the very ground of the question is gone Indeed here is practice contrary to profession but not profession contrary to profession and practice contrary to profession may consist with profession for they professe to know God though in works they deny him If it be replied that a scandalous life is contrary to the faith professed and so the profession appears counterfeit I crave leave to ask once more whether faith here be taken objectivè or subjectivè if objectivè for the doctrine professed or the Will of God revealed to be beleeved then it may still be affirmed that the profession of the Scripture or an outward owning of the Will and Word of God is not inconsistent with a conversation contrary thereunto then why may not such whose practice is contrary either to their profession or to the Scripture which they yet professe be received by the Church if no other reason but this be assignable If it be said that a scandalous life is contrary to the faith in sensu formali vel subjectivo and that a wicked conversation declareth that the Professor doth not believe as he professeth and is to be rejected therefore as a counterfeit Once more I demand whether this faith professed be considered as saving or as common if as saving then Mr. Wood his cause is yeelded who is now opposing Reverend Master Baxter with this assertion that wicked men are not to be rejected formally because their wickednesse is a signe of unregeneracy but materially because it is contrary to the profession of the faith if as common or as other historical or dogmatical then though I grant that all those whose wickednesse is such as cannot consist with a real common or historical faith ought not to be admitted yet I deny the hypothesis that all wickednesse is such as is inconsistent with such a real common faith that common faith is in its kinde a true faith and that this true common faith is consistent with a wicked heart and life are two Propositions as little doubted by most Divines as much confirmed by sad experience and largely discoursed in the Treatise following Sunt in eo coetu viz. ecclesiae visibilis multi electi alii non Sancti sed tamen de verâ doctrinâ consentientes Phil. Melanct. part Sept. p. 33. Others may have leave to think that such scandalous persons ought not to be admitted into the Church because of the scandal that would come to Religion thereby and because that in this sense scandal is contrary to the profession of the faith the Church thus drawing a blot and disparagement upon her selfe as if she was ready to open her bosome to any vile unclean unreformed persons and truely I humbly conceive there is very much in this for if the Church ought to have a care that those already within cause not the wayes of God to be evil spoken of why ought she not to have the like care touching those she is about to let in or why should those be admitted into the community that now appear to be such as are presently to be cast out of communion but I presume this is not all For 3. From the premises it seemes at least probable to me that the Church is to have some kinde of respect unto the saving condition of the person she is about to admit into communion though I donbt not to assert with our brethren N. E. and Reverend Master Baxter that a sober and humble profession of faith and repentance with a desire of Baptisme is as much evidence of this saving condition as the Church is bound to expect without any farther positive proofs of conversion 4. Yet I humbly conceive that more then a bare outward profession is requisite to give real interest in the visible Church and the previledges thereof before God though no more is requisite to give visible interest before men and that there is sufficient ground for the trite distinction of right here Coram Deo ecclâ—sia for the Churches judgement of mens right must passe with her administrations upon visible or appearing signes by their outward profession but Gods upon real for the visible Church is really a Church with God as well as the invisible though the Church is bound to believe a profession that is made upon designe as the Jews at New Castle was yet God knows his wickednesse and count him a dogg eating the childrens bread out of the hand of Church deceived by his falsnesse but not erring because profession is her onely rule in the case If it be demanded what is more required besides profession to give real interest in the visible Church I Multi enim sunt non renaâ—i vel hypocritae consentientes tamen de doctrina ritibus extcrnis sen est coetus consentientium de doctrina habens multa membra mortua sen non regeneratos Maâ— 7. 21. Mat. 13. 24. par in Urs cat 343. have at large answered in the Treatise that in Adult persons about to be admitted a real actual and not fained consent but in persons borne in the Church and baptised in their Infancy and now at the adult estate a non-dissent a not dissenting from or a not rejecting of the truth and wayes of the Lord at least for all that are of the visible Church must be one of these ways either negatively or positively consentientes to true doctrine as Melancton before as wel as outward professors of it 4. Yet I must still hold my maine Proposition till I see more reason to let it go that unregenerate persons once received into the Church are notwithstanding their unregeneracy or their want of evidences of saving grace really or truely members of the visible Church till they cut themselves off by Heresie Schisme or the perfection of both Apostasie or at least are cast out by Church-censure what reasons what authorities from the Scriptures and the Church I shew for it and what absurdities I alledge against the contrary opinion must be left to your censure in the reading of the Treatise Onely that it may passe here a little the more freely I cannot but adde the remembrance of one or two late most eminent and full Testimonies Mr. Hooker of New England saith Survey of Church discipline p. 36. that externally those are within the Covenant and consequently the Church who expressing their repentance with their profession of the truth engage themselves to walk in the wayes of God and the truth of his worship though they have not for the present that sound work of faith in their hearts and may be never shall have it wrought by Gods Spirit in them Master Norton also a Minister of N. E. to this very question whether truth Against Apol. p. 3. of grace be required to visible Church-membership answereth one may be admitted into the Church-communion of the external or visible Church that is not endowed with the real inward holinesse of regeneration and justifying faith in Christ or that upon a strict examination shall not give signes of true faith and
it is a genus or a compositum of Heresie and Schisme 203 204 The onely ebjection Artificially framed against my main conclusion answered 105 c. Augustines judgement about the point discovered 151 152 Authour of the Church viz. God may be so considered without the bestowing of saving grace p. 43. Amesius asserts both the Catholick and particular Church to be integral p. 6. his difference 'twixt ecclesia in genere and ecclesia Catholica 5 B Baptisme the right of some gracelesse parents children p. 212 213. as also of the openly profane p. 213 to 217. as also of the excommunicate and such as receive not the Supper 217. Baptisme enters into some kinde of right unto all other Ordinances proved 257 258 259 Beleeving is Virtual Actual p. 29 30 Bound some are passively whom they do not actively binde themselves 97. The Brownists held that saving grace was essential to the visible Church which our Church adjudged an error in them 156 157 The Brownist objection against our Churches answered p. 208 209 210 C What Censures are 284 Censure are two Admonition and Excommunication 285 Before Censures are past we may not account the scandalous to be without 289 290 We are bound to proceed against the scandalous in a way of Censure 291 292 Members are froward to censure 292 The great hindrance of reformation 293 The Called and the Church are of equal latitude The Elect are members of the Church onely as called 36 Some non-Elect yet called in Christs account 36 and 38 Calling is Active direct Passive reflex Partialis this Totalis 65 How the common call is effectual with an Apology for the terme 36 37 38 The common call a true call proved 38 The Causes of the Church have no necessary respect to saving grace 42 c. The summe of the Argument from the causes 97 The Church is an individual integrum p. 4. and totum aggregativum The Churches being consisteth not in consideration onely 20 The onely true Church the reformed sense about it 105 c. The excommunicate are of the Church and have both habitual and actual communion with it 194 Communion in Ordinances fitter to define the Church by then personal qualifications 87 to 92. shewn by seven considerations Community yet more necessary 93 94 95 96. proved by six Reasons Conference why desired with all our people 279. and why before the Sacrament rather then at any other time 280. why not before every administration 280 Consent is given by seeming dissenters that the command to receive is mediate 236 237 Consent how far necessary to ones being in Covenant 187 Consent negative keeps men in Covenant 188 What is constitutive of visible membership Mr. Cottons and Mr. Hudsons answer to this considered The Covenant of the Church considered 96 97 98. little reason to dispute much about it 98 Covenant is implicite or actual an actual Covenant is mental or vâ—cal called expresse 98 Knowledge dark and general consistent with being in Covenant 188 189 Church is taken strictly largely the Church largely taken is so comparative and absolute by the Reformed Divines 109 111 Confirmation not used as a new admission into the Church 138 Ours are true Churches and rightly constitute 204 c. In what Court is self-examination to be held Our Churches are made up of three sorts of people a middle and two extreams 296 D Denying the Supper to some the negative and positive grounds of it 259 to 271 Definitions of the visible Church given us by the reformed Divines take not in saving grace 100 c. One definition may be given to the Church as largely taken and another as strictly taken and yet there may be but one Church 116 117 118 Divorce is given by God to men either mediately or immediately and both two wayes 196 197 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 1 Cor. 11. 28. largely examined 241 to 249 Dogmatical faith meerly is not sufficient to entitle to membership 118 Dogmatical faith is the proper principle of profession of faith yet none ever really professed the Doctrine of faith but he hath something of an Applicative faith common or saving 62 We may not proceed against wicked members but by discipline 283 E Ecclesia aequivoca shut out of this controversie 21 22 The Efficient of the visible Church may be considered without respect to saving grace 42 c. The proper end of the Visible Church is cultus gloriae Dei and is attainably without saving grace 46 47 48 49 Evidence of Church-membership what giveth it to others 181 182 226 Evidence of saving grace not necessary upon the examining our selves to warrant our coming to the Supper proved 245 to 249 The Excommunicate are members more then potentia or conditionaliter 192. they have both habitual and actual coÌ„munion with the Church 194 They may be known to be Church-members 182 183 Self-Examination what it is not p. 240 241. What it is p. 241 In what court it is held p. 242 243 244 245. What is the necessary issue of it p. 246 247 248 Who are to be judged not to examine themselves 268 269 270 Saving grace not of the Essence yet of the excellency of the visible Church 32 33 F Faith is True and saving True and not saving p. 28 Faith true and not saving proved 81 to 86 Faith is Virtual Actual p. 29 Some do not actually beleeve others renounce the faith 29 30 Some do formally and some onely by consequence deny the faith 31 32 Faith is Relative Qualitative p. 83 Relative or foederal faith is seated in the childe and not in the parent 83 84 The visible Church hath a real constitutive form not depending upon saving grace 65 1. This forme is not external vocation 65 66. 2. Nor external profession pag 66 67 3. Nor faith 70 But community respecting communion in Gods worship 70 to 74 That which partakes of the accidental Forme of any thing must needs partake also of the essential forme of that thing 68 69 G God himself is pleased to give many titles to wicked men equivalent to Church-member 126 to 133 God the Authour of the Church may be considered to be so without the bestowing of saving grace 43 44 H Heresie cutteth off from the Church and when 198 199 200 Heresie how it differs from Apostasie 200 201 Hildershams Reasons pretended against the Baptizing of the children of wicked men examined and he found to hold that such children have a right to baptism 214 215 216 The Head of the visible Church viz. Christ may be considered to be such without respect to saving influence proved 45 c. and explained and Objections to it answered 51 52 53 54 Hypocrite what he is 32 We may not say that wicked men are hypocrites further then they are so 33 No Hypocrite as such can be a member of the Church either visible and invisible 33 Holinesse of life is a separable accidental note of a true visible Church 78 Foederal holinesse
notwithstanding ignorance or wickednesse of heart and life doth proceed into and continue men members of the visible Church even in the adult estate 135 136 c. I Idolatry how consistent with a true Church 202 Jewes Abrahams seed and yet the Devils children 1. How 142 143 144 The Jewe outwardly what 144 145 Individuum and integrum the Church is both 4 5 1 John 2. 19. Examined 148 to 151 The ignorant how to be discovered 364 No one means absolutely necessary 36 Ignorance not inconsistent with Church-membership proved 184 185. Objections answered 185 c. Infants what constitutes their Church-membership 173 Infants borne members not de jure onely but de facto and sealed such by baptisme 175 Infants perfectly members though not perfect members proved p. 175 176 Infants may be known to be members 182 Infants right in the Church seated in themselves and not in their parents explained and proved p. 185 186 187 K Knowledge not necessary to membership 184 185 186 Knowledge dark and generall is sufficient for such consent as is necessary to keep adult persons in Covenant 188 189 L The largest acceptation not alwayes the lesse proper 111 M Matter of the visible Church both in its parts and subject may be considered without respect to saving grace 60 c. Meanes necessary to the attaining the end is allowed by the text which commands the end 277 No one Meanes of discovering the ignorant absolutely necessary 278 The matter of the visible Church as Professors of the faith not properly the grace but the doctrine 61 The Church is denominated visible and invisible from its Members p. 5 6 The Moral Law is to be applied to Gospel worship by two Rules 230 231. N Niddui whether persons under it might come into to the Temple or Synagogue 195 The one onely true Note of the true Church is the truth of the Word to which truth of Sacraments is inseparably annezed 76 O Outward calling hath inward effects the reason why said to be outward 85 The Jew outwardly what 144 The onely considerable Objection artificially framed against my maine conclusion largely answered 105 c. Objections against particular arguments See the Arguments Objections from Scripture are subjoyned to Scripture Arguments So are Objections from humane Testimony P A Particular Church without any savingly beleeving in it is at least ens reale potentia and for ought we know actum 26 27 Excommunicate persons members more then potentia 192 Ecclesiastical power wherein it consists 't is separable from a true Church 77 Power of the Church to deny the Sament to the ignorant not founded on reason prudence mutual confederation or on Matth. 7. 6. or 1 Cor. 5. but in our ministerial authority given us for edification largely proved 272 to 277 The great prohibition of unworthy receivers is 1 Corinth 11. 28. p. 237 to 240. Preaching how farre necessary to the first constitution of true Churches 208 to 212 Ecclesia presumptiva shut out of the Controversie 21 Preparations to duties are either meerly such as preparations to prayer c. or also conditions without which the duty is not to be done such is self-examination before the Sacrament 233 Preparations are necessary to hearing ad bene esse i. e. utiliter esse to the Sacrament ad bene esse i. e. honeste vel legaliter esse largely explained 334 Profession is properly of fides quae not qua proved 61 62 Profession of the true faith the chiefest note of a true Church 74. This is personal and so a note of a true member or ecclesiastical and so a note of the Church 75 What Ames by profession as a note 75 76 Profession of faith as a note of the true Church is not to be distinguish'd from the Word and Sacraments 76 Whether the visible or the invisible Church be most properly a Church largely debated p. 13. to 19. this is not a question properly betwixt us and the Papist but amongst our selves 111 The Protestant judgement is that saving grace is not of essence of the visible Church or visible Church-membership p. 153 to 157. further proved to be so by seven Arguments 158 to 165 Q Argument from the quality of the Church 80 81 82 The Question analised and and stated chap. 1 c. R Whether if none are to receive but the worthy the Sacrament essentially depend upon worthinesse Reasons for the negative 231 232 233 All kinde of right will not infer present possession several distinctions of right 251 252 253. the distinction of right into its first and second act grounded on the Laws of Reason Nations Scripture Churches 254 255 The Church of Rome and the reformed Churches differ rather about the truth of the invisible Church then about the nature of the visible Church 118 119 The reformed Divines true meaning of the onely true Church largely examined 105 to 120 The respect we owe to saving grace in the consideration of the visible Church 30 c. The reformed Divines give definitions specifically differing to the Church as strictly and as largely taken yet held but one Church 117 118 119 140 Schisme from Rome destroyed not our Churches 206 S Saving grace what respect we owe to it in the consideration of the visible Church 33 c. 't is not of the essence but of the excellency of the visible Church 36 Sardis acknowledged to be a Church though said to be dead 146 There are in the Church such as Seeme and are not Are and seem not Are and seem and are not seen Are seem and are seen also 31 The same persons in divers respects seem to be what they are and what they are not 32 Schism cutteth off from the Church and when 200 201 Schism from Rome hath not destroyed our Churches 206 The Supper is immediately forbidden to some Church-members therefore but mediately required of all proved by many arguments 219 c. Objections hereunto answered 225 c. The grounds of denying the Supper to some Church members largely examined 259 to 271 Self-examination is the great condition of a private persons coming to the Supper 237 c. Who may be suspected of ignorance 278 279 None but the suspected may be tried 277 Suspension for scandal 't is excommunication in part 287 288 289 Awicked man not excused from though not permitted to receive the Supper If he receive not he sins twice if he do receive he sins thrice 226 T Temporary faith is that faith whereby we profess the true Religion nor savingly 62. 't is true faith through not saving 84 85 Titles equivalent to Church-member given by God in Scripture to wicked men in number twenty three 126 to 134 Truth as applicable to the Church is genere entis vel genere moris 19. the usual distinction of a true Church and truly a Church questiond 20. the Chur. is true respectu naturali vel entitatis moralis i. e. vel status vel finis 107 vel simpliciter vel secundum
quid 108 the truth of the Church consisteth not in consideration only 20 Mr. Timpsons abuse of Mr. Humphrys distinction of do not and cannot examine our selves and his own distinction of natural and rational incapacity c. examined 239 Truth of Word and Sacraments is the one only true note of the true Church 77 V Visibility opposed to reality and to invisibility 2. but given to the Church in the question as opposed to invisibility onely and not reality and that by a metaphor 2 3 To assert a visible Church doth not suppose a Church invisible 3 4. three exceptions against the distinction of the Church into visible and invisible 10 11 Visible Church most properly the Church of Christ argued p. 12 to 19. though the stresse of the controversie resteth not here 18 The grounds of the distinction of the Church into visible and invisible enquired for 8 'T is not properly distinctio but discrimen inter totum partem 9 10 W God calls and ownes a wicked people for his p. 120 c. and giveth many titles equivalent to Church-members to wicked men 126 to 134 Wicked men not excused from though not permitted to receive the Supper as Church-members they are obliged as wicked they are prohibited if they receive not they sin twice if they do receive they sin thrice 226 We may proceed against wicked members but by discipline 373. viz. first admonition and then excommunication ibid. Truth of the Word revealed and communicated is the onely true note of the true Church to which truth of Sacraments are inseparably annexed 76 The World is the terme from which the Church is called 40 41. this may be considered without respect to saving grace 40 The Reader is desired to excuse some litteral errors not noted and to correct these following BEfore the Epistle to the Ministers and over the head of it for Dedicatory read Presatory Ep. â— 7. l. antipen penitent r. pertinent Book Pag. 7. Line 1. for constitue and by read constitute by p 9. l 5. Church visible r was visible and l 22 p 10 l 24 other r. otherwise p 22 l 4 longer r. larger p 25. l 27 word r. work p 28. l. 20. object beleeving r. beleeved and l. ult on r. or and l 20. passions r. professions p 31. l 25. none visi r. non visi and l 30 add onely to after not p 37. l. ult câ—lled r. calling and l. 18. add God before doth p 46 l 20. leave r. have p. 59 l. 19 we r. who p. 60 l. 18 add Church after visible p. 61 l. 8 blot out should p. 65 l 11. add Church after visible p. 69 blot out from these to same in l. 7 8 9 10 p 78 l. 14 blot out not and add grace after the first saving p 80 l. 7 definition r. definitum p. 82 l 17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and l. penult add Faith after in the p. 86 l. 22 and r. as p 105 l. 28. visible r. true p. 107 l ansep thought r. though p. 111. l. 25. their r. this p. 122. l. 18. change r. charge and add this before for p. 140. l. 3. add ouâ— after with p. 209. l. 5. Rable r. rubble and l. 9. the first for r. forth p 217 l. 11. add not before upon p. 267 l. 12. or r. but p. 289 l. 25. deserve r. desire for Mr. Morris always r. Mr. Morrice Note that by Copula in the Analisis of the question is not intended for an exact Logical Copula but onely that which fitly serves to joyn the subject and the main thing questioned together in the question and if the Reader would be more accurate he may take may be considered in to the predicate questioned and if he had rather the words abstractly and concrâ—â—â—â—â— p. 2 l. 15 16. may change places though as it is it best liketh the Authour Quest Whether the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace CHAP. I. Of the subject of the question the visible Church SECT I. The Analasis of the question WE must have leave to speak something largely of the termes before we venture to resolve this intricate and famous question The termes are three First the subject of the question Secondly the predicate questioned Thirdly the copula or that which joyneth the subject and the predicate in this question together The subject of the question is the visible Church the predicate questioned is contained in the words truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace wherein we may further observe the thing which is more directly questioned in these words truely a Church of Christ together with the condition or limitation thereof in the words annex'd without respect to saving grace Lastly that which coupleth this predicate questioned with this subject of the question is to be noted in the words may be considered to be c. SECT II. Visibility explained and distinguished The subject of the question then is the Church as it is specified with the quality of visiblensse for we do not consider it here in any other capacity either an entitive or organical as catholick or institute as universal-visible or particular-visible nor yet abstractly as a Church or concretely as visible but in a conjunct compounded and united sense as it is the visible Church or the Church which is visible For the better opening of this terme three things may be undertaken First to explaine the attribute visible Secondly to apply it to the Church and then to make my Notion of this visible Church as plain as I can so far as may concern the question in general To begin with the first Visibility seemeth familiarly to be used Visible is 1. that which seemeth what it is not in two distinct significations 1. Visibility is somtimes taken for that â—ffection of a thing wheâ—by the thing seemeth to be what indeed it is not as one that seemeth to be a sincere member of Christ when in truth he is not so may yet be said to be so visibly or as we more ordinarily use to say to seeme to be so Thus Visibility stands opposed to Reality 2. Visibility is also sometimes taken for that affection of a thing 2. What it is whereby the thing seemeth to be what indeed it is and shewes it self ad extra to be such Now here visible is nothing else but that which may be seen Whether it be actually visum seen or not as a regenerate person evidencing the truth of his grace by a sound profession is truely said to be so visibly i. e. appearingly or a visible Saint Thus visible stands opposed not to real but to invisible that is that which may not or cannot be seen a man is said to be visible not because he seems to be a man and is not but because he may be seene thus likewise God is said to be invisible not because he is
that work There is a True saving faith Distinct 1 True faith not saving This distinction may be grounded on those words of Bolton Boltons deceit of the heart p. 73. Vid. p. 94 ad p. p. 100. in this Treatise of common faith they have indeed saith he speaking of temporary beleevers true faith in their kinde namely a joyful assent to the truths of the Gospel but not the justifying faith of the Elect which they think they have Neither did I ever know any Writer of note to deny the temporary common or hystorical to be a true faith in its kinde therefore when we read our Divines asserting the saving or justifying Mark saith Mr. Perkins here is a true saith wrought by the holy Ghost yet not saving faith Epist to his declaration of a mans estate faith to be the onely true faith we are I humbly conceive to understand them cautiously as meaning not to exclude the other common faith from being true also in its kinde but not true to its full profession as to justifie and save to which this kind of common faith doth also pretend To apply I conceive the true saving faith is the necessary condition of the Church of the elect but onely of the excellency and not of the essence of the called or the visible Church This true faith doth respect the Subject beleeving Distinct 2 Object beleeving 1. When men do truely beleeve what they professe their faith is said to be true subjectively 2. When men do beleeve that which is truth their faith is said to be true objectively therefore the Gospel is called the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ viz. is sensu objectivo The first may be termed fides formalis and stands opposed to hypocrisie the last fides objectiva and stand opposed to Heresie The last viz. a beleeving the truth is necessary to the Churches being a Church of Christ and the first viz. a beleeving truely to its being truely so and therefore both necessary to render the visible Church truely a Church of Christ For though she should beleeve never so truely any thing else but God and Christ c. this its faith not fixed on God or Christ for its object could never constitute a Church of God on Christ Again though the Church should professe all faith and truth with the greatest shew imaginable if she do not truly beleeve what she thus professeth i. e. with a common or historical faith she would onely seem to men that which indeed God knows she is not viz. truely a Church of Christ We must consider of the Church In general In some particular members and of their truely beleeving Distinct 3 Actually Virtually Accordingly I adde that a truely beleeving actually is necessarily required to the true being of the visible Church in general she being the pillar and ground of truth unlesse some of her members did actually know beleeve and maintain the truth I can hardly imagine how she could be called a true visible Church of Christ Yet I doubt not but that a virtual beleeving which in a great measure may bethought to consist in our relation to our parents and the Church who do actually beleeve and in that good profession to which we are borne and which we still own as far as we are capable is sufficient to render very many particular members truely members of the visible Church which to deny is to shut the Church doore upon all our children and all that are ignorant seeing knowledge is necessary to actuall beleeving Whose right in the Church I shall yet largely defend hereafter But farther There are which Do onely not actually beleeve Distinct 4 Deny or renounce the faith Such as do onely not actually beleeve as children idiots c. may doubtlesse be members of the visible Church but I deny this priviledge to all that deny or renounce the faith advisedly and in fundamentals as one not onely condemned of God the Church but also of himself and if by profession upon designe he deceiveth men he getteth onely the name and nothing at all of thing or truth of a Church member and though men who can onely judge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must admit him to the Ordinances and priviledges of the Church yet he is but a dog eating the childrens bread to which he onely seemeth to have a right but indeed and truely have none Therefore I grant that men may not onely live within the bounds of the Church but may also proceed to make profession of the faith and seeme to be members of the visible Church and yet be no members truely thereof viz. when it is in pretence or designe as aforesaid and the subject of such a profession deny or renounce the faith if not with their mouth yet in the purpose and intent of their hearts Yet some do Formally and directly deny the faith Distinct 5 Consequently and undirectly onely Such as do directly and formally deny the faith or Christ are those which in the opinion of their minde do immediately hold quite contrary thereunto or in the rebellious action of their wills do directly reject and defie the same and both these are persons that whatsoever their passions be cannot be allowed to be truely members of the Church of Christ as more at large hereafter Because of that weakness which the Phylosopher neteth in mens capacities when he saith that the common sort cannot see things which follow in in reason an Heretick may directly grant and yet consequently deny the foundation of faith Hookers eccles pol. p. 515. Tit. 1. 16. But there are others that may be said to deny the faith or Christ though not so directly yet by consequence and indirectly and that either in opinion or practice in opinion which as it is possible though in it selfe it seeme to have no great danger in it yet it draws in the consequences of it some great errour in fundamentals as the opinion of the necessity of being circumcised in the primitive times did in the consequence of it deny Christ to be come in the flesh in practice which the Apostle affirmes when speaking of wicked men he saith They professe they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient i. e. though they did not deny God to be God or reject him as their God in a direct and proper sense yet they did as those do that do not know or own him and by consequence they did deny him though they directly professed him and professed to know and own him as profane professors use to do in every age Now I humbly conceive that neither of these two latter branches are by such a denial of the faith or of God presently cut off from the Church thereby or thereby declared to be truely no Church-members for as it would seem a hard censure to reckon Aliud est fidem violare aliud abjurare ab râ—nunciare such as deny the faith onely in the consequence of
their opinions with those that directly and in very termes renounce it so neither savours it of much charity or indeed justice that wicked men that directly professe the faith both vocally with their mouth and really by attending on the Ordinances of God be equally condemned with Apostates and Hereticks that rase the very foundation of all religion though in works they deny him Therefore such as stand baptized into the faith of Christ and yet remaine in visible Communion with the Church and do not renounce the faith of Christ either with their mouths or in the intent and purpose of their hearts cannot onely by their disobedience or wicked lives as I shall anon labour to prove unchurch themselves or declare themselves as some would rather say to be no true members of the visible Church There are in the Church such as 1. Seem and are not 2. Are and seem not 3. Are and seeme and Distinct 6 are none visi not seen 4. Are and seem and are seene also He that is and seemes not is a David in desertion he that seemes and is not is a Judas betraying with a kisse he that is and seemes and is not seen is a Saint in a cave he that is and seems and is seen also is I presume not onely the man savingly qualified professing the same before men but our ordinary professour and Church-member that usually attends upon visible communion with the Church though wanting saving grace The same persons in divers respects may seem to be what They are Distinct. 7 They are not Or the same persons may be said in one respect to be hypocrites and in another respect true beleevers so that though we are wont to condemn all for hypocrites that professe Religion without real holinesse yet I suppose I shall not erre if I say we ought to do it not without caution and limitation I confesse that if not all that thus professe Religion without saving grace yet most of them are hypocrites in that they pretend if not seem to be what they are not viz. savingly qualified and I humbly offer whether it be not in this sense that Divines generally charge such professours as have no saving grace with the sin of Hypocrisie even because they pretend to have that Mr. Perkins speaking of temporary beleevers on Luk. 8. 13. saith these though they are not sound yet they are void of that grosse kind of hypocrisie Their mindes are enlightned their hearts are endued with such faith as may bring forth these fruits for a time and therefore herein they dissemble not but rather shew that which they have His Ep. to the Reader before his Treatise tending unto a declaration of a mans estate grace and interest in Christ or as they would say in the true mysticall invisible Church which indeed they have not But let us seriously consider can either they or we with any colour of reason or justice adjudge men to be hypocrites farther then they are so or for professing themselves to be what indeed they are though also they should professe themselves to be what they are not may not men be so far illightened as to know and beleeve the Scriptures really and yet not be so far sanctified as to believe effectually to salvation and may he not professe this faith which he truely hath though he also professe and pretend to more and is he not a true beleever and a true professour so far as he hath though false and hypocritical in professing more and to be accounted a true Beleever as to the Church visible though a hypocrite as to the Church invisible A hypocrite is one that pretendeth or seemeth to be what he is not but when men that have no saving grace pretend or seeme to be visible Church-members relatively holy Gods Covenant-people common believers c. they pretend and seeme to be what in truth they are therefore thus farre they are no hypocrites but true beleevers so far as they truely beleeve and true men so far as they professe But what they thus truely believe and what they truely are The devil is an hypocrite while he professeth himself an Angel of light but when he acknowledgeth what he truely believeth that there is a God and that he is a fearful avenger of wicked spirits and that Christ is the Sonne of God c. in this the devil is no hypocrite so what is good in wicked men is still good and what is true in them is still true notwithstanding all the evil and falshood that they are guilty of Their hypocrisie in one respect cannot destroy their reality and truth in any other In a word a hypocrite as such cannot possibly be truely a member of any Church whether it be visible or invisible for that which is false as such can never be true so he that pretends to saving grace and interest in the Church invisible if his pretence to that saving grace be false his interest in this invisible Church cannot be true and likewise he that pretends to the common faith and yet doth really renounce it cannot possibly be a true member of the visible Church yet one that is an hypocrite as to the Church invisible may in another sense be a true beleever and have a real interest in the visible Church accordingly CHAP. IV. Arg. 1. From the Etymology or the Name of the Church HItherto of the Termes of the question and the sense thereof by what I have already intimated I am bound to adhere unto the affirmative part which turneth it selfe into this Thesis The visibly Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace Thus I shall now proceed as the Lord shall assist me to prove from these five considerable places or heads of Argument viz. the Etymology of the Church visible Causes of the Church visible Definition of the Church visible Testimony on my side Absurdity on the contrary First then as method requires we shall set down the Etymology of the Church and argue from it The name or word signifying Church in the Greek original which is generally allowed to be argued from is known to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which primitively derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and more immediately from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contained in it both Calling and calling out a right improvement of each of these I presume wil help us with its Argument SECT I. My first Argument then ariseth from the calling that we find Arg. 1 included in the name and is indeed inseparable from the nature Primum illud quod actu eccle siam constituit est vocatio unde nomen definitionem suam accepit ecclesia enim est coetus hominum vocatorum Med. 161 162 Inter Orthodoxos qui ecclesiam definium coetum electorum vel per electos intelligunt secundum electionem vocatos vel non ecclesiam quae actu existit Medul 161 of the Church thus Arg. 1. The Church
