Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it 26. That hee might sanctifie it and cleanse it 27. That hee might make it vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blame Here be diuers reasons to proue that that Church which in the holy scriptures is said to be the body of Christ and whereof Christ is the head is the inuisible Church and not the visible as you do hold For first Christ is the Sauiour of that Church or company of men which is his body But hee is the Sauiour and giueth saluation onely to the Church inuisible Ergo c. Secondly Ps 55. 11.5 Christ loueth the Church which is his body But hee loueth onely the elect and church inuisible hating all others as workers of iniquitie Rom. 9.13 Ergo c. Thirdly Christ died or gaue himselfe to death for the church which is his body But hee died onely for the elect and church inuisible Ergo the inuisible church on ly is his body Fourthly that church which is the body of Christ Iesus by his spirit in this life sanctifieth and cleanseth in part and peâ—fectly in the life which is to come at which time it shall be without spot or wrinkle holy and without blame and so a glorious church indeede But this onely Christ doth to the inuisible church and all the members thereof and not to the vis church the greatest part whereof hâ—e leaueth to the vncleane spâ—rit who leadeth them into all manner of vncleanenesse and wickednesse Therefore the inuisible church onely and not the visible is the body of Christ The seuerall Propositions of these foure arguments are euident by this present Scripture The Assumptions of them all are so cleere that you neither will nor dare deny It resteth therefore that you imbrace the conclusion Ephes 2.22.23 4.12 15.16 Col. 1.18.24 And here we learne how to vnderstand those places of holy Scripture where Christ is said to be the head of the Churth and the Church is called his body Not of the vis church as you doe but of the inuisible church or that company of the elect vvhich is by faith vnited to Christ and by loue one to another that is of the faithfull These are they which are the mysticall body of Christ whereof he is the head Counterp 127. Apologie 44. A true Description of the vis church 2. pag. 1. 1. Cor. 12.27 1. Cor. 6.19 7.23 But you will say doth not the Apostle writing to the vis church at Corinth say Ye are the body of Christ and members for your part What proofe can be more plaine then this I answere doth not the same Apostle writing to the same church likewise say Ye are not your owne yee are bought with a price If this argument of yours were ought hence it vvould follow that Christ Iesus hath redeemed the vis church and so by consequent Reprobates When Peter teacheth that only the Elect or church inuisible are redeemed with the precious bloud of Christ 1. Pet. 1.2.18 Confession of faith 26. which you likewise acknowledge From hence also it will follow that all of the vis church are in Christ Iesus and that Christ is vnto them wisedome righteousnesse sanctâ—fication and redemption because Paul writting to the Corinthians saith yee are of him in Christ Iesus 1. Cor. 1.30 2. Thess 1.1 who of God is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption By this reason you may as well Prooue that all of the visible Church are the Sonnes of God and that therein is no childe of the diuell because Paul writing to the visible Churches of Galatia saith thus Yee are all the Sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus Gal. 3.26 And that all in the visible Church haue faith in Christ Iesus that is true and iustifying faith and an hundred more of most false positions will ensue of this kinde of reasoning as hath ben shewed before To make this argument good you must proue that all the speeches of Paul in his Epistles written to Church or churches were by him spoken meant to all the members of the visible Church and are true of them In the meane season for the better informing both of you and others we must vnderstand that where the Apostle writing to a Church or certaine Congregation saith that they are redeemed by Christ 1. Cor. 6.15.1 are in Christ Iesus that they beleeue in Christ that the Spirit of God dwelleth in them that their bodies are the members of Christ the Temple of the holy Ghost are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise the earnest of their inheritance Ephes 1.13 that they are all the Sonnes of God the body of Christ and euery one a member for his part and he their head Wee must I say knowe that these speeches with many more of this kinde are not spoken and meant simply of the visible Church and so of all the members thereof but of some certaine persons in the inuisible Church that is the elect These also are very probable the Apostle respected and meant onely in and by the title of Saints so often vsed in the beginning of his Epistles as Rom. 1.7 1. Cor. 1 2. Ephes 1.1 If by Saints we vnderstand Saints indeede that is such as whose hearts are purified by faith and sanctified or made holy by the Spirit of God which exposition these two last testimonies fauours much then this title he vsed onely in regard of the elect that were in the visible Churches whom solely or at least chiefly he respected in his saide Epistleâ— and for whose sake he did write them and not in respect of the visible Churches with all their members Which being so as it is very absurde to conclude from this title of Saints that none are in a true visible Church but Saints I meane Saints indeede so is it no lesse absurde to collect from this speech of Paul yee are the body of Christ and members for your part that the visible Church is the body of Christ and euery member thereof apart Yea this latter the two next verses going before these wordes yee are the body of Christ doe manifestly conuince for in them it is saide and implyed that as the members of a mans body haue care one for anoâ—her 1. Cor. 12.25.26 and such a fellow-feeling as if one member suffer all will suffer with it and if one member be had in honour all the members reioyce with it so is it with the members of the body of Christ But this care and fellow-feeling this mutiall sorrowe and reioycing is onely to be found in the faithfull and Saints indeede members of the inuisible Church they therefore are the body of Christ or at the most the visible Church is so called hauing relation to these These are they that weepe with them that weepe and reioyce with them that reioyce
in the prosperitie one of another These alone remember the affliction of Ioseph and them that are in bonds as if they were bound with them But with the visible Church it is cleane otherwise The visible Church we haue heard is a mixt company of good and bad Prou. 11.10 nay that in it there be men notoriously wicked Now when these perish saith Salomon there is ioy meaning amoÌ„g the godly And so on the other side when it goeth hardly with the godly as it doth alwayes more or lesse the wicked that bee in the Church they reioyce Of the members of this Church some forget and minde not the affliction of Ioseph others clap their hands for ioy Behold the care fellowfeeling the mutual sorrow reioycing that is between the meÌ„bers of the visi church Such it is as was betwixt Cain Habel of whom the one slew the other betweene Ismal and Izhak Esau and Iacob Saul and Dauid the Scribes and Pharisees and Christ himselfe with all that acknowledged and professed him whereof the one sort hated and abhorred the other as appeareth by the holy Scriptures Remember also what in holy writ is geneâ—ally saide that the righteous are an abhomination to the wicked Prou. 29.27 the wicked vnto the righteous This considered how can the visible Church bee the body of Christ and the particular persons of the visible Church members for their parts and this is yet further confirmed in the very same Chapter 1. Cor. 12.13 when Paul speaking of the body of Christ saith that by one spirit we are all baptized into one body and all the members of this body made to drinke into one spirit Whereby we learne that all the members of the body of Christ haue the spirit of Christ by which they are quickened and vnited to him the head But this spirit haue onely the membâ—rs of the inuisible Church who truely beleeue in Christ and by faith are ingrafted into him they therefore alone are the body of Christ The error of these men in this particular springeth from hence that those things which by the Apostle are spoken in a certaine respect and of a part of the visible Church they vnderstand simply and of the whole visible Church And that we may yet further and better see both your folly and sinne herein remember wee here First that the visible Church is a mixt company consisting of diuers sorts of people good and bad godly and wicked Saints indeede and sinners Secondly that from thence doe arise different kinde of speeches of and concerning the Church accordingly as God in his word directeth and intendeth his speech to the godly or wicked in the church When to