Christian borne and yet ioyne with the Iewish Church in their religion hee is not of the Christian but of the Iewish Church and so it is of all others So then the name of Church and Religion are in some sense yoke-fellowes all Churches receiuing denomination from the Religion they professe Now then Religion being as the forme of the Church giuing it name and being therefore looke what Religion it is that the Church professeth and such is the Church to bee reputed There is a true Religion and euery Church embracing and professing the same is to bee reputed a true Church as the reformed Churches There are many false Religions and euery Church professing such Religion are false Churches as the Churches of the Heathen that worship false Gods and so embrace false Religions And so the Churches of the Saracens that erect and set vp Mahomet against Christ and of the Iewes that deny the comming of the Messiah in the flesh are false Churches But there are some Churches that embrace party Religions in part true and in part false yea what Church is so pure that is not tainted with some error and what Church is there so impure that professeth not some notable heauenly Truths We must therefore consider what truths and what errors they hold and so the truth will bee soone decided Without Christ there is no saluation and so no true Church 1. Ioh. 5.12 He that hath the Sonne hath life and he that hath not the Sonne of God hath not life If yee aske me whether one and the same Church may not bee a true Church in respect of some in it professing the truth or in respect of some fundamentall truths professed in it and yet a false Church in respect of some professing falshood in it or in respect of some fundamentall truths ouerthrowne in it I answer Surely it may till such time as the false Church hath gotten the vpper-hand and makes lawes for her errors and against the others truths with sentence of abandoning all those out of their Church which doe hold the truths So it was with the Church of Rome before the Councell of Trent And thus it was with the Church of Sardy Reuel 3.1 4. she had a name to liue but was dead and yet in the fourth Verse the Lord saith He hath a few names in Sardy c. Therefore take this for a Rule Whatsoeuer Church embraceth Christ Iesus God and Man the onely meanes of saluation is a true Church though tainted with many errors besides and on the contrary whatsoeuer Church beleeueth not this is a false Church though it hold many other excellent truths besides So much of the diuision of the name of the Church Now wee come to speake of the diuision of the thing it selfe that is of Gods Church which is not so to be vnderstood as if God had so many seuerall kinds of Churches for the Church as I haue shewed before is one and the same from the beginning of the world to the end that Church of God which was in the beginning and remaines now and shall continue to the worlds end is but one and the same Church therefore when we mention the diuision of the Church it selfe we meane not that it is seuerally diuided into diuers and seuerall kinds but distinguished in it selfe in diuers and sundry respects and principally for these first in respect of the bounds and limits or compasse of it secondly in respect of the seuerall portions belonging to it in the seuerall estates that it is ordained vnto thirdly in respect of the outward state of it to the world sometimes knowne sometimes vnknowne First it is distinguished in it self in respect of the bounds and compasse of it and so it is either vniuersal or particular vniuersall that is the whole company of Gods chosen both in heauen an earth But this hath no limits but is dispersed farre and wide ouer the face of the whole earth and reacheth to heauen it selfe But because I haue spoken of this before both in the Adiunct Catholike and also in handling the generall nature of the Church therefore I will trust your memories for that Point and not speake more here of it In the next place a particular Church that is euery particular company of the faithful or at least of those that are called to the profession of the faith which being seuerall by themselues of seuerall times and places are but particular Churches But because wee shall speake more properly of this when wee come to speake of the visible Church therefore we will respit it till then Secondly it is distinguished in it selfe in respect of the seuerall portions that belong vnto it in the seuerall states that it is ordained to and they are two The first is on earth or in this life and that is a fighting or warfare and the second is in heauen in the life to come crowned and triumphing And accordingly the Church is diuided into the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant To begin with the first the Church Militant is the Congregation of the faithfull on earth that doe continually exercise a spirituall warfare against sinne and Satan and all the aduersaries of God and of his Religion Marke the parts of the definition I say it is a Congregation of the faithfull that doe thus fight for though Hypocrites and sometimes those that doe persecute the Gospell doe fight the Lords Battels and so in a generall sense may be reputed parts of this Militant Church yet that is but colourably and outwardly for some sinister respect not in truth and singlenesse of heart nor in true hatred of sinne nor in a true desire to obey God and to aduance his Kingdome and glory And therefore to speake properly none are true parts of this Church Militant but the faithfull onely Secondly I say it is a spirituall warfare and that in many respects First it is spiritual in respect of the end of it for though sometimes the aduersaries of the faithfull oppugne them in their bodies and outward states yet it is meerely in a spiritual respect either directly or indirectly to hurt their spiritual estate or life of Grace so likewise when the faithfull defend their bodies or outward estate against their aduersaries when they maintaine their reputations or their liues it is not so much for the thing it selfe as to defend and maintaine our spirituall estates Secondly it is spirituall in respect of the weapons that are vsed in this fight for they are chiefely spirituall on both parts the aduersaries weapons are temptations c. the faithfull their weapons are the whole Armour of God Thirdly it is spirituall in regard of the Generals of the Field on both sides which are Spirits Gods good Spirit on the side of the faithfull and Satan and spirituall wickednesses on the wickeds side The third thing in the note is this that this warfare must be exercised continually for the enuious man
sleepes not Mat. 13. he and his are alwaies vp in armes against vs therefore we must be so against them And take this for a Rule that looke whensoeuer wee intermit out fight wee doe so farre forth for the time suffer our selues to bee ouercome if once wee start aside the enemy gets the more vantage of vs. Lastly it is generall against all the aduersaries of God and of his Religion for Satan and all his forces bend themselues against God and against his Church and therefore the faithfull must bend all their forces against Satan and all the aduersaries of Gods Church God promised to Abraham Gen. 12.3 that he would blesse them that blesse him and curse them that curse him And so must all Abrahams seed the faithfull doe for God as they must loue all that loue God so they must fight against all that fight against God A question may be demanded here Whether the good Angels be not also parts of this Church Militant I answer They are parties in this businesse in some sense for though the enemies cannot annoy them and therefore they need not neither doe they fight for themselues yet doe they fight for vs as true guardians and assistants and as Gods Instruments and Messengers to succour vs or to disclose and destroy our enemies and their enterprises against vs. They are heauenly Souldiers not onely in generall as the Starres and all the Hoast of Heauen are but in particular assisting vs in our spirituall warfare and that personally and by their office they comfort vs in our temptations as they did our Sauiour Christ Matth. 4.11 after his temptation And so Luk. 22.43 they comforted Christ in his agony there appeared an Angell from heauen comforting him And Psal 34.7 the Angels are said to pitch their tents round about them that feare God So that the Angels are not only about vs but they pitch their tents about vs to fight for vs and they do also deliuer vs. So then in some sense they are parties in this warfare yea but yet because they are out of the danger of the enemies that they cannot annoy them therefore they cannot properly bee said to be any part of the militant Church Secondly the Church Triumphant what is that That is the Congregation of Saints in heauen that haue already finished their warfare and ouercome their enemies and do now raigne and triumph in glory together with Iesus Christ in his Kingdome But because I haue spoken of this Point before therefore I will not now stand vpon it onely we will here shew some differences betwixt the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant and so come to an obseruation arising from hence The differences are these following The Church Militant The Church Triumphant 1. The Church Militant is of Men onely 1. The Church Triumphant is of Angels too 2. The Church Militant is on earth 2. The Church Triumphant is in heauen 3. The Church Militant is subiect to sinne error and misery 3. The Church Triumphant is free from them all 4. The Church Militant is running in the race 4. The Church Triumphant hath attained the Goale 5. The Church Militant are Saints in hope 5. The Church Triumphant are Saints in possession 6. The Church Militant hath need of the meanes the Word and the Sacraments c. 6. The Church Triumphant hath attained to her perfection and end 7. The Church Militant children vnder yeeres heires by promise 7. The Church triumphant are of full age seized on their inheritance 8. The Church Militant is like Christ crucified concerning infirmitie 8. The Church Triumphant is like Christ exalted and inuested into glory Doctr. The Obseruation from hence is this That seeing there is first here a Church Militant on earth and then a Church Triumphant in heauen hence I say ariseth this Obseruation That none can euer come to be members of the Triumphant Church in heauen except first they bee members of the Militant and fighting Church on earth This was figured in the passage of Israel out of Egypt into Canaan they must incounter with Pharaoh and his Hoast they must passe through the Red Sea they must wander in the Wildernesse many yeeres and sustaine hunger and thirst they must warre with their enemies euen whole Nations by the way All this they must doe before they can enter into this earthly Canaan euen so it is with vs in our passage to the heauenly Canaan We must meet with many enemies and sustaine and vndergoe many miseries as the Apostle saith Through many afflictions wee must enter into the Kingdome of heauen Act. 14.12 What are afflictions but assaults troubles temptations and fights Why through these wee must enter and through many of these saith the Apostle we shall meet with many of them here in this life yea we must passe through them saith the Apostle there is a necessitie of it it is vnauoidable The end we seeke after is Gods Kingdome why this is the way thither saith the Apostle these are the Pikes you must passe through euen many afflictions So in the 2. Tim. 3.12 the Apostle saith that all that will liue godly in Christ shall suffer persecution All those that looke to triumph in heauen must liue godly in Christ Iesus now all that will doe so shall suffer persecution whether they will or not 2. Cor. 4.17 For our light afflictions which are but for a moment cause vnto vs a farre more excellent and an eternall weight of glory not that our afflictions doe cause it by way of efficacy or merit for the Apostle saith Rom. 8.18 that the afflictions of this present life are not worthy of the glory which shall bee reuealed to vs. What is the meaning then of this place It must be vnderstood by way of order and consequence that afflictions must of necessity goe before or else the eternall weight of glory cannot follow after Reuelat. 2.10 Yee shall haue tribulation but bee thou faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee the Crowne of life As if he should say Thou shalt haue trials and tribulations but be thou faithfull and fight and thou shalt haue the Crowne of life And the promise of life is restrained onely to those that ouercome Reuel 2.7 11 17. And hence it is that the whole course of the faithfull is called the Fight of Faith 1. Tim. 6.12 Fight the good fight of Faith lay hold on eternall life As who should say Whosoeuer thou art that hast faith fight for it or else thou shalt neuer lay hold on eternall life neuer receiue the end of thy faith which is the saluation of thy soule And Matth. 20.21 22. the Mother of Zebedeus children came to Christ and besought him that her two sonnes might sit one at his right hand and the other at his left in his Kingdome But Iesus answered and said Yee aske yee know not what Are yee able to drinke of the Cup that I shall drinke of c. that
and worse courses The fourth motiue to perswade vs to ioyne in communion with the Church of England and not to forsake her is this we our selues here had our new birth euen in this Church and by this Church and therefore wee haue great cause to be louing and kindly affected and to carry our selues dutifully vnto her as the child to the mother that bare him and if we doe not rest within her communion but goe from her how iustly may we feare to mis-led and eyther relapse into former or runne into new errors Fifthly many of our aduersaries were here begotten too the soundest part of that faith which the best of our Separtists haue they learned and attayned vnto in our church therefore the greater is their sinne first to flye from vs secondly to deny her to be their mother and thirdly to pursue her with so many obloquies and repreaches as if shee were no Church of God Sixthly our Church hath beene planted and sealed vp by the bloud of many precious and glorious Martyrs which of vs is not verily perswaded that Bradford Latimer c are now members of the triumphant Church in heauen then desire to be and to continue members of the same visible militant Church on earth renounce communion with them here and renounce communion with them in heauen Seuenthly consider what a shelter our Church hath beene to many afflicted churches French and Dutch c if they being Gods true churches flye for succour to vs and are safe vnder our shadow shal not we ioyfully and gladly continue vnder it but fly away If persecution should come we would be glad in our hearts that we had such a shelter Let vs not bee alienated from that good estate because we haue it which if we wanted we would esteeme most precious and vndergoe any labour to recouer it Eightly consider the miraculous planting and preseruing of our Church for many yeeres first planted by King Edward a childe then preserued in Queene Elizabeth time being but a woman against the whole rable of Gods enemies Pope and Spaniard and Sathan himselfe and all his Instruments this is no small token that God tooke notice of vs as of his owne Church and therefore may be motiue to vs to communicate with her Ninthly all other Reformed Churches acknowledge vs to bee a true Church and reioyce for vs yea euen those that are most against vs for Discipline as Beza yet pray for vs and for the continuance of our State euen as it is to many generations they are wise Religious Impartiall yet they approoue vs Me thinks it should astonish the Separatists that all are for vs but they as if they were holier and wiser then all others surely it should much incourage vs to keepe our hold and to haue them in great iealously because they haue deceiued themselues and would deceiue vs. Lastly who are they that condemne vs None but Papists and some hot turbulent Spirits that haue a great felicity in ouerthrowing the Societies of other Churches and yet cannot throughly agree amongst themselues what is to bee done in their owne Churches So much for the first Instruction Secondly this teacheth vs thankefulnesse to God and that in two kindes First that God hath beene so fauorable to this Land as to inlighten the people therof by the preaching of the word and other meanes of Saluation so that now they are a true and a sound visible Church heretofore they sate in darknesse and in the shaddow of death in heathenisme Popery gâ—osse Ignorance but blessed bee God a light a blessed and glorious Light euen the Light of the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ hath shined on them and doth shine on them so that they see their sinnes and the way of Saluation how many Nations are still ouerwhelmed some with Paganisme some with Iudaisme some with Mahometisme and some with Popery but our Nation hath the true Religion and sauing faith and that not onely profest but in some good measure practised too this is the Lords doing and therefore we should bee thankfull to him for it Secondly it teacheth euery one of vs in particular to be thankfull to God that our Birth and life hath beene respiâ—ed to these times of Light if the Lord should haue watched vs a good time we could haue had no better then this if wee had beene borne an hundred or two hundred yeeres since what times of blindnesse had wee been borne in But now â—hâ— wee are borne and liue in this great Light that is in the bosome of a true and in a sound visible Church except we will wilfully neglect such meanes of Saluation we may bee saued And therefore while we haue this Light let vs labour to walke in the Light as Children of the Light And let vs bring forth fruits worthy of this Light let vs liue more graciously and holily then those that want this Light that so it may appeare to the world that there is a difference in mens liues as well as in their Religion Lastly let vs pray to God for the continuance of this Light to ouâ— poore posterity that are yet vnborne that they may be as well prouided for herein as we are euen to the worlds end And therefore it stands vs in hand by Prayers and teares to intreate God not onely that the Gospell may bee in our dayes but that it may continue to our Children and to our Childrens children so long as the world endures And so much for the vses of Instruction The other vses for Reproofe though they haue beene handled heretofore by the way yet in the next Lecture I will handle them purposely The Nine and Twentieth LECTVRE of the CHVRCH IN the last Lecture we spake of the Reformed Churches and so at length wee came to speake in particular of our own Church the Church of England And we deliuered this Obseruation concerning the same Namely That the Church of England euen as now it stands though it haue many failings and weaknesse in it yet notwithstanding it is a true and a sound visible Church I did explaine this Obseruation and made proofe of it by sundry Reasons I haue also entred into the vses thereof which I shewed were of two sorts the first for instruction the second for reproofe wee haue handled the first sort and now we are to come to the second sort of vses And they are of Reproofe and that of two sorts of Aduersaries the Papists and the Separatists for we are close beset and hardly assaulted on both sides The Papist on the one side exclaimes that we are no Church or a false one because we are separated from them and the Separatists on the other side exclaime so too and therefore haue separated from vs and yet neither doth the Papist acknowledge the Separatist to be a true Church nor the Separatist acknowledge the Papist to bee so Manasseth against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasseth and both against Iudah
shall be made as white as snow Secondly here is comfort against their wants and defects and infirmities thou canst not pray nor performe any other good duty as thou oughtest yea but thou art a member of that blessed and glorious Church whereof Christ Iesus is the Head and therefore all thy wants and infirmities are couered and supplied by the perfection of Christ Thirdly here is comfort against temptation and against the Diuell and all his power for thou art a member of the true Church which is like to Mount Sion that cannot be remoued but shall stand fast for euer and euer the Gates of Hell nor all the power of the Diuell shall euer preuaile against thee the Lord for his owne glory which he hath set vpon vs will neuer see vs ouerthrowne Lastly here is comfort for vs against all the reproches of men that howsoeuer wee be as the off-scowring of the world in their vniust censures yet in Gods sight who iudgeth according to the truth wee are beautifull and glorious And therefore let this suffice to giue vs content against all the scoffes and nick-names in the world If wee bee so blessed and beautifull in Gods eyes what neede wee care though wee bee contemned in the world The fifth Vse is matter of terrour to the world that persecute Vse 5 and oppose themselues against Gods Church they know not who it is they make their force against it is euen against God and therefore they shall neuer preuaile and against the people of God the most glorious and blessed company that are And therefore first they may bee dismaied for they rush against a Rocke and kicke against the prick Act. 9. they shall neuer haue good successe yea secondly they shall be punished with the fierce and full vengeance and wrath of God because they resist the Lord and oppose his glorious and annointed Ones Vse 6 The sixth and last Vse is to reproue the peruerse opinion of the world that are blind and can see no grace nor beauty in the Church like vnto the wicked Iewes that would not see any forme or beauty in Christ Isai 53. they looke onely on the outward man and indeed there is nothing to bee seene but deformity and misery but if they could looke within there is perfect glory Yea but say they this is but your words wee can see no such glory in the Church but we can see a great deale of sinne and misery among you why doe you then face it out thus I answer we must vnderstand it with these limitations First it cannot bee discerned but with a spirituall eye and therefore the world cannot see it because they want this eye to discerne it withall Secondly it is vnderstood of the Church as they are considered in their Head Christ and not as they are considered by themselues If they consider the Church thus they shall perceiue perfect glory Christ himselfe being perfectly glorious and he couers and supplies our wants and deformities and presents vs as glorious to God his Father Thirdly it is so rather in our desires and Gods account then in actuall possession Fourthly we haue not thâ—s glory and blessednesse here but onely in the beginnings of it we haue some grace and some beauty and some glory here but it is to be perfected in heauen when there shall be a new Ierusalem Reuel 21.2 and then Christ shall present vs a glorious Body vnto God his Father without spot or wrinckle Ephes 5.27 which because some haue attained to already and the rest shall surely obtaine hereafter and haue some beginnings of it here already it may therefore bee iustly said in respect of some of her parts now and of all hereafter Thou art all faire my Loue and there is no spot in thee Thus you see how beautifull the Church is and blessed and glorious though the world be blind and can see no such thing in her And so much concerning the second generall Point propounded to be handled in the Doctrine of the Church The third Lecture of the Church THe third generall Point propounded to bee handled in the Doctrine of the Church is the Nature of the Church for so the order of teaching requires that when once wee doe know the name of a thing what it is called and the titles that it is graced withall then it followes that wee should search out the nature of the thing that is thus called and thus intituled For the names and titles of things may and are oft-times imparted to others But the nature of euery thing is proper to it selfe and cannot bee communicated to any thing else And therefore howsoeuer the name and titles set it forth vnto vs and make vs esteeme of it yet the nature will more fully expresse it and make vs the highlier to esteeme of it The name bearing diuers significations in ordinary method ought to bee diuided first and defined after But because the whole nature of the thing may bee aptly enough comprehended in one generall description and because the diuision hath a more neere dependance with that which followes making a ready steppe and passage thereunto we will first define therefore the nature of the Church and then proceede in the next place according to our order set downe to diuide it into seuerall kinds and branches The nature of the Church is thus described The Church of God in the true generall nature thereof is the whole company of Gods chosen both in heauen and earth where they are described by three things First by the efficient cause of their being of the Church Gods electing or chusing them Secondly by their number the whole Company Thirdly by the places where they are in heauen in earth First by the efficient cause of their being of the Church for the principall reason why any man is a true member of the true Church is because God hath chosen him to it First to saluation and glory as the end secondly and consequently to be of the Church as the means to the end Therfore the Church ofttimes is called Gods chosen Psal 33.12 Euen the people whom he hath chosen for his inheritance And in Psal 132.13 The Lord hath chosen Sion that is his Church And Rom. 8.33 The Apostle speaking of the Church calls them by that expresse name Gods chosen And hence it is that the Faith of Gods Church is called the Faith of Gods chosen Titus 1.1 And therefore they are called The first borne whose names are written in heauen Heb. 12.23 Which what is it else but to bee written in the Booke of life That is to be Gods chosen It is true that it is much more agreeable to the name of the Church to bee defined by their Calling rather then by their Choosing as in the first Lecture because they are a Company called But yet it is more agreeable to the right nature of the Church to be defined by their choosing rather then by their Calling and that
for these Reasons first many of the Church are chosen that are not yet called as Paul an Elect vessell before his conuersion and yet not called and so all the Elect before their conuersion nay many are chosen that shall neuer be called as the Angels which belong to the Church too and are a part of it And therefore the Church in the nature of it is to be described by their choosing and not by their Calling Secondly many are Called that are not chosen so saith our Sauiour and therefore if we should describe them by their Calling we should make such to be of the nature of the true Church which are not chosen and so are no true members of Christ nor shall euer enter into the heauenly Ierusalem Thirdly those which are chosen are called too their Election and chusing is the cause of their Calling and not their Calling the cause of their chusing Rom 8.30 whom he predestinated them also hee called Therefore in these respects it is fittest and most agreeable to the nature of the Church to be described by their election rather then by their Calling And so much of the first part of the Description namely the efficient Cause of their being The second thing they are described by is their number the whole company c. Which wee musâ— vnderstand thus First that all that are of the Church are God chosen and none else and that all that are chosen are of the Church none excluded as who should say the whole company of Gods chosen all these and none but these Here may be an exception made for you will say Are the elect of the Church before they are Called Yes sure in the purpose and account of God though they bee not so in their owne account nor in the account of thâ— World though they be not as yet actually assembled to the Church yet they are in the way and first or last they shall certainely haue an effectuall Calling whereby they shall bee made actually of the Church both in faith and in their owne knowledge and account And secondly we must vnderstand that all those together make vp one Church the whole Company of God Choseâ—â—s his Church as they are considered all together as members of one body and incorporated into one societie or Company and not as they are members apart And also so â—ll togâ—â—her as that all the chosen of all times and places and kinds make vp one only Church So much of the second part the number they are described by The third thing they are described by is the places where they are in heauen and in earth And so we do first fetch in all Gods Saints whether liuing or departed whether fighting on earth or triumphing in heauen As also secondly the Angels that haue kept their habitation in heauen are all comprehended together as so many seuerall parts of the Church to make vp the whole Body So yee haue the particular heads of the Description expounded and inlarged the whole company of Gods chosen in heauen and in earth Now that the holy Angels are parts of the true Church because yee shall not thinke that it is a deuise of mine owne braine yee shall see that the Apostle vseth the same words Eph. 1.10 That in the fulnesse of time he might gather together in one all things both which are in heauen and which are in earth And Eph. 3.15 Of whom is named the whole family both in heauen and in earth And Col. 1.20 To reconcile to himself through him I say all things which are in heauen and which are in earth All which places must be vnderstood not onely of the Saints departed that rest in heauen but also with reference to the holy Angels in heauen that fell not who hauing a benefit by Christ the mediator as well as wee are therefore to be seated with vs in the society and body of the Church Doctr. Now to make this matter more plaine I will draw it into an obseruation and that is this Namely That the holy Angels that kept their first estate are parts and members of the true Church as well as we are The Scripture is plaine for this First in expresse wordes secondly by necessary consequence First by expresse words Heb. 12.22 23. But ye are come to Mount Sion c. and to the innumerable company of Angels Where the Apostle speaking of the Church takes the holy Angels as Limmes of that Body and members of that Company And Reuel 19.10 The Angell tels Iohn I am thy fellow Seruant one of thy Brethren I haue the testimony of Iesus the Spirit of Prophesie I am thy fellow Seruant as who should say A fellow of the same House and Family with vs that is the Church A Brother as hauing the same Father God and the same Mother the heauenly Ierusalem that is the Church hauing the testimony of Iesus that is communicating in the same gifts and graces of the Spirit as the Spirit of Prophesie which is peculiar to the Church onely as 1. Cor. 12. So wee see by expresse Scripture that they are members as well as wee Secondly by necessary deduction and consequence First the Angels are elect 1. Tim. 5.21 and therefore they are parts of the Church Secondly Christ is their Head Col. 2.10 yee are complete in him that is in Christ who is the head of all principalities and Powers therefore they must be parts of his Body Which is his Church Thirdly the Angels peepe and prie into the misteries of our redemption by Iesus Christ 1. Pet. 1.12 therefore except we will make them busi-bodies to prie and meddle with that which they haue not to doe in which is vtterly against their wisedome and vprightnesse they must needes be parts and members of the true Church and so much of the Proofes The Reasons are these First the Church is the most excellent Reas 1 and glorious and blessed Assembly that is as wee haue shewed before the Angels therefore that excell in strength and beautie and glorie and absolute happinesse must needs be members of it Secondly the Church is that fulnesse of Christ that filleth Reas 2 all things Eph. 1.23 If the Angels be left out where is that fulnesse Thirdly it is against the bountifulnesse of Christ and Reas 3 the worthines of his obedience that any Creature should know and embrace the Doctrine of the mediation of Christ and yet not receiue benefit thereby for themselues But the chosen Angels do know and embrace it worshipping him and doing him all the seruice they could in the dayes of his flesh whilst he was working this mediation And therefore they haue benefit thereby to themselues And so consequently they must needes bee parts and members of the Church For to them are all sauing benefits peculiar and properly belonging Fourthly the euil Angels that fell away are a part of the Reas 4 malignant Church of the Sinagogue of Sathan as our Sauiour Christ giues vs