give assent 3. they give assent to the Covenant of Grace 4. They are perswaded in a general maÌ„ner that God will perform his promises to the members of his Church Ep. to his declar of a man estate And ads Mark here is a true faith wrought by the holy Ghost yet not saving faith either First that the calling whereby men are brought to leave the world to renounce Idols to embrace the true religion Hystorically to believe the Gospel to see a necessity of depending on Christ repentance and obedience to salvation are no real works but this would be against common sense for we see the contrary with our eyes Or secondly that these common works are also saving works but this would be against experience which sadly tells us that men may go so farre and yet no further in the way to heaven or else against the doctrine of perseverance Or Thirdly that these common graces do not really constitute a visible Church but this would be against what we have formerly proved Or Fourthly and lastly that God is not the worker of these common effects by his Word which would indeed be against Religion I shall therefore conclude this Argument with those known and pertinent words of Amesius hence saith he even visible Hinc ecclesiae etiam visibiles particulares ratione fidei quam profiteutur rect è dicun tur esse in Deo paTre in domino Jesu Christo 1 Thes 1. 1. 2 Thes 1. 1. Medul p. 168. and particular Churches by reason of the faith which they professe as also I might adde by reason of the grace which they have received from God are rightly said to be in God he doth not say ratione fidei qua but ratione fidei quam profitentur that being the faith of God which they professe through the work of the common grace of God upon them they are rectè or truely said to be in God without any further consideration of any saving grace by which they believe received from him CHAP. VII The Argument from Christ as the head of the visible Church THe second Argument from the efficient is taken from Christ as the cause efficient of the visible Church according to dispensation or as he is the head thereof Thus Christ may be considered to be truely the head of the visible Church without respect to saving influence therefore the visible Church may be considered to be truely his body without respect to saving grace The reason of the connexion here is most evident but I must needs confesse that the antecedent requires as well a modest inquisition as strong demonstration seeing it is easily noted to crosse many plain expressions of eminent Divines In this antecedent there are two distinct branches First that Christ is the head of the visible Church this passeth Secondly that he may be so considered without necessary respect to saving influence this is my task which I shall humbly undertake after I have gotten a faire understanding with my reader therein For I desire it may be heeded that I do not affirm that Jesus Christ doth performe the office of a head fully without saving influence but as it is expressed truely i. e. in some measure truely 2. It may be also observed that truely here stands not in opposition to mystically but to falsly or to seemingly onely for though our Divines do usually mean by the mystical body the Church invisible yet doubtlesse Master Cotton as is well noted of him by others also doth not speak improperly when he termes a particular visible Church a mysticall body and if that be granted the visible Church though not particular may also challenge the same title and if the visible Church be granted to be the mystical body of Christ then Christ may be said to be its mystical head Besides if Christ be indeed the head of the visible Church as none do doubt and if he be not the head thereof as it is Physically or Mathematically taken which none will affirme who can deny but that he is so Mystically 3. Further may it be noted that it is not said that Christ doth performe the office of an head to the Church truely without saving influence in any other consideration but as it is the visible Church for if any will assert a Church invisible I am not bound at all to follow him and say that this Church invisible also hath true influence from its head Christ which is not saving a thing not to be imagined 4. Lastly neither do I offer to say that Christ is the head of his body visible without saving influence but that he may be so considered without respect thereunto seeing there are influences not saving which yet descend from Christ as the head upon his body the Church and upon many of the members thereof that shall never be saved and this is enough for my present purpose because in whatsoever sense Christ may be said to leave the influence of a head upon his Church the Church may in the same sense be said to be his body and if it shall truely be made to appear that Christ doth really performe the office of the head when he doth not give saving grace it will thence easily follow of it selfe that the Church may be consideâ—ed to be truely his body without respect thereunto Now that Christ may be considered to be thus truely the head of the visible Church without respect to saving grace I think appeareth thus Arg. 1. Christ truely dispenseth gifts and graces not saving to the visible Church and to many particular members thereof Arg. 1 that shall never be saved as he is a head therefore he may be considered to be truely the head of the visible Church without respect to saving influence The Antecedent which is alone to be proved hath three parts 1. That Christ doth truely dispense gifts and graces not saving to the visible Church which none that know what the gifts of prayer preaching healing c. or what the graces of illumination conviction common faith and common love are will offer to deny 2. That Christ bestoweth these both gifts and graces upon some particular members of the visible Church which shall never be saved this also will be easily granted me 1. Concerngifts in Judas and in those that are reserved to cry out another day we have prophecied in thy Name and in thy Name we have Mat. 7. 22 cast out devils and Secondly concerning graces if we but once shall think upon that sad catalogue the Apostle recordeth Heb. 6 4 5 6. 3. That Christ bestoweth these gifts and graces not saving Profession of saith before a visible Church uniteth to Christ as head of the visible Church whether the person be sincere or no cobbet of Inf. Bapt. p. 57. as a head which is also very evident 1. Because they are gifts and graces abound in the Church alone 2. Because they are conveyed to the Church by the dispensation of Ordinances which
can judge onely according to appearance in his visible worship saving grace is an invisible thing then what necessary use can there be thereof in such visible effects as may be done without it and such as in their present consideration respect only such creatures as cannot discern things invisible I grant that saving conversion of visible Church-members is one great end of the visible Church and that therefore the promises of first grace do most especially belong unto them but this if well heeded rather helps then hinders my designe for it evidently supposeth the visible Church and visible Church membership to have its being before his conversion or saving grace of Finis est postorior medio in executione which the visible Church is said to be a means for the Rule is that the end is after the means in execution CHAP. IX The Argument from the Matter of the visible Church HItherto of the external causes of the visible Church and the Arguments thence arising let us now consider the causes thereof remaining which are called internal viz. the matter and forme From matter of the visible Church in general I argue thus The visible Church may be considered truely to have the matter of the Church of Christ without respect to saving grace Therefore to be truely a Church of Christ without respect thereunto This consequence simply taken I confesse is not so warrantable because the matter doth prae-exist before and remaine sometimes after the forme yet take it respectively to the forme afterwards to be maintained and to the question in controversie which is chiefly concerning the matter of the Church and especially to the opinion of my present Opponents we readily affirm that all the question is about the matter of the Church that if this be fained so is our Church and if this be real so is our Church and I doubt not but it will passe without interruption However the thing that I am dispatching doth not engage me for the consequence though the other causes have been found so pregnant as to bear such a particular improvement onely to assigne and maintain to the visible Church all its causes and therefore its existence truely so in our consideration without respect to saving grace which I presume hath been done already as to the Authour the Head and the End of the Church to which I now proceed to add the matter thereof affirming as before in the antecedent that the visible Church may be considered to have the true matter of the Church of Christ without respect to saving grace The matter of the Church habet rationem Partium Subjecti 1. The matter of the visible Church having the reason of the parts is the Ministers and the people the pastors and the flock ecclesia utens and ecclesia docens as some speak and as we read 1 Cor. 12. both making up the compositum the Church and this Church must needs be the visible Church for there are no such organical parts no Minister but Christ himself in the Church invisible Now may we consider both these parts of the matter of the Church as truely such without respect to saving grace did not Judas truely teach and do not thousands truely professe in the Church of Christ being truely called though not savingly chosen without any measure of saving grace but this will more fitly meet us in the next consideration of the matter of the Church viz. as having the reason the subject matter Next we enquire what the subject matter of the visible is and whether it also may be considered without respect to saving grace 1. What is rhen the subject matter of the visible Church Trelcatius tells us that it is all such as are called out and externally professe the faith which I think none can choose but approve of when they consider that faith is a thing invisible and therefore not any way fitted to commend the matter of the Church to us as visible and though it be granted that faith doth unite men to the Church yet it must still be yeelded that profession thereof doth render them members of the Church as visible 2. But here seeing most do consent that professors of the faith are the subject matter of the visible Church it will I presume be worth our enquirie what is meant by the faith so professed Certainly it must be either the doctrine or the grace of faith and which of these is properly or usual said to be professed 1. Is it the grace of faith which men professe certainly no for that is the faith by which and not the faith which we profess 2. How incongruous a speech would it be to say I professe that I believe while it is good and sound and relishing upon the minde of the hearer to say I professe what or that doctrine which I do beleeve 3. If the meaning was that we do professe the grace of faith then the Epithite true which Divines do generally annex to faith should be put to profession and whereas they usually speak of the profession of the true faith they should should say the true profession of the faith 4. This appeares in its contrary out of doubt for such as fall away from the faith are not said to deny their own faith but the faith or doctrine of Christ 2. Then it is doctrine of faith which we professe as members of the visible Church and if this be the note or character of the matter of the visible Church it can in the most strict and rigid sense that can possibly be put upon it onely require two things truth in the object professed and truth in the subject professing i. e. that he professe the true doctrine of faith and that he believe what he professeth i. e. that he have a good profession and that he have a good principle answering to it such a faith as such a profession doth require to make it not dissembled but true and real and thus though we do not professe the grace of faith yet the grace of faith so farre is consented to as is requisite to a true profession seeing thereby we truely beleeve what we so professe 3. Yet though this faith is supposed to be true where the matter of the Church is true the matter of the Church doth not receive its denomination of being true from the truth of this grace of faith but from the truth of its object or doctrine beleeved and accordingly professed which as also what was before asserted viz. that the doctrine of faith is the object of proper profession or the faith properly professed appears by abundant example in Scripture The Eunuch being being demanded dost thou beleeve answered not my faith is sincere but I beleeve that Jesus Acts 8. 37. is the Sonne of God The like did they Matth. 14. 33. when reproved for their unbeleef they professed saying of a truth thou art the Sonne of God John also bare record and what was it that is the Son of
God Joh. 1. 34. so Nathael professing said thou art the Son of God v. 49. But most remarkable is that eminent profession of Peter with Id est super hauc firmam confessionem tuam qua confiteris credis me esse Christum filium Dei viventis edificabo ecclesiam meam as Bucer in loc Christ his approbation annex'd to it Matth. 16. 16 18. thou art saith he Christ the Sonne of the living God to which our Saviour answers upon this rock upon this rock as some eminent expositors conceive of profession or upon this profession as upon a rock will I build my Church Christ then it seems will build his Church upon this rock of profession of the doctrine of faith and such as are built thereupon are true stones in his house and the true subject matter of his visible Church and those that require a profession of the grace of justifying faith or of saving grace as necessary to our entring the visible Church seem to lay another foundation thereof then Christ himself hath laid Therefore answerable hereunto is that of the Apostle being built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets i. e. as Bullinger teacheth upon their doctrine not their grace nor yet Eph. 2. ult our own not as if the Apostles and Prophets were the foundation of the Church in their persons yet it seems they were so in their doctrine which was indeed the doctrine of that one foundation other then which none may lay viz. Jesus Christ Therefore accordingly the true visible Church hath ever hitherto been argued and knowne by the truth of the doctrine which it hath professed and not by the truth of its graces 4. Therefore the true and proper principle of this profession is but a dogmatical faith seeing that faith which is the principle of such a profession must needs fix upon the same object with that profession Faith is termed hystorical in the Schooles that goeth no farther then to give assent and credit to the story of that which God speaketh to be true Culverwel of faith p 16. Vid. Rogers of faith p 6. and Ball of faith page 3. Temporary faith hath more then the former adding to knowledge and assent a profession of the Word yet living still in their sinneâ— in a carnal estâ—te Rogers page 7 Temporal faith is to assent to the heavenly doctrine to professe it and to glory therein the devils beleeve historically Ursin Cat. English by Par. page 134 135. we professing what we beleeve and beleeving what we professe viz. the doctrine of faith as the common sense within receiveth the same object which the outward organ of the eye or ear seeth or heareth Yet I further yeeld that there is an act of faith more then meerly dogmatical or historical that doth many times if not ever engage a man to be so beleeving to make a profession to the world of what he beleeveth for it is not the bare beleeving of such a truth that puts a man on to professe it but usually something of an applicative faith added thereto which faith also must needs be yeelded to be very farre short of a justifying faith and is termed by Divines a temporary faith 5. Againe this profession put on as farre as it is possible is but either vocal by word or real by deed I meane be attendance upon the visible administration of the Gospel and worship of Christ whom we professe in the sight of men for that other profession of a holy life is so indirect a profession and so uncertaine a character of the true visible Church as that it was yet never allowed by the Church of Christ in any age to be a necessary requisite to the matter of a true Church 6. But by the two former branches of this profession the matter of the Church receiveth the name both of professours and worshippers which latter terme of worshippers I cannot but expresse my good liking to 1. Because the proper quality use end and businesse of the visible Church in the world is cultus gloriae Dei as before viz. to worship God 2. And Christ himself assureth us that his Father under the Gospel-dispensation sought a people to serue him by this very terme namely to worship him John 4. 3. And the rule for the finding out the material cause of a thing is Cujus rei propria qualitas in aliquo composito reperitur id est hujus materia 7. But to conclude not any one or all of these do necessarily suppose that faith which justifieth or saving grace a man may Eternally those are within the Covenant who expressing their repentance with their profession of the truth though they have not the sound work of faith nor never shall Hook surv p. 36. truely beleeve and outwardly profess the doctrine of Christ and constantly attend upon the Ordinances of worship a man may be a professour of the true faith and a worshipper of Christ with outward worship and thus be truely a part of the matter of the visible Church and all this without saving grace as none can deny 8. Therefore the subject matter of the visible Church may be truely considered to be the matter of the Church of Christ without respect to saving grace 9. Yea if we speak of particular members and not of the whole I conceive that so much as is already yeelded is not absolutely necessary to the matter of the visible Church for one that is born within the Church and never yet did actually renounce his relation thereunto though he do not actually beleeve or vocally professe c. as is the very case of Children Ignorants Ideots and Mad-men I doubt not to affirme to be a real part of the matter thereof For as Reverend Master Cotton from His holinesse of Church members p. 1. New England teacheth such as are borne of Christian parents and baptized in their infancy into the fellowship of the Church are initiated members of the same Church though destitute of spiritual grace until they justly deprive themselves of the priviledge of that fellowship CHAP. X. The Argument from the forme constituent of the visible Church HAving found the viâ—â—ble Church considerable as truely such in all the rest of its causes we now proceed to examine and argue from the form thereof And if we shall be able to prove that this cause also may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace I presume that nothing can possibly intercept this our conclusiâ—n there-from viz. then the visible Church may be considered Posita forma in materia cengrua necessario fit compositum Arist formam vâ—cat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be truely such in it selfe when it hath beene found to be truely such in all its causes without respect thereunto For Forma tribuit essentiam completam câ—mpâ—sitâ— it presupposeth the matter informed by it yea it is said not onely to perfect but even to give the very being to
in an united and conjunct sense is the forme of the Church that is neither the called nor society but these both together as a company or society of the called or the faithful though then we know not as before was said where to finde the matter of the Church and that the whole definition will be taken up in the form and consequently we may not grant it yet I conceive we may safely give it for the visible Church may be as well considered to be a society of persons called conjunctively as persons called and a society without respect to saving grace 3. And although we should farther give him that which also we have before denyed to grant him viz. that that faith which is the essential forme of the Church is a saving faith yet he is pleased freely to recompense us again with with as much in affirming that persons that are onely externally called and such as onely professe as himself speaks are truely members of the Church of Christ according to the outward state thereof or as it is a visible Church which is freely acknowledged to be all that is necessarily sought in the present controversie 4. Indeed he also adds that such profession and outward calling is but the accidental form of the Church as before which assertion we conceive will hardly bear this his conclusion however this is nothing unto us We thankfully take his concession and leave the consequence to be further considered CHAP. XI The Argument from the distinguishing forme of the visible Church WE now descend to the other branch of the formal cause called distinguens vel discriminans contained in those notes or marks whereby the Church is known to be true and distinguished from a false Church Whence the Argument is this The notes or marks of a true Church may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace therefore the Church her selfe None will venture upon the consequence for if those very things viz. the notes whereby alone we take to our selves a consideration of the Churches being and truth cannot be affirmed to have any dependance upon saving grace then certainly the Church may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace The Antecedent appears by an easie induction of the notes and marks of a true Church They are either essential or accidental it is generally agreed Professio verae fidei est maxime essentialis ecclesiae nota Med. p. 171. that the essential note of the Church is profession of the true faith which as Amesius saith is maximè essentialis in the highest manner essential to the Church Now the nature of an essential mark as the Schooles teach is certo demonstrare infallibly to demonstrate the essence of that thing of which it is a mark therefore profession of the true faith doth thus certainly infallibly demonstrate the essence and nature of the true Church but now profession of the true faith may be truely considered without respect to saving grace for the true faith may be professed by a Cain a Judas a Simon Magus a Demas and those that have no share at all in saving grace and that truely to as none I think will venture to question But this profession of the true faith I humbly conceive if we speak exactly as it is a mark of the true Church must be taken ecclesiastically and not personally for there may be a private personal owning and profession of the faith where there is no formal proper and exact Church and there we cannot affirme profession of the faith an essential note of the true Church personal profession I grant is a certaine mark of a member of the Church i. e. universal and ecclesiastical profession of the Church it self This ecclesiastical profession I conceive consists in attendance upon the Ordinance of divine worship and is rather a real then a vocal profession for the end of the visible Church being properly the worship of God the note thereof is properly that which renders it serviceable to its end which is attendance upon those things which are ordained for that end the Ordinances of divine worship I confesse Amesius intends a profession of faith formally and vocally taken which he distinguisheth from the solemne preaching Professio ista in coetu aliquo potest antecedere solennem verbi praedicationem Sacramentorum administrationem Med. p. 172. 30. of the Word and administration of the Sacraments By which he either meanes a profession made by all those that are admitted into an instituted Church which cannot I conceive be proved from Scripture to be a necessary duty much lesse an essential mark of the true Church and is not very consonant with reason seeing if this be maximè essentialis nota the Church may possibly through want of occasion of admitting be many years without such an essential note the nature of which if I mistake not requires that it be more usual Besides how such a profession can be looked upon as the profession of the whole which is of some necessity for its being a mark of the whole I know not it being not made by a publick Minister but a private member yea hardly a member if the end of his confession be in order to his admission but however 't is clearly the profession of the party and a note onely of his faith and worthinesse of admission and in any sober sense can hardly be look'd on as the profession much lesse the note and least of all the essential the chiefly essential note of the whole Church as indeed we never found affirmed before by any Authentick authour in the Church of Christ and which I humbly conceive is not Ames his sense here onely I took this occasion to free him from it because I fear these words of his are made a patron of such a practise But if this be not the profession of faith which Amesius affirmeth to be the note of the Church it must needs be the set and solemn declaration of the faith by the mouth of the Church to wit the Minister which was wont to be done as he requireth before the Sermon But this I humbly conceive is not to be distinguished from the Word and Sacraments as it is maxime â—ssentialis ecclesiae nota according to Scripture reason or the judgement of most if not all that have anciently written upon this subject is not the same faith professed by the Minister in preaching and the people in hearing and by both in participating in the Sacraments or seales thereof which is read in the Creed and are not these actions as visible and as essential to the Church as the reading and hearing of the Creed or dare any say that where there is a constant and diligent attendance on the preaching of the true doctrine and lawful administration of prayers and Sacraments that there we cannot discerne a true Church without a solemne declaring of the faith in a set Creed and most of our Churches in England that have at present I know not for what cause laid aside that practice are therefore not visible true Churches Though I highly approve of such a solemn declaration of the faith if
possible in the same sound forme of words to be universally made yet I humbly conceive that this is but a prudential humane Ordinance and therefore not so necessary or so neer the essence or so essential a mark of the Church as sound doctrine and pure Sacraments both which are undoubtedly of immediate divine institution and without which the Church cannot exist Which thing Trelcatius doth thus most accurately and fully open the proper and essential note of the visible Church which flows immediately from the very forme of it is but one viz. the Nota propria essentialis ecclesiae visibilis proximeque fluens ex forma illius unica est veritas scilicet verbi Dei Revelati ac communicati cui veritas Sacramentorum tanquam connexum inseperabile conjuncta est Utriusque enim veritas ita proprium essentiale est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ecclesiae ut veritas haec ecclesia convertantur Instit Theol. p. 224. truth of the Word of God revealed and communicated to which the truth of the Sacraments is inseparably joyned for which he quotes Heb. 4. 12. John 10. 27. Matth. 28. 10. Rom. 4. 11. for as he addes the truth of both is such a proper and essential mark of the Church that this truth of both Word and Sacraments and the Church are convertible But of this I shall have more occasion in the next Chapter therefore I have onely this to do here namely to set this profession of the faith before you to consider whether it doth necessarily suppose saving grace or not in any of these senses 1. May not personal vocal profession be made without saving We are to acknowledge a Church of Christ more or lesse corrupt according to the greater or lesse abuse of Gods Word and worship Bp. Usher p. 39. his sum of Rel. grace and the truth be professed as well as beleeved where saving grace is wanting 2. May not ecclesiastical profession whether more formally by a solemn Creed read and silently consented unto by the people be also done and considered without any respect to saving grace in the declarer or consenters 3. Or that other real profession consisting in attendance upon the Ordinances of God be considered to have truth for its object both in Word and Sacraments and yet without respect to saving graces Againe the accidental notes of the Church are also generally acknowledged to be of two sorts inseparable or proper and separable or common The separable and proper notes of a true Church are said to be the pure preaching of the Word and the lawful administration of the Sacraments which are but the meanes or actions of conveyance and application of the foresaid truth of both unto the Church and so near unto the profession thereof which was said before to be the essential mark of the Church that I have already reduced it thither and need not repeat it here againe The separable notes of the Church whatsoever they be cannot conclude any thing against me because they are such I meane separable and therefore not necessary in our consideration of the being of the Church However that we leave not them onely untoucht they are usually reduced unto two heads 1. Ecclesiastical power 2. And holiness of life Ecclesiastical power hath three branches the power of Ministry the power of Order the power of Discipline all which may easily be considered without the least respect to saving grace 1. Judas may truely exercise his Ministry And 2. Outward Order may be fix'd and observed And 3. Discipline may be erected and dispensed without any necessary supposition of saving grace either in the parties so dispensing or in the objects openly scandalous on which the Discipline is dispensed as hath beene touched before and will be more fully handled hereafter I confesse holiness of life cometh neerest to shew its respect to saving grace but this also shewes as much respect to my cause as easily appeares by this concluding argument If holiness of life be separable from a true Church then saving grace is separable from a true Church for if a holy life doth not alwayes suppose saving yet saving grace doth not always produce a holy life But it is still confessed by those which write most accurately on the Church that holinesse of life is a separable accidental note which is onely necessary to the order and welfare of the Church and not to the being or truth thereof Now if saving grace be separable from a true Church then it may be considered to be truely such without respect thereunto The summe of the general Argument from the causes is this The Summe of the Argument from the causes in general All the causes of the visible Church may really exist without the work of saving grace viz. The efficient as Authour God Head Christ The end of the Glory of God on earth before men Worship The matter whether it be Professors of the faith The outwardly called Outward worshippers The form whether it be Constituting Distinguishing he forme constituting whether it be Faith Calling Society or community The form distinguishing whether it be Essential Profession of the faith or truth of word Sacraments ccidental inseperable Pure preaching of the word and administration of Sacraments Therefore the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace CHAP. XII The Argument from the definition of the visible Church first from its special quality HAving done with the causes we proceed to the definition whence we thus argue The definition of the visible Church doth not suppose saving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grace therefore the definition the visible Church it self may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace for the definition of a thing is but that whereby the nature of that thing is declared or explicated and is plainly convertible with the thing defined Now whether the definition of the visible Church be inclusive of saving grace or not may appear First from the parts thereof severally considered And Secondly by a view of such definitions of the Church as are already given us by approved Authours 1. The parts are three 1. The special quality of the visible Church 2. Or the special work and employment thereof Or lastly the state and condition wherein the Church so qualified is rendred capable of that employment First let us look upon the special quality of the visible Church which may be conceived to be either the faith calling or profession thereof Whence by some the visible Church is in short defined to be a company or society of Beleevers or a company of men called by external vocation or a company professing the Christian and true Religion where the weight and emphasis rests upon
the faithful or the called or professors of the true Religion My businesse is not to defend or to except against any of these either in their truth or fulness but to propose whether these and the like have any necessary dependance upon saving grace which to affirme I think is not without evident danger Here are two things rest upon me 1. That external calling profession of the true religion and faith have no necessary dependance upon saving grace 2. That these are true and real in their kinde as to visible membership when not saving 1. For external calling the very sound and notion thereof Efficacitas vocationis duplex una salutaris electorum proprio altera non salutaris ad vocatos communiter spectans Inst Theol. p. 114. sufficiently proves its independency upon saving grace and that as distinguished from the inward and saving calling it is true and real in its kinde and indeed effectual as Trelcatius notes I suppose is sufficiently argued before 2. Neither can any doubt but that profession of the true and Christian religion is also generally done without saving grace and for its being yet a true and real profession when not saving this depends upon the truth of the faith by which or rather from which this profession is made and which is next to be weighed 3. Therefore whereas the external calling and the profession of the faith have both been largely handled before and this common faith hath been often touched upon as againe will be frequent occasion of hereafter I shall now once for all humbly endeavour to prove that there is a faith in the members of the uisible Church which is true and real in its kind though not saving Arg. 1. This appears First from the authority Secondly from the reason of Scripture 1. From Scripture-authority thus 1. The Scripture intimates that all that are not Heathen are Beleevers 1 Cor. 7 14. as even all affirme that interpret the place against the Anabaptist for indeed the question was not Existimant reformati quod soedcralis quaedam fanctitas qua jus habent illi qui hoc modo sancti sunt ad media salutis Sacramentum Baptismi qua ab Ethnicis Turcis similibusque al iis infidelibus seperantur 1 Cor. 7. 14 Toti Nationi seu populo comunicetur cui Deus tabulas sui soederis ita imper tit easdem suscipiant profiteantur quos ad statum visibilis ecclesiae suae vocat ducit Rom. 11. 16 17 18 19 20. Blakes Seals p. 118. out of Apol. touching continuance with such as were wicked if professing religion but such as were Heathens i. e. out of the Church therefore Heathen and Infidel or no Church-member and unbeliever are synonimous Let him be to thee as a Heathen Mat. 18. is worse than an Infidel 1 Tit. 5. 8. But now there are may persons within the Church who though they are without saving grace may not be termed Heathens 1. The scandal of persons within may declare they have no saving grace yet the punishment at last to be inflicted on such is but to put them into the state of an Heathen or to deal with them as with a Heathen or a Publican therefore doubtless they were not Heathen before 2. In the place before cited a wicked Church-member is compared to an Infidel or an Unbeleever worse then an Infidel because he professeth and owneth the faith with his mouth which he denies and wounds by his ungodly life and he that is compared to an infidel is thereby concluded to be no infidel for a comparison must needs be betwixt two for it is as it were a comparison or a comparing things one with another and he that is no Infidel or unbeleever must needs be granted to be a beleever or will be enforced from 2 Cor. 6. 15. What part hath the Beleever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an infidel or one without the Church 3. Of which the Scripture giveth us a cleare instance in Simon Magus it first affirmeth that he believed and then witnesseth that he notwithstanding was in the gall of bitternesse They have indeed a true faith in their kinde but not the justifying faith of the Elect. Boultons deceit p. 73. and bond of iniquity and consequently in a state of wickedness 4. And lastly the Scripture is most plaine Luke 8. 13. in our Saviours interpretation of the stony ground which for a while beleeve but in the time of temptation fall away i. e. from that state of faith wherein they stood a while our Saviour doth not say by their falling away it appears they did not beleeve Upon this Luk 2. 13. Master Perkins notes three things 1. Their faith they are said to beleeve for a season 2. The fruits of that faith they received the Word with joy 3. Their unsoundnesse in the time of temptation they fell away Mark saith he here is a true faith yet not saving faith Epist before his declarat of a mans estate at all or shew themselves to be what indeed they were before viz. Infidels but he affirmeth they did beleeve 2. Again that this was a real faith for he saith they fell away from it they could not fall away from that which was not Lastly in the time of temptation implying that before that time they might be truely said to stand in the else the blast of temptation could not have thrown them down as also those that made shipwrack of faith are supposed 1. To have had the faith else they could not have lost it 2. To have had no saving faith for then they would not have made shipwrack of it 2. In the reason of the Scripture it is also plaine that there is a true faith which yet is not saving whether we consider it in a relative or in a qualitative sense 1. There is a relative or if any had rather a federal faith as well as holinesse allowed by all but Anabaptists upon the account of our parents Church-membership Obj. If any should reply that this faith is in the parent and not in the childe Answ I must have leave to deny it an account of which I shall give more largely hereafter in briefe here thus 1. The faith that is in the parent is a personal habitual or qualitative faith this faith that relates to the childe is foederal 2. The childe is as truely the subject of this faith which he hath by relation to his father by grace as of filiation or son-ship which he hath also by relation from his father by nature 3. Yea this faith is more firmely seated in the childe then his One sort of real holines consists in a bare relation of the people of God and depends wholly upon birth within the pale of the Church and the parents embracing the covenant Blak Scals p. 150. out of Camero filiation for this dieth with the parent that doth not which shews that the childe hath its faith as well be relation to
members of the Church but infidels but neither temporary beleevers nor foederal as before can ever from the Scripture be proved either to be infidels or savingly beleevers 2. Foederal faith is not justifying or in Wallaeus his word doth not justifie the childe yet this entitles the childe to visible Church membership and by this to wit foederal faith all that are borne in the Church are entitled and stand possessed of the said membership and this is the very state and case of most of the people of God in England and that which answereth our own case might give satisfaction without further enquiry 3. Yet if not a dogmatical faith a faith lesse then justifying or a temporary faith or a common faith which so farre draweth the person beleeving and to own and apply himself by desire of and submission unto Baptisme to the true Religion though it work not so deep as was before explained is sufficient to admit an adult heathen as more largely anon into communion with the Church as easily appears in Simon who had no more in the Eunuch who professed no more and in the stony ground which hereby stood in a due possession of this communion till in the time of temptation it fell away CHAP. XIII Touching Communion in the Ordinances of God and the place it hath in the definition of the Church WE now proceeed to the second great specialty observable in the definitions of the visible Church taken from its chief office and employment viz. communion in the Ordinances and worship of God Here though I do not altogether exclude the qualifications spoken to yet I shall humbly offer whether communion in the worship and Ordinances of God be not fitter to define the visible Church by then the former qualifications thereof Cons 1. Such as lay most weight upon the former qualifications of faith calling and profession in their definitions of the visible Church do yet ever adde more then a touch of this holy exercise and communion of it to the perfecting of their said definitions as will appeare expresly anon Amesius himself adds unto his societas fidelium ad communionem sanctorum constanter inter se Med. p. 168. exercendum Cons 2. These qualifications seeme fitter to define the Church as invisible by seeing they also are invisible indeed Ames defineth the Church to be coetus vocatorum but he evidently intends Vid. Med. cap. 31. 7. p. 162 the mystical or invisible Church it is a most usual thing for Divines to define the mystical by which they intend the Church of the saved after this manner viz by some occult invisible quality of faith love calling or the like whereas the defining of the Church from its outward acts and exercises in the worship of God is without some shew of exactnesse to define the Church as visible from something visible Cons 3. If the visible Church should take its definition rather from the said qualifications then from its communion in Ordinances then would the Church be rather known from the evidence of these qualifications then from its communion in Ordinances for that which flows most immediately from the essence of a thing into our apprehension and knowledge cannot but be reckoned the most essential and therfore the best mark of that thing But the Church on the contrary hath been ever better knowne and distinguished by the Ordinances wherein it communicates then from any personal qualities whatsoever 1. Therefore the truth of the Ordinances and the truth of the faith which is professed hath been ever respected and looked upon as an essential mark and indeed the onely essential mark of the true visible Church while personal qualities have beene ever reckoned among the seperable adjuncts thereof 2. Indeed purity of life and evidences of saving grace I humbly conceive are rather the purity of single members but the purity of Ordinances the purity of the Church as such so that the purer the Ordinances the purer the Church c. contra As even all our Divines do argue upon the Marks of the Church against the Papist and as is most punctually and fully asserted by the Irish confession Artic. 58. But particular and visible Churches of those that make a profession of the faith and live under the outward meanes of salvation be many in number wherein the more or lesse sincerely according to Christs institution the Word of God is taught not practiced and the Sacraments are administred not received and the authority of the keys is used not obeyed the more or lesse pure are such Churches to be accounted Cons 4. The Church is rather and better distinguished from O holy Socrates O holy Plato O devilish Christian O wicked Protestant Woods Serm. p. 49 its opposite viz. the world by its fellowship in Ordinances then by the evidence of inward qualities or saving grace any other way therefore its definition should rather be taken from thence 1. Many Christians are not so civil as some Heathens and many Heathens are not so profane as some Christians yet no Heathens do attend the Ordinances of God as Christians do in their solemn assemblies 2. As Heathens taken in a large sense for all infidels do openly oppose the true religion so Christians do more openly own and maintain the same in these their solemne meetings and properly publick assembles particular persons stand in most direct opposition to infidels not by their own private calling faith or profession but by their relation to these bodies and Assembles of Gods people and the communion thereof in the worship of God in publick 3. Therefore therein also the Church is most exposed to the malice of those that seek her life and thirst to destroy her very being in the world not so much in her righteousnesse towards men or in her private enjoying or separate professing the faith of Christ as in her publick and valiant owning and serving her Lord in the wayes and Ordinances of divine worship as it were to the worlds and the God of the worlds defiance for fear of whom they flinched Heb. 10. and forsock the assembling of themselves together with the Church Cons 5. This further appears if we well consider the onely way that God himself hath generally if not ever taken directly and judicially to un-un-church a people namely by removing his Ordinances and not his graces their faith calling or profession from them Look over all the books and works of God and see whether this can be questioned the very people that murthered Christ yet to them belongs the promise Acts 2. and they are the seed of the Covenant chap. 3. and so continue notwithstanding this height of all impiety untill the Ministry and Ordinances are turned from them to the Gentiles Acts ult 't is granted that such desperate wickednesse doth not onely deserve that God should spew a people out but also it doth violently provoke him to it yea it is threatned with it Rev. 3. 16. Yet observe they are to be