the wicked God applyeth and bendeth his speech reproouing them or denouncing iudgement against them because of the multitude of such in the church he speaketh as if they were all wicked and no godly in it And this is frequent in the Scriptures The oxe knoweth his owner the asse his maisters scribbe but Israel hath not knowne my people hath not vnderstood 4. Ah sinfull nation a people laden with iniquitie c Isa 1.3 Heare O Princes of Sodom hearken O people of Gomorrah vers 10. Oh that I might leaue my people and goe from them for they bee all adulterers and an assembly of rebels Ier. 9.2 Trust you not in any brother for euery brother will vse deceite vers 4 5 6. The good man is perished out of the earth and there bee no righteous men they all lye in waite for blood euery man hunteth his brother with a net c. Micah 7.2 On the other side when in his holy writ God applieth and intendeth his speech to the Godly as either commaunding exhorting or comforting of them he speaketh as if all in the Church were such Of this kinde are these Yee are all the sonnes God by faith in Christ Iesus Gal. 3.26 Yee are sealed with the holy spirit of promise Ephes 1.13 1. Cor. 3.17 The Temple of God is holy which yee are knowe yee not that yee are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you You are the body of Christ and members for your part 1. Cor. 22.27 And where the Church is called Christs Spouse his Loue Salomons long Counterp 66. his Queene his Doue his Sster c. And let vs here remember a speech of M. Ainsworths and apply it to them You may saith hee much abuse any mans wordes if what hee speaketh respectiuely you will take and alleadge as spoken absolutely Thus deale you my brethren with the word of God Those things which in holy writ are spoken with respect and relation had to them of the inuisible Church you take as spoken absolutely of the visible Church Is this by your owne confession a great abuse and iniurie offered to mens writings and is it none torwe ye to deale in this manner with the holy Scriptures and writings of God In your Apologie you doe not onely tell vs that the visible Church is the body of Christ but who be the members of this body Not the Elect as one would haue thought but say you the Officers be members thereof Apologie 42. and 53. And some pages after The Church Officers are members of Christs glorious misticall body whereby Iudas comes to be a member of Christs misticall body for he was a Church officer If such be members of the misticall body of Christ then to be in Christ ingrafted into him euen a member of his body bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh is not a matter greatly to be reioyced in seeing it may fall into a reprobate which I hope you abhorre to say If you doe not speake it out Then also reprobates may be members of the misticall body of Christ For some Church Officers are reprobates and all Church Officers by your diuinitie are members of the misticall body of Christ But I will let these goe and vrge them no further If the visible Church be the body of Christ then say I againe all of the visible Church be members and not Church Officers alone And this you teach in vnderstanding 1. Cor. 11.27 Yee are the body of Christ and members for your part of the visible Church and M. Ainsworth in the 128 129. pages of the Counterpoyson In telling vs now that the Church Officers are members and therein appropriating the being of a member to an Officer and denying it to others and in another place and booke that all of the vis church are members of Christ his glorious body what doe you else but contradict your selues But to come nearer vnto you I confesse the visible Church is or may be compared to the body of man and the Officers of the Church to the members thereof thus or in this respect that as the body being one hath yet many members euery meÌ„ber his distinct office the tye to see the eare to heare the nose
head thereof for it is written Counterp 127. God hath appointed him ouer all things the head of the Church which is his body Ephes 1 22.2â— and againe to the Church of Corinth it is said Ye are the bodie of Christ 1. Cor. 12.27 But the Church of England is not the body of Christ neither hath him for the head thereof Therefore the Church of England is not a true Church This Argument M. Smith likewise vseth against our Churches and Particular Congregations Your Parish assemblies haue not Christ for their head Ergo they be false churches Paralleles 87. Ephe. 1.22.23 1. Cor. 12.27 Gal. 3.16 Ephes 5.23 Wee answere that these and all other places of holy writ wherein Christ is said to bee the head of the Church or the Church is said to be his body that by Church wee are to vnderstand that societiee we call the inuisible Church or company of beleeuers which be a part therof or if in any of them we may vnderstand the vis Church it must needs be spoken in respect of them therein that are of the inuisible Church which commeth all to one And thus Christ Iesus is the head of the church of England and it is his body and so your Assumption is false Surely it is admirable that all of you are so farre blinded as to teach that a Confession of faith 10. 52. 58. 68. Apologie 44. Communion of Saints 6. 455. 475. Description of the vis church pag. 1. The visible Church is the body of Christ and that without any limitation exception respâ—ct or restraine For shew mee one line in all your bookes tending this way And heere behold the absurditie of your Proposition Euery true Church is the body of Christ meaning euery true particular visible Church or congregation wherevpon followeth that how many particular Churches there be so many bodies of Christ and so you make a monster of Christ But how monstrous soeuer this is you wil proue it and that by Scripture For it is written say you God hath appointed Christ ouer all things the head of the Church which is his body Ephes 1.22.23 I answere You speake of euery particular visible Church and the Apostle here of the inuisible Church which is Catholicke or vniuersall part whereof is now in heauen and part on earth as verse 10. For confirmation whereof also serue these words verse 22. God hath appointed him ouer all things How maketh this Scripture then any thing for you The inuisible Church and company of the Elect is the body of Christ Your proposition is Euery true particular visible Church is the body of Christ These are different propositions and euery babe may see the former of these is no proofe of the latter and that the former being true this latter may notwithstanding be false That this Scripture is to bee vnderstood of the inuisible Church it is manifest by that hath been said Also by the words next following in verse 23. which is his body euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all things Whereby we learne that without the Church here spoken of Christ Iesus doth not account himselfe full perfect and entire but as it were maimed euen as a head without a body Such is his loue to this church and high account of it But this fulnesse to Christ doth the inuisible Church bring Of the inuisible church therefore doth the Apostle here speake And marke how neither of the first words of your Proposition are vsed here by Paul He saith not euery Church as you doe which might seeme to haue implyed that he had spoken of the vis Church or Churches nor true Church which had made it cleare on your side For true cannot fitly be said of the inuisible Church forasmuch as there is no false inuisible Church Onely the word Church he vseth without any such addition which word in holy writ is indifferently vsed for the inuisible and visible Church as before I haue shewed and here for the inuisible as the reasons aforesaide doe manifest This Scripture therefore is preuerted by you and maketh nothing for you But bee it graunted that Paul speakes here of the visible Church and that there is no abuse of Scripture at least that if not here yet 1. Cor. 12.27 he speaketh of the Church visible yet neither will that helpe you seeing the visible Church cannot bee saide to bee the Body of Christ but in respect of the Elect that are in the visible church now this will not profit you at all for to vnderstand these Scriptures of the visible Church as you will haue it marke how your argument must be framed Euery true visible Church is the body of Christ and hath him for the head thereof in respect of the Elect therein The Church of England is not the Body of Christ neither hath him for the head thereof in respect of the Elect therein Therefore the Church of England is not a true visible Church Thus your argument should haue beene composed and what is wanting is to bee vndeâ—stood and then wee answere you by denying your assumption and doe affirme that the Church of England is the body of Christ and hath him for the head thereof in respect of Gods elect that be in it And in this sence also as well as in the former the same may be said of vs that Paule saide of the Corinthians Yee are the body