Iustice the same nature that sinned might bee punished and make satisfaction for our sinnes These bee the differences betwixt vs and them in regard of the worke and the meanes of it But yet they also haue their part in Christ and in his mediation so farre as is agreeable to their estates and that in two respects first in the things done to vs which redound to them secondly in the things done more directly to themselues First the things done to vs that redound to them for first by this mediation done for vs their knowledge is aduanced Ephes 3.10 To the intent saith the Apostle that now vnto Principalities and Powers in heauenly places might bee knowne by the Church the manifold wisedome of God Now this is a singular benefit to them that they haue more knowledge by this meanes Secondly their ioy is increased by our conuersion for if they reioyce ouer one sinner that is saued Luk. 15.10 how much more then when a doore is opened for many sinners to come to saluation by Thirdly by this meanes their seruice and office is inlarged for if wee were not redeemed what vse were there of them either in regard as they are Messengers seeing they bring their messages onely or chiefly to the faithfull or of them as they are Ministers this being their taske chiefly if not onely to minister for their sakes which through Christ are heires of saluation Fourthly by our redemption through Christ this benefit redounds to them that their ruines are made vp their number is filled vp againe by many Men which are saued by Christ in stead of those Angels that fell away Secondly some things are done more directly to themselues by Christs mediation for first they are elected 1. Tim. 5.21 they are called Elect Angels and that no doubt in Christ in whom we were elected Ephes 1.4 for the worke beeing the same both to them and vs therefore the ground must needes bee one and the same They are chosen and who chose them but God And in whom are they chosen but in Christ for all that are chosen are chosen of God in Christ Secondly their creation is by Christ that excellent estate of theirs which they had by creation they did not deserue it no they had it bestowed vpon them respectiuely to Christ who is called The first-borne of euery Creature Colos 1.15 because euery Creature had their being by him Thirdly their preseruation is by him that they did not fall when their fellowes fell and their confirmation in the estate of Grace that they neither shall nor can fall away is because they are vpheld by Christ and by his mediation they haue assurance that they shall neuer fall else in reason these might haue fallen as well as the other the other being as excellent and hauing freewill as well as they and therefore if these had not been vpheld by Christ they had fallen too Lastly their glorification shall be fully perfected by the finishing of Christs mediation at the last day when aâ—l things shall be subdued vnto him and when he shall bee an absolute and perfect Conquerour 1. Cor. 15.24 then shall the blessed Angels triumph ouer the wicked Spirits for as the euill Angels though they be damned already yet they are not fully and perfectly tormented till after the Iudgement day for then they shall haue it in full measure they shall be then stowed vnder the hatches and as it were fettered in the Dungeon so the good Angels though they bee already glorified yet their glory is not fully perfected till the last day when our glory is perfected then shall theirs bee perfected also And so much for the first Point That Angels are parts and members of the true Church Now we come to that part of Gods Church and chosen which consists of men and is found amongst them for that doth first more neerely and properly concerne our selues secondly it tends more directly to the opening of the question propounded And because these are partly in heauen and partly on earth wee will God willing speake of both And first we wil speak of that part of the Church which is in heauen secondly of that part on earth and thirdly of both together First of those in heauen that part of Gods Church which is in heauen are the soules of the iust and perfect men that haue finished their pilgrimage and departed this life Doctr. I will draw it into an obseruation and that is this namely that heauen is the place of receipt for all Gods chosen after they haue departed this present life It is Christs promise that it shall be so Ioh. 14.2 3. He will goe and prepare a place for vs that where he is there we may be also but hee is in heauen therefore there must wee bee too that is the place of receipt for the faithfull after this life So likewise it is his prayer Ioh. 17.24 Father I will that those whom thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am that they may behold my glory You shall see this likewise by example Whither went Helias at his departure He was carried vp into Heauen 2. King 2.11 and whither went Lazarus but into Abrahams bosome Luk. 16.22 by which is meant Heauen And whither went the Thiefe vpon the Crosse after his departure but into Paradise Luk. 23.43 And surely this is the Lure and baite which God holds forth vnto vs to prouoke and draw vs to come to him and to obey his will Matth. 5.10 12. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the Kingdome of Heauen Reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in Heauen And Luk. 18.22 Sell all that thou hast and distribute to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in Heauen And this is true that Heauen is the place of receipt for all the faithfull after this life not onely in respect of their soules but also in respect of their bodies too though in a diuers manner the soule neuer dying presently after it is departed out of the body as the soule of Lazarus Luk. 16.22 the body dying and turned to dust yet it shall bee raised againe at the last day by the power of the Lord Iesus Christ and so vnited to the soule and placed in Heauen Iob 19.26 Though after my skinne wormes deuoure this body yet shall I see God in my flesh And both these are verified in Christ already his soule went presently into Heauen his body after his resurrection So that Heauen is the place of receipt for all Gods chosen of their soules presently after their departure and of their bodies after the resurrection The Reasons of the Point are these First Heauen is Gods Reason 1 owne seate as the Prophet saith and place of speciall residency And in his presence is our fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand our pleasures for euermore Psal 16.11 there God hath stored vp for vs the good things which hee
hath promised vs therefore that is the place we must goe to Reason 2 Secondly Christ himselfe being our Head is thither ascended therefore the members must ascend thither too that so we may be conformable to Christ in glory hereafter as we are in sufferings here Reason 3 Thirdly the worthinesse of Christs obedience cannot be answered by any thing but by Heauen it selfe therefore Gods chosen to whom it is imputed must needs inioy Heauen Reason 4 Lastly the present miseries and afflictions that Gods children endure here can neuer be sufficiently recompenced but that Heauen it selfe must be their retribution and that counteruailes and ouer-waighes them all Vse 1 The Vses are these The first Vse is against them that dreame of Purgatory for it is a meere Popish dreame and fancy the Scripture is silent in it so is God and his true Church they know it not therfore their Church shewes her self to be a presumptuous harlot and not Christs spouse to affirme it And if men would be awakened by the voice of the word as a dreame it would vanish out of their thoughts Christ reconciled things both in heauen and earth therefore if Purgatory be not in heauen nor in earth as the Papists deny both surely the Church and soules in it haue no benefit by Christs reconcilement Let the matter of it be what it will be it fire or be it water or let the place of it be where it will either in the Aire or in some Caue or hole in the earth let there be in it what soules there will many or few pure or vnpure men women or children yet sure it is that none of Gods children shall euer come there no they are either in heauen or in earth there is no Purgatory for them God loues them more dearely then so heauen it selfe is their receptacle and mansion place after once they are departed this life So you see this is a foolish dreame of theirs and so consequently is all that is built vpon it their Prayers Dirges and such like they are built vpon a dreame and so are vaine prophane and sinfull lay once a false ground and a thousand absurdities will follow vpon it grant once that there is a Purgatory and then Masses and Dirges and many such trumperies will follow Let vs therefore know that Gods Chosen which are departed this life are in heauen and let vs account better of them then to thinke they are in any such place Vse 2 Secondly this may minister great comfort to all those that know themselues to be of the number of Gods chosen because die they sooner oâ— die they later they are sure heauen shall be their place of Receit This may comfort them against the difficultie of their labour and trauell in the course of godlinesse which they meet with here in this life here wee must mortifie our flesh deny our selues forsake all rent our hearts mourne for our sinnes lay downe our liues for Christs sake these are grieuous things yet bee of good cheere it is Heauen we labour for and that we are sure we shall obtaine and that will make vs a plentifull recompence of Reward for all that we endure here though the way be narrow and the passage streight yet Heauen is the place we go vnto and which we shall certainely attaine in the end therefore be content to passe through all such difficulties And so it is comfort to vs against all our sufferings thinke not much to be scorned and persecuted here It is for a Kingdome that we suffer and that in Heauen and what is not to be endured for such a Reward Onely be sure that thou be of the Church and then this comfort belongeth to thee Vse 3 Thirdly is Heauen the the place of Receit c. Then let vs labour to liue worthy of Heauen whilst wee are here on earth Defile not thy selfe with sinne obey not the lusts of the flesh possesse your vessels in holinesse and honour that so we may be fit to enter in there where no vncleane thing shall come be sequestred in your carriage and thoughts from this world carry your selues as strangers on this earth regard not the profits and pleasures of this life that so yee may haue a witnesse in your owne hearts that you seeke a Countrey from aboue so did the faithfull Heb. 11.13 14 15 16. They were strangers and pilgrimes here which did declare plainely that they did seeke another Countrey euen Heauen it selfe And let your hope and affections bee in Heauen whilst ye are here on earth Col. 3.1 2 3. If ye be risen with Christ saith the Apostle seeke those things which are aboue c. Let your conuersation be in Heauen Phil. 3.10 And as your treasure is in heauen so let your hearts bee there also Math. 6.20 And as for this earthly Tabernacle of our body let vs not pamper it nor please it nor delight in it nor admire it but let vs be content to lay it downe cheerefully sighing and desiring to be cloathed with our house which is from Heauen 2. Cor. 5.1 2. And surely if wee would thinke of this place whither wee are going our hearts would be in Heauen before we come thither like as a man that is gone a great iourney and is farre from his house yet still his minde and his heart is at home and still his thoughts runne vpon that because there is his Comfort there bee knowes he shall haue rest from all his Trauels and therefore thither hee postes And so we must doe Vse 4 Fourthly This teacheth vs the great bountie of God towards vs that propoundeth promiseth and performeth Heauen vnto vs for the Reward of our obedience Alas what is our poore and imperfect obedience compared to Heauen yet such is the rich mercie of God that he crownes it with Heauen When I say Heauen I meane not onely the place of Heauen though that be most glorious and blessed but also the good things that God hath treasured vp for vs in Heauen that is the ioyes of Heauen the glory of Heauen the riches of Heauen the Light of Heauen the rest and comfort and peace of Heauen the fruition of God Himselfe the fruition of Christ the fruition of all the holy Angels and Saints in Heauen there we haue the fruition of all that God in his owne wisedome could deuise to make vp our perfect blisse and intire happinesse such things as the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither can it enter into the heart of man such things hath God laid vp for his chosen in Heauen to enioy without intermission and without end The fourth Lecture of the Church THe third generall Point which we propounded to bee handled before we came to the handling of the Question was concerning the nature of the Church which we defined in this wise To be the whole company of Gods Chosen in heauen and in earth We shewed that that part of Gods Church which is
in heauen contained as well Angels as men and therefore we spake of them by themselues and proued that the Angels were a part of Gods Church as well as men then we came to speake of that part of Gods Church which consists of men and in handling this Point we propounded three things to be spoken too First to speake of that part of Gods Church consisting of men which are in heauen by themselues Secondly of those which are in earth by themselues Thirdly of both those which are in heauen and which are in earth together Concerning the first we haue spoken and shewed that Heauen is the place of receipt for all Gods chosen after their departure out of this life Now we are to speake of the second namely that part of Gods Church consisting of men which are on earth and so to proceede to the third Point And first of that part of Gods Church on earth For although there be the same chosen now in heauen which sometime were on earth and the same now in earth which sometime shall be in heauen so that the Church or Chosen in heauen doe not make a seuerall Church by themselues nor those in earth a seuerall Church by themselues but both together make one and the same Church yet because there are some particular considerations incident to that in heauen which they on earth haue not yet attained to and likewise some other particular considerations incident to that on earth which they in heauen haue already passed from therefore each of them is to be handled by it selfe and therefore hauing spoken of that part of Gods Church which is in heauen before now wee are to speake of that on earth I shall not need to define this on earth because it is apparantly defined before in the generall for if that were the whole company of Gods Chosen in heauen and in earth then this must needes bee the whole company of Gods Chosen liuing on earth Doctr. All that I will speake concerning this Point shall be contriued into one obseruation and that is this namely That God alwayes hath had from the beginning and hath now and shall haue to the worlds end a company of Chosen people vpon earth belonging to him calling vpon him beleeuing in him and worshipping him in spirit and truth You see that the obseruation consists of three parts first that God euer had secondly that he hath now and thirdly that he shall haue to the worlds end a Company c. First God alwayes had In matters of fact examples are fittest and strongest proofes this being then a matter of fact already done it is best to be prooued by examples taken out of Histories of seuerall times we will begin with the first beginning God had his Church in Paradise How prooue you that Why first there was God the Preacher secondly there was our first Parents Adam and Eue the hearers and thirdly there was the Word and Commandement Gen. 2.16 17. There is the Doctrine of saluation and the strict forme and manner of worship prescribed by God which he will bee honoured by Now what is here wanting to the full being of a true Church For here is a Pastor and a People and the Word and such a Word as is fitting for their saluation Therefore in Paradise God had his Church Also out of Paradise God still had his Church for there is still the same Preacher God the same hearers Adam and Eue the Doctrine of saluation though not the same it was before yet here is that Doctrine of saluation fitting their present state and condition a Doctrine of repentance and of punishment of sinne and specially the Doctrine of the Gospell a Doctrine of Faith in Christ Genes 3.16 The Seede of the Woman shall breake the Serpents head so here God had his Church still To passe from them to Abel there was Abels sacrificing and his Faith and there was Gods presence and acceptance as we may see Gen. 4.4 compared with Heb. 11.4 Now where these are there is a true Church Afterward in the time of Seth it is said Gen. 4 25. that then men began to call vpon the Name of the Lord that is men did then begin more zealously to worship God so here God had his Church still Let vs passe from Seth to Enoch It is said of him that he walked with God beleeued in God and that he pleased God Genes 5.24 Heb. 11.5 Now where there are men walking with God beleeuing in him and pleasing him there is a true Church So in the time of Noah Abraham Isaac and Iacob and in the time of the Patriarches God had his Church still Heb. 11.6 7 c. to the end of the Chapter there the succession of the Church in the faithfull is set downe as it were of purpose to proue this Point which we haue in hand namely that God had a Church from the beginning of the world To proue this Point further we will omit to speake of the flourishing times of the Church for of them there is no question there being then not embracers onely of the heauenly truth but professors too in great number and we will instance in those times that were most obscure when there was the least likelihood of a Church and if we can prooue that God had his Church in those times then the Point will be prooued that God hath alwayes had a Church We will therefore instance in them first at the Flood when all flesh had corrupted their wayes Gen. 6.12 and that the earth was filled with cruelty Vers 13. yet in that desperate time there was found Noah a iust and vpright man in that generation Vers 9. So God had his Church then Let vs passe from these times and come to the bondage and slauery of the Children of Israel in Egypt when Gods peculiar people were in the hands of a most prophane idolatrous and cruell Nation so that they had neither liberty nor time nor meanes of Gods true worship yet as there was a light in Goshen when palpable darknesse was ouer all the Land of Egypt besides so when all the World was ouerwhelmed with grosse ignorance sinne and error yet then God had his Church amongst the Israelites there were some Midwiues fearing God Exod. 1.21 and there were some that cryed and prayed and sighed to God and were heard of him Exod. 2.23 24. So God had his Church in those times Likewise in the dayes of Elias when the Church was brought to a low ebbe the Prophet could see no more left but himself and yet he had eyes to discerne it yet he was a true worshipper of God and so God had his true Church then if there had been no more then he 1. King 19.10 But the Lord saw seuen thousand more that were true worshippers and had not bowed their knee to Baal vers 18. In this desperate time when they killed Gods Prophets and brake downe his Altars and sought the life
of Elias yet in this very time God had his Church and a flourishing one too in his eyes though men could not discerne it Afterward in that generall Apostasie when Israel and Iudah were both fallen from God yet here is a true Church still here was one out of a Citie and two out of a Tribe to worship God Ier. 3.13 14. So in the Captiuity of Babylon when the Church is quite ouerwhelmed as it were Ierusalem was so distressed Religion defaced all turned into a miserable desolation so as there was neuer the like Is there any sorrow like vnto my sorrow saith the Prophet speaking in the behalfe of the Church Lam. 1.12 yet then God had his Church there were both teachers and embracers as Ieremy Haggai Zechariah and Daniel and many others At our Sauiours comming in the flesh when the Law and the Temple Priests and people the Church and Common-wealth were vtterly corrupted and defiled yet still God had his Church there was Zachary and Elizabeth Ioseph and Marie Simeon and Anna true beleeueres and right worshippers of God Lastly in the height of the pride of Antichrist the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place for many hundred yeeres when all the Nations in the earth were made drunke with the Cup of fornications by the Whore of Babylon the Synagogue of Rome yet God had some from time to time that lothed her golden Cup some that were not defiled with her fornications but kept themselues pure Virgins and a chaste Spouse to the Lord Iesus Christ sweetly embracing his sauing truth And so much for proofe of the first part of the obseruation That God alwayes had a Church and company of chosen people c. The second part is that as God euer hath had so he now hath a Church c. I shall not neede to speake much for proofe of this point for it cannot be denied but that blessed be God there be many flourishing Churches at this day in Germany France England and Scotland many in all these places that worship God in Spirit and Truth yea vnder Popery no doubt but there are many true Christians yea euen amongst the Turkes and Iewes and Infidels I doubt not but that there are yeâ— remaining some that worship God with vs no question but there are some sparkes of fire amongst those burnt ashes some polished stones of these decayed Churches some gold amongst all that drosse some that serue the Lord amongst so many thousand seruants of sinne and slaues of Sathan we haue many instances now at this day of some that liue vnder Popery and amongst the Iewes that professe our Religion So the second part is proued that God now hath his Church and chosen people The last part and shall haue to the worlds end c. Wee cannot prooue this point by examples as we did the former because it is not yet throughly fulfilled yet wee haue as sure proofes for it as examples we haue Gods own Word for it and that which God hath spoken is as sure as if it were already done and therefore the Prophets deliuer many predictions in the Preterperfect Tense as if they were already done because of the certaintie of it I say wee haue Gods Word for proofe of this point Psal 132.13 14. For the Lord hath chosen Sion and loueth to dwell in it saying this is my Rest for euer here will I dwell c. God will dwell and rest and that for euer in his Church as himselfe is for euer so his Church is for euer So Math. 28.20 I am with you euer euen to the worlds end It is more then if hee had said I wil be with you c. It is as much as if he had said thus As sure as I am actually present with you now so I will still continue vnto the very end of the world And whereas in respect of his bodily presence it was nor so because he was to ascend into heauen yet by his Spirit hee is with vs effectually to all sauing purposes Ioh. 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall giue you another comforter that he may abide with you for euer vers 17. euen the Spirit of Truth c. And whereas there are many opposers of Gods Church men and Deuils and many times they haue a great hand ouer the Church yet they are still bridled and curbed and the Church still so protected and defended that the gates of Hell shall neuer preuaile against it that is vtterly to disanull it Math. 16.18 There are many other proofes for this Point but because we shall speake of them in the Reasons therefore we will passe to them The Reasons of the point that God euer had now hath and shall haue a Church to the worlds end are these Reas 1 First we haue Gods promise for it who is truth and cannot lie If that be too little we haue his Oath for it wherein it is impossible he should lie Psal 132.11 12. The Lord hath sworne in Truth to Dauid and will not shrinke from it saying of the fruit of thy Body will I set vp thy throne for euer He hath sworne it and will not shrinke from it that is hee will not recant which although it be typically spoken of Dauid and his seede yet in truth substance of it it is intended of Christ and his Church The same promise is renewed Ier. 33.17 18. where it is said that Dauid shall neuer want a man to sit vpon the Throne of the house of Israel And in the 20. and 21. verses it is said If yee can breake my Couenant of the day and my Couenant of the night then my Couenant may bee broken with Dauid my Seruant Giuing vs to vnderstand that his promise is irreuocable so long as there is day or so long as there is night on the earth so long the Lord will haue his Church on earth his Word and his Promise cannot be broken no saith our Sauiour Heauen and Earth may faile but my Word shall neuer faile therefore he hauing passed his Word for the continuance of his Church for euer it shall continue for euer in despight of all her aduersaries Secondly the sauing Truth and doctrine of saluation Reas 2 shall neuer perish from the earth therefore the Church that is the pillar of Truth shal neuer be abolished from the earth If the truth of God could faile then the Church might faile but that can neuer faile for still there shall be some witnesses of Gods Truth to feele the sauing power of it in themselues and to testifie it to others and therefore the Church shall neuer faile The third Reason is taken from Gods Fatherly Care ouer Reas 3 his Church euen for their owne sakes because he loues them and they are deare to him as the Apple of his eye and therefore they shall neuer be all destroyed except the Lord could forget his owne people his dearlings which is impossible Fourthly he doth preserue his Church
on earth for the Reas 4 worlds sake that must stand till the appointed time of dissolution but it cannot stand longer then the faithfull are in it for whose sake onely it is vpholden for the holy seed is the substance of the world as I shewed Isa 6.13 and therefore so long as the world stands they cannot be vtterly destroyed Fiftly the Church on earth is the Nurserie for heauen Reas 5 now in heauen are many mansions to be filled vp euery day therefore there must be a continuall supply from the Nursery on earth Sixthly there must be a continuall warre betwixt the Reas 6 seed of the Serpent and the seed of the woman Gen. 3.15 betwixt the wicked and the godly therefore as the wicked seed of the Serpent and the seed of the Woman Gen. 3.15 betwixt the wicked and the godly therefore as the wicked the Serpents seed shal be alwayes on earth so likewise the faithfull the womans seed shal be alwaies on earth too Vse 1 The vses First this shewes the antiquity of the Church that it hath been from the beginning Truth is elder then falshood righteousnesse was before sinne Gods Church is ancienter then all prophane Assemblies whatsoeuer Caine is ancient being of the malignant Church but his Parents the Church in Paradise is ancienter Eue and Adam harkened to the voice of the Serpent and so committed sinne soone after the Creation yet there was a time before their fall when they beleeued and rested on God and his Word and were righteous The Diuell is a Lier from the beginning yet Gods Truth was in the beginning before that â—ie else it could not haue been peruerted with his Lye This serues first to stop the mouth of all Gainsaiers and aduersaries of Gods Church that Charge vs with nouelty to bee a new sect and challenge antiquitie to themselues that they are the ancient and true Church which are both lies for they are the nouellists not wee We are from the beginning before they had any being so that we are more ancient then they and their religion is nouelty and a new Sect. Secondly it may serue to confirme vs in the vndoubted assurance of the Truth and of that Faith and Religion which we professe That which is most ancient is most true as being immediatly and originally from the pure Fountaine the pure hands of God himselfe who is the ancient of dayes And contrarily all Religions which are lesse ancient are from some corrupt Channels degenerate from the originall sinceritie Now our Religion which we professe is most ancient and most pure and therefore let all contrary Doctrines and Religions hide their heads and be ashamed of themselues and yeeld the preheminence of pure Truth to our Religion that is most true and rightly ancient Vse 2 Secondly as this shewes the Antiquitie of the Church so likewise it proues the perpetuity of it As it was from the beginning of the world so it shall continue by succession to the end of the world as it was before all other Congregations so it shall see the rising and fall of all other Congregations but it selfe shall continue one and the same by a continuall succession where the Fathers are gone there Children shall stand vp in their steads and so Childrens Children to the worlds end There shall bee many changes and alterations from time to time yet still there shall bee a Church in all these changes If the Church faile in Paradise it shall be found out of Paradise If Israel fall away yet Iudah shall stand If the Iewes bee cast off yet the Gentiles shal be taken in Though Popery Turcisme and Iudaisme and Paganisme abound and fill the world and are vp in Armes against the Church yet there are some corners in the world that God hath reserued to shelter his Church in wherein they shall be preserued both from their persecution and infection The third Vse Is matter of Comfort to the faithfull Vse 3 First in regard of themselues for they are the onely people of continuance that are in the world they onely are sure of their estaâ—e and none else It is true that the wicked may flourish a long time in great prosperitie like to a greene Bay Tree but in time and sometimes very quickly they shall vanish away like smoke and consume as the fat of Lambes and nothing shall remaine of them but the faithfull shall stand fast for euer Psal 102.28 they may be afflicted persecuted and distressed on euery side yet they shall neuer be forsaken nor giuen ouer vtterly as a prey to their enemies If the wicked murder some of them yet God wil haue some of them remaine still let persecutours draw out the blood of Gods Children as long as they will or can yet still there shal be found some that will offer themselues to their bloody hands for the maintenance of Gods Truth as some are taken away God will still send them a new supply So then it is Comfort to them in regard of themselues that they shall neuer perish Secondly it is comfort to them in regard of their posterity and of the Church after them they need not say on their deathbeds as worldlings doe What shall become of my Children and goods after I am gone they need not say so of their spirituall goods let God alone with them leaue them to him the faithfull seed shall bee preserued and vpholden by his Fatherly prouidence to the worlds end and the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against them And as for the Truth of God the Gospell and the graces of the Spirit which themselues are seized on in their life time God will dispose of them to the right heires heires of his owne begetting add raising vp he will find heires for them successiuely from age to age to the last end Then Christ Iesus himselfe shall come and hee shall stand last vpon the earth and so the Church shall be the first and the last The first Adam the first man on earth beginning the Church on earth And the second Adam the last man vpon the earth finishing it vp by his personall presence hauing continued and maintained it by his owne power from the first beginning to the worlds end And shall the Church haue an end then No though all things bee then at an end yet the Church shall not yet be at an end but as it is for euer here so it shall continue for euer in heauen too and that in a farre safer and happier and more glorious estate then euer it did in this world Psal 102.28 Vse 4 The fourth Vse is for discouragement to wicked men and Persecutors in that which they doe against Gods Church What can they doe against it roote it out as many times they say they will No doe they what they can by themselues by their Instruments they can neuer roote it out Let Kings and Rulers and Gentiles and people fret and rage and band themselues together against the Lord and
saued by before the Flood and Noah in the Flood and Abraham before the Law and Dauid vnder the Law and the Apostles whilest Christ was on earth the same saith are we and all the faithfull saued by from Christs ascension till his returne to Iudgement And therefore that is a damnable doctrine that some hold that euery man shall bee saued by his owne Religion whatsoeuer it be if he bee zealous in it no diuers Religions make diuers Churches but there is but one Church to be saued and therefore but one Truth and Religion to be saued by Vse 2 Secondly Is the Church but one Then wee should labour to maintaine the onenesse of the Church to keepe the vnitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace Ephes 4.3 Beware of factions and diuisions either of making or following them for they are the very bane of this onenesse of the Church and take heed of pride and singularitie for that is the common Mother and Nurse of dissensions and rents in the Church and doe not receiue the Word with respect of persons as when one saith I am of Paul another I am of Apollos c. What is Paul and what is Apollos but Ministers by whom yee beleeue They teach one Faith they preach one and the same Christ crucified they haue receiued one and the same ministration therefore embrace them all as one Ministry of one and the same Church What if God bestow diuers gifts on diuers persons and one more excellent then another Wilt thou abuse Gods gifts to the making of rents and factions in the Church No thou must know that thou art bound to profit the more by him that hath more gifts and to glorifie God the more for them and not to dote vpon them and maintaine Sects by them for that is not the end why God giues them but it is the malice of the Diuell that doth thus abuse them to a wrong end Vse 3 Thirdly this reprooues the Papists for they make two Heads and consequently two Churches except they will make a monster of the Church to haue two Heads and but one body Yea but say they the Pope is the Head of the Church in earth I am sure hee is not Head of the Church in heauen and therefore not Head of the Church on earth for they make but one Church and therefore can haue but one Head Some of the Iesuites hauing been pressed with this Argument and not knowing how to answer it haue affirmed that the Pope is Head of the Church in heauen so grosse and blasphemous haue they been So the Turkes and the Iewes that erect Churches of their owne and haue no fellowship with this Church they are not the true Church nor haue any part in this onenesse of the Church and whatsoeuer they are that haue no part in this Church they are none of Gods Church but of the Synagogue of Satan Fourthly this teacheth that difference in matters of circumstance Vse 4 doe not cut off from the true Church but holding one Faith with them wee are still in the vnitie of one Church First difference of states doe not cut off from the true Church though some Churches are greater some smaller though some are in their cradle others in their full age some before Christ others after Christ some purer some impurer yea though some be in heauen triumphing other some in earth fighting yet all are but one Church all are the same Wheate threshed in the floore and laid vp in the Garner and the same Gold digged out of the Mine with some drosse and tried and fined by the fire Secondly difference of times doe not cut off from the true Church before the Law vnder the Law and after the Law the first and the last Churches all are one Thirdly nor the difference of Persons Iewes and Gentiles bond and free male and female poore and rich all are one in Christ Iesus Fourthly nor yet difference of place Ierusalem Antioch Corinth England France Denmarke yea Paradise Earth and Heauen all are but one Church Fifthly nor yet difference of Ceremonies some worshipping at one time and place some in one habit some in another so long as all worship in Spirit and Truth they are but one Church Sixthly no nor yet difference of iudgement in Points not absolutely fundamentall doe not cut off from the true Church so long as all hold Christ Iesus he is the head-corner-stone that knits them all together into one building So much of the onenesse of the Church it selfe The second Note or qualitie of the Church is That it is holy Wee will draw it into an obseruation as wee did the former and that is this Namely That the whole Company of the faithfull both in heauen and in earth are a holy Company and euery part and member thereof is holy 1. Pet. 2.9 They are called a holy nation and in the fift Verse a holy Priesthood And it is said of Ierusalem that it is a holy Citie not that in heauen onely Reuelat. 21.2 but that on earth too Math. 4.5 And in Ephes 5.27 the Church is said to be holy and without blame c. And hence it is that those which are parts and members of the Church are called Saints and Saints on earth as Psal 16.3 And so the whole Congregation is called the Congregation of Saints Psalm 89.5 And their Head and Ruler is the King of Saints and they are not holy in profession onely for so are hypocrites too that are no part of the true Church but they are holy indeede they are truly sanctified therefore the Apostle calls them holy brethren Heb. 3.1 And this Holinesse is partly imputed Heb. 10.10 We are sanctified by the offering of the body of Iesus Christ And Colos 1.21 21. And partly inherent 1. Thess 5.23 Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout c. this is begun here but not perfected till we haue put off this body of sinne Reas 1 The Reasons of this Point are these First God the Father being most holy himselfe he sanctifies his Church and euery member of it and so makes them holy this Christ praies for Ioh. 17.17 sanctifie them with thy truth c. Iude. 1. sanctified of God the Father c. and therefore they are holy Reas 2 Secondly Christ their Head is holy and he sanctifies and makes them holy 1. Cor. 1.2 sanctified in Christ Iesus and in the thirtieth verse he is said to be their sanctification And Eph. 5.25.26 Christ gaue himselfe for his Church that hee might sanctifie it Reas 3 Thirdly the Spirit whereby they are enliuened quickened and ruled is the holy Ghost and he sanctifies them and makes them holy 1. Cor. 6.11 but now yee are sanctified by the Spirit of our God and Rom. 15.16 Fourthly the Word whereby they are gathered and the Reas 4 seed whereby they are begotten is a holy Word 2. Pet. 2.21 It is called the holy Commandement