spewed out of his mouth his word is to be removed from them for how did those Asian Churches cease to be so but by the Lords performance of that other threatning in order unto this viz. removing his Candlestick out of their place Revel 2. 5. Cons 6. Yea a people have no other way to unchurch themselves but by their voluntary breaking of their communion in the Ordinances of God by heresie poysoning them and thus making them die and cease to be Gods Ordinances or schisme directly rejecting them or by the perfection of both in a total Apostasie But though wickednesse did ever unchurch a people demeritoriè it never yet did unchurch a people formaliter vel effectivè as will appear more anone Yea though Heresie be indeed a renouncing the faith and schisme a renouncing the profession of the faith yet at present I conceive that heresie doth properly and strictly unchurch as it denieth the faith not as it is the faith of Christ but as it is the foundation of this communion in the Word and Sacraments Being built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and accordingly schisme doth stictly unchurch as it breaks off this communion and not as it ceaseth the profession of the faith Therefore breaking off from this communion is most exactly and properly termed schisme or a renting of the Church and ungodlinesse of heart or life and indeed a ceasing to professe the faith as such is not so properly or stictly schysme Cons 7. These qualifications faith holinesse calling and profession may all be found where there is no instituted or formed Church and consequently to our congregational brethrens principles who as Master Cotton in the name of his brethren phraseth it say that the universal visible Church is a Chimaera where there is no formed visible Church wherein Ames is so expresse Fideles non constituant ecclesiam particularem nisi speciali Med. p. 167. vinculo inter se conjungantur which onely renders them capable of this communion the Jewish Church being dissolved the Elect that were saved were not of themselves a formed instituted Church but must therefore be added to the Gentile-Churches i. e. Congregations Therefore these personal qualifications are not so fitted to the definition of the visible Church as communion in the Ordinances of God for wheresoever this is fixed and settled there is undoubtedly a true visible Church this communion supposeth the called beleevers professors on the one side and the officers or dispensers of the Ordinances on the other side and plainly expresseth or signifieth to us the essence or truth of the visible Church by the formal actions of it Now that I may yet be more free from exception and more truely understood I shall here recollect and subjoyne what hath beene already in a scattered way hinted about these two great considerable in a few brief concessions and propositions Prop. 1. I grant that these personal qualifications are necessarily supposed in this communion in Ordinances in the senses before given of them the persons thus communicating are such as are called thereunto such as professe the faith therein and such as are presumed to beleeve what they thus professe or at least not to deny or renounce it Prop. 2. These qualifications are therefore necessary conditions of Church members or of such particular persons as assemble themselves with the Church in this worship of God or as Ames most Med. p. 163 accurately forma vocatorum the forme of the called not of the Church Prop. 3. Therefore these qualifications are rather to be reduced to the matter of the Church then to the forme Prop. 4. I grant therefore that they fitly serve to expresse the qualification of the matter of the Church in the definition thereof as I conceive Amesius and others mean whose definitions of the visible Church are usually begun thus a company of beleevers c. or of the called c. or of such as profess the faith or the true Religion Prop. 5. Yet I humbly conceive the maine distingushing part of the definition of the visible Church lieth in the communion of Ordinances for the reasons above specified this being as was said the formal action of it immediately springing from its forme and essence viz. society or community which is the next great particular in the definition of the Church and now at hand to be considered Onely by the way let this be concluded with the easie notice that my designe is yet going on seeing none can doubt but if persons void of saving grace may be truely considered to have faith calling and profession as before they may much easier also be considered to partake of the outward communion of the Church in the worship and Ordinances of God and therefore so far none can hinder the definition of the Church to be applicable therunto without respect to saving grace CHAP. XIV Touching that State of the Church whereby it is capable of communion in Ordinances viz. Community THe last great particular that claimeth a place in the definition of the Church is that proper condition or state thereof that only renders it capable of the exercise of this employment comes now to be handled This I presume will be generally consented unto to be a company community or society as it strictly intends communion in the worship of God wherein I humbly conceive is contained 1. Many particular persons or men in the kinde not sex or age 1. Many coetus requirit decem 2. Many men for other creatures below man are not capable of making a society it being a political and therefore a rational state and Angels are almost as much above it society being a state of discourse and so most properly belonging to discoursive creatures viz. men according to that of the Grammarian coetus requirit decem homines this is supposed in a society Cod. 2. The union of these men by some kinde of bond or other whereby they are embodied and made an habitual assembly a fixed society this is expressed 3. Actual communion in the Ordinances of God this is intended Coetus or societas here is therefore to be taken in a moral or political sense from corporations or companies of trade So 1. 'T is orderly not tumultuons 2. 'T is fixed not occasional 3. 'T is habitual not onely actual 4. It hath officers belonging to an orderly and fix'd society of this nature 5. Therefore lastly 't is a society of Christians governed by the Minister or Ministers of the Gospel as we still finde it to be in Scripture I shall crave leave to explicate my self herein a little further by a few propositions Prop. 1. This community is of necessity required in the true or false definition of the visible Church Prop. 2. This community doth directly immediately and formally Foederata ifla conjunctio tantum constituit ecclesiam quotenus spectat ad communionem sanctorum exercendam Am. Med 169. intend communion Communion is the most
in conclusion this foedus as it is extended in Ames his description is necessary in intentione passionis viz. admission non patientis the person admitted 8. Yet at length we must conclude that there is very little use of and consequently as little reason to dispute about this bond whether expresse or implicite in constituted Churches seeing herein our members are generally admitted in their infancy and what shall need to be imposed at years of discretion cannot with any shew of reason intend their admission into the Church it being rightly either but in order to their admission to some higher Ordinance or at most their confirmation in that state and those priviledges whereinto they are indeed admitted before in baptism but of this more directly and therefore more largely hereafter However my maine conclusion passeth still for if the persons that are subjects of both this society and the bond thereof may be considered as before is proved without respect to saving grace then doubtlesse so may both the society and the bond thereof touching the first viz. the society there is no colour of doubting and touching the latter viz. the Covenant let Amens himself whose words haply are the ground of our doubt be our resolver he first assures us that such as onely professe are members of the visible Church and yet also here addes that the visible Church is not constituted without the bond of this Covenant so that if Ames consist with himself or may be yeelded unto in the case this Covenant may be entred even by such as onely professe i. e. such as have no saving grace or as he in another place no inward vertue Besides what should possibly hinder but that such persons as are not endued with saving grace may yet be obliged to those duties which are not performable without that grace which themselves want by an obligation brought upon themselves by themselves when they themselves did not intend it as we have found this to be and was the very case of Simon Magus CHAP. XV. Of the definition as it may be framed by the union of the former parts HItherto of the parts of the definition of the visible Church by themselves proceed we now to look upon these parts in union and to state an entire definition therefrom Which is most ready to be done by the closing or drawing together what hath beene so long considered apart The visible Church may thus be said to be Beleevers or persons outwardly called or professing the true Religion ordinarily attending the communion of Ordinances in coetu or in a fix'd society or if you would put them together thus a community of persons that believe with a common faith or that are called with common calling or that make a profession of the true Religion ordinarily meeting and joyning together in the Ordinances of Gods worship For though communion be neerer to the essence of the visible Church then personal qualifications and community then communion yet as hath beene still acknowledged they have all their sit place and use in the definition thereof Here therefore is the qualification of the matter viz. common faith calling or profession here is the forme constituting the coetus or community as it looketh unto communion and lastly here is the formal action or if you please rather the form dâ—stinguishing this society from all other communion in the Ordinances of God Most of the definitions that our reformed Divines have given so far as I can find do indeed expresse all these three parts thereof I shall set a few of them down here and leave the rest to the search and judgement of the learned The Leiden Professors define it to be a company of those which Visibilis ecclesia est coetus eorum qui per verbum externum Sacramentorum disciplinae ecclesiasticae usum in unum corpus colescunt disp 40. The. 32 by the external word and the use of the Sacraments and ecclesiastical discipline are united into one body wherein two of the three foresaid parts are very evident 't is a company and such a company as hath the communion of such a body in the Word and Sacraments I confesse that the other viz. the qualification of the subjects of this company is not by them here specified yet their profession is easily implied in their fellowship and communion in Gods Ordinances and the not mentioning of the calling or faith or profession thereof onely intimates as before was noted that personal qualifications are not so necessary to the visible Church as this community or communion Indeed they also insert discipline but seeing that discipline is not necessary to the being of the Church and is but a separable adjunct of it it cannot be taken as more necessary into the definition of the Church Ames defineth the Church institute or visible particular to be Est societas fidelium speciali vinculo inter se conjunctorum ad communionem Sanctorum constanter inter se exercendam Med. 168. a society of beleevers joyned together among themselves by a special bond for their constant exercising the communion of Saints together where all the three parts are very visible 1 Beleever 2. In society 3. For communion I have before confessed that he intends saving faith as appears by his next words yet I humbly conceive his meaning is that all this society ought to be endued with such a faith and not that they are so indeed or if not no members of the visible Church For in the same page he tells us that it is very probable that there is no particular Church but it hath some members that do savingly beleeve and by his asserting the greatest probability of some that savingly beleeve he evidently granteth that others in this Church yea and many others for they viz. many others are directly distinguished to some may be without saving faith and yet as he grants in the next Paragraph be members of the visible Church and in that known place against Bellarmine saith expressely that it is false if any say that we the reformed Divines require inward vertues and therefore not the root of them saving faith to render one a member of the visible Church Trelcatius saith the visible Church is a company of men called Ecclesia visibitis definitur coetus hominum vacatione externam seu praedicatione verbi ad cultum gloriae Dei Inst 215 Est societas coramqui veram fidem profitentur ad communionem societatem ecclesiasticam inter se exercendam out by external calling as by the preaching of the word and the communion of the Sacraments to the worship of the glory of God here also all the parts are manifest A company 2. Of men called with external calling 3. To communion in the worship of God But Apollonius seemeth most clear and distinct whose definition I had rather fix upon then any yet named 't is saith he a society of persons professing the true faith and exercising ecclesiastical communion
is invisible and visible this distinction is a distribution of the adjuncts of the same subject in divers respects the one internal the other external I confesse the reformed Divines I mean many of them do affirme that the invisible Church is onely revera ecclesia the true Church but their meaning I humbly conceive must be taken with a great deal of caution which with all humility I shall labour to unfold in a few distinctions as neere their owne sense and with as much of their spirit as I am able The Distinctions which may help us herein may be either of the Epithete true or the subject the Church 1. Truth as applicable to the Church is taken Respectu Naturali Vel Entitatis Morali Vel Status Vel Finis Now I humbly offer whether the reformed Divines asserting the invisible Church to be the onely true Church can possibly be though to exclude the visible Church from being true in the first branch of this division viz. in that natural sense whereby a thing is said to have the truth of being and existence why then do they still define the visible Church and give it all its Profession and preaching of the true doctrine is the only proper and certain note of the true Church Hildersham on Joh. 4. p. 161 This was the meaning of Wickliff Husse and others who therefore define the Church to be the multitude of the elect not for that they think them onely to pertain to the Church and no others but because they only pertain unto it principally fully effectually and finally Field on the Church p. 13. Distinct 2. real causes why do they tell us of the marks of the true visible Church why do none of them assert that the visible is not truely a Church or that the invisible Church is alone the Church truely so called yea in that they assert it to be visible they conclude it to be real seeing we cannot see that that is not Therefore they may be granted to meane onely that the invisible Church is onely true with respect to her state in the favour of God and to her end salvation that is the members of the invisible Church alone are certainly and infallible instated in the love of God and to be saved their controversie with the Papist engaged them to both these in their defence of the invisible Church and perseverance but no further for though the question was whether all in the visible Church were in a state of grace or whether all that were in a state of grace should persevere therein to the end yet we never read that they ever came to question whether the visible Church might be truely said to be a Church of Christ or not the centrary being indeed acknowledged on both sides The Church invisible then is the onely true Church in this moral sense it onely being truely in the love and favour of God and sure of salvation but the visible Church is also true in a natural sense it being really and truely a Church of God Or 2. Truth as applied to the Church is so Simpliciter Secundum quid Truth as taken in general large or simple acceptation may be easily conceived to be granted by the reformed Divines even to the visible Church 't is true in its kinde with such a truth as is agreeable to the nature of a visible Church I think none will deny this nor affirm the invisible Church to be the onely true Church in this sense Yet there is a restrained sense of truth in order to some particular determination of it which belongs onely to the Church invisible and which our Divines must needes meane whatever it be yet generally they explaine themselves as Bullinger doth himselfe revera ecclesia saith he viz. fideles Electi Dei viva membra connexa Christo non modo vinculis externis notis sed spiritu fide In which words he plainly expresseth that there is a double way of being knit to Christ 1. Fide spiritu 2. Vinculis externis notis The first of which he intends when he speaks of the true Church viz. that the invisible Church is the onely true Church in this respect of being knit unto Christ by faith and the spirit leaving room for any to conclude besides that such as are knit unto Christ by outward bonds alone are yet so farre truely knit as to be truely members of the visible though not of the Church invisible Vnion with Christ is true outwardly externis vinculis by which the visible Church is truely his Church and true savingly whereby the invisible Church is the onely true Church in that respect The subject of this questioned truth may also be distinguished for the better discovery of the minde of these Divines herein The Church is taken Strictly Largely Consisting of the Elect regenerate Distinct 1. Hac autem ecclesia latius accepta quatenus bonos malos continet Zanch. de eccl p. 65. Militans ecclesia rursus consideratur dupliciter vel enim strictius considerata vel latius malos complexa Bul. Dec. 350. Vox ecclesia ambigui stricte latissime minus late in quo electi hypocrite Ravanel c. Objicis sat scio hypocritas me numerasse c. Dec. p. 347 Good and bad This we may the bolder insist upon because it is of so frequent use amongst the reformed Divines themselves upon the same occasion and as they themselves explaine it the Church strictly taken is the Church invisible consisting onely of the Elect as Trelcatius Bullinger c. or of the Elect-regenerate and called as Ames and others and the Church largely taken consisting of the Elect and reprobate Beleevers and hypocrites good and bad as their general language is To apply it when these Divines affirme that the invisible Church is the onely true Church can they be understood in any other sense then this viz. that they onely are the true Church in this close strict and saving sense as the Church is taken strictly and is it not as evident as any thing in the world that they intend only to shut hypocrites out of the Church in this strict and saving sense and as plaine that they allow them a place in the Church as it is largely taken which large acceptation of the Church is by themselves generally expressed to be ecclesia bonos malos amplexa Bullinger frames an objection on purpose that he may have an occasion to declare his minde to this point his objection is How can hypocrites being members of Satan be members of the Church He answers by distinguishing of hypocrites Some saith he confide in their own righteousnesse as the Pharisees did these are not others do not so but neither hating nor flying from nor persecuting the Church do outwardly joyne with it and professe the same faith a while with it c. these are members of the Church till they fall away and much more those that continue in
do onely partake of the accidental forme of the Church is for ought I can see a plaine contradiction to it self For if the reason of an accident be to be in the subject then it no farther is then it is in the subject then also nothing can stand under it as it is the accident of such a subject viz. the Church unlesse it be part of the Church unlesse it also partake of the substantial forme of the Church or that which renders the Church or the subject of this profession or what ever it is which is said to be the accident thereof a Church a dead carkasse though it still retaine the same colour and figure that it had when it was alive yet it cannot be said to stand under the colour and figure of a man and why because the substantial form of a man is not in it 't is not a man therefore not capable of the accidents of a man so a hypocrite may partake of profession which is like the profession of the Church but cannot partake of the profession of the Church nor any part of the accidental forme of the Church unlesse it be part of the subject the Church which it cannot truely be without partaking also of the substantial forme of the Church where there is an essential totum as well as an integral all the essential parts must feel the influence of the essential forme or else they do not partake of an accidental forme of the totum for indeed a member that admits no influence from the forme is no longer an integral part of the body and consequently doth no longer partake of any thing as it is of the body Yet I shall adde one Argument ad hominem to prove that hypocrites partake of the essential forme of the Church a mark is said to be essential because 1. It flows directly and necessarily from the essence And 2. It is a sure indication of the essence of a thing therefore wheresoever we finde an essential mark there the essence of the thing is and there we may know it to be now what is the essential mark of the Church hath not Ames answered the profession of the true faith therefore hypocrites c. who doubtlesse do partake of this profession which himself acknowledgeth to be the essential note of the Church are and may be known to be of the essence of the Church Ames tells us that hypocrites have a share in the the outward profession of the Church which he saith is the accidental forme and which he also saith is the essential note of the true Church therefore they partaking in the accidental state or forme of the Church they also partake in the essential note of the Church and therefore of the essence of the Church and therefore of the essential form of the Church 3. I confesse it is my present opinion that that which Ames assignes to be the essential or internal forme viz. faith is no forme at all either of the Church visible or invisible but onely a necessary qualification of the matter of the Church of the saved or the Church invisible which seemes not much incongruous to Ames himself sometimes for he affirmeth that fides taken distributively is but forma vocatorum the forme of the called and not of the Church and that collective sense that he would put on faith to make it the forme of the Church is it self as distinguished from faith the forme of the Church which is not far from his own meaning yea and words too in another place ecclesia maximè consistit in coetu 4. Yea further I yet judge that the visible Church hath no internal forme at all and that which Ames calleth the accidental forme and others the external is very neere unto all the essential forme constituting of the visible Church the visible Church is a collective or aggregative body and that visible Now whether is the essential form of a visible aggregative body inward or outward indeed the particular parts of such a body separately considered have their internal formes but is not the form of the whole another thing is not union or rather unity or society of the parts the forme of the whole and is not this external for instance every particular sheep hath its forme internal but as these are a flock they have another outward forme which yet is not accidental but essential to it as it is a flock viz. their being in unity or community or society together Indeed 't is necessary that there be sheep if there be a flock of sheep and 't is necessary that these sheep have their essential which is an internal forme yet both these are but conditions of a congruous matter which is essential to every compositum I grant therefore that sheep with their internal forme are essential to the flock viz. as the matter is essential but they are no part of the forme I grant also that in rational aggregative bodies viz. societies of men there lieth some difference from a heap of inanimate creatures as stones c. from a flock of sensitive creatures as sheep c. because the reason of man doth qualifie rational societies with an habitude or aptitude to various ends and employments which are accordingly distinguishing and specifically differencing rational societies and which is not communicable to other collective bodies which are irrational therefore there is something to be understood at least if not expressed which is to signifie the reason or the end of every rational society to distinguish it from societies of men of another kinde Ex. gr among men there are domestick politick scholastick ecclesiastick societies which constitutes a family a Common-wealth a Colledge and a Church Now without some peculiar reason or end of these several societies how shall we distinguish the one from the other they are all collective bodies they are societies of men yea they may be all societies of Christians yea they may be all societies of Christians that are in a state of salvation and yet discovered by a general description onely and nothing intimated to distinguish to us one kinde of society from another Therefore something is to be added besides a bare society of Christians to distinguish the Church from a Christian family a Christian Common-wealth or a Christian Colledge which hath beene often hinted to be the peculiar reason and intention of this ecclesiastick society from all others viz. the joynt and publick communion thereof in the worship and Ordinances of God Neither may it be then replied that the forme of the Church consisteth not in coetu or in society because there is something to be added to distinguish the same for that which is added is but the quality or reason of this society or its being such a society yet a society still even as none may say that the forme of a man is not his soul because a soul in general is not that which distinguisheth a man from a beast a
whether there be a Church invisible i. e. such in the Church as are in a higher sense the children of God the members of Christ and in a state of salvation then others who may also be called a Church in a distinct consideration to the rest of visible professors which the Church of Rome denieth and the reformed assert and maintain against them Neither indeed is the controversie so much about the nature of the visible as about the being of the invisible Church every one knows that there is a vast difference about the head about the succession and about the visibility of pomp and multitude and about the infallibility of the visible Church betwixt us and them yet about the nature and definition of the visible Church the difference is but small the whole burthen thereof resting upon the nature being and definition of the Church invisible I shall presume to give my reader one famous instance of this from the great late controversie of the present point in France betwixt Mons Mestrezate and Cardinal Perron as is to read at large in an excellent Treatise written in French by that Learned Monsieur whereof please yet to take this short account He begins his book with a necessity of distinguishing â—he Church before he cometh to the definition of it his distinction is founded in divers respects viz. 1. â—he internal 2. The external state of the Church he gives us the notion of the Church in Scripture viz. 1. For a visible society of Christians 2. The invisible condition of Christians The first he builds on these places Col. 4. 16. 1 Cor. 14. 12 19 23. Acts 14. 22. Gal. 1. 13. Act. 8. 3. 2 Cor. 8. 1. Gal. 1. 1. 2 Cor. 1. 1. 2 Thes 1. 1. Apoc. 1. 4. and 2. 23. The second he builds upon Eph. 5. 25 23. Eph. 1. 22 23. Eph. 5. 29 30. Heb. 12. 23. According to this distinct acceptation of the word Church in Scripture he proceeds to distinguish of the Church more properly which he saith is the nuptial body of Christ and the Church lesse properly is the outward communions visible societies of Christians then he addresseth to his definitions of the Church thus diversly considered The first saith he is the body or multitude of those whom God according Lib. 1. cap. 4 to the eternal counsel of his election hath drawn out of their natural corruption and perdition by the Minstery of his word and the power of his Spirit incorporating them into Jesus Christ by true faith and sanctification unto life eternal now upon this rests the dispute for the last viz. the visible Church he agrees in most part with the Cardinal in this definition The Church is a society of those whom God hath called unto salvation Lib. 2. cap. 1 by the profession of the true faith and a sincere administration of the Sacraments by lawful Ministers Whence we conclude that the difference betwixt us and the Papists is not much about the nature of the visible Church both are agreed that it is a Church and that it is such a Church for the most part as the Monsieur hath here defined but chiefly about the Church invisible But before I close here methinks I am tempted to cry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that I have now hit the very sense of the reformed Divines touching the nature of the Church invisible and visible they clearly hold that there is but one Church and yet they do so distinctly consider this one Church in its strict and large acceptation For the militant and Catholick Churches are not all one in state by reason whereof they may be in one which are not in the other Whites way to the true Church or as visible and invisible that any one that gives the lightest observation thereunto must needs confesse that their definitions thereof do more then accidentally differ and therefore essentially which two things are reconciled onely by granting that when they define the Church strictly taken they define but one part of the Church when largely taken and when they define the Church largely taken they conclude the Church strictly taken under some general attribution which equally or at least joyntly admits both of the Elect and reprobate which are Heterogeneous matter yet united in one society the visible Church as before is explicated Yet would I with all modesty submit this and what else I have or shall conceive and write to the judgement of my abler brethren knowing that the spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets CHAP. XVII The first Argument from Scripture God calls a wicked people his people and his Church THe arguments usually termed artificiall with their objections have been hitherto insisted on we shall therefore descend in the next place to take the evidence of testimony both divine and humane of God and the Church The records of divine authority and testimony are the holy Scriptures Whence our first argument is offered thus God is pleased in the Old Testament to own such a people for his people and Christ in the new for his Church which at the very same time he himself universally brands as wicked rebellious evil-doers back-sliders c. and taketh no notice at all of any good thing in them therefore surely a people may be considered to be truely a people of God and a Church of Christ without respect unto and upon other terms besides saving grace Here now what I have writ I read over againe and againe yet must I seriously professe that I cannot foresee any colourable answer that is to be given to this Argument He that hath but a slight knowledge in the holy Scripture must needs confesse the antecedent and he that hath but a very slight reason me thinks cannot but yeeld the consequence 1. For the antecedent viz. that God and Christ do thus acknowledge a wicked people at the very same time when such their wickednesse is charged upon them for their own people and Church is so legible in the whole course of the Scripture that truely to heap instances and proof upon it would be to weaken it I shall onely therefore fix my reader upon one undeniable instance in each Testament according to the parts of my proposition That in V. T. is Isa 1. 2 3 4 5 6. where the Lord himselfe doth very eminently and above all kinde of contradiction both charge and acknowledge a people as before is asserted 1. Then observe how he is pleased to charge them And 2. To own and acknowledge them The charge is observable In 1. The matter of it 2. The extent of it the charge in the matter of it is that they are ignorant and inconsiderate ver 3. rebellious against the Lord that nourished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them and brought them up v. 2. or magnified and exalted them as the Interlineary translates it or brought up and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Arabick exalted as the vulgar Lattine
by persons who possibly never shall be saved and therefore who have not any saving grace The visible Church consisteth of good and bad as at the beginning we see it did in Cain and Abel whereupon our Saviour compareth the Church to a net in which are fishes good and bad But I shall conclude the matter out of doubt with the observation made for us by the industrious exposition of the English Articles The members of the visible Church it saith are some of them for God and some against God all of them not withstanding deemed parts of the Church so long as they make no manifest and open rebellion against the Gospel which also addes that the Churches bear witnesse hereunto referring us to confes l. Hel. v. 1. Art 14. and 2. c. 17. Bohem. c. 8. Gal. Art 11. Wittimb Art 32. Survic Art 15. whereunto I also refer my Reader CHAP. XXIII The judgement of the Brownists and of our Church against them herein THe third more special occasion exacting the judgement of the Church herein was given by the Brownists whereupon we shall briefly note two things to serve us in our passage 1. That it was the opinion of the Brownists that the essence of the visible Church consisted in saving grace contrary to what I am labouring to prove 2. That this was judged an errour and a great part of the errour of Brownisme as such by the eminent patrons of our Church and truth in that generation going onely before as in the present designe 1. That this was the opinion of the Brownists indeed viz. that the essence of the visible Church carrieth in it saving grace most plentifully appears by their asserting owning and pleading for the same in all their writings witnesse Smith Barrow Ainsworth Robinson Johnson and Cann c who tell us Defence of the churches p. 17 their Apol. p. 44 counterpoison p. 115. and 200 Barrows true description of the visible church p. 2 Principles and infer p. 8. 10 that the Church is a separated company of righteous men from the open wicked men of the world and that it cannot consist of all sorts good and bad in which no unclean thing or person entreth that keepeth the unity of faith in the bond of peace and love unseigned that is a company of faithful people that truely worship Christ and readily obey him a company of Converts a visible communion of Saints that is such as are separate from all known sinne practising the whole will of God known growing in grace and knowledge and continuing to the end And more fully and accurately let Smith be heard once more in the name of the rest the true forme of a true visible Church saith he is partly inward and partly outward the inward Princ. inf p. 11 part of the forme consisteth in three things 1. The Spirit 2. Faith 3. Love The Spirit is the soul animating the whole body faith uniteth the members of the body to the head Christ Jesus love uniteth the members of the body each to other the outward part thereof is a vow promise oath or Covenant betwixt God and the Saints 2. Now that this was held the errour of the Brownist and a part of their Brownisme and that it was not the allowed opinion of the true Church especially in England appeares abundantly in the disputations of all our Divines against them wherein we find these two propositions irrefragably proved 1. That an Assembly may be a true visible Church though its worship be very corrupt 2. That persons may be members of the visible Church by professing the true Religion though without sincere grace or holy life the latter of which is directly for us and in defence whereof Dayrel so smartly replied to Mr. Ainsworth you speak saith he you know not what for herby you imply a true visible Dayr p. 36 37 Church is a company of people professing and practicing such things as will bring them to salvation Whereupon it follows that there is no hypocrite in the visible Church for whose practice is answerable to his holy profession he is no hypocrite nor reprobate or any that shall be damned and thus you unawares confound the visible and the invisible Church Johnson himself testifieth thus much on our behalf even while he His defence of the churches and Ministry of England p. 71. saieth his accusation against us the forward preachers of England as he pleaseth to call them teach saith he that the true visible Church of Christ is not a separated company of righteous men from the open wicked of the world but may consist of people good and bad Neither may we think that that this was the doctrine of the Episcopal A book by sundry godly and learned Ministers standing out suffering in the cause of non conformity party alone for the very non-conformists have a book extant intended purposely against the separation and therein neere the beginning of that book they openly acquit themselves of and charge Barrow and the old Separatists with this errour that they held the visible Church to be a company of faithful people that truely worship Christ and readily obey him CHAP. XXIV Seven Arguments yet further proving that the judgement of the Church hath alwayes been on our side introduced by two Objections THere is a twofold distinction by some made use of to evade or weaken the authority aforesaid 1. It is urged that some eminent Divines assert that hypocrites are onely equivocè and not verè of the visible Church But hereunto we need only remember what hath formerly been I think truely observed that such Divines understand by Church in the proposition the Church of the saved which they themselves usually called the Church Catholick or the Church inviand none can doubt but such Church-membership is predicable of hypocrite onely nominally or equivocally and not really 2. It is also pleaded that some as eminent affirme and teach that hypocrites are onely in the Church not of the Church But * This tenent may seeme to cross many of our own Dâ—vines in their writings against the Papists but indeed it doth onely seem so for it is manifest that the Church which they intend is not the same with this which I have to deal withal for they speak of the Chuâ—ch catholick consisting only of the Elect. Hudson his Epistle Here we may fairly understand our Divines to meane the visible Church in the former and the invisible Church in the latter branch of this distinction q. d. they are in the visible When Willet had let fall that expression that wicked men are in but not of the Church he presently corrected himself adding yea they wicked men may be members of the visible church for a time Gen. 2. contro of the church p 62 Church but not of the Church invisible as the number of the saved Or as before we received from Doctor Field We are to take them as intending onely when