of Christ and members for your part And here I cannot chuse but wonder at the extreâ—me folly of this maâ— Who prouing that the Church of England is not the body of Christ neither hath him for the head thereof whereas he should direct his speech against the goâ—ly among vs and prooue thaâ— they are not the Body of Christ nor haue him for their head in steaâ— thereof he doth direct it to vse his owne words to our prophane people Counterp 128 mockers and contemners of Religion that blaspheame God and his holy name euen in the stretes as they walke such as call themselues the damned crewe Familists Atheists and all other sorts of miscreants and wicked liuers These children of wrath saith he this sinfull generation cannot possibly be members of the Body of Christ nor haue him for their head seeing they are not partakers of his life and spirit nor called to his faith neither admitteth he any such vnto him vntill they repent he hath no concord with Belial therefore not with the children of Belial the members of his glorious body must not be the dead stinking and abhominable members of Sathan Light and darkenesse heauen and hell will as soone bee vnited together And in this path doe tâ—ey all tread Thus can I prooue that the church of the Iewes as in other ages so namely in Dauids time and in Isaiah his time was a false Church for as much as the Iewes then were a prophane people Isa 2 3â— mockers and contemners of Religion c. Of the
Church in the one of these times this complaint was taken vp Ah sinfull nation a people ladâ—n with iniquitie c. And of the other this Helpe Lord for there is not a godly man left c. These children of wrath might I now argue with you this sinfull generation could not possibly bâ—e members of the body of Christ nor haue him for their head and therefore was not a true but a false Church And marke heere gentle Reader I pray thee how this man affirmeâ—h first That all of the visible Church are members of the Body of Christ Secondly but more truely that all the members of the body of Christ are partakers of his life and spirit so as whosoeuer doeth not participate with this life and spirit is no member But with this lâ—fe and spirit the inuisible Church onely and company of the Elect I meane so many of them as are effectually called doe partake as before I haue prooued Therefore not the visible but the called of the inuisibâ—e Church are members of the body of Christ and make that body whereof Iesus is the hâ—ad And hereby he excludeth and shutteth out of the visible Church all reprobates all hypocrites and wicked men as well secret as open wicked and maketh it to consist onely of godly or righteous men indeede or if you will of the Elâ—ct alone For saith he all the members of the true visible Church are members of the Body of Christ not dead but liuing members partaking with the spirit and life of Christ But no râ—probate hypocrite or wicked man is a liuing member of the Body of Christ partaking with the spirit and life of Christ Therâ—fore none such are of the true visible Church Againe onely the Elect and sincere or truely godly are such liuing members Therfore onely such by your wise doctrine are of the true visible Church Moreouer obserue heere that by this mans doctrine in the true visible Church there are no children of the diuell For saith he Christ hath no concord with Belial therefore not with his children Againe All the members of the true visible Church are members of Christ his glorious Body But the dead stinking and abhominable members of Sathan are not members of Christs glorious Body therefore not of the true visible church Wherevpon foâ—loweth that all of the true visible Church are the children of God and so heires of saluation for if children heires And particularly that Cain Ismael Esau Saul Absalom Iudas and the Scribes and Pharisees were the children of God and are sauâ—d for all these were members of the true visible Church And tell me M. Ainsworth yâ—u that will haue no children of Beliall no dead stinking and abhominable members of Sathan members of the true visible Church but require that all the members of the visible Church bee members of the glorious Body of Christ hauing him for thâ—ir head fâ—r which cause you condemne the Church of England for a false Churâ—h because in it there be many dead and rotten members tell me I say in your next Treatise first whether this reason of yours proues not as is in part aforesaide as well the Church of the Iewes in Christs time as also before and after in the dâ—yes of his Apostles to be a false Church as weâ—l as ours Secondly whether Cain Esau Iudas and the rest aboue named were liuing members partâ—king of Christ his life and Spiâ—it or dead stinking and the abhominable members of Sathan And this latter being true which you cannot deny whether dead stinking and abhominable members of Sathan haue not beene members of the true visible Church seeing these were no better members and yet were all of the vis church Marke also how in the former words hee requireth faith and repentance in euery member of the visible Church And so he doeth a little before The people of EnglaÌ„d in the beginning of Q. Elizabeths raigne Counterp 127. did not enter into the church by repentance faith in Christ but by the commandement of the Magistrate were compelled vnto the Church Sacraments and ministery Now the Magistrates lawe cannot worke faith in any Ephes 2.8 Rom. 10.17 seeing faith is the gift of God and by his word onely is wrought in mans heart I haue told you before and now tell you againe that not faith and repentance but the profâ—ssion of these is necessary to the making of a membâ—r of the visible church and that thereunto the Magistrates law and authoritie will drawe and perswade men Had you and the rest of your societie learned this you would neuer then haue required these graces nor such holinesse at least externall in all the members of the visible church as you doe But it is no maruell though you requâ—re faith and repentance not in the iudgement of charitie but in deede and veritie in euery member of the visible Church Communion of Saints 321. and tell vs else where that this is the doore whereby a man must enter into the Church considering you teach that the visible Church is the Body of Christ and that all the members of the visible Church are members of his misticall body and partakers of his spirit and life For no vnbeleeuer and impenâ—tent person is member of the misticall bodie of Christ You now that require true faith and repentance in euery member of the visible Church say whether any of the visible Church can be damned For the Scripture saith He that beleeueth is saued alreadie hath passed from death to life And that If the wicked returne from all his sinnes which he hath committed and keepe all Gods statutes Ezech. 18.21 that is If he repent he shall surely liue and shall not die After many friuelous lines tending hereunto that there is peace and agreement betweene Christ and all of the visible Church That in the Church among the members thereof there is no hatred or enmitie both which are palpably false you drawing to an end of the proofe of your Assumption vse these words following By this it may appeare that Christ is no head of such Antichristians Pag. 130. nor of any other prophane wicked worldlings seeing his spirit giues them not life and motion but they are carried by the spirit of Satan that possessed them neither can they bee knit vnto him by ioynts or bands as all his body and members thereof are Therefore saith hee the Church of England is not the true Church of God Thus the second time you tell vs and truely That Christ his body and all the members thereof haue his spirit giuing them life and motion wherby as by ioynts or bands they are knit vnto him the head But againe say I the called of the inuisible Church only haue this spirit by this spirit are knit vnto the head Christ They therefore onely are the body of Christ and to him vnited as the head Againe many of the true visible Church that I say not the greatest part therof haue
