conclude that as yet he hath not what he would have Something there is amisse amongst us and something which we hope he is about to reforme Questionlesse some scum there is in this Pot which whilest it hath bin plaâ—ing with so long a continued prosperity hath even boyled and sodden-in And hereupon it is we hope that God hath now powred in this full cup of cold-water that as he hath hereby in part raised this scumme already so he may in his time purge it out Some Chaffe in this Floore some Corruption in this Church which we trust Christ is about to purge out and reforme And doe we apprehend this to be his aime and Designe Let every of us further it vvhat vve can not hinder it Hinder it we cannot Which may serve as an argument to put us on to further it Hinder it if we would we cannot He will purge and throughly purge his floore This he will doe and that in despight of all opposition maugre the malice of Satan Antichrist and all their accursed Instruments and Adherents Let them all doe what they can either by power or pollicy to keepe the chaffe in the Floore of Christ yet Christ will purge it out And can we not hinder it Why then let us put to our hands to the furthering of it None of us in this case but may do something if we have hearts to the worke Quest But then What shall we doe A great usefull and seasonable Question but it will require more time for the resolution of it then is at the present allotted me Let me only tell you what my designe and purpose in the Answer of it is viz. to shew you these two things 1. What the Reformation is which we are to desire and seeke And secondly What we shall doe to further and compasse that Reformation Two usefull points The former I shall only touch upon in the generall having already bounded my selfe from particular inlargements upon this subject In the second I shall deale more distinctly and particularly but the time being now past taketh me off from present prosecution of either I shall adjourne them both if God please to another occasion THE THIRD SERMON May 3. 1643 MATTH. 3. 12. And he will throughly purge his Floore THe subject of the Text as you have already heard is Church-Reformation a great and a glorious worke the great designe as vve hope of Jesus Christ upon this and other of his Churches at this day Apprehending it so to be be we excited every of us to put to our hands in our severall places to doe what we may for the promoting and furthering of that designe in the Church of God amongst us This Exhortation I propounded the last day and give me now leave to prosecute it Doe what we may every of us for the furthering of this great Designe But what shall we do For answer hereunto I then chalked out the way wherein I intend now to walke which was first to shew you What that Reformation is which we are to seek Secondly What we shall doe to compasse that Reformation Begin with the first of these Qu What is that Reformation which amongst us is so desired and so desireable A question of great and present concernement other wise I should not so much as have medled with it Reformation it is the common Theame of the times No one thing more frequently more freely spoken of every where but my feares are not so clearely so distinctly understood by many it may be by some of them who seeme to be most zealous in the cause either for or against it To rectifie not to quenth or quell the zeale of the one to kindle and blow it up in the other I shall adventure to descend into or rather upon these troubled waters hovering over them as the Spirit is said to have done over those first waters Movebat super faciâ—m Mooving upon the face of the deepe or walking upon the surface of them as our Saviour once did upon the Sea not diving into them passing over the point as lightly as tenderly as overly as generally as with convenience I may Yet so as I may give some satisfaction to those which doe or shall desire it For resolution we must looke a little back casting an eye so far as with humble modesty we may upon the Churches deformation enquiring what chaffe there is yet left in this floore what Errours what Imperfections what corruptions there are or may be supposed to be left in this Church unpurged out unreformed Chaffe there is Errours Imperfections there are as what Church without Let that be granted yealded But wherein lye those Errours those Imperfections To find them out we shall not need to goe far about there are but two Rooâ—â—s two Chambers as I may say wherein we are to make search for them They must be either in matters of Faith or Order To these two heads the Apostle reduceth the whole businesse of a Church Col. 2. 5. Beholding your Order and the stedfastnesse of your Faith There are but these two maine things to be eyed in a Church the perfection of a Constituted Church consisting in them Faith and Order the two great supporters of a Church like those two Pillars in the Porch of Solomons Temple Jachin and Boaz Establishment and Strength as the words signifie Faith Doctrine or the Doctrine of Faith the right-hand pillar the maine and principall thing in a Church So much the Apostle there insinuates in that he calleth it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Firmamentum fidei as the vulgar Latin renders it The Firmament the Ground-worke and Foundation of Faith Such is the Doctrine of Faith to the Church Totius adificij {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} i. e. Fulcimentum as Beza glosseth upon it The maine Basis or Buttresse of this Building the maine Pillar of the Church Faith and the Church they are mutuall Pillars each a Pillar to other the Church a Pillar to Faith and Faith a Pillar to the Church but in a different respect The Church is a Pillar to Faith The Pillar of Truth modo forensi a Pillar houlding it forth as Pillars doe the publick Edicts or Proclamations which