jure seeing men who judge onely according to appearance are Judges thereof But now it hath been the universal opinion or judgement rather of all the Church in all ages that notoriously wicked and scandalous persons are really within untill they are censured and cast out as Willet saith close infidels are in the visible Church de jure and openly wicked and flagitious persons are so de facto until excommunicated both of which do indeed evidently argue that saving grace is not an essential requisite to visible Church-membership neither can it be imagined that unlesse they are granted to be within that they are capable of being cast out or unlesse they be granted to be really within that they can really be cast out therefore persons as Ames aptly Medal p. 201 and plainly teacheth about whom discipline ought to be exercised are members of the Church and none other It will but little availe to urge here that some Divines affirme wicked men and hypocrites to be onely in and not of the Church for the same Divines acknowledge the most notoriously wicked so far in the Church as to be liable to eâ—clesiastical censure and to be cast out and do they not thereby confesse that they are also of the Church I mean visible for otherwise what hath the Church to do to Censure Judg punish one that is not of her own society and corporation therefore I am further confirmed in what before was noted that such Divines meane by such expression that wicked men are not so fully because not savingly of the visible Church or else they are not of the Church that is of the Church invisible for of the visible Church they must needs be granted to be and that really by all such as allow them really subject to the censure thereof seeing the Church judgeth none but her own members and one cannot be said to be a member by being in the body unlesse he also be of the body wherefore Ames is expresse in the words already cited that such as are liable to Church-censure are membra membra ecclesiarum members and therefore not onely in but of the Churches Arg. 5. The practice of the Church-hath ever been to readmit the penitents that is such as after baptisme have been excommunicate for scandal and have given satisfaction to the Church againe into Church-communion without rebaptization We read indeed of one kinde of Anabaptisme in the ancient Fortunat. in Conc Carthag secundinus in eodem Conc. Church much pressed by Cyprian and other fathers in the counsel of Carthage viz. of such as were baptized by hereticks but as this is nothing to our case it being in no respect to the persons that were to be rebaptized or their qualifications at all but wholly in respect to the qualifications of the administrator viz. his heresie so 't is well known that this opinion In Conc. Nic. vid. Hier. dial versus Luciferaria was afterwards both condemned by a better advised counsel and also revoked by the chiefest authours thereof themselves Now this practice of re-admitting penitents without re-baptizing them doth evidently argue this principle wheresoever it is found that persons may be considered in relation to the visible Church without respect to saving grace For 1. These penitents were acknowledged to have had some secret union with the Church even by the Church her self in their most scandalous condition when the Church could have no evidence at all of their saving grace otherwise upon their repentance they had entred covenant and consequently must have had the initiating seal applied viz. baptisme for what reason can there possibly be given why else they could not be re-baptized but onely this because they were held never wholly extirpated out of the Church or Covenant by scandal or censure neither can it be imagined that their now repenting is a certaine evidence of saving grace to have been in their hearts in the midst of their wickednesse and therefore conclude we must that they held that something else besides saving grace did root and interest in visible Church-membership for if being in Covenant and consequently being in the Church did appear unto the Churches where saving grace did not appeare who seeth not this consequence that the Churches judged that interest in the Church and Covenant is not founded in saving grace Arg. 6. The Church hath ever held that vera fides and sana doctrina is an essential note of the true visible with Ames thereupon our reformed Divines assert that a doctrinal and not a personal succession is a necessary mark thereof and according to reverend Hildersham profession and preaching of true doctrine Held in Joh. 4. p. 161 Vid. Cal. Instit l. 4. c. 1. p. 363. Zanch. de eccl p. 82 c. in all fundamental points is the onely proper and certain note of the true Church for ubi fides ibi ecclesia that as Ames explaineth fides quam or as Hierome in symb Rufin fides Christi illa est ecclesia Sancta quae fidem Christi integram servat thus the Prophets and Apostles the penmen of this doctrine of faith are said to be the foundation on which the true Church is Eph. 2. ult built Hence it must needs follow that the Church ever held that the essence of the visible Church doth not necessarily require saving grace For 1. The essential property or note of any thing doth immediately connote or argue the essence or forme of that thing 2. The profession of the true doctrine of Christ doth not necessarily much lesse immediately connote or argue saving grace many with Judas preaching and with Simon Ananias Saphira Hymeneus and Phyletus owning and professing the true faith or sound doctrine of Jesus Christ whose hearts are alienated from the life of God and strangers to the grace of that Covenant whose Doctrine they thus professe and acknowledge Arg. 7. Lastly to put the matter yet further out of doubt those very Divines that are suspected in the point do generally assert that the visible Church consisteth of good and bad that hypocrites are de jure of the visible Church that they are to be accounted members of the Church till they wholly renounce the Gospel that they are in the external part of the Covenant that they are in the Church according to the external state thereof that they have a visible right to the Ordinances all which are most obvious as well to the slightest as seriousest reader and searcher of the reformed writings and the least of which will fully satisfie my designe CHAP. XXV The last Argument from the opposite to my position and the dongerous consequences thereof WE have hitherto argued from the name the causes and the definition of the visible Church as also from divine and humane authority one place of argument more we hope may serve to conclude the question Which let me say without offence is the dangerous consequences that necessarily attend the contradictory
quis Christianam fidem se amplecti profiteatur ecclesiae per Baptismum inseri â—oget B. z. other Religions and expressed desire to be united to the Christian Church by baptism is with a professed subjection to the wayes and Ordinances of Jesus Christ the onely necessary requisite to constitute a Heathen a member of the visible Church and to give him title to the badge thereof viz. Baptisme I grant this must be serious otherwise it cannot give a real right yet I meane such a seriousnesse as may consist without saving grace and might otherwise be expressed by truth or earnestnesse as opposed to dissembling deceit designe or hypocrisie as before is explained Now if this embracing Religion and desire of baptisme be thus serious I presume such a one hath a real right in the Church and baptisme and may be lawfully admitted thereunto by the Church without further scrutiny or examination after such or such a measure of knowledge or holinesse or the inward saving condition of the party and this I hold upon the following reasons added to what hath been formerly urged Reas 1. Heathens may be lawfully received by the Church now upon the same moral conditions that the proselytes were in the time of the Law and that both by parity and identity of reason for Heathens embracing the Christian Religion now are as really made proselytes into the Jewish Church I meane the same Church which was then Jewish but now is Christian as the ancient proselytes were then for though the Church be changed in its outward dispensation and Ordinances it is still the same in its subjects and Covenant as appeares undeniably against the Anabaptist from Romans 11. Ephes 3. 6 c. But now the Jewish ancient proselytes were received and accordingly circumcised by the Church upon such a single disowning all false religions and adhering to the true with a desire to adjoyne themselves to the people and worship of the true God Therefore upon the same terms supplying what is necessarily to be supplied touching the Messias now come may Christ an proselytes be lawfully admitted into the Christian flock and number and be baptized Reas 2. That which is sufficient to make a disciple is sufficient to make a visible Church-member and to give claime to baptisme as Master Cotton and others reason well from Matth. 28. 18. Now an expressed desire to be admitted into the Schoole with a proffer to submit to the Rules and Laws thereof and to be taught and ruled accordingly is sufficient the party being thus received to disciple or make one a Schollar or a member of the School without the addition of such qualities or measures of learning or aptnesse thereunto Therefore a single desire to be joyned to the School of Christ and a professed subjection as Mr. Hudson speaks to the government thereof without any further evidence is sufficient to entitle a person to this disciple-ship and to warrant his reception and sealing by the Church Reason 3. Some Scripture admit into the Church upon as low termes as these viz. upon a general desire of baptisme and to submit to the wayes of the Lord in communion with his Church as might be instanced in all the examples of Johns Baptisme with that of the multitude Acts 2. of whom it is said that they gladly received the Word and were baptized Therefore persons may be lawfully admitted upon as low and easie termes still For 1. what was done in such cases in the Word may be lawfully done still for nothing was done unlawfully then and what was done then was written there for our imitation and learning 2. Though some other Scripture should require more then this viz. upon some consideration yet reason will prompt us to look for the minimum quod sic what may lawfully be done in such places as require least seeing every place and instance in Scripture requireth sufficient Reas 4. A profession that Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God with a desire to be united to the Christians communion by Baptisme rendred the Eunuch worthy to be admitted into the Church and baptized therefore so much doth others also What Philip required more in his question matters not if his answer had not been satisfactory doubtlesse he had not been baptized Reas 5. He that embraceth the Catholick faith or doctrine partaketh of the essence of the entitive Church and he that submitteth himself to baptisme and ecclesiastick communion partaketh of the essence of the organical Church therefore he that embraceth the one and submitteth to the other hath all that is essential to a visible Church-member Reas 6. Those lastly that require more viz. seem to require performance of the condition of the Covenant in order to entring Covenant but this is some-what strange The condition of the Covenant is twofold 1. In order to covenanting which is a promise or engaging to performe the termes or conditions of the Covenant now to be entred upon performance of which the reward covenanted for depends 2. The other condition is in order therefore to the obtaining this reward promised upon such condition which is the actual performance of the conditon engaged unto upon entring Covenant Vid. Blakes Seals Hystorical faith may be in reprobates both within the Church and also in such as be without the Church as Turks believe there is a God that Christ was born of a Virgin the resurrection of the dead c. yea the devils have it 1 Joh. 2. 19 Rogers of faith p. 6. The first is necessary to entrance into Covenant the last to the partaking of the benefit thereof As it is with men a servant enters Covenant by undertaking and promising to do his Master his work but obtaineth his reward or wages alone by doing what he hath thus undertaken Yet with leave of that Reverend man this engaging to perform the condition of the Covenant is I conceive more then a bare historical or dogmatical faith for there is something of application in that faith that doth not only beleeve but embrace the truth and the true Religion and make application to the Church for admission and baptisme However I humbly conceive though more then a bare histostorical faith should be requisite yet lesse then a faith that justifieth I do not say lesse then the profession thereof may truely entitle to visible Church-membership and consequently to Baptisme as hath been shewn CHAP. XXIX What is requisite to evidence a persons interest in the visible Church by men Quest THe second question to be answered is What is requisite to evidence a person to be a member of the visible Church to others or how may we know a person to be a member of the visible Church or what doth render Church-membership visible Answ 1. I answer first that that which evidenceth a persons interest in the essence of the visible Church doth even thereby evidence his visible Church-membership for what can better evince a members union with the body then its partaking
once the holy City but where these meanes are yet continued we are to acknowledge a Church of Christ Rev. 2. 12 13. more or lesse corrupt according to the gâ—eater or lesse abuse of Gods Word and worship Bish Usher sum of Divin p. 398. Church along with them Yet observe though the rest were blinded the Elect were saved many of the former Church of the Jews now dissolved joyned themselves unto the Gospel-Churches which indeed were the same for substance and differ'd onely by a new administration of Ordinances with their own Church before Now of any other way wherein God doth directly and formally reject or divorce a person or people besides these I think we read not in Scripture CHAP. XXXIV How a man may cut himself off from the visible Church viz. by Heresie and Schisme THe destruction of man is of himself not onely meritoriously but sometimes efficiently and so in order thereunto is his cutting himself from the Church of God the meanes of his salvation That it is so is not doubted our question is how it cometh to passe The visible Church is usually considered in an entitive or organical apacity accordingly it is said to be endued with two properties profession of the faith as entitive and communion in worship as organical respective hereunto a man may violate his right in the Church and dismember himself 1. By Heresie denying the faith he cutteth himself from the Church entitive 2. By Schisme renting himself from its comunion in worship he breaks himself off from the Church organical so that my general answer here is that a person may wholly cut himself from the visible Church by two means viz. Heresie and Schisme by the first he goes off the foundation which lies in doctrine by the last he forsakes the fellowship which lieth in worship of these a little more distinctly 1. Heresie cutteth off from the Church as it breaketh the great Haeresis opponitur fidei schisma charitati Ames bond of the Churches union viz. faith and as it necessarily carrieth with it a want of that historical faith which hath the doctrine of faith for its object and which none do doubt to be an essential requisite to a true Church-member Therefore the Jews Buxtor Lex Cald. Talm. Rab. p. 195 held that an heretical Israelite had no communion with the Church of Israel and why but because communion supposeth union and union with Israel or the true Church is lost with faith they also held as Master Selden noteth that an Israelite turning an Heretick i. e. denying any of the thirteen fundamental Articles to be as an Heathen man and did therefore permit a Jew to lend De jure Nat. gent. l. 6. c. 10 him upon usury as to an Heathen and why but because he had renounced the Law which chiefly if not onely differr'd a Jew from an Heathen Not that every errour is so dangerous for every errour is not heresie nor yet every heresie onely such as is so general and desperate as that it takes one wholly off from the maine doctrine of Christ his Prophets and Apostles the doctrinal foundation Eph. 2. ult of the Church It hath beene a very ancient controversie in the Church whether Heresie doth wholly cut off from the Church or not upon which counsels have contradicted and contra-decreed The Africane Bishops in the Council of Carthage held that heresie As Mr. Hooker observeth out of Fortunat. secundin Hieron did put out of the Church which opinion was afterwards condemned in the Council of Nice even by the chiefest of the authors thereof themselves Mr. Hooker who enclined to the negative seems to plead for the fathers so farre as they appear on the contrary side If the Ecclesias pol. p. 87. fathers saith he do any where as oftentimes they do make the true visible Church of Christ and heretical companies opposite they are to be construed as separating hereticks not altogether from the company of Beleevers but from the fellowship of sound Beleevers However I presume the controversie may be easily ended viz. by parting stakes and allowing some truth on both sides 't is true that Hereticks are of the Church and it may be true that Hereticks are not of the Church there is a latitude in heresie Thus the Ancient fathers held for their opinion was that that heresie which did not deny the Trinity did not wholly cut off from the church Paget some heresie which absolutely denieth some particular fundamental truth and taketh up some one or few stones thereof is consistent with Church-interest and other heresie which raseth up the very foundation of Religion denying most or the most chief if not all of the Articles of our Christian faith is inconsistent therewith Object But it should seem then that Heresie doth not un-un-Church for if denying of some particular fundamental truth do not then heresie properly doth not for that is properly heresie and that which raseth up the foundation of Religion seems more then heresie and may be Apostacy Answ A falling from the faith is indeed Scripture-Apostacy though I humbly conceive that that expression as it stands in that place of Scripture intends as well a falling from the companies of the faithful by schisme as a falling from the doctrine of faith by heresie and indeed both these viz. perfect heresie and perfect schisme make proper Apostacy as Reverend Hudson observeth for a man to remove out of the Church Catholick either entitive by disclaiming the doctrine and faith of Christ which is heresie or organical by refusing to joyne to any Christian society which is schisme is a great sin and Apostacy 2. But I conclude though a man deny not all the maine Articles The difference betwixt heresie and infidelity and apostacy the two latter are the denying or renouncing the whole faith of Christ but the former of any one single part of it Han. paraen p. 64. of Christianity without which he is not properly an Apostate in the sense of Divines yet by denying many or most of the chief fundamentals whereby he may fitly be said to teare up the foundation though he do not take up every stone thereof a man may cut himself off from the Church the pillar of truth 3. Besides doth not Apostacy imply the height of Schisme as well as Heresie can a person be properly said to be an Apostate if we speak as others do that yet remaineth in the communion of Ordinances why then may not a person that renounceth all the Articles of the Christian faith if he yet refuse not communion Ita ut hereticus quis possit esse non schismaticus Ames in Ordinances be rather said to be an Heretick then an Apostate But I dispute not for words be it granted me that such a renouncing of the Christian faith without any personal separation from the Church is sufficient to cut a man off there-from it will not trouble me to
A DISCOURSE OF THE Visible Church In a large Debate of this famous Question viz. Whether the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace Affirm Whereunto is added a brief discussion of these three Questions viz. 1. What doth constitute visible Church-membership 2. What doth distinguish it or render it visible 3. What doth destroy it or render it Null Together with a large application of the whole by way of Inference to our Churches Sacraments and Censures Also an Appendix touching Confirmation occasioned by the Reverend Mr. Hanmore his pious and learned Exercitation of Confirmation By FRANCIS FULWOOD Minister of the Gospel at West-Alvington in DEVON I said I will also answer my part I also will shew mine opinion Job 32. 17. For many be called but few chosen Mat. 20. 16. and 22. 14. Rejicimus Catharos Navatianos Pelagianos Anabaptistas qui peccatoribus nullum ne in visibli quidem ecclesia locum relinquunt Alst comp Theol. part 5. loc 8. Christians truely regenerate are the members of the invisible Church It is the duty of the members of the visible Church to be truely regenerate Such are members of the visible that are destitute of saving grace Mr. Cotton of N. E. holinesse of Church members pag. 1. LONDON Printed by Tho. Ratcliffe for Abel Roper at the Sun in Fleetstreet over against St. Dunstans Church 1658. To the HIGHLY RENOWNED EDWARD CRESSET Esquire Master of that most famous Hospital called the CHARTER-HOVSE and one of the Honourable Trustees for maintenance of MINISTERS FRANCIS FULWOOD Formerly a Plant in that Excellent NURSERY Being earnestly pressed thereunto by many Obligations of duty and gratitude Doth with all Humility and due respectfulnesse DEVOTE and DEDICATE this Polemical DISCOURSE of the CHURCH c. TO THE READER OUR Reverend brother Mr. Francis Fulwood having taken great pains upon this question viz. whether the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace which we conceive to be a subject both weighty and seasonable We the Ministers of that part of the second division of the County of Devon who are appointed to meet at Kings-bridge do earnestly desire him to make these his worthy labours publick we being fully perswaded that they will prove very useful and acceptable to the Churches of God in this Nation now so much troubled with this great Controversie Kingsbridge in Devon Jan. 5. 1657. Signed by Robert Cary Moderator John Buckley Scribe In the Name and by the Appointment of the Rest TO THE REVEREND MY FATHERS and BRETHREN The Associated Ministers in the County of DEVON Reverend and Worthy Sirs YOu well know that the Reformed Churches have ever since they deserved that name been militant on both hands with the Papist on the one and with the Brownist Anabaptist c. on the other Against whom their first and maine scope was indeed to defend themselves to be the Churches of Christ yet in pursuit of Argument 't is very evident they were still driven to contend for the very being and nature of the Church Rejicimus catharos novatianos Pelagianos Anabaptistas qui peccatoribus nullum ne invisibili quidem ecclesia locum Relinqunt Alst Comp. Theae par 5. loc 1â— in general chiefly as invisible against the Papist and as visible against the Brownist c. The Brownist I humbly conceive assaulted the Reformed Churches with these two Positions 1. That a Church wherein there is a mixture of wicked persons at least tolerated cannot be a true Church 2. That none but the Elect or the truely godly are members of the visible Church 'T is confest this leaven was laid in the Church long agon Andiani pâ—opter hominum vitia coetum Orthodoxae ecclesiae deseruit quod donatistarum erroris postoa suit seminarium Dan. in Aug. de Her p. 976 even in the time of Cyprian as Augustine observeth and afterward kneaded in the lump by Donatus and its sournesse diffused very farre by the heat of his followers yet it was timely and effectually purged out by the learned and elaborate industry and wonderful success of Augustine But this ulcer broke sadly out again upon the Reformation and notwithstanding as to hic and nunc to time and place The Church hath been hitherto competently healed of it through the zealous instant and effectual endeavours of many of her champions yet grievous experience hath still found that at other times or in other places the botch hath risen and broke afresh with a more noisome stench and a more spreading and infecting nature then ever it had done before how evident and notorious is this in our calamitous Churches in England at this day how doth this disease range and its corruption spread over us having gotten its throne in the very heart of the people Wherefore I having also been formerly called forth both to a vocal and Scriptural defence of our Churches against A Sermon and dispute had at Wiviliscome in Somerset and Printed 1654 the first of these errours and there being some special occasion arising from some late scruples among my neighbouring brethren inviting me to deal with this latter of them this also being looked upon not by my self alone but by divers godly and Learned Divines to be the very core and root of most of our Controversies both about our Churches Sacraments and Censures I desire that this may be accepted to you my Reverend Brethren as all the publick Apology I thought fit to set before this my great and bold yet humble undertaking However I shall crave your patience a little longer while I shall labour to prevent mistake and unjust prejudices against the Treatise by setting down my minde as clearly as I can in a few following particulars 1. And first I am fully perswaded that such as have for their scandal of the brethren been justly excommunicated by the Church ought not to be received into communion again without the evidence of such repentance as is in the judgement of rational charity saving for the end of the censure is that the flesh of the offender may be destroyed and the spirit saved and in reason the means should remain applied till the cure be in likelihood done 2. Againe I fully consent with that Reverend man Master James Wood that such as have notorious marks of impenitency or unregeneracy upon them ought not while such notwithstanding the profession to be admitted or received into the communion of the Church at first though I dare not determine what is the true and next reason of their repulsion Mr. Wood saith the reason is not because they appear unregenerate but because a scandalous life is contrary to the very outward profession of the faith But may I have leave to demand how contrary certainly not so contrary to it but that it is consistent with it otherwise a scandalous Professour of the faith would be a contradiction and
inward holinesse which may convince the conscience touching the sincerity of their faith c. Master Cobbet also of N. E. more plainly saith that albeit a mans own personal faith uniteth to Christ in respect Hisbook of Infant baptism p. 57. of saving and invisible union yet the profession of faith before a visible Church uniteth to Christ as Head of the visible Church whether the party be sincere or not and those that are so admitted being unregenerate or destitute of saving grace continue so to be viz. members of the visible Church notwitstanding until they justly deprive Cottons holines of Church-members p. 1. themselves of the priviledge of that fellowship as Mr. Cotton affirmeth I know not why I may not here adde those penitent words of our most Reverend and Learned Master Baxter This saith he is the other cause of the Schismatical Disputations p. 38 39. inclination of some godly people viz. the great mistake of too many in confining all the fruits of Christs dead and the mercies and graces of God to the Elect and so not considering the difference that ever was and will be between the visible Church of Professors and the invisible Church of true beleevers Now if there be indeed a difference the visible Church of Professors is larger then the invisible Church of true beleevers and consequently there are some in the visible that are not in the invisible i. e. the unregenerate to whom those fruits of Christ death and the mercies and grace of God belong that are not to be confined to the Elect. 5. Therefore it follows that to be truely regenerate is onely a necessary duty of Church-members but Though we acknowledge such onâ—ly to be sincere Christians who serve God with upright hearts yet those are not to be denied to be Christians who make so much as a general profession of Christ Mr. Ho. Catech. p. 75. Holinesse of members p. 1. not a condition of their membership I meane visible that is all Church-members ought to be inwardly holy but yet men may be and doubtlesse thousands are truely members of the visible Church that are destitute of such holinesse this is so happily and fully expressed by Mr. Cotton that I shall make bold to give you my full sense of it in his most clear and excellent words Christians saith he truely regenerete are the members of the invisible Church it is the duty of the members of the visible Church to be truely regenerate such are members of the visible that are destitute of spiritual grace plainly intending that to be regenerate is the condition without which men cannot be members of the Church in invisible 2. To be regenerate is the duty of all the members of the visible Church also 3. But to be regenerate is onely the duty and not the condition of visible Church-members for they may be such without it And truely those that do affirme these two Propositions 1. That we ought to expect a profession of saving faith in all we admit 2. That the visible Church hath some hypocrites that are its members must needs allow the distinction viz. that saving grace is the duty because themselves require the profession of it but not the necessary condition of visible membership seeing they also acknowledge that persons may be members thereof without it 6. Further I affirme that no person being once Holiness of the Churches of N. E. p. 89 admitted is to be ejected or cast out for any thing but scandal for we saith Master Cotton proceed not to censure but in case of known offence and such offence as cannot be healed without censure Yea scandal qua tale or as it is offence to others and not as it is a signe of unregeneracy therefore Ametius saith proprium adequatum objectum de consc p. 252 hujus censurae est scandalum viz. fratris from Matth. 18. 15. Si peccaverit in te frater 't is the sinne that offends not unregeneracy 't is the offence that is admonish'd for and not unregeneracy satisfaction is required for the offence and not for unregeneracy the offence indulg'd is the leaven that would spread and sowre the lump of the Church and lastly 't is the offence that is onely to be known and proved and not the want of grace or unregeneracy for as Reverend Master Baxter 'T is a matter of such exceeding difficulty Disp 3. 340 341 to conclude another to be certainly gracelesse that it is not one of the multitudes nay 't is but few of the commonly scandalous grosse sinners that we should be able to prove it by Yet 1. We must censure all the scandalous if scandal be the adequate object of censure 2. We must censure for none but known and proved scandal for the other is not properly or legally scandal Known offence as Master Cotton before 3. Therefore we are not to censure for unregeneracy which we can prove or know by but very few of the scandalous and grossest sinners as Master Baxter notes for how unreasonable is it to punish men with so great and certain a penalty for an uncertain and presumed crime or as the same Reverend man hath it be so heavily Disp p. 34 35 punish'd before they be judg'd and heard I shall put an end to this in those apt and full words of Reverend Master Hooker of N. E. If any saith he Survey p. 42. after they be received shall be found not to be added of God because they be not regenerated yet we are not to cast them out for non-regeneration even known 7. But with your favour I must now needs note that all that hath been said hath not punctually expressed our own case our common concernment in England who generally come into the Church in our Infancy and are not admitted thereinto upon our personal profession at yeares of discretion as Heathens are to be and of which most of our controversies about the way of admission now are For my part I humbly conceive there are but two maine questions about Church-membership that need much trouble us 1. Whether the Infants of Church-members are borne in the Church and to be baptized 2. What is that which unchurcheth them afterterwards It cannot but be heartily wish'd that any heat that is or may be spent about the conditions of admitting Heathens into the Church might be saved till a practical occasion requires it viz. till such a Heathen shall sue for baptisme whose profession or right is truely disputable I must freely professe I cannot like that way of reasoning The parent if he were not baptized should not be baptized himself therefore his childe should not be baptized for in all cases that will keep out that cannot cast out whether Civil Military or Ecclesiastical Positive consent is required upon admission but a negative a non-rejecting the Gospel is sufficient to retaine in the Church distraction of
or particular Church Yea might we thus understand Ames to intend genus and species in a grammatical sense and not a logical in this place I think any one might say after him that ecclesia particularis est species ecclesiae in genere that is the word or notion Church is generally predicable of all Churches this way also the Church may be said to be universal as well as respectu loci and temporis as ursine or personarum and partium as Trelcatius addes but not naturae the Church is a totum and universalis but not a totum universale 't is a totum integrale and universal in the respects specified but not universal quâ totum But any further scrutiny into this matter may be pardonably waved seeing our maine question considers not the Church either as universal or particular or as universal-visible or particular-visible but onely as it is the visible Church as at first was noted Now all so farre as they own the visible Church to be really a Church make no question of its integrality that ever I yet heard of and therefore those that deny the universal visible Church to be an integrum do equally deny it to be really a Church who do also acknowledge the particular visible which they allow to be a Church really to be also totum integrale 2. The Church is also in its nature Aggregative that is 't is The Church is Aggregative of the number of those things which are constitute and by aggregation or collection this is applicable to the Church I conceive as it is that species of integrum that hath its parts united per modum colligationis but this bond by which such parts are held together may not be thought to be real as sticks are bound together in a fagot but metaphorical or political as Companies or bodies or societies of men are bound together by some tie or bond so the Church hath her joynts and bands whereby it is held and knit together as the Apostle speaketh Ephes 4. 16. onely with this difference that civil societies are under civil and the Church is under spiritual bonds What these spiritual bonds of the Church are is largely enquired hereafter Aggregative bodies are so familiar that indeed we finde them in every classis of the creatures and accordingly they are either inanimate as piles of wood heaps of stone c. or animate and these are either irrational as a flock of sheep a shole of fish c. or rational and these againe are either civil as a family a corporation a Common-wealth c or ecclesiastical as the Church Aggregative bodies are either occasional as many times flights Aggregatives are inanimate and animate these irrational and rational these civil and ecclesiastical these occasional and fix'd Their essential state of birds are and that rout we read of Acts 19. was or fixt and settled as the Church of God is Aggregative bodies are distributed secundum statum essentialem vel integralem according to their essential state they are distributed into their matter and form as Trelcatius intimates * Tales quae non sunt eo nunquid absolute sed continent in se duo quonum alterum est simile maltitudini materiae dispersae altorum vero unitati ordine collectioni Instit therl p. 214. Professio visibilis Communio visibilis Am. Medul p. 165. s 28. Integral state they are such saith he aâ—â—ontaine in them two one of which is like to multitude and dispersed matter which is as it were the matter the other to unity order and collection which is the forme Now such are the essential parts of the Church the matter whereof is persons professing Religion or called and the forme the collection or Congregation order unity society or community of persons as at large hereafter By the way give me leave to hang two queries upon this observation 1. Whether an aggregative body and consequently the visible Church which is such have not its essential forme as well as every other thing that hath an essence 2. Whether an aggregative bodn made up of visible parts and consequently the visible Church which is such have not an essential form which is visible if the matter or parts be visible why is it not the union or aggregation of this visible matter or parts visible also if the persons and the profession of the persons be visible what hinders the society or fellowship of them to be visible also or what should render it invisible but of this also more largely anone According to their Integral state aggregative bodies are distributed into their parts qua integral and according to the nature of them which are sometimes similar sometimes dissimilar 1 Cor. 12. 28 29 30. Now the parts of the visible Church I conceive are both similar in that all are called dissimilar in that some are Elected and some not similar in that all are professours dissimilar in that some are also officers and some not But we are now I humbly conceive very neer unto the ground of the common distribution of the Church into visible and invisible which was proposed to be next considered SECT V. The ground and meaning of the distinction of the Church into visible and invisible This aggregative body the Church is usually distinguished into visible and invisible I shall briefly shew how I understand it and wherein I except against it and thus my notion of the Church visible will furthèr appear 1. I conceive it cannot be a distinction of the essential totality of the Church as if the visible were the matter and the invisible were the form of the Church then the invisible Church being also visible visible in profession as invisible in faith should be both forme and part of the matter of the same Church which is absurd Wherefore I dislike that distinction that hypocrites are materialy but not formally of the visible Church for indeed if hypocrites be not formally of the visible Church they are not of it at all if forma dat esse nor may be said to be so if forma dat nomen 2. Neither can it be distinctio generis in species as Ames observes as if there were one Church visible and another invisible specififically differing for properly there is but one Church as all consent and that one Church is therefore not a genus for then its species would make more then one 3. Neither again can it be distinctio integri in membra as Ames also teacheth as if one part of the Church visible and another part invisible seeing the whole is in its profession visible but this I humbly conceive is nearest to it 4. Therefore lastly I conceive it to be distinctio integri non Una numero duplicem mododicunt pro conditione membrorum ipsius in partes sed à parte and to result not from the totality of the integrum as such but from a diverse consideration of the nature or disposition of the
