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A41812
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An historical account of the antiquity and unity of the Britanick churches continued from the conversion of these islands to the Christian faith by St. Augustine, to this present time / by a presbyter of the Church of England.
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Grascome, Samuel, 1641-1708?
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1692
(1692)
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Wing G1572; ESTC R17647
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113,711
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112
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whence it takes its first Rise and Beginning is that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints And he that doth unfeignedly embrace it is so far forth united both to all those whoever heretofore received it And all those who now live in Profession of it but yet we must go a great way further or else we shall come short Home IV. For though this Unity principally relates to the Catholick Church of God Comprehending all Ages and places which is that Body whereof Christ is the Saviour and to whom the great and precious Promises are primarily made yet if we would speak rather os fully then magnisicently we are not so much to Consider in this Case the Church we are united to as the means whereby we are united to it and therefore as Men on Earth we are to consider our selves in statu viatorum as Men that are not only bound to believe but to profess the Faith of Christ Crucified for our Blessed Saviour hath told us That if we be Ashamed of Him and his Words He will be Ashamed of us when He cometh into the Glory of his Father Mark 8. 38. as Men so indispenseably bound â—o that Profession that they must not only hazard but even Actually lose all that is near and dear to them rather then depart from it for the same Christ hath told us That if a Man come to him and hate not Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be his Disciple Luke 24. 26. as Men who are bound to embody in a common Fraternity and Society that they may joyntly as well as openly make this Profession not forsaking the Assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is as the Apostle teacheth Heb. 10. 25. In a word seeing we here live in expectation of the Promises we must submit to all the termes and conditions of the Covenant upon which God hath made their Performance to depend And being the whole tenure of the Gospel doth oblige us on Earth to joyn in a visible Fraternity to a visible Profession to particular duties to visible Professors and to a real not imaginary Obedience to them who Rule over us and Watch for our Souls I see not how we can Challenge the Name of Christians whilest we cast off all Care of these Duties And hence it is Apparent That we cannot be United to that great Catholick Mystical and Invisible Church of God but by becoming Members of his visible Church on Earth as being that part of his Church wherein he hath placed and to which the greatest part of our Duties do particularly Relate To Arrive to the state of Glorified Saints and Angels that Church without Spot or Wrinkle is our Hope and Endeavour But whilest we are on Earth we are only on our Way towards it and are particularly of that part of Gods Church wherein grow Tares as well as Wheat to be distinguished and separated in Gods good time And by our faithful sincere Obedience in this we do through Christ Jesus Require and Preserve a Right and Title in time to be made the immediate Members of the other V. This being our present state and condition our Unity ought certainly to be agreeable and suitable to it and therefore must be visible amongst the visible Professours of the Gospel and what that is or wherein it consists is my present Business to describe But first from the foregoing Premisses I would make this Inference That a Believer at large is only a Christian in Fieri his Faith alone without the other Duties and Accomplishments which the Gospel prescribes to all Christians is not sufficient to give him the full Title of a Christian 'T is true he hath laid a good Foundation but unless he proceed to build thereon he can no more be said to be a Christian then an Artificer can be said to have Erected a fair House when he hath only laid the Ground-Work And the Reason is plain because Faith in its own Nature doth not only incline but oblige to Obedâ—ence And I therefore not only more chearfully Obey Gods Commands because I believe Him faithful who hath promised but I must condemn my self as utterly inexcusable if I disobey Him at the same time that I pretend to believe in Him Hence it is observeable That the word Faith taken Objectively is often in Scripture-phrase used to Signifie not only Revealed Truths but Precepts of Life even the whole Gospel of Christ Jesus or the Law of Faith And where it speaks distinctly of it yet it will have the other to follow it Commanding us to add to our Faith Vertue 2 Pet. 1. 5. And to Shew our Faith by our Works Jam. 2. 8. And accordingly the first Converts to Christianity upon their Owning the Faith thought themselves Obliged to go on to what the Law of Faith Required Thus the â—unuch â—hen Convinced by Philip that Jesus Christ was the Son of God doth not Acquiesce in that Faith but proceeds as far as his present Circumstances would permit and of his own Accord bespeaks Philip See here is Water what doth hinder me to be Baptized Acts 8. 36. And consonantly hereto it is Observable That the primitive Church did Vouchsafe the Title of Fideles to no Adult Persons but such as were in full Communion And did Men perswade themselves that their Faith did so indispenseably oblige them to all Christian Duties that without their sincere Endeavour even Faith it self became defective it would make a fair Advance towards Unity And till they do so I see no Reason to hope for it VI. But now to Return to the thing in Hand As we are Men on Earth and Probationers for Heaven our Unity must be such as is Required by this our state and consequently must consist in such matters as Unites all the visible Professors of the Gospel into such a Body or Society which God hath instituted and designed for his Worship on Earth But then we are to Consider That as we are United to the Catholick invisible Church of God by being United to his visible Catholick Church on Earth so we are United to this visible Catholick Church by being United to some true part of it or by becoming Members of some particular Church for no Member can be United to the Body all over or to the whole immediately but is United to the Body by being United to it in some part For the Body is not one Member but many 1 Cor. 12. 14. And as these fitly Framed altogether make the whole so by Vertue of this Union each Member hath a Communication with the Whole and is both capacitated to discharge his Duty to the Whole and to Receive Supplies from and claim an Interest in the Whole VII Now being that our Belief in the Son of God and that he is the Head of the Body his Church if considered Antecedently to and separately from other Christian Duties doth rather