are hanged upon them or fixed to them Faith a Pillar to the Church Modo Architectonico a Pillar holding it up as a Pillar doth a House which resteth upon it Faith the right-hand pillar Next to that is Order Order the Beauty of a Church Vbi Ordo dominatur ibi pulchritudo splendescit saith the Father Where Order raignes Beuty shines A thing much to be joyed in where it is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} saith Paul to those Colossians Rejoycing and beholding your Order Much to be desired where it is not or where it is not in some degree of perfection The Beauty of a Church Nay more of the Essence of a Church Faith and Order saith Beza they are the generall parts of which a Church consists Each essentiall to a constituted Church requisite not onely to the well-being but the being of it without which it cannot be a Church a constituted Church A Church it cannot be without Faith which maketh it an Essentiall Church A constituted Church it cannot be without Order some Order which maketh it an Integrall and Organicall Church as our Learned Countrey-man distinquisheth This it is that makes the difference betwixt Ecclesia and Agora as Illiricus well observes betwixt a Church and a Market The one is Conventus Ordinatus an Orderly Convension or Assembly The other Confusa Congregatio a Confused and Prâ—â—iscuous Gathering Even as it is betwixt an Armie and a Route that which differenceth the one from the other is Order An Armie is an Orderly Body made up of Commanders Officers Common-Souldiers divided into severall Regiments Squadrons and Companies Martialled in Rankes and Files observing a Militario Order Such is the Church an Armie Terrible as an Armie it is said of the Church Vniversall and it may be said of every particular Church it is or ought to be an Armie Acies ordinatâ— an Armie as for Strength so for Order without which it cannot be a Church Of such concernement is Order to the Church and that some Perfection of Order Without the one it cannot be a Constituted Church and without the other it cannot be a Setled an Established Church He shall sit upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdome to order and to stablish it it is spoken of Christ and his Church Isa. 9. To Order and to stablish No Establishing of a Church without Order No such way to Establish it as by Order Which the more exact and perfect it is the more Beautifull the more Stable the Church is and therefore not to be sleighted as it is by many Next to the Faith of the Church no one thing of so great concernement as â—rder If Faith be the right-hand Pillar Order is the left Q. But wherein consists this Order which we erye up to be so requisite at least to the well being of a Church A. Here give me leave to follow the steps of a Reverend and Learned Worthy of this Church or rather Calvins before him whom therein he followes Church-Order consists principally in these three things 1. In the Vnitie and Agreement of the Members of a Church 2. In the Orderly walking of those Members 3. In a right Discipline duly exercised All these three did the Apostle not without singular complacencie and joy take notice of in the Church of Colosse He there saw a sweet Harmonie and agreement betwixt the members he saw their personall walkings and Church-businesses all carried in a Regular and Orderly way Three things much to be desired in every Church 1. Vnitie and Agreement and that both in Judgement and Affection That the Members of a Church might be all {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to use Pauls words Like-minded One-Hearted Having the same Love being of one accord of one minde as Paul saith to his Philippians minding and speaking one and the same thing Mutually imbracing and Naturally caring for the state one of another Thus knit together in that double Bond of Faith and Love Here is the first Branch of Church-Order Vnitie and Agreement A second is in the Carriage and Dâ—meanour the life and conversation of the Members of a Church which ought to be Orderly Orderly both towards God Themselves Others A living Righteousnesse Soberly Godly as the Apostle hath it Godly to God-ward Soberly to Themselves-ward Righteously to the World-ward which who so doe not they are said to walke {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} without Order Disorderly Withdraw your selves from every Brother that walketh Disorderly Here is the second Branch of this Order Order in the Personall walkings of Christians such as joyne themselves to a Church 3. A third is that which we call Discipline Church-Discipline taking the word in the latitude of it the largest sense as it comprehends under it the Right-Ordering of all the affaires and businesses of the Church whether of Officers for their Election Ordination c. or Ordinances as viz. Word Sacraments Prayers Censures all which ought to be done as the Apostle hath it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Orderly according to Order So were the Services under the Law done The Service of the House of the Lord was set in Order 2 Chron. 29. So ought all Services under the Gospell to be done Let all things be done decently and in Order Put these together and you have the full comprehension of this second Generall so requisite in every Church-Order Now to winde up what I have raveled and to returne from whence I have made this necessary digression In which of these two Chambers shall we find the Errours and Imperfections in this Church of onrs needing and calling for Reformation Shall we find them in matters of Faith in points of Doctrine or in Order Not in the former So much I suppose is or will be freely confessed and acknowledged at all ingenuous and impartiall hands As for the great things of the Gospell matters of Faith or Doctrine the first Reformers of our Church had so happy a hand therein that there is to be found little if any hay or stubble therein It is the free publick and true acknowledgement oâ— one no back-friend to Church-Reformation in his Sermon before the Honourable House of Commons upon that Subject Not in Faith not in Doctrine Blessed be God for that Wherein then why in Order There it must be or no where And here I dare not say but that some things may be found amisse some Errours some Defects some Corruptions and those possible to be found in every corner of this Chamber In every of those three Branches which I particularized even now In some of them they are more palpable not more palpable then deplorable In the two former I think none but will acknowledge foule errours foule deformities 1. As first in point of Christian Vnitie and Agreement Herein what disorder in the Church of God amongst us The Church