whether the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without saving grace but without respect to saving grace For if the Church neither ever were nor yet is nor ever shall be or exist without this i. e. true saving grace it will not help or profit us much to finde whether it be so in our Consideration or not yet if it shall be proved that saving grace is verily Quarto modo neither of the essence or property of the Church it will thence easily follow that there is no contradiction in considering a Church to be truely such without it yea I suppose it will further follow that this visible Church so considered without saving grace hath not its being onely in reason or consideration but hath some foundation of being in re and is at least ens rationis ratiocinatae and so considered conceptu objectivo as the Metaphysicks speak Yea I know not but that happily it may claim one step further and be termed ens reale if we mean ens real potentiâ non actu but 3. The question lastly is not whether the visible Church may be i. e. actually without saving grace but whether it may be considered to be truely a Church without respect to saving grace that is whether saving grace be either of the essence or property of the Church or so neere unto the nature and being of it as that it cannot be conceived to be but respect must be had to saving grace this is the very sense of the question before us yet concerning this which is denyed to be our question viz. the actual being of the Church without saving grace I shall crave leave to expresse my self in a few particulars which I humbly conceive may have yet some further and direct subserviency to the cheering of my mind touching the question with which I shall conclude that word I readily grant that though saving grace be not of the essence or property of the visible Church yet saving grace is of the excellency bene esse of it but even therefore saving grace is denied to be necessary in our consideration of the nature and being of the visible Church A symmetry of part strength of body lively colour consistency of braine quicknesse of fancy soundnesse of minde retention of memory and good discourse all these are of the excellency and glory of a man yet not one of them require a necessary place in one consideration when we would conceive of his nature and property quatenus homo as he is a man for he may be a man without all these and therefore he may doubtlesse be conceived a man and truely without respect to any of them the application hereof to our present discourse is easily left to my Reader 2. I further grant that as it cannot be but that many individual men among the rest of the kinde will be thus excellently qualified as before so neither can it ever be but that many individual members of the visible Church shall be endued with saving grace according to that of Vrsin in ecclesia semper sunt aliqui Catech. p. 408 non omnes electi sancti 3. Yet I humble offer whether the cause of this impossibility may not be thought to lie rather in the will of God so determining and consequently be a thing extrinsecal to the being of the Church then in the nature of the Church or any thing intrinsecal thereunto and whether the visible Church might not for any thing in the nature thereof to the contrary be truely a Church of Christ though there should not be one member in it for a time savingly qualified though it be still granted that for the glory of grace the Lord hath so ordained that it never shall be actually so Even as to follow my present similitude it is impossible but there should be many wise and judicious men in the world yet this necessity lieth not in the nature of man but rather in the will of God that hath so ordained for the glory of his own name and the good of society in the world And if at last it issue thus I see not but that we may safely conclude the visible Church without saving grace to be in the former sense Ens reale id est potentia if he define ens reale well that saith it is quod habet esse ex parte Rei actu vel potentia seeing such a Church hath its being ex parte rei potentia and the onely reason why it hath not the same actualitèr is not ex parte rei sed ex parte Dei 4. Yet once more I humbly offer that seeing there may be a Corporation of men without one wise or learned man amongst them why may not there be a particular Church in the world without one member savingly qualified at least for some certaine space of time c Indeed Ames concludeth and doubtlesse soundly maximè probabile esse nullam dar◠c. that it is most probable that there is no particular Church where the profession of the true faith Medul de ecclesia flourisheth but that there are some therein that are true believers yet none can construe maximè probabile impossible to be otherwise and if it be most probable 't is not necessary and then the being of the Church dependeth not thereon but it may be without it for he that saith any thing is most likely to be even thereby intimates that that thing is not certaine to be and then it may not be and that is all I querie for Neither can those words of God to Paul for I have much people in this City inforce any such thing though we grant that much people to be the Elect for 1. These words carried extraordinary encouragement against the Vid. Act. 18. 9 10 extraordinary trials which that City had for Paul and therefore will conclude onely that in the like case where a Minister is called to much suffering he shall be an instrument of grace to much people 2. However much people might have been first wrought upon to an outward profession before this much people had been savingly converted and yet have been a true particular visible Church though it 's very unlikely that it was so SECT II. What grace is necessary to visible Church-membership There now seemeth but one intimation more requisite for the due explication of this last terme viz. that it is not question'd whether the visible Church may be so considered without respect to any grace but without respect to saving grace for it rather seemeth to imply some kind of grace is necessary and questioneth onely of that kind which is saving The question then here is how farre any kind of grace may be thought necessare to visible Church-membership or with what cautions we exclude that kind of grace which is saving there-from wherein I shall now betake my self to expliate my minde as plainly as I can in the following distinctions and conclude
it for me it was noted before Apol. p. 88. that he allowed us the former branch of the distinction viz. vocation unâ—ffectual as common to Pagans and again in terminis he affords the latter viz. vocation which is effectual only to bring men to an outward profession which he also saith is larger then Election 4. Lastly I acknowledge 't is the sense of the distinction and not the terms I contest for and if I may be granted that let these be censured as my reader pleaseth 2. Now that this external or more properly common call is truely a call and that those that are called therewith are truely called though not savingly appeareth thus 1. This was the called which our Saviour affirmeth the many were called withal For first these were called not with the calling common to Heathens onely nor with that calling which is proper to the Elect therefore they were called according to that only branch remaining viz. the common effectual call which brought them into the visible Church 1. This Call cannot be meant of the uneffectual call common to Heathens these words of Christ many are called are the close of two Parables Matth. 20. 16. and 22. 14. the one of labourers called to the vine-yard the other of guests called to the feast and in both applyed to them that answered to the call that came and laboured in the vine-yard that came with other bidden ones to the feast and not to those that refus'd 2. Neither yet can it be meant of the saving effectual Call for we see it is applied by Christ unto more then are capable of saving vocation more then are Elected as before was noted therefore it must needs be meant of that which is termed an effectual call opposed to that which is ineffectual and a common call opposed to that which is more then common viz. saving 2. This must needs be truely a call because it is the same call which the Elect partake of I grant rhe Elect partake of an higher call viz. a saving which the reprobate never enjoy yet the Elect have the same call which the reprobate have as seemes clearly to be collected from the words before us for the few chosen are apparently included in the many called they were all called and but few of them chosen 3. This common Call is a true effect therefore also truely a call yea a divine effect a work of God himself and that he is Vocatio communis est actio Dei Instit p. 109 pleased to efficere as Trelcatius speaks who further and more expressely termes it Gods action therefore doubtlesse not counterfeit but true in its kind 4. This common call is also a true cause and therefore it must needs prove it self to have a true being to be truely a call in its kinde for nihil agit quod non est It is a true cause for it worketh true effects persons by this common call are truely brought out of the world of infidels and united to the visible people and Church of God to own and professe Jesus Christ to attend upon the wayes and Ordinances of his worship to see some necessity of faith and repentance and of yeelding obedience to the Gospel of Christ as Trelcatius aptly asserts vocatio communis est Actio Dei gratiosa qua homines ab infidelitate ad fidem evecat Instit p. 109. 5. In this common call are both the necessary parts of a Duo enim haec concurrere necesse est ut vocatio sit efficax vocationem Dei nostram ad illam vocationem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu relationem p. 222. true Call truely and really therefore the totum also Trelcatius teacheth that two things concurre to make a call effectual or true the call on Gods part and the answer on ours so that all those that do answer the call wherewith God calleth them truely and really in aâ—y measure are so far truely and really called of God though not fully and savingly as the Elect regenerate are But now none can doubt but that men by this common call alone may and do answer the call of God truely and really in a great measure as before is noted therefore the common call is truely and really such CHAP. V. Arg. 2. From the Etymology or the name of the Church WE now descend to the second Argument offered us from Ecclesia ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name of the Church as it is more immediately derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and denoteth a calling out But that we may lay the foundation well before we begin to build there are three things to be truely premised before we fix the Argument 1. That this Etymology of the word doth not in the least contradict but most evidently perfect and compleat the former for by the former the Church is concluded to be called in a general and simple sense and by this the Church which was thus before said to be called is in a more strict close and respective sense said to be called out where we have plainly intimated to us that there is some special term place or state out of which or from which it is called 2. That this Etymology is generally allowed by those that we Etymologicè ecclesia est coetus publicaÌ„ autoritate evocatus de eccles p. 214. finde most accurate upon this subject Etymologicè saith Trelcatius the Church is a company called out by publick authority and pasor doth not onely derive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evoco but even renders the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine by Caetus Evocatus which is in plaine English a company called out 3. That this calling out which we finde in the name of the Church doth not so properly or exactly note the inward state from which as the outward caetus or society out of which it is called which will be easily granted me to be the world therefore we finde the Church set in opposition to the world out of which and not to sinne darknesse or Satan from which we are called according to that of our Saviour I have chosen you that is by calling as we know he did his Disciples out of the John 15 19 world Whence as the Learned Master Baxter seals with a certainly all Divines in their definitions of the Church are agreed that it is a society of persons separated from the world to God or called Against Tombs out of the world and therefore no society the calling of whose members hath not the world for its terme from which hath persons Nullus coetus cujus membrorum vocatio non habet mundum terminum aquo habet sanctâ— voâ—atos pro proximâ mateâ—iâ Norton in â—eâ—p ad totam quest syllâ—g p. 1â—5 of a holy calling for its next matter or by consequence can be a true Church as another argues who cannot be imagined possibly partial to my cause namely that learned and
ready to charge him with Brownisme for denying hypocrites to be members of the Church he answers them that hypocrites are so according to the outward state of the Church the Brownist was as ready to charge him with Popery in affirming wicked men to be true members of the visible Church and he answers them that they are not so quoad statum internum and essentialem But let us weigh his words a little farther by fixing the question whether any thing may be considered as such from its accidental forme seeing Amesius hath said that such are members of the Church by their participation with this accidental forme of profession But may a man be considered qua homo from the figure or colour of his body or any member of that man be considered such from its partaking of either of these if by the essential form alone a thing is that which it is can any thing partake of the being of that thing without partaking of the essential form do not the Schooles generally with Thomas teach that forma accidentalis non tribuit perfectionem essentialem composito would not the affirmative to this viz. that the accident perfects the essence seeing accidens habet esse in subjecto be a flat contradiction How then can Amesius say that one that onely partakes of the accidental forme of the Church is a member thereof either we must allow that such professours are true members of the visible Church or deny them to be so if they are they must needs partake of the essential form of the body and not onely of the accidental if they are not let us be rigid Brownists and openly say what we think Yea if such professours do truely partake of the accidental form of the Church I conceive they must also truly partaker of the essential interest in the accident of any thing is founded in interest in the essence of that thing for an accident as such hath no being but in its subject and there cannot be an interest in or relation to any thing but as it is how then can a man stand under the accidental forme of the Church unlesse he be pars subjecti vel substantiae and how can that be unlesse he partake of the essential or substantial forme of the Church How can any thing partake of my colour or figure unlesse it be part of my selfe it may partake of whitenesse but not of my whitenesse or of whitenesse as an accident of me unlesse it be part of me so indeed a man may be a professor but he cannot partake of the profession of the Church unless he be a real part of the subject the Church which cannot be without partaking with the essence or essential forme thereof So that here I pitch such professours are members of the visible Church farther then Ames alloweth or not so farre for they partake either of both the essential and accidental forme or of neither and must be consequently granted to be true members of the visible Church both according to the external and the internal state thereof or according to neither Now if in conclusion it be found that such professours as we are now considering do also partake of the essential forme of the visible Church this essential forme must be either the same which Forma essentialis est Relatio spiritualis Med. 163. Neque ulla relatio vim istam habet praeter illam que consistit in primi intima affectione ad Christum p 162 163. vid p. 168 â—8 Amesius assignes or another but it cannot be the same these professours as we are now considering do also partake of the essential forme of the visible Church this essential forme must be either the same which Amesius assignes or another but it cannot be the same these professours are by himself expressed to be uncapable thereof for they are called by him tantum professione fideles i. e. such as do not savingly beleeve and this essential forme of the Church which he meaneth is a little above expressed by himself to be such a relation as carrieth true faith which effectually worketh true holiness with it of which such as onely profess are necessarily supposed to be destitute But if that essential forme of the Church be another then that which Amesius assigneth either that forme which he assigned is not the true essential forme of the Church or there are two distinct Duae formae substantiales non possunt in eadem materia consistere forms thereof Now there cannot be two distinct formes of one and the same Church I meane two distinct essential formes that is little lesse then a contradiction neither shall we be allowed to have two distinct Churches which must needs follow two substantial formes for omnis differentia constitutiva est â—orma distinguit Rem ab omnibus aliis a prioris etiam divisiva divisiva generis constitutiva specii i. e. it doth divide the genus into its species and then doth constitute the species distinct from one another Againe if there be found such an essential forme of the Church Forma substantialis tribuit essentialem perfectionem composito as those which onely profess and are without saving grace do indeed partake of then the visible Church as such or as it stands in distinction to the invisible will be found to be truely and properly a Church for the essential form giveth an essential perfection to any thing Then it will follow in conjunction with what every one grants that there is but one Church truely and properly so called that the invisible Church as distinguished from the visible is not so Therefore it remaineth that we now further enquire after the essential forme of the visible Church Amesius asserts that the essential forme of the Church lieth in Relation which saith he is nothing else but faith and concludeth fides c. faith therefore is the forme of the Church But as if he were aware that some would reply then particular Fidem enim homines fideles qui prout sigillatim distributive considerantur sunt vocati Dei sunt etiam ecclesia Dei prout conjun ctim vel collective considerantur in coetu Med. p. 163. 13. Beleevers were formal Churches he anticipateth thus faith saith he in particular beleevers distributively taken is the forme of the called but collectively taken 't is the forme of the Church the same beleevers taken apart are the called of God and conjoyn'd are the Church of God Thus he But 1. Be it so that faith is the forme of the Church if there may be found a real faith as well as a real calling that is not saving as no doubt there may my case is yet well enough though I confesse Ames clearly meaneth a saving faith 2. But I must be allowed the boldnesse once more to offer my humble exceptions against what is here by him asserted For 1. If that same faith which is the forme of the Church be indeed to be
found in particular beleevers scattered I cannot imagine how this conclusion can be intercepted particular believers have the forme of the Church and consequently are truely a Church though not in coetu or in societie do they want the mattter of the Church no for they are considered apart in his own words the called of God and the called of God are the true matter of the Church none will deny Neither 2. Will it be helped to say that faith in beleevers considered collectively is the form of the Church For 1. The form of a thing is real which hath being extra mentis operationem it receiveth no part of its nature from consideration and therefore if faith be in it self or properly the essential forme of the Church so it still will be whether we consider it distributively or collectively and wheresoever we finde it viz. in materia congrua in fit matter as the called doubtlesse are Besides 2. Then something is apparently added to faith to informe the Church viz. the collection of the persons so beleeving and then I humbly offer whether whatsoever faith be meant here it belong not exactly to the matter and most unproperly to the forme of the Church for that which doth not perfect the essence or give essential perfection to a thing is not the essential forme of that thing but faith doth not give essential perfection to the Church for where faith is there is not this essential perfection of the Church without something else viz. collection or association of the subjects of this faith together added 3. Therefore he saith 1. Fides est forma ecclesiae and then 2. Coetus est forma ecclesiae wherein I am yet to seek his meaning for either these differ and are two things and then there are two formal causes of the Church or else faith and company are all one in his sense and indeed almost in his words fides spectata collectivè est coetus vocatorum id est forma ecclesiae which I cannot comprehend 4. If coetus vocatorum be indeed a definition of the Church as Amesius saith then either vocati are the forme or coetus or both Med. p. 163. 12. if vocati distinct from coetus be then coetus is not if coetus distinct from vocati then the vocati are not and if both together be the forme then where is the matter 5. Again if this be a perfect definition and consequently the whole cannot be the forme one of the parts must and now which is likeliest coetus or fideles not fideles of the faithful because that these prae-exist before the Church is informed and something as was before observed is necessarily to be added to perfect the essence of the Church 2. One of these two must be the matter of the Church but coetus cannot because the matter is presupposed to the forme but coetus or the consosiation of beleevers doth praesuppose beleevers 3. Therefore the cleanest account with me is that beleevers are the matter the coetus and the collection or community of them is the true essential forme of the Church That wherein they have communion is the publick exercise of such duties as we ead Act 2. 47. Hook eccles pol. 89. Here then at length I pitch that the forme of the Church lieth in society or community stâ—ictly and properly that collection taken actively or unitâ—on is the immediate efficient collection taken passively or union is the effect or proper state of the Church that communion is its formal action but corporation society or community is strictly the forme thereof Which learned Ames himself doth seeme more than to intimate if we let passe the foresaid obscurities saying that faithful Med p. 163. 13. men are the Church of God prout conjunctim vel collectivè considerantur in coetu and yet more plainly in the page before p. 162. 9. Coetus dicitur quia in multitudine consociata vel communitate multorum proprie consistit non in aliquo uno vocato So that in short account the remote matter of the Church Ad homines restringitur iste coetus p. 162. 10 is men the lesse remote matter of the Church is men called and the next matter of the Church is a many or a multitude of men called and now that which is to be added to compleat the Church is the society or community as Ames exactly of these many or this multitude of men called and this is properly the forme thereof Which further appeares For 1. The Church is allowed by all to be totum aggregativum or a holy heap now where lieth the forme of an heap but in the society of the parts thereof they being put together 2. 'T is therefore called a body in Scripture corpus coagmentatum and compactum ex variis membris as Ames noteth from Ephes 4. 16. as also a House a Family a City a Kingdome a Flock and where lieth the forme of all these but in society or community 3. This notion suits so well with the principles of many that they are called Congregational men and their way called Emphatically the Congregational way doubtlesse then their Church is a Congregation yea the opinion of many of them is that their Church-Covenant is the forme of their instituted Church which Covenant is onely the bond of the company or society Lastly that which being put in any matter the thing is necessarily Quo posito in materia aliqua necessario constituitur compositum sublato tollitur id est illius forma constituted and being taken away the thing is dissolved is the forme of that thing but society or community being added to many men called which is the matter of the Church the Church is necessarily constituted and society or community being taken away the Church is dissolved therefore society or community is the forme of the Church 5. Szegedine teacheth that true doctrine and the true use of the Sacraments are the formal cause of the Church But these I conceive are rather either the means of communion which is as was said before the formal action more properly then the very forme it selfe of the Church or else the distinguishing forme whereby the Church is known rather then the constitutive form whereby the Church hath its being But to draw up this discourse of the constitutive forme of the Church 1. Whatsoever it appear to be I hope to prove that it may be truely considered without respect to saving grace if it be calling or faith or profession it hath before appeared that these may be considered to be truely when not savingly such and if it be society or community as hath partly appeared already and will more fully appear when we handle the definition of the Church I presume none will question but this also may be considered to be truely such without any respect to saving grace 2. But if Ames should mean as he truely seemeth to do that coetus vocatorum or societas fidelium
the Church and Covenant in which and indeed God himself to whom he is borne as to his earthly parent 4. Therefore the children are said to be holy themselves as well as their parents 1 Cor. 7. 14. that is federally and that which is a reason of this foederal holinesse is equally a reason of their foederal faith 5. Indeed nor we nor our children have any right in Abrahams Covenant but as we and they are Abrahams children he is the great root and we and ours branches upon him now none are Abrahams children but beleevers he is the father of the faithful therefore our children being children of Abraham are beleevers as we are 6. Therefore children may be known as Christ himself intimates to believe in his Name i. e. by their being born within the Church Mat. 18. 6 7. or else they could not be received or offended as such as Christ supposeth 7. Lastly none but an Anabaptist will deny our children to be both of the Church and the subject of their own Church-membership and therefore to be sealed such in themselves and not onely in their parent by baptisme and consequently the Camero distinguisheth of real holinesse one sort consists in the bare relation of the person c. as Mr. Blake notes Seals 150 subjects of their own faith seeing baptism is also a seal of the righteousness of faith 2. Neither let any reply that this is not a real because it is a relatiue faith for even therefore it is real real being opposed here to that which is either false or not at all and not unto relative is not a childe a son really because relatively 2. That must needs be real in it self which hath real effects but this relative faith hath real effects hereby we are borne to God and Tametsi relatio est Ens debilis entitatis tamen est magnae efficaciae in the Covenant hereby we have a right to baptisme and all other Ordinances so far as we are capable of them being members of the visible Church and body of Christ and all these really and truely so 3. Now that this foederal faith differs from that which justifieth The Church in dispensing looketh into visibility of interest in the Covenant to guide her nor is the saving interest of the persons her rule c. Cobbet cited by Blake Seals p. 124. and saveth which is necessarily a quality of the person so justified or saved or at least that we need not respect the saving grace of the childe whom upon this foederal and relative consideration we are about to receive and admit to Baptisme I think none but an Anabaptist will stick to question 2. Habitual or qualitative faith may be considered also to be a true faith when not saving both as it is an historical and as it is a temporary faith as Divines distinguish Both which viz. the historical and temporary faith are distinguished from justifying and saving faith generally by most Protestant Assensus ille generalis quem poutisicii fidem statuunt non est fides i. e. justificans quia ipsis fatentibus potest esse sine ulla vita Am. Med. p 8 Virtutis activae quantitas ex quantitatis effectu cognosci debet Trel Inst Theol. p. 114 Divines yea those which hold as the Papists generally do that historical faith doth justifie even they do yet grant that there is an historical faith in some degree and acts thereof that is not saving which is most apparent in the other viz. temporary faith which is doubtlesse a higher degree of faith if there be a difference and evidently includes a dogmatical faith within it for this being but temporary cannot be saving Now that both these are real though not saving appears by the truth of their effects an Historical faith doth generally produce a temporary faith wherein there is still more or lesse of an Applicative faith though never so much as a justifying faith Sometimetimes this temporary faith sheweth it self by a strong application bringing its subject truely to answer though Efficacitas vocationis est interna cum tanguntur intellectus voluntas Tre. Inst 114. Ex modo vocandi non ex effectu vocationis Inst Theol. but in part the call of God which renders him really though but commonly called yet not outwardly but in a very deep measure inwardly called for as Trelcatius hath most accurately noted this common calling is termed external onely with respect to the manner of calling and not with respect to the effect of the call this common call being as truely though not so throughly an inward call as that which is saving for it reacheth the minde and produceth its change truely there by bringing it to see danger and vanitie in the wayes of sinne and to judge the wayes of grace and holinesse better and safer it toucheth and turneth the will also to perfer and choose and accordingly to apply it self to the true Religion it unlocks interrupts and partially awakens the deepest part and secretest closet of the soul the conscience by convincing it of sinne and the wrath and terrours of the Lord accompanying sin by perswading it of a necessity of repentance unto life of beleeving to the saving of the soul of mortification of sinne and of becoming a new creature by letting in the flashes of hell for duties omitted and evils practiced and allowed against light and truth imprisoned this makes a change and disturbance in the passions quencheth love to the world breaketh or at least disorders and shakes the quiet hope joy and delight in sinne c. and on the other side draweth it into a good compliance with better ways makes it to attend on the word gladly to receive it with joy to yeeld some outward conformity to the will of God and even to taste of the powers of the world to come and not onely to deserve the title of beleever but even of one sanctified with the blood of the Covenant and yet all the while but such as is but for a while and therefore not justifying or saving faith as sadly appears Heb. 6. and Heb. 10. Therefore is but deservedly stiled by Matthew and Mark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 temporary Object I cannot foresee what can possibly interrupt us by way of objection here unlesse it be said that real faith is taken aequivocè and though an historical and temporary faith are real in their kinde yet is not these but a justifying and saving faith which is to be understood in the definition when the Church is defined societ as fidelium Answ But even this was prevented for though Ames doth evidently mean a faith which justifieth or saveth yet it hath appeared the Scripture doth not in the former instances wherein persons that are evidently denied to have this justifying saving faith are yet as evidently allowed to have real faith and that such as interests in visible Church-membership 1. None according to Scripture are denyed to be
sometimes fit and sometimes not fit when the Church is an actual meeting and not fit when she hath adjourned to another time Therefore this definition a society called out of the world to the worship of the true God being fit to expresse the nature both of the universal and the particular visible Church and that at all times and states thereof it may I think be yeelded to be a proper definition thereof Now to draw up this discourse I shall onely further intimate that the definition of the visible Church may be truely considered to be such and truely applicable to the visible Church without any respect to saving grace as appears to the very first glance of our observation from the definition fix'd upon viz. that it is a society of men called â—ut of the world to the worship of God who will be so ventrous as to question either the fitness of this definition or its applicablenesse to the visible Church without respect to saving grace For 1. All the parts that are either essential or necessary or fit for this definition of the Church have appeared before to be thus truely applicable thereunto without respect to saving grace therefore the whole is so likewise 2. All particular definitions now mentioned except one are to be truely considered without respect to saving grace without any colour of question much lesse controversie and that one viz of Ames is nothing against us seeing Ames his judgement is for us and himself alloweth such persons a place in the Church as he will not allow if we understand him any place in the definition of the Church as before is noted 3. Therefore these very Authours take occasion to acquaint us that the Church which they thus define containeth Hypocrites as well as the Elect and that with the joint consent of the reformed Divines which I doubt not abundantly to make to appear when we speak upon the head of humane Testimony CHAP. XVI Objections answered and the true sense of the reformed Divines considered who say the invisible Church is onely the true Church BEfore we passe on to that way of arguing termed inartificial namely from authority we think fit to consider a few objections which may be called artificial and leave the other Objections which arise from Scripture and the judgement of the Church to be handled I think more methodically after my arguments thence The first and indeed the onely considerable objection against me is this Object 'T is confest that there is but one true Church 't is also confest that the invisible Church is one true Church but now the Church invisible cannot be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace therefore neither the Church visible Answ I answer that in general this argument is justly exceptible against because before it reacheth the conclusion of my opponent it evidently concludeth that which I presume himself renounceth viz. that the visible Church is in no respect at all either with or without saving grace to be truely a Church of Christ that this is the first conclusion of the argument is most obvious from the two first propositions 1. 'T is said there is but one true 2. The invisible is one true Church What now doth force it self from hence but therefore the visible is no visible Church somewhat a strange conclusion unknown I think to all the ages of the Church before us and such as imposed upon the providence of God to have entrusted this whole worship and Ordinances in the hands of a false Church 2. Hereby also we have a quick dispatch of the present controversie for what need we reach any further after the thing before us viz. whether the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without this respect to saving grace if it be first concluded that there is no visible Church at all 3. But more directly I answer by denying at least one of these things either 1. That the one true Church is the Church invisible Or 2. That though the one true Church be invisible yea and this invisible Church cannot be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace yet it followeth not that the visible Church may not be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace 1. I might deny with fairnesse enough that the one true Church is properly the Church invisible until my arguments above for the contrary are answered till when the present objection can challenge no answer 2. But here I shall rather deny the consequence and that though I grant the invisible Church to be the onely true Church and that this cannot be truely considered as such without respect to saving grace yet the visible Church is a true Church and may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace the reason is because these attributes of visible and invisible though they are given to the same subject the Church yet in diverse respects which appears by this argument if they are to be taken in the same respect and visibility be as none will deny an inseperable adjunct of the Church then there is no invisible Church for to say as Ames saith the Church never ceaseth to be visible and there is an invisible Church if visible and invisible here be to be taken in the same respect is a plaine contradiction now the consideration of the divers respect wherein the same Church is said to be visible and invisible detects the fallacy of the former Argument thus the Church with respect to its saving faith and to those persons that have this saving faith is said to be invisible this faith being not seen and these persons not to be certainly known And againe the same Church with respect to its profession and the persons therein that own the same in the eyes of the world is truely said to be visible So that though there be but one Church there is a Church invisible and a Church visible And again though this Church as invisible cannot be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace seeing it is therefore said to be invisible because of its saving grace and the subjects thereof cannot be seen or certainly known by men yet this Church in its visible consideration or as it is the visible Church may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace seeing that which renders it thus visible hath no necessary dependance upon saving grace as Reverend Hudson saith well the Church is considered to be visible and invisible à duplici modo communionis externae internae visible with respect to its external way of communion which doth not suppose saving grace and invisible with regard to its internal way of communion which doth suppose saving grace This is doubtlesse the plaine sense of the reformed Protestant Churches as is clearly stated by that eminent patron thereof Med. p. 165 Dr. Ames his words are known The Militant Church
visible Church-membership in the Word of God But the same Word of God attributeth all these unto some that had no saving grace 1. The Word of God as was noted before acknowledgeth that both Simon Magus and the stony ground beleeved and the Word of God witnesseth also that neither Simon Magus nor the stony ground had no saving grace 2. The Word of God Heb. 10. 29. ascribeth the title of sanctified to such as trampled under foot the Son of God c. which doubtless had no saving grace 3. The Word of God 2 Pet. 2. 1. acknowlegeth such to be redeemed and bought by Christ who yet fall away and deny him and bring upon themselves swift destruction but these had never any saving grace 4. The Word of God in the last place acknowledgeth Gal. 5. 4. that some persons were once in a state of grace who fell from grace and therefore such as never had any saving grace they were in a state of grace first otherwise they could not have fallen from grace their grace however was not saving for from saving grace none did ever fall away CHAP. XIX The third Argument from Scripture admitting persons into Church-membership upon account diverse from saving grace the difference of the Infant and Adult estate largely considered MY third and last Argument from the Word of God is grounded upon the condition of admission of persons into the visible Church of God therein allow'd and it is this The Word of God both alloweth and requireth that persons be admitted members of the visible Church upon an account that is really diverse from saving grace therefore the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace The antecedent here is not to be touch'd for unlesse we pretend that according to Scripture the childe born within the Church is admitted a member thereof for his own habitual or inherent grace or that foederal or imputed grace is saving grace or that he is not of the Church or not to be baptized till he make a profession of saving grace in his own person all which are apparently absurd we must needs yeeld that according to Scripture persons are admittable into the Church upon an account that is diverse from saving grace Obj. It may not be objected that the child is admitted upon the evidence of his parents saving grace for as that is false in it selfe as anon will be shewne so it reacheth not at all to our present purpose which onely concerneth the qualification of the very person admitted and the ground thereof in himselfe Yet I grant that this is concludent onely in settled Churches for at the first plantation of a Church personal qualities are to be expected in Heathens adult for their admission into visible Church-membership as also when they are to be adjoyned to any particular Church already setled and therefore so farre onely as concerneth the admission of infants in setled Churches However is not this our common case yea and of all the Churches were not our and their members admitted in infancy time out of minde all standing as members grown up or branches sprung from the old root in the garden or Church of God at least ordinarily and for the most part for how rare a thing and extraordinary is it to hear of a Pagan Turk or Jew baptized Christian The consequence is also evident upon this ground that the same grace may easily be considered to continue the being of the visible Church which first gave it unlesse some violent accident as renouncing the Covenant c. hath since disolved it for as Dayrel saith well we must know that all which be once admitted page 171 into the Church do remaine members of the same Church be they never so wicked until either they themselves depart from it or else by excommunication they be cast out and that consequently all the scandalous persons aforesaid were in and of the Church yea the incestuous person till he was excommunicated and this as he addes they of the separation likewise acknowledge to be true Object The great objection here is that children remaine Church-members by foederal holinesse until they come unto their adult estate indeed but no longer for then they must give the answer of a good conscience for themselves and continue this relation to the Church upon the account of their own faith Answ 1. I readily grant that all children baptiz'd in their infancy ought when at yeares of discretion to give this answer of a good conscience both by their evidence of their knowledge of Christ and an holy conversation 2. I further grant that there is an evident necessity upon all such baptized persons to own the faith into which they are baptized at least negatively seeing that a positive renounciing thereof putteth out of the Church 3. Yet admit that persons thus baptized in their infant state state do not give such answer at years of discretion either of their knowledge or holinesse as they ought to do it by no meanes follows that they are forth-with rendred out of the Church or that their former foederal or relative holinesse is hereby null for these Reasons Reas 1. The Word of God wherein alone his minde is revealed hath no where evidenced that foederal or relative holinesse of persons borne in the Church or their relation to the Church thereby is extinct at years of discretion or removed and lost by ignorance or the want of the evidence of saving grace if but one text were produced intimating this this part of the controversie ends 2. Yea indeed the contrary is more then evident in sacred writ viz. that relative holinesse doth proceed even into the adult estate and that ignorance or want of the evidence of saving grace doth not then extirpate our former hurch interest convey'd thereby and sealed in infancy was not Ishmael and the incestuous person at their adult estate or were they such as evidenced saving grace yet Ishmael Gal. 4. 30. and the incestnous person 1 Cor. 5. 12. are both acknowledged to be within hath it not appeared abundantly that persons charged by God himself with actual rebellion are also acknowledged at the same instant by the same God to be his people how could they be so charged had they not been at adult age and how could they be so acknowledged had they had no foederal or relative holinesse for they had none other Yea to put it out of further question this people are expresly said to be a holy people Deut. 14. 2. even while they were charged with being stiff-neck'd and a rebellious people unto this place chap. 9. verse 6 7. and what holinesse could that be that was consistent with a stiffe neck and a rebellious heart but a Covenant-holinesse even as 't is there expounded to be I have chosen thee to be my people or a holinesse of separation as it also followeth Deut. 14. 2. to be a peculiar people unto himself
CHAP. XXVI What is requisite to constitute a member of the visible Church A twofold answer hereunto considered BUt least my notion of the visible Church wherein as my question leads me I have hitherto rather hovered in generals and negatives should be left suspitious or obscure I shall now pitch upon a more fix'd particular and positive discourse in answer to the three plaine cases or queries following which haply may prove a fit medium betwixt the debate already had and some plaine practical and necessary inferences that are yet to be drawn from the whole The Queries are 1. What is requisite to constitute a member of the visible Quid constituit Quid distinguit Quid destruit Church 2. What is requisite to evidence this visible Church-membership to others 3. What is that that doth dismember or cut one wholly off from the visible Church Quest 1. Then what is requisite to constitute a member of the visible Church Answ Mr. Cotton answers in the name of the Churches in New England thus 't is not the seed of faith nor faith it selfe that knitteth a man to this or that particular visible Church but an holy profession of the faith and professed subjection to the Gospel of Christ in their communion his way of those Churches p. 84 85. Supposing what is herein to be supposed viz. that the way of entring the universal visible Church is not here concerned Secondly that the way of Infants becoming Church-members is not here intended I could even signe this answer Onely I must needs except against its fitnesse to be applied to the cases of most Churches seeing it onely intends that which is more extraordinary viz. the entring of Heathens into our Chuâ—ches and leaves untouch'd that which is the ordinary and daily means of increase or continuance of them by our children born therein to God and to this priviledge of visible Church-membership Master Hudson also towards the latter end of his discourse of the Church proposeth and answereth this same Question viz. what is requisite to make one a member of the visible Church his answer hereunto conteineth three things Competent knowledge holinesse of life and subjection to the Gospel By which his answer it appeares that he likewise intended onely that which is requisite to make an adult Heathen a member of the Christian Church not at all noting the common way of entring into the Church and Covenant amongst us viz. by birth-priviledge However let me humbly offer this question whether all such as are not so qualified may be truely said to be no Church-members even amongst the Adult if so then there are no ignorant or unholy persons in the visible Church which cannot well be imagined to be Mr. Hudsons meaning by any that consult his p. 9. where we finde him asserting that the difinition of the Church is true of the godly as well as of the hypocrite and therefore true of the hypocrite but if he did not mean to exclude all such as want a competency of knowledge and holy life then these things specified are not conditions necessarily requisite to visible Church-membership which I presume to be the truth as well as Mr. Hudsons intention Indeed all must grant that Church-members of years ought to be competently knowing and of an holy life c. and this is necessary upon all Church-members as such with a necessity of the precept but it is therefore necessary with such a necessity viz. of the means as without it none can be truely in the Church I cannot but deny many things are necessary to the well-being that are not so to the truth or being of the visible Church-membership and so are these mentioned as I conceive doth already and by and by may further appear CHAP. XXVII A distinct consideration of admission of Infants and adult persons the condition of Infants Church-membership HAving thus prepared my way for an answer let me renue my question and what is it then that constitutes a member of the visible Church But seeing all but Anabaptists must needs acknowledge that the way and termes of the admission of Infants and such as are adult doth plainly differ a necessity is thereby granted us first to distinguish accordingly before I define or fix my answer if I would speak distinctly of things that differ 1. Then the first if the question be concerning Infants I may The way of infants admission briefly answer and boldly say that the condition or ground of infants admission into the Church is easily resolved by all but Anabaptists and yet as lightly considered by most for who else doth offer to question but that those that come into the Church in their infancy do advance thereunto by their Birth priviledge that they were borne to God in Covenant with him and his people and signed and sealed such by Baptisme But that this is as slightly considered and as lightly weighed by most that assert it is too too evident for how few do hence consider that then most of our people in England stand Church-members by verture of their birth-priviledge and are accordingly to be dealt withal as such how few do clearly see themselves hence enforced not to deal with them as Heathens or as persons out of the Church and not to require qualifications in order to their admission they being admitted already unlesse they have thus extinguished this their interest by such a violent course as will afterwards be spoken of How sweetly would the clear consideration of this original Church-membership common to our people lead us to see a great measure of the mystery and ground of most of our confusions and sad distractions to pitch and settle here even in the want of a more serious considering what this principle so generally granted viz. that we are borne Church-members and sealed such even from our infancy might prevent and conclude Yea what can we imagne to have a more direct and kindlier tendency to the ending of our differences thus desperately heightned then a serious sincere and impartial yeelding to the natural ducture and true consequences of this irresistible truth both about the Church and Sacraments But that is our misery which Justinian termeth but an inconvenience we puzle our selves about a way of settlement while Inconveniens est omissis principiis origine repetita illo tis manibus materiam tractare indeed they are off from our ground or rather expect the still waters and silver streams of peace and purity in the waters of strife or divided streams or rather flames of our own contention every one prosecuting the ground of division with pretence of union and beginning at the foot that 's cloven when it were better prudence to begin at the well-head to find and detect the cause of our breaches and the true meanes of our reconcilement which I verily believe chiefly to consist in a right understanding and diligent prosecuting this principle of infant Church-membership in the true and genuine
consequences of it as anon may further appear Object 'T is here objected that infants are borne members of the Church de jure onely and that they are not actually so until they are baptized as Rutherford distinguisheth Answ Our children are borne actually in the Church or actually out of the Church but they are not borne actually out of the Church for then they are borne actual Heathens and not Christians as is generally pleaded against the Anabaptists Ubi ponis parvulos non baptizatos profecto in numero credentium Aug. de verb. Apost Serm. 1. 2. Children are borne to an immediate right to the seal of the Covenant to wit baptisme therefore they are borne actually in Covenant and consequently in the Church for though a right to be taken into Covenant give a remote right to the seale of the Covenant it must be an actual being in Covenant that giveth an immediate title or claime to the seal thereof and that children borne within the pale of the Church have such an immediate right to baptisme is not to be doubted seeing we cannot think upon any neerer cause of title to baptisme in such children then their Birth priviledge or their being borne in the Church 3. I therefore humbly conceive that our children are borne E foederatis nascentes etiam in foedere sunt Dei in foedere comprehenfi ab ipso utero Bez in 1 Cor. 7. 14. Baptizandi sunt infantes non ut sancti sint sed quia sancti sunt Whitaker Church-members not onely de jure but also de facto and sealed rather then made such actually by baptisme though truely such as deny them to be born so actually if they as Rutherford doth will but grant that they are baptized actual Church-members my turne is thereby sufficiently served seeing most of our people were not onely borne de jure but also baptized de facto within the Covenant and members of the visible Church Object 2. It is again objected that infants are not perfect Church-members as Ames non adeo sunt perfecta membra c. Answ 1. There is a difference betwixt perfectè and perfecta membra one may be a member of the Church perfectly that is no perfect member thereof perfectly with regard to being or state not perfect with respect to nature or quality perfect naturally not perfect morally such a Church-member viz. in infancy may be and not such as such a Church-member viz. in years ought to be 2. I hence assume that Infants borne and baptized lawfully within the Church though they are not perfect members as neither are many growne persons yet they are truely and perfectly so For these Reasons 1. They are either members perfectly so or not at all for all motion from corruption to generation is instantaneous and there is no time when such a thing may be said to be partly and not wholly what it is particularly this change from a state of Heathenisme to a state of Church-membership hath no degrees of magis and minus but being wholly wrought in instanti a man is perfectly the one or the other and not halfe an Heathens and half a Christian Omne ens est verum perfectum Now none but Anabaptists will offer to say that such infants are in no respect Church-members therefore they are so perfectly 2. They are perfectly disciples therefore perfectly Church-members for disciple and Church-member are synonimous that they are perfectly disciples appeares by considering what is requisite to make a disciple perfectly so namely entrance or admittance into the Schoole or the society of such as are to be taught indeed one cannot be a perfect or compleat Schollar without learning yea and much learning but one may be truely perfectly and compleatly a Schollar before any thing at all be learned and a Schollar is so denominated not quia doctus sed ut sit doctus as is noted by many now it s generally urged against the Anabaptist that infants are admitted disciples into Christ his Schoole by Baptisme Infants are thus perfectly in Covenant otherwise we seal in Baptisme such as are partly heathens and but partly in Covenant which sounds absurdly therefore they are perfectly members of the Church for as they are in Covenant so they are in the Church the Church alone being the party in Gods Covenant 4. Lastly it may be well observed that Ames his words give no just ground for this objection for he doth not say that such infants are not perfect members much lesse not perfectly members onely that they are not so perfect members as to have a next Non adeo sunt membra perfecta c. vid. Am. Med. and immediate right to all the Ordinances as the adult or persons of age have which is as easily as readily granted by my cause CHAP. XXVIII The Terms upon which adult persons are admitted visible Church-members PRoceed we next to consider the conditions upon which persons borne and educated under Heathenisme may become Christians or members of the visible Church Now though the former discourse concerning infants be of most concernment yet here lieth the burden and stresse of Argument In general that might here satisfie which Reverend Master Cotton from the words of our Saviour hath given us viz. that such a person as is by nature and birth and breeding a Heathen and no Christian to the end he may become a Church-member he must be discipled that is as Master Cotton explaineth it he must be entred into Christ his Schoole Which I humbly conceive is truely done 1. In his own part by a voluntary offering himself to be admitted And 2. On the Churches part by receiving him and sealing him by Baptisme a member of her own society upon lawful termes I grant that there is some measure of the knowledge of Christ and some kinde of profession of the faith inherently necessary of the very designe of Baptisme in Christs Name but I think no more then that is absolutely necessary though a great deale more may I doubt not be expediently and prudently required by the Church I would not be thought to condemne the ancient practise of the Church in her more strict and severe proceeding towards the Chatecumeni though others have so freely lash'd it yet 't is known that the work of admitting proselytes by circumcision in the time of the Law and Christians by Baptisme in so many thousonds in the dayes of the Gospel by John and the Apostles was more speedy Worthy Master Hudson hath an expression which I cannot but note as very helpful and preparatory to my set and fixed answere page 127. the Church saith he is called entative not because of inward grace but from the receiving and embracing the Christians Catholick faith which is essential to a visible Beleever accordingly my answer is A serious embracing of the Christian Religion as distinct from all Ex probabilibus conjecturis an aliquis ad Christum pertineat puta in adultis si
with the essence thereof 2. Againe that which evidenceth a persons communion in the essential and formal actions of the Church doth also thereby evidence such a persons interest in the essence of or his essential union with the Church for nothing can have or carry a stronger tincture of the essence of any thing then the formal or essential actions thereof which immediately flow from it 3. Then further the essence of the visible Church hath beene found to consist in community respecting communion in Gods truth and Ordinances and the formal actions of this community have been found to be this communion 4. Now that person that appears to have communion with the Church in Doctrine and worship or in the truth and Ordinances of Jesus appears to partake of the essential actions and consequently of the essence of the visible Church 5. These premises thus laid I found my answer upon them to the question thus that therefore that person that doth not plainly renounce the truth and openly submitteth unto and ordinarily attendeth upon the Ordinances of divine worship whatsoever evil qualities he may otherwise bear doth thus appear to be really a member of the visible Church Indeed were saving grace of the essence of the visible Church a person could not appear to be a member thereof without the evidences of saving grace but seeing we have found that it is not we adde whatsoever evil qualities he may otherwise beare As a man living within such a dominion and was either borne there or else is known to be naturalized and made free according to the Laws thereof though he be a great offender and highly obnoxious to Law and punishment yet if he renounce not his subjection or declare not against the government is notwithstanding known to be a member of that body politick or a lawful subject of that dominion Or as in the natural body a member remaining in union with the body and in communion with it in its essential actions though it be a diseased or wounded or leprous member yet is known and granted to be a real member So a man that stands in relation to the Church and ordinarily attends upon the Ordinances thereof and doth not renounce the doctrine of the Gospel though he be a wicked and rotten member is yet hereby evidenced to be really a member of the mystical visible body the Church for this sufficiently evidenceth that common faith which though it avail not to justication yet is found effectual so far as to constitute or interesse in visible Church-membership Obj. It may be hence urged that then children cannot be known to be Church-members and consequently cannot be members of the visible Church Answ May not a childe be known to be a member of the Common-wealth by its being borne therein and doth not the Scripture intimate as much concerning a childe born in Zion it shall be said that this man was borne there q. d. that this man is known to be a member of Citizen of the City or Church of the living God because he was borne there or by Birth-priviledge or being born free 2. Children have visible communion with the Church in their parents profession as Ames teacheth sunt participes ejusdem profesfessions c. 3. They have some visible communion with the Church in their own persons also in that first Ordinance of Christ of which they are capable and thus being entred they remain in the Churches communion so far thereby until they shall be capable of enjoying more Object 2. However it may be said that the excommunicate are thus excluded Answ Not so for though the excommunicate should have no actual communion with the Church yet they have a fundamental and habitual communion with it as a palsie member is yet a real member and may be truely said to have an habitual communion with the body though at present its actual partaking of the animal influence be denied or suspended or as a man out-lawd may be said to have a remoter right fundamentally in the Law of the Land though he have no present actual benefit thereby which indeed the violence of discipline and not the nature of such a condition hath brought him unto But secondly there is notwithstanding some secret actual communion betwixt the body and a palsey member and the Common-wealth and a person out-law'd and likewise betwixt the excommunicate and the Church which may also be known for that the palsey member hath some influence from the body appears by its warmth that the person out-law'd hath some benefit by the Laws appears in that they secure his life it being murther to kill him and that the excommunicate have some fellowship with the Church appears in that they are within the care thereof and under the Ordinance of God appointed for salvation and not for destruction and is to be dealt withal as a brother 3. The excommunicate lastly I mean such onely as are not heretical have communion with the Church in preparatione animi and in their desires which is onely suspended for their good a while with hopes of repentance and satisfaction and thereupon re-admission as the palsie member in the disposition or preparation of nature is ready as it were to receive the suspended influence from the body again viz. upon the unlocking and opening of obstructions which a member wholly cut off or dead hath not CHAP. XXX What it is that doth wholly put a man out of the Church and first that it is not ignorance WE proceed Lastly having shewn what is requisite to constitute and evidence visible Church-membership to enquire into the meanes and ways of dissolving it and the question is What is that which wholly dismembers or cutteth off from the visible Church Hereunto I answer Negatively and Positively Ans 1. Neg. First I assert that the want of such a competent measure of knowledge as every one ought to have which is commonly termed ignorance doth not simply or of it selfe wholly cut off from the visible Church and the Reasons hereof are Reas 1. Because such a knowledge doth not go into the essence of the visible Church which we have found to consist in society or community Reas 2. Because evidence or appearance of knowledge is not a necessary or essential requisite to discover Church-membership for then none might take another for a member of the Church before he is satisfied of his knowledge which would be a strange thing therefore ignorance or the want of such knowledge doth not signifie one no Church-member the consequence is built upon the common rule eadem est ratio contrariorum Reas 3. Because the Scripture doth not assert it which alone hath authority from God to satisfie us in this point the Scripture doth often charge the members of the Church with ignorance but doth never either say that ignorant persons cannot be Church-members or that ignorance doth cast men out of the Church or indeed so much that ignorant persons ought meerly for their
one that was borne in the Church will not cast him out yet who would admit a distracted Heathen while such a person known to be unregenerate would hardly be received while such yet known unregeneracy is not sufficient to cast a man out As Mr. Hooker before a scandalous person may be a Church-member and is so doubtlesse till he be excommunicate and while so he is in the Covenant within and his child is born in the Church and hath right to baptisme but I shall crave leave to signifie my mind a little more clearly herein by a few steps further 8. To draw a little neerer to our selves and our own common case I therefore adde that children borne of Church members and baptized in infancy are borne and baptized Church-members and though our case require it not yet I doubt not to say that the childes right in the Church and Baptisme doth not necessarily depend upon a vocal profession on purpose of its parents who yet abide in the faith and state of profession as is hereafter largely discuss'd for in Infants their being borne in the Church is instead of an outward profession as Bishop Usher affirmeth His sum of religion about Baptisme Yet I verily beleeve the childes actual possession of Baptisme not of the Church or Church-membership depends with the highest conveniency upon the parents claiming it and expresse owning the faith into which he desires his childe may be baptized and his publick undertaking to bring it it up in the fear of the Lord according to that now most general and laudable custome of the Churches of Christ amongst us which usage carrieth in my opinion as cleare a tendency to Reformation and order as any one practice not expresse in Scripture now exercised and truely such as seemes to me a great deal liklier to prevail with our people to a publick owning their obligations to God then any other course whereupon we haply fix greater expectations as to my observation lesse obnoxious to the jealousies and murmurs of a disturbed distracted and discontented generation 9. Againe those that were borne in the Church and baptized in their infancy continue in their right and possession of Church-membership as well as those admitted upon personal profession at the adult estate until they are justly devested thereof by themselves or the Church as before or in Master Cottens plaine and pertinent words the suffrage of N. E. Such as are borne of Christian parents and baptized in their His holiness of members p. 1 infancy into the fellowship of the Church are initiated members of the same Church though destitute of spiritual grace until they justly deprive themselves of the priviledge of that fellowship yea that such are not to be censured much lesse dismembred but His way of the Churches p. 89 with p. 51. upon known scandal and that they may claime the Supper also in the same Church wherein they were baptized if no exception lie against them which Learned Master Baxter hath sealed also for saith he no Church member ought to be kept from Church-communion Disp 3. p. 294 with p. 104. of his Rest much lesse cut off from the community but upon some just accusation of a crime which he was since guilty of more then he was at his admittance Consequently the children of these ought also to be reckoned members of the Church and to be Baptized to succeed in their parents profession who live and die in a state of profession from one generation to another without exacting any positive proofes or evidence of conversion or saving grace in the parents for they stand in possession and 't is not just for any to question their Title much lesse to void it without a positive disproving of it which can by no way be done without the censure of the Church upon evidence of obstinacy in known scandal which I confirme and conclude with those excellent words of worthy Master Baxter Those Disp p. 34 34. therefore that will any mans childe kept back from Baptisme for their parents unholinesse or persons kept from the Supper must not expect that men bring proof to them of their holinesse beyond their profession of it but must deale by them as by other notorious offenders even admonish them of their unholy miscarriages and he may not be so heavily punish'd before he be judged or heard 10. Thus we are at length arrived at our very case which I desire may be seriously considered who after our fathers and our fathers fathers time out of minde did generally come into the Church when we came into the world being borne of Christian parents and such as lived and died in a state of profession and do continue the succession of the same unto this day without rejecting the faith or the Church into which we were baptized or yet being rejected or censured by the Church for obstinate continuing in any know scandal Wherefore give me leave my Worthy brethren to intimate againe that if any question yet remaine about our membership 't is not to be resolved by debating what qualifications we ought to require in adult persons who desire admission or baptisme a case that hardly happens once in an age but what it is that nulls the membership of persons at age that were borne Christians and baptized in their infancy as we generally were in England This is the center where all the lines drawn like swords about most of our controversies must point at last a sound and effectual discussion of this would doubtlesse be a happy means of charming the great noise amongst us according to the determination of this most of our opinions and practices would easily be enforced one way or other thought if without offence I may so complain this is the thing that is least thought on I have venture in the Treatise upon one great and most special question under this whither I conceive we must needs be driven upon the debating of the means of unchurching viz. whether the want of saving grace be inconsistent with visible Church-membership and have afterwards though more briefly considered the general question what doth not and what doth unchurch more distinctly as also what doth constitute and evidence visible Church-membership Many other things are likewise occasionally discuss'd some more briefly and some more largely according as I thought them more or lesse serviceable to my maine designe and at last have added a large application of the whole to our Churches and to our administrations wherein some haply may judge me too large and others too strict measuring me as most men are wont to do the books they read by the model and idea of things that prepossesseth them though Reverend Sirs I cannot but hope better of you and do hereby cheerfully yet in true humility first cast my self upon your candour and then upon your censure and due admonition in any thing you shall find amisse In the mean while truely this is a comfort to me
Scholastical Divine Reverend Master Norton of New England These things thus premised the Argument hence is this As the visible Church may be considered to be called out of the world so it may be considered to be a Church of Christ. What hath beene said hath put this out of doubt But the visible Church may be considered to be truely called out of the world without any respect to saving grace Therefore the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace The minor here which is all that is left questionable is easily evident if we distinguish of the world as we are wont to distinguish of the Church viz. to be visible and invisible the visible world is the world of infidels and such as openly detest the true Messias the invisible world is the world of ungodly which being as tares amidst the what of the godly cannot be discerned by men The first is opposed to the visible Church the latter to the invisible out of the visible world the visible Church is called and out of the invisible world the invisible Church or the Church of the saved is called Againe the visible Church is as truely called out of the visible world of Pagans and Infidels and such as live without the pale of the Church as the Church of the saved is called out of the world of the vngodly doth not the eye of the whole world see this and bear witnesse to it viz. that the visible Church is by the calling of God in this sense effectually in that it is really separated Vocatio communis ab infide litate ad fidem evocat Trel ut supra from and stands in distinction and opposition unto the whole world of Infidels Pagans Turks and Jews and all other societies and parties of men in the world as the called of God his lot and portion and peculiar people all which and a great deale more Master Baxter as well as many others is pleased to acknowledge that the Scriptures attribute to the visible Church CHAP. VI. Arg. From the visible Church in its causes and first as it is of God HItherto of the quid nominis proceed we now to the quid Rei and to seek for that thing and nature and truth of being in the Church which the name we have found doth import I shall put my self and reader into the way of this search by an offer of this general Argument taken from the causes of the visible Church As we may consider the causes of any thing so we may consider the thing it self But we may consider the causes of this Church to be real causes without respect to saving grace Therefore the Church to be truely a Church without respect to saving grace I think the major will not be question'd by any seeing whatsoever any thing is in it self it is the same first in its causes Quicquid est in effectu prae existit in causis Causatum quod ex causa suum esse habet yea the very definition of the effect is that it is but the result or that which hath its very selfe of the cause and depends by its cause and therefore it is called effectum or a thing done or standing as it is by it cause and causalum that is a thing caused that is such a thing as is Causalitas sive causatio est influxus ille seu concursus quo unaquaequc causa in suo genere actu influit in effectum Suarâ—z no more a thing then what it hath from its cause or as it is caused and causality or causation which is but the formal reason of the cause is nothing else but that Influx or concurrence whereby every cause in its own kinde doth actually flow into the effect The minor onely then resteth upon proof viz. That the visible Church may be considered to have its true and real causes without respect to saving grace which I shall labour to maintaine by a particular induction and examination of the several causes of the visible Church in order the efficient the end the matter and form thereof Here now are two things to be joyntly enquired after First what these causes are Secondly whether they may be considered to be real causes of the visible Church without respect to saving grace Let us first then begin to consider the efficient cause of the visible Church thus namely what it is and what kinde of effects it worketh without respect to saving grace 1. The efficient cause of the visible Church is Principal Instrumental The principal efficient of the visible Church is secundum Efficient Constitutionem Ordinationem The principal efficient in the constitution of the Church is God Rom. 2. 29. in the administration or ordination of it is Christ thus God Rom. 12. 5 1 Cor. 3. 11 Col. 1. 18. is properly the authour and Christ is properly the head of the Church The instrumental cause of the Church especially in its constitution Acts 2. 41 2 Pet. 2 23 1 Tim. 2. 15 is the preaching of the word for how can they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how can they hear without a preacher this distribution needeth no proof seeing it is generally allowed 2. Let us now come to our task and examine whether these efficient causes may not be considered to have a real influence into the visible Church which yet doth not include saving grace As for the instrument the preaching of the word we need not insist particularly thereupon partly because the instrument is but subordinate to its principal efficient in the same operation and therefore if the work of principal efficient be real so is doubtlesse the same work relating to the instrument of it and partly because the influence of this instrumental cause the preaching of the word into the constitution of the visible Church is reserved to be largely handled in answer to a great objection against cur Churches in England at the latter end of this discourse Therefore we have but two things here before us whether God may be considered to be truely the Authour or Christ to be truely the head of the visible Church without respect to saving grace and of these in order I shall humbly signifie my opinion by forming the same into Arguments The Argument from God as the Authour of the visible Church If God in the constitution of the visible Church by the preaching of the Word may be considered really to effect the same without the bestowing of saving grace then he may without doubt be considered to be the real Authour of the visible Church without respect to saving grace But now God in the constitution of the Church by the preaching of the word may be considered really to effect the same without the bestowing of saving grace Here is nothing to be interposed but these foure things Mr. Perk. speaking of temporal beleevers saith 1. They have knowledg 2. they
a thing for before any thing hath its forme it is not that thing and so soone as ever hath its forme it instantly hath the being and justly challengeth the name of that thing Yea it is the very reason and principle of the being of a thing yea it s very essence as Aristotle saith and ipsum quid sit But now the forme of the visible Church being not essentially Forma 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 depending upon saving grace may be considered to be truely such without respect thereunto whether we intend it systatically the forme by which the visible Church is constituted such or diaretically by which the visible Church being constitute is distinguished and knowne to be a true from a false Church The consideration of each of these will afford us its Argument 1. From the constituent form of the visible thus The visible Church may be considered to have a real constitutive forme without respect to saving grace therefore also to be truely a Church of Christ without respect thereunto The consequence must needs be yeelded me because its contrary implies a contradiction for to say that any thing hath a real constitutive forme is as much as to say that it really and formally is therefore to deny that any thing hath not really or truely a being is formally to contradict its having a real constitutive forme Then nothing but the minor requires proof which is that the visible Church hath a reali constitutive forme which hath no necessary dependance upon and may consequently be considered without respect unto saving grace which I presume will appear upon a short and easie debate Trelcatius who in some other of his passages seemeth not to favour this opinion overmuch yet assignes to the visible Church as it is distinguished by himself to the Church invisible as all the other causes so this of the forme and calls it by this very terme of the forme constituting the visible Church 2 Neither can it be thought that he intended such a form as did imply saving grace for he termes it externa vocatio as it stands opposed by himself to that effectual call which he accounts to be the forme of the Church invisible 3. Nor yet can any imagine that he thought it not a real call because he addes quam mediatè Deus efficit which God himselfe works though mediately Yet I must needs enter my exception against this forme assigned to the visible Church by Trelcatius and others viz. external vocation I shall easily allow it taken in an active sense to be an efficient or taken in a passive sense to be a necessary condition as before in the matter of the visible Church but in no sense at all to be the form thereof For 1. If this external calling were the forme of the Church then every particular member would be a formal Church for every particular member is externally called and where the forme of a thing is there we may truely say that thing it self is 2. Persons qua called seem rather to be matter of the Church and external vocation to be onely a condition requisite in the matter of the visible Church being near the same with external profession or outward worshipping my reason is because that persons externally called may pre-exist a Church informed as also remain when the forme of the Church is lost for when two or three are called out of the world by the preaching of the word we cannot presently say there is now a Church formed though these be good stones to begin the building withal and a Church may be possibly consumed even to two or three or dissolv'd and scattered and so loose its forme though persons called still remain which according to the rule should rather be accounted the matter of the Church for si forma perit manente aliquo Col. Conim br materiam illud esse necesse est 3. For which Amesius seemeth directly faith saith he Fides ut insiugulis fidelibus existens distributive est forma vocatorum sed in omnibus collective spectata est coetus vocatorum i. e. forma ecclesiae Medul 163. as it is existing in single beleevers distributively is the forme of the called who are the matter and not the forme of the Church Amesius teacheth that the forme of the visible Church quoad externum statum or as it is distinguished from the invisible is internae fidei externa professio Which external profession is either personal or ecclesiastical if personal then every professor as it was reasoned before having the forme of the Church would be a true Church and if ecclesiastical yet this external profession seemeth rather a formal â—ction or an action of the Church presupposing its being and existence and flowing immediately from the form of the Church which it self is not for before there can be an ecclesiastical profession or the profession of a Church there must be ecclesia or a Church in the order of nature at least which could not be if this profession were the forme thereof for forma est ratio essentiae and rather before or at least simul natura cum composito However if this external profession be the forme of the visible Church it will serve my turne well enough For 1. It will not be denied to be a real thing by Amesius himself who allows it power to interest a person in the external state of the Church 2. Nor yet to consist without saving grace as his own words directly expresse illi autem qui professione tantum sunt fideles Medul 168 c. I confesse that Amesius accounts this externall profession to be but the accidental forme of the Church and that it is in terminis distinguished by him from the essential forme thereof Yet he acknowledgeth that some persons who do not at all partake of that essential forme which is distingushed by him to Illi autem qui professione tantum sunt fideles dum remanent in illa societate sunt membra illius ecclesiae sicut etiam ecclesiâ— Catholicae quoad externum tantum non quoad internum statum aut essentialem Med. p. 168. this accidental forme do yet truely partake of this accidental form of the Church are by consequence in his own words membra ecclesiae the sense of which he limits in the next words according to the external and not according to the internal or essential state of the Church If I may be modest and yet bold I should be bold to say that Amesius seemed here in a strait betwixt two he was loath to say that external professours wanting true grace were true members of the Church of Christ therefore saith he they are not so quoad statum internum aut essentialem and yet as loath to say they were not truely so and therefore saith they are membra ecclesiae quoad statum externum the Papist held the one and the Brownist the other how then dare he or we hold either the Papist was