the faithfull generally dispersed which indeed is plaine in those Epistles of Iames Peter and Iude and in the first Epistle of Iohn but not in the two last Epistles of Iohn they being directed to one single person So that the meaning of the word Catholike Church is generall or vniuersall dispersed farre and wide ouer the face of the whole earth In the Primitiue Church they vsed the name Catholike to be equiualent to the name Christian so that this was an vsuall speech amongst them Christian is my name and Catholike is my Sur-name so that the word is ancient and the right meaning of the word is gathered hence that whereas before Christs comming the Church was nationall containd only in Iury now after Christs comming and ascension both Iewes and Gentiles and all Nations were to receiue the Faith and so to become one generall Church and so it was called Catholike that is generally or vniuersally dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth and so much of the right meaning of the word Thirdly to right the word wee are to consider the common receiued vse of the word It is such as degenerates from the right meaning and first antiquitie of it and yet with construction it is allowable enough The Ancients vsed this word Catholike for true beleeuing as distinguishing from Heretikes and false beleeuing so that Catholike Church was as much to say as a true beleeuing Church and so from the Church to a particular member a Catholike that is no Heretike but a right beleeuer and that speech which was so common in the Primitiue Church Christian is my name and Catholike is my Sur-name shewes that none all that while were called true Catholikes but true Christians Austin hath this saying The very name of Catholike saith he containes me in the lap of the Church that is as if I should say The very name of Christian containes mee within the lap of the Church that is it is one motiue amongst some others to keepe me in the lap of the Church not that the name is sufficient only but I knowing my selfe to be of the true Church one motiue amongst others that containes me in it is the name of Christian c. And this is Austins meaning So you haue seene how this word hath been wronged and how it is righted Now we will here take it in the right meaning and first antiquitie of it and so draw such obseruations as shall fitly follow vpon it which is the third generall Point to bee spoken to Therefore when we say the Catholike Church it intends two things first that the Church is generally dispersed through the world secondly that euery true beleeuer wheresoeuer or whatsoeuer hee is hee is a member of the true Church Wee will draw it into an Obseruation and that is this Doctr. The true Church of God is Catholike or generall extending it selfe to all beleeuing persons of all times and places whatsoeuer That the Church was of all times wee haue shewed before here we are to speake only to this Point that the Church of God is of all persons and places This was so prophesied Ps 72.8 His Dominion shall be from Sea to Sea and from the Riuer to the end of the Land This indeed is typically spoken of Dauid and his Kingdom but it is applyed to Christ and his Kingdome of Grace which is his Church And so this was promised to our Sauiour Christ by his Father Psal 2.8 I will giue thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the vtmost parts of the earth for thy possession What is Christs heritage and possession but the Church but his possession shall reach to the vtmost parts of the earth and therefore his Church must reach as farre to all places and people that beleeue euen to the farthest parts of the earth So likewise our Sauiour himselfe foreshewes it Matth. 8.11 Many shall come from the East and West and sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of Heauen Many shall come that is there shall bee a generall confluence from the East and West that is from all places in the World And what shall they doe They shall sit downe with Abraham c. that is they shall beleeue in Christ as Abraham Isaac and Iacob did and so become members of the same Church of God as they were So yee see how farre the Kingdome of heauen inlargeth it selfe And Ioh. 10.16 Other sheepe I haue also saith our Sauiour which are not of this Fold them also must I bring and they shall heare my Word and there shall be one Sheepfold and one Shepheard Other sheepe I haue let them wander where they will in Deserts or vnknowne Mountaines Faith they haue and therefore sheepe sheepe they are and therefore haue Christ for their Shepheard and his Church the Sheep-fould that they belong to and as hee promiseth to bring them to his sheepe-fould so hee effects first by himselfe Ephes 2.14 He is our peace saith the Apostle which hath made of both one and hath broken the stop of the partition wall the partition wall is pulled downe and now Gentiles and all sorts of people come to bee members of the Church so likewise â—e effects it by his Ministers Mark 16.15 16. Goe yee into all the World and preach the Gospell to euery Creature he that shall beleeue and be baptized shall be saued but he that will not beleeue shall be damned where he both offers meanes of saluation by his Ministers to all Goe and preach the Gospel to euery Creature and blesseth the meanes some shall beleeue and be saued and also associates them all that euer shall beleeue what or wheresoeuer they are to the saued that is to his Church vnto whom onely saluation belongs Psal 3. last Verse I will giue you one particular instance to the Point that the Church is generall of all beleeuing persons and of all places in the case of Cornelius Act. 10.1 12 34 35. he was a Gentile and a Heathen and accounted vncleane yet his prayers and his almes were accepted of God which they could not haue been vnlesse hee had beleeued And Peter in a Vision saw a great sheete let downe from heauen with foure corners which signified the foure quarters of the World and in it were all manner of creeping beasts and the meaning of the Vision was this that God would extend his Church to all parts of the World and bring some of all Nations into it So that the Vision was not onely for Cornelius but generally to signifie that the Church should be of all Nations and so Peter confesseth in these 34. and 35. Verses Of a truth saith he I doe now perceiue that God is no accepter of persons but in euery Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him The Rule is pregnant and precisely to the Point Gal. 3.28 There is neither Iew nor Grecian bond nor free male nor female but ye are all one
is the Husband the Faithfull are his Wife Ephes 5.23 therefore as in the estate of marriage the husband and the wife are one flesh so in the estate of this spirituall marriage Christ and the faithfull are one Ephes 5.30 and 1. Cor. 6.17 Thirdly there are particular reasons for this first on Gods part secondly on Christs part thirdly on our part First on Gods part his election aimed at this communion He chose vs to be made like vnto the Image of his Sonne Rom. 8.29 and 1. Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father vnto sanctification of the Spirit through obedience and sprinckling of the blood of Christ Secondly his Couenant is so Deut. 23.13 that we shall be one with him and he with vs. Thirdly he hath confirmed this by his free gift of Christ to vs and vs to Christ as I shewed before Fourthly the Fountaine of all is his loue to vs God so loued the world that hee hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne c. Fourthly the particular Reason on Christs part is his exceeding great loue towards vs Gal. 2.20 who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me Fifthly there are particular reasons on our part first is our Faith for by Faith we beleeue in him and are ingrafted into him and made partakers of him Heb. 3.14 Secondly we did couenant it in Baptisme and we doe daily renew it that wee will bee one with him Deut. 26.17 18. Thirdly it is confirmed on our parts by gifts we consecrating our selues and all wee haue or are into his power and mercy Fourthly our loue is another reason for that makes it a true vnion where it is truely planted Ephes 3.17 Where loue is linked with Faith Fifthly our necessitie so requires it for we cannot bring forth any good fruit except we be and abide in Christ Ioh. 15.4 The meanes of this communion which is betwixt Christ and the Faithfull is first the Spirit secondly the Word thirdly the Sacraments 1. Cor. 10.16 The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ c. The Vses of this Point are these First here is matter of Vse 1 reproofe against the Papists that hold the communion of the Church one with and vnder the Pope affirming that we haue no communion with Christ vnlesse first wee haue communion with the Pope they acknowledge that at the second hand we haue a communion with Christ but mediately by the Pope he being the Vicar of Christ and the ministeriall head but the Scripture you see is cleare that the true communion the faithfull haue is in and with Iesus Christ Rom. 12.5 and the Apostles had a communion with Christ when there was no Pope Yea but say they Christ is not present with vs now in earth but the Pope he is the Head of the Church on earth and except we haue fellowship and communion with him wee can haue none with our Head in heauen I answer though Christ bee absent in body yet hee hath left vs his substitute that is his Spirit which is his true deputie of his owne appointing and not the Pope as Ioh. 14.16 17. and Ioh. 16.7 and he alone it is that workes this vnion making vs one with Christ and Christ one with vs. 1. Cor. 6.17 The second Vse is to teach vs what a blessed estate Vse 2 Gods Children are aduanced to they haue Communion and fellowship with Iesus Christ they are fellowes yea fellow-heires with him in grace here and glory hereafter And heere is our Patent Royall vnder the broad Seale of Heauen and Earth for our Interest that we haue in God because we partake with Christ Iesus the Sonne of God and therfore we must needs partake with God and haue Communion with him too So likewise for the promises of God by this I know I haue right and interest in all the promises of God because wee are his and hee is ours in whom they are all yea and Amen 2. Cor. 1.20 So likewise wee haue right and Interest into all his Offices Kingdome Priesthood and Prophecy and all the benefits of the same Iustification Sanctification Saluation yea our full and finall glorification because wee are his and hee and all his is ours Heere likewise is our answer and generall Acquittance against all the pleadings of Sinne Satan Death Hell Damnation Law Iustice and accusing Conscience here is our Answer to them all I am Christs and hee is mine and therefore if you haue any thing to say against me goe to him hee will answer for me nay hee hath answered for mee already and therefore ye can haue nothing against mee that can hurt mee there is no Condemnation to mee for I am in Christ Iesus So likewise we see here on the contrary what a miserable and fearefull case all others are in that are out of the true Church whether they bee of no Church or a false Church whether not yet assembled or cut off and that either by withdrawing themselues or else cast iustly out for being without the Church they are without Christ and being without Christ they are without God and so without life and without hope and without comfort and without grace and saluation yea they are the very prey and slaues of sinne and the Diuell and eternall confusion as hauing no priuiledge nor barre against them specially if they bee such as persecute the Church Vse 3 The third Vse is for examination to teach vs to examine ourselues hereby whether wee bee of the Church or no. Doth Christ Iesus liue in thee by his Spirit Art thou ioyned to him Doest thou beleeue in him obey him submit thy selfe to his ordinances and directions Doth thy heart tell thee vpon good ground that thou art one with him and he with thee then thou art one of the Church then thou art a chosen vessell else thou art but a Reprobate 2. Cor. 13.5 proue your selues whether ye are in the saith saith the Apostle Examine your selues know ye not your owne selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye bee Reprobates The Papists not feeling this Communion with Christ that hee is in them as none can feele it by their Doctrine cannot bee in the estate of Grace for wheresoeuer it is surely it may bee felt by the Spirituall man Fourthly this teacheth vs that if wee haue fellowship Vse 4 with Christ then wee must looke for afflictions while wee liue here We must be like our Head If we looke to haue fellowship with him in his gloâ—y we must also haue fellowship with him in his afflictioâ—s Phil. 3.10 It is impossible that we should Communicate with him in the sweet but that we must taste of the sowre also though indeed afflictions are not sowre but to the outward man they are sweet to the inward man the spirituall man reioyceth in affliction because they bâ—ing forth the sweet fruit of Righteousnesse Heb.
12.11 Therefore as we looke to bee partakers with Christ in his glory so let vs partake with him in his afflictions and these afflictions shall tend to our greater glory Lastly here is matter of Comfort to vs in our hearing Vse 5 Reading and Repeating of Gods Word and in our prayers and all other our good endeauours because Christ Communicates with vs in them helping directing and quickning vs in the performance of them couering the infirmities of them dignifying presenting and making them acceptable before God Here likewise is comfort to vs in all our sufferings What if we suffer persecution and affliction Let vs know that Christ partakes in them and therefore they are sanctified vnto vs and also they are regarded of God with commiseration as the sufferings of Christ and they are already ouercome by his sufferings and therefore seeing they are regarded of God as the sufferings of Christ Act. 9.4 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me saith our Sauiour and seeing he doth so pitie vs in them how can wee but looke for a good end of them Let vs therefore comfortably suffer with Christ bearing his markes vpon vs here that so we may Reigne with him in glory hereafter The sixth Lecture of the Church THe fourth qualitie whereby the Church is described in that Article of the Creed concerning the Church is that it is called a communion of Saints which carries a double sense and imports a double communion one with Christ the Head the other with the members Of that which passeth betwixt the members and Christ the Head you haue heard already now in the next place wee are to speake of the communion the members haue one with another It is here aduisedly to bee recalled to minde what Church it is that we here speake of that is the Church of chosen men both in heauen and earth for so it was propounded to be spoken to in the entrance vpon this Point and secondly euery one of these sixe adiuncts in that Article of the Creed concerning the Church agreeth to each both to the chosen men in heauen as well as to the chosen men on earth For first the Church of chosen men in heauen is one with that on earth secondly they are holy also though not in a truer sense yet in a higher degree for they haue attained to the perfection of that holinesse which these on earth haue but in a small measure Thirdly they are Catholike too as well as we consisting of all Nations People and Kinreds as Reuel 7.9 Fourthly they in heauen haue a communion with Christ their Head as well as we on earth and that in a more speciall manner then we haue for Christ is present with them not onely by his Spirit as hee is with vs but also hee is bodily present with them which wee doe not yet enioy therefore they haue a more speciall communion with him then wee yet haue Fifthly they haue a communion with vs and wee with them so farre as is agreeing and fitting to both our estates Sixthly they also are knowne onely to God and to themselues and not certainly to any else and this also in a further sense to them then to vs because they know it not onely particularly euery one of himselfe as we doe but generally they know that all there amongst them are members which amongst vs is nothing so wee know but euery one for himselfe to be a member So we see that these sixe adiuncts agree to the Church of chosen men in heauen as well as on earth yea further most of these agree to the elect Angels too for they haue an vnitie amongst themselues and so are one also they are holy and so like wise they hauing Christ to be their Head as we haue no doubt but they haue a communion with Christ and Christ with them and when our Sauiour saith Luk. 15.10 that they reioyce ouer a sinner that is conuerted it is plaine that they haue a communion with vs also But because the Article saith a communion of Saints not of Angels therfore we will restraine it to holy men and not extend it to the holy Angels And further we must vnderstand that howsoeuer all these may bee truly affirmed of the Saints in heauen as well as on earth yet because they are more sensible in earthly Saints then in heauenly therefore they are most vsually affirmed and generally vnderstood of those on earth These things thus premised to set the article vpright in its own due sense and vnderstanding specially in this fifth adiunct because we shall haue speciall vse of it wee proceede now to the Point We will draw it into an Obseruation and that is this Doctr. The whole Church of God and all the parts and members of it haue a mutuall Communion and fellowship one with another For proofe of this point I will omit such places that proue both this and the former Communion as Rom. 12.5 and 1. Ioh. 1.3 and I will come to such particular places as proue this point Psal 122.3 Ierusalem is built as a City that is compact together in it selfe Wee must vnderstand that Dauid speakes here as a Prophet and vnder the Law somewhat darkely and vnder a shadow The substance is this the Citie is the Church of God Ierusalem the spirituall and heauenly Ierusalem the building that is the laying together of these liuing stones that is the faithfull into this liuing Church compact together c. there is the fellowship that they haue and do exercise one towards another So that the meaning is this The whole Church of God is a liuing Citie consisting of liuing stones and they are compact together they doe yeeld mutually that helpe and good one to another which they can And so is this shadow plainely now reuealed vnder the light of the Gospell as wee may see Ephes 2.21 22. In whom all the building coupled together groweth vnto an holy Temple in the Lord. In whom yee also are built together to bee the habitation of God by the Spirit All the building that is the whole company of the faithfull are coupled together that is fast linked and ioyned together one with another in goodly order and proportion groweth to an holy Temple that is make vp one Church or Temple not materiall but spirituall as Vers 22. for God to dwell in by his Spirit and this the Ephesians particularly had experience in In whom yee also are built together to be the habitation of God by the Spirit And 1. Iohn 1.7 If we walke in the light as hee is in the light we haue fellowship one with another Here this Communion is in plaine termes named and expressed Who are they that walke in the light but the faithfull onely that are in Christ Who is the light of the World Whosoeuer are such there is a mutuall fellowship and Communion betwixt them The Point is large and therefore requires a large explication and also it is a Point
a difference betwixt one and the same Church in one respect and betwixt the same Church in another respect We considered of it as it was distinguished in three respects First in respect of the bounds and compasse of it and so we shewed that there was a generall and a particular Church Of the generall we had before spoken of the particular we were hereafter to speake when wee come to speake of the visible Church Secondly it was considered in respect of the seuerall portions and states allotted to vs and that was twofold the first in this world which is a fight or warfare the second is in the world to come which is a Crowne or Triumph In the first respect the Church is called the Church Militant In the second the Church Triumphant of this we spake the last time Now we are to speake of the diuision of the Church in the third respect And that is in respect of the outward state of it in this world and so it is visible and sometime seene vnto the world and inuisible sometime not seene to the world The Church of God doth sometime attaine to such a flourishing prosperous estate in this world as that first her members are many in number secondly they haue an outward forme of setled Gouernment thirdly their Religion is countenanced at least not violently opposed by the State and Authority where they liue Fourthly they make open profession of their faith and Religion Fiftly they haue publike and solemne Assemblies at ordinary and seasonable times and in due and conuenient place where the Ministers teach the Word and where the people heare the Word preached and where the Sacraments are administred and Discipline executed at least in some measure and that without danger and without prohibition I say the Church doth oft-times attaine to this state euen in this world and then it is called visible On the other side sometimes it is brought to such a low and distressed estate that scarce any of these are found there but rather all quite contrary First their number is small secondly they haue no such outward forme of gouernment setled amongst them at least not so exercised as that thereby the world should take notice of them that they are such a holy Society thirdly they and their Religion is distasted disgraced derided hated and persecuted euen to the very death Fourthly their profession is secret Fiftly their assemblies and meetings for Religious exercises are seldome or none at all or at least very priuate at such vncertaine times and in such priuy and close places as they can light vpon and that are best and fittest for their owne safety Lastly they are depriued and debarred of the publike vse of the ministry of the word and of the Sacraments and discipline And in this case it is called an Inuisible Church So you see in generall how the state stands between the Church visible and inuisible Now we are to speake of them in particular First of the Church inuisible The Church of God is said to be inuisible in these fiue Senses First it is inuisible because it is not seene nor acknowledged by the men of the world neither is it possibly to be discerned by the sense of the naturall man but whosoeuer sees it and knows it to be the Church of God must haue a better light then that of nature Secondly it is inuisible in respect of the inward graces it is endued withall as their Election Faith c. for these are not visible at all and so it is inuisible euen then when it is most visible Thirdly it is inuisible in this sense because the greatest and chiefest part of it is in heauen and so not to be seene by mans eye Fourthly the Church is inuisible in this respect because that Congregation that professe themselues to be the true Church of God are indeed sometimes no better then the very Synagogue of Satan such as ouerthrow the foundation and persecute that which is the true Church of God indeede and so vpon Tryall proues a false Church and so makes the true Church inuisible not to bee seene of men whiles the false Church intertaines mens eyes and thoughts doting vpon her deluding them and blearing and dazelling their sight they cannot nor do not looke after any other and so the right and true Church lies hidden from their sight euen as the painted Harlot carries away mens eyes from beholding the modest Spouse So while men dote vpon the painted shewes of a false Church they cannot behold the true Lastly the Church is inuisible in this sense because though there bee some true professours yet there is no publike profession at all or else it is very secret so that there is no certaine outward Testimonies whereby it may bee knowne to be the true Church In these fiue respects the Church may bee said to bee inuisible Marke this well for herein stands the difference betwixt vs and the Papists The Church say they must be so notoriously visible that there must be a great number of them and they must make open profession of their Faith and must carry themselues so as that euery man and woman may know that they are the Church and that euery one may know which is the true Church whereunto hee is to ioyne himselfe Opposite to this we say the Church is sometimes inuisible in these respects before set downe So howsoeuer there may bee alwaies a Church yet it cannot bee alwaies so notoriously knowne to all the world Further we must consider that the Church doth somtime signifie the vniuersall Company of Gods chosen in heauen and in earth sometime onely the Company of Beleeuers on earth When it signifies the vniuersall Company of Gods chosen in heauen and earth in this sense it is simply inuisible and that both actually that is it is not seene and also potentially that is it cannot be seene as in the first second and third senses we haue shewed For first neither can the naturall man see them nor secondly can their graces be seene neither thirdly can the greatest and chiefest part of them be seene being already in heauen Secondly when the Church signifies the company of Beleeuers on earth it is inuisible either simply or after a sort simply and so there is no Church on earth inuisible but in the first and second senses onely or else after a sort that is as opposed to famous visiblenesse generally pretended by the Papists namely that there is a great multitude alwaies openly professing the true Religion and that in such outward shew state and carriage that it is or may bee generally knowne to bee the true Church and that any faithfull man may point with his finger to such a Congregation and say boldly This is the true Church and so may see and know which is that holy Society amongst men where he may safely and where he must ioine himself for his saluation And in this sense that
is as opposite to the Popish Church the true Church is sometimes though not alwayes inuisible which is partly in the Fourth and Fifth senses aboue specified So that the Church euen then when it is after a sort inuisible is also after a sort visible too that is it is inuisible because it is not easie and plaine to be discerned and visible because it is discerned by some though hardly and so consequently those Papists that make the visiblenes of the Church to be somtimes such that it can hardly be knowne agree with vs in the thing directly though they differ in the phrase and manner of Speech Now I will giue you some generall aduertisements here concerning the Church inuisible and visible whereby you may the better conceiue and vnderstand the whole busines first you must know that the Church inuisible is the whole company of Gods chosen in heauen and earth whether they be called or to be called whether they doe professe the Truth or whether they doe not yet professe it for Gods chosen which are not yet called nor doe not yet professe the truth are of the inuisible Church too as I haue heretofore shewed Secondly the vniuersall visible Church is the whole company of knowne professors on earth The differences betwixt the vniuersall inuisible Church and the vniuersall visible Church are these following 1. The inuisible conteines all good Wheate without chaffe 1. The visible conteines good and bad Wheate and chaffe together 2. The inuisible is partly in heauen 2. The visible onely on earth 3. The inuisible is of all times and places from the beginning to the end of the world 3. The visible is onely of certaine times and places asunder 4. The inuisible hath many sheepe belonging to it that are not yet brought into the fold 4. The visible hath many within the fold that professe to bee sheepe yet indeed are Wolues 5. Against the inuisible the Gates of hell shall neuer preuaile 5. Against the visible they may and doe preuaile in a sore measure sometimes vtterly rooting it out in some particular places as we see in the Churches of Ephesus and the second and third Chapter of the Reuelation They may preuaile against the visible Church to the horrible defiling and destroying of them But so they cannot do against the inuisible Church for that is out of their Reach The second aduertisement is this That the inuisible Church on earth is the whole Company of Gods chosen liuing in the world whether professing or not professing the truth whereof though some parts bee visible that is such as make open profession yet all cannot be seene Or more particularly it is a company of faithfull or professors for this being partly visible may haue Hipocrites in it euen whole hundreds that make profession of sauing faith yet so secretly either by reason of the fewnesse of their number or feare of persecution or the timorousnesse of their nature that they can hardly be discerned to be such So that one and the same Church may be visible and inuisible at once visible as making some profession that may be and is seene to some and yet inuisible too as not making that open profession that publike notice may be taken of it yea one and the same man may be a member of the Church visible and of the Church inuisible at once of the visible as his profession being partly seene and of the inuisible that is of the vniuersall Church as his Election faith and other inward graces are not seene The third aduertisment is that those that are of the Church both visible and inuisible are therefore saued not so much because they are of the visible Church for then all of that Church should be saued which is not so but because they are of the inuisible Church too for there is none of that that is of the inuisible vniuersall Church but are and shal be saued So likewise a man may bee no member either of the visible or inuisible and yet hee is not damned because he is not of the visible but because he is not of the inuisible vniuersall Church The fourth Aduertisement is this How we are to vnderstand some things that are affirmed of the Church in the Scripture for it is spoken of in diuers senses in the Scripture as first some things are affirmed of the visible Church onely which cannot be vnderstood of the inuisible as that in Matth. 13.47 48. where the Kingdome of heauen that is the visible Church is compared to a Net which gathereth both good and bad fish for the inuisible vniuersall Church containing onely the Elect hath no bad fishes in it Againe some things are affirmed of the inuisible Church onely which cannot be affirmed of the visible Church as that in Cant. 4.7 Thou art all faire my Loue and there is no spot in thee No visible Church but hath many spots therefore this is to be vnderstood of the inuisible onely And so likewise that which I haue spoken of heretofore that they are knowne onely to God and themselues is to bee vnderstood of the inuisible Church onely Againe some things of both and that in many respects First some things which are principally spoken of the visible Church are abusiuely applied to the inuisible vniuersall Church the whole taking denomination of the greater part as Matth. 8.12 The children of the kingdome shall be cast out This is spoken principally of the visible Church of the Iewes that should be cast off and yet is applied abusiuely to the inuisible to the children of the Kingdome whereas none of them can be cast off but shall certainely bee saued So Reuel 3.1 4. in the first Verse the Lord saith to the Church of Sardy Thou hast a name that thou liuest but art dead Here is a dead Church yet in the fourth Verse the Lord saith Thou hast a few names in Sardy which haue not defiled their garments c. Here is a liuing Church how is this to bee vnderstood This is spoken principally of the visible Church that it is a dead Church but is abusiuely applyed to the inuisible Church which was amongst them the whole taking denomination of the greater part And Rom. 10.21 compared with Rom. 11.1 In the tenth Chapter and last verse Israel is said to be a disobedient and gainsaying people In the eleuenth Chapter and first Verse they are said to bee Gods people which is to be vnderstood as the place before Some things are principally affirm'd of the inuisible Church but analogically are applyed to the visible Church as the whole taking denomination from the better part As for example If I come into the Barne and see a heape of Corne among the chaffe I may say truly It is a heape of Corne though the most of it be chaffe naming it from the better part And in this sense when the visible Church receiueth her denomination from the better part the Church may bee called the Body of Christ
Apostle speakes of that Church wherein was the vse of the Word and of the Sacrament of Baptisme as we may see in the 26. verse which are onely in vse in the visible Church And in Colos 1.18 there is Christ the head of his Church and there is the Church the body of Christ Now the Apostle speakes of that Church whereof hee was a Minister as we may see vers 25. which is a visible Church And that it may appeare that these Collections are not strained against the meaning of the holy Ghost you shall find that the Apostle in the 1 Cor. 12.27 speaking to the visible particular Church of Corinth saith plainely Yee are the body of Christ and so intends necessarily that Christ is the head of that particular visible Church And as it was with the Church of Corinth so it is too with all true visible Churches else Reuel 1.13 there the head and the body is described together there was the seuen golden Candlesticks the seuen particular visible Churches and there was also the Son of Man walking in the midst of them that is Christ the head of them And no question but the Iewish Church in the former Testament was Christs Spouse and so Christ was her Husband and consequently her Head for how often did God threaten to cast them off and to giue them a Bill of Diuorce shewing thereby that hee was the Head euen of their visible Church then much more of our particular visible Churches so that Christ proportionably is the Head of a true visible Church The Reasons of the Obseruation are these first Christ Reas 1 liuing vpon the earth was of the visible Church but not as an inferiour or a member for then some other visible member must be his head which is impossible therefore while he liued vpon earth he was the head of the visible Church Now what he was he is he was so then and therefore he is so now Secondly all power is giuen to Christ both in heauen Reas 2 and earth Matth. 28.18 and he is the head of all principalities and powers Colos 2.10 And in what respect is he the head of all but that he might be the head of the Church as the very reason is implyed Ephes 1.22 And hath made all things subiect vnder his feet and hath appointed him ouer all things Why to be the head of his Church And this is that we meane in that Article of our Faith when wee say I beleeue that Iesus Christ sits at the right hand of God that is that hee hath power giuen him to rule ouer all things specially ouer his Church to rule and gouerne it and to conuey all good things to it as the head to the body Reas 3 Thirdly he giues life to the members and holds all the body together Col. 2.19 and Ephes 4.15 16. therefore he is the head of the body Reas 4 Fourthly the Church is guided by the Lawes of Christ both for doctrine and manners therefore he must needs be the head of the Church Reas 5 Fifthly he is the Sauiour of the Church Ephes 5.23 and therfore he is the head of his Church for it is the office of the head to defend and to see to the safety of the whole body Reas 6 Sixthly he is the onely vanquisher of all the Churches Enemies and he doth so vanquish them as that he himselfe is freed from Satans and all other enemies harmes Ioh. 14.30 The Prince of this World commeth and hath naught in me yea he breakes the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 And in the Reuelation there is Michael and his Angels fighting with the Dragon and his Angels and they ouercome them Now Christ is this Michael that ouercommeth the Diuell and all the enemies of his Church therefore he is the head of his Church Reas 7 Seuenthly he giues the Spirit to his Church therefore he must needes be the head of his Church and hee giues the Spirit not onely in regard of ministeriall duties as Iohn 20.22 where he breathed on the Apostles and said Receiue the holy Ghost but also in regard of sanctification and inward graces as Act. 2.4 this he doth for euer Eph. 4.11 12. Now it is the head that conueyes Spirit and motion to the body Therfore seeing euery visible Church receiues the Spirit from Christ then he must needs be the head of them Reas 8 Eighthly and lastly hee is the King the Husband the Shepheard the eldest Brother or first borne of the Church therfore the head of the Church So much for the Reasons Vse 1 The vses are these The first Vse is matter of Refutation against the Popish Church for this is a maine point of difference betwixt vs and the Church of Rome Wee say and haue proued it that Christ is the head of the visible Church they say the Pope is the head of it and as they meane it it is worse than it seemes to be for therein they affirme a double blasphemy against God and giue two maine blowes to Iesus Christ to cut him off from being head to his Church at least they take his Crowne from his head And this they doe first in regard of the Body the Church secondly in regard of the Head Christ First in regard of the Church for they say the Pope is the head not of the Church of Rome onely for that were tolerable if hee would content and containe himselfe within his owne Diocesse neither would we much contend with him about his Bishopricke But he lookes high and gapes wide and saith like his lying father the Diuell All is mine that he is the head of the vniversall Church through the world A proud challenge easie to be made but impossible that it should bee maintained You see that it is proued to be Christs due only by right to be head of the visible Church if then the Pope wil be head either he must take it from Christ against his will and so he is plaine Antichrist as indeed and in truth he is or else he must haue it by Christs grant and this he pretends to be his Title But first he hath it not by Christs grant for Christ neuer gaue him any such matter for many hundred yeares after Christs ascension this headship of the Popes was neuer heard of Yea but say they he gaue it to Peter and so to the Pope I answer No Christ gaue it not to Peter nor yet euer meant to giue it him much lesse to the Pope First hee gaue it not to Peter for the places which they alleage to proue this point serue nothing to this purpose as Matth. 16.19 Whatsoeuer thou shalt binde on earth is bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shal be loosed in heauen This is spoken equally to all the rest of the Apostles as well as vnto Peter Ioh. 20.23 Whosoeuer sinnes ye remit they are remitted c. Where now is the headship of Peter ouer the whole