progress and Growth in Christianity is Attributed to that Nourishment which as Members is Communicated to us by this Body the Body it self being Fitly Framed and Joyned together by all parts drawing it from Christ the Head Eph. 4. 15 16. Col. 2. 19. Hence the Church of God is said to be his Body Col. 1. 24. and this Church not to be many Bodies but one Eph. 4. 4. and that we might understand That Salvation is not to be acquired but by being Members of this Body We are Taught That Christ Works our Salvation by Reconciling us into one Body Eph. 2. 16. And for this Reason the Apostle calls Him The Head of the Church and the Saviour of the Body Eph. 5. 23. from these and many other places of Scripture of the like Nature hath arose that common Axiom Extra Ecclesiam non est Salus Which the Ancient Fathers have upon occasion Excellently Explicated pressed and proved against Schismaticks But I have no mind to make a Flourish with Citations in a matter so well known though I wish it were better Heeded Only before I pass away I shall take the boldness to leave these Remarks 1. That all particular Christians as Members of the same Body are Reciprocally bound to each other not only in the Common Offices of Justice but even of Love Kindness and Christian Succours So that if the Man live in England or Armenia at Rome or Geneva in the Enemies Countrey or our own if he be a Christian I ought to wish and pray for his good and if occasion be offered in no case to decline the Promoting the good of his Soul And if Circumstances will permit of his Body and Estate also Secondly That Christs Church and his Body being terms convertible it must consist not only of the Present but of the past Ages even of all that either have or expect Salvation by Christ So that no Person by any Endeavors whatsoever can in the ordinary way duely hope for Salvation as being a Member uf this or that particular Church otherwise then as that particular Church by a Succession of Doctrine and Worship and consequently of Lawful Pastors and Governours without whom such Worship cannot be duly Performed is united to and Embodied with the Catholick Church of God for even the present Church diffused over the Face of the whole Earth though it may be said to be Catholick in respect of particular Churches and of its Authority as to the present living Persons yet in it self it is not Catholick otherwise then as deriving from and united to the Church of the foregoing Ages running up unto Christ their Head Neither can any that comes after be accounted Catholick but as an accession to the former And this if well Weighed might be a means to make Men very cautious how they gathered separate Bodies without extraordinary good Grounds Thirdly that though every Schismatick do affront and injure the whole Church of God yet the greaâ—est ' detriment is to himself The Church may lose an unprofitable Member but he loseth himself For if Christ be only the Saviour of the Body none can divide from it without apparent hazard of their owâ— Salvation So dangerous a thing is the Sin of Schism though so lightly esteemed in our dayes IV But here some who are ready to catch at every Twig and think themselves just drowning and lost if they must be bound to live peaceably and to be wise only to Sobriety will Object That such are the various apprehensions inclinations interests education and prejudices of Mankind That this Doctrine as meeting with insuperable Difficulties cannot be admitted without very great Abatements and Allowances To these I might justly Answer That in this Case I am not concerned for their Prejudices Interest or anysuch Matters And it were much better if they were less concerned for 'um themselves for that Man that will be a Christian must not follow his particular Inclinations and Interests much less his Humours and Whimseys or any thing of like Nature but must abide by aâ—d keep close to the Constitutions of his Saviour and must cast down Imaginationâ— and every high thing that exalteâ—h it self against the Knowledge of God and briâ—g into Captivity every thought to the Obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. But because I had rather Untie the Knot then cut it I further Answer That Opinions inconsistent with the Foundation of Faith of a good Life and a just Church Government and Discipline are never to be allowed for these directly tend to the destruction of the Church or our selves or rather of both but in things of remote consequence or private and less Concernment there Vnio Voluntatum non Opinionnm is sufficient we may severally opine as we see cause provided that we severally resolve not to transgress the bounds of Charity In this Case the Apostles Advice is To forbear one another in Love Eph 4. 2. and that the strong should not despise the weak nor the weak judge the strong Rom. 14. 3. and to this purpose it is observable That no Religion or Persuasion in the World ever Canonized Humility and Self-denial for Vertues but the Christian thereby taking care at once both to moderate the Judgement and the Practice The One Teaching us to use the Apostles phrase in lowliness of Mind to Esteem others better then our selves the other not to seek our own but every Man anothers Wealth And by this means Men would not only be Restrained from Running to the utmost Bounds of what may seem lawful but be careful to learn and do what is most expedient whereby the Peace of the Church and mutual love and kindness amongst its Members would be constantly preserved Nor need our Men of Interest fear that this Doctrine will undo them For he who like Ishmael hath his Hand against every Man will most certainly have every Mans Hand against him so that there is odds in the Match that one time or other he will come by the worst on 't But he who by Christian Condescension in a Reasonable Cause denies himself obligeth many others to do him the same kindness on the like occasion whereby one favour to another procures many to himself And were this principle duely practised a man would not only be out of danger in all places but should never want that Comfort Succour and Assistance which an honest Cause and Christian Deportment can expect But suppose as indeed it is more then a Supposal that others will not do their duty herein yet he that Aims at an Heavenly Inheritance must not take the Measures of his Proceedings from those who value nothing above their worldly Interâ—st Nor ought he to think much to Meet with some Rubs in his way when the Crown of Glory he pursues exceeds all that he can imagine And let the worst be sâ—pposed that can be such a Man obligeth all that are good or grateful He enjoys the present satisfaction of a good Conscience and is so