persons openly wicked all associated together in the same outward profession A truth which needeth no probation This is the House wherein there are vessels of all sorts some of purer richer others of courser baser mettall In a great House saith the Apostle there are not only vessels of Gold and of Silver but also of wood and of earth some to honour and some to dishonour A place worthy the pawsing on and considering Haply it may give satisfaction to some groundlesse scandals and offences taken by some at those undesired deplored mixtures which are to be found in the Churches of God amongst us In a great House saith he What is meant by this great House why the whole World say some which is Gods House indeed he being the God and Father of all the Families in Heaven and earth Gods House and his Great House And in this great House there are vessels of Gold and of Silver and of wood and of Earth some to honour some to dishonour i. e. some elected others reprobated and passed by So the Apostle S. Paul carrieth and applies it extending it to the whole world Rom. 9. 21. A truth but not so pertinent to this place The Great House here as Calvin and others note upon it denotes and points out more peculiarly the Church of God the visible Church So much may be collected from the Context The Church visible is a House Gods House That thou mightest know how to behave thy selfe in the House of God which is the Church of the living God saith Paul to Timothy His House and a Great House {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the House of the Great God the Father of this Family of a great and large extent and having many Inhabitants Officers Children Servants even all those domestici fidei the household of Faith as the Apostle calleth them And in this great House saith the Apostle there are not only vessels of Gold and Silver but of wood and of earth i. e. some elect others reprobates Not only so but some good others bad bad and that oft-times not only closely and secretly but openly and apparently such Not only hypocriticall and unsound but scandalous Christians Such were those whom the Apostle speaketh of in the verses fore-going Prophane and vaine bablers men whose words did fret as a canker or cancer whose very society was infectious and dangerous Two of these he there instanceth in by Name Of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus two dangerous and damnable Hereticks denying and overthrowing that great Article of the Faith the Resurrection of the Dead which being overthrowne opens a wide doore to all lieâ—ntiousnesse and proâ—anenesse Such were these and probably some other members of that Church at that time persons scandalous and dangerous seduced themselves and seducing others Such vessels there were in that house wooden and earthen vessels vessels to dishonour {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to dishonour and that both Passively and Actively having dishonour and shame for their portion and dishonouring the house the Church of God whereof they were members Such vessels such members there may be and oft are in the House in the Church of God persons erroneous in their judgement and scandalous in their lives Such there may be Mistake it not We speake here de Facto not de Jure not what ought to be but what may be and will be If we speake de Jure â—s it ought to be then that of the Apostle in the words fâ—re going takes place Let every one that calleth on the Name of the Lord depart from iniquity Every one that joyneth himselfe to the Church of God that taketh upon him the profession of Christianity he ought to grace his profession by an answerable conversation In Solomons Temple the vessels were all of pure Gold and such should the members of the Church of Christ be Thus it should be But thus it will not be Some there are and will be that shame their profession by an unchristian conversation Vessels to dishonour Neither is it a thing either to be stumbled or wondered at Such vessels there are in a great House and such members there will be in the visible Church which is a mixed company This point I might further inlarge and set of by those common and obvious illustrations made use of by our Saviour himselfe of the draw or drag Net wherein there are fishes of all sorts good and bad The Field wherein there was Tares as well as Wheate The wedding supper whereat there were guests of all sorts good and bad saith the Text But I will not neither need I goe from that Metaphor in the Text which is so cleare and expresse as that scarce an Expositor falls upon it but meeteth with this truth in it The Church the visible Church is a mixed company Such is the floore a place of mixture wherein there is as I said Corne and Straw Wheat and Chaff c. all brought in together Such is the Church Such it ever hath beene and such it ever will be as long as the Moone hath her spots the Church will have hers even such spots as Peter and Jude speaketh of persons scandalous in their lives disgracing the Church as spots doe the garment wherein they are And will you see some Reason why it is so Take it in a word God will have it so and Satan will have it so 1. God will have it so and that first For the tryall of his own people It is that which S. Paul saith of heresies There must be heresies why That those which are approved may be made manifest And we may say the same of Hereticks and scandalous persons There must be such in the Church I speake it as the Apostle de Facto that those which are {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} approved of God may be made manifest more manifest to the world 2. And secondly God doth it permits it as for the tryall so for the good and benefit of his own people Even as the Husbandman sometimes suffers the Corne to lye in the Chaffe that it may keepe the better And such use God sometimes makes of hypocrites of wicked and ungodly men whom hee suffers to have a Name and a Roome in his Church he maketh use of them for the good and benefit of his own people oft-times using them as Conduit pipes conveying many outward blessings and benefits to his Church through their hands tending to the outward preservation of it Thus God will have it so And secondly Satan will have it so That Eâ—viouâ— man in the Gospell which soweth Tares in the field he also casteth Chaffe into the floore Which he doth through the inadverâ—ancie of those which should watch this floore I meane those which have or should have the oversight and government of the Church Hereby seeking to poyson the Church by throwing in corruptions into