the Church he is to labour with his owne hands to satisfie his necessitie but yet when there is a competent state in the people they are to ease him of that labor and of their estates to releeue his wants as the Philippians did by the Apostle Paul Phil. 4.10 11. where the Apostle reioyceth for the care which they had in ministring to him And surely the people lose nothing by this for when the Ministers are thus prouided for they giue themselues wholly to their callings without let to study for the good of the people whereas else they bee driuen to prouide for themselues it will be with them as it was with the Israelites vnder the hands of the cruell Taskmasters in Egypt they must be seeking straw while they should bee making brick to build withall they must be seeking after the pelfe of this world while they should be building Gods house And they that neglect this duty are empty of all Religion both for piety to God whose Ministers they are and for charitie to themselues and their brethren because they do not straine themselues to relieue the wants of such as by Gods Ordinance they are most bound vnto and which doe spend themselues and their time for others good and saluation So much of the third point for duties and workes of mercy and charity The fourth point is the censures of the Church the proceeding against offendors For seeing in all Churches there are still some that walke inordinately some course of necessity must bee taken against them that the Church may bee disburdened either of their persons or of their sinnes And hence it is that our Sauiour himselfe takes precise order for this matter Matth. 18.15 c. And the Apostle chargeth this Duty on the Thessalonians with great authority 2 Thess 3.6 We warne you brethren in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you withdraw your selues from euery Brother that walketh inordinately And hee is grieuously offended with the Corinthians that they did not proceed accordingly with all seuerity against the incestuous Person 1 Cor. 55. And the Reasons for such proceedings are very weighty First no Gouerment I say not onely can bee good but can stand where malefactors are not punished much lesse can the Gouernment of the Church where sinne is specially to bee hated preuented and suppressed Secondly where knowne sinne is not punished there the state and Gouernment is reputed accessary to that sinne now what a scandall is it to Gods Religion and Church to bee accounted fauourers or sparers of any sinne which they must bee if offendors bee not punished Thirdly offendors must bee punished else there is danger of infecting the whole Congregation so saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.6 A little leauen leaueneth the whole lâ—mpe therefore the old and sowre leauen is to be purged forth Fourthly in regard of the offendor himselfe Censures must bee had in the Church that so the flesh may bee thereby destroyed and his soule saued and so Gods mercies glorified in the conuerting a penitent Sinner by his sauing Ordinances 1 Cor. 5.5 But if hee continue obstinate his punishment here is but the beginning of his tormented State in hell and the decreee of Gods Reprobation is begun to bee executed vpon him and so the Lord is glorified in iudgement in the middest of his Church in the confusion of his enemies Now these proceedings consist in many particulars for the Church is mercifull euen as their heauenly Father is mercifull they delight not in the death of sinners but rather that they should bee conuerted and liue and therefore they attempt all meanes of cure first before they proceed in cutting off And yet they are iust too as God their Father is iust and therefore when gracious and mild meanes doe not preuaile they proceede to rougher courses First therefore there must bee priuate admonition betwixt him and thee or two or three more so our Sauiour commands Matth. 18.15 16. Secondly if hee will not heare complaint must be made to the Church as in vers 17. which as I take it is that noting out by Letter which the Apostle speakes of in 2 Thes 2.14 Thirdly consequently if hee will not heare the Church separate from him haue no Company with him as the Apostle speakes in that 2 Thes 3.14 And this is it also which the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 5.9 I wrote vnto you that you should not company with fornicators this is a suspending of them for a time from the Sacraments and from Communion in holy things till the Church had triall whether thereby they would bee brought to Repentance Fourthly if this will not preuaile what must be done then Why if they cannot cure they must cut off hee must bee deliuered vp to Satan indeed so the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 5.5 and 1 Tim. 1.20 and that which the Church doth in this case the Lord ratifies in heauen Matth. 18.18 Whosoeuer they bind on earth is bound in heauen yet so too that vpon his Repentance they can and must and doe most willingly loose them from those bandes of Satan wherein they wrapped him before This is a most serious and weighty duty to bee performed in the Church of God but how grieuously it is both neglected and abused it is a shame to speake of that any that professe themselues to bee of the Church of God and haue power in their hands to execute these censures should yet neglect them these being the onely meanes to reclaime or cast off the obstinate when imprisonment and all other waies will not serue So also it is abused by those vpon whom it is inflicted they deriding it and making but a iest of it as if they were neuer the further from heauen for all that and surely it may be they are not because they were neuer neere it Well whosoeuer they be that abuse it let them know that it is Gods owne pretious and holy Ordinance and therefore not to bee dallied in nor basely esteemed yea it is Gods owne worke and doing where it is lawfully proceeded in and it is ratified by him in heauen and where it is abused God will bee auenged on the abusers to the full It is true that the Curse causelesse as Salomon speakes is like the flying of a Bird in the Aire it leaues no impression behind it and in this case God derides it from heauen and it is their fearefull sinne that inflict it But when it is iustly suffered it is the heauiest stroke that can light vpon man in this life either from God or man The sword of the Magistrate is nothing to this that onely depriuing vs of temporall life this of eternall life a wounded Conscience which is an intolerable Burthen to them that haue â—elâ— it is nothing to this For a man sometimes in that case can pray for himselfe or if he cannot pray for himselfe yet he may and must and is prayed for by the Congregation These are neither in case
these priuiledges are Surely they are more greater then can be spoken or vnderstood yet because though we doe enioy them they are not such a comfort to vs except we know them Therfore I will labour to giue you some tast of them They are of two sorts some are humane that are granted by men and some are diuine granted by God himselfe First some are humane granted by men as by Kings and Emperours Councels and States either politicke or Ecclesiasticke yea somtimes by Heathenish States as well as Christian for somtime God stirred vp Heathen men to be beneficiall to his Church these priuiledges were outward either of their persons from war or of their goods from taxes or the places consecrat to religious vses were freed from arrests such like hence came priuiledged places But these as they came from men so there is no such excellency nor comfort in them they were intended only or chiefly to Churchmen as they call them that is the clergy But yet euen in these things let vs obserue Gods loue to his Church for as it was the Lord that gaue Israel fauour in the sight of the Egyptians that they gaue them their iewels c. Exod. 11.3 so it was the Lord that inlarged the hearts of those Princes States to be beneficial to his Church but the priuiledges we seek are much more material excellent and are cōmon to the whole Church people as well as ministers these are diuine priuiledges granted immediatly by God himselfe And these are of diuers sort generally they are of two sorts The Church of God is priuiledged partly in respect of others and partly in respect of themselues In respect of others they are priuiledged First in regard of their friends whom God blesseth for them and also in regard of their enemies whom God curseth for their sakes as in Gen. 12.3 I will blesse them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee Yea they are priuiledged in respect of the world it selfe whose substance standards they are Isay 6.13 It was made and is preserued continued altered and shall bee destroyed for their sakes As it was a great Priuiledge of the Arke of God that where it entred and was well esteemed and vsed as it was in the house of Obed Edom the place and persons were blessed by it where it was not worthily esteemed as amongst the Phylistims they were accursed by it So it is a great priuiledge to the Church that they that are friends vnto it are blessed by it at least in outward things and that they that are Enemies to it are cursed and plagued for it Secondly they are priuiledged chiefly in respect of themselues whereby they fared the better in their owne persons And these Priuiledges are of two sorts some concerne their outward and temporall estate others concerne their inward and spirituall estate First some concerne their outward and temporall estate as first protection and defence against Aduersaries Isay 4.5 6. there the Church is called the Glory and there is a promise of vniuersall Protection to it so also defence from ordinary Euills that befall others as Psal 91. and likewise they are priuiledged in regard of victory ouer their enemies as Psal 149. verse the last That they may execute vpon them the Iudgement that is written This Honour shall bee to all his Saints Last of all the continuance of the very outward being of the Church through all Ages to the worlds end is a Priuiledge to it as in Psal 46.5.6 the Prophet saith God is in the middst of it therefore it shall not bee mooued Let the world doe what it will yet it cannot depriue the Church of the outward being of it it may waxe and wane as the Moone doth yet as that hath alwayes a being so shall the Church euer bee These are temporall Priuiledges The second sort are such as concerne our spirituall and eternall estate and they also are of two sorts such as are common to all the members of the Church Hypocrites as well as true Beleeuers as the vse and profession of the Word Sacraments Prayer Fasting Gifts of the ministry Profession of the Gospell Knowledge of Gods Will and outward conformitie and obedience thereto as also Historicall and temporary Faith and some tast of heauenly things Heb. 6.2 and such other common gifts of the Spirit These in the godly tend to their eternall good but in the wicked and reprobate to their eternall condemnation Secondly such as are proper to Beleeuers onely as the Spirit of Adoption and such like and these are also of two sorts First matters of present possession secondly matters of future certainty First matters of present possession and they consist of diuers kinds First wee are priuiledged in respect of God Secondly in respect of the Creatures Thirdly in respect of Gods ordinary dealings in the world Fourthly in respect of the workes hee doth for vs Fiftly in regard of the graces hee workes in vs Sixtly in respect of the comfort hee impartes to vs And lastly in regard of the liberty he giues vs. First they are priuiledged in respect of God hee is theirs and they are his God the Father is their Father Master and Preseruer they are his Children Creatures and Charge Iesus Christ is their Head they are his members hee is their husband they are his Spouse hee is their Sauiour they are his redeemed hee is their Aduocate they are his Clyents hee hee is their Sheepherd they are his Sheepe yea they in some sort are one with him and hee with them so likewise the holy Ghost he is their master they are his Schollers he is their Leader they are his followers he is their Counsellour they are his Clients he is their Sanctifier they are his Temple hee is their Quickner they are his frame and workemanship to a new Creature Yea the whole blessed Trinitie doe most graciously concurre by their personall Actions in euery part of our Saluation here is a singular priuiledge if we had no more but only this it were enough to stirre vs vp to glorifie God and to comfort vs against all our present afflictions how truely then may we say with the Prophet Psal 144. last Blessed are the people that are in such a case yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. Secondly we are priuiledged in respect of the Creatures the holy Angels are seruants and attendants vpon the Church they are ministring Spirits sent forth for their sakes The Saints in Heauen acknowledge vs to bee Members of their Body the Catholique Church and doe instantly desire the full accomplishment of our saluation that they and we may be perfected together The Saints on earth loue vs pray for vs reioyce at our good sorrow at our harmes The wicked of the world oftentimes reuerence and admire vs for our holinesse and the good things wee haue though otherwise we be most odious to them
may erre And how can the Papists maintaine their doubting of saluation with the not errring of the Church yes say they though wee know what wee are now members of the true Church and therefore in the state of saluation yet wee are not sure what wee shall be whether wee shall continue so or not but yet then they confesse that there is assurance of saluation for the time present though not for the time to come and how also can they maintaine the falling away of the faithfull with the not erring of the Church For the faithfull are chosen of God but some of these that are of a visible Church are only called If then the chosen faithfull may fall away then those that are onely called much more yes saith Hosius Euery particular member may fall away but the whole Church cannot but I answer that the only bar to stay men from finall falling away is the decree of Gods election which is tyed no more to all the Church in generall then it is to euery man in particular but they retort this on vs you say they deny the finall falling away of the faithfull and yet affirme the finall falling away of the Church and yet also you call the Church the company of the faithfull I answer when wee say the faithfull cannot fall away for euer wee vnderstand the chosen faithfull But when we say the Church may fall away we meane only the faithfull by profession and by calling only not by election when we say that the Church is the company of the faithfull wee vnderstand it properly of the whole members not of any visible congregation and for that which they obiect that the Church cannot erre because the Church is the Spouse of Christ the Piller and ground of truth and because it hath the promise of the spirit to this I answer that these do belong properly to the whole militant Church not to any particular visible Church but onely by proportion that is so far forth as the faithfull and chosen are found in it But notwithstanding this promise of the Spirit they may sinne and therefore they may erre too for Gods Kingdome is the Kingdome of righteousnesse as well as of truth and that holy Ghost is the Spirit of grace against sinne as well as the spirit of truth against error he is a sanctifier as well as an inlightener And so much shall serue concerning the first doubt and question whether the Church may erre or no. The second matter of doubt is concerning the necessity of being a member of the Church if euer wee will attaine saluation And hence ariseth this question whether any may be saued out of the Church or no For this is one singular prerogatiue of the Church that whosoeuer is of it is in the state of Saluation and whosoeuer is out of it is in the state of Damnation To this question I answer that if we vnderstand it of the inward communion of the faith of the Church that is of the chosen it is simply true that without the Church there is no saluation at all And so also if we vnderstand it of the outward Communion in the profession of faith with the Church that is of the called it is true also that ordinarily and vsually without the Church there is no saluation So that it is true properly of the whole Militant Church and yet it extends to the visible thus far that if a man be where there is a visible Church if he ioyne not with it ordinarily he cannot be saued Doct. Take then the obseruation thus that Without the Church there is no saluation vnderstand it properly of the Church Militant but proportionably of the Church visible Esay 60.1.2 3. as there was light in Goshen when all Egypt beside was in darknesse so is there light and saluation in the Church when the whole world besides is in darknesse and the estate of Damnation And as all that were not in the Arke perished in the floud so they that are not of the Church cannot be saued but must needes perish with the world and that which the ancient fathers say is true that they which haue not the Church for their mother haue not God for their father and surely they that are not of the Kingdome of heauen here on earth shall neuer be of that Kingdome which is in heauen The reasons are these First the Church is the fold Reas 1 they that are not within this fold are no sheepe neither haue they Christ to be their Shepheard Secondly Election the promise of grace Christ himselfe Reas 2 the holy Spirit sauing Faith Holinesse Righteousnesse the vse of the meanes all these are onely in the Church and are no where else to be found Therefore they which are not in the Church can haue no part in these and so can haue no part in saluation The vses are these first this teacheth vs to labour to be Vse 1 members of the Church If we liue in a place where the Faith of Christ is profest and doe not ioyne our selues with them it is a great and a damnable sinne euery one wil labour to be of that company that hath best and most priuiledges then labour to be of the Church for that hath the most and best priuiledges and labour also to bring others to the Church specially those that are thine owne labour that they may be of the Church and so in the estate of saluation Loue Sion let thy heart be rauished with the desire and prosperity of Ierusalem Secondly let those that are in this State let them Vse 2 walke in the light while they haue it lest it be taken from them and then they cannot tell whither they goe Thirdly here we see the misery of those that are not Vse 3 members of the Church for though they be else neuer so wealthy witty mighty glorious or otherwise worldly priuiledged yet they are no better then of the damned crue they are out of the estate of Saluation without God and without Christ in the world Fourthly this teacheth those that are of the visible Vse 4 Church that as they haue communion with the Church in profession So also to haue communion with them in faith else as good not to be of the Church as not to haue our part in the effectuall meanes of saluation with the Church Vse 5 Lastly heere wee may learne what is to be thought of those that separate from the Church as men cut off from the Church and so if they be without the faith of the Church they can haue no saluation The one and twentieth LECTVRE of the CHVRCH WE haue already spoken of the 6th generall point propounded to be handled namely of the priuileges of the Church Now we are to proceed to the seuenth namely of the aduersaries and opposites of the Church for as the Church of God is endued with many excellent priuileges aboue all other congregations whatsoeuer So no other company in
fruits that should be brought forth and grow vp in the Church And this he neuer giues ouer not though himselfe be foyled and cast vnto the earth for there hee persecuted the woman vers 13. nor yet though the woman bee carried away from him into the wildernesse yet there he persecuteth her vers 14. and 15. not yet though he bee disapointed of his Attempts yet hee giues not ouer but makes warre with the remnant of her seed vers 16.17 So that this place teacheth euery particular the point obserued See it yet more plainely affirmed by the Lords owne mouth in the former testament and set downe as an ordinance and worke of God himselfe Gen. 3.15 I will put Emnity betwixt thee and the woman and betweene thy seede and her seede he shall break thine head thou shalt bruise his heele here is a plaine opposition betwixt Satan and his seede and the Church and her seede and this is continuall for when his head was broke by our Sauiour Matth. 4. in ouercomming him in his temptations but specially at his death yet still he seekes to assault the Church and to bruise her heele And the same in effect is iustified by Christ himselfe in the new Testament Iohn 16.33 In the world ye shall haue affliction but be of good Comfort I haue ouercome the world c As if hee should say so long as you are in the world looke for affliction it is your portion here to be afflicted and assaulted with many aduersaries Yet last of all see it most plainely in the experience of all Ages In the fourth chapter of Nehemiah vers 7.8 when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodims heard that the walls of Ierusalem were repaired they conspired altogether to come and to fight against Ierusalem and to hinder them So in Heb. 11.35 36 37. where the estate of the Church in this world is set downe to bee this that many were stoned many racked others hewen asunder and others slaine with the Sword c. These are the assaults and oppositions that the Church is to expect in this life So the Apostle 1 Cor. 49. to the 13. speakes of the like oppositions that the Church meetes withall in this world that they were as men appointed to Death a gazing stocke vnto the world to Angels and to men c made as the filth of the world and the off scowring of all things And in the 1 Thes 2.18 the Apostle saith that hee would haue come vnto them but Satan hindred him so that wee see that Satan and his Instruments assault the Church continually and hinder their good proceedings So in Psal 2.1.2 c. the heathen rage and the people murmure the Kings of the earth bande themselues and the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and his Christ And in Act. 4.27 in both these places Christ himselfe is propounded for an example in this case that so all that beleeue in him and professe him may know what to trust to Herod and Pontius Pilate and the Gentiles and the people of Israell all were gathered together against Christ if it were so with our Sauiour it must needs bee so with all his members If they hated and opposed him they will hate and oppose them for the Seruant is not aboue his Master what Church euer was there in the world yea or what one true member of the Church that can no by their owne experience giue Testimony to this Truth Either in captiuity or out of it either vnder the Law or before the Law or after the Law Either Apostles Prophets or Patriarkes all from the first to the last yea Adam himselfe in Paradise see how hee was encountred and ouercome and so cast out of Paradise which all mankind rues to this day There is no place not state but heauen free there and no where but there shall the Church be triumphant there shee is alwayes militant assaulted and fought against by many Aduersaries that seeke to disquiet her peace and hinder her good proceedings So much for the proofe of the obseruation Now let vs see the Reasons of it And the first and chiefe Reason is the Iustice of God Reas 1 vpon the Serpent for when God ordained that Enmity betwixt the Serpent and his seede and the woman and her seede Gen. 3.15 hee was in a course of Iustice as a Iudge inflicting this is a punishment vpon the Serpent because he seduced our first Parents So that howsoeuer these oppositions light heauily and iustly on the faithfull yet it hits them onely as it were a by-blow for their chasticement the maine stroke is inflicted on the Serpent and his seede as their deserued punishment Reas 2 Secondly Satans Spite and Enuy against good men and good things is another Reason of it It is hee that stirrs vp and blowes all these Coales as after shall bee shewed It is gall and Death to him to see either good men or good things prosper And therefore he bends himselfe against them with all his power and might Reas 3 Thirdly the church and the men of the world haue contrary mouers the world hath flesh and Nature to be their mouer the Church hath grace and the spirit to be their mouer And so they haue contrary wills the one set vpon good the other wholly vpon euill and so also they haue contrary Ends the Church aymes at Gods Glory and at the Kingdome of heauen the wicked at their owne pleasures and profits and they tende to hell and therefore of necessity there must bee a perfect opposition of the one against the other in all their Courses as the Apostle saith Galat. 5.17 the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh and these two are contrary Reas 4 Fourthly It is the nature and condition of the good to bee crossed and opposed and it is the nature and condition of the wicked to trouble and vexe and hurt and fight against him that is more righteous then himselfe Reas 5 Fiftly Christ is a Signe to bee spoken against Luk. 2.34 and therefore they that professe and beleeue in him cannot but be mightily opposed not onely because they are members of a militanâ— head but also for that very cause because they professe and beleeue in him Reas 6 Sixtly It is so for the Triall of the faithfull themselues and of their faith First of the faithfull themselues so saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.19 There must bee Heresies euen among you that they which are approued amongst you may bee knowne And so the Apostle 1 Pet. 4.12 thinke it not strange concerning the firy Triall which is amongst you to proue you So likewise these oppositions are for the trial of Gods graces in vs of our loue to Iesus Christ whether wee loue him vnfaignedly and meerely for himselfe or for our owne ease and good and safety for if we loue him not for himselfe but for these then when these faile
had from them yet it was before Anti-christ there be many speeches in the fathers of it but we retaine it not as the Papists doe idolatrously no the imposers protest against that but for an ancient custome And that we may see they retaine it not for superstition they haue turned it out of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for it was vsed in that Sacrament too so that though it be retrayned in the Church yet not as an idolatrous or superstitious ceremony Fourthly they except against our Ministery and say that we haue a false ministery and therefore a false Church I Answer Our Ministery is a true Ministery and â—ustifiable if we looke into all parts of it we will iustifie it against them better then they can iustifie theirs against vs But say they your ordination whence had yee it but from the Pope I Answer First eyther it was extraordinary in Luther and others and so they being thus called might ordaine others or secondly else it was ordinary from the Popish Church as the Sacrament of Baptisme is true amongst them and so acknowledged by the separatists so is ordination They hould that those that are Baptised amongst them are lawfully Baptised and by the same reason we hould that they which are ordayned Ministers amongst them haue a lawfull ordination Then for their guifts let any Church shew better guifts then it hath pleased God to bestow on our Ministers Then looke into the exercise of their guifts It is true that we haue many idle backs and slow bellies that will not labour but that is their personall fault But we haue many publique exercises and many Ministers that are extraordinary painfull in preaching reading visiting the sicke c. Lastly looke into the effect of our ministery and wee can shew the scale of our ministery in many that are called and that ordinarily by our publique ministery and therefore our ordination is good Lastly they except that we haue a false people and therefore a false Church they say our people were profanely gathered and liue prophanely in our Church for their gathâ—ring I haue Answered before for their liuing prophanely I Answer that doth not make a false Church I haue shewed that there are more Hypocrites in the Church then true beleeuers yea but say they these are openly wicked and yet are admitted into your Church and to your Sacraments I Answer though they be wicked in their liues yet they are not so in their profession and therefore there is no fault in vs if vpon their profession of repentance and obedience we admit them to the Sacraments the fault is that they are not cast out for their open notorious sinnes by them that haue authority and not that vpon profession of repentance they are admitted to the Sacraments So that we see that all that they can except against vs is for petty matters or else they bee personall faults and therefore not to be charged vpon the whole Church for there is none of these faults but may be redrest and by this Gouernment which is in our Church if they be not it is mens personall sinnes for by law there should bee a learned ministery and that those which sinne openly should be cast out of the Church c And therefore let not this be charged on our Church we haue many abuses in our Church as well as in other Churches and we are to intreate God to sweepe them out but yet wee are not thereupon to be condemned for a false Church Thus ye see that our note stands true against all the exceptions both of the Papists and the separatists namely that the Church of England euen as now it stands is through Gods mercy not onely a true but a sound visible Church FINIS Matth. 28. Ruth 3.11 First the order of the question is naturall First in respect of God in the first question â—econdly in reâ—ect of Christ Thirdly in respect of all the three questions together The matter of the question is of great importance First for direction Secondly for the confirmation of our faith Thirdly for the confuting of Aduersaries Fourthly for consolation The ignorance and mistaking of the true Church is exceeding dangerous in foure respects Foure generall points concerning the Church 1. The name Vide Field lib. 1. p. 12. 15. 16. Musculus 555. Bullinger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intends three things Foure divisions of callings First generall and particular Secondly extraordinary and ordinary Thirdly outâ—ard and inâ—ard Fourthly effectuall and not effectuall Calling not effectuall fiue wayes The second generall thing concerning the Church are the titles Many titles giuen her for three reasons The titles are of two sorts First absolute without reference to any thing else First a garden Secondly a spring or founâ—aine Thirdly a chosen generation a royall Priesthood a holy nation a peculiar people set at liberty Two sorts of titles which concerne the Church are respectiue as it hath reference to some other thing else and these are of fiue sorts First such as are giuen to the Church in respect of God and they are First Gods Mountaine Secondly the Citie of God Thirdly the house of God Fourthly the Temple of God Fifthly the people of God Secondly such as haue reference to Christ and they are First his loue Secondly his sister Thirdly the spouse of Christ Fourthly a Queene Fiftly his sheepe Sixthly his body Seuenthly My Beloued is mine and I am his Eighthly Christ Thirdly such as are giuen with reference to the faithfull and these are First the Tower of the flocke Secondly the Mother of vs all Fourthly such as are giuen with reference to the world in generâ—ll and these â—râ— first thâ— sâ—bstance of the World secondly the ioy of the whole earth Thirdly a Lilly amongst thornes Fifthly are such as haue reference to the truth of God and these are First the pillar and ground of truth Secondly a Candlesticke The Church of God shadowed in the law by the sanctuary or tabernacle in eight things Vide Piscat in Exo. 25. The glory of the Church in foure things First in the profession Secondly in her practice Thirdly in her order Fourthly in her vnitie The third generall thing concerning the Church is the nature of it Vid Reynolds Thes p 642. and Rhem. Vesâ—â—m 1. Tim. 3 10. Thâ— nature of the Church described by three things First by the efficient cause Secondly by their number Thirdly by the places where they are The holy Angels are part of the true Châ— prooued and 〈…〉 doctrine That Christ is Mediator for the Angels and how The Angels fall was personall The Angels haue their part in Christs mediation in foure things in respect of things done to vs which redound to them And in diuers things done more directly to themselues That part of Gods Church and chosen which consists of men and they are partly in heauen partly in earth First those that are in heauen Secondly those which are in earth Hyper.
