do take hold of the promise of the spirit beleeving that they are his people and he their God and that thru God and man are invisibly vnited and 3. by love by which men take hold one of another and so are vnited together invisibly And all this he confirms sufficiently by the scriptures Answerable vnto which 3. invisible hands for this invisible vnion he makes 3. visible handes for the visible vnion 1. vnto the spirit the word 2. vnto faith the profission of faith 3. vnto love the sacrament of the Lords supper for â—o he proportioneth them The colour of truth which these things may seem to haue in their mutuall reference will â—ub off in the very touching of the particulars But if Mr B. would haâ—e observed just proportion and haue set things down playnly he should haue said thus or to this effect As the invisible internall and effectuall vnion of God with man of man with God and of one man with another is raysed from the invisible internall and effectuall work of the spirit invisible internall and effectuall faith and love which are onely seen and known of God and of the parties themselves in whom they are so must the visible externall and apparant vnion of God with man of man with God and of one man with an other arise from the visible externall and apparent work of the spirit visible externall and apparant faith and love which are seen of men and made sensible to the ey of charity which judgeth probably of thinges which are not seen by the things which are seen For albeit it be true which Mr B. hath in his 2. book that wee are not therefore a Church of God bycause men so judge vs but bycause God hath received vs into covenant with himself yet it must also be considered that the Church is not called visible in respect of God but of men to whom it doth or may appear by whom it is so discerned and judged probably The scriptures do speak of a iustification before God which is by â—aith alone and of a iustification before men which is by workâ— the former of which we may truely call invisible justification as known to none but God and the conscience of the party justifyed the other visible justification as being manifest and made visible vnto men by works as ver 18. of the Chapter before named where the Apostle speaketh of shewing manifesting or making visible faith and so consequently justification by works And look what is here sayd of visible and invisible faith and justification the same from other scriptures compared together may be affirmed of visible and invisible election redemption sanctification as also of visible and invisible saynts for the matter and of the visible and invisible vnion for the form of the visible and invisible Church the invisible being certayn infallible and so known to be of God the visible morall probable and so appearing vnto men There is in deed and in the right disposition of things by the revealed will of God but one Church of Christ which is his body whereof he is the head and which he hath purchased with his blood for Christ hath not purchased two Churches with his blood but one neyther is the head of two bodyes but of one and according to this purchase of Christ and ordinance of God all that are of the visible Church are also of the invisible and all of the invisible of the visible Church which are indeed not two but one Church in two sundry respects as I have formerly shewed I deny not but that as it hath been sayd of old there are many sheep without and many wolves within many of the visible Church which are not of the invisible Church and so answerably many of the invisible Church which never come into the visible Church But this say I is not according to the revealed will of God in his word but by mans default and sin It is their sin of ignorance or infirmity which being of the invisible Church do not if possibly they can joyn themselues vnto the visible Church there to partake in the visible ordinances it is their sinne of hypocrisie and presumption which not being of the invisible Church do adjoyn themselves to the visible Church there to prophane the Lords covenant ordinances to which they have no right For how can they being wicked and vnholy chalendge the LORD to be their GOD that is all happines goodnes vnto them which is one part of the covenant or professe themselves to be his people which is another part when the Divel is their God and their lusts and they his their people and servants to whom they obey or what have they to do to meddle with Gods covenant whom he expresly forbids to take it in their mouthes It is therefore a vile profane defence which you are driven to Mr B by pleading that wicked persons are true matter of the Church and so admitted into covenant with God in the 2. book that obedience onely followes the covenant as the fruit of it and that God requires not actuall obedience or that wee should be actually good or holy before or when we covenant with him but that he should make vs good and that wee should be good and perform actuall obedience afterward which as it is notable Anabaptistry and in deed the ground of that haeresy being applyed to the covenant of the Iewish Church so being applyed to the covenant of the Church now it is worse then Anabaptistry And consider this man he makes the sacrament of the Lords supper a ground and part of the covenant and yet affirms that God for mens entering into this covenant requires not that they should be holy and good and so by this deep divinity it must needs follow that the Lord requires not that men should be good or holy for their partaking in the sacrament of the Lords supper The particulars now follow in which you place this visible vnion and covenant of the Lord with his people of them with him and of one of them with another The first whereof is his word which say you is the onely first visible note and testimony from God by which he makes a people his people Ps. 147. 19. Rom. 3. 1. 2. Ioh. 17 6. and so you go on to prove that this word is Gods outstretched hand to subdue people vnto him the sword of the spirit by which he smiteth the immortall seed by which he begetteth and maketh alive the word of reconcilation by which he reconcileth his Church and people And therevpon you conclude that to whomsoever God sends his word to them he testifieth his love and desire to make them his Church and people To let passe the repugnancy in your words as first where you speak of the onely first note as though there could possibly be more firsts then one and 2. where you make the word a note and testimony
describing the Church to be a company of faithfull people yet do the divine scriptures speak otherwise which I will clearly manifest and therein also free the Parable Math. 13. which you bring in for proofes from that violence which you and others offer them forcing Christ clean against his will to plead for Antichrist And with the scriptures I do affirme against you that the Church of Christ is no such mingled meslyne or monstrous compound but a body simple vniform one proportionable in every mēber vnto the head informed by one spirit and called in one hope Ephe. 4. 4. And for wicked and vngodly persons so farr are they from being the true naturall members whereof the body consisteth as the whol of the parts as they serve indeed for no other purpose then to infect and corrupt the rest and if redresse be not had in time to eat out the very hart of the whole But before I come to the point in controversy I will lay down two cautions for the preventing of errour in the simple of cavelling in such as desire to contend First it must be considered that where the quaestion is about the visible or externall Church which is by men discernable and not of that Church which is internall and invisible which onely the Lord knoweth we speak here of visible and externall holynes onely whereof men may judge and not of that which is within and hid from mans ey For we doubt not but the purest Ch vpō earth may consist of good and bad in Gods ey of such as are truely faythfull and sanctifyed of such as have onely for a tyme put on the outside and vizard of sanctity which the Lord will in due tyme pluck of though in the mean while mans dim sight cannot pearce through it 2. I desire it may be remēbred that the question betwixt Mr B. and me is about the true and naturall members whereof the Ch is orderly gathered and planted and not about the degenerate decayed estate of the Church members for we know that naturall children may become rebellious the faithful city an harlot the silver drosse and the wyne corrupt with water the noble vine so planted whose plants were all naturall may degenerate into the plantes of a strange vine But as it were fond Phylosophy in the description of wives and children and their true naturall properties to make rebellion a property of a child because many children prove rebels against their parents or to make whoredome a property of a wife because many wives prove vnfaithful that way so is it as prophane divinity to make vngodly persons the true matter of the Church their profanenes a true property of the same because many seeming saynts at the first do so creep in and do afterwards discover their owne shame are oft times through want of zeal too long tolerated in the Church to the dishonour of God prejudice of the gospel And so I come to manifest by an induction of particulars that all the visible Churches gathered and planted by the Lords line level frō the beginning of the world were in their collection cōstitution simple vniform and vnmixt consisting of good alone in the respect in hand And first the Lord created a Church of Angels in heaven which wer all good holy without mixture til some by sin fell frō their first and originall estate so leaving their own habitation were cast down to hel After that God created a Church of mankind in Paradise consisting of two persons both holy good And thus the Churches of creation were gathered of angels and men without mixture Now if any man object that in these instances I fetch my beginnings too farr of my answer is that the Lord had hath the same ends and respects in the creating restoring of his Ch which are his own glory their happines And if it were the will of the Lord that persons notoriously wicked should be admitted into the Ch then should he ditectly crosse himself his own ends should receive into the visible covenāt of grace such as wer out of the visible estate of grace should plant such in his Church for the glory of his name as served for none other vse then to cause his name to be blasphemed Hereupon I frame an Argument thus That order for the gathering of Ch which directly crosses the mayne ende◠for which the Lord would have his Church gathered is not of God But the order for which Mr B. pleads which is that apparantly prophane persons may with the godly be gathered into the visible Church crosses the Lords ends of gathering Churches and therefore is not of God The former proposition is without controversie the latter is thus manifested The mayne ends for which the Lord gathereth and preserveth his Church vpon earth are that he might have a peculiar people separated vnto himselfe from all other peoples to call vpon his name in faith and to glorify him theyr heavenly father in their holy conversation whom he also might glorify in the end of their fayth the salvation of theyr soules But for wicked vngodly persons in the Church as they serve no no way for these ends but the cōtrary causing Gods name to be blasphemed and his wrath to come vpon their disobedience so to gather or admit them into the Church is vtterly to frustrate Gods ends and to gather for Satan rather then for God To proceed In the restoring of mankind planting the first Ch in the covenant of grace established in the seed of the woman there were onely saynts without any such mixture as Mr B. makes Now as all true churches from the begining to the end of the world are one in nature and essentiall constitution and the first the rule of the rest so the first being gathered of good matter not bad declares both Mr B. Church and opinion to be bad and not good And when in processe of tyme Cain which was of the evill one bewrayed himself he as a degenerate branch was broken of driven out of the visible presence of God Gen 4. 14. it is further imputed by Moses for sin to the sonnes of God that they maryed with the daughters of men Now if it were still be unlawfull for the godly to contract with the wicked in the civil covenant of mariage how much more in the religious covenant of the Church communion of Saints To discend lower God gave vnto Abraham and his family the covenant of circumcision Gen. 17. 10. which the Apostle Rom. 4. 11. calls the seal of the righteousnes of faith Now to affirm that the Lord would seale vp with the visible seale of the righteousnes of faith any visibly unrighteous faythles person were a bould chalenge of the most High for the profanation of his owne ordinance And the same covenant which God at
of it out of Antichristianism or Paganisme out of Babylon Egypt Sodome spiritually or civily so called or out of any other society or Synagogue which is not the true visible body of Christ must be is constituted and compact of good onely not of good evill The Lords field is sowen onely with good seed vers 24. 27. 38. his vyne noble and all the seed true his Church saynts and beloved of God all and every one of them though by the mallice of Satan and negligence of such as should keep this field vineyard house of God adulterate seed and abominable persons may be foysted in yea and suffred also which the scriptures affirm and we deny not But our exceptioÌ„ in this case is first that the Church of England was never truely gathered the Church of England I say that that is the National Church consisting of the Provinciall Churches and those of the Diocesan Churches and the Diocesans of the Parochyall Churches according to their parish precincts with their governours government correspondent That there were true visible Churches in the land gathered out of Paganism at the first I will not deny but that ever the whole Land in the body of it was a Church is an affirmatioÌ„ of them which consider not what is eyther the matter whereof or the manner how the Church of the new Testament is to â—e gathered 2. Graunt that the way of the kingdom of Christ the Church were now so wyde that a whol nation might walk a brest in it and that England had been some times that Canaan the holy land wherein none vncircumcised person dwelt yet in the apostasy of Antichrist it could not be so accounted but was in the body of it divorced froÌ„ Christ with Rome whereof it was a member except you Mr B. will affirm as many do that Rome remaines still a true visible Church and that antichristianism is true Christianism Antichristians true Christians the body which hath the Pope the head the true body of Christ so except the Church of Engl. had been sowen with good seed without tares since that general apostasie it cannot be the L. field The Iewes were forbidden by God vnder the law to sow their field with divers seeds and will he sow his own feyld with divers yea with coÌ„trary seeds wheat tares What husbandman is eyther so foolish or carles as to sow his field with tares wheat together And yet this fair field of Engl of whose beauty all the Christian world is enamoured is so sowen this pleasant orchyard so plaÌ„ted this â—lourishing Ch so gathered A few kernels of wheat scattered amoÌ„gst the tares here there a few good plants amoÌ„gst the wilde branches a smal strinkling of good meÌ„ amoÌ„gst the great retchles rowt of wicked graceles persons And was this field sowen this orchard planted this Church gathered by the Lords hand And as was the root so are the branches as were the first fruits so is the whole lump To conclude this point thus I reason The Lords field is sowen with good seed onely though tares may in time be conveyed into it by the Divels mallice and mans negligence But the Engl nationall Ch was not so sowen but with tares wheat together Therefore it is not the Lords field And thus I hope the indifferent reader wil easily see what succour Mr B. findes amoÌ„gst those tares under whose shadow he would so fayne shrowd all the Atheists Papists other flagitious persons in the Church Now for the Parable of the draw net Mat. 13. I confesse the bad fishes may be wicked persons in the Church but undiscerned as fishes vnder the water between which the good no difference is seen If the fishers and they that drew the netts did know of the bad fishes in them and had meanes of voyding them they would never burden themselves and the nett with them except you will have as foolish fishermen here as you had husbandmen before but till they do discern them to be as they are they must take theÌ„ as they hope they are though with you all be fish that come to the net yea good fish too till the CoÌ„missaries court judge otherwise And lastly to your saying wel it were that all were saints but that is to look for a heaven vpon earth I answer that the Church is heaven vpon earth and if you were not a straunger to the true Church and to such scriptures as speaks of it you should find as in many other places so espetially in the Revelation the Church visible oft dignifyed with the name of heaven and with no name oftener Yea to seek no further then these two parables brought in by you to speak against heaven that is against the true natural coÌ„stitutioÌ„ conservatioÌ„ of the visible Church Christ himself that with his own mouth gives the Church no worse name then heaven and the kingdom of heaveÌ„ the onely ordinary beaten way which Christ hath left to heaven in heaven is heaven on earth which way soever you please to guide men The sixth insimulation against vs is that we hold That the power of Christ that is authority to preach to administer the sacraments and to exercise the Censures of the Church belongeth to the whole Church yea to every one of them and not to the principall mâ—bers thereof If Mr B. were but as able to confute vs by just reason as he is willing to bring vs into hatred by unjust and odious accusations we should then have as much cause to feare his skill as now we have to complayn of his mallice Onely herein his skill is to be commended that where he findes not our opinions such as he thinks wil be disliked by the simple multitude he makes theÌ„ such and so deales against them Here come in many things of great weight to be discussed and although it were in it self the readyest way to reduce things to some heads and so to prosequute them in order yet since I have taken this task vpon me to trace Mr B. in the particulars therfore I purpose to follow him step by step notwithstanding all his vnorderly wandrings and excursions And first Mr B. charging vs with errour for giving authority to preach minister the sacraments excercise the censures to the whole Church and not to the principall members thereof playnely insinuates that the authority to do all these things amongst them is in the principall members of the Church But the truth is otherwise in the parish Church of Worksop and in all other the parish Churches in the land You have one onely member that hath power and that vnder the ordinary to any of these things and that your self the parrish Priest though perhaps the parish clerk may by speciall indulgence be licensed to bury the dead Church women read service on light holy dayes and do some such like drudgery in your absence But
themselves yeâ— though they be Paul Cephas and Apollos and the Church Christs Christ Gods then may the Church vse and enjoy all things immediately vnder Christ and needs not goe to Rome to fetch her power whether Mr B. would send her but may have and enioy the Ministers and ministrations as her own of all the holy things which are given her But the first the Apostles expresly affirmes 2 Cor. 3. 21. 22. 23. and so the conclusion necessarily followeth which will also be more manifest in the particulars as they come to be handled in theyr places as occasion shal be ministred by Mr B. reasons layd down against popularty as he termes it which in the next place come to be considered of The first and second whereof are that it is contrary to the order which God established before the law vnder the law and since Christ or in the Apostles dayes during all which tymes he affirmes that the power of governing was in the cheif in the first born before the law in the Levites vnder the law and in the Apostles in their dayes And for confirmatioÌ„ of these things he brings sundry scriptures from the old new Testament for the exposition of them clearing of his aslertion intermingles sundry other observations For entrance into the answer of which his refutation I desire it may be considred that the visible Church being a polity Ecclesiasticall and the perfection of all polities doth comprehend in it whatsoever is excellent in all other bodyes politicall as man being the perfection of all creatures comprehends in his nature what is excellent in them all having being with the Elements life with the plants sense with the beasts and with the angels reason Now wise men having written of this subiect have approved as good and lawfull three kyndes of polities Monarchycall where supreme authority is in the hands of one Aristocraticall when it is in the hands of some few select persons and Democraticall in the whole body or multitude And all these three formes have their places in the Church of Christ. In respect of him the head it is a monarchy in respect of the Eldership an Aristocracy in respect of the body a popular state The Lord Iesus is the King of his Church alone vpon whose shoulders the government is and vnto whome all power is given in heaven earth yet hath he not received this power for himself alone but doth communicate the same with his Church as the husband with the wife And as he is announted by God with the oyl of gladnes above his fellowes so doth he communicate this aâ—noynting with his body 2 Cor. 1. 21. 1 Ioh. 2. 20. Gal. 2. 9. 10. which being powred by the Father vpon him the head runneth downe to the skirts of the clothing perfuming with the sweetnes of the savour every member of the body and so makes every one of them severrally Kings and Preists and all ioyntly a Kingly Preisthood or communion of Kinges Preists and Prophets And in this holy fellowship by vertue of this plenteous annoyntment every one is made a King Preist and Prophet not onely to himself but to every other yea to the whole A Prophet to teach exhort reprove comfort himself the rest a Preist to offer vp spirituall sacrifices of prayer prayses thanksgiving for himselfe and the rest a King to guide and govern in the wayes of godlynes himselfe and the rest But all these alwayes in that order according to those speciall determinations which the Lord Iesus the King of Kings hath prescribed And as there is not the meanest member of the body but hath received his drop or dram of this aÌ„noynting so is not the same to be despised eyther by any other or by the whole to which it is of vse dayly in some of the things before set downe and may be in all or at least in the most of them So that not onely the ey a speciall member cannot say to the hand a speciall member I have no need of thee but not the head the principall member of all vnto the feet the meanest members I have no need of you And yet as if a multitude of Kinges should assemble together to advise consult of their coÌ„mon affaires some one or few must needs be appointed over the asseÌ„bly both for order speciall assistance of the whole which should go before the rest in propounding discussing and determining of all matters so in this royall assembly the Church of Christ though al be kings yet some both most faythful and most able are to be set over the rest that in office not kingly but ministeriall because the assembly is constant wherein they are both deeply charged effectually encouraged to Minister according to the Testament of Christ and that not †onely for comlynes and order as Mr B slaundereth vs to hould but for the proffit aedification yea and salvation of the Church 2 Cor. 1 24. Eph 4. 11. 12. 13. 1 Tim. 4. 16 by the ministration of such holy things as to the Church appertayne by the free absolute and immediate donation of Christ. This praemised I come to Mr B. reasons and refutation And first I do freely acknowledge the thing which he would charge vs to deny and seeme to prove by many scriptures and that is that the government of the Church before the law vnder the law in the Apostles tymes was and so still is not in the multitude but in the cheife In the first born before the law in the Levites vnder the law in the Apostles in their tymes and so in the ordinary officers of the Church ever since and that the Lord Iesus hath given to his Church a Presbytery or Colledge of Elders or Bishops for the feeding of the sâ—me that is for the â—eaching and governing of the whole flock according to his will and these the multitude ioyntly and severally is bound to obey all and every one of them submiting themselves vnto their government in the Lord. And this it never came into our harts to deny Cease then Mr B. to suggest against vs unto such as are ignorant of our faith walking that we deny the Officers to be the governours of the Church or the people to be governed by them But this I desire the reader here to take knowledge of and ever hereafter to beare in minde that it is one thing for the officers to govern the Church which we graunt and another thing for them to be the Church which Mr B. in expounding Math 18. would needs make them where he would have the officers alone to admonish and censure As if because the †watchman is set vp to blow the trumpet and to warne the people when the sword commeth that therefore he alone is the City or Land and bound alone to make resistance The officers of the Church are to govern every action of the
alwayes to observe and that is He that fayles in those duties for the reformatioÌ„ of the sin of an other which the Lord 〈…〉 his hand he is accessary to that other mans sinne and 〈…〉 own by connivency 〈…〉 And this not onely the scriptures but eâ—eâ— common sense and the light of nature do confirm And upon this ground I deny your enâ—â—neration of parts in the case of pollution to be sufficient This streyn comes more wayes then you are aware of A man may be polluted by and guilty of the sin of another though he neyther in iudgement â—â—llow of â—â— nor in affection like it nor practise the like but the contrary yea though he speak against it discountenance it and brow-beat it as you speak when you teach your people to look big upon sin where they dare not medle with the reproving it do his best in his place to reclaym the sinner which are the preservatives you give against pollution and that thâ—se wayes When a man doth not consider or observe his brother as heâ— ought nor watch over him in the holy communion of saynts wherin he is set and which the Lord hath established for this end that he might be honoured in the communion and fellowship of saynts And it is a saying onely becoming CAIN and those that are with him of that wicked one am I my brothers keeper 〈…〉 Thus then a man may be guilty of the sin of an other yea though â—â— be vtterly ignorant of it And thus it is like was all Israel guilty of 〈…〉 in the excommunicâ—â—â— thing who th 〈…〉 are â—â—aâ—gâ—d by the Lord to have committed asâ—â— and to have 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 and were punished by the Lord for the same and deprived of â—â—â— prâ—sâ—â—â—â— till the excommunicate or exâ—crable thing were destroyed from among them A 2. case of pollution is the neglect of admonition for the reformation of the offender according to the order and degrees by Christ himself set down secret and betwixt the offended and offender if the sin be of secret practise and nature privately with a witnes or two in the second place publiquely in the last place by complaint made vnto the Church having the power of Christ for excommunication Lev 19. 17. Mat. 18. 15. 16. 17. There is yet a 3. duty and that is separation whereof you also Mr B. in sundry cases do admit pag. 105. and to which the Lord in the scriptures calls his people for the shaming of obstinate rebellious offenders Rom. 16. 17. 2 Cor. 6. 14. 15. 16. 17. 1 Tim. 6. â— the neglect whereof casts both the guilt of the sin condemnation of the sinner vpon him that neglects it So that a man is not onely bound in his place to do his best for the reclaiming of his brother but to see his place be such as wherein he may orderly discharge the duties of admonition otherwise both his practise and place are vnlawfull And you your self will teach your people this truth in the generall that the place or calling absolutely tying a man to the breach of any of Gods commandements is vnlawful and to be forsaken Now this is your very case and the case of the best in your Ch the Lord open your eyes you may see it and give you harts to make a right vse of it As there are in your parish whom you dare not admonish secretly much lesse with a witnes or two so which is the last and cheifest remedy you cannot make complaint to the Church your Church is not furnished with Christs power to take vengeance vpon disobedience you are utterly unfurnished of the weapons of this warfare Great was the slavery of the Israelites under the Philistims when there was not a sword found amongst them in the day of battel far greater and more to be bewayled is your spirituall slavery under the Philistim and Aegyptian Lords the Praelates which have spoyled you of all and left you vnarmed for the Lords battel You know vvel Mr B. that the Officiall is not the Church so do thousands in England with you For all whom how much better were it more agreable to true godlines to renounce such vnsanctifyed places and standings wherein they doe in avoydably day by day steyn themselves with so many impieties of their brethren as though their own personall sinnes were too few by sayling in this most necessary duty layd by the Lord himself vpon every brother for the reformation of his brother then to plead they do the best they can in their places to reclaym them It will not be sufficient for men suffering themselves to be tyed short in the chaynes of Antichristian bondage froÌ„ the performance of this necessary duty at the day of the Lord when men shall appear to haue perished through their fault which might haue been gayned by their admonition Mat. 18. 15. to say they have done what they could within the reach of their chayn But let all them that fear the Lord and his righteous judgements which have hearts tenderly affected with the conscience of the duety they owe vnto their brethren and to whom the liberty purchased with the blood of Christ seemeth pretious break assunder those chaynes of vnrighteousnes those bonds of Antichrist and come out of Babylon and plant their feet in those pleasant pathes of the Lord wherein they may make streight steppes vnto him walking in that light and liberty which Christ hath so dearly purchased for them But for separation from a Church rightly constituted or from a true Church so remayning I do vtterly disclayme it For there is but one body the Church and but one Lord or head of that body Christ and whosoever separates from the body the Church separates from the head Christ in that respect But this I hold that if iniquity be committed in the Chruch and complaint and proof accordingly made and that the Church will not reform or reject the party offending but will on the coÌ„trary maynteyn presumptuously abet such impiety that then by abetting that party his sin she makes it her own by imputation enwrapps her self in the same guilt with the sinner And remayning irreformable eyther by such members of the same Ch as are faithfull if there be any or by other sister Churches wypeth her self out the Lords Church-rowl and now ceaseth to be any longer the true Church of Christ. And whatsoever truthes or ordinances of Christ this rebellious rowt still reteynes it but vsurpes the same without right vnto them or promise of blessing vpon them both the persons and sacrifices are abhominable vnto the Lord. Tit. 1. 16. Prov. 21. 27. Now if any object the Church of the Iewes and the obstinacy thereof in sin and wickednes which was a true Church notwithstanding it must be considered that no Church in the world now hath that absolute promise of the Lords visible preseÌ„ce which that Church then had
which those holy things are to be vsed Psal. 147 19. Rom. 3. 2. 9. 4. and that we are as well to look in what fellowship and communion we receive the holy things of God as what the things are we do receive And as in the naturall body there must first be a naturall vnion of the parts with the head and one with an other before there can be any action of naturall communion eyther between the head and the members or one member and an other so in this spirituall body the Church the members must first be vnited with Christ the head and become one with him before they can any way partake in his benefits oâ— haue communion with him eyther in the merits or vertue of his death and obedience Ioh. 15. 2. 4. 5. Rom. 8. 1. as also one with an other as members of the same body vnder him the head before they can communicate in their works or operations Communion in works and actions doth necessarily presuppose vnion of persons And if it be true which Mr B. labours so much to justify both in his former and latter writing that a man is onely to look to his own person that it be holy and to the thing in hand that it be commaunded of God and that it matters not to how vnholy a society this holy person adjoynes himself in the communion of this holy thing then may â—e lawfully repute and acknowledge an assembly of atheists haeretiques and idolaters though as the assembly gathered Mark 5. 9. usurping the holy things of God for the temple of the living God and for his sonnes and daughterâ— among whom he doth dwell and walk there There may he call upon God as their common father and say with faith as Christ hath taught his discipls our father there may he have coÌ„munion in the body and blood of Christ as with the members of Christ. But the Lord Iesus in teaching his Church with one hart and voice to say our father hath established an other brotherhood in giving his body and blood to be eaten and drunken of all in communion hath knit in one an other society The Apostle writing vnto the Church of Corinth compares the whole Church to a mans body and the persons in the one to the members of the other viz to the head foot â—y ear hand and other parts and endeavouring purposely to draw them to the right vse of those spirituall gifts wherewith they abounded without contempt or envie he shewes that all have need and vse each of others the head of the foot the hand of the ey and so mutually one of an other and that without the help ech of other neyther could consist Now since every part stands need of other even the head the cheifest of the feet the meanest doth it not concern the head to consider what a foot it hath the ey to see what an hand it hath and so every member to forecast that it be coupled with such other members in this body mysticall as may not fayl it in the time of need Wo be to him that is alone sayth the wise man for if he fall there is not a second to lift him vp but if two be together the one will lift vp his fellow if he fall And how behoofull both for the comfort and safety of the severall members and whole body it is that joyntly and severally all and every part be so fitted and furnished as they may faithfully discharge their duties and affoard their service vpon occasion and as need stands and how great not onely the discomfort but the daunger is when there is a fayling this way both the word of God and coÌ„mon reason and every mans own experience will teach him Wherevpon I conclude that it concernes every man as first and most to look to his own person and to consider how things stand betwixt God and himself so in the next place to take heed he joyn himself in such a communion as wherein he may with comfort call vpon God as a coÌ„mon father and partake in his ordinances by a coÌ„mon right to him the rest that being so joyned he fayl not the body or any member of it as there is need of his help service otherwise Mr B. reasons will not bear him out no not though for scores he put hundreds which being compared with the scriptures and grounds from them formerly layd down will appear to be the very froath of his own lipps neyther solid nor savoury Next Mr B. reduceth to certayn heads such places of scripture as forewarn Gods people to separate themselves and that first vnder the law as 1. from Idols of false Gods as Israel from Aegyptian Babylonish or heathenish Gods and Idolaters dwelling about them 2. From Idols of the true God as Iudah from Israell in Ieroboams time and after 3. From persons ceremonially polluted In the time of the gospell 1. From Iewes not receiving Christ but rayling against him 2. From Gentiles without Christ. 3. From Antichrist vnder the shew of Christ persecuting Christians 4. From familiarity private with men excommunicate or of lewd life c. which places you say no way concern you at all and so you give a very ample testimony of your selves if we durst beleeve your words against our own knowledge Your first head I let passe and in answer vnto your second affirm thus much that in your constitution you are partly as the Aegyptians in respect of your bondage partly as the Babylonians in respect of your confusion and partly as Ieroboams Church in respect of your Apostacy in your devised preisthood sacrifices and holy dayes the Lord having appointed no such Ministery as your preisthood no such sacrifice as your service book no such holy dayes as your single and double feasts which you have forged of your own harts Touching separation from persons ceremonially polluted it must be coÌ„sidered that ceremonies have their signification and shadowes their substance The ceremony then was that whosoever touched a dead person or a person or thing unclean was vnclean whom or whatsoever the vnclean persoÌ„touched that person or thing was vnclean so that a persoÌ„ vnclean did not onely pollute the thing he touched to himself as Mr B. vvould haue it but to others also whosoever touched the thing that he touched was polluted by it What is then the substance of these ceremonies Who is now a leper but he which hath the leprosy of sinne arysing in his forehead Who hath an issue of blood vpon him but he in whose soul and body the issue of sinne runneth vnstopped Who is the dead person now that may not be touched without pollution but he that is dead in trespasses and in sinnes And who toucheth such an vnclean person if he that becomes and remaynes one body with him by spirituall communion and a member of him touch him not RoÌ„ 12. 4. 5.
as appeareth in that it appointeth one set service in so many words to be sayd by all and every Minister to all and every parish person in it It appoints one set form of words wherein all persons without exception must be maryed all women without exception after child-bearing purified all children born in the kingdom baptized all sick persons visited and all dead persons buryed without exception How shall we then sever you in the things wherein you joyn your selves or put a difference where your selves put none And where further as loath to let fall the plea of the wicked you do adde that God called Israell his people after defection and their children in respect of circumcision his children Ezech. 16. 21. 22. I answer first that the Lord did not call them his children in respect of circumcision for the Scechemitcs were circumcised and yet were not Gods people not their children his children and 2. that the Prophet speaks of the first born which by right did in a speciall manner apperteyn to the Lord Exod. 13. 2. though he were most injuriously defrauded of his due Where you proceed and say that some in the Acts 19. 2. which were ignorant of the holy Ghost were called beleevers that is too grossely applyed to the ordinary gifts of the holy Ghost which is meant of such extraordinary visible giftes as wherewith God did for a time beautify the Church which these persons also there spoken of did afterwards receive by imposition of hands by Paul vers 6. For the Churches of Corinth and Pergamus with whose corruptions as with a buckler you would cover your selves it must be remembred that they and every person in them were in their coÌ„stitution separated by voluntary profession into covenaunt with the Lord and did with their covenant receive power and charge to reform such evills as might break out amongst them which if they neglected they brake covenant with God and so forfeyted on their part both their covenant and power provoking the Lord if they repented not to break with them shortly to remove their candlestick out of his place That which you adde the last and in deed the worst of all the rest is that the Church of Christ is set out even by the naming that is by the profession of the name Iesus Christ. Rom. 15. 20. But the Apostle intends no such matter but onely to magnify his Apostleship by this amongst other the notes of it that he had preached the gospell where before there had been no sound of it And if the naming of Iesus Christ set out a Church then are the Papists besides other haeretiques a true Church for they name Iesus Christ as oft as you and with as many courtesies But things are best discerned in their particulars and to them you discend saying that that congregation which is false hath a false head false matter false form and false properties which say you cannot be avouched against our congregations And what if but some of these be false and not all To make a thing true must concurre all the essentiall parts and properties but to make it false there needs not be all false some few will do it For the particulars You haue no false head bycause you hold Iesus Christ and worship no other God but the Trinity in vnitie The Papists also worship the Trinity in vnity and in word and in the generall confesse Christ their head and you in deed and in the particulars many of them do deny his headship Christ is the head onely of his body Col. â— 17. But the body of Christ consists not of the lims of Sathan of which your nationall Church was for the most part gathered compact after the generall apostasie of Antichrist and of such it consists at this day except you will deny that they are the lims of Sathan the eyes of whose minds he blâ—ndeth that the light of the gospel should not shine in them which do the lusts of the divell and are his children which commit sin which persequute the godly and cast in prison the servants of Christ. Now tell me not Mr Bern. of the wicked persons in the Churches of Corinth Thiatyra and the rest for these Churches were not gathered of any such outwardly and so appearing it is blasphemy against the Apostles so to affirm and if any appearing such were afterwards suffred it was a â—anker in the Churches which in tyme ate out the harts of them As therefore the Papists make the Church a monstrous body in setting two heads over it Christ the Pope so do you make Christ a monstrous head in vniting vnto him meÌ„bers of so contrary a nature And let the prophane world make as small account of it as they list it is certayn no false doctrine haeresy or Idolatry can more eyther displease or dishonour God and his Christ then wretched men in word professing his truth and name and in deed denying both him and them Further you have not Christ the head of your Church in the administration of his propheticall preistly and kingly office which I will onely point at referring the reader to such other treatises as do more fully confirm these things in speciall to Mr Ainsworth his arguments disproving the present estate constitution of the Church of England against which his playn proofs your idle exceptions Mr Ber. wil be as easily answered as read First then your Church admitteth not of the ordinance of prophesying or teaching out of office Rom. 12. 6. 7. which as I have formerly proved to be a perpetuall ordinance for the Church so how profitable it is both for the edification of them within and conversion of them without we find by experience and the scriptures declare 1 Cor. 14. 3. 24. 25. 2. You silence the Lord Iesus in your Church from revealing the whole will of his father A part of his word is vtterly excluded by your calender may not so much as be read in your Church but is justled out by the Apocrypha writings a greater part even the most of that which concerns the true gathering and governing of the visible Church though it may be read yet may it not be faithfully taught much lesse obediently practised notwithstanding any charge of the Prophets Apostles Christ himself Deu. 29. 29. Math. 28. 19. 20. Rom. 16. 25. 26. 2 Tim. 3. 16. 17. so that though you haue the whole will of God in your books as Papists haue yet in respect of the doctrine and obedience of a great part of it the book is sealed vp and may not be opened And to make vp the measure you have in stead of the canonicall scriptures of the holy Ghost mens Apocrypha scriptures the books of homilies and that of common prayers your popish canons and constitutions which are as well the doctrine of your Church as the canons of the
visible body the Church of Rome as it is called vnder that visible head Antichrist the Pope be the true visible body of Christ vnder him the head The Apostle wryting vnto the Galatians calles the Church of the new â—estameÌ„t Ierusalem which is above the mother of the â—aythfull and Iohn in the book of the Revelâ—tion opposeth vnto Babylon spiritual the â—â—w Ierusalem coÌ„ming down from God out of hâ—â—ven and the tabeâ—nâ—â—le of God where he dwelleth with men making thâ—m his people and himself 〈…〉 heir God Now as the people of God in old tyme were called out of Babylon civile the place of their bodily bondage and were to come to Ierusalem and there to build â— new the Lords temple or tabernacle leaving Babylon to that destruction which the Lord by his servants the Prophets had dâ—nounced against it so are the people of God now to gâ—â—e out of Babylon spiriâ—â—â—â— to Ierusalem and to build vp themselves as lively stones into a s 〈…〉 or temple for the Lord to dâ—vel in leaving Babylon to that dâ—â—truction and desolation â—ea furthering the same to which she is devoted by the Lord. Bâ—â— if the people of God should receive Mr B. doctrine they were not to come out of Babylon nor to endeavour her destruction but to tarry in her still labouring for her reformation and the reparation of her decayed places neyther were they to build my new spiritual temple or to constitute any new Church from Rome present for of such a new constitution we speak but there to abydâ— reproving her corruptions and endeavouring the reformation of them It is therfore vntrue which you â—â—y Mr B. that the Romish Church must be dealt with onely as the Church of God was in Iudâ—th it must be dealt with as was Babylon eâ—en abandoned and forsaken by the Lords people vpon pâ—â—ill of the curses and plagues due vnto it and denounced against it and against all that abyde in it To this which Mr B. in this place so greatly contends for namely thaâ— Rome is the true Church of Christ though under corruptions as Iob was a true man vnder his sores let that be added which he wryteth els where in this book that corruptions are made matter of reproof but no cause of separation from the Church and further that they that separate from a true Church the body cut of themselves from Christ the head and to these two a third graunt and profession he makes as that their profession and lawes in England separate a protestant from a Papist that the Church of England is separated by profession lawes and publique mâ—etings from Papists that the very societyes of Papists are to be left as no people of God and his writings will appeare to all men like a beggars cloak patched together of old and new peices scraped vp here and there scarce two of the same eyther colour or thread Let me a little stich his patches together and set them in some order They that separate from the true Church cut of themselves from Christ. Mr B. pag 110. 111. But the Church of England in separating from Rome is separated froÌ„ the true Ch Mr B. pag. 114. 129. 14â— with 131. 132. 133. Therefore by Mr B. both graunt and proof the Church of England is separated from Christ. And is this your piety and thankfulnes Mr B. towards your mother for want of which you cast so many bitter curses vpon the separatists you are so far caryed in honouring your grandmother Rome as a true Church that you clean forgot your mother England and condemn her for a schismatical Synagogue Yea well were it or at the least more tolerable in you if you thus dealt onely with your selfe and your owne but this vile iniury which you here offer extends it selfe far and nere even to Luther Zuinglius and the other godly guides of separation and to all the reformed Churches separated from the Church of Rome yea to the martyrs in King Henryes and Queen Maryes dayes and to all other the like godly mynded through the whole world whom you condemn as wicked schismatiques and separated from Christ the head in separating themselves from his body your true Church of Rome Lastly the Apostle Paul wryting to the Church of Rome in her first and best estate praemonisheth her to stand fast in the fayth received least he which had not spared the natural branches the Iewish Church but broken them of for vnbelâ—if should not spare the wild branches whereof she consisted How then Mr B. can you deny that Rome is and hath been long broken of which so long hath â—â—yned works in the cause of salvation which you your selfe affirm to be against the true nature of fayth in the â—oâ—â— of God and that which destroyeth â—â— And that all may take knowledge how the Lord dealeth with his Churches vnder the new testament and may learn both to fear in themselves and how to iudge of the present state of Rome let it be observed what Christ Iesus by his servant Iohn wryteth vnto the Churches in Asia especially to the Church of Epâ—esuâ— which he having blamed for leaving her first love exhorts to repentance and to the doing of her first workes threatning withall that otherwise he will come against her shortly and remove her candlestick out of the place except she amend The same thing in effect he denounceth against the Churches of Pergaâ—us and Thyaâ—yra and so against the rest vpon the like occasions And if the Lord dealt so severely with the Church of Ephesus notwithstanding the many excellent things which were found in her and so acknowledged by the Lord himselfe v. 2. 3. as to remove her candlestick 1. to dis-church her as ch 1. 20. for leaving her first love and that speedily except she repented how can it be that the golden candlestick should stil stand in Rome and shee remayn the Church of Christ which so many hundred yeares since hath left not onely her first love but her first fayth also chaunging her fayth into haereâ—y and Idolatry and her love into most bloody cruel persequutions against all that have endeavoured her repentance and so hath continued a long space and doth continue at this day None but professed Romanists will plead any Charter for Rome above other Churches These things thus opened and these two capital errours confuted the former Iewish namely that England now is as Iudah was and that as then all the Iewes in that nation so now all the English men in the Kings dominions should constitute a national Church the latter Popish viz. that the Romish Church is the true visible body or Church of Christ it is evident both that the Evangelical Churches must be new planted or constituted by profession of fayth as the temple was new built after the captivitie of Babylon as also that not Iosiahs sword that is the coactive
is first to be noted how Mr B. affirmeth that none with them eyther truely fearing God oâ— making an apparent shew thereof falls into such notable crimes c. wherein he acknowledgeth that a great part of the Church of Engl neyther truly feares God not makes apparent shew of it How then are all of them saynts by calling and where is that profession of faith for which they are to be held true members of the Church And what detestable crimes the members of the Church of England fall into if there were none other testimony the very gallowes gibbets in every country declare sufficiently vpon which for treason witchcraft incest buggery rape murders and the like the members of that Church so living and dying do receive condigne punishmeÌ„t Where with vs if any such enormities arise as what temptations have befallen any we are subiect unto the same those monsters without their answerable repentance are by the power of Christ cut of from the body do for the most part returne to their proper element the English synagogue But what if all were true which Mr B. avoucheth what advantage hath he more against vs then the heathen Corinthians had against the Church there where such fornication was found as was not once named among the Gentiles Mr B. having thus handled as you see some particular and principall persons proceeds to set vpon the whole body in general as if with the accuser of the brethren he had obteyned liberty to strike the same from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot with the boyles and borches of reproch therefore writeth that If men be but inclinable to this way they iudge the Minister to have lost the power of his Ministery wherein the fault is in the alteration of their owne affections and if they be once entered into it they are then so bewitched as that where before they were humble and tractable they then become proud and wilfull where before they could with vnderstanding discern betwixt cause and cause they then lick vp all that comes from themselves as Oracles though never so absurd where before they could feel in themselves lively markes of the children of God so iudge of others they then are perswaded against former fayth to think that neyther themselves had nor others have any outward markes of the children of God Let the reader here observe in the first place that Mr B. accounts all them inclinable to this way which dislike comformity subscription in the Ministers for them onely D. Downame whose Epistle before his second sermon he quotes in the margent entendeth they only are the men which iudge the coÌ„firming Ministers to have lost the power of their Ministery And that their iudgmeÌ„t is most sound generally of such Ministers as having formerly refused ceremonyes subscription do afterward bow vnto the same all men of vnderstanding do discern To the chalenge of pryde and wilfulnes vpon them in this way though before they were humble and tractable I do answer that as true humility is ever commendable so is there also a sinful subiection and submission of mynd by which spirituall tyrants according to theyr fleshly wisdom in voluÌ„tary religion would rule over the coÌ„sciences of the simple of which the Apostle warneth vs Col. 2. 18. which superstitious humility or humble superstition if the servants of God begin to shake of to stand for that liberty so dearly bought by Christ and so highly commended by the Apostles of Christ then begin these imperious Maysters to rage thinking by reproches to compell them againe under that subiection in which by former delusions they could not conteyn them Thus dealt the bloody Bishops with the servants of God in Queen Maries dayes calling them proud wilfull conceyted what evill not and very well do the like accusations become Mr B. mouth in the like case Whether our opinions which we are charged by Mr B. to lick vp as Oracles be absurd or no will appeare in the discussing of them in the sequell of the book in the mean whyle this is most true and vndeniable that a great part of the splene vttered against vs in this invective grew from this very cause that sundry of his heaâ—ers would not lick vp whatsoever he powred out vnto them though bitter as gall as that Ministers were not brethren properly that the Church had some power to excommunicate because the Minister as the officials exequutioner might read the sentence that the Churchwardens were Elders the midwyves widdowes and many the like which to reckon vp is to confute sufficiently Lastly it is a great wrong which Mr B. offereth vs in affirming that if we be once in this fraternity as he scoffeth at our holy covenaÌ„t we then dislike our former graces and ar content to be perswaded against our former fayth and feeling in our selves of the lively markes of the children of God all because we were as a dear without the compasse of our Park as he speaketh We do with all thankfulnes to our God acknowledg and with much coÌ„fort remember those lively feelings of Gods love former graces wrought in vs that one special grace amoÌ„gst the rest by which we have been enabled to drawe ourselves into visible Covenant and holy communion Yea with such comfort and assurance do we call to mynde the Lords work of old this way in vs as we doubt not but our salvation was sealed vp vnto our consciences by most infallible marks and testimonyes which could not deceave before we conceaved the least thought of separation and so we hope it is with many others in the Church of Engl. yea and of Rome too And the more ample measure of grace and fullnes of assurance that any man hath receaved of the Lord the more carefully is he to endeavor in all good conscience the knowledge obedience of all and every one of the holy commaundements of God and not to satisfy himselfe in his present feelings thinking his salvation sure enough and so his obedience full enough for this were to serve God for wages as hypocrytes do but rather with the Apostle forgetting those things which are behynd and forcing to those things which are before let him follow hard to the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus And whatsoever Mr B. iudgeth of a deer without the Parke pale wherein he should be sure it is that he is none of Christs sheep visibly or in respect of men which is without Christs sheepfold For there is one sheepsould and one sheepheard The last coniecture gathered agaynst our cause is The ill successe it hath had these very many yeares being no more increased where the encreasings of God are great c. As it is alwayes safer to proceed by the causes reasons of things then by theyr events and successe so especially is this rule of vse in
be saved Rom. 10. 10. Thirdly if the new Testament speak of ordeyning Elders in the Church then doth it necessarily conclude yea expresly affirm that there were Churches before Elders were ordeyned in them But the first is manifest Act. 14. 23. therefore the second Neyther can Mr Bâ—shift of the place by saying such assemblyes are called Churches by Anticipation any more then the Papists can the scripture 1 Cor 11. 26. against transubstantiation by alledging that the Apostle speaks by Posticipation For why may not the Papists as well answer that Paul calles Christs body bread not because it is bread but because it was bread before the words of consecration as Mr B that Luke calls the assemblyes without officers Churches not because they were so but were so to be after the Elders were ordeyned amongst them neyther is it true which you affirme for confirmation of your distinction that heaven and earth were so called before they were Gen. 1. 1. the meaning of Moses onely is that God created heaven and earth first and when before they were not If yet it be further answered by any that the Church Act. 14. had Apostles over them it must be remembred that Luke in that place and action of ordination notes out three distinct orders of people the Apostles ordeyning Elders the Elders ordeyned and the Churches in which the Apostles ordeyned Elders Of the same nature is the fourth Argument grounded vpon 1 Cor. 12. 28. where God is sayd to have appointed or set in the Church Apostles Prophets Teachers necessarily implying a Church before wherein they were appointed as a Sheriffe appointed in a shyre a Maior in a City a Constable in a Parish a Steward in a familie do necessarily presuppose the Shyre City Parrish Familie wherein they are appointed And indeed where should the Lord set his stewards but in his familie Is any societie capable of the Lords officers but his corporation Is not the Eldership an ordinance given to the Church so the Elders called the Elders of the Church In the Church is not an ordinance given to the Elders nor ever called their Church in the whole New Testament Fifthly they with whom the Lord makes his Covenant to be their God and to have them his people to dwel amongst them as in his temple which have right to the promises of Christ and to his presence they are the Church of God of Christ. Gen. 17. 7. Lev. 26. 11. 12. Mat. 18. 17. 20. Apoc. 1. 11. 13. Heb. 8. 16. But a company of faythful people though they have no officers amongst them may be received into Covenant with God may be his temple and have him dwell amongst them may have right to Christ and to his promises presence except we wil say they may not be gathered in Christs name may not be called may not come out from among unbeleevers nor separate themselves touch none unclean thing Mat. 18. 17. 20. Act. 2. 39. 2 Cor. 6. 16. 17. except they have Ministers going before them For they that may separate themselves from unbeleevers may be the temple of God that is the true visible church which the temple typed out Men are not to come out of Babylon and there to stand stil remember the Lord a farr of but must resort to the place where he hath put his name for which they need not go eyther to Ierusalem or to Rome or beyond the seas they may find Siòn the Lords mountain prepared on the top of every hil If they as lively stones couple themselves together by voluntary profession covenant they are a spirituall building the Lords Temple 6. If a company of faythful people without officers be not a Church then if all the officers of a Church should dye or fall away the Church should be nullified and become no church and to come nearer home graunting for a while the parish of Worksop to be a company of faythfull people if Mr Bernard should leave his Vicaridge for a better then the church of Worksop should be dischurched and remayne a Church no longer and thus an assembly might be Churched and vnchurched and Churched agayn every week in the time of persecution or plague by having and loosing and recovering againe her officers and thus the officers should not be the eyes or tongue of the body for the body remaynes a true though an imperfect body without them but the head of it yea the Pope though he hold himself the head of the Church yet acknowledgeth it a Church without him and in the time of vacancy Wee read Rev. 2. 5. that the Lord threatens to remove the candlestick from the Ephesians except they amend Now the candlestick is the Church chap. 1. 20. and to remove the candlestick is to dischurch the assembly or to wipe it out of the beadrowl of Churches Here is sin the discharging an assembly but that the death of the officers should do it is no where found We will acknowledge the Ministers to be the lights starres candles in the the candlestick the Church that the Ministers death or fall is the removing of the light in a great measure but we may not graunt them to be the Candlestick that is the Church wherein they are set as 1 Cor. 12. 28. which may stand still though they fall 7. If a company of Saynts where no officers are be not a true visible Church then may they have no visible communion together eyther publick or private the reason is because the communion of saynts is an effect or property of the Church and the Church a cause of it the invisible Church of invisible communion and the visible Church of visible communion And as we can have no fellowship with Christ in his merits and other works of mediation till we be in our persons ioyned vnto him by faith and grafted in him as the braunches in the vine so neither can we have communioÌ„ one with another in any spirituall grace or work till we be vnited one to another in love as the members of the body vnder the head Communion in works whether naturall civil or religious doth necessarily presuppose vnion of persons Yea if such a company be not a Church I see not how their seed can have right to baptism no nor how their own baptism caÌ„ be accounted true in the right ends vses of it For 1. baptism is within and not without the Church Ephe. 4. 4. 5. Secondly it is the seal of the covenant which is the form of the Church to the faithfull and their seed Act. 2. 38. 39. Thirdly it is of the members into the body of Christ 1 Cor. 12. 12. 13. Lastly where the essentiall causes of a Church are to be found viz. matter and form there is a Church But this may be in such assemblies as have no officers ergo The former proposition is evident in it self for the essentiall causes give being vnto the th
〈…〉 and it haâ—h the being from them The 2. I gather from Mr B. own graunt where treating of the causes and properties of the Church he makes the true matter such as professe Christ Iesus their onely saviour and the form to be the vniting of men to God and one to another visibly Now except he will say which God forbid that none may make profession of faith and be vnited to Christ without officers he cannot deny but there may be and so be called a Church without them For all vnited vnto Christ the head are members of the body which is the Ch and so the whol assembly ioyntly considered is an whole and entyre body and Church So that to deny an ordinary assembly or communion of Christians to be a Christian Church is an vnchristian opinion And here I entreat the indifferent reader to consider whether these mens wayes be equall or no. When we deny their assemblies to be true visible Churches though they consist for the most part of prophane and vngodly persons vnder the government of a Provinciall or Diocesan Bishop and the Ministery of a dumb or prophane Preist as the most do to which also the best is subiect within one moneth they complayn of vs as most injurious detracters and yet will not they acknowledge any assembly of faithful holy people onely if vnfurnished for a time of officers to be a true Church or capable of that denomination But let not the harts of Gods servants be discouraged he is no accepter of mens persons he hath not tyed his power and presence to any order or office in the world but accepted of them that feare him and work righteousnes hating the assemblyes of the wicked and all their sacrifices Vpon this point I haue insisted the longer partly because it is the ground of the other truthes to be handled in their places and partly in detestation of the vnsufferable pryde of this Prelacy and Preisthood which will have the very life of all Churches to hang on the breath of their nostrels yea I may safely say on their lusts if they dy yea or forsake their charges in never so fleshly respects their Churches are dissolved at least during the vacancy and so the brethren dismembred from being of the visible body of Christ. But so far are the officers from being the formall cause of the Church as is intended as they are in truth no absolutely necessary appurtenance vnto it The power indeed to enioy them is an essentiall property seated in the body which may braunch out it self as God gives fit means into officers accordingly which if they prove unfruitful it may also accordingly lop or break off And so farr is the Holy Ghost from giving countenance to this opinion that the Officers make the Church as when he speakes distinctly of the body and officers and considers them severally he calls the body the Church excluding the Elders as appeares in these amongst many oâ—her scriptures Act. 14. 23. 15. 4. and 20. 17. 28. 1 Tim. 3. 5. 15. And the reason is because the Church is essentially in the saincts as the matter subject formed by the coverâ—ant unto which the officers are but adjuncts not making for the being but for the welbeing of the Church and furtherance of her fayth by their service The second poynt now comes to be manifested which is that two or three faythful persons joyned unto the Lord in the fellowship of the Gospel have immediate interest to Christ in all his ordinances Now least any should stumble at these words two or three ioyned or gathered together as it seems Mr. B. would hereby take advantage to discountenance so small a number it must be coÌ„sidered that two or three thus gathered together have the same right with two or three hundred Neyther the smallnes of the number nor meannes of the persons can prejudice their right When the Lord did chose one nation from all other nations he chose the smallest amongst them fewest in number And though now Christ have opened a way for all nations yet is it a narrow way and which few finde especially in the first planting or replanting of Churches of which Christ speaks most properly in which regard also he likens the the kingdome of heaven or Church to a grain of mustard-feed which is the least of all seeds but yet hath vertue in it to bring forth a tree in whose boughes the birds of heaven may build their nests And against this exception of discouragement Christ himself hath provided a coÌ„fortable remedie in speaking expresly of two or three to whom he hath given his power and promised his presence Now for the poynt it self the truth whereof is sufficiently manifested by that which hath been â—ormerly layed down If a company of faythfull people though without officers be the true Ch. and body of Christ and Israel of God then to that company apperteynes the covenants of promise the oracles of God are committed untothem and to them are given his word statutes and iudgments so they may freely enjoy them amongst themselves in the order by Christ prescribed without any forreyn Ministers for Mediators II. They that have received Christ have received the power of Christ and his whole power for Christ and his power are not devided nor one part of his power from another But every company or communion of faythful people have received Christ. Ioh. 1 12. Rom. 8. 32. Isa. 9. 6. and with him power and right to enjoy him though all the world be against it in al the meanes by which he doth communicate himself unto hiâ— Church III. When the Scriptures would give us to understand the near union betwixt Christ and his Church and the free and full title which he hath given her in himself and all his most rich and pretious benefits they do teach the same by resemblances of most streight and immediate conjunction as of that between the vine and the branches the head and the body the husband and the wise and so as the branches do receive and draw the sap and juice immediately from the vine and as the body receiveth sense and motion from the head immediately and as the wife hath immediate right to and interest in her husbands both person and goods for her use though she may and ought to use the service of her husbands and own servants as they can be had for convenient purposes so hath every true visible Church of Christ direct â—nd immediate interest in and title to Christ himselfe and the whole new Testament every ordinance of it without any vnnaturall monstrous and adulterous interposition by any person whatsoever betwixt the vyne and the branches the head and the body the husband the wife which are Christ and his Church though but two or three gathered together in his name as hath formerly been manifested If all things be the Churches even the ministers
be begun without officers Yea even where officers are if they fayl in theyr duetyes the people may enterprise matters needfull howsoever you will have the minister the onely primum movens and will ty all to his fingers And to let passe the godly Kings of Iudah which were no Church officers about whom the question is which sundry tymes set the Preists a work other with them in Church matters as 2. Chro. 17. 7. 8. 9. and 29. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. c. and other instances in the old Testament which in the handling of the particulars will fall into consideration Peter himselfe was called by such as were no Apostles or other officers to render a reason of his going into men vncircumcised which he also did to Gods glory and the Churches satisfaction v. 18. Now how soever they which so contended with him erred in the matter and it is like dealt too contumeliously with him in the manner yet had it been simply vnlawfull for them to have propounded and begun a matter of that kynde Peter would have reproved and broken off theyr disorderly course and not have pertaken with them in their sinne by vndertaking the answer of the matter which in the generall he doth approve by his orderly and satisfactory answer Furthermore where the Lord Iesus Math. 18. 19. directs a brother in case order to tell the Church of his brothers offence what can be more playne then that he enioynes a private brother to begin a Church matter Yea though there be Elders in the Church yea though the Elders alone yea the chief of them onely as Mr Bernard would have it be the Church yet must the matter be brought to and begun in the Church by him that is offended and his witnesses To presse this yet a little further if any puliquely scandalous or notorious sin be committed in the Church by a brother and the Elders neglect all means of redressing it yeâ— put the case the Elders themselves be in the transgression and by name that they preach haeresy or both preach and practise notorious Idolatry and that the body of the Church also be corrupted by them and joyn hands with them in their mischief what now must a private brother doe in this case whose heart the Lord establisheth in the truth and whom he plucks as a brand out of the fyre must he goe on and ioyn with that Idolatrous assembly in theyr wickednes God forbid And leave them he may not till he have dealt with them about this Church matter and convinced them of this Church sinn for if Christ would not have a brother cast of his brother til he have dealt with him nor the whole Church to cast of a private member till he refuse to hear it Math. 18. much lesse will he have one brother to forsake all the brethren and officers also or a private member to disclaym the whole Church till he have by the best meanes he can affoard in himself or procure otherwise and after the best manner convinced admonished and exhorted both the Officers and people and so found them obstinate and irreclamable To proceed The Apostle Paul writes to the Church at Rome to observe such as caused divisions and scandalls contrary to the doctrine they had learned and to avoid them and to the Church at Corinth to deliver to Sathan or excommunicate the incestuous person agayn that vpon his repentance they would forgive him and confirme their love towards him and agayn to the same Church that they would have ready their collection for the saints at Hierusalem and gather it on the Lords day desiring further that they might abound in that grace as in faith love and the like to the Colossians that they should say to Archippus look to thy ministery which thou hast received of the Lord that thou fulfill it so writes Iohn to the Church at Pergamus that they should not suffer the Balaâ—mites and Nicholaitans to teach and to deceive as they did and to the Church of Thyatira likewise not to suffer the woman Iezabell calling her self a Prophetesse to deceive Gods servants Now it seems by Mr BERNARDS doctrine that if the officers withdraw in these things and will not endeavour the reformation of them or if they dy or fall away that the silly multitude must beare all evill and forbeare all good they must not mark and avoyd haereitcall and schismaticall whether teachers or others they must not put out the old leven that they may become a new lump nor confirme theyr love to any penitent person or forgive him though his repentance be never so ful or publique nor make any collection in the Church for theyr brethren the saynts nor have any part in that grace nor put their Minister in mynd of his office that he fulfill it nor medle with false Prophets for theyr conviction or restraynâ— but may suffer them to deceive without gaynsaying these are all Church matters Apostles onely and Apostolick men must medle in them both to begin and end them And thus the Ch without the officers help though it caÌ„not possibly be had as a deaf a duÌ„b a blynd a lame yea a liveles senseles body it must both have the eyes put out and the eares stopt and neyther see nor hear it must be tongue-tyed from speaking fast bound hand and foot from doing any thing for the generall and joynt good yea it must not be saved without the officers for other ordinary way of salvation know I none by the revealed will of God in his word but in the vse of the ordinances which Christ hath given vnto his Church ¶ It is the stewards duety to make provision for the family but what if he neglects this duety in the maysters absence must the whole family starve yea and the wife also or is not some other of the family best able to be imployed for the present necessity It is the Pilottes office to guide the ship but what if he ignorantly or negligently or desperately will run the same vpon the rocks or sands must the rest of the mariners forbeare to intermedle and so perish It is the Captaines office to lead the army but what if he or they perfidiously will betray the same into the hands of the enemy may not the body of the army make the best head they can to defend themselves and to offend their enemies vsing the best meanes they have for their present direction Yea even in the most peaceable best governed coÌ„mon-wealthes a private man may in a case of necessity become a Magistrate for a mayne work and that which ordinarily is the Magistrates peculiar The Lord hath given the sword into his hand for the good of him that doth well to take vengeance on him that doth evill and to him it apper teynes to defend the innocent But if this innocent person be assaulted by a theif murtherer or other enemy
and so espeiaâ—lly the Church of Rome because he sits surest there And it is very like this is one reason why Mr B. is so much perswaded of the Church of England as of a true Church because he thinks Antichrist sitts there in a measure and it is not impossible but this may have been some part of the cause why in former tymes he was so loath to leav that Church and to ioyn to vs when he thought we had the truth because he perceived we wanted that prerogative of Antichrists seat which England enioyes But though this shew the absurdity of the opinion yet doth it not answer the obiections I do then answer the same in effect which Mr B. makes his fourth ArgumeÌ„t namely that Popery or Antichristianism begun not out of Christianity but in the Church of God where it did also by steppes advance it selfe into the very throne of God of Christ there did in tyme and by degrees so vniversally corrupt and confound both persons and things as that God could no longer be sayd to dwel there by his visible presence and promises but Antichrist in his stead having destroyed the temple of the Lord the Church and caryed captive his people with the holy vessels into Babylon spirituall as did the civil BabyloniaÌ„s the material temple carying captive with them into Babylon civil the holy vessels and other appurtenances thereof together with a remnant of the Lords people of which more hereafter Onely I doe in the mean whyle except against two particulars in this second Argument The former is that Antichrist sitting in the temple of God viz so remayning is that head with his body 2 Th. 2. Antichrist was not in the Apostles tyme nor in a long tyme after a perfit man consisting of the head the Pope and the body the Hierarchy ecclesiastical but was in the seed onely or as an embrie in the wombe not perfectly framed much lesse visibly brought forth least of all grown to that height as to iustle with Christ for his throne yea to dispossesse him of it as now he doth and hath done a long season Secondly it is not truely affirmed that because there are some fundamental truthes of God in doctrine and truthes in ordinances of Christ as you Mr B. speak held there that therefore Rome is the true Church How should Antichrist and the Divil in him so effectually deceive with the delusion of vanity and errour if he did not countenance the same with some truthes And do you not think it possible Mr B. that any malignant and falâ—e Churches should vsurp some truthes and ordinances of Christ which apperteyn not vnto them If your argument be good the Greek Churches the Arians Anabaptists Vbiquitaries yea and all the assemblyes of haeretiques and schismatiques in the world are true Churches of Christ for they all reteyn many mayn truthes and ordinances of Christ. The third Argument is that as the children or infants of the ten tribes in IeroboaÌ„s Apostacy were called the children of God by circumcisioÌ„ the visible seale of Gods covenant so may the litle ones in the Romish Church be called Christs for that they have received true baptism And so that Rome hath a true constitution by true baptism in the children who are Christs thereby as the children of the Israelites were the Lords by circumcision til by education they be made Antichristian and by that offered vp to Antichrist as the Israelitish children became Molechs by their fathers offering them to him You do here Mr B. in the first place alter the state of the question in both the termes The question is whether the Church of Rome be the true vsible Church of Christ or no. You for the Romish Church put the lâ—tle ones in the Romish Church and in stead of their being the visible Church you tel vs they may be called Christs Whereas 1. those litle ones or infants are not the Church but the least part of it and secondly they are not necessarily eyther the true visible Church or of it because they are Christs â—â— so they were in a respect for God hath his in Babylon whicâ— are visible Citizens of that visible City of fornication though the Lords in respect of election and the beginnings of personal sanctification whom he therefore calls out of the coÌ„m 〈…〉 of it the aboâ—â—â—ations therein vnder a severe penalty Secondly whâ—â— you say 〈…〉 the children in the Romish Church have a tâ—ue 〈…〉 by 〈…〉 are Christs till by education they be made An t 〈…〉 â—â—d by it 〈◊〉 vp to Antichrist you seem to make the Church of Rome to be or to comprehend in it two distinct yea two 〈◊〉 visible Churches a Christian Church of infants before they be capable of education and an Antichristian Church of those that are of ripâ— yeares And yet further where you say that iâ— for so your words are hath a tâ—â—e constituâ—s â—â— by true baptism in their children there it seems you will have the parents to have one constitutioÌ„ that is to be one Church with their children and that true by their true baptism and to the parents which by their education are Antichristian must by the baptism of their children be made christian and yet the children by their parents when they are capable of their education be made antichristian offred vp to Antichrist The scriptures every where teach that parents by their fayth bring their children into the covenant of the Church and entitle them to the promises but that children by their circumcision or baptism should constitute their parents in the Church read â— not but in this mâ—ns scripture Yoâ— most manifest it is every where that wicked parents by their 〈…〉 lity or other sinns depriving themselves of the Lords presence and covenant have enwrapped their children â—â—th 〈…〉 and visibly secret things ever reserved vnto God So C 〈…〉 the presence of the Lord caried his posterity with him so â—iâ— Ismaell and Iâ—saâ— theirs the Ismaelites and Edoâ—â—es And â—â—th Lord disâ—laym the mother for a harlot not reputing her his wife he accounts the children no better then bastards on whom he wil have no pity And if the children of the Iewes be not broken of with their parents for their vnbelief they are successively within the covenant and of the true Church every one of them to this day Neyther doth this at all crosse that which els where you obiect out of the Prophet that the soul that sinneth shall dy that the sonne shal not bear the iniquity of the father c. For first the Prophet there speaks of such a sonne as forsakes his fathers evil practiseth the contrary Otherwise the Lord threatneth that he wil visit the sinns of the fathers vpon the children yet not so as the children are without fault for infants new-born by Adams transgression and their natural and original corruption are children of wrath and lyable
were to destroy her own essence being Secondly the true matter of the Church and true members of Christ are the same As Christ is called the foundation of the house they of the Church are the matter of the building as he is called the head of his body they are his members whom to excommunicate is to deliver vnto Sathan 1 Cor. 5. 5. whervpon I do necessarily inferre that if to excommunicate be to deliver to Sathan and that the Church may lawfully excommunicate wicked persons and that wicked persons be true matter and that true matter be true members of Christs body then may the Church lawfully deliver to Satan the true members of Christs body which I abhor to write And though your Ordinaries Mr B. be oft tymes so liberall of the true members of Christ as thus to deliver them to the Divel yet had the Ministers of Christ rather have their own members torn from their bodies then thus to dismemthe blessed body of the Lord Iesus The heynousnes of this fact shewes the vanity of your distinction the errour of your opinion and the falsity of your Church Lastly you do mistake the two scriptures which you bring to prove that a man iustly excommunicate is still called a brother in the scriptures and so to be held by the Church The Apostle in the former place 2 Th. 3. 15. speaks not of a man excommunicated noâ— worthy to be excommunicated neyther but of such a person as followes not his calling faithfully as he ought but being negligent in his own is to busy in other mens matters whom he wills the brethren to mark and no way to countenaunce in sucâ— walking but on the contrary to shew their dislike of it that he may see it and be ashamed of it and this he that reads over the chapter shall observe I suppose to be the Apostles meaning In the second place which is 1 Cor. 5. 11. his meaning is not that Christians becoÌ„ming fornicators covetous Idolaters and so continuing obstinate should still be reputed brethren notwithstanding but he speaks of a brother there as Ezechiel speaks of a righteous man chapt 18. 24. that turns away from his righteousnes and commits inâ—quity and doth according to all the abomination of the wicked c. and as truely may it be affirmed that the person Ezechiel speaks of is still to be reputed a righteous man as that he of whom Paul speaks is still to be accounted a brother Both the Prophet and Apostle speaks of such persons â—s were righteous and brethren reputatively before they did so bastardly degenerate And is it possible that Christ should charge his Ch to account an obstinate offender as an heathen and publican Mat. 18. and that Paul should come after and direct them to account him a brother Besides all the members of the Church are brethren and to become a member is to become a brother and so to be excommunicated out of the Church is nothing els but to be cast out of the Churches brotherhood Lastly the Apostle 1 Cor. 5. 11. names idolatours amongst the rest and will you haue idolaters your brethren Mr B why then did you in the former pag. exclude Papists and pag. 108. Idolatours vniversally A holy brotherhood it seems you will have brother idolater haeretique and what not The instance you bring of Symon Magus an hypocrite received by the Apostle by the Evangelist you should say Act. 8. makes stroÌ„gly against you if it be well considered what is written of him For after he was discovered by Peter not to have his heart right in the sight of God he was pronounced by him to have neyther part nor fellowship in that busines ver 21. Now if Philip had discerned thus much by him at the first do you think he would have acknowledged him for a partener in it or haue given the seal of the forgivenes of sinns of new birth and of salvation as you truely prove baptism to be pag. 119. to such a blank nay would be haue prophaned the Lords holy things vpon such a dog or swyne contrary to the expresse commaundement of Christ Math. 7. 6. Cease Mr B. to excuse your self by accusing the holy Apostles and Evangelists of Christ. And herevpon I do thus argue They that haue no right to the holy things of God in the Ch are not to be admitted into it neyther is the Church gathered of such persons rightly and truely gathered But men of lewd conversation have no right to the holy things of God in the Church and therefore the Church gathered of such persons is not truely gathered The former propositioÌ„ is clear bycause men admitted into the Church are admitted to the participation and coÌ„munion of the holy things of God in the Church The 2. also appeareth both by the scripture before named where Peter pronounceth that such as have not their hart right with God which no lewd persons hav or ever had haue no part in the holy things of God as also by Mr Bernards own graunt namely that wicked persons are to be cast out of the Church And what could there be in the world more ridiculous yea or wherein God were more plainly mocked then to gather a Church of such persons as are judged fit to be cast out of the Church And yet for this Church-gathering being indeed his own Mr B pleads both here and every where both in this and his other book In the next place come in certayn popular similitudes to colour over that rotten errour which can by no reason or scripture be made sound in number three which I will consider in order Two persons are lawfully marryed by publique profession and mutuall corâ—â—nt now though the wise perform not her covenant but prove vnfaithful yet is she still a true wisâ— till the bill of divorcement be given out I graunt it but see you not how you take the thing for granted which wee deny namely that your nationall Church is the true wife of Christ Since he divorced his ancient wife the nation of the Iewes he never maried nor will marry nation more much lesse which is more specially to be coÌ„sidered did he ever marry for his lawfull wife the prophane multitudes of vnhallowed Atheists wherwith as you confesse in the beginning of your book your Church aboundeth Hath Christ commaunded his people not to be vnequally yoked with vnbeleevers and will he yoke himself with them with Atheists other wicked persons which are in deed infidels unbeleevers whatsoever they professe in word though you in your 2 book Mr B. do with defiance avouch the contrary The same Apostle in an other place affirmeth that he which coupleth himself with an harlot is one body with her forbids the faithfull as a most impious thing to make the members of Christ the members of an harlot and will Christ make himself the head of harlots theves murtherers blasphemers and the like or
become one body with them he the head and they the members as it is betwixt him and his Church 1 Cor. 10. 17. 12. 12. 27. Lastly no Woman having a former housband alive may take a second or be lawfully maryed vnto him but wicked prophane persons have a former husband yet living even the law or sin taking occasion by the law to work in them all manner of lust ruling over them as the husband over the wife to which also they are bound as the wife vnto the housband Rom. 7. 1. 2. 3. 5. 8. therefore cannot be maryed vnto Christ nor become his wife The 2. similitude followeth A man professing obedience to a king as his alone sovereign and obeying his lawes in the general though he transgresse in some things openly greatly is that Kings true subiect notwithstanding You deal vnfaithfully put the case wrong The question is of a man professing himself in word the Kings loyall subiect his alone but in deed truth the sworn slave of his professed enemy an apparant rebell against the Kings majesty And whether such a one be a true subiect vnto the King or no for such and no better are wicked profane men whatsoever in word they professe even slaves and vassals of the Divel and rank rebels against the L. Iesus Right now you would have Rome a true Church now you will have Iesuites the Kings true subjects for such they professe themselves as boldly as falsly And yet no Romish Preist or Iesuit is more treacherous to the Kings person state then is a prophane vngoldly man professing Christianity to the crown dignity of Christ Iesus The 3. resemblance is of a man professing one onely trade though bunglingly or carelesly whom none will call a false trades-man but eyther no good trades-man or vnprofitable yet truely that trades-man by his profession Here as before you mis-put the case you should instance in a man professing a trade or faculty but practising the contrary in his generall course For example a man professeth himself in word a surgeon or physition but is observed and found in deed and practise to poyson men and cut their throtes and this to be his resolved course Now so charitable is Mr B. as he will have this man still called and that truely a Physition or surgeon though not good nor profitable But the truth is he is a false and treacherous homicyde and murtherer and so to be abhorred of all but of none eyther to be called or accounted a true physition or surgeon eyther good or evil Such a one and no better is he to his own soul that vnder the profession of Christianity in word practiseth wickednes and impiety and hath his conversation in them The authour having thus ended his defence for the bad and naughty matter of his Church so granted by him in effect comes to speak of false matter but so breifly and darkly withall as it appears plainly he is loth to meddle with it least in the handling his bad matter should prove false matter as it comes to passe with counterfeyt coyn That he sayth then is that false matter is contrary to this true matter that is to the true matter of which he hath spoken Wherevpon it followeth that since the true matter he hath spoken of is wicked and vngodly men though professing Christ and that holy and godly men are contrary to men wicked vngodly that therefore godly and holy men are contrary to the true matter of his Church and so by his reckoning false matter To conclude this point What is false but that which hath an appearance of truth but not the truth it self whereof it makes shew in which respect the scriptures also speak of false Christs false Prophets false Apostles false brethren false witnesses false ballances and the like pretending themselves to be that which they are not and to have that truth in them which they have not of all which there is none more truely false nor more fitly so called then that man is and is called truely a false christian or false matter of the Church which 〈◊〉 in word he looks to be saved by Iesus Christ and yet continues in a lewd and wicked conversation having a shew of godlines but denying the power thereof and professing the knowledg of God but by works denying him Wherevpon I do also conclude that the body of the Church of England being gathered generally and for the most part of such members visibly cannot be the true visible body of Christ except a true living body can be compact of false and dead members That which comes next into consideration in Mâ— B order is the visible form of the Church as he calls it which he makes truely the vniting of vs vnto God one to another visibly in his 2. book the covenant by which Godsets vp a people to be his people and they him mutually to be their God This description he illustrateth by a similitude borrowed from a materiall building whose form ariseth from the coupling together of the stones vpon the foundatioÌ„ which he also further manifesteth by comparing it with the form of the invisible Church by which the faithfull are vnited to God through Christ invisibly and one vnto another Of the termes of which comparison and their proportion wee shall speak by and by I do onely in the mean while intreat the reader to observ with me these two things The former that Mr B having in the beginning of his book censured vs very severely and that with D. Allisons concurring testimony for misapplying 1 Pet. 2. 5. to the visible Church which sayd they was meant of the invisible Church here notwithstanding he interprets it of the visible Church even as we do The latter that speaking of the invisible Church and the form of it he brings in sundry scriptures as so to be expounded which are apparantly intended of the visible Church amongst the rest these three Ephe. 2. 22. and 4. 4. 1 Cor. 12. 13. the last of which he himself also within a few pages following expounds as meant of the visible Church and the properties thereof Now for the comparison betwixt the form of the invisible and visible Church wherein if Mr B. observed due proportion and made the form of the visible Church the same visibly externally in respect of men which he doth the form of the invisible Church invisibly internally and in respect of God and so layd down things in simple and playn terms the truth in the point would easily appeare much needles labour be spared on both sides The form of the invisible Church he noteth first and on Gods part to be raysed by the spirit by which invisible hand God taketh men immediately by the hart and sayth he wil be thâ—â—â— God 2. and on mans part by â—aith by which invisible hand the beleevers
but idolatrous and heâ—iticâ—l corruptions vpon the profession of Christian fayth covering it with the same as Iobs body was with sores and in the more large application of that Simile pag. 245. do affirm that as he though covered over with botches and sores so aâ— he could scarce be known by his freinds was Iob stil vnder the sores and the very same essentially that he was before so â—s the Church and christianity in Popery â—hough covered with the antichristian corruptions which Sathan hath brought over them in so saying you are like your selfe onely constant in inconstancy and errour And tell me I pray you Mr B. is the Popes vniversal supremacy and headship over all Churches by which also he claymeth power of both the swords onely a sâ—ab vpon the skin of the true ministery which Christ hath left in the Church without preiudicing the essence or nature of it Is the sacrifice of the masse onely a soar brought vpon the Lords supper vnder which notwithstaÌ„ding it lyes the very same in nature and substance which was by Christ ordeyned Is prayer vnto saynts onely a corruption come vpon true prayer but no more against the life of it then Iobs vlcers were against his life or doth it not destroy the very soule and life of prayer Is adoration of saynts service in an vnknown tongue with all other the abhominations in the masse-book but as a scurf come over that true worship of God wherwith he wil be worshipped Iohn 4. 23. 24. vnder which the very same true worship lyeth as Iob did vnder his soares which God hath coÌ„maunded that without any more daunger of losse of life then Iob was in by his outsyde skabs Lastly is the opinion of iustification by works onely a botch and byle vpon true fayth but not against the nature of it nor destroying the essence of it Your errour is sufficiently convinced in the recital and opening of it in these particulars your inconstancy and contradiction is most notorious in the last of them compared with that you wryte pag. 113. of your former book namely that the ioyning of works in the cause of salvation which the Papists do is against the true nature of fayth in the son of God and destroyeth it That which you call your fifth reason hath no countenance of a reason in it but is meerly a conclusion inferred by you vpon your 4 former reasons to prove Rome in respect of the tyme prâ—â—ent a true Church and the sum of it is that the Churches now coming out of Babylon do not requyre any nâ—w plantation but onely a reformation as did Iudith in the tyme of Hezechiah after the apostacy of Idolatrous Ahaz and of the people wâ—â—h him But since the reasons wherwith you would vnderprop this your inference are taken away it must needs â—â—ll to the ground Neyther will your Babel stand any whit the stronglyer for the daubing you make with this and the like vntempered morter that it hath not made a nullity of religion that it hath not lost the Apostolical constitution totally that it holds truthes sufficient to iudg men christian by the corruptions being taken away For first what matters it though Rome have not made a nullity if it have made a falsity of religion by most grosse vntruthes haeresyes and Idolatryes making voyd the commaundements of God by mens traditions and teaching for doctrines mens precepts And secoÌ„dly what though the coÌ„stitutioÌ„ be not totally lost If an house or material building be not totally demolished but there stil remayn some few postes or studdes not yet puld down or some few stones of the foundation vndigged vp is it therfore truely an house and so to be called Lastly doth it follow that because Papists might be iudged true christians for the truthes they hold their corruptions being taken away they are therefore such with their corruptions so the vilest haeretique Idolater or other miscreant in the world take away his haeresy Idolatry and mischeif may be iudged a christian yea the Divil himself take but away his corruptions is a glorious Angel of light Having thus answered the reasons brought by Mr B. to prove Rome a true Church and the like I will in the next place lay down such arguments from the scriptures as manifest the contrary and those also taken out of his own writings for the further discovering of his vnsound and deceitful dealing with men in the Lords matters And first in his cathechism printed 1602. pag. 1â— he demaunds this question â—â— the Church of Rome a true Church of Christ whervnto he answereth No but of Antichrist the Pope the cheif teacher of the doctrine of Divils And in the same place to prove that religion a false religion he brings 7. general reasons very weighty all and every one of them as he that reads the place shal finde Secondly in his seperatists sâ—hism he makes as Iewes Turks and Pagans no matter so Papists false matter of the Church and contrary to true matter in that they ioyn with Christ their works in the cause of salvation pag. 111. 112. 113 116. Thirdly he affirms in his last book pag. 277. that the covenant betwixt God and the people is the form of the Church and proves that this covenanting mutually doth give a being vnto a people to be Gods people Deut. 29. 12. 13. To this let that be added which he wrytes pag. 281. of the same book namely that the Papists have not the same word and fundamental poynts of the covenant with them in England And in particular that they make a covenant with Angels and Saynts and so hold not the person in the covenant that they make another word even mens traditions the declaration of the covenant and so change the evidence that they make moe sâ—craments and so adde counterfeyt seals turning the Lords supper into a Popish sacrifice and so do tear off the Lords seal and make it nothing worth and these three namely the person the wryting and the seals he makes the foundamental poynâ—s of the covenant as wherein the foundation therof doth stand And who now seeth not how this man is first constrayned to plead for Rome as a true Church to defend the Church of England and afterwards being ashamed of that plea to condemn it as a false Church corrupt and counterfyet in the very foundation and form which gives the being as he himself speaks Fourthly he graunts in these his playn endeavours that Rome is Babylon and that the H. Ghost so calls it and applyes rightly the places literally spoken of the type the heatheâ—ish Babylon spiritually to the thing signifyed the Antichristian Babylon the Romish Synagogue And the same thing the wrytings of the godly learned both at home and abroad do confirm Noâ— what can be more playn Is it possible that Rome should be both Babylon Ierusalem both the Synagogue of Antichrist and the Church of Christ Can that Catholick