runne away Least otherwise you one day stand among the Goates and haue that fearefull sentence pronounced of you Depart from me ye cursed I know saith Iesus the blasphemie of them which say they are Iewes and are not Mat. 25.41 Reue. 2.5 but are the Synagogue of Satan As this is blaspemie so assuredly to account them Antichrists Samaritans Edomites Moabites Parall 6.26 Ammonites and Ishmailites who are Iewes and those Babilon Egypt Sodome false Churches Antichristian Churches the Synagogues of of Satan the holds of all foule spirits Defence of the Churches and Ministers of England 6. and cages of euery vncleane and hurtfull bird which are the congregations of Saints and Churches of God is likewise blasphemie Thus haue I answered all that M. Robinson obiecteth in a little Pamphelet of his intituled An answere to a Censorious Epistle Let vs heare now what he saith concerning the same point in a more large volume lately published called a Iustification of Seperation from the Church of England And though you M. Bernard say it neuer so oft and all the Diuines in the world with you that the visible Church is a mixt company yet doe the diuine Scriptures speake otherwise And with the Scriptures I doe affirme against you that the Church of Christ is no such mingled mâ—slnie Pag. 112. or monstrous compound but a body simple vniforme and one proportionable in euery member vnto the head informed by one spirit and called in one hope And twelue lines after Wee doubt not but the purest Church vpon earth may consist of good and bad in Gods eye of such as are truely faithfull and sanctified and of such as haue onely for a time put on the outside and vizard of sanctitie And againe after that hee hath produced and peruerted many testimonies of holy Scripture to proue that all in the visible Church are holy and good and none other therein he addeth these words Iustif 115. Here is no such mingle mangle as M. Bernard would make of good and bad but all good and so auowed by the holy Ghost though without doubt many of these were masked and hallow hearted hypocrites I will onely fight against you here with your owne weapons for I neede to vse none other The purest Churches say you may consist of good and bad faithfull and vnfaithfull of holy and prophane for are not they prophane who haue onely the outside of holinesse being within full of all filthinesse Also that in the same there haue been many wicked and hollow hearted hypocrites all which were wicked But a company consisting of such as all these is a mixt company and a monstrous or miserable compound being compounded of two sorts of men who bee as contrarie one to another as light to darknes Christ and Belial of Gods children and the Diuels children of the children of light and the children of darknesse Therefore the purest Churches consist of a mixt company and consequently is not simple vniforme c. as you teach If the purest Church that is be a mixt company much more they that be lesse pure And who in their wits but would affirme that such a body politick were vnmixt simple and one specially that it were proportionable in euery member vnto the head and informed by one spirit What euery member M. Robinson What proportion and likenesse is there betweene Christ and Hypocrites many of which in the generall you acknowledge to be in the Church Betwixt the sonnes of God and the children of the Diuell some of which we must needs confesse to be in the Church else all in the visible Church are indeed the children of God then which nothing is more false If euery member be informed by the spirit of God then euery one in the visible Church hath the spirit animating him Indeede this M. Smith teacheth expressely and all of you implicitely But how truely I haue shewed in the next Chapter If euery one in this visible Church be informed by one and the same spirit then if any in the visible Church haue the Spirit of God all haue And contrariwise If any in the visib Church be informed by the vncleane spirit all are Moreouer if euery member of the visible Church bee called in one hope then if any one in that visible Church haue that hope Rom. 8.24 the end whereof is the saluation of mans soule all haue it and so on the contrarie as before Behold what conclusions doe follow from your premises whereby wee may know how orthodoxall they be God forbid that all the Diuines in the world should teach such positions as these Hee hath itching cares vvho vvill rather giue care to you and two or three such more as your selfe then all the Diuines in the world Speake no more thus presumptuously You may remember vvhat sometimes I said vnto you mouth to mouth The spirit of the Prophets is subiect to the Prophets that is the doctrine which all men conceit is from the spirit of the prophets is subiect to the iudgement of the Prophets The ground of this your erring is not that you thinke that there are no wicked in the visible Church for you confesse that there are wicked in the visible Church yea men desperately wicked but because in your conceit the wicked that be in the visible Church are not true members of the visible Church That this is so it appeareth by your words next following the former And for wicked and vngodly persons so far are they from being the true naturall members whereof the body consisteth as the whole of the parts Instif 112. 110. as they serue indeede for no other purpose then to infect and corrupt the rest and if redresse bee not had in time to eate out the very heart of the whole Againe And for the church of the Iewes and of Corinth in which you instance as they were holy so they were desperately wicked amongst them no true members of the body but as putrified and rotten parts to be cut off and cast out from the rest I answere as putrified and rotten parts of the body are members of the body vntill they be cut of so wicked men putrifying and stinking with spirituall vncleanenesse their sinâ—es rotten and vnsound at the heart are members of the visible Church and that body politicke vntill by excommunication they be cut of And as a rotten tooth that is no way profitable but hurtfull seruing onely to infect and corrupt the rest is notwithstanding a part or member of the body vntill it be plucked out so the vvicked and vngodly that be in the visible Church that serue indeede for no other purpose then to vexe infect and corrupt the rest are neuerthelesse members of the visible Church vntill by excommunication they be cut of The falsitie of this your conceit I haue further discouered in the Chapter following vvhereto I referre the Reader onely in the meane season remember this and forget it not That all vvhich bee
the Epistles of Paul Peter and Iames there is nothing meant of the inuisible Church Because the saide Epistles were written as you say to the visible Church Also that nothing in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus are spoken either of the inuisible or visible church But of Ministers The foundation whereof is that to whomsoeuer an Apostle writ an Epistle of them all in that Epistle is spoken and to be vnderstood Secondly I deny your assumption and affirme that Peter writ to the Church whereby I meane the same which we call the inuisible Church and euen so did the rest of the Apostles those Epistles excepted which were written to some speciall person For the ministery is giuen to the Church or Saints and Body of Christ Ephes 4.11.12 Which Body the inuisible Church is and not the visible And heere I reason thus as I haue once before To what Church or societie the ministery and Ministers were giuen of Christ to the same the Canonicall Epistles were written But to the Church militant the ministery and Ministers were giuen therfore to it the Epistles were written The proposition is manifest the assumption Ephes 4.11.12 doeth clearely prooue We may remember also heere how Peter in his first Epistle writeth expressely and by name to the Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father vnto sanctification of the Spirit and in the second thus Peter to you which haue obtained like precious Faith with vs which Faith onely the elect haue and therfore is the same in effect with the former Peter to the Elect c. In answering our aforesaide and last obiection Iustif 107. M. Robinson addeth this If you would graunt that onely they are true members of the Church which by the word of God which must be the rule of our iudgement may be iudged Saints it would end this controuersie But all that professe Religion may by the word of God bee iudged Saints as before I haue shewed Otherwise Saul Doeg Ioab Absalom the Scribes and Pharisees Iudas Demas with infinite such were not true members of the visible Church which with any truth you cannot affirme See that you be now M. Robinson as good as your word let this controuersie concerning the matter of the visible church bee ended And thus much concerning the matter of the vis Church Let vs now heare what is the forme thereof The forme say we is the profession of true religion The Separists teach otherwise some that this is the forme some that M. Ainsworth writeth thus Counterp 107. Ibid. 174. To the constitution of a Church there belongs first a people as the matter whereof and 2. a calling gathering and vniting together as the forme whereof the Church consisteth We must remember here that a little after these words he teacheth that Saints by calling are the matter of the visible Church If this be true then calling is comprised vnder the matter and therefore not vnder the forme so that gathering and vniting together must make the forme or else we haue here none That gathering now and vniting together are not the forme I doe thus prooue If a people be the matter and gathering and vniting together the forme of the true visible Church then euery people gathered and vnited together is a true visible Church But the latter is false Therefore the first The proposition is grounded vpon this certaine and vndoubted trueth that where matter forme of a true vis church is there is a true church The assumption to wit that euery people gathered and vnited together is not a true vis Church is likewise true otherwise the congregations of Papists Anabaptists c. bee true Churches for they consist of people gathered and vnited together But leauing this man let vs heare what M. Smith sayeth Principles and Inferences 11. The true forme saith he of a true visible Church is partly inward partly outward The inward part of the forme consisteth in three things 1. the Spirit 2. Faith 3. Loue. The Spirit is the soule animating the whole body Faith vniteth the members of the body to the head Christ Iesus Loue vniteth the members of the body each to other The outward part thereof is a vowe promise oath or couenant betwixt God and the Saints Euery peece and parcell hereof he seemeth to himselfe and to his Disciples to proue substantially he alleadgeth no lesse then twelue testimonies of Scripture for the proofe of one point Reply The forme saith he is partly inward and partly outward Then the matter of the visible Church must bee so too except he will haue a forme without matter which I know you will not say Tell vs therefore what is the inward matter of the visible Church and what is the outward for assuredly wee know not But let this goe The inward forme is the Spirit Faith Loue. One would thinke that this was rather the forme of the Church militant considering these three Spirit Faith Loue are onely to be found in the elect and cannot fall into any reprobate whereof the visible Church consisteth for a great part And first as touching the Spirit it is proper to the chosen as is manifest by Romans 8.14.17 Gal. 4.6 Tit. 1.1 And for this cause Faith is called the Faith of Gods elect because I say it is proper to the elect of God which is further confirmed by that in the Acts Acts 13.48 1. Ioh. 3.14 as many as was ordained to eternall life beleeued And concerning Loue Iohn telleth vs that thereby wee may know and bee assured that wee are translated from death to life The spirit saith hee is the soule animating the whole body By whole body he vnderstands the whole visible Church and his meaning is that as the body of man and all the members and parts thereof are animated that is are quickened and receiue naturall or corporall life from the soule so the whole visible Church and all the members thereof haue spirituall life from the Spirit of God From whence this necessarily followeth that euery one of the visible Church hath the Spirit of God Rom. 8.10.11 quickening him to righteousnesse and holinesse of life here and to immortalitie and eternall life in the world to come For both these effects the spirit worketh in whomsoeuer it is and is there fore-called the spirit of life The which if it bee true Rom. 8.2 I meane that euery member of the visible Church hath the Spirit of God as all of you doe in effect teach and namely as oft as you doe tell vs that a true visible Church is the bodie of Christ then in the visible Church there are none dead in trespasses and sinnes no dead but all liuing stones forasmuch as the whole body and consequently euery member thereof is animated and quickned by the Spirit from whence floweth spirituall life and motion Then in the visible church there be no hypocrites nor carnall or naturall men no wicked person neither openly
nor secretly wicked for as much as euery member of the visible church hath the spirit Apology 44. Counterp 127. euen the spirit of life or quickening spirit vvhich in whomsoeuer it is mortifyeth sinne in them crucifieth their flesh and naturall corruption freeing them from the power and dominion thereof and quickneth or inableth them to leade an holy and spirituall life Lastly then in the vis church there bee no Reprobates none that shall bee damned for as much as euery one in the visible church hath the Spirit of God and so the spirit of life wherewith whosoeuer is indued hath not onely spirituall but eternall life begun in him and therefore shall neuer die And here we may remember that the spirit of God is bestowed onely vpon Gods children Rom. 8.14.17 all which be heares of saluation Also that the Spirit is called the seale and earnest of our inheritance Gal. 4.6 vvhereby wee learne That whosoeuer hath the spirit he hath the earnest and seale of God of his heauenly inheritance and so is sure to be saued But the vvhole body of the vis Church say you hath this spirit animating it Therefore conclude I all and euery one of the vis Church are sure to be saued and so there be in it no Reprobates nor such as shall be damned This conclusion followeth also necessarily from that you doe adde Faith vniteth the members of the body to the head Christ By body here you meane the whole visible Church and so teach first that all the members of the vis Church bee vnited to Christ as to their head Secondly that euery one of the vis Church hath that faith which maketh this vnion or vniteth him to Christ his head Doth it not now from hence follow that all of the vis Church be heyres of saluation and that none of them shall passe into condemnation Joh. 10.26 27. For who can plucke from Christ that is vnited vnto him and is as it vvere part of him Or can any member of his die seeing to euery one of them hee communicateth life both spirituall and eternall Can any also indued with this effectuall faith be condemned Hee that beleeueth hath euerlasting life Ioh. 3.16.17.36 5 24. Rom. 8.1 is saued already and hath passed from death to life to him there is no condemnation That vvhich hee saith here of the spirit animating the whole body euen as the soule doth the whole body of man if he had spoken meant it of the Church without adding or vnderstanding visible the one of the which you alwaies doe and by body vnderstood the misticall body of Christ and by a member an elect vessell conuerted and brought to the faith then had hee spoken truely but vnderstanding by body the visible Church and by a member one particular person of that societie hee teacheth that which is very false There shift and euasion I know will be this that they do not meane that all the vis Church haue indeede the Spirit Faith and Loue but only externally so far as men can iudge This is absurd For in this they secretly imply that there are some in the vis Church which haue not the spirit nor faith nor loue and in this positiue Diuinitie of yours directly teach the contrarie For the spirit say you animateth the whole body If the whole body then all the members thereof and consequently there is no member that is destitute of the spirit This therefore you may not alleadge for your selfe except you vvill contradict your selfe After these men comes M. Robinson and hee fully agreeing with M. Smith concerning the matter of the vis Church doth yet differ from them both about the forme and tels vs that the couenant is the forme Saints saith hee is the matter Iustiff 88. 82. and the Couenant the forme from which two concurring the Church ariseth Hereby he and M. Smith who makes it the outward part of the forme meane a solemne vow oath promise or Couenant made to God of those that be of yeeres of discretion to renounce Idolatry and to cleaue to God and to euery part of his truth For the discouerie and conuincing of this your errour wee must remember that the oath and couenant which King Asa and his subiects made to seeke the Lord God of their Fathers from whence these men fetch this doctrine was in the 15. yeere of Asa as is said 2. Chron 15.10 and that he reformed the Church and restored the true Religion and worship of God in the beginning and entrance into his kingdome as appeareth by 2. Chro. 14. and 1. Kings 15.14 This couenant therefore cannot possibly be the forme of the Church seeing Iudah was a true church in Asia his dayes before they made this couenant and a thing can not bee or haue existance without the forme And here we may remember that this vow and promise in effect we make and passe into this couenant in baptisme when and whereby we are recciued and incorporated into the church Goe not therefore about to deceiue men in peâ—swading them that we haue entred into no couenant with God to be his people and to obey his commandements And are therefore false churches And here not vnfitly might I produce foure arguments of Iustif 3.27 M. Robinsons taken from the in-being of the vvâ—cked in our Church vvhereby he vvill proue our congregatioâ—s to be and reâ—aine vnformed and consequent y to be no true Churches First saith he because godly and wicked men are contrariâ—s as being guiâ—â—â— and led by contrarie causes the one sort by the spirit and the other by the flesh which are contrarie one vnto other Now two contraries are not capable of one and the same forme By this reason of yours if it were ought there is no vis Church formed and consequently none at all for you will not dâ—ny that in the vis Church there be godly and by your owne confession Pag. 106. there be hypocrites all which are wicked now these be contraries as being guided and led by contrary causes the one sort by the spirit and the other by the flesh which are contrarie one vnto another and two contraries are not capable of one and the same forme The rest of your arguments being no lesse friuolous then this I for breuitie omit And let this suffice concerning the matter and forme of the visible Church CHAP. IIII. Whether the couenant of life and saluation which God made with Abraham and his seede were made with the visible or inuisible Church TO this Societie meaning the vis Church say you A true description of the vis Church 11. is the couenant and all the promises of peace of loue and of saluation of the presence of God of his power of his graces and of his protection And in your Apologie you haue these words How else should a true visible Church haue assurance of the promises and scales of Gods Couenant presence and