TWENTY NINE LECTVRES OF THE CHVRCH Very necessary for the consolation and support of Gods Church especially in these times Wherein is handled first in generall concerning first the Name secondly the Titles thirdly the Nature fourthly the diuision of the true Church Secondly of the visible Church first the Definition secondly the Causes thirdly the Members fourthly the Markes and Notes fifthly the Gouernment sixthly the Priuiledges seuenthly the Aduersaries eighthly the Authority And lastly the application of it to all Churches in the World so farre as they are knowne to vs. By that Learned and Faithfull Preacher Master IOHN RANDALL Batchelor of Diuinity Pastor of Saint Andrewes Hubbart in little Eastcheape London and sometimes Fellow of Lincolne Colledge in Oxford Published by the Coppie perfected and giuen by the Author in his life time carefully preserued and adorned with Notes in the Margent by the late faithfull Minister of Christ Master William Holbrooke Glorious things are spoken of Thee O City of God Psal 87.3 London Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Nathanael Newbery at the Starre in Popes-head Alley 1631. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL TRVLY RELIGIOVS AND MY much honoured Friend Mr. Richard Knightly of Preston-Capes in the County of Northampton Esquire and one of his Maiesties Iustices of Peace in the same County Grace and peace be mulplied c. Worthy Sir IT is a Prouerbe no more common than true that True Loue will creepe where it cannot goe as appeares in that fact of Mary Magdalen who wishing well to the person of Christ shee washeth his feet yea it will begin below at the ground to ascend vp to the top as Zacheus when hee climbed the figtree to get the sight of Christ. Loue to Christ will shew it selfe by a loue of his Church and ascend to him in heauen by speaking a good word for it and seeking and procuring her welfare here on earth Jt is that spirituall Temple to which Christ hath promised his perpetuall presence during the time of this world And it is the duty of euery Christian so farre as in him lyeth to further the building thereof according to that of Chrysostome Hom. in Act. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that euery one of the faithfull ought to edifie the Church Jf they can doe nought else yet let them imitate Dauids patterne Psal 51.18 And hearken to his precept Psal 122.6 Sutable to the practice of the Jewes in the building of the Temple some did giue one gift some another some did labour in hewing squaring others in bringing and bearing them to the raising vp of the structure But especially is the burden of this work layed vpon the shoulders of Ministers which like Bezaleel and Aholiab are fitted and furnished of God for this worke and haue the cure and care thereof committed to them Now the Lord hath not giuen to all alike but to some more some lesse yet all for the good of his Church To the Author of this Treatise he had giuen more than ordinary gifts as his works already published do shew He had the honor to be a wise Master-builder to be like those builders in Nehem. 4.17 with one hand he wrought in the worke with the other he held a weapon as you shall see apparently in this Treatise wherin hee doth confirme professed truths and confute opposite errors Jt pleased God whilest he was liuing to make him an happy instrument of staying many in the Church who were ready to fall from it and to gaine many in which by seducements had been drawne away And as God gaue such successe to his Labours when he was aliue So J trust they shall find the same though he be dead if read with a single eye I dare assure you it is not the Treatise of any other but of him whose labours need not feare the Light Jt was perfected by his owne hand in his life and giuen to a neare and deare friend of mine who rests in the Lord who had hoped to haue published it in his life but being called away ere he could effect it J haue endeauoured to helpe to bring it forth to light and J doe here dedicate it to your Worship whose worthy care and earnest desire I know is so farre as in you lieth to further the good of the Church J might say much of your worth to the world but those that doe not know you will thinke I flatter those that doe will thinke J say too little But what Salomon saith of the vertuous woman Prou. 31. vlt. so I of you your owne workes praise you in the gates And as Boaz said to Ruth so may J of you changing the words a little All the people not onely of that place where you liue and I was borne but all the people of that country know you to be a vertuous Gentleman Go on good Sir stand for God and he will stand for you honor him and as he hath so he will honour and what seruice J may doe you by my prayers or otherwise you shall be assured of The Lord blesse you and yours and all your ample and religious kindred Your Worships in any thing J may to be commanded Ithiel Smart THE FIRST LECTVRE OF THE CHVRCH Your Question is What is a true visible Church HAuing spoken of God in the first place and of Christ in the second place it now followes in the third place that wee speake of the Church wherein we will stand vpon these two generall Points First an Introduction to prepare the way to the question secondly we will descend to the question it selfe First the Introduction and that consists of two branches first wee will shew that the order of the question is very naturall secondly that the matter is of great weight and importance First the order of the questions amongst themselues and so our worke and manner of proceeding is very naturall and that first in respect of God in the first question and secondly in respect of Christ in the second question and thirdly in respect of all the three questions laid together First in respect of God for our faith hauing been first informed and instructed concerning God himselfe the Authour and worker of all it is then in the next place to be informed touching his workes and amongst them first and principally of the first and chiefest of them all that is the Church For the Church is Gods owne speciall workmanship formed by his owne hand separated as a peculiar people to his owne Maiesty consecrated to his owne worship and seruice gathered by his owne Word purchased by his owne Sonne quickned and directed by his owne Spirit and ordained from all eternitie in his owne secret Councell to be partakers of his owne glory Besides of all the workes that God exerciseth towards his Creatures the greatest and best are they that God exerciseth towards his Church as Election Calling Iustification Sanctification Glorification c. Yea further whatsoeuer God doth worke besides in the
against his Annointed it is to no purpose they shall not preuaile it is all but the imagination of a vaine thing Psal 2.1 Yet I wil tell them what they shal preuaile in they shal preuaile thus farre to make the Church more in number and more zealous for God and constant in his truth contrary to their end For behold when they haue done what they can against the faithfull when they haue burnt them to ashes God will raise out of those very ashes a new seed to call vpon his Name and the blood of the Saints shed shall fatten the Church and make it more fruitfull and be a cause of the greater increase of the Faithfull It is a vaine thing therefore for them to threaten them and to say as many times they doe that they will root out these Professors It is more then they can do nay it is more then the Diuell their good Master can doe himselfe and therefore let them neuer thinke to doe it Fiftly this teacheth vs not to Iudge of the Church by Vse 5 sight or appearance It hath a being euen when it can hardly be discerned rest rhou vpon this vndoubted Truth that surely such an one there is where or how c. leaue that to God for it may be hid from our sight euen as the Corne is amongst the chaffe so that we cannot discerne it and yet it may haue a being And so much for that Point Now wee come to speake of the third Point namely of the Church of God consisting of men in heauen and in earth together I will describe it by certaine qualities and circumstances such as may present and make it plaine to euery mans view And because it is an Article of our Faith and now that we are entred into it it is needfull to speake of all that is necessary for vs to beleeue concerning this Point therefore we will fetch these qualities from that Article in the Creede that concernes the Church I beleeue the holy Catholike Church and I will reduce all the matter we are here to speake of to these sixe Heads First that the Church is one secondly that it is holy thirdly that it is Catholike Fourthly that it is ioyned to Christ Fiftly that they haue a Communion one with another and sixtly that they are knowne onely to God and themselues and all these are raised out of the Article in the Creed That it is one therefore it is said the Church not Churches and the Nicen Creed which was penned after this saith I beleeue one That it is holy and Catholike so it is said in expresse wordes that it is ioyned to Christ and that they haue a Communion among themselues both these are intended when it is said they are a Communion of Saints Lastly that they are knowne onely to God and themselues How is this gathered hence Why thus because it is said I beleeue it Now that which wee beleeue is not seene and therefore this Article must not be expounded of a visible Church as the Papists would haue it Doctr. Now first of the first note It is but one for so the Nicen Creed for plainenesse sake ads this particle one We will draw it into an obseruation and that is this namely That all the faithfull that euer were or shall be either in heauen or in earth doe make vp but one onely Church It is prooued thus The Scripture when it speakes of the true Church in the generall true nature of it speakes in the singular number Eph. 5.27 32. that he might make it a glorious Church c. This I speake concerning Christ and concerning his Church And Math. 16.18 vpon this Rocke will I build my Church It is true that the Scripture speakes sometime in the plurall number of Churches as the Apostle Paul 1. Cor. 11.16 we haue no such custome nor the Churches of God but then it speakes of particular visible Congregations but of the generall Catholike Church it speakes alwayes in the singular number as being but one and so expressely ascribes onenesse to it Cant. 6 8. Christ saith to his Church My Loue my Doue c. Eph. 4.4 there is one body c. The Church hath a threefold onenesse it is one in it selfe it is one with Christ and it hath an onenesse amongst the members In this place we speake but of the onenesse it hath in it selfe of the other two we shall speake in their due place That it is one in it selfe therefore it is called the house of God not houses the temple of God not temples as in the time of the Law there was but one Tabernacle and afterwards but one Temple whereto all the people came Leuitic 17.3 4. Deut. 21 5. and 16.2 2. Chron. 2.4 so now there is but one onely Church of the faithfull Reas 1 The Reasons of the Point are these The first is taken out of Ephes 4.4 5. there are many reasons heaped together there is but one Spirit therefore but one Church as there is but one soule and therefore but one man There is but one hope at which all Gods people ioyntly aime and therefore they are one corporation one Lord and therefore one family one Faith which is the life of the Church and if there be but one life then there can be but one Church one Baptisme and therefore but one Promise and Couenant which all doe make to God as one man Secondly the Church is the Body of Christ Ephes 5.23 Reas 2 and Christ he is the Head of the Church and therefore as there is but one Christ so there is but one Church else wee should make a monster of Christ to say he hath one head and many bodies Againe the Church is the Spouse of Christ and he is her Husband as is implyed Vers 25. Now Christ should haue many wiues if there were many Churches which is absurd and therefore there is but one Church still Thirdly they haue all one Shepheard and therefore they Reas 3 are all but one Sheepefold Ioh. 10.16 Fourthly they are all partakers of one Bread and therefore Reas 4 but one body 1. Cor. 10.17 Fifthly all the differences that are betwixt them are abolished Reas 5 by Christ and therefore they are but one Ephes 2.14 Gal. 3.28 The Vses are these First this teacheth vs the vnchangeablenesse Vse 1 of Gods heauenly Truth and of the course of saluation because there is but one Church still and therefore but one Truth still it is vnchangeable there is but one Truth and course of saluation from the beginning to the end of the World the dispensation or manner of carriage hath been some what different sometimes it hath been carried darkly sometimes clearely sometimes in ceremonies sometimes without ceremonies sometime by the Law sometime by the Gospell by Tradition as before the Law by reuelation and by Scripture yet the substance was euer one and the same the same Faith and course of saluation that Adam was
and therefore they must needs be holy Fifthly the effects which they feele in themselues are Reas 5 holy effects holy motions and holy desires holy life and holy obedience and their spirituall life that is to say their faith is most holy Iude 20. therefore they are holy Sixtly they are chosen to Holinesse 1. Pet. 1.2 and therefore Reas 6 they are holy Seuenthly they are regenerate and borne again to Holinesse Reas 7 and therefore cannot sinne 1. Ioh. 3.9 and Eph. 2.9 we are created in Christ Iesus to good works and therefore must needes be holy The vses are these First this shewes the essentiall difference Vse 1 betwixt Gods Church and all other Congregations whatsoeuer For this is holy and all other are vnholy And this Holynesse carries a kind of Reciprocation with Gods Church for euery Church of God is truly holy and euery Congregation that is holy is the true Church of God And so wheresoeuer there bee any men or women that bee truly holy though they be out of the knowne Church yet they are liuing members of the true Catholike Church And on the contrary wheresoeuer there are any that are not holy though they liue in the visible Church and are in great place and of great gifts yet they are no members of the true Church of God So then here is the triall whether we be of the true Church or not if wee haue holinesse in our hearts and in our desires then wee are of the true Church else we are not But you will say Is euery one holy that is of the true Church I answer Yes in some measure first or last Secondly this should teach vs to labour for Holinesse Vse 2 without which we shall neuer see God to our Comfort in heauen nor by faith here on earth Psal 15.1 2 c. The Prophet askes this Question Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle or who shall rest in thy holy Mountaine The answer is euen he that walks vprightly and worketh Righteousnesse and speaketh the Truth in his heart Reuel 21.27 There shall enter no vncleane thing into the heauenly Ierusalem there if euer we will see God with Ioy and Comfort we must labour for a pure heart and pure hands It should teach vs therefore First to take heed of sinne and to auoide it for it is filthinesse and vncleannesse as opposite to Holinesse as darknesse is to light and Satan to God himselfe Let euery one that calls on the Name of the Lord that is euery member of the true Church depart from iniquitie let them leaue their lying and swearing and couetousnesse and labour to flie from the corruptions that are in the world through lust and resist the inticements of the Diuell and fight against the rebellions of their owne hearts and not suffer their corruptions to breake forth but to roote them out put off your shooes for you stand on holy ground lay by your sinnes and wicked affections for the Church is a holy Church that you are members of the Temple of God is holy which Temple yee are defile not your selues with sinne and vncleannesse therefore remember what God saith Ier. 11.15 What should my Beloued tarry in my house seeing they haue committed an abomination As if hee should say I haue no roome for them in my house if they commit abomination And Psalm 50.16 What hast thou to doe saith God to the wicked to take my Couenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to bee reformed Therefore say with the Church in the Canticles Chap. 6.5 I haue put off my coat how then shall I put it on I haue washed my feet how shall I defile them And as it teacheth vs to flie sinne so in the second place it teacheth vs to follow that which is good Whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are honest c. thinke on those things Phil. 4.8 Giue your selues to holy meditations and conferences frequent good companies and exercises vse the meanes of holinesse be conuersant in hearing and reading the Word and receiuing the Sacrament and be frequent and earnest in Prayer to God for the Spirit of sanctification that hee may make your harts mindes willes and affections and liues holy and vnblameable that so as you professe your selues to be Saints so you may liue like Saints Lastly this may serue for reproofe of the gracelesse and Vse 3 wretchlesse people of the world that scoffe at the holinesse of Gods people there are a kind of people in the world that if they be in their Cups or vpon the Stage or in their pastimes or in their ordinary talke if they can haue a lest at the holy Brethren in it though without cause or sense it makes them all merry it seasons all their businesse But first let them know that they haue no part in Gods Church for all the parts and members thereof are holy And further let them know that they must be either Saints or Diuels either of the seede of God or of the Diuell And therefore let them know that as they scoffe at vs vniustly so the Lord from heauen doth most iustly deride them and will one day laugh at their destruction and this is to them a token of perdition and a most certaine token too because they are not onely without holinesse themselues but they hate it and deride it in others but to vs it is a signe of saluation both that we are endued with holinesse and also that we suffer persecution for it Heb. 3.3 The Apostle vseth this word very grauely which they doe so deride he calles them holy Brethren And therefore in the second place let vs bee so farre from being daunted by their scoffing at vs as that it may rather incourage vs to be more holy Let vs say as Dauid did to Michal when she scoft at him for dancing before the Arke Am I vile in thine eyes for this I will be yet more vile So let vs say Doth our holinesse displease you I will be yet more holy Let vs therefore labour by prayer to God and all good endeauour not onely to begin but to grow on from grace to grace from one measure of holinesse to another notwithstanding their scoffes that so at last we may bee fit to enter into that holy place whereinto none vnholy nor vncleane thing shall enter The fifth Lecture of the Church HAuing entred into the Point concerning the Church of God in heauen and in earth together we shewed that in as much as it is an Article of our Faith to beleeue the Catholike Church that therefore it was needefull that we should vnderstand and speak of it out of that Article of the Creed which concernes the Church That Article saith I beleeue the holy Catholike Church the Communion of Saints c. Wherein I noted sixe things whereby the Church was marked out First that it is one for so saith the Nicen Creed and so this Article intendes when it saith Church and not Churches secondly that
in Christ Iesus And so they shall be raised at the last day Matth. 24.31 The Angels shall gather the bodies of the Elect from all quarters and corners of the World then there must needs haue been a Church in all Corners of the World and so they shall be found in heauen after the Resurrection Reuel 7.9 for there the Apostle Iohn saith I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and people tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lambe praysing God and Reuel 21.13 So the Church is Catholike generally dispersed ouer the face of the whole world and euery beleeuing man is a true member of it The Reasons are these First God is the Lord and Ruler Reas 1 of all the world and therefore the Church the body of his Sonne who is Heire of the world must be as large too at least for some of all parts For shall the Kingdome of Gods power reach euery where and not the Kingdome of his grace proportionably In some measure though not in that generality altogether it is to reach as farre too Secondly Gods mercy and Christs merits requires it Reas 2 that the Church should bee generally dispersed ouer the whole world Gods mercy requires it who would that all men should be saued 1. Tim. 2.4 that is all sorts of men of all places So likewise Christs merits require it for that was for the sinnes of the whole world 1. Ioh. 2.2 that is for some of euery part of the world Thirdly God is glorified in the highest degree onely in Reas 3 those that are members of the Church that are saued It is true God is glorified much in the Reprobates that are damned but he is glorified in the highest degree onely in those that are saued And shall there be any place or Nation or Tongue in the world that the Lord will not be glorified in some portion of it euen in the highest degrees That cannot be beleeued therefore the Church is generall c. Fourthly Satans Kingdome is generall and euery wicked Reas 4 person is a member of his cursed Synagogue therefore Christs Kingdome is generall too and euery Beleeuer through the whole world is of his Church Fiftly the Church is thus generall to leaue the wicked Reas 5 without excuse so that no nation shall be able to pretend iustly that they were vtterly debarred from saluation now no man able to say that the Church of God neuer was amongst their Nation nor that none amongst them were saued No God shall stop their mouthes with many Instances of euery mans owne Nation when hee shall say Why here is a member of my Church euen of thy owne Nation and why mightest not thou haue been so too Reas 6 Lastly without the Church is no Saluation therfore euery beleeuer whosoeuer is a member of the Church Vse 1 The vses of the Point are these The first Vse is matter of Reproofe and first against the Iewes that would haue the Church and so the sauing faith confined to their owne nation as if they were the onely people of God and none but they It is true that so it was for many hundred yeeres the Lord chusing them from all the nations of the earth as his onely peculiar people to be glorified by them alone in his seruice and worship that so they might bee glorified alone as it were by him in heauen Yea but the greater the mercy of God herein was to them the greater was their vnthankfulnesse to him in that they shooke of his yoke and would not receiue Christ Iesus though he were sent specially to them but reiected him and crucified him and to this day for the most part they doe abandon him as a malefactor And therefore they are so farre now from being the onely people that God loues that they are the onely people that he hates and as it was fortold of them by the Prophet Hos 1.9 they are Loammi not Gods people now they are the onely people that are excepted against as not being of Gods Church And whereas they enuie the Gentiles that they should haue any part in God because they were once barred from the Church and hated of God and therefore they thinke they should be so for euer But alasse now they must know that now the partition wall is broken downe and that Christ Iesus hath made all one and that euery people is Iudah and euery faithfull man is a Priest and a Sacrifice and euery place is the Temple and hath spirituall Altars for a cleane sacrifice to be offered on and that now is come to passe that which the Prophet foretold Mal. 1.10 11. that in the place where it was said vnto them ye are not my people it shal be said vnto them ye are the Sonnes of the liuing God And as it is Matth. 18.20 That where two or three are gathered together in the Name of Christ he is in the midst of them And as our Sauiour saith Ioh. 4.24 God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth And that now is fullfilled the saying of Isaiah Isai 54.1 which he foretold that the Barren hath more Children then the fruitfull woman that is that there should be more Gentiles of the Church then euer there were Iewes And as it reproues them so it reproues the Donatistes that would haue no Church but in Affrica no Church but theirs somewhat like vnto the humour of the Separatists at this day that would haue no Church but theirs Principally it reproues the Papists that would haue no Church but that of Rome affirming that they that are not of the fellowship of that Church are in the certaine estate of damnation But this is against the nature of the Catholike Church to be restrained within them And let not them take vpon them to restraine that which God hath inlarged but as they brag of Peter so let them learne to be ruled by God as Peter was Act. 10.15 not to account those vncleane whom God accounts and calls cleane And therefore seeing God hath so far inlarged his bounty that he hath purified the whole world so that some of all parts and places should be members of his Church for shame let them not scantle his goodnesse and pollute all other Churches as vncleane except their Church But let them leaue all others to God and let them labour to see that themselues be purified lest as I said before of the Iews they proue themselues of all other Churches to be none of Gods Church The second Vse is for Instruction teaching vs what Vse 2 Church it is that we must esteeme and repute Catholike surely not any particular Church in the world though neuer so pure and sound but that which is generall that which is scattered ouer all the world It is true that a particular Church may be called Catholike that is a right beleeuing Church or Catholike that is a part of the
of excellent vse and hath not beene handled to the full by any Diuine therefore I will stand the more vpon it That which I purpose to speake hereof I will reduce to these three heads First I will shew what manner of Communion this is Secondly wherein it consistes Thirdly how farre forth it is to bee extended and inlarged First what manner of vnion it is It is spirituall answerable to that which they all haue with Christ their Head for looke how they Communicate with their Head Christ such is their Communion one with another but that is a spirituall Communion and so is this And it is spirituall in many senses First as the Spirit being the Authour and cause of this fellowship whence it proceedes by one Spirit we are all baptised into one body saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 12.13 Secondly it is spirituall as the Spirit being the Common center and Point wherein all the Faithfull meete together and this is it the Apostle saith in that 1. Cor. 12.13 later end of the Verse and haue beene all made to drinke into one Spirit Lastly it is spirituall in regard that all those things wherein they Communicate are meerely Spirituall or at least Communicated in for some spirituall occasion or respect they haue also a Ciuill Communion as other men which being sanctified vnto them by the Word and Spirit and Prayer is in some sense spirituall too but else it is rather a Communion of men then of Saints The second point is wherein this Communion consists It consists in two things First in a certaine Communion of state which they haue Secondly in a Communion of practise which they exercise First they haue a Communion of state and here wee haue many things to consider For first they haue a Communion of state in respect of their substance of state they haue all one Calling Ephes 4.1 they are all called to be Saints that is they are all and euery one Christians Saints they are all Gods people they are all Godâ— house they are all Gods building they are all Gods Children Gal. 3.26 the sonnes of God through faith in Christ and they are all and euery one of them members of Gods Church Secondly they haue a Communion of state in regard of the Authour and cause of their state they haue all one and the same Father one and the same Redeemer one and the same sanctifier Thirdly they haue a Communion of state in regard of the meanes of saluation they haue all one and the same Common meanes of Saluation they haue the same Word and the same Sacraments the same Ministry to bee taught by and the same Church to liue in Fourthly they haue a Communion of state in regard of their Priuiledges they haue all the same Priuiledges they haue all interest into Gods promises they haue all accesse to God all right to heauen they haue all the same Liberties Royalties gifts and graces they haue all the same Election Iustification Sanctification and glorification all haue these though they partake not in them all alike but euery one in his degree and measure Fifthly they haue the same Duties for euery one of them to practise the same Repentance Patience Obedience Mortification Loue Prayer Peace and Faith and hence it is that their faith is called the Common faith Tit. 1.4 Sixtly they haue the same lawes to liue vnder and to bee gouerned by the former and the later Testament shewing them what they should doe or leaue vndone as also how and when and where to doe it or leaue it vndone Seuenthly they haue the same way to walke in namely that narrow and straight way that leadeth to eternall life Eighthly they haue all the same common enemies to fight against Sinne Satan the World the Flesh Persecutors Afflictions and Accusations of Conscience that which is Enemy to one of them is enemy to them all Ninthly they haue all the same end to aime at the same Kingdome prepared for one is prepared for all Matth. 25.34 and the same Crowne of Righteousnesse 2. Tim. 4.8 and the same glory 1. Pet. 5.1 Lastly the whole Course of their saluation from the beginning to the end is common to them all alike and therefore it is called the Common saluation Iude. 3. And thus they haue a Communion of state in these respects Secondly they haue a Communion of practise that is they exercise and practise this Communion I will make it plaine by this comparison Seruants of one Family and members of one and the same Citie or corporation as they haue a Communion of state which all partake in the same lawes and the same Priuiledges c. so also if they willingly Communicate with each other for the mutuall helpe and benefit one of another then they haue a Communion of practise too and this Communion is generall and particular First generall they all alike participate in the same rights and dangers benefits and Crosses they worship alike they pray alike they loue and heare and receiue and vse and beleeue and doe and suffer alike and handle the meanes alike and profit alike though with some difference of measure or other circumstance or smaller matter yet in effect and substance it is the same as they haue the same way of Saluation so the same steps are troden by them all in that way as they haue the same enemies so they manage the same Fight fighting together against their enemies Philip. 1.27 vnder the same Captaine Iesus Christ with the same weapons Ephes 6.11 the whole armour of God Take them any way outwardly or inwardly they haue a Communion of practise Take them outwardly they all make the same profession Act. 2.42.46 they continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship c. And they continued daily with one accord in the Temple Take them inwardly and they haue all the same heatt and the same minde Act. 4.32 And the multitude of them that beleeued were of one heart and of one Soule c. so that which way soeuer you take them they haue a Communion of practise as well as of state It is true that sometime they faile in the performance of these things through their owne weakenesse and Satans malice but yet this is their reach and desire and true endeauour Secondly as they haue a Communion of practise in generall so likewise they haue it in particular as euery one hath a seuerall portion by himselfe so they doe not keep it to themselues but are still in a readinesse to imploy it to the Common good of the rest And this diuers wayes first in regard of their gifts it is so secondly for their wants thirdly for their doings fourthly for their sufferings fiftly for their affections Lastly in regard of themselues and all they haue they doe imploy all for the good of the rest and so haue a Communion of practise in particular First in regard of their gifts if they haue the gifts
Bellarmine tendeth directly hereto and they labour to proue it with all their power and it stands them vpon for if this doth not stand the whole forme of their Church falls to the ground For whereas they say the true Church is alwaies notoriously visible and therefore their Church being so is the true Church We say and haue prooued that the true Church of God is sometime brought into such straights that the outward face thereof doth not at all or at least doth hardly appeare and therefore it will follow that if their Church haue and shall be alwayes notoriously visible then theirs is not the true Church Their exceptions bee of small moment if they be well considered I will stand but vpon two or three of the chiefe They alleage out of the fifth of Matthew and the fourteenth Verse That the Church is the light of the World now the light is alwaies seene therefore the Church is alwayes seene I answer This is spoken personally to the Disciples Ye are the light of the world and it is to be extended to the Ministers of the Gospell in regard of the Duty of Holinesse to be practised by them that they should not walke offensiuely to the World but rather to prouoke them to the practise of holinesse by the light of their good example How doth this serue then to proue the continual visiblenesse of the Church Besides I say that a Light may bee eclipsed for a time and yet be a Light still The Moone is a Light and yet not alwayes visible for sometimes it is eclipst and yet then it is as good a Light as when it is in her full brightnesse and therefore if this were to be vnderstood of the Church it doth not proue that it is alwaies visible because it is a Light Further I say that by that reason their life for that is as well if not chiefely vnderstood by the Light as vers 16. is also without error too as well as their Doctrine and that alwayes which is not so Lastly if it doe giue Light alwayes yet it is but to those that are in the house verse 15. that is to those that are members of the Church and that wee easily grant but what is this to proue the notorious visiblenesse of the Church to the world Secondly they alleage the eighteene of Matthew and the seuenteenth vers where our Sauiour saith Tell the Church and therefore there must bee alwayes a visible Church Marke saith Campian here is a remedy for a disease now the disease remaines alwaies and therefore the remedy must alwaies remaine I answer It is true it is a remedy for those that lie in such a state there spoken of and in some sense it is alwaies performed euen when two or three are ioyned together in the faith though there be no knowne visibility they may tell one another for it is not here meant that they shall appeale to Rome Their third exception is this but say they they that beleeue be they few or many must make profession of their faith else they cannot bee saued Rom. 10.10 now if they must alwayes make profession then they are alwaies seene and so the Church is alwayies visible I answer It is true they must professe alwaies and so they doe except it bee in time of their infirmity But must they do it to all the world No they may doe it among themselues alwayes though there bee but two or three of them yea and when they are many they may doe it to the eye of the World too if there bee no certaine danger in it yea though there be certaine danger in it yet if they haue a calling to it they are resolute euen to die for the profession of it and that is as much profession as is required And yet because their number is but few and that they liue in certaine places and are in this case for the most part obscure and simple men therefore it is not possible that any such generall notice should bee taken of them and those that doe heare of them or see them are vsually little mooued by their example at least they are seldome perswaded that they are the true Church and so ioyne with them Therefore there is no such perpetuall notorious visiblenesse of the Church as they would haue We will returne vpon them with these two Points and choke them with these two bones First wee aske them where the Church shall be when Antichrist comes for they themselues confesse that in Antichrists time there shall bee a desolation of the Church therefore by their owne confession it may and shall be sometimes inuisible Yea but say they ours is the true Church still though it be then obscured and we say then that Antichrist is come and our Church obscured therefore by their owne reason our Church is the true Church The second is from their Church which they haue here among vs they haue a Church here among vs here be Papists and Masses Arch-priests and Priests this themselues will not deny nay they boast of it sometimes yet is their Church visible among vs They will not affirme it at least they will not say it is visible in their sense that is that the world may take notice of it neither was it euer countenanced nor tolerated in our State so that in our sense and to vs it is inuisible and so may our Church bee to them The second Vse is for admonition to admonish vs that Vse 2 wee should not alwayes expect a glorious estate of the Church outwardly this is for earthly States and Kingdomes wee must not dreame of a temporall Kingdome here for Christs Kingdome is spirituall not of this World The Papists they say that it must be as glorious outwardly as any kingdome in the world but we must take heed that we be not carried away with shewes with the lookes of the Whore for Gods Kingdome comes not with obseruations Vse 3 Thirdly this may minister comfort to vs and may stay vs in the most desperate times that are when Satan rages most when persecutors are most bloody and deadly when the Prophets are slaine Gods Altars destroyed the Couenant forsaken when wee see hauocke to bee made of the Church faith renounced when wee see those that made great profession of Religion to hide their heads and like Starres to fall from Heauen when we see the Sunne to bee darkened and the Moone to bee turned into blood when we see Antichrist in his pride and pompe in the very Temple of God himselfe when wee see Heretikes swaying the World after them Schismatikes cutting and tearing out the bowels of their Mother the Church Nay euen in the generall Apostasie and reuolt from all Grace and Religion when there shall bee no honesty nor conscience found amongst men yet be not dismayed but rest thy selfe fully contented and satisfied with this truth that surely still God hath his Church in the World though there bee no