natural act and the very essential efflux of community therefore coetus a coire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is truely rendred an Assembly or Congregation Prop. 3. Communion then hath the next necessity and place to community in the definition of the Church as being the essential property thereof and its formal evidence Prop. 4. The means of this communion or its specification is the Ordinances or worship of God instituted and enjoyned by Christ in the Gospel Prop. 5. Would we view all the three special particulars that lay claime to this definition at once I humbly conceive 1. That the qualifications spoken of viz. faith calling c. taken with Ames in a saving sense they best serve to define the Church invisible 2. Communion in Ordinances best serve to define the universal visible 3. And this community or proper society best serves to define the particular instituted visible Church which is the Church which we finde most frequently defined by Authors not but that they may all have their place in the definition of the particular Church but I think thus they may all have the chiefest and most necessary place in the definition of the Church Prop. 6. We then may hence note three degrees of necessity in these three great parts of the definition of the Church 1. The Church cannot be without the qualifications specified yet they may be where the Church viz. a particular Neque tamen sufficit subitanea aliqua conjunctio sanctae communionis exercitium ad ecclesiam constituendam nisi etiam constantia illa accedat quoad intentionem saltem c. Am. Med p. 170 instituted Church is not viz. in the called or beleevers scattered 2. Actual communion constantly attended on cannot be where the Church is not yet the Church may be where there is no actual communion the Church is really when it doth not meet or assemble together this is more necessary then the formes 3. Communion or society referring to this communion can neither be where the Church is not neither can the Church be where this is not therefore this is necessary even with the highest degree of necessity for a right defining a particular visible Church which further appeareth thus 1. Because as before we conceive the very forme of the Definitio propriè dicta vel essenâ—ialis est physica quae datur per Meteriam formam vel metaphysica que datur per genus differentiam Church to consist in coetu in society or community it being an aggregative body but I still intend such a community as relates to communion in the worship of God now desinitions being onely to explicate the essence of a thing and the forme being neerest to the essence and as Aristotle saith the very quid and essence it self definitions are best when taken from the forme 2. Definitions are fittest to be taken from hence because the qualifications mentioned are supposed in the persons of this society and this community doth essentially con-note the communion in Ordinances in the habit or first act of it when the second act or actual communion is unavoidably suspended by intrinsick or extrinsick necessity thereof 3. These qualifications may be where there is no Church and a Church may be where there is no actual communion at present The action being ended the Assembly is dissolved and is no longer in being whereas the Church which was assembled doth no lesse continue afterward then before Hook eccles pol. 89 and therefore neither of these are so fit to define the Church withal as community that was now observed to be convertible with the Church 4. The Names of the Church do generally intimate this community for its most usual and proper name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scharpius acquaints us that it is from convocando and that among the Athenians it signified a company called together voce praeconis to hear the sentence of the Senate which Assembly the Latines called concio and this saith he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transferred to a holy use we see here one actual Congregation of the people and this called ecclesia from their being convocated and this usual actual convocation must needs suppose a community by which they were held in a constant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a convocando apud Athenienses significabat coetume reliqua Turba voce praeconis ad audiendum Senatus sententiam convocdtum qui coetus latinis concio dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad res sac as traducitur Nempe ad significandum sanctum coetum voce praeconien verbi vocatorum ad oracirla divina audienda Joh. Scharp Carsus Theol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gâ—aecis celebre usitatura significans proprie coetus hominum a suis sedibus in alium convocatorum ad aliquid audiendum Poly. Anth. p. 969. Vid Bul. dec p 135. preparation for these summons but he proceeds to tell us what it is in a holy sense viz. an holy Assembly of persons called together by the voice of the Preachers of the Word to hear the Divine Oracles Langus also teacheth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Greeks signifying properly a company of men called together from their own seats into some other place ad audiendum to hear something whence the occasion being frequent and solemn the company became a society or an habitual company constantly attending in one place upon Gods worship which is properly a Church of God therefore in Latine 't is called Congregatio haply from the Hebrew Katial Congregavit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It s metaphorical names import no lesse 't is called a Body a House a Family a City a Flock a Kingdom all which connote union and such as directly intends communion and fellowship 5 The Church is therefore called a Way I persecuted saith Paul this way unto the death Acts 22. v. 4. which is a figure pointing at the persons that usually walked together in Visibilis ecclesia est coetus eorum qui per verbum externum Sacramentorum ac disciplinae ecclesiastice usum in unum externum corpus coalescunt disp 40 Thes 32 Est unitas ecclesiae quae late patet in Sacram. omnium societate communione His Vind. p. 9 Visibilis ecclesia est coetus communiter vocatorum tum electorum tum reproborum p. 194. Arnob. p. 156. upon the 19. Art allowed by the former Church of England one way of worship and evidently intimateth that the persons that thus walked together were a fix'd community or society 6. Some that define the Church leave out the foresaid personal qualifications so do the Leiden Professours the visible Church say they is a company of persons that by the external word the use of the Sacraments and discipline are united into one outward body And Augustine 't is the unity of the Church which lieth broad in the society and community of all the Sacraments Some againe that define the Church do not expresse it communion
this profession till they die which he largely proves as indeed most of the reformed Divines do from all the parables of Ut jam nihil addubitarc possumus Judam non fuisse membrum internae Sanctae dei ecclesiae licet esset membrum exterioris ecclesiae Quam superius appellavi ecclesiam militantem strictius consideratam aliam vero visibilem illam bonos malos comprehendentem latius consideratam Dec. page 355 the Kingdome of Heaven in the Gospel at length concludes that hypocrites are members of the Church visible largely taken containing the good and the bad but not of the Church invisible not true and living members of this interiour Church or the Church so strictly taken Yet this doth not infer two distinct Churches for if we take the Church strictly then hypocrites are no part of the Church and if we take it in the large sense then the strict Church is but a part thereof to instance in the material Church if taken in a strict sense it signifieth the body of the Church exclusive of the chancel if largely for both together and then the Church strictly taken is but part of the Church largely taken This is clear while we distinguish the Church qua Church but when we consider it as visible and invisible it faileth us We say well that the Church taken strictly is part of the Church taken largely and the Church largely taken containeth the Church strictly taken but it would be hard to say the Church invisible taken strictly is part of the Church visible taken largely to say a thing as invisible is part of a thing as visible is contradictio in adjectio 'T is evident then that invisible and visible are opposed here in the accident not in the subject i. e. 't is not meant that as some persons are invisible so others in the same respect are visible as if saving grace was not seen in some and yet seen in others but thus some persons having saving grace not seen are said to be invisible and others having profession visible are said to be visible Moreover this subject of these accidents is rather the faith Bull. Dec. 355 Invisibilis interna dicitur non quod homines sunt invisibiles sed quod hominibus non appareat qui vere ficte credaut then the person they are applied to the person but intend the faith or the truth thereof as 't is saving 't is invisible as 't is professed so 't is visible and not because the men are either visible or invisible Lastly the Church largely taken may be considered Either Asolutely Or Comparatively In it self or in comparison with the Church strictly taken and accordingly the reformed Divines may be thought to meane that the Church largely taken if it be considered absolutely and in it self is a true or at least truely a Church of Christ but when the Church largely taken as it includes the bad the good together is compared with the Church strictly taken for the company of the Elect or savingly called then as they say the latter is the onely true Church and the former in comparison thereunto is not a true Church that is not so truely in the favour of God and union with Christ Object 3. I confesse that Ravanellus and Calvine with others haply affirme that the Church thus largely taken is the Church improperly and the Church strictly for the Church of the Elect onely is the Church properly taken But Answ 1. I humbly conceive that their difference with the Papist did not exact their assertion from them for the Papist denieth the invisible Church altogether and not that it is the Church properly or improperly taken then this remaineth as a lawful controversie among us Protestants whether the visible or invisible Church be most properly the Church of Christ 2. Neither do I think this assertion of theirs doth necessarily flowe from this strict and large acceptation of the Church the larger acceptation of a thing doth not alwayes imply the most proper acceptation thereof nor è contrà God of Abraham not of the dead the man as Abraham taken from the soul onely is not the largest nor yet the preperest acceptation of man The Church taken exclusive to the chancel is not the largest nor I think the properest acceptation thereof a denomination from the better part is not the largest nor I think the properest denomination of a company this is figurative therefore the other viz. the larger acceptation should be the proper as opposed to figurative 3. How ever this toucheth not my conclusion which is that the Church in this large acceptation may be considered to be truely a Church and not properly much lesse more properly so then the Church invisible or strictly taken 4. Yet I humbly crave that my former arguments for the contrary part in my state of the question may have the justice of consideration if not the charity and honour of a confutation Object 4. I confesse once more that Ames hath placed reprobates and hypocrites out of the essential and within the accidental form of the Church But Ans 1. I humbly conceive that this is his peculiar language we find divers of the reformed Divines distributing the form of the Church into internal and external as they also do the state society Vid. Cameron praelect de eccl cap. de natura conditione ecclesiae in prin cipio circa medium caput and communion of the Church 2. I have ventured before to manifest the inconsistency hereof with his own concession that hypocrites and reprobates while they remain in the communion of the Church are membra ecclesiae yea that this very expression that they onely partake of the accidental form hath a contradiction in it self For if there be no essential forme besides this then cannot be an accidental forme seeing this viz. the accidental forme is opposed unto the essential and must needs suppose an essential Accidens hic est accidens non praedicabile sed praedicamen tale quod opponitur substantiae distributio enim est in formam substantialem accidentalem or substantial forme to give being to the subject of this accident all whose being is in the subject of it if there be no substantial forme there is no substance and if there be no substance there can be no accident for the definition of substance requires that it do substare accedentil us and therefore as Schibler saith the reason of an accident requires that it do in haerere in subjecto Or if the Church have another forme viz. essential or substantial besides this accidental as indeed he allows then I cannot yet see but that interest in the accedental forme is necessarily founded in interest in the forme which is called essential and that by granting that hyrocrites and reprobates do partake of the accidental he necessarily implies that they also partake of the substantial forme and therefore to say that such or any persons
the minde of the eminent translators of the Bible who point us in their margent to Rom. 2. 21 22. as a Text parallel and exegetical of this and which is manifestly concerning Ministers Now if the Text before us should indeed be thus to be understood viz. of Ministers who seeth not its distance and utter incongruity to our purpose 2. But should it be found to intend the people it will also be found far enough from wounding or indeed touching my conclusion for it cannot be conceived to determine any thing touching that with which it medleth not viz. the outward Covenant-state of this people it doth not so much as seeme to offer any service at all against us unlesse to the Brownist in another point viz. that wicked men ought not to performe holy duties which yet indeed it doth but seem to do for the intention of the Text is not to resolve what is a wicked mans duty but what will be the fruit and issue of all the duties of wicked worshippers and what ruine and destruction abideth them as is most evident from their contrary in v. 14. they that offer thansgiving and pay their vowes to the Lord they have a promise made unto their duties verse 15. but now to the wicked God saith q. d. thou hast nothing to do with this grace or promise made to the godly c. what hast thou to do with my name or Covenant doest thou imagine that I will have any mercy for such a wretch and hypocrite as thou art deceive not thy self c. therefore v. 21 22. more directly I will reprove thee and set them in order before thee therefore consider this all ye that in your duties forget God least I tare you in pieces and there be none to deliver All the advantages that this corrupt glosse of the Brownist hath is taken from the sound of this English phrase what hast thou to do which indeed is onely to an English objection for if we examine all the other languages we shall find it will not bear any weight at all viz. no more then quid tibi ad narrandum vel ut enarres c. will help him too which doubtlesse is fitter to be understood of what profit or benefit such a one can expect from his duty then what duty he is bound to perform as the Hebrew and Targum are rendred or quarè tu enarras c. wherefore doest thou worship God for what end what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 canst thou hope for as the seventy the Aethiopick and the Latine version have it but might the Syriack version be heard there is lesse colour for the objection hence against my position for it ends the interrogation and so the question with declaring the Statutes and maketh the Covenant of God and the Peccatori dicit Deus quid tibi libris mandatorum meorum gestas enim pactum meum ore tuo attamen tu odisti disciplinam c taking thereof into the mouth an aggravation of wickednesse thou carriest my Covenant in thy mouth yet thou hatest my discipline and castest my words behinde thee 3. To conclude whatsoever be found to be the true sense of these words most certaine it is that the sense of this objection is not for how plentiful is the Scripture in acknowledging wicked men to be Gods people and outwardly in Covenant with him yea if we cast our eye to the seventh verse of this same Psalme this is cleared beyond contradiction where we finde the Lord summoning his people to be testified against from heaven yet owned by the name of his people and himself acknowledged to be their God most Emphatically I am God even thy God q. d. though I am about to testifie against thee let none imagine that I intend thereby to disown or reject thee or that thou art no longer in Covenant with me for notwithstanding thou art my people and I am God even thy God or as the Covenant expresly soundeth I am yet to thee a God and thou art to me a people Object 5 'T is said John 2. 19. that those that left the Apostolical Churches were never of them therefore those that have no saving grace though they be in the Church they are not of it Answ One great help for the right understanding of this Text is to weigh the conditions of these persons here spoken of the Apostle in the immediate verse foregoing telleth us that they were Antichrists that is desperate hereticks for ut Christus suum aluit tulitque proditorem sic etiam Apostolis alendi erant multi Antichristi Pseudo Apostoli as Marlorat hath collected out of Thomas Naogeorgius of whom Bullinger out of Tertullian Irenaus and Eusebius giveth us a particular account in his Commentary upon this Text they were saith he Simon Magus Menander Saturninus Basilides Carpocrates Cerinthus Haebion the two first of them were by their proselytes worshipped as God the rest denied either the Divine or the Humane nature of Christ And now the question would be whether these persons were guilty of those grosse and Antichristian Heresies while they continued to be ex Apostolorum societate as Marlorate speaks or under the pretext and profession of Christian Religion those words of Naogeorge on the place subdolos and falsos fratres seem to carry the affirmative as also what Bullinger addeth of them cum Christianorum nomine se vinditarint Haeretici c. Now if so the matter is ended for I have before acknowledged that such as upon any treacherous or corrupt designe take up and carry the profession of religion not historically owning but with a secret purpose of minde rejecting the faith and doctrine of Christ are onely doubtlesse to use Brentius his words Christianorum numero nomine titulo rever à nunquam crediderunt 2. But least this content not another special means of clearing this doubt will be to consider what is meant by these words they were not of us and in what sense these that are now departed from the faith and the Church are said never to have been of us Now first I yeeld that this phrase is not to be restrained to the society of the Apostles but to be enlarged to the company of the faithful or those primitive Apostolical Churches from which they truely broke themselves off as well as from the Apostles 2. I distinguish of persons being of the Church viz. by profession Of the Church p. 14 onely or by profession principled with a common faith or by profession with a saving faith or with Dr. Field after Stapleton some persons are of the numero onely some numero and merito and others numero merito electione the first are real members of no Church at all the second are members of the Church of the called the third and last onely of the Church of the Elect or the saved Whereof I make application thus 1. None will deny but that these Whence our Divines conclude
against the errors of the Schismatical Aug. lib. de correp gr cap. 9. de don persev c. 8 Sect. And least it should be thought that the heat of dispute should have transported him he giveth us his judgement most clearly and fully upon other occasions about it as before we noted after Dr. Fulk Augustine teacheth us that such as shall certainly fall away and that finally and consequently such as have no saving grace according to their present state that is while they abide with the Church they are truely members thereof Again in the same place upon those known words of the Apostle they were not of us that is saith he they were not of the number of the sons even when they were of the faith of the sons what he means by sonship here he telleth us in his reason in the next words because they that are the sonnes indeed are foreknown and Ecclesia etiam mali sunt imo bonis multo plures ut in co rum comparatione pauci sunt de unit eccles cap. 12 predestinated these men therefore were of the many that were called but of the few that were chosen they were not yea in another place he assureth us that there are not onely evil men in the Church but indeed so many as that the good being compared with them are but a few CHAP. XXII The judgement of the Protestant Writers searched after THe second eminent point of occasion was sharpened by Bellarmine Stapleton the Rhemists and other Papists by their envy and malice against the Reformation falsely charging the doctrine thereof concerning the visible Church to be that none are truely members of it but such as are elected or such as have saving grace Hereby the Patrons of our Protestant and reformed cause are provoked to answer for us and what is their answer do they Am. Ant. Bel. Tom. 2. l. 2. c. 1 n. 5 acknowledge the charge to be just or do they not with Ames cry falsum est it is false that we require internal vertues or saving grace to render one a member of the visible Church according to the outward state thereof Accordingly Dr. Fulk wipes off the like aspersion cast upon us by the Rhemists the visible Church saith he hath both Fulk upon the Rhemists on Mat. 22. 14 Elect and reprobate in it but the Chatholick Church invisible which is the body of Christ consisteth onely of Gods Elect the true members of his body thus you know speaking to the Rhemists right-well but that you are disposed to slander us wheresoever you can take occasion to blinde the ignorant by ambiguity or generality or double understanding of any word Againe the Jesuite having charged us falsly in these words the onely reason by which hereticks hold the Church to be invisible because they imagine the Church to consist onely of the elect or at Whites way to the true church least of the good White not more generally then boldly answers Here the Jesuite bewraieth either hid ignorance or malice let him if he can for the credit of his Word shew where any of those whom he calleth Hereticks do teach or affirme that the Church militant whereof the question is consisteth of the Elect onely Whereupon also Whitaker saith that Bellarmine ought to Debuit Bellar. probare in ecclesia Catholica c. Whita Contro secund qu. pri cap. 7 prove that there are both good and bad in the Catholick that is the invisible Church which when he goeth about to prove from the Parables of the barn-floor c. he ought to understand by the barn-floore in this place not the Catholick but the particular Church in which we confesse that there are both good and bad To whom Doctor Reynolds in his defence of the Church Reynolds in his second thesis which consists of the Elect alone fully accords the wicked saith he must needs be a part of the Church if the name of the Church did signifie the visible Church and we call it consisting of the good and bad Famous Willet also addeth his testimony hereunto when in answer Willet Synop. of the Church to the Papists he openly and freely acknowledgeth that such as do not truely beleeve whom he calleth close infidels are of the visible Church viz. de jure yea and that open sinners are of the visible Church de facto until they be excommunicated Our industrious Fox is very distinct in the point which visible Church saith he having in it self a difference of two sorts Fox Act c. p. 27. of people so it is divided into two parts of which the one standeth of such as be of outward profession onely the other which by election inwardly are joyned to Christ the first are in the visible Church but not in the invisible We have before occasionally noted the consent of Pareus distinguishing the Church of the called from the Church of the Elect Pareus Polanus Bullâ—nger Ravanellus Wollebius Gomarus Apollonius c Vid. etiam Mel. part sept p. 33 Ociand Enchir p. 126 Polanus reckoning the invisible to be but a part not the whole of the visible Church Bullinger Ravanellus c. who distinguish the Church by a large and a strict acceptation and account the visible to be of larger extent then the Church invisible and with Wallebius Gomarus Apollonius and even all the reformed Divines define the Church largely taken viz. the visible Church to containe within it both good and bad elect and reprobate Master Hooker thus reasoneth all are of necessity either Christians or not Christians if by external profession they are Christians Hook eccles pol. p. 84 they are of the visible Church and Christians by external profession they all are whose mark of recognisance hath in it those things which we have mentioned one Lord one Faith one Baptisme yea although they be impious idolaters wicked Hereticks person excommunicable yea and cast out for notorious improbilities yet such we deny not to be Imps and limbs of Satan even as long as they continue such Field assureth us not onely of his own but even of the judgemen Field p. 12 13 14 of such as are most liable to exception in the case and confidently telleth us that the meaning of Wickliffe Husse and others who defined the Church to be a multitude of the Elect was not as if they thought them onely to pertaine to the Church and no others but because they onely pertaine unto it principally fully effectually and finally c. Externally those are within the Covenant though they have not for the present that sound work of faith and may be never shall Hook survey p. 36. Mr. Cobbet confesseth or asserteth rather that there is a Mr. Cobbet Concl. 3. in his just vindication Vid his Book of Inf. Bap. p. 57 Bish Usher sum of Relig. p. 396 Vid. Cottons way p 1 Expos in 39. Art p. 87. bare external being in the Covenant of grace
had his Church because he had thousands which never bowed their knees to Baal but whose knees were bowed unto Baal even they were also of the visible Church Apostasie a genus or an integrum of heresie and schisme And if it be yet urged that apostacy should be reckoned among the meanes of unchurching I reply that Apostacy may be thought to be a genus of heresie and schism or a compositum made up of both and the perfection of heresie and schisme as it is in the first respect totum universale or in the latter respect totum essentiale vel integrale whose species or whose parts are heresie and schism 1. Now if we consider apostasie as a genus of heresie and schism Apostasie as a genus c. is such in grammar and Scripture then we may conceive heresie or a falling from the faith to be one kinde of Apostasie and Schisme or a forsaking the Assemblies to be another kinde of Apostasie by the one men fall from the truth and by the other from the Church and by either or both from God Apostasie thus understood as I humbly conceive both according to grammar or the Etymology of the word which is in general onely a falling from which may equally respect the truth and the Church and also according to Scripture or the use thereof in the Scripture is such in the first and properest sense of the word Now if we take Apostasie in this signification it cannot be reasonably added as a third meanes of unchurching unto Heresie As a compound the usual sense and schisme seeing that a genus is universale and not individuum and existing onely in its species and not as distinct thereunto or in it self 2. If we take Apostasie in the sense of the Church wherein it is usually taken for a compound of perfect or total Heresie and Schisme or a perfect and absolute renouncing the faith and forsaking the communion of the faithful then I answer that it seemeth needlesse to adde this as a third means of unchurching in this sense either seeing it hath no other nature or force thereunto but what it received from its parts to wit heresie and schisme which have been before insisted upon so that all the difference is that heresie and schisme considered in themselves do unchurch apart and considered in Apostasie they do unchurch together or they are considered to do that together in Apostasie which they were considered to do before apart in themselves and this need not be added as a third meanes which hath no energy to do this effect but that which it receiveth from the other two yea even as it consisteth wholly thereof I conclude this discourse with a synopsis of what hath been said herein given us in those pertinent words of Learned Willet Synop. of the second contr of the Church he first tells us who may not be of the visible Church viz. Infidels i. e. such as are not baptized 2. Hereticks 3. Schismaticks to which he addes excommunicate persons he secondly teacheth who are or may be of the visible Church viz. 1. Such as are not predestinate 2. Manifest sinners de facto 3. Close Infidels i. e. hypocrites CHAP. XXXV Our Churches in England are true Churches inferr'd from the former discourse I Had once resolved to have written no more but finis to the former discourse and to have entrusted it as it is to the impartial improvement of my Readers Genius for who seeth not what great things a very little use of reason may inferre therefrom both touching our Churches Sacraments and Censure However though peaceable prudence be ready to advize as things and persons now are to be very sparing in taking the advantages offered us thence yet love to the truth and the zeale of the house of the Lord hath prevailed with to add something upon each of these heads as most direct and easie conclusions from the former premises and first concerning our Churches thus If we seriously consider what hath been said what can possibly hinder us from concluding therefrom that our publick Congregations in England are true Churches Were not all our members borne in the Church baptized in the Church and have they not hitherto remained in communion of the Church hath Apostasie Heresie Schisme hath a removal of the Candlestick or excommunication it self if it have such a power unchurched them Are not all our Congregations called out of the world of Infidels Turks Jews yea and Papists too and do not they stand as holy communities separate therefrom to the true worship and ordinarily exercised in the Ordinances of God Doth the Scripture require any more to the essence of the Church then ours have or doth it note any thing sufficient to unchurch that ours are not free from are not all the causes distinguishing marks of the true visible Church eminently in ours or doth not the whole definition thereof agree to them do not all the Churches salute and own us as true Churches and would not many dangerous absurdities both in judgement and practice immediately follow the denial thereof Are our Churches corrupt in their conversation true but the essence of the Church consisteth not in saving grace nor its visibility in an holy life besides what Scripture-Church is there except one viz. that at Philippi but is even by the Scripture it self both blamed for corruption and also acknowledged to be a Church or people of God But I intend not to enlarge here having elsewhere largely anticipated this discourse onely having often observed one great objection taken from the first constitution of our Churches to be the last and onely hold of the ancient Brownists as also of the subtiler sort of our later Anabaptists to whom we might adde the Papist I shall spend the remains of this chapter in the view and answer thereof 't is this Obj. Our Churches were not rightly constituted at first therefore they are no true Churches Answer This Objection as it lieth thus in general may be easily evaded upon all our adversaries own principles 1. To the Papists we reply that our Church was at first rightly constituted upon Popish principles for do they not say that we were at first converted unto Christianity by the preaching of Augustine the Monk and that he was commissionated thereunto by the Pope himself 2. To the Brownist we say that we were at first converted by the Ordinance of preaching whether of Joseph or not to which we may adde in answer to the Anabaptist that our ancestors were then baptized upon their personal professing the faith at years of discretion which thing cannot be rationally doubted seeing all are agreed that Heathens are not to be baptized but upon such profession of the faith and againe that our Ancestours were Heathens before their conversion to Christianity Object I know that all these adversaries are ready to reply that something hath since intervened that hath destroyed our Churches Answ Yet then the objection taken
the people not to suffer him to do his duty in administring to them or not to attend upon their own duty in communicating to say that a Minister is bound by Christs command to administer to all Church members and againe that he is bound in the Name of Christ to warne some not to receive is to make the will of Christ contrary to it self and to say that a Minister is bound to warne the wicked from the Sacrament and yet to say that the will of Christ is that all are absolutely bound to receive is to contradict our selves by the first we confesse that the will of Christ is that wicked men ought not to receive which is formally denied in the latter Neither is this gathered onely from the practice for it is indeed the expresse judgement of most eminent men in the Church almost 2. Churches judgement in all ages Irenaeus is expresse for it in his time who seemes to speak the unquestioned sense of the whole Church then for whom he maketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apol. 2. this Apology with us saith he this nourishment is called the Eucharist of which it is lawful for none to partake but such as beleeve our doctrine such as are wash'd to remission of sinnes or baptized and such as live so as Christ hath commanded This place of Irenaeus gives cause of doubting to a learned man Ludov. Molinae Paraen p. 315. Whether it ought to be understood of Christians not admitted by confoederal discipline to partake of the Supper or whether they belong to that command of Paul 1 Cor. 11. whereby it is not lawful for an unworthy man or a man wanting faith to receive but tells us he could easily beleeve the latter adding that 't is granted to be spoken of such as are baptized and therefore Church-members who live not according to the doctrine of Christ and that is as much as I contend for that some baptized members of the Church ought not to partake of the Eucharist in the judgement of the Church in Irenaeus his time We have seen before what the judgement of the Church was in Chrysostomes time also and for the opinion of later fathers and Schoolmen 't is sufficiently known to be on our side as also of most of the Reformed Divines and Churches The Church of Bohemia in her confession saith that if any approach Reformed Churches of Bohemia this Table without such a man should greatly profane and reproach this Sacrament yea and the whole institution thereof appointed by Christ In like manner the Church of Scotland confesseth that the Scotland Supper of the Lord appertaines onely to such as be of the household of faith and can try and examine themselves to these accord the Churches of Auspurgh Saxony France Belgia and most eminently our own Church as appeared before from the Auspurgh Saxony France Belgia and England Common prayer and Directory to which our confession of faith lately framed may be seasonably added The Confession of faith saith that all ignorant and ungodly persons cannot without great sin against Christ whiles they remaine such partake of these holy mysteries Many eminent Divines joyn issue hecein Trelcatius Trelcatius teacheth page 185. that Materia seu subjectum participans sunt ij omnes qui per baptismum ecclesiae membra facti jam adulti sanam doctrinam profitentur Sanctae vitae testimonium habent to which he addes that hereby are excluded 1. Mortui 2. Aegroti moriturii 3. Pueri ac Infantes 4. Qui propter Haeresius dissolutam vitam excommunicati sunt legitime Bucanus loc com 48. qu. 8. to this question quibus est Bucanus Instituta coena Domini Answers non omnibus promiscuè Vrsine Cat. quae 8. to the same question answer tantum pii Ursin debent accedere Bishop Vsher is as plaine in answer to the like question viz. who are to be partakers of the Lord Supper saith he such Usher as are of yeares and of sound judgement to discerne the Lords body I might adde Ames Diodate Calvine Zanchy Perkins and infinite more but let me break off the trouble with these few sufficing for all SECT III. Objections hereunto Answered THis point is run upon by two sorts of Adversaries 1. By some too strict 2. By others too large 1. Some have ventured to say that Church-members or rather to use their own terme disciples as such have an immediate right in this Sacrament but none are disciples save persons so and so qualified These I do not purposely deal with here for the present they may be contented with a very short answer that both their Propositions are false or at least fallacious 1. That none are disciples but persons qualified with knowledge holinesse c. which they must needs grant to be false if they will avoid Anabaptisme seeing according to the principalls of Infant-Baptism all that are lawfully baptized are disciples Matth. 28. 19. and again that all that are lawfully baptized are not so and so qualified as in the case of Infants who are baptized and lawfully so 2. That all that are disciples are to receive the Supper this holds not 1. Till what I have urged for wicked mens Church-membership be refuted 2. Till Infants discipleship be denied 3. Or till both Infants and wicked Church-members yea and suspended yea excommunicate Church members are proved to have an immediate and present right to the Lords Supper seeing all such may be Church-members and disciples But let us rather weigh what is urged by the other larger party against this barr upon some Church-members to keep them from receiving the Supper 'T is scornfully urged more then solidly that then Church-members Obj. 1 by their wickednesse have it seems a writ of ease from their duty If wicked Church-members are forbidden the Sacrament Just as excommunicate persons have a writ of Ease from all other Answ 1 Ordinances as well as this 2. This gives a faire occasion to note the ground of that cloudy not to say contradictory way of some mens expressing themselves upon this point sometimes they say all Church-members are obliged to receive the Supper at other times when this pincheth that some Church-members viz. children c. are not obliged and ought not to be admitted Now both these are true and both are false as they may be understood All Church-members as such are under an obligation to receive and yet some Church-members are under an obligation to abstain and yet here is no contradiction in Gods Commands though there may be and I fear is in mens application of them in this case 3. And what is the ground hereof but want of care or skill to distinguish of Gods Commands and the force and obligation thereof Which if a little heeded may serve both to extricate these difficulties and solve the present objection 1. The command obliging to receive the Sacrament is to The Command to receive is mediate to some immediate
Lord accepteth of the willing minde but whether it be so obliging upon such as do not desire or labour for any preparation at all should this be affirmed to be the sense of all the casuists about the obligation of the command to receive the Supper I should desire my worthy Authour to review the preceding authorities Object 4. If any one saith Mr. Burroughs in his Gospel-worship 4. Par. in answer unto the question performe a duty in worship in that sincerity and strength that he is able to do though he be not prepared as he ought yet it is better to do it then to neglect it and he applieth this his answer unto the receiving of the Sacrament as well as the word and prayer as may be seen by the proposal of the question Answ Master Burroughs I conceive doth neither here nor in any other of his writing contradict what I am pleading for he in terminis supposeth the subject of his question to be one that is sincere to his power in self-preparation and such a one I grant though not prepared as he ought for indeed who is had better do his duty then neglect it But in the present case I should appeale to no other but Mr. Burroughs who speaks directly to the point and indeed beyond my purpose and aime in the same book of his Gospel-worship read him at large pag. 232. 233 234. Where he expresly saith that none but holy persons ought to come to the Sacrament for foure reasons 1. The Sacrament is a seal of the Covenant 2. An Ordinance of spiritual nourishment 3. Such as come are required to examine themselves 4. 'T is a communion with God and Saints and if they do come they are not to be admitted pag. 235. SECT IV. Seeming dissenters do really consent But why should verbal discourses longer continue real differences do not those who plead most vigorously against us joyn issue at last in the point with us let such first seriously consider what the point is viz. that there is a command in Scripture prohibiting some Church-members supposed unfit to receive the Sacrament then let them examine their own principles yea reflect upon their own publick concessions and I humbly conceive the controversie is at an end Do not all such whom the world judgeth adverse hereunto take themselves to be mistaken yea highly injured when any lay this to their charge that they hold an absolute promiscuous communion and hereupon are ready presently to enumerate the persons excepted by them And is there indeed an exception by whom is it made if not by Christ the donor of the priviledge or by what if not by his Word the rule of dispensing it or by what Word if not a command or that which hath the force or obligation thereof When Mr. Prin and Mr. Tympson yeeld accordingly that persons unbaptized undiscipled and among disciples children ideots and distracted persons and persons actually excommunicated when Master Humphreys addeth to these persons de jure excommunicated or as Erastus Notorious offenders do they not plainly intimate that they believe that the minde of Christ is that such should not receive the Sacrament for if Christ admitteth them who shall forbid them and if they beleeve that the minde of Christ is such that they should not communicate is not this his minde expressed in his word and in that word also that hath the force if not the forme of a prohibition Therefore let us here all joyne hands and cheerfully sing a sweet consent and brotherly Christian concord so farre at least in the words of Mr. Timpson determining the case of Infants Church-members applied indefinitely to our purpose that Church-members supposed unfit by any incapacity not now determined are not under an actual obligation to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and that receiving this Sacrament is not their actual duty but consequently more then is required at their hands in Gods worship and then superstition and then prohibited by the Word of God SECT V. This command we finde 1 Cor. 11. 28. Having found that there is a command in Scripture forbidding some Church-members supposed unfit for the Lords Supper the question is next where we fix it to which my second position is ready to answer viz. The command prohibiting such from the Supper of the Lord is plainly founded in 1 Cor. 11. 28. Let a man examine himself and so let him eat for 1 Some Church-members are acknowledged by all to be forbidden to come to the Sacrament as before is noted now if they are forbidden any where they are forbidden here for they are forbidden no where else or no where so plainly so literally so evidently and with so general consent and acknowledgement as they are here Those places of casting pearls to swine and bread to dogs and of not eating with scandalous brethren are in much more controversie and doubting besides these immediately oblige the Church or the persons administring unto or communicating with such unworthy persons whereas this text of 1 Cor. 11. is directly and immediately obliging such persons themselves and their trial of themselves and their own private accession to the Sacrament and in such a set and purposed manner as no other text in Scripture parallels This is so plaine that so far is it from dispute it is distinctly observed almost by all that handle the point of the Sacrament Hereupon Diodate saith let a man examine his conscience Diod. in Loc. to know whether he be well disposed c. to abstaine from it in case he be not so untill he hath obtained grace c. Bishop Vsher also in answer to this Question who are to be partakers Body of Divin p. 428. of limits it to such as are of years and of sound judgement to discerne the Lords body Upon this very place Marlorate also concludeth that to come Marlo unprepared and so to eat is Sacriledge And Calvine likewise upon this Text caveat ergo sibi Calv. quisque ne socordia aut securitate in hoc Sacrilegium incidat Beza Mr. Burroughs and the Leiden Divines and even all Bez. Bur. Leid Divin Expositors upon the place give this reason why wicked persons as well as the ignorant are not to communicate in this mystery because such are bound to examine themselves that will come thereunto The Church of Scotland as was noted already expressely Scot. Bohem. confesses that the Supper of the Lord appertaineth onely to such as be of the house-hold of faith and can trie and examine themselves and as the Church of Bohemiah if any man approach this Table without such trial such a man shall greatly reproach the Sacrament c. yea our own most compt exact ingenious industious learned Country-man Mr. Morris hath honoured the Mr. Mor. p. 61 same observation here is saith he an expresse command for a man to examine himselfe which Infants are not susceptible of and upon this account they are not to
privitive is no act of severity but charity The latter are rather to be rejected ratione censurae whose suspension called positive is truly and properly an Ecclesiastical punishment Hereby it is evident that the latter of these is to be deferred to the next head viz of censures and suspended until then and that the first alone falls to the lot of the present debate where the question rather is what are the grounds of denying of the Sacrament to such as are unfit for it then of the rejecting of any from the Sacrament for their unworthinesse of it Again the grounds of denying the Sacrament or the unfitnesse for which a person may be kept back may be considered Negatively what it is not and Positively what it is 1 Negatively the denial of the Sacrament to baptized The grounds of denying the Sacrament negatively considered 1. Not non discipleship persons cannot be grounded upon their non-discipleship or non-Church-membership because though baptized they are not so or so qualified as true disciples of Christ are Thus some venture but to me very unadvisedly seeing lawful baptisme and discipleship are acknowled by all that consider what they say to be of equal latitude either the absence of due quaâ—ifications destroyeth Baptisme formerly and lawfully received which none will affirm or the present effectual seal of lawful Baptism must necessarily conclude real discipleship or Church-membershâ—p as all must grant But this hath been often banded before and indeed in places more proper to it seeing we are here restrained to the consideration of the grounds of denying the Supper to persons supposed to be under lawful Baptisme and visible Church-membership 2. Others would ground the denial of the Sacrament upon Nor want of evidence of saving grace the want of the evidence of saving grace But this ground hath been subverting all along For 1. We have found that such as want saving grace may be within the Covenant and Church 2. That the evidence of saving grace is not necessary for private satisfaction in self-examination 3. All do grant that self-examination must be stricter then Church-examination and that lesse may satisfie the Church for admitting then the conscience for receiving 4. Neither have we the least print of footstep in Scripture or Antiquity of denying the Sacrament upon the want of the evidence of saving grace unlesse the person were first excommunicate which is plainly excluded the present debate 3. Others fix it upon the want or absence of a vocal Nor vocal Profession of faith Profession of the faith or renewal of our Covenant Here I confesse I know not what to reply unlesse I may distinguish for things may be required either as special and extraordinary means of Reformation in general or as necessary conditions of admission to this Ordinance of the Church in particular Now my answer accordingly in brief is this that the Church hath power to call her members to a vocal Profession of the Faith and renewal of their Covenants as these may be fit though extraordinary means of a general Reformation but she hath not power to call for these as necessary conditions of admission to this Sacrament in special The ground of this answer is plain because God hath allowed this power to the Church in the first case and denied it to her in the second Such things as are either Scriptural as renewing Covenant is or rational means of Reformation as vocal Professions may be the Church hath liberty to assume for that great end But she hath no liberty or power given her to make new or other conditions of right in Ordinances then God himself hath made who never denied any priviledge of his Church as such to any Church-member throughout the Scripture for want of a vocal Profession of faith or renewal of Covenant Upon foure conditions I should be as ready and zealous I hope to presse either or both of these as any of my brethren 1. Upon condition that prudence judge upon a rational viewing of all due circumstances this means to be fit viz. specifick accommodate and proper for our maladie and seasonable for the Crisis period and time of our distemper without which 't is presumption praecipice and not prudence whatsoever we pretend to apply it Certainly censures are a nearer and more appropriate means for the Churches Reformation and more clearly authorized by Jesus Christ in the New Testament for this 1 Cor. 5 great end then either a general vocal Profession or renewal of Covenant yet a great father we know thought that sometimes of corruption were not fit to be purged and reformed by these Prudence is the principle and guide and rule of the Church in discovering and applying fit and proper and seasonable remedies in times of general corruâ—tion But whether this our present time be a fit time or season to call our people to make a particular vocal Profession of their faith or to renew their Covenant or not I dare not determine especially if these be required before though not in order unto our peoples admission to the Sacrament Yer give me leave to doubt that that means that is at this time very likely to heighten the prejudices and jealousies of our people against us and against our proceedings is very unlikely to prove a meanes of an happy Reformation Who seeth not that the great designe of the world and hell now on foot is to widen the differences betwixt Ministers and people and to withdraw the peoples affections from by stirring up suspitions in them against their Ministers Again is it not as easie to observe from former experiencies of too like a nature and present dispositions of our people generally that to presse a vocal Profession of faith or Renewal of their Covenant upon them at such a time as this and before their admission to the Lords Supper when they startle at every thing would greatlie heighten the prejudicies suspitions murmures and jealousies of our people generally against us and against our proceedings Indeed were all such evil weeds in the hearts of our people rooted up were there no aptnesse in them to suspect us to surmize evil of us were we open and naked to all the world that we aimed at nothing but Reformation much lesse at dominion and enlarging our Kingdom and power over them we might I think presse either of the former means with much fitnesse to the distempers of this back-sliding unsetled apostatizing Age but while this general remedy remains complicate with this strange malignancy and venome of prejudice and jealousie against us and against almost every thing that we meddle with he must have more skill then I that first can fit and than dare apply the remedies specified thereunto Secondly I should more easily yield to the calling of our people to a vocal Profession of faith or to a Renewal of their Covenant provided we expresse our selves to make use of these only as extraordinary means of Reformation as a refuge to
and desirable Ordinance Wherefore if I may possibly prevent so scandalous a censure I shall not venture to hold my Reader in so long suspence till he come to the pages where confirmation is considered in the book nor yet barely to acknowledge my allowance of it under my hand but after my humble thanks heartily tendred to our worthy Author for his excellent paines in so seasonable a subject I do also presume earnestly to beseech my Reverend brethren that what the learned and zealous Master Baxter hath so smartly pressed upon the Ministry about it may be speedily and seriously considered and undertaken by us Yet least I should dash upon the other rock I humbly crave the leave to offer without offence whether there be not some few proviso's touching confirmation to be distinctly noted to the end it may prove which the God of truth and peace grant a happy meane of reconciling at length the two long divided and differing brethren and whether they may not be such as these 1. That such of the Catechmmens as appear when called to be Ignorant Châ—istians not to be confirmed are Church members confirmed grossely ignorant of the fundamentals of Religion and consequently such as cannot personally professe the faith as they ought be notwithstanding this their ignorance and the further just suspention of their confirmation still acknowledged to be Church-members So farre I doubt not but we are agreed for our Reverend Authour makes no question but the Catechumens are in p. 52. 54 57. Church-state and then asserts that if they give not when called to it a satisfactory account of their faith they are to continue and to be left in that condition indeed without enjoying any further priviledge as himself addes yet as he conceives p. 60 not to be cast out of the Church 1. I acknowledge that the Catechumens baptized in Infancy Perfection Moral Physical are but incompleat and imperfect members yet I crave leave to distinguish for there is a moral and there is a physical compleatnesse and perfection a man that hath all the excellencies and ornaments Perfectio transcendatis est qua ens dicitur perfectum quatenus ipsi nihil deest in integretate essendi of a man is usually said to be a perfect a compleat man yet a childe that hath almost nothing but the bare essentials of a man in it is as truely said to be a perfect or compleat man as he the first in a moral the last in a physical or metaphysical sense for omne ens est verum perfectum so there are babes in Christ in his School his Church as truely and in that sense as perfectly so as strong men and such as are not fit through ignorance to be received to higher priviledges have yet the essentials of Church-members though they want the ornament of such as our Perfection of essence ornament Reverend Authour stiles confirmation they have therefore the perfection of essence but not of ornament and though I need not assert them to be perfecta yet I hope it is no offence to say they are perfectè membra and not half Christians and half Heathens Object It is acknowledged that confirmation was of old called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the perfecting unction and the confirmed were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfecti vel persecti Christiani perfect or perfect Christians Answ Yet it may be also noted 1. That among the ancients The Ancients deny perfection rather to the Catechumens not baptized Oâ—seâ—v l. 2. c. 3 the imperfection of membership is generally attributed to the Catechumeni not yet baptized non initiati non illuminati as they used to speak rather then to the baptized not yet confirm'd of these speaks Albaspinaeus quoted by our Author corporis Christi perfecta omnino formata membra non erant for the baptized are initiati not entring but entred not forming but formed Areopagitam de Hierarch eccl initio accordingly when Dionisius would note the priviledge of the members of the Church above the Catechumens he distributes the Church into the initiati or the baptized and the fideles or the Communicants at the holy table and we hear nothing of a third sort viz. the confirmed betwixt these two Doctrina inquit de Sacramentis è Scripturis de prompta solis fidelibus initiatis est communicanda 2 The Fathers usually adorning what they treat of with Rethorical No aâ—gument to be grounded upon the ancients single expressions Credunt infantes Corpus mortis in primis parentibus generavit eos peccatores spiritus vitae in posterioribus parentibus regeneravit eos fideles Aug. tom 10 p. 421 Octa. flowers it may be questioned whether it be safe to build a point of such weight and consequence as this is upon single expressions especially in the case in hand wherein we finde them varying something among themselves Chysostome and Austine stile the catechumeni not yet baptized brethren Austine affirmeth that infants being baptized are membra Christi yea and fideles Albaspinaeus and Pachimer acquainting us with antiquity that none could be a perfect Christian but be that was confirm'd and that of old confirmation was therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfection Again that no one was thought to deserve the name of Christian unlesse he were confirmed and that confirmation seemed to give as it were the last stroke to perfection And yet again that the Eucharist is the perfection and consummation Catechumeni sunt fidâ—le inquit haymo quia credunt in verum deum sed quia nondum sunt baptizati non sunt sancti super 1. ad Eph. of both baptism and confirmation and that those alone were accounted fideles or the faithful who were not onely baptized and confirmed but had been partakers of the Eucharist though now the Church seeth reason to maintaine that such as are not yet baptized are Christians holy and faithful or beleevers and therefore or upon that account to receive them to Baptisme I doubt not but these various expressiâ—ns of the Ancients are easily reconciled as will offer it self in the particulars following therefore 3. There is a perfection of Church-state and a perfection of Perfection of Church-state and Chuâ—ch-priviledge Church-priviledge those that were baptized though not confirmed were perfect with a perfection of Church-state though not yet perfect with a perfection of Church-priviledge until they were confirmed which our Authour hath observed and excellently collected and approved for us to be all that was meant by that perfection which the ancients ascribed to confirmation there were saith he such as by imposition of hands were admitted p. 15. to the participation of all the priviledges of Church members and so that is by his participation became and were declared to be compleat and perfect Christians Again more plainly having largely discoursed of the perfection attained by confirmation that by perfection saith he is meant no other then their right to enjoyment of those priviledges especially the Lords
Supper will appear from the following passages which he transcribeth also out of Dionysius Areopagita Albaspinaeus and the Apology of the Waldenses pag. 21 22. 4. Though I must confesse I think the ancients sometimes at least if not ordinarily meant something more viz. a perfection of grace as well as Church-priviledge by that perfection which was usually attributed by them to confirmation for saith Cyprian p. 20. cited by our Authour such as are baptized in the Church are offered to the Overseers of the Church that by our prayer and imposition of hands they may receive the holy Ghost and be consummate through the gifts thereof by the Lords seal tum demum saith he in another place plenè sanctificari that 's the grace and esse filii Dei that 's the priviledge possunt si Sacramento utroque nascantur and yet more fully to our purpose it is also necessary saith he for him that is baptized to be anointed that the chrysme being received he may be the annoited of God i. e. perfectly a Christian as it is gloss'd and have in him the grace of Christ Yet here again we may distinguish and with ease and passe over Perfection of the membâ—r and of the membership any objection hence to be raised for there is a perfection of the member and a perfection of the membership I grant confirmation may serve to perfect the member but deny it any hand in perfecting the membership viz. the persons relation to or interest in the Church which I beleeve the ancients never intended a plaister applied to a weak part or member of our bodies may be said to strengthen or perfect the member but it hath no influence at all upon its membership in which it stood as firmly by its union with the body though but a feeble and weak member as the strongest part of the body a childe may be made by good education a more perfect childe but that addes nothing to his filiation child-ship or relation to his Parents or Family This is excellently illustrated by our authours own glosse upon p. 55. the words of Paraeus in Heb. 6. 2. Infantes Christianorum jure promissionis baptizabantur in infantia pueritiam egressi impositione manuum in ecclesiam adultorum recipiebantur not saith our Author hereupon that these were two distinct Churches for they did both concur according to their several capacities to the mâ—king up of one but rather two distinct formes or classes of persons in one and the same Church So that as Schollars of the lowest forme are as truely and compleatly members of the Schoole as those of the highest so those The lowest forme of Schollaâ—s is in the School that are baptized and not confirmed are as truely and perfectly members of the Church as those that are confirmed and invested with all Church-priviledges This is also pâ—ainly intimated in the very word confirmation The word confirmation câ—rrieâ—h so much Priscis temporibus impoâ—itione manuum baptismum confirmaâ—i solebat Walf Sâ—rab â—eb eccl c. 26. we would not confirme the catechumens in a state without the Church neither in a state of half Church-membership their very being to be confirm'd implies they are fully in the estate already This Ordinance was of old therefore thought to confirm Baptism or the state wherinto we are baptized or as the Waldenses it was in fidei confirmationem ad stabilitatem Militiamque fidei whereupon the Catechumens were admitted indeed to higher priviledge or forme in the Church but not into any new Church-state onely they were confirmed therein wherein they were perfectly before though as Ames clearly to the point of infants non adeo perfesta sunt membra ecclesiae ut possunt admitti ad omnia ejus privilegia participanda Secondly I think it will hence follow that a persons first foederal right and Covenant-relation to the Church doth not dissolve A persons first foederal right not dissolved for want of confiâ—mation upon his conviction of grosse ignorance when he comes to be confirmed for if onely by this federal right a person stand in his Church-state during his infancy and if when at the adult estate he give not satisfaction to the Church by personal profession by reason of ignorance though confirmation be justly denyed him he is to continue in the same condition he was before then the want of giving satisfaction to the Church for confirmation doth not destroy federal right or make invalid that first way of right he had in the Church by means of being born of beleeving parents Doubtlesse the Church is bound to require and every childe of the Church to render an account when duely called of their knowledge faith and conversation yet I bumbly conceive that where a satisfactory account is not obtained as the Church-state of such a person is not lost so the way and mean of this interest is not changed though I conceive that such a ones personal profession in his general owning the true faith and usual attending Gods publick worship doth super-adde a kinde of new right and mingle it with such a persons former right had by his birth-priviledge We do not imagine that the former right which a person who is now deservedly confirmed had in the Church by birth-priviledge is wholly lost or made void by confirmation but rather confirmed to him his baptism and consequently his first right to baptism viz One that is confirmed doth not thereby lose his former way of right in the Church his birth priviledg being confirmed to him and nothing taken away from him thereby only he hath now a double right in the Church and Covenant or rather a right therin two ways and both acknowledged by the Church through foederal faith at baptism through personal faith at a confirmation so much rather that right which a person not confirm'd and so not owned by the Church upon personal profession hath still in the Church must needs be his birth-right or that which he had by birth-priviledge or at least that is not lost and another way of right introduced by his not being confirmed as a person that is borne a member of a family or a Common-wealth continueth to be such while this his relation remaines upon the account of his birth-right onely or not so properly any other ways I am confident we read not of one person eâ—ther in Scripture or We â—ead of none in Scrâ—ptâ—â—e or antâ—quity that thus lost his birth-right Antiquity that lost his Birth-right in the Church any other way then by heresie schisme or the perfection of both Apostasie I think few will add excommunication Object If any should imagine that the birth-right of such is lost I think it must be upon this ground because the childe has no right but in his parent but at the adult estate children are to be admitted upon their own account as distinct to their parents Answ But the whole reason is peccant these two propositions 1. That foederal holinesse to which we were borne proceeds
and fellowship among themselves here is society of professors for communion communion ecclesiastical distinguishing this society from all others and profession dâ—stinguishing this society and communion to be of the visible and not of the invisible Church There are some of our own countrey-men that have given very clear definitions of the visible Church in this kinde Reverend Bradshaw saith the Churches of Christ are holy assemblies joyning ordinarily and orderly together in the worship of God here is an Assembly the qualification thereof holy the communion thereof joyning together in the Worship of God though I confesse I suppose that he here called these assemblies holy not with respect to the subjects or the persons that made it up but to the works and employment about which they were conversant the holy service and worship of God Yet I confesse that there is an obscure Authour whose name is Dayrel that wrote many yeares agon in the defence of Dayrel of the Church p. 24 like to Hookers our Churches against the Brownists whose definition is more exact to my notion of the visible particular Church then any of A Church as now we are to understand it â—s a society that â—s a number of persons belonging unto Christian fellowship the place and limits whereof are not certain eccl pol. p. 88 Lictionary p. 85 the former a particular visible Church saith he is that company that in a City Town or place cohabiting professe the Christian or true Religion and do ordinarily meet and joyne together in the exercises of religion A company united by co-habitation and profession and having communion together ordinarily in religious exercises the Ordinances of God Much like to which Wilson hath defined the universal visible Church 't is saith he a company of men selected gathered and called out of the world by the doctrine of the Gospel to know and worship the true God in Christ according to his Word Or if these be too long you may take it thus the visible Church Ecclesia specialiter sumitur pro coetu sacra scu conventu hominum ad cultum Dei convenientium Ravanel de eccl for which he quotes many Texts is a society of persons called out of the world to the worship of the true God In this last I am willing to acquiesce it being short and yet I humbly conceive plaine clear and full evidently conteining the whole sense of all the former and wanting for ought I can see in no necessary propertie of a perfect definition Herein we finde the matter persons called so termed by Christ himself as peculiar to the visible distinguished to the invisible or the Church of the Elect. 2. They are persons called out so it exactly answers to the most natural and allowed Etymology of the Church 3. Here are the termes of this motion a quo out of the world ad quem to the worship of God wherein we have its seperation The end of the Church in the Scripture in the time of the Gospel is to worship God as before from John 4 and its dedication its seperation from the world its dedication to God and his worship Wherein also its distinguishing forme and end and office is con-noted communion in the meanes or Ordinances of this worship of God 4. 'T is also said to be a society a fix'd community that respects this communion wherein as hath been often said the tò formale the very constituting form of the Church consisteth This definition is also convertible with the thing defined it doth not lie broader or narrower but just adequate and even with it for every society thus called out of the world to the worship of God is a Church of God and è contra Object Neither doth it avail to object that in this definition there is no mention at all of the constant or ordinary meeting thereof for this worship of God as some other definitions have it Answ For we are defining a visible Church in general which ought to be such as agrees with every kinde of visible Church if I may so speak both universal and particular now this constant actual meeting together is rather peculiar to the particular Church then common therewith to the Church universal which hath this actual meeting together but either in its representative a general counsel or in its parts particular Churches whereas a society called out of the world to the worship of God is general and common both to the universal and particular Church 2. Yea a particular visible Church it self is such when it hath not this actual meeting together much more when it hath it not constantly from which it haply may accidentally be long suspended and yet not lose its being and therefore not come short of its definition the essence of the Church lieth not in act but in habit not in communion but in community as this community * Foeder ata ista conjunctio catenus tantum constituit ecclesiam quatenus spectat ad communioneÌ„ exercendam to be exercised Am. Med. 169 Sanctae communis exercitium ad ecclesiam constituendam sufficit si constantia illa acâ—edit quoad intentionem tantum quae statum ad sert corporis membrorum in spirituali quadam politia as with small variation of words is gathered From Am. Med. 170 parag 21 looks towards and alwayes intends this communion to which it is therefore said to be called out of the world in the definition As a man doth not lose any part of his essence or cease at all to be a man when he ceaseth the exercise of his reason in his sleep or the like because the essence of his manhood lieth not in the exercise but in the faculty of reason whereby he is fitted and duely furnished to exercise the same when occasion is offered and impediments are removed So the Church ceaseth not to be a Church when she ceaseth her actual communion in the worship of God because the essence of the Church being in society to that end doth not suppose it though indeed it strongly intend it and dispose unto it as it conteineth a habit therof or at least an obligation thereunto upon due seasons Yet though the communion be not actual but onely habitual we may not say the community is onely habitual and not actual it would be strange to say that a man is only an habitual man because his reasoning is now habitual and not actual or a society of such a trade is onely habitually so when it doth not actually meet and assemble together The communion therefore is but habitual but the Church hath its essence and existence when it doth not meet together Therefore to have put ordinary or orderly meeting together into the definition of the Church would have made the definition larger then the definitum sometimes so that sometimes the Church must have been no Church when indeed it is so or the definition thereof must have been no proper definition thereof but variable
wrong if she judge such as are not scandalous she erreth because such deserve it not if she judge such as are scandalous she erreth also because hereby she judgeth them to be within who have no evidence under their notorious scandal of their being within but indeed strong evidence to the Contrary If she judge such as are not scandalous she really wrongs the party if she judge those that are scandalous she visibly wrongs a higher Judge who hath pleased to reserve to his own prerogative to judge them that are without 2. This Doctrine involveth our interest in and dispensation of the Sacraments also in inextricable difficulties and doubtings First the Sacrament of Baptisme is thus involved children have their right unto it either in themselves or in their parents that is either from their own personal holinesse The contrary tenet viz. that no professor can be a member without saving grace will draw unavoiddifficulties with it and give such advantages to the enemies of Gods grace and the dispensation of his Ordinances that they will hardly be regained laying a corner-stone to build up the wretched doctrine of the Anabaptists Mr. Hook survey p. 37 38. or from their parents holinesse derived unto them by relation Now if the first be said it will follow from this doctrine 1. That we are to baptize them onely upon evidence of their saving faith 2. This being impossible we should ever discover before years of discretion it follows that we cannot regularly baptize an Infant 3. Yea no childe can then in his infancy be known to be a disciple to belong to Christ to be a Church-member to be borne to God c. all which are not so much obscured by Anabaptisme as clear'd by Scripture 4. Or at least the childe being baptised in its infancy upon charitable hopes if afterwards by a wicked and lewd conversation it appeare to the Church to have had no saving grace at the time of its baptisme it clearly followeth that upon the discovery of its after conversion it ought to be rebaptized for if none but such as are savingly converted enter into Covenant then none but such as are savingly converted ought to be sealed in Covenant and a seal set without a Covenant is of no effect and every one that enters Covenant ought to have the seale of initiation affixed to it 5. Nay grace I see not but according to the tenour of this doctrine that so often as a man may fall by scandal from the evidence of his saving grace and consequently thereby declare to the eye of the Church that he was never really within the Covenant or the Church and giveth penitential satisfaction for the same whereby in the judgement of the Church he entreth Covenant even so oft he must be re-baptized though it be seventy times seven 2. Againe if the childes right to baptisme depend upon the saving grace or holinesse of the parent then such as is the evidence of the parents saving grace such is the evidence of the childes being lawfully and effectually baptized so that Secondly if the parent apostatize to heresie blasphemy or any other kind of notorious profanenesse or if the parent never had any evidence at all of saving grace so farre as men may charitably judge which is all the rule the case and the present opinion will admit the childes baptisme is forthwith null Then Thirdly what remaineth but that such children when at yeares of discretion must give their own consent in person and be re-baptized or else depend in an Heathenish state of waiting for their parents returne to be re-baptized with them But Fourthly I cannot see how any one that stands baptized upon his parents account can ever be fully perswaded that he is truely baptized because he cannot be certaine of his parents Election or saving vocation so that the whole generation of Christians who stand in their baptisme by their foederal bolinesse are hereby necessarily left in doubt whether they be Christians or Heathens And lastly is not this a faire step and temptation to Anabaptisme yea truely it puts us upon a necessity of it for unlesse all our Ancestours since the first entrance of our stock into Christianity have beene really godly at the very time of their childes baptisme a thing incredible our own baptisme is unavoidably nul for where the reason and ground of Baptisme is wanting there Baptisme is invalid but according to this doctrine where saving grace is wanting in the parent the reason and ground of Baptism is wanting therefore whensoever any of our Ancestors were baptiz'd in the time of their parents unregeneracy then that persons baptisme was no baptisme but a seal set to a blanck Again the childe of a Beleever hath no next right to baptisme unlesse the parent be also a baptized-beleever therefore though the next in the line of succession unto him that through want of saving grace first rendred his childs sealing invalid were truely a Saint yet he was not a baptized Saint and consequently could not entitle his childe to baptisme much lesse can this childe unbaptized entitle the next or that the next until we descend to our own case 2. Again our interest in the Sacrament of the Supper is alike obscure and intricate by the just consequences of this doctrine For 1. Unlesse I am well satisfied of two things whereof one is very difficult and the other impossible viz. my own and my parents sincerity I may not venture to receive this Sacrament I must be satisfied of my parents sincerity otherwise I cannot know my selfe really baptized and consequently I cannot know my remote right for one that is not really baptized hath no right to the Supper of the Lord and then I must be satisfied of my own sincerity otherwise I cannot know my next right to the Supper or indeed my being lawfully i. e. really baptized either and must with all doubting Christians be deterred therefrom though the Scripture assures us to the contrary viz. that if we judge our selves if we finde our sins though we cannot find our graces if we judg not justifie or acquit our selves we shall not be judged as unworthy receivers of the Lord as those were 1 Cor. 11. 30 31 32. 2. This must needs involve the Administrator also in hazards doubtings and even necessity of sinning which I rather commend to the consideration of my Reader in the words of Reverend Mr. Baxter then my own and with which I shall conclude what hath been but rudely delivered upon this question that the end may crown the work his words are these then no Minister can groundedly administer the Sacraments to any man but to himself because he can be certaine of no mans justification being not certain of the sincerity of their faith and if he should adventure to administer upon probabilities or charitable conjectures then should he be guilty of profaneing the Ordinances and every time he mistaketh he should set the seal of God to a lie