and are true onely of Gods elect vvho are the inuis Church And notwithstanding to tell vs That places setting forth the inuisible Church are not by you applyed to the vis Church And vvhere you say that the vis Church is Christs sister his loue and his spouse how can this possibly bee true seeing the greatest part of the vis Church and sometimes almost the whole vis Church is hatefull to God abhorred of him as before hath been made manifest And by what titles I pray you doth Iesus declare his loue to the inuisible Church if these be the titles of the visible Christ Iesus himselfe telleth vs that whosoeuer doth his fathers will which is in heauen the same is his sister But this doe onely they who are of the inuisible church They therefore onely are Christ his sister If the vis church and members thereof bee Christ his loue then none of them shall bee damned For it cannot bee that Iesus will condemne them whom he loueth It is the elect likewise and inuis church which being contracted here to Christ shall bee married to him the Kings sonne in the vvorld to come when they shall partake vvith him in glory And not the vis church whereof the greatest part shall be damned and but a few therof saued Lastly say you the vis Church is the body of Christ Wherevpon all those places in Pauls Epistles where mention is made of Christs body you expound of the visible when they are to be vnderstood of the inuisible church or the vvhole company of the faithfull which is a part thereof If the vis church be the body of Christ as you tell vs then euery one of the vis church is a member of Christ his body and hath therefore the same spirit abiding in him that is in Christ Iesus For the very same spirit that dwelleth in Christ the head is from thence deriued to his body and all the members thereof If any man haue not the spirit of Christ the same is not his But if the spirit of him that raised vp Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you Rom. 8.9.11 Hereby wee know saith Iohn that we dwell in him and he in vs 1. Ioh. 4.13 because hee hath giuen vs of his spirit From hence wee learne that Iesus doth communicate his spirit to all his members so as whosoeuer hath not this spirit bringing forth the like or the same effects in him that it did in Christ the same is no member of Christ nor part of his body Christ dwelleth not in him nor hee in Christ As by loue all the members of this body are vnited together so by the spirit of God this body with all the members thereof are coupled and knit together to the head Christ whereby it receiueth grace and increase of grace growing vp into Christ Iohn 1.16 Ephes 4.15.16 for the furniture thereof according to the effectuall power of this spirit which is in the measure of euery part Ioh. 15.1 This spirit is as the iuice that from Christ the vine is conueyed into euery branch And it is as the soule of this body giuing spirituall life to all the members thereof euen as the soule of man doth animate the body with all the part or members thereof But euery one of the vis Church is not a member of Christ his body forasmuch as the spirit of Chr st dwelleth not in euery one of the vis church and therefore the vis church is not the body of Christ but some other company of men there is which make that body vvhereof Christ is the head and euery particular man of that societie a member thereof Neither can you deny that which I doe inferre herevpon and necessarily followeth vpon the former Namely if euery one of the vis church be a member of the body of Christ then euery one of the vis church hath the Spirit of Christ dwelling in him Counterp 128. Nay your selfe M. Ainsworth confesse and vrge this against vs saying That we cannot possibly be members of the body of Christ nor haue him for our head Being we are not partakers of his life and spirit It resteth therefore that either you yeeld to the conclusion That the vis church is not the body of Christ or else affirme That euery member of the visible church hath the Spirit of Christ dwelling in him Apology 44. That euery one of the vis church is not a member of Christs body hath already been sufficiently proued and is hereby likewise euident because then none of the vis Church could be damned For tell me I pray you can a member of Christ possibly bee condemned Euery member of Christ is as it were flâ—sh of his flesh and a bone of his bones We are members of his body Ephes 5.30 of his f esh and of his bones Doth Christ hate his owne flesh or rather nourish and cherish it Will or can Christ the iudge condemne any who is thus neare and deare vnto him It is not possible Againe Christ is life it selfe I am that way Ioh. 14.6 that truth and that life saith he Whereby we learne that as without Christ no man can haue spirituall and eternall life so whosoeuer hath Christ and is a member of Christ the same hath this life deriued vnto him a member from Christ the head How then can such a one die seeing he hath already life it selfe and that life begun in him which is eternall and whereof their is no end Herevpon the Scripture saith Rom. 8.1 That to them which are in Christ Iesus members of his body there is no condemnation And that to such Christ is made wisedome righteousnesse 1. Cor. 1.30 sanctification and redemption Besides what creature is able to pluck away a member from this body and to break that bond whereby one of these members is tyed to the head Christ Iesus Who can s perate betweene Christ and his members Surely not principalities nor powers much lesse flesh and bloud None shall plucke these out of my hand saith Iesus Rom. 8.35 Ioh. 20.28 Verse 23. I doe not deny but that as the vis Church in a certaine respect may be called the body of Christ so Christ Iâ—sus not in one but in diuers respects may fitly be called the head of the vis Church This lets not but thâ—t which I here affirme is true And hereof he rendreth a reason My Father which gaue them mee is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my fathers hand I and my Father are one But leauing this argument we will proceed to some others In the 5. to the Ephes Thus we reade The husband is the wiues head euen as Christ is the head of the Church and the same is the Sauiour of his body 25. Husbands loue your wiues euen as
communion vvith all the members of the Church vvhereof some euer vvere open vvicked Why then may not the godly at this day haue communion in diuine vvorship vvith the open vngodly in saying that the godly and the holy things of God are defiled by communicating vvith open vvicked doe you not thereby condemne all the assemblies of the Saints in all ages and bring pollution vpon them and the vvorship they offered to God seeing in the saide assembles they did communicate with open vvicked Prou. 17.15 If to condemne one man for doing that vvhich is lawfull holy or iust though ignorantly is abhominatin before the Lord much more is it an abhomination before God to condemne the generation of the iust for doing that vvhich is lawfull holy and good though it be done ignorantly Thus vve see that these are two palpable errors 1. That the faithfull may not ioyne with the open wicked in the worship of God or haue any holy communion with them 2. That the faithfull communicating with such both they and the holy things of God are thereby polluted But answere me Are none such as these no knowen or open sinner to bee found in other reformed Churches you will not say it if you doe you speake that vvhich is notoriously false Doe the open vvicked leauen and sower the Churches in England as a litle leauen doeth the whole lumpe of dough and at length because they are not cast out nullifie the same and haue not their presence and in being in the Church of Scotland France and the Low-countries the like effect yes verily So that then all the râ—formed Churches are false Churches as wel as ours And concerning this I challenge you all if you gainesay it I will prooue it to your reproach Thus you condemne the liuing and the dead and all men beside your selues Your Church and Church assemblies are holy pure and vndefiled so in them there is not a knowne wicked man But al other for as much as in them there are some knowne wicked they are polluted vnholy and prophane and all religious exercises performed in and by them CHAP. VIII The arguments of the Brownists whereby they would proue our Church to bee a false Church and the answere vnto them WE haue heard of sundry false doctrines and errors concerning the visible Church that they whom we call Brownists doe hold and the confutation of them And therein we haue heard of two of their principall reasons which they vse against our Church to prooue that it is a false Church and therfore not be communicated vvith Both the saide arguments are contained in and grounded vpon their description of a visible Church which foundation of theirs being already ouerthrowne I meane the falsehood of their said description being made manifest their arguments as the building erected thereupon must needes fall to the ground Your first reason concerneth the gathering of our Churches which say you for Argument 1 as much as they were not rightly gathered to wit by the preaching of the word therefore they are false Churches For the further enlargement of this argument on your part and our answere thereunto I refer the reader to that which is saide before in the beginning of the 9. Chapter The second reason is this Argument 2 Euery true vis Church is a seperated coÌ„pany of righteous men and not a confused and mixt company of people consisting of good and bad The parish assemblies in England are not separated but confused mixt companies consisting of men good and bad Therefore the parish assemblies in England are not true vis Churches Againe thus you reason Whatsoeuer assemblies haue in them as members thereof many open and knowne wicked the same are false visible Churches The parish assemblies in England haue in them as members many open wicked Therefore the Parish assemblies in England are false visible Churches That these are your very arguments it is manifest by that I haue formerly aledged produced out of your owne books To each of which and the seuerall parts of them I haue alreadie returned answere at large the summe whereof here followeth Answere The Proposition or first part of these two Arguments being the same in effect vve deny and affirme that they are palpably false so as he vvho is blinde may grope and feele it if he vvill but reach out his hand And I cannot but admire that any of vnderstanding should once doubt thereof considering they be so manifestly repugnant to the holy Scriptures and so easie to be conuinced by the estate of the Church in all ages And this I haue made manifest before wherevnto I refer the Reader for his full satisfaction therein What your confirmations be of these Propositions we haue likewise heard and an idle Tautalogie it were to repeat the same in whole or in part As for the Assumption of them both being likewise in effect the same vvherevpon you so much insist you had done vvell to haue saued your vvhole labour and neuer haue troubled the world vvith so many idle lines seruing to no purpose Who euer denied either of your Assumptions Why then doe you proue and at large that which we deny not If these arguments of yours be ought then are all the reformed Churches false Churches For they are not separated companies of righteous or godly men vvherein are not open vvicked but haue in their Churches many knowne vngodly and this they themselues do and will freely acknowledge and confesse Nay hereby you condemne all the Churches that euer vvere in the vvorld For there vvas neuer vis Church vvherein all the members thereof vvere so qualified as you require and no open vvicked to be found in it Your third reason followeth Argument 3 Whatsoeuer Church hath not a right constitution the same is a false Church The Church of England hath not a right Constitution Therefore the Church of England is a false Church Proue this your Proposition and wee vvill grant you the conclusion And that therein you may not erre nor vvander out of the vvay you must first know that that is a right Constitution vvhich in al things agreeth vvith the word And that a Church rightly constituted which is framed and ordered in all things to that streight rule Nothing concerning the Constitution must be wanting which God in his word requires nothing superfluous or redundant but in euery thing according to the patterne When ye haue performed this then I wil proue that the Church of the Iewes in the dayes of Christ and his Apostles vvas a false Church and so by consequent Christ Iesus himselfe and his Apostles did communicate with a false Church and in a false worship Beware therefore I aduise you before-hand what you doe To the aforesaid arguments M. Ainsworth hath added diuers in his Counterpoison which here I will set downe and returne answere vnto them The first is this Argument 4 Euery true Church is the bodie of Christ and hath him for the
not this spirit causing in them this life and motion thereby also as by ioynts or bands knitting them vnto Christ the head but in stead thereof are carried by the spirit of Satan that possesseth them as hath often been shewed Many therefore of the true visible church are not members of Christs body And therefore also the church of England may bee a true church notwithstanding there be many in and of it who be not the members of Christs body led by his spirit but prophane wicked worldlings carried by the spirit of Satan that possâ—sseth them You who teach that in the true visible Church there be no prophane wicked worldlings none that are carried by the spirit of Satan possessing them and for this cause will haue it to be a false church answere me I pray you First whether the Scribes and Pharises were pro phane wicked and worldlings Ioh. 6.70 and 13.25 and whether they were carried by the spirit of Satan yea or no and namely Iudas whom Iesus calleth a Diuell and of whom it is said that Satan entred into him Secondly whether all the Diuels children bee not carried by his spirit And let this suffice for answere to your first argument The second followeth Argument 5 Euery true Church of God hath Christ for the Mediator and Aduocate of the same For it is written There is one God Counterp 132. and one Mediator betweene God and Man which is the man Christ Iesus 1. Tim. 2.5 1. Ioh. 2.1 And if any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the iust Neither is there saluation in any other for among men there is giuen no other name vnder heauen wherby we must be saued Act. 4.22 But the Church of England hath not Christ for the Mediator and aduocate of the same Therefore the Church of England is not the true Church of God Paralleles 86. In like manner M. Smith reasoneth against vs The true Church hath Christ for their Mediator But your assemblies haue him not for their Mediator Therefore they be false Churches Answ I answere True it is that Christ is the Mediator and Aduocate of euery true Church that is of euery seuerall congregation or company of true beleeuers but that hee is such to euery true visible Church as you meane I vtterly deny And grant that it might be said That Iesus is the Mediator and Aduocate of euery true visible Church it must needs bee in respect and with relation had to them vvho be of the inuisible Church which makes nothing for you nor against vs. Your Proposition therefore is false neither doe the testimonies alleadged by you confirme it They onely proue that Christ Iesus is a Mediator betweene God and man and an Aduocate to the Father for him Who in their wits but you and your Disciples by man in Timothy will vnderstand the visible Church or euery true visible Church and not rather the inuisible Church and all of mankinde who be of Gods elect whose alone Mediator and Aduocate Iesus is The Papists may more probably by man vnderstand all mankinde and make Iesus the Mediator of all men as they affirme that he died for all men then you the visible Church seeing the letter of the Scripture here maketh for that exposition And surely the one is as true as the other As little doth the place of Iohn auaile you For neither doth he say That Christ is the Aduocate of the visible Church or of euery true visible Church which is that you are to proue and make your vnaduised Reader beleeue you doe proue when you doe nothing lesse Nay your Proposition may be conuinced by this Scripture so farre is it from confirming and strengthning of it For whose aduocate Christ is said here to be for their sins in the next verse he is said to be a propitiation But he is a propitiation onely for the sinnes of the Elect or inuisible Church which your selues will not deny Therfore the Aduocate onely of the inuisible Church and consequently not of the visible When Iohn had said that Iesus Christ is our Aduocate he addeth And he is the propitiation for our sinnes 1. Ioh. 2.2 and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world If by the whole world you vnderstand the whole visible Church as by your alleadging of this Scripture for proofe of your Proposition you seeme to doe you must needs doe or else cry peccaui for alleadging it then wil the whole Christian world reiect this your expâ—sition And know ye that that which is hâ—re said by Iohn is as true of the whole world as of the whole vis Church and that Christ is and shall as soone be a propitiation and aduocate for the sinnes of the whole world as an Aduocate for the whole visible Church The truth then is that by world here is meant all whosoeuer in the world beleeue in Christ Iewes or Gentiles or all Gods elect throughout the whole world For their sinnes Christ Iesus is said to bee a propitiation and for them onely is he an aduocate And this is confirmed by Paul Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifieth Who shall condemne Meaning any of this chosen generation Implying that it is not possiblâ— that any of them should be damned And why Because for all of this societie as onely for them Christ died and rose againe and maketh request also for them If now one aske the question for whom Christ dâ—ed for whom he rose againe and for whom he maketh intercession the answere is readie for Gods chosen which be thâ—y we call the inuisible Church But you giue vs an other answere and say he is the Aduocate and maketh intercession for the visibâ—e church You may as well and truely say that Christ died for the visible church For by this Scripture it is cleere that hee is an Aduocate and maketh request to God his Father for them for whom hee died But he died Coâ—fession of faith 26. say you else-where for the elect onely therefore as Aduâ—cate hee maketh request onâ—ly for the elect And by consequent Iesus is not the Aduocate of the vis church as you teach except the vis church be the societie of the elect and the visible and inuisible church be all one Verse 20. In the 17 of Iohn our Sauiour saith I pray not for these alone meaning the eleuen Disciples but for them also which shall beleue in me through their word But the elect and inuisible church onely beleeue in Christ T it 1.1 Act. 13.48 wherevpon faith is called the faith of Gods elect and in the Acts it is said As many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued Therefore the elect and inuisible church onely haue Christ Iesus for their Aduocate Thus we see your first proofe of the Proposition maketh nothing for you the second greatly against you helping to conuince you
Let vs now here your third and last testimonie taken out of Act. 4.12 Neither is there saluation in any other for among men there is giuen no other name vnder heauen whereby we must be saued Here is no mention of the vis church nor yet of Christs Mediation nor intercession but onely of saluation by his meanes How can this Scripture then make for the confirmation of your Proposition But happely you will haue it That Christ is likewise the Sauiour of the visible church For I am very sure that whose Mediator and Aduocate Christ Iesus is their Sauiour he is and giueth saluation to them all But say you he is the Mediator and Aduocate of the vis church Therefore he is the Sauiour of the vis church and giueth saluation to all of that fellowship As your Proposition so your Assumption to wit That the Church of England hath not Christ for the Mediator and Aduocate of the same is likewise false For the whole company in England that by faith are vnited vnto Christ and by loue one vnto another and they onely are the church of England and all such haue Christ for their Mediator Aduocate As for the wicked they are as S. Iohn speaketh 1. Ioh. 2.19 among vs but not of vs in the church but not of it as the tares that grow in the field and among the wheate are notwithstanding your commingling vvheate Counterp 132 nor so to be called But by Church here as before in your proposition very ignorantly you vnderstand the visible church and with many words goe about to proue That the vis church of England if I may so speake hath not Christ for the Mediator and Aduocate of the same Here you tell vs againe of them among vs who be prophane scoffe at repentance and scorne at all admonition despise wisedomes counsell and such as reproue they turne againe and rent them And as in the prosecution of the former Argument you proue That such vile men are not the body of Christ neither haue him for their head so here that Iesus is not the Mediator and Aduocate of such but of a more holy societie In like manner you deale in your three other Arguments following Argument 6.7.8 Euery true Church of God say you hath Christ for the King Priest and Prophet of the same The Church of England hath not Christ for the King Priest Prophet of the same Therfore the church of England is not the true Church of God This which I haue contracted into one you make three Arguments of and the Assumption of those three you proue in that maner you do the two former Assumptions wherin you might haue saued a great deale of labour seâ—ing we all confidently hold That the vile and abominable among vs Mat. 13.25 are not of the church of England but tares sowed among the wheat by the enemie while men slept And therfore we account them not the body of Christ nor to haue him for a Mediator and Aduocate and for their King Priest and Prophet What meane you then at large to pursue the proofe of that we deny not But I will be more wise then spend any more time in answer to your reasons Onely I will shew That Christ Iesus is not the King Priest and Prophet of the vis Church Generally I proue it thus Whose Mediator Christ Iesus is their King Priest and Prophet he is But Christ Iesus is the Mediator onely of the elect or inuisible Church Therefore onely of the elect or inuisible church is Christ Iesus King Priest and Prophet And consequently not of the vis church Or thus The Proposition of these two Arguments is hereby plaine in that these are the parts of Christ his mediation The Assump tion needs no proofe That this you here teach is false may further be proued by your owne doctrine and thus Whose King Priest and Prophet Christ is for them in that he is their Priest he died and maketh intercession To them in that he is their King hee doth apply and make effectuall his priesthood Them likewise he gouerneth by his word and spirit them hee defendeth specially from all spirituall enemies and them he will exalt to the communion of his eternall kingdome But Christ died for and maketh intercession hee also applyeth his priesthood onely to the elect gouerneth by his Word and Spirit defendeth and thus highly exalteth the elect alone â—s might be made euident out of the sacred Scriptures if it neede Therefore he is King Priest and Prophet onely of the elect and inuisible Church Counterp 147 This may bee proued also by M. Ainsworths owne words Thirdly saith hee the Church of England hath not Christ for the King thereof because the people of that Church were and are euen by the confession of our aduersaries of all sorts of people as well wicked as godly and sinnes of all sorts do abound and raigne among them that if the good lawes of the common wealth did not represse them there would be no liuing in peace among them Such prophane worldly people are not the subiects of Christ his kingdome is not of this world neither is it for the open wicked but for the repentant and beleeuing for the poore in spirit the meeke the mercifull the persecuted for righteousnesse sake not for persecuters haters and contemners of the truth In which words you frame vs this reason against your selues Christ is not King of a prophane worldly people neither are such his subiects but onely of an holy and heauenly people of the repentant beleeuing of the poore in spirit the meeke the mercifull the persecuted for righteousnes sake But the elect and inuisible Church onely are this holy and heauenly people c. The Elect therefore and the inuisible Church onely are the subiects of Christ and haue him for their King Pag. 148. Againe say you a little after If they had Christ for their King his truth his word would make them free hee would make them also Kings and Priests vnto God his Father that howsoeuer the suppressing abolishing of this vnruly Hierarchie with their many abominations is to be left vnto the Magistrate who onely hath power from God to execute this vengeance yet euery man should deliuer his owne soule abstaining from errour false worship superstition popish thraldome all other euill whatsoeuer though with affliction bonds banishment c. and stand fast in the libertio wherewith Christ hath made him free without yoke of thraldome For he will reigne in the midst of his enemies Satan and sinne hee hath subdued as for himself so for all his people and subiects whom he hath redeemed out of all Satanean Babylonian bondage that sinne should reigne no more ouer them Thus I from hence argue against you They who haue Christ for their King his truth doth make them free he makes them also Kings and Priests vnto God his Father But Christ performeth this to the elect