Christs mysticall Body and by the Lords Supper we are nourished in this Body which is his Church Now all these three outward meanes are laid downe together Matth. 28.19 Goe teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Goe that is spoken to the Apostles Teach there is the Word and Baptize there are the Sacraments one exprest the other implyed These are the instrumentall causes without vs. Now the instrumentall causes within vs are first repentance Act. 11.18 God hath granted to the Gentiles Repentance to life Secondly faith Act. 15.9 And he put no difference betwixt vs and them after that by faith he had purified their hearts And lastly and principally Gods Spirit that is the testimony of Gods Spirit in our hearts whereby we are perswaded of Gods loue and fauour 1 Cor. 2.12 We haue receiued not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are giuen to vs of God And all these sixe instrumentall meanes inward and outward are laid downe together in the second of the Acts in the case of the first Church that was planted after our Sauiours Ascension from the fourteene verse to the six and thirtie there is their Minister and the Word his Sermon Then Peter life vp his voice c. Then there are their Sacraments first Baptisme in the 38. and 41. verses Then they that gladly receiued the Word were baptized c. and the Lords Supper in the 42. and 46. verses and they continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread c. there are the outward causes So likewise the inward as first there is Repentance vers 37. and 38. They were pricked in their hearts then secondly there was Faith too as in the 41. and 44. verses They that gladly receiued his Word and all that beleeued c. And lastly there was the Spirit of God for in the seuenteenth verse it is said that it was prophesied before of them that God would powre out his Spirit vpon them And in the 38. verse the Apostle bids them repent and be baptized c. and yee shall receiue the gift of the holy Ghost so that they repenting and beleeuing did receiue the gift of the holy Ghost So these are the instrumentall causes or meanes of the being of the Church The next cause is the materiall cause and that is the people of God Saints by calling 1 Cor. 1.2 The members of the body of Christ 1 Cor. 12.27 Citizens with the Saints c. Ephes 2.19 As members are the matter of the body and Citizens the matter of a City so the members of Christ are the matter of the body of Christ which is his Church Fourthly the formall cause of the being of the Church and that is inward and outward that which is inward is the effectuall calling and gathering of Gods people to Christ when the faithfull are perswaded in their hearts to beleeue and obey the Gospell of Christ the outward formall cause that is their ioynt and publike profession of the sauing faith and the outward communion that they hold in the meanes of grace both for duties of piety to God and of charity each to other yee shall find both these in the case of the Church at Ierusalem Act. 2. first their effectuall calling which is their inward formall cause that is laid downe in the 37 38 41 and 44. verses they were pricked in their hearts repented baptized added to the Church c. there is their effectual calling Their outward formall cause that is set downe in the 41 42 44 45 46. verses They continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship c. and had all things common c. there is their ioynt and publike profession of the sauing faith and their outward communion These are the materiall causes of the Church Lastly the finall cause of the Church which is the end of a Church and that is to bee considered in many respects first in respect of Gods glory that some of Adams seede might glorifie the Lord God here in his Church by beleeuing obeying calling vpon him and hereafter in heauen singing euerlasting prayses to his glory Rom. 9.23 That he might declare the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared to glory Secondly the finall cause of the Church is in respect of the faithfull themselues and of their saluation and glory for God will not haue all mankinde cast away as they well deserued but some he would haue of his free grace and mercy to obtaine saluation and glory by Iesus Christ 2 Thes 2.14 and to receiue the end of their faith which is the saluation of their soules 1 Pet. 1.9 Thirdly the finall cause of the Church is in respect of the truth of God that the same might be embraced and maintained and kept aliue on earth that some men might not onely know the truth but beleeue it and liue in the obedience of it and also that the Scriptures the records of truth might be safely preserued first that the body of the Scriptures might not bee mangled or torne by Heretikes secondly that the sense of the Scripture might not bee depraued by the enemies of it lastly that the Scriptures might not bee as a sealed booke but that there might bee some on earth to interpret it and to teach it and that it might be openly taught and practised on earth this is one end of Gods Church Fourthly the finall cause of the Church is in regard of the wicked that they might bee left without excuse when as the pretious truth of God is propounded to them by his Ministers and by his Church and when as they denie it as false or contemne it or at least carelesly neglect it as a vile thing not worth hearkening to that then they might iustly perish in their owne wilfulnesse Thus you haue heard concerning the causes of the being of the Church both of those that cause it directly and of themselues and also such as cause it not of themselues directly but onely as by the way being ouer-ruled by God to that end Wee will draw it into an Obseruation Doctr. we heard first that God is the efficient cause of his Church and all other causes are from him he note then is this That howsoeuer there bee many things in the world which concurre and haue a great hand in the causing and constituting of a Church yet the cause of all causes is the Lord himselfe and indeed he is all in all in it this is so in all other things that God is all in all in them specially it is so in the Church as first that being more specially respected of God than any thing else and secondly as the Church depending more neerely vpon him then any thing else in the world Ephes 4.6 the Apostle speaking there of the Church saith There is one God and Father of
all which is aboue all and through all and in you all And in the 1 Cor. 12.6 the Apostle speaking of the edification of the Church vseth the very word in the note There are diuersities of operations saith he but God is the same which worketh all in all And this we shall find to bee the voyce of Gods Church Psal 95 6 7 8. Come say they let vs worship and fall downe before the Lord our Maker c. hee is our Lord our Maker our God and wee are his people of his pasture his sheepe of his hand Why but all other are his people Yea but we are his people after a speciall manner Ephes 2.10 Wee are his workmanship But you will say so are all things else Yea but we are another kind of workmanship wee are created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes we haue not onely our being but our well-being from him hee hath not onely created vs as men but re-created vs or regenerated vs as new men wherein howsoeuer many things concurre as the Word and Sacraments c. yet all is his doing hee is the worker of it he is all in all Let vs inlarge our thoughts in this point that God is all in all in causing of his Church and let vs consider first how euery one of the three persons in the Trinitie haue a speciall and an effectuall hand herein First God the Father the first person he hath a speciall hand in it Ioh. 6.44 No man can come vnto me except the Father which sent mee draw him So likewise the second person Iesus Christ hee hath a speciall hand in it Ioh. 14.6 No man commeth vnto the Father but by me So likewise the third person the holy Ghost he hath a speciall hand in it 1 Cor. 12.3 No man can say that is by a true perswasion that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost God the Father he loues the world and in that loue of his hee decreed that such and such should be gathered to his Church and so be saued and also in that loue sends his Sonne to redeeme vs and to pay our ransome and giues vs his Spirit to sanctifie and to comfort vs that are his Church So likewise Christ Iesus hee loues the Church and in this loue of his comes downe from heauen and takes our nature and our sinnes and our punishment vpon him and layes downe his life for vs that hee might purchase the Church with his owne blood as the Apostle speakes Act. 20.28 and incorporates vs into himselfe and makes vs bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Ephes 5.30 and brings vs to his Father Ioh. 14.6 So likewise the holy Ghost he loues them and in that loue which hee carries to them hee comes and dwels in them and enlightens them gouernes them and frames them to obedience sanctifies them and applyes the meanes of grace to the particular conscience of euery one of them hee makes them apprehensiue of that course whereby they are saued and applyes it vnto them 1 Cor. 2.10 12. Secondly euery part and seuerall worke that tends to our saluation is of God as first Election that is from God Ephes 1.4 He hath chosen vs in him c. so our Calling is from him Rom. 8.30 Whom he predestinated them also he called likewise our regeneration is from him Ioh. 1.13 Which are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God So also our teaching is of God Ioh. 6.45 They shall be all taught of God Our iustification is also of him Rom. 8.33 It is God that iustifieth Lastly our sanctification is from him 1 Thes 5.23 Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout c. So that euery seuerall worke that tends to our saluation is of God Lastly euery seuerall meanes both within vs and without vs is Gods doing but of this we shall speake in the Reasons and therefore we will now come to them Reas 1 The Reasons are these God is all in all in his Church First because the Church is Gods House 1 Tim. 3.15 now who should build a House for God but God himselfe Reas 2 Secondly the visible Church is a meanes to worship God by Deut. 12.11 Where God puts his name there he will be worshipped Now who shall or can prescribe Gods worship but himselfe therefore he is all in all in his Church Reas 3 Thirdly the living members of the Church are Gods adopted Sonnes members of Christs mysticall body Kings and Priests unto God in all which the like causes God is most sensibly all in all in his Church for hee makes them Kings and Priests c. Revel 1.6 Fourthly to be made a Church or a true member thereof Reas 4 is altogether a worke wrought vpon the heart now God onely workes upon the heart all other meanes and instruments are excluded but onely so farre as they are assisted by him Lastly consider the efficient cause in comparison to all Reas 5 other causes and then it will appeare plainely that the cause of all causes is the Lord himselfe First the efficient cause is God himselfe yea and hee alone which is proofe enough that God is all in all Secondly the instrumentall causes they are wholly and onely of him First for the outward causes as the Word Sacraments Ministers and Gifts First God ordaines them and giues them their being and therefore they are called Gods Word and Gods Sacraments and Gods Ministers and Gods Gifts Eph. 4.11 12. he hath giuen some to be Apostles some to be Prophets and some to be Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the gathering of his Saints for the worke of the ministery c. Secondly he vouchsafeth the presence and tender of them to such persons and places where hee would haue his Church to be as we may see Act. 16.6 Paul Silas were forbidden by the holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia and Vers 7. the Spirit suffered them not to goe into Bithynia And in the tenth Verse it is said they went into Macedonia being assured that the Lord had called them to preach the Gospell there Sometimes God restrayneth the meanes from some and enlargeth them to others as Matth. 10.5 Goe not into the way of the Gentiles compared with Act. 13.46 47. It was necessary saith the Apostle to the Iewes there that the Word of God should first haue been preached vnto you but seeing ye put it from you and iudge your selues vnworthy of euerlasting life Lo we turne to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded vs c. Lastly God giues the successe and blessing to the meanes and so makes them effectuall 1 Cor. 3.5 6. Paul planteth and Apollo watereth but it is God that giueth the increase And Act. 11.21 the hand of the Lord was with them so that a great number beleeued and turned to the Lord. 2 Chron. 30. from the sixth to the twelfth verse
Church gouerned by the word not else And in this sense the good Kings both of Israel and Iudah were alwaies the head of the Church not in deciding matters of Faith and Religion for that Gods Word decides But this word Head of the Church must be warily vsed because it is not found in the Scripture but chiefe Gouernor is and therfore in that sense the King may be said to be head of the Church within his dominions because vnder Christ he is chief Gouernor Secondly they except say the vniuersal visible Church hath a visible head Now where is this visible Head Christ is not visible I answer Yes Christ is visible for first though he be not actually seene in this dispensation of time yet he may be seene If the King after he is crownd should keep himself in his Closet all his life time yet hee is a King and a visible King too though he be not actually seene of his subiects So Christ he is the King of his Church and is now in heauen where the Saints see him and where wee shall see him too and that with these eyes of ours and therefore he is visible though he be not actually seene of vs now Secondly I answer that in some sort he is visible daily in his Church in the Word and in the Sacraments especially in the Lords Supper in these Christ is amongst vs and in our sight crucified Gal. 3.1 Thirdly hee was once visible and seene on earth for many yeeres and shall bee seene by euery eye at the last day and that as the head of the Church Fourthly his Ministers together with lawfull Magistrates doe in some sort visibly represent him amongst vs. So that Christ and not the Pope is the head of the visible Church though he be not actually seene euery day amongst vs. And so much for the first Vse The second Vse is matter of comfort to Gods Church in Vse 2 that Christ is their head and that many wayes First it shewes the excellency of the Church secondly the neerenesse it hath with Christ lastly it shewes the safety of the Church First it shewes the excellency of the Church for seeing it hath such a glorious Head as our Lord Christ is therefore the body must needs be glorious too the greatest Kingdomes and Monarchs in the World come infinitely short of the excellency of the Church euen as farre as their Gouernors come short of the excellency of Christ that is as farre as mortall and sinfull man comes short of the eternall and blessed Sonne of God As Christ hath a Name aboue all names to bee the Head of heads that is the most excellent and glorious head so hath the Church in her measure a name aboue all names the body of bodies the most excellent and glorious body in the World Secondly it shewes the neere coniunction the Church hath with Christ and is matter of comfort to the Church in that respect There is no coniunction so neere as this let any or all the Societies in the World shew me such a neere coniunction betwixt them and their Gouernours as is betwixt Christ and his Church Seruants haue their Lords Companies their Masters Cities their Maiors Subiects their Kings Sheepe their Shepheards c. yea but the Church hath Christ to be her head and this is the neerest coniunction that can be Other Gouernours of other Societies those that are vnder them or conioyned with them in the same Company may haue hurt and yet they not know of it or if they know it they doe not affect it at least if they doe affect it it is but for conscience of their place onely But Christ knowes the harmes and wrongs that are done to his Church and affects them as done to himselfe Act. 9. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me saith our Sauiour he tooke the iniury that Saul offered to his Church as done to himselfe And of necessity Christ must needs be sensible of the harmes done to his Church as the head is of the hurt done to the body It is imposible but that the head should be sensible of the hurt done to the body and that in regard of it selfe as well as of the members This the Church considers and receiues inestimable comfort by the consideration thereof for by this they are assured of Christs neerest presence to them in their afflictions by meanes of this neere coniunction and also they are assured that he will releeue them of the wrongs and iniuries done vnto them and reuenge them on their enemies as done to himselfe And also he will mercifully recompence all our releeuers as if they had releeued him on earth in his greatest extremity This point is maruellous comfortable to all such as know themselues to be liuing members of his body the Church Thirdly this is matter of comfort to vs in regard of our safety which wee haue by meanes of this neere coniunction Christ is our head therefore we shall be safe the gates of hell shall not preuaile against vs we are builded vpon the Rocke and that Rocke is Christ and they shall neuer preuaile against vs if they can preuaile against Christ then they may preuaile against vs too but the one is impossible and so is the other too Secondly it assures vs that we shall preuaile against them nay it is past doing for it is done already for Christ our head hath ouercome the World the Diuell and all the powers of darknesse the head being aboue water the body cannot possibly be drowned I haue ouercome the World saith our Sauiour Thirdly it assures vs that certainly we shall liue and reigne in heauen for where the head is there the members shall be also Ioh. 17.24 yea wee are already by communication with him in heauenly places Ephes 2.6 because he being our Head is there already The third vse is for instruction that seeing Christ is the Vse 3 head of a true visible Church then we must labour so to esteeme him and to beleeue in him to reuerence him and to obey him as our head First therefore seeing it is the nature of the head to conuey life sense and motion to the Body let vs therefore waite vpon our head Iesus Christ and call vpon him for his life and Spirit and for his direction in all our actions both for matter of Doctrine and manners and discipline too and also let vs defie all other directions and all other counsels that doe not agree either particularly or at least in the generall with his reuealed will all directions therefore that are against Christ and against his Word though it were brought to vs by an Angell from heauen we must not receiue it but stand at defiance with it and we must submit our selues intirely to the Scepter of the Word and Spirit of our Head Christ It was Israels peruersnesse 1 Sam. 8.7 and the Iewes wilfulnesse Luk. 19.14 that they did refuse to haue Christ to be their head
it so these hypocrites professe themselues outwardly to bee true members by possession and are so accounted of others yet they are not that within which outwardly they professe and therefore are no true members by right Thirdly there are some that are members both by right and by possession too and so are onely the faithfull that make profession of the sauing faith and none but they Rom. 10.10 If they beleeue with the heart and confesse with the mouth they are true members for faith giues vs right to be true members of the Church and the outward profession of this faith giues vs possession of it so that onely the faithfull making profession of their faith are true members of the visible Church by right and by possession I will giue you an instance of all these kinds of those that are members by right and not by possession and also of those that are members by possession and not by right lastly of those that are members both by right and by possession In Matth. 21.29 there is a Parable of the two sonnes the eldest sonne hee was bid to goe and worke in the Vineyard and he said he would not but afterward hee repented himselfe and went here was a member by right though not by possession then because hee refused to goe in the 30. verse there is the younger sonne that was bidden goe and said he would but went not there was a member by possession because he said he would goe but not by right because he went not So likewise the Scribes and Pharisies Mat. 23.3 made shew to be members of the Church but by right they were not for they said and did not Lastly members by right and by possession too so were all the Prophets and Apostles so was the Prophet Dauid Psalm 116.10 I beleeued saith he therefore I spake and so was the Apostle Paul and the rest of the Apostles 2 Cor. 4.16 We beleeue and therefore we speake We beleeue here is our right therefore we speake here is our possession So that in these instances we haue examples of these three sorts of members Now the matter of greatest doubt and most consequence is concerning the wicked how they can be members of Gods Church therefore that is most to bee insisted on And for the better vnderstanding thereof I will draw it into an Obseruation And the Obseruation is this Doctr. That Hypocrites and Castawayes may be and are oftentimes members euen of a true visible Church for proofe of this you shall heare it witnessed out of their owne mouthes Luk. 13.26 We haue eaten and drunke in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streetes c. Therefore they were members of the true visible Churches and yet they were Reprobates for our Sauiour saith vnto them vers 27. I know yee not depart from me yee workers of iniquity And so Matth. 7.22 they shall say to our Sauiour Haue not we by thy Name prophesied and by thy Name cast out Diuels and by thy Name done many great workes And yet our Sauiour shall say vnto them I neuer knew yee depart from me yee workers of iniquitie These were members of true visible Churches and yet they were hyprocrites and castawayes so yee haue heard it from their owne mouthes Now take it from a surer witnesse out of the mouth of our Sauiour himselfe in that Parable Matth. 13.47 48. where the kingdome of heauen is compared to a draw-Net cast into the Sea that gathereth all kind of fish good and bad Here it is so clearely laid downe as if the Parable had been framed of purpose to proue this point I will not stand here to proue that by the kingdome of heauen is meant the visible Church though the place would beare it wel enough but it signifies plainely the preaching of the Gospell or the Gospell preached whereby a Church is gathered and fitted for the Kingdome of heauen for in that sense it is taken in vers 31. Now vnderstand the comparison thus Like as a draw-Net that is cast into the Sea gathers of all kinds good and bad so the preaching of the Gospell is cast forth into the World and gathers all kind of men good and bad chosen and reprobates hypocrites and true beleeuers all are gathered by this Net into the outward communion of the faithful and as the bad fishes are part of this draught as well as the good so the wicked outwardly gathered by the Gospell are also parts and members of the visible Church as well as the godly So likewise another Parable we haue to proue this point Ioh. 15.1 2. In the first verse our Sauiour saith I am the Vine and in the second verse hee sets downe two sorts of branches some that abide in him and bring forth fruit and these are the faithfull others that beare no fruit that are taken away what are these but hypocrites and castawayes Therefore they are parts of the visible Church as well as the faithfull Obiect But will some say Was there euer any hypocrite or castaway a true Branch of Christ then belike the true branches that is the true members of Christ may bee cast away I answer None are in Christ Answ but such as are ingrafted into his body now some are so ingrafted as that they receiue iuyce and life from the root and they are the faithfull others are so ingrafted as they receiue iuyce only from the barke and so neuer thriue but only continue in shew for a short time a yeare or two c. and then fall away and these are hypocrites The faithfull that are ingrafted into the body of Christ they receiue iuyce and life from him and can neuer fall away but hypocrites and castawayes they are but grafted into the barke that is into the outward communion and so receiue iuyce onely and continue for a time but afterward they fall away so wee haue seene it proued by Parables See it likewise proued by examples and that will make it more plaine and in alleaging these examples I may propound these two things First what Church euer was there but had some wicked men in it and secondly what wickednes was there euer so great but it hath been found in the members of some visible Church or other as by these examples may appeare Looke into Gen. 4.3 Caine was a member of the visible Church his outward conformity to religious duties proues it for he brought his offering to God and yet hee was a wicked reprobate So Gen. 9.18 Ham he was a member of the visible Church for he was preserued in the Arke and yet hee was an accursed wretch as we may see in the 25. verse If we looke into our Sauiours chosen Disciples they were certainely a true visible Church else there was neuer any in the world and yet there was a Iudas a member of it and a Diuell Ioh. 6.70 So if wee looke into those Churches in the Reuelation 2. and 3. Chapters many of them were
full of wicked and vngodly men in one kinde or other The Church of Corinth may be a witnesse of all this there were carnall people 1 Cor. 3.3 there were fornicators and one in the highest degree an incestuous person 1 Cor. 5 1. so there were deprauers of the Doctrine of the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15.12 And for the Lords Supper how horribly did they abuse it 1 Cor. 11.21 yet for all this though there were such notorious offenders in it it was a true Church So likewise if you would find out false brethren you shal haue them in the Church Gal. â— 4 So for heretiks you shal haue them in the Church too 1 Cor. 11.19 there must be heresies amongst you saith the Apostle And Reuel 2.6 14 15 in the Church of Ephesus there were the Nicholaitans And so in the Church of Pergamus there were they that maintaind the Doctrine of Balaam and the Doctrine of the Nicholaitans So for Schismaticks they are in the Church too before they are separated 1 Cor. 11.18 There were dissentions amongst them Nay I will say further that Antichrist may bee a member of a true visible Church The Text intends he must be so 2 Thes 2.4 He must sit in the Temple of God diuers Diuines tyre themselues with opinions vpon this place Some say he must sit in that which was the temple of God but that answers not the meaning of the words for he must sit in that which is the Temple of God Yea but say others he may sit in that which is the Temple of God because some faithfull lye hid within it but this cannot be the meaning of it for it is meant of a visible Church as if he should say Antichrist shall sit in that which is the Temple of God that is in a true visible Church till he bee vtterly corrupt and fully discouered And no question but that many yeeres after Antichrist fate in the Church it was a true Church So that it is plaine that hypocrites and castawaies in the highest degree are may be of a true visible Church Reas 1 The Reasons of the point are these first the nature of the Gospell requires it that some members of the Church should be reprobates and castawaies for the Gospell 2 Cor. 2.16 is the sauor of death vnto death to some and to others it is the sauour of life vnto life to the wicked it is the sauour of death vnto death the sweetnesse and the comfort of the Gospell drawing them on to professe and to imbrace it for a while but the hardnesse of the practice of it makes them to giue ouer and to fal away at last and so it becomes a sauour of death vnto them Reas 2 Secondly the excellency of the Church and of a Christian profession is such that generally all men desire to bee of it and therfore euen the wicked would seeme to be such and so they ioyne to the outward Communion of the Church though they bee but Reprobates and Castawaies Thirdly it is the corruption of mens hearts to be satisfied and to rest in shadowes but leauing the substance so Reas 3 that if they bee baptized and so receiued into the Church they rest in that and go no further foolishly flattring themselues that all is well when as yet they want the substance of Baptisme and so whereas they think that they are in the way to Heauen they are in the high way to hell Fourthly it is from the subtilty and malice of the Diuell Reas 4 hee it is that sowes the Tares amongst the good Corne Matth. 13.28 he seekes aboue all the disgrace and spoyle of the Church and this he knowes he cannot doe more than by drawing the members and professors thereof into hypocrisie and wickednesse Fifthly else there should be no hypocrites at all vnlesse Reas 5 they be found in the Church For he cannot be an hypocrite vnlesse he make profession of the faith and so be of the visible Church Sixthly the visible Church consists onely of men now Reas 6 men cannot see the heart and therefore if Hypocrites ioyne to the Church she cannot disburden herselfe till she know them by their outward courses and therefore till then she is constrayned to nourish them as her owne members hence it is that reprobates and castawaies are in the visible Church Seuenthly it is for the triall of the faithfull and therefore Reas 7 hypocrites Heretiks and false Brethren are amongst them to proue them as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11.19 God will try vs whether we will follow him in his word or them in their heresies and fancies and therefore they are amongst vs euen as the Canaanites were left among the Israelites to proue them whether they would keepe the wayes of the Lord or not Iudg. 2.22 and Chap. 3.1.12 Reas 8 Eighthly Gods goodnesse and readinesse to all intendring to all sorts the meanes of grace is another Reason of it Matth. 22.10 all both good and bad were brought into the wedding Feast hee would haue the bad to come as well as the good that they might haue the tender of grace and hence it is that Reprobates and Castawayes are in the visible Church Reas 9 Ninthly it is so because God would haue the Arguments of his Iustice vpon hypocrites within his Church that the faithfull seeing it practised vpon them it might strike a greater reuerence of God into their hearts Matth. 22.13 1 Cor. 11.30 32. that when the wicked are punished the righteous may take warning therefore there are Reprobates in the Church Reas 10 Lastly such must be in the Church that Discipline may be exercised in cutting them off 1 Cor. 5.4 7. and 2 Cor. 2.7 8. such must be deliuered to Satan that they may bee wonne if it be possible or at least that the faithfull may be admonished by their example and may take heed by their reproaches and censures for when the wicked are punished the righteous will beware Vse 1 The first Vse teacheth vs that if Hypocrites and Castawayes may be and oftentimes are members of a true visible Church then we are not to looke for such a pure and perfect estate of a Church in this World that it should bee without hypocrites and vngodly men in it So long as wee liue here in this World good and bad Wheate and Tares are promiscuously and confusedly scattered and mingled together the vtter and thorow separation of them is respited to the end of the World It passeth the skill and power of man to doe this it is to bee done by the Angels at Christs direction when hee comes to Iudgement Matth. 13.39 40. It is true that a separation from the bad must bee endeauoured by vs here in this life so farre as they are knowne to vs and so farre as wee are able to separate But first it is impossible for vs to know all that are wicked secondly for those we doe know it is impossible also to bee quite separated from
them for then wee must goe out of the World as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 5.10 howsoeuer some heretikes as the Donatists haue maintained that the visible Church consists onely of the elect and chosen and some of our Diuines haue vsed the same words but the heretikes meant it in one sense and our Diuines in another The heretikes intend it as they speak it and so it is not true but our Diuines meane it principally of the Church inuisible and so it is true that none but Gods chosen are members thereof and when they doe apply it to the visible Church they vnderstand it of the liuing abiding and fruitfull members of the Church and so it is true too that none are liuing members of the visible Church but the chosen but yet there may be rotten and dead members too Secondly this teacheth vs what to esteeme of such as Vse 2 make profession to be of the Church and yet their liues are not answerable to their profession shall wee say presently they are none of the Church Certainely wee must iudge of them as members at least by possession and for ought wee know they may bee members by right too It is very hard and impossible for man to iudge who is an hypocrite and who not because that though hypocrites may discerne themselues by notorious falls yet the faithfull sometimes fall as dangerously as they and therefore wee must leaue that to God who onely knowes the heart in the meane time we may safely say that they are members by possession and for ought we know by right too This is harsh in many mens eares but yet the Doctrine is true and sound and the exceptions against it are easily answered The first exception is this How can these bee members of the true visible Church and yet are not members at all of the Catholike Church I answer Yes they are of the Church to vs both because they seeme so and in charity wee are to hold them so till we see the contrary Yea but doth not the Apostle say 1 Ioh. 2.19 They went out from vs because they were not of vs. I answer this is spoken of them after their falling away but yet while they abode with them they were members by possession though not by right and it is confest of the Apostles that Iudas had obtained fellowship with them and was numbred amongst them besides visible is additum diminuens that is it addeth not to the thing but diminisheth from the strict acceptation so that the wicked reprobates and castawayes may be of the true visible Church though not of the true Church simply The second exception is this How can they bee the members of the Church the body of Christ seeing they haue not Christ to be their Head for Christ is the Head of no Reprobate I answer Yes they are members of that body whereof Christ is the Head though simply he is neither Head to them nor they members to him but he is the Head properly of the faithfull in that body and therefore proportionably he is reckoned the Head of the whole Besides the wicked pretend and counterfeite themselues to bee the members of Christ but Christ neuer pretends and counterfeites himselfe to bee their head and therefore though head and members bee relatiues yet it is so that they may be members of him in their sense and yet he no way pretending to bee their head Lastly hee is their head in that sense that they are his members that is in the shew of the world and in their owne pretence though not in his The third exception But how then is the visible Church the Kingdome of heauen for so it is called many times in the Scripture I answer First it is said so in respect of the faithfull that are in it secondly it is said so because there is the meanes to bring all euen the wicked to heauen thirdly they doe all outwardly professe to be Citizens of heauen and are so to be reputed till there be euident proofe to the contrary and then they are to be cast out Fourth exception But what if all bee hypocrites is that a true visible Church I answer It is impossible for where the Word is truly preached it cannot bee but that there are some that doe sincerely professe Secondly I say that if it were possible yet till it be discerned to be so it is to be held a true visible Church The fifth exception Yea but you confesse your selfe that though they be members yet they are not liuing but dead members and will any man say that a dead member is a member of a liuing body I answer Yes euen as a rotten branch of a tree till it be cut off is a member of the tree as well as the soundest In Reuel 3.1 the case is auouched in this very kinde the Church of Sardis is said to be a dead Church because it had dead members and yet it was a true visible Church And so they may be members by possession and by shew though they bee dead members and so by right are not members for that belongeth onely to the faithfull Thirdly this teacheth vs that we should not be rash to Vse 3 condemne a Church for to be a false Church or no Church because it hath in it many hypocrites and wicked members for you see that true visible Churches haue alwaies hypocrites in them It is true that a Church full of hypocrites may bee called and doth well deserue to bee accounted a corrupt and an vnsound Church yea but so long as there are some it and of it that do openly professe the sauing faith in sincerity though otherwise it be full of wicked men and hypocrites it cannot bee denied to be a Church yea a true visible Church though there be a thousand hypocrites to one true Beleeuer This matter concernes vs neerely for it is one of the maine Reasons alleaged by Browne and Barrow and Greeneway and the rest of the separation to proue vs to bee a false Church Oh say they your Church is a profane multitude promiscuously mingled together of good and bad all were admitted together into the Church and so you continue in it without separation I answer If it were so this might proue vs to be an impure and corrupt Church but not a false Church so long as wee haue the Word and Sacraments openly embraced and obeyed by some amongst vs wee are still a true Church though wee should bee in a miserable and fearefull estate because the wicked if they were not rooted out would bee likely at length to ouerthrow the Church But secondly wee answer It is not so For first for admission we receiue none into our Church that are professedly wicked for our baptisme is administred to none but vpon solemne protestation and promise of the profession of the sauing faith and obedience to the same Now because they are receiued into our Church being young therefore this promise
are amisse and that thou shouldest ordaine Elders in euery Citie c. There by name are two principall parts of outward Gouernment set downe redressing things that are amisse and ordaining elders And these are imposed vpon Titus being Bishop of that Church and that of necessity for he was left there for this very cause And in the second and third Chapters of the Reuelation there are directions sent from heauen to the Angels of the seuen Churches and that for many things that did concerne euen the outward as well as the inward Gouernment of the Churches If wee looke into the estate of the Church from time to time we shall see that the practice was answerable that still of necessitie there was outward Gouernment in the Church Our Sauiour while hee was vpon earth among his Disciples how orderly did hee gouerne them When any thing was amisse amongst them how quietly did hee order it How orderly did hee send them out to preach How carefully did he giue them Rules for the outward Gouernment of the Church for the time to come So the Church after Christs ascension how well was it ordered and gouerned As wee may see Act. 1.13 14. Where it is said that the Apostles continued with one accord in prayers and supplications with the women and Mary the mother of Iesus and his Brethren And Act. 2.42 they continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer And Act. 6.2 3 c. When that matter of difference arose concerning the poore how wisely did they order it and chose out men from amongst them fearing God for the performance of this businesse So here we see how well the Church was ordered and gouerned after our Sauiours Ascension See it further Act. 15.2 and forward when there arose dissention in the Church about Circumcision what did they doe They called the Apostles and Elders together and so they ordered what should bee done in that businesse so here wee see is outward Gouernment still And so Phil. 1.1 the Apostle writes to the Bishops and Deacons of that Church that is to the Gouernours of it So that we see that of necessity there is required an outward Gouernment in the Church of God to bee administred by men And so much for the proofe of the point The Reasons are many and of diuers sorts some are drawne from the nature of God some are drawne by comparison from other Assemblies the third sort are drawne from the persons that are to be Gouerned and the last sort are drawne from the Offices that are to be exercised and the businesses that are to be done in the Church The first sort of Reasons drawne from the nature and will of God are these First God is the Author not of confusion but of peace as wee see in all the Churches of the Saints 1. Cor. 14.33 The Apostle giues all the Churches of the Saints for instance in this point that God is the Author of peace in all them as hee commanding it and they obeying Now what peace can there bee or how can it be maintained but by Gouernment therefore wheresoeuer there is a Church of Saints there must of necessity bee Gouernment Againe secondly Holinesse becomes Gods House for euer saith the Prophet Psal 93.5 but without Gouernment there can be no Holinesse at least in the outward man and therefore of necessity outward Gouernement must bee in the Church The second sort of Reasons are drawne by comparison from other Assemblies what Company is there without Gouernment In heauen there is order and Gouernment amongst the Saints and Angels themselues some amongst the Angels for order sake are aboue the rest there are Principalities and Powers and Thrones c. I do not say as the Papists doe that one Angell is aboue another in degree but in order at least Christ is the Head and gouernour of them all and that personally so there is a Gouernment in heauen And as it is in heauen so it is in earth What Company or Corporation either in the City or Kingdome is or can consist without Gouernment And is not the Church the Company of Gods Saints so they are called Ps 89.7 and can that be without Gouernment So in an house there can be no peace nor liuing together in it without Gouernment The Church is the House of God the City of God the Kingdome of his owne Sonne and therefore there must be of necessity an outward gouernment in it exercised by men yea Hell it selfe though it bee the place of all disorder and confusion yet they haue some Gouernment amongst themselues else their kingdome cannot stand The third sort of Reasons are taken from the nature of the persons of whom the Church consists and they are men and therefore to be gouerned and that by men Some are tractable and these are gently to be led others are obstinate those are to be drawne with strong hand some are Nouices and they are to be fed with milke others are of stronger growth and they are to be fed with stronger meat some are out of the Church that must be called in these are to be admitted others are within the Church misdemeaning themselues these are to be cast out Therefore there must be Order and Gouernment in the Church for the doing of all this Lastly there must be gouernment in the Church in respect of the offices and businesses that are to be done in it the Word and the Sacraments are outward things and therefore are outwardly to bee administred Officers are to be chosen Lawes to be made controuersies and contentions are to bee pacified the Sicke are to bee visited the Poore are to be releeued Offences are to be punished and sundry other things are to be done which without outward Gouernment it is not possible they should bee well done Therefore of necessity there must be this outward Gouernment in the Church Vse 1 The Vses of this point are these First this is against Anarchy and for reproofe of such as will haue no Gouernment in the Church their owne necks will endure no yoke and therfore they blush not to say that there should be no yoke at all laid vpon Christians and some of them haue gone so farre that they will not endure ciuill Magistracy neither they hold it vnfit for the estate of the Gospell to be vnder Gouernment Wee are called to liberty say they Iesus Christ hath set vs free and therefore we need no Gouernours It is true wee are called to liberty but wee must not vse our liberty as a cloake to our sinnes What liberty and freedome is it that wee haue Is it not from sin and Satan and the curse of the Law It is not a state of liberty in respect of the outward man but in respect of the inward man for the best liberty the outward man can haue is when it is made conformable to the ordinances of God and such wholesome Lawes
bee done but there are generalls from which and some particulars by which the rest are to bee drawne and measured That is the first Reason the impossibility of it Reas 2 Secondly if it were possible yet it is inconuenient and vnfit fit for euerie seuerall Nation and Countrey haue their seuerall States and Customes and ciuill Gouernment so that that which is decent in one is not decent in another that which will stand with some ciuill Gouernment may not stand with another and therefore it is vnfit to impose the same particulars on the Churches in euery seuerall Gouernment As for Instance it is a decent thing in some Churches to weare long haire in some it is not In some Churches it is decent to haue the head couered when they prophesie in some it is not therfore where its decent it may bee done where it is not decent it may not be done so that Decency is held still in the generall though that the particulars faile and differ as farre as the East is from the West Reas 3 Thirdly some things we haue must haue in our Church Gouernment which in the Apostles times and many yeares after was not so and that is the Christian Magistrate who hath a chiefe stroke in Church gouernment that by right from God who dares deny it And therefore it was neuer meant that the same particulars should bee in all Churches And so no particular forme of Church-gouernment is left in the Word in euery particular whereunto all Churches are to conforme Reas 4 Lastly some things they had in the Apostles times by practice Act. 6.1 and there was Commandement about it too as well as about other offices as widdowes 1 Tim. 5.3 and yet this is not of necessitie required in any reformed Church So much for the Reasons Vse 1 The Vses are these First this should teach vs to moderate and stay our selues and to set our harts at rest frō seeking after such a particular precise and necessary forme of Church-gouernment for euerie case in Gods Word It is but vaine labour let vs neuer think to find it for the generall we may and for many particulars but for euery particular we may not How many excellent wits haue euen tyred themselues out in this businesse How long and how grieuously haue many learned and holy men vexed themselues about this Question and yet cannot agree among themselues Some pressing more particulars than others as that the chiefe Gouernour is but for a yeere or by turnes c. Yea how haue some and how doe some to this day wrest Scripture laying violent hands on Gods owne holy Booke sometimes putting out somwhat as Timothies Bishopricke in the Postscript to the second Epistle to Timothie so sometime they put in though not into the Text yet cunningly they adde it as in Eph. 4.11 where it is said Pastors and Teachers they say and some Pastors and some Teachers to make them a diuerse Office so likewise they mis-interpret as in Phil. 1.1 where they will haue Bishops to signifie lay-Elders a thing neuer heard of that they were called Bishops and so they are exceeding unconscionable in handling the Word in this businesse Obiect and all to maintaine their owne conceit of Gouernement But you will say was not the Church of the Iewes prouided for in euery particular And why then is not ours as well prouided for as theirs I answer First Answ that the Church of the Iewes was a particular Nationall Church and so might the better be prouided for in particular Secondly I answer that some particulars were not prescribed by them yea I say further that the certaine forme of Church-gouernment amongst them in euery respect is not at this day knowne by any and yet wee haue the Scriptures where this was recorded For my owne part I professe I cannot by all my poore endeauours and small reading come to any full vnderstanding in euery particular of that Gouernment neither could I euer heare or reade of any that could And so likewise I professe for matter of Church-gouernment now vnder the new Testament by all my labours and endeauours and prayers vnto God I could neuer see it in euery particular set downe in the Word For the generall substance it is and for some particulars enough to receiue some good direction for the rest but in euery particular I could neuer see it Vse 2 The second Vse is for refutation and reproofe of all such as pretend their particular Gouernment to bee Gods ordinance and condemne all others As first the Papists they alleage this that their Gouernment is Gods Ordinance for Christ say they when hee was on earth minding to erect one vniuersall head ouer all as his substitute and that all the Churches in the world should be at his becke and Gouernment First he erected it in Peter and from him it came to the Pope and so it is to contiene for euer and therefore say they whosoeuer is not vnder this head is no part of Gods Church But of all oppositions to this Obseruation this hath the least colour of truth and these opposites haue least colour of Scripture for them of all other for besides that there is no precept nor example for it in Scripture they are both most directly against it First for precept looke in Luk. 22.25.26 The Kings of the Gentiles raigne ouer them c. but it shall not be so among you c. there is our Sauiours precept directly against it And so for example looke in Act. 15.13 We shall see that Iames Bishop of Ierusalem moderates the matter in question and giues sentence in it which is the Office of a Bishop and which Peter should haue done if hee had been head of the whole Church Besides what meant Paul to write to Rome and to Corinth and Ephesus and other Churches and to prescribe Orders for them if Peter had been Head it had been his Office and he must haue performed it and if he were dead why did not his Successour doe it Likewise when commandement came from heauen for reformation of the seuen Churches in Asia why were they not reuealed to Peter or he being dead to the Pope his Successour but that they must be reuealed to Iohn in Pathmos if the Pope had been Head of the Churches the Epistles should haue been sent by him or at least by Iohn from him So that they haue no colour for their Gouernment Lastly this reproues those of the Presbytery that say that their Gouernment and their Rulers which they require are plainely set downe in the Word and is an ordinance of God to endure for euer Yet this is not sufficiently furnished in euery particular for first they are not certaine whether the Office of a Pastor and Teacher be diuerse or if they be so then secondly they know not whether they may not be in one and the same person thirdly whether of necessitie all these must bee in euery particular Congregation so
yea all the vnreasonable and senselesse Creatures in heauen and earth are at League with vs yea the Diuels are subdued to vs and troden vnder our feete yea further the damned in hell that scorned and hated vs whilest they did liue doe now acknowledge that our estate is exceeding happy and curse themselues that they had so little grace in their life as not to ioyne themselues to our Societies and practise our courses yea the whole world is ours it was made for our vse and seruice 1 Cor. 3.22 23. euen all things are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods Thirdly in respect of Gods ordinary dealings and proceedings in the world wee haue our priuiledges whether he strikes or spares giues or takes away rains or shines kills or giues life blesseth or curseth helpes or forsakes whether it bee man or a beast good or bad whole kingdomes or priuate persons Church or Commonwealth we haue our priuiledge and our benefit in and by them they are all done with a speciall Eye and intendment towards vs and so they all worke together for the best vnto vs as it is Rom. 8.28 All Gods Iudgements are our Schoolmasters his blessings our comforts his warnings our counsellours his lawes our rules his dealings our directions Specially those dealings which God exerciseth towards our selues are matters of speciall priuiledge to vs when hee blesseth vs that is a matter of speciall priuiledge to vs for we haue them by promise we esteeme and embrace them as pledges of his loue and we vse them aright to the glory of the giuer for want of which priuiledge the very blessings of the wicked are heauy Curses Againe God chastens vs and it is our priuiledge hee chastens vs in the world that wee might not bee condemnedwith the world as it is in the 1 Cor. 11.32 and to you is it giuen saith the Apostle not onely to beleeue in Christ but also for to suffer for his sake For want of which Priuiledge to the wicked all their present punishments are the beginnings of their Torments in hell Againe God sometimes takes away his Spirit from vs for a while and then wee mourne and grieue and being left to our selues oftentimes wee sinne grieuously and then our case is most fearfull yet by vertue of our priuiledge in Christ these very desertions of his sins of ours work by contraries for when we come to our selues againe they work more grace in vs and make vs wiser for the time to come and worke more conscience in vs of our waies bring vs greater comfort afterwards for war of which the wicked are left in their sins and are hardned therein and perish for euer Lastly he kills vs and we die but by vertue of our priuiledge in Christ and his death this very death of ours is aduantage to vs for a better life whereas to the wicked it is the end of their happines and the beginning of all their misery Fourthly wee are also priuiledged in respect of the workes God doth for vs what are these First hee chuseth vs to saluation whereas hee leaues others in the masse of the old Adam to perish iustly by their owne sinnes this is a secret priuiledge but yet the most excelent and the foundation of all the rest for because the Lord hath chosen vs therefore wee haue all these Priuiledges when hee hath chosen vs then we must haue a being why God giues vs our being too But you will say God giues the wicked a being yea but we haue it for good and not for euill else it were a thousand times better that we had neuer beene borne Then he redeemes vs and payes all our Ransome and makes full satisfaction for vs whereas hee lets all the rest of the world lye by it bound in the chaines of their sinnes till they haue paid the last farthing Then hee calles vs and that effectually not onely preaching to vs but opening our eyes eares and hearts that wee may vnderstand and beleeue and so be saued whereas hee casts a vaile ouer the hearts of others that though they heare yet they might not vnderstand lest they should be conuerted and so be saued Then he iustifies vs imputing to vs his obedience and couering vs with his owne righteousnesse the rest of the world the Lord Iesus lets alone standing defiled in their blood vgly and odious with all their sinnes on them before the face of God an Angry Iudge to condemne them and to cast them into vtter darknes Lastly hee sanctifies vs he changeth our hearts and our wils our affection and subdues our nature and brings it vnder the Obedience of his blessed Will renuing vs into his owne glorious Image whereas all the rest of the world are left in the slauery and bondage of the Deuill being his Children and hauing his Image on them but this is more naturall to the next head these things are so nearely depending on each other that we can make no perfect and exact distinction but for Doctrine sake they are to be sundred howsoeuer that we may know varietie of our Priuiledges Fiftly the Graces God workes in vs are a Priuiledge to vs as Faith in Iesus Christ and in all Gods promises Repentance for our sinnes Mortification of the old man and quickning of the new man hatred of sinne and loue of righteousnesse Loue to God and his Religion and to his Children zeale for his Glory patience in afflictions strength against temptations he workes in vs knowledge wisedome hope perseuerance loathing of sinne and of the world and a longing and hasting for the comming of the Lord Iesus to Iudgement and hee workes in vs a sanctified heart to make a sauing vse of the Word and the Sacraments and of all occurrences that befall vs and euery fruit of the spirit and this God work in vs either indeed or at least in desire either more or lesse sooner or later Sixtly the Comforts God imparts to vs many excellent Comforts he doth priuiledg vs in he giues vs the spirit of adoption whereby wee cry Abba father assurance of his loue and fauour in Christ and the pardon forgiuenes of all our sins he giues vs peace of Conscience and Ioy in the holy Ghost cheering vs vp in all our tribulations and temptations and in our prayers and in all his holy Ordinances that surely the end is good and the manner profitable and comfortable he giues vs also a Tast of heauenly Ioyes whilest we are her eternall life is already begun in vs we â—eele sinne daily dying in vs and grace preuailing aboue nature and wee feele the Spirit helping our infirmities and comforting directing and quickning vs all these are reall performances and sensible Comforts actually enioyed besides the promise of greater and better hereafter The consideration and expectation hereof is no small Comfort to vs seeing we know he is faithfull that hath promised and will not deceiue vs. Seuenthly the liberties that are attained
our loue will faile too So also it is for the triall of our Faith in his promises to see whether we will still build and rest vpon them in all our Crosses with all manly Confidence when in outward appearance it is vnlikely that they should bee performed and stand So it is also for the triall of our Patience to see if wee will quietly endure all Crosses and oppositions and speaking against of Sinners and all manner of euill dealings for Christs sake Lastly it is for the triall of the corruption that is in vs For commonly many corruptions breake out of our hearts in these oppositions as wee see in Iob who was a Iust and vpright man and yet we see in his afflictions what a Sea of corruption burst out of him These are the Reasons that the Church hath so many aduersaries and opposits The vses are these The first vse is matter of Instruction Vse 1 teaching vs what to esteeme of the life of a Christian in this world for that which is the portion of the whole church in generall is also the portion of euery member in particular what is the life of a Christian here Surely a continuall warfare against many Aduersaries so that when thou entrest into the profession of the Gospell know that thou entrest into a Sea of troubles and a world of oppositions dreame not therefore of outward peace and ease there for that state cannot affoord it but looke for warres and bickerings continually either within or without either with one enemy or other and when thou hast passed one or many conflicts do not sit downe and say now I hope my payne is past but bee sure that so soone as one trouble is ended another will follow it at the very heeles A state of worldly Tranquillity and peace is a most dangerous estate and where there is such a state wee may feare that the Diuel possesseth all in peace there as our Sauiour saith Luk. 11.27 And in Luk. 6.21 22. he saith Blessed are yee that weepe for yee shall laugh Blessed are ye when men hate you c. there is the estate of the faithfull but we be to you that laugh now for yee shall waile and weepe woe be to you when all men speake well of you vers 25.26 there is the estate of the Reprobate Do wee laugh and haue we our pleasure now and doe all men speake well of vs then certainely wee are not of the number of the blessed but our estate is a woefull estate wee must take this as a Rule that to whom Abraham our heauenly Father may say Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasure to those shall be also said after this life now thou art tormented Luke 16. the Torments of hell are the end of such an estate but on the contrary if it be with vs as it was with Lazarus that our heauenly Father may say of vs that we haue had our paines here he shall also affirme of vs after this life as of him but now hee is comforted paynes are bitter here but they are sweete hereafter I doubt not but Gods children haue many times peace here and yet goe to heauen and the wicked may haue many crosses and yet goe to hell But I speake here of crosses and sufferings that befall vs for Christs cause and for his sake because wee are the Church of Christ and these we must look for in this life as Christ was a Signe to bee spoken against Luk. 2.34 or a butt to shoot at so is his Chruch and euery paricular member and this is it wee are to looke for in this world heere is our warfare in heauen is our crowne And therefore while we liue here let vs looke for many Adùersaries and oppositions Vse 2 The second vse is for matter of reproofe and that of many for there are many that make the crosses and opposition of the Church as a stumbling blocke to hinder them from heauen and to make them fall into hell For first it keeps many from entring into the Church what say they Shall wee enter into so many troubles If they could separate the Church from the crosse then they would be of the Church like vnto the high Priests and the Scribes and the Elders and Pharisies in Matth. 27.42 that said Let him come downe from the Crosse and wee will beleeue in him so these men if yee can separate Christ from his crosse they will beleeue in him Secondly it is a stumbling blocke to many to make them flie away from the Church at least for a time so did the Disciples of Christ Matth. 26.56 when their Master was in trouble for his life they all forsooke him and fled this was but for a time But many in the time of opposition and persecution fall away finally from the Church such are they that are compared to the stony ground Mat. 13.20.21 that receiued the seed of the Word with ioy for a time but because it was not rooted in their hearts therefore when persecution commeth they fall away Thirdly it is a stumbling blocke to others that are beholders of these oppositions causing them to passe hard and vncharitable censures on vs either scoffingly by way of insultation as they did ouer our Sauiour in Matth. 27.43 He trusted in God let him deliuer him now if hee will haue him for he said I am the Sonne of God because our Sauiour was brought to a shamefull death therefore they scoffe at him and insult ouer him as if he were not the Sonne of God and so this was a stumbling blocke to keepe them from beleeuing in him or else it causeth others to passe hard censures on vs reprochfully taxing vs as notorious sinners because wee are so continually molested as they did of our Sauiour Esa 53.34 they thought him to be a wicked man and that therefore he was plagued and smitten of God and so in Acts 28.4 they iudged of Paul when the viper hung vpon his hand that hee was a wicked man and therefore though hee had escaped the Sea yet vengeance would not suffer him to liue Thus many make the persecutions and oppositions of the Church as a stumbling blocke to keepe them from ioyning with the Church these are all here reproued Vse 3 The third vse is for matters of exhortation to stirre vs vp to the practice of many duties Is the Church opposed with many aduersaries then we must learne first to fight and to take vp armes and to beare vp our selues with good spirit and courage against all our aduersaries the Apostle 1 Cor 16.13 exhorteth vs to this duty Stand fast in the faith quit your selues like men be strong c. seeing we are matched with so many aduersaries wee must fight manfully and quit our selues like Christian men for shall they fight against vs and that continually and shall wee lye still either not fighting at all or if wee beginne to fight shall wee like cowards giue
dangerous enemies and it is hard for vs to preuaile against the whole world Tenthly the flesh that is the vnregenerate part in our selues this alwaies fights against the spirit Gal. 5.17 and seeke the destruction of our soules 1 Peter 2.11 Abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule this is a pestilent aduersary which wee carry alwayes in our bosoms and cannot possibly either flie from it or cause it to fly from vs which is the singular mischiefe of this enemy aboue and beyond all others The diuell himselfe if we resist him will fly from vs but this we carry alwayes about with vs. The eleuenth aduersary is sinne this is a deadly enemy to the soule too the Apostle saith Rom. 7.11.13 Sinne tooke occasion by the Commandement and thereby slew me and sinne that it might appeare sinne wrought death in mee The last Aduersary is the diuell hee is the aduersary of all aduersaries and the commander of all the rest And this being the principall oposition of all we will speake God willing the more largely and particularly of it by way of obseruation And the obseruation is this Doctr. That Satan is the Grand-aduersary and the capitall and chiefe enemy of the Church of God and the Generall of the field fought against the faithfull all other aduersaries are his souldiers and his forces and instruments Gen. 3.15 The maine enmity betwixt vs and our aduersaries is from the Serpent himselfe as hee being the head all other are but his seed Reuel 12.37 The red Dragon the diuell he fought and his angells hee is the Arch enemy the other are but his angells 1 Pet. 5.8 your Aduersary the diuell c. What are there not many aduersaries besides him yeâ— but he is an aduersary by way of excellency the aduersary of aduersaries he hath the rule of all the rest Eph. 6.12 the Apostle saith We wrestle not against flesh and blood Doe wee not wrestle against flesh and blood yes that wee doe but they are but instruments the author of them are principalities and powers c. The diuell and his angells Matth. 13.28 Who sowed the Tares amongst the good Corne the enuious man did it as who should say whatsoeuer the meanes were yet he was the chiefe Agent and therefore they are called his seede vers 38. and thefore hee is said to deceiue the whole world Reuel 12.9 because hee leads the world after him to doe his will he it is that works in the children of disobedience Ephes 2.2 as he being the mouer and they his engines he their father they his children So that Satan is the Grand-aduersary of Gods Church all other aduersaries are but his instruments c. See this proued further in euery particular enemy before named first all false Churches whose are they the Synagogues of Satan Reuel 2.9 secondly they which are without not yet admitted into the Church they are his too they are vnder his power Acts 26.18 thirdly Heretikes they are his Reuel 2.24 fourthly Schismatikes are his Iames 3.14.15 Satan himselfe was the first Schismatike and that in heauen fifthly Apostates are his and Apostacy is by the working of Satan 2 Thes 2.3.9 sixthly Persecutors are his Reu. 2.10 the diuell is said to cast some of them into prison when as persecutors did it And 1 Iohn 3.12 Cayne that slew his brother is said to be of the wicked one that is of the diuell seuenthly Hypocrites are his false apostles are Satans Ministers 2 Cor. 11.15 the diuell was in Iudas heart Iohn 13.15 and the wicked Iewes are said to be of their father the diuell Iohn 8.44 eighthly excommunicate persons are his vassalls 1 Tim. 1.20 they are deliuered to Satan ninthly the world is his hee is the Prince of the world Iohn 14.30 yea he is the God of the world 2 Cor. 4.4 tenthly the flesh is his messenger 2 Tim. 12.7 Lastly Sinne is his Snare 2 Tim. 2.26 So that the diuel erects false churches possesses them that are without inspires Heretikes incenseth Schismatikes seduceth Apostates incourageth persecutors begets hypocrites triumphs in the excommunicate commands the world and hath them in a string prouokes the flesh inticeth to sinne he imployes all and euery one of them busily and eagerly in the disturbance of Gods people The Reasons are these First God himselfe is the generall Reas 1 of the Church therefore Satan is the generall and commander of all their enemies Secondly Satans outragious and incessant malice against Reas 2 God and his Faithfull to which if wee adde his strength it is a sufficient Reason to prooue that hee is the Grand enemy of the Church Thirdly if there be any losse to the Aduersaries it Reas 3 is his losse if there be any gaine to them it is his If they preuaile against vs there is so much added to his kingdome if wee preuaile against them there is so much detracted from his kingdome therefore it is reason that hee should bestirre himselfe and all his Instruments against the Church The Vses are these First this teacheth vs that seeing Vse 1 Satan is the conductor of all these forces therefore wee are to be the more vigilant and prepared and armed to resist him It is the Apostles owne Inference Ephes 6.13 For this cause saith hee take vnto you the whole Armour of God for what cause why because we wrestle not onely against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers c vers 12. and 1 Pet. 5.8 your Aduersarie the diuell goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure whom resist saith the Apostle so that if hee bend himselfe and all his forces against vs we should labour to bend all our forces against him to resist him Secondly here wee are taught what to esteeme of all Vse 2 wicked people that oppose the Church whosoeuer thou art that troublest the Church thou art no better then the Diuels souldier and slaue he is thy master and captaine and so the motions of the flesh are the Diuels darts the euill examples of the world his brokers he sets them all to worke and hee shall pay them their wages No meruaile therefore though Gods children are carried with such a zeale against the wicked for they are but diuels as it were and therefore our Sauiour saith Goe yee cursed into euerlasting Fire prepared for the diuell and his angels Matth. 25.41 Thirdly let vs consider the wonderfull power and mercy of God here is the wonderfull power and loue of God that keepes vs so long and so safe from so many Deuils as I may say that are continually beleaguering Vse 4 vs. And therefore lastly this should encourage Gods children in the fight because so oft as wee resist I say not onely so often as wee ouercome them but so oft as wee resist them and keepe them from preuailing ouer vs so many victories we get ouer the Diuell himselfe and so many wounds we giue to the Serpents head but on the
Spirituall for ye see how Vzziah was stricken with leprosie for medling with the Priests Office 2 Chron. 26.16 to the 19. And it was well hee escaped so for by the law he deserued Death Numb 18.7 The third Branch of the second point is that though it bee a spirituall Power yet it is not vnbounded but it is limited and scantled within the bounds of the Word For the same God that hath set markes and boundes in the earth for the Sea that it shall not ouerflow them Iob 38.11 he hath also prescribed in his Word certaine marks limits and bounds for the power of the Church and so farre the Church must goe and no further The Body and Spouse haue power to doe many things yet still they are to bee ruled by the direction of their Head and Husband And so long as the Church containes herselfe within these bounds and limits it goes well with her God prospers her and he hath promised and will performe a blessing to her but if she goe beyond these bounds and transgresse against God It is a fearefull and dangerous case the bond is broken all flyes a sunder the walls and hedges of the Church are troden downe and the Boare and wild Beasts enter in and spoile and make a prey of all Gods yoke is shaken off and then men runne into strange outragious vnwarrantable and exorbitant Courses fitter for lawlesse Infidels then for Christs Disciples and by this meanes Gods Church will bee degenerate into Synagogues of Satan and Religion turned into Ignorance superstition profanenesse and meere licentiousnesse And by this meanes Anti-Christ himselfe hath clymed vp into the Seate of Christ The reason is plaine in the very like case 1 Sam. 15.23 Because that they haue reiected God and his yoke and gone beyond their bounds therefore God will reiect them and cast them off from being his Church The Church therefore must consider like a modest Spouse that shee hath power indeed but to what to that that shee will and list her selfe No but to that which Christ her husband will haue her to doe so farre as in the exercising of her power shee walkes with God shee may goe on safely and boldly But if when God stayes she will not stay but still goe on forward at her owne perill be it The fourth Branch of the second point is that though it be a bounded and limitted power and authority yet it is the greatest power on earth it reacheth not onely to the people but Kings and Princes must obey it I say they are vnder the power of the Church though they be aboue the persons that exercise this power as may appeare in the Example of Dauid and Nathan the Person of Nathan being subiect to Dauid and yet Dauid subiect to the Power of his reproofe Secondly as it reacheth not onely to the meanest but to the highest so it reacheth not onely to the outward man but euen to the Inward also the very Spirit and Conscience though it be free from all other power yet it is subiect to this I say not to the Church it selfe but to that spirituall and diuine power which it in Christs Name doth exercise Lastly whereas no other authority or power reacheth so high as heauen or so low as hell this power of the Church extends to both it cuts off from God and deliuers ouer to Satan And againe it releases out of Satans lawes and reconciles vs to God and brings vs to heauen So much for the second point what manner of power this is The third and last point is this Namely what is it that the Church hath power in The Church hath a double power one ouer persons and another ouer things ouer persons and that in two respects either as they are members or as they are officers As they are members and that in two respects also either as they are not come into the Church or as they are come in already as they are not come in and that in two respects too either to admit them as members or to repell and refuse them If yee aske who are to be admitted The Answer is all those that are called Acts 2.39 the promise is made to you and your children and to many that are a farre off euen to as many as the Lord our God shall call For seeing the promise belongs to them and so they are for ought wee know within the Couenant then they ought to be admitted into the Bosome of the Church and to bee admitted as members thereof If yee aske how we shall know that they are called The Answer is plaine yee shall know it by their profession of faith in the Church and by their profession of Repentance by their profession of faith as Acts 8.12 37. As soone as they beleeued Philip which preached the things that concerned the Kingdome of God and the Name of Iesus Christ they were baptized both men and women And verse 37. Philip said to the Eunuch If thou beleeuest with all thine heart thou maist be baptized then he answered and said I beleeue that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God c 38. and he baptized him And so by the profession of Repentance Matth. 3.6 they were baptized of Iohn confessing their sinnes And both these you shall finde together Acts 2.37.38 when they were pricked in their hearts at Peters Sermon they said Men and Brethren what shall we doe to be saued Peter said vnto them Amend your liues and be baptized euery one of you in the Name of the Lord Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes as if he had said repent and beleeue for amendment of life doth necessarily imply purpose of obedience and so the profession of Repentance is a promise of obedience and this is precisely required Exod. 19.5 to the 8. where the Lord sent to the people of Israel to know whether they would obey him before hee would enter into Couenant with them To which agrees the practice of Iosiah and the people in the case of Reformation or renewing their admission when they had broken their Couenant with God 2 Chron. 34.31 32. he renued the Couenant betwixt God and his people and caused all that were found in Ierusalem and in Beniamin to stand to it If you aske what is the meanes and act of Admission The answer is that it is baptisme Mat. 3.6 Act. 8.37 38 Acts 2.41 they that gladly receiued the Word were baptized and the same day there was added to the Church aboue three thousand Soules Now this Act being once receiued is neuer to bee recall'd though the Couenant be afterwards neglected and broken for one entrance stands good for our whole estate In so much that if I fall after Baptisme and that so greiuously as that I be cut off by the censure of the Church yet if I returne againe the Couenant is to bee renued but not baptisme no more then circumcision in the former Testament was to be renued
vs now the voyce of the Scripture Therefore eyther they much wronged the womans voice in preferring Christs before it or else the Church is not of greater authority then the Scripture but the Scriptures of greater authority then the Church Iohn 5.33 to the 39. Iohn bare witnesse to the truth that Christ was the Messiah and his voyce therein is the voyce of the Church But doth our Sauiour rest there as if the truth were thereby sufficently confirmed no he disclaimes it in that respect verse 34. I receiue not the record of man and appeales to a higher and greater witnesse euen to his Fathers who did speake more sufficiently for him and doth not the Father speake in the Scriptures So that as the Testimony of Iohn is not greater then that of the Father but the Testimony of the Father greater then of Iohn so the authority of the Church is not greater then the authority of the Scripture but the authority of the Scripture is greater then that of the Church And in the 39. verse of that Chapter hee appeales from the Testimony of Iohn by name to Scriptures Search the Scriptures for they testifie of me as they being a greater witnesse then the witnesse of Iohn So in Luke 16. from verse 27. to 31. the rich man being in hell in torments intreats father Abraham that Lazarus might goe and forewarne his brethren that they might not come into those torments No saith Abraham they haue Moses and the Prophets and if they will not heare them they will not heare him The case is plaine if Lazarus had come to his brethren and told them that they should take heed of their brothers courses for hee was now in hell in torments for their sinnes if he had done thus had not his voyce been the voyce of the Church For what doth the Church but instruct exhort reproue and forewarne men from Sinne that so they might keepe them from hell and yet Abraham referres them to Scriptures as of greater authority and if Lazarus had come thus it had beene by miracle too which would haue added waight to his words and yet for all that hee referres them to the Scripture to Moses and the Prophets with a plaine affirmation of greater authority in them to perswade men from hell then if one had risen from the dead to perswade them The last place that I will adde for proofe of this point is in Iohn 10.3.4 the sheepe of Christ they follow Christ that is the faithfull they beleeue in him why because they know his voyce as who should say there is a secret skill that God hath endued them withall whereby they discerne the voyce of Christ from any other and that voyce of his they heare and beleeue it why because the Church tels them so No that is not it but because it is his voyce and he hath spoken it So that the authority of the Church is not greater then the authority of the Scripture but the authority of the Scripture is greater then the authority of the Church this is a materiall point not onely against the Papists but euen in our consciences that we may know what is the maine ground which wee are to rest vpon the Church or the Scripture Reas 1 The Reasons are many first the Scripture is the foundation of the Church Ephes 2.20 you are built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Christ Iesus himselfe being the chiefe corner Stone that is ye are built vpon the Scripture then the Scripture is the foundation and the Church the building now we know that the foundation may and oft times doth stand fast without the building but the building cannot stand at all without the foundation therefore the foundation is a farre surer stay then the building and the Scripture then the Church Reas 2 Secondly the Scriptures is the immortall seede whereof the Church is begotten 1 Pet. 1.23 now which is greater the seed that begets or the fruite that is thereof begotten Reas 3 Thirdly the Scriptures are of greater authority to beget faith then Christs own miracles and therefore of greater authority then the Church Iohn 5.36 to the 39. Our Sauiour appeales from the voyce of Iohn which was the voyce of the Church to his miracles as being of greater authority and yet he appeales from his miracles to the Scripture as being of greater authority then them both And Luke 16.31 If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rise from the dead and 2 Pet. 1.17 18 19. miracles are of greater authority then the Church and the Scriptures are of farre greateâ— authority then miracles that the Scriptures are of more greater authority then the Church I will make it plaine by a Simile In a Family the wife being of more authority then the childe her word shall stand when the childes shall not stand yea but the husbands word is of more Authority then the wiues for his shall stand when hers shall not then it followes that the husbands word must needs be of greater authority then the childes Fourthly that which speakes true alwaies must needs Reas 4 be of greater Credit then that which doth speake true but sometimes but the Scriptures speake alwaies true in euery tittle as the Lord himselfe who cannot lye speaking in euery sentence of it all Scripture is giuen by inspiration from God 2 Timoth. 3.16 but the Church speakes sometimes false for euery man is a lyer Rom. 3.4 therefore the Scripture is of greater authority then the Church or take it thus more plainly God is to be beleeued before man but the voyce of the Scripture is the voyce of God himselfe and the voyce of the Church is but the voyce of man therefore the voyce of the Scripture is of greater authority and is to be beleeued before the voyce of the Church Fifthly our assurance of any truth stands more on Reas 5 that into which it is last resolued then of that which being but a meanes thereto is it selfe proued by it As for example If I be sure the King will giue me an hundred pounds because hee hath promised and past his word for it this promise is but the meane of this assurance that which my assurance is last resolued into is the honesty of the King for if I be not principally resolued on that his promise can giue mee no certaine assurance Now our assurance of the truth of Scripture is last resolued into the authority of the Scripture it selfe the Church is but a meanes bringing vs thereto and it selfe leaning thereon For if I beleeue the truth because the Church saith it then I must be sure that the Church saith true but how should I doe it but by the Scriptures therefore my assurance of the truth stands on the authority of the Scripture not of the Church and so the authority of the Scripture is greater then the authority of the Church an Angell from heauen is not to
be beleeued besides the Word Gal. 1.8 Reas 6 Lastly the practice of the faithful is answerable to this both of teachers and learners the Teachers they haue referred the people still for certaine proofe of the truth to the Scriptures Esa 8.20 to the law and to the testimony if they speake not according to this Word it is because they haue not light in them Acts 10.43 to him giue all the Prophets witnesse saith Peter to Cornelius referring the truth hee taught to be tryed by the Scripture and so this hath beene the practice of the learners Acts 17.11 12. The men of Berea seached the Scriptures to try whether the things were so as Paul had taught them and yet Paul was a principall member of the Church and in his Doctrine hee was specially guided by the Spirit more then euer any Church was since and the Bereans are commended for this and not accounted curious So that the Teachers and the Learners haue still referred themselues for the tryall of the truth to the Scriptures and not to the Church and therefore the authority of the Scripture is greater then the authority of the Church Yea Obiect but you will say so the Scriptures are vsually referred to the censure of other Scripture and yet that is no proofe that therefore one Scripture is of greater authority then another how then doth this proue that the Scripture is of greater authority then the Church I answer Answ yes It proues the first ponit of the obseruation plainely that is that the Church is not aboue the Scripture which is the maine controuersie Nay if it be well considered it proues the second point of the obseruation that the authority of the Scripture is greater then that of the Church I say it proues it as sufficiently though not at the first sight so plainely for still in euery kinde there must be one highest which all the rest must settle vpon else there will be no stay at all but we shall runne on infinitely and without end now the Scripture or the Church is the highest thing in this kinde whereon we are to rest for they cnanot be equall then the Scriptures must needs be highest and if they be referred to any at all it must be to themselues for there is none greater nor higher as in the matter of an oath Heb. 6.13 to 16. men sweare by him that is greater then them selues But God sweares by himselfe because there is none greater to sweare by So likewise the Church is referred to the Scripture for trial because the Scripture is higher then the Church but Scripture is referred to Scripture because there is none higher to be referred to nor there cannot be two highests in one kinde for that is against nature and reason too and therefore when the sayings of the Church are referred to the approbation of Scripture it is the referring of them to an higher and so the authority of the Scripture is greater then the authority of the Church The vses are these The first is matter of refutation Vse 1 against the Papists that vsually disparage the holy Scriptures and set them downe too low and doat on the Church aduancing it too high their reach therein is not so much the loue they beare to the Church it selfe but that thereby they might exalt themselues and their owne Church and that their faith might be reputed the onely true sauing faith because their Church teacheth it So that God and his Word must goe downe that they might be lifted vp but if it be true that the Church were aboue the Scriptures yet except they can proue their Church to be the only true Church of God which they are neuer able to doe it helps not their cause It is strange to see and heare what monstrous and blasphemous speaches and positions many of them haue deliuered to this purpose as that the Scripture is of no more authority without the approbation of the Church then Esops Fables Oh horrible blasphemie there are some others of a better kinde that are more modest that say that the Scriptures are to be fitted to the times and the sense thereof is to be altred as the times alter others there are that say that the Churches are not bound to take the Scriptures as true without the allegation of the Church and that the Church hath authority to reiect or allow Scripture and that yee may know that by the Church they meane their Romish church and by that the Pope hearken how blasphemously they ascribe vnto him all power in heauen and in earth that hee may dispence against the Apostles and their Canons and against all the commandements of God in the old and new Testament c. Here the world may see that the church of Rome is that whore of Babilon an impudent and shamelesse strumpet that sets such a brasen face and belches out such whorish filthy blasphemies against God and his Word the very naming of these positions is refutation enough for them in any Christians iudgements To come to their best positions in this controuersie Position 1 First the Church say they is supreme Iudge in all controuersies of Religion but yee see by this obseruation that it is not so God is higher and the Scripture is higher the Spirit indeede is the Iudge and the highest Iudge speaking openly and plainely in in the Word and secretly in the minde and heart of euery beleeuer 1. Ioh. 2 20 27. you haue anoyntment from that holy one and know all things And againe the same anoynting teacheth you of all things Obiect yea but say they are not men sent to the Priests to enquire at their mouhes Mal. 2.7 and is not the Priest the highest Iudge then Answ I answer What are wee to goe to the Priests for for the Law not for their owne Iudgement whereto if they speake wee are to receiue it yet not because it is their saying but Gods Law but happly they can deliuer no other but Gods Law that is flatly contradicted verse 8. where the Prophet saith that they are gone out of the way and haue caused many to fall by the Law yea but say they the high Priest was the Iudge as wee may see Deut. 17.8 12. But hee was to iudge according to the Law as we may see in Vers 11. so that except they will arrogate more to themselues then the messengers of the Lord of hoasts did vnder the law they cannot be Iudge nor Iudges of the Scripture The second position of theirs is this Position 2 That whatsoeuer the Church saith we must take it as a Law and obey it It is true that whatsoeuer the Church saith according the Law and Word of God we must obey it not otherwise The Scribes and Pharises were to bee obeyed as they sate in Moses chaire that is as they taught his Doctrine Matth. 23 2 3. but if they transgresse and bring in the precepts of men and their owne traditions
that say wee haue no true Ordination we Answer that we had our ordination from the Church of Rome at the first and that being a true visible Church therefore we haue a lawfull Ministery Vse 3 Thirdly this may serue for satisfaction to that question which the Papists aske vs where was your Church before Luthers time did he erect a new church No he erected no new church but by his Ministry brought many faithfull out of their impure and vnsound Church into a more sound and pure Church not onely for matters of ceremonies for then he had beene a Schismatique to separate from them but for matters of substance so that this point well considered preuents a number of inconueniences which wee should runne into if wee should fall into that heate of zeale as to deny them to bee a true visible Church Vse 4 Fourthly this may comfort vs in respect of our fathers that haue liued in the Popish Church what shall we thinke of them that they liued in no true visible Church and therefore could not be saued far bee it from vs no we are perswaded that they liued in a true Church and that many of them where sound in those times and now saued they attained not to that high straine of Iustification by workes I would faine know whether they did not doe that they did ignorantly or whether they did challenge or disclaime their merits on their death beds many at the point of death disclaime their merits now though that point now is more stiffly defended by the Popish faction then euer it was much more did they doe it then Now to disclaime all their owne merits at their death is not that both repentance of former errors if any in that kinde and faith in Christ alone too If any beleeue in Christ crucified in truth of heart though hee hold but by the hemme of his garment shall he perish Surely no. Vse 5 Lastly this teacheth vs to vse charity towards them of the Popish Church in censuring of their estate we are not rigourously and rashly to call for fire from heauen vpon them as the Disciples would haue Christ haue done on the Samaritanes No yee know not what Spirit ye are of saith our Sauiour wee must not rashly Iudge them to bee vnbeleeuers but rather mis-beleeuers And so much for that point what in charity and yet in truth maybe said for that Church The seuen and Twentieth LECTVRE of the CHVRCH HAuing entred into the last point concerning the matter of the Church namely the application of the Doctrine of the Church to all Churches that we know in the world After we had diuided them according to their scituation and language into the Easterne and Westerne the Greeke and Latin Churches we beganne with the Easterne and Greeke Churches and so proceeded to the Westerne and Latin Churches And of them I tould you that some were vnder the yoke of the Pope and haue him to bee their head Others haue shooke off that yoke and head-shippe and are therefore called the Reformed Churches Concerning the Church of Rome that which is spoken of her may be applyed to her Adherents as is the mother â—o is the daughter as I haue said Now for the Chuâ—ch of Rome I propounded these two obseruations to be spoken to first what might be-spoken in charity for her and yet in truth and sound iudgement too and of that we haue spoken Secondly what in zeale and yet in truth and sound iudgement too may be said against it And that is it which wee are now to speake to what may be said in zeale and yet in truth and sound iugement against her A point very needfull to be well cleared and rightly vnderstood for whereas we haue deliuered in the former obseruation that the Church of Rome in some sense may rightly be reputed a true visible Church ' Euery one will be ready to except against it and say why then haue yeâ— forsaken it why doe ye not still hould communion with her what iust exception can yee alledge for your separation from her For Answere to which exception Doct. 2 I will propound in the second place this obseruation namely that howsoeuer the Church of Rome in some sense may be reputed a true visible Church yet it is maruellous vnsound and corrupt and exceedingly corrupt with many foule abuses errors and abhominations yea so corrupt as it is not lawfull nor safe for vs to communicate with her The Obseruation ye see consists of two branches the former is the ground of the latter auouching that shee is polluted with many foule abhominations the latter is an inference from the former that therefore it is not safe nor lawfull to ioyne with her The whole obseruation is to be vnderstood of that Church specially in respect of the Popish faction the Pope and his Darlings for as when wee spoke in charity for them acknowledging that in some sense they are to be reputed a true visible Church it was intended of some that were of better Spirits amongst them that are sounder in some chiefe points of Religion and that are not so obstinate in their errours as the rest So now that we come to speake in zeale against them that they are so foulely polluted that it is not safe to ioyne with them It is intended in respect of the Pope and his chiefe Darlings and factors called the Popish faction neyther is this any wrong to the Church that we so speake of the whole body in generall tearmes because the Church and faction are there mingled together in that Body as when wee come into a Barne floore and see a great deale of chaffe in the same heape with good wheat we may speake fauourably of the wheate and say there is good corne and we may speake disgracefully of it too and say it is but light stuffe We will begin with the first part of the obseruation that condemnes her corruptions And we will reduce all her corruptions to these two sorts First matter of Doctrine secondly matter of practice And though these be much incident one to the other yet for playnnesse sake we will distinguish them God willing as well as wee can First for Doctrine the point is this The Doctrine of the Church of Rome as it is at this day vnderstood and maintained by the Popish faction is very vnsound and corrupt full of grosse and abhominable errors they haue changed the truth of God into a lye light into darknesse and the Gospell of Christ the comfortable Doctrine of grace and faith into the erors of Antichrist and the damnable Doctrine of workes and merits and of mans traditions We wil not speake of all her corruptions in doctrine that were too much only we will shew it in some chiefe particulars that briefely we wil reduce them to these foure heads The first is error in Doctrine concerning the Scripture the second is concerning the direct
vnto the time of reformation which being by Christ abolished are not fit for true worshippers which must worship God in spirit and in truth Iohn 4.24 their continuall smiting of their brests crossing of themselues numbring of their prayers lifting vp the hoast Signes Gestures Pictures and infinite such like trash some borrowed from the Iewes some from the heathen idle complements superstitious impious vnseemely most of them are vnprofitable scarce any of them warrantable indeede they are a meer foppery as many beholders haue iudged euen by sense and reason when they haue not beene besotted with their iuglings neither are they onely carnall that is full of shadowes and Ceremonies but they are carnall too that is as being most agreeable to flesh and blood what more carnall perswasion then this that a pardon for sinnes may be bought with money that a Priest may absolue vpon auricular confession that if a man haue no merits of his owne yet for money hee shall haue out of the Church Treasury the merits of Saints that after death hee may be relieued with prayers of the liuing that many sinnes are veniall and pardonable in their owne nature that if a man giue to Churches Hospitalls or monasteries or the like hee shall goe to heauen yea that which in shew is most labour to the flesh yet indeede is meerly carnall as their whipping of themselues almost to death there is no spiritualnesse at all in it it is but the blood of the body for the sinne of the soule the Prophet scoffes at such like dealing Micha 6.7 The truth is this that euery naturall man had rather be scourged and die then vndertake the spirituall combate against his beloued sinnes and the Papists vse that to be excused of this as they folishly imagine and they measure out Religion for the most part by natural reason grounds of Philosophy so that we see they haue a carnall Religion Secondly they haue a wil-worship that is a seruice for the most part of â—heir own deuising their pilgrimages praiers abstinence from diuers meats voluntary pouertie works of supererogation their Masses Satisfactions Holy daies fasting daies all these and many more are meerely mens inuentions so that God may say to them as he doth to the people of Israel Esa 1.12 Who required these things at your hands so that vpon the point we see that they serue please theÌ„selues but they serue nor please not God at all Thirdly they haue policies in their Religion for the maintenance of their outward state their purgatory praiers for the dead Images and Reliques of Saints erected in their Churches to be offered vnto are meerely a meanes to inrich their owne Coffers and to vphold the honour of the triple Crowne and to maintaine the Beast in her Scarlet colours when they sell a man a pardon for his sinnes or so many yeeres release from purgatorie for some round summe of money doe yee not thinke they laugh at him when he is gone euen as our cheaters doe when they haue gulled some poore simple hearted man They know these can doe no good and yet they practise this for policy Machiauel held it and these practise it that Religion is meerely a matter of policie to keepe men in awe and to maintaine a state cursed wretches haue they none to make a scoffe at but God and his Religion and seruice Is this to serue God no it is to make God to serue them and abuse and change his word to their vile purposes Secondly as they erre and are foulely corrupted in the carriage of Gods worship in generall so are they also in the particular parts of it for first the word which was purposely deliuered to the Church for their light to walke by this is purposely obscured by the Papists that to the people it is a darke light they see little or nothing by it The word is to be preached there is little preaching among them or if there be any they preach faction traditions and commandements of the Church and the Word of God least of all As for any other publike minstration of the Word it is altogether in an vnknowne tongue without any profit or edification to the people well yet if the people might haue accesse to the Word as the Bereans had that they might heare the Pharises but yet beware of their Leauen it were somewhat but they are kept farre enough from that they shall learne no more but what the Priests and Iesuits teach them they are likely to be good Christians then and they must take all vpon their words a sure ground to build vpon this is a notable policie to cloake their errors that the people may not discerne them and a great dishonour to God to suppresse and smother vp his owne ordinances and to put that Candle vnder a Bushell which himselfe hath put on a Candlesticke that it might giue light to all in the house and a notorious wrong to Gods people to sterue them of the food of life and to keepe them hood-winkt that they might not see with their owne eyes into the euidences of their owne right and matters of their owne saluation Secondly the Sacraments not to speake of the number of them increased by them from two to seuen though I know there is no authority in the world can make a Sacrament but those Christ Iesus himselfe hath ordained But euen in Christs own Sacraments they are full of abominations as first in Baptisme they adde oile salt spittle and exorcismes and I know not what toyes and toyes are loathsome in Gods Seruice but in the Lords Supper their corruptions are not onely in the outward Barke as they are in Baptisme but in the very sap hart there is adoration of the Sacrament as of God himselfe and defrauding of the people of the one halfe of it and the making of it a Sacrifice propitiatorie for the quicke and the dead and the making of Christs owne body by the hands of the Priest all these are wicked deprauations either of the nature or right vse of this holy Sacrament Thirdly for their Discipline they haue scarce any thing sound in that the Lawes they rule by are Canons and Lawes of their owne making and not found in the Scripture the ouerseer is the Pope armed as well with a Temporall as with a spirituall sword the power of the keyes that also is horribly abused by them in binding excommunicating true Beleeuers Christian States and Princes that will not submit to the Popes yoke in stead of obstinate offenders against Gods Law and so in loosing absoluing offenders for money and for fauour yea and before repentance too because before the fact whereto if wee adde their dispensations and reseruations whereby they haue an absolute power to free whom they will see now if there be any fouler carriage in any heathen State in the world Fourthly for their prayers they are
535. Vogel 751. Thirdly of those which are in heauen and earth both together The matter of this reduced to sixe Heads all raised out of the Article of the Creed I beleeue the holy Catholike Church First Head It is but one The Church hath a threefold onenesse Difference of circumstances doe not cut off from the true Church as First of states Secondly of times Thirdly of persons Fourthly of place Fifthly of ceremonies Sixtly of iudgement in Points not absolutely fundamentall Second Head The Church is holy John 3. The third Head It is Catholike First how this word Catholike hath been wronged First by those in the Romish Church three wayes Rhemists in Act. 11 and Bristow in his moâ—es and demands 2. Cor. 3.5 Secondly it is wronged by some foure wayes Secondly the word Catholike righted in regard whereof three things are to be considered of First the antiquitie of it Vid Fulke ibidem Morney de ecclesia p. 13. 14. c. 19. ad 25. 29. vid. Rainold conclus 650. 671 Secondly the right meaning of it Oecumenius a Ipsa est ecclesia catholica vnde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 graece appellatur quae per totum arbem terrarum diffunditur Aug. epist 170. ad Seuerinum Rhemists in 1. Ioh. 2.6 Morney de ecclesia 23. Thirdly the common receiued vse of the word Vniuersalis ecclesia est Ierusalem ciuitas Dei viui quae continet ecclesiam primitiarum circumscriptâ—m in coelis Isychius in Leuit. lib 4. cap. 14 Catholica veraciter illa est quae ab omnibus perfidis eorum successoribus consortibus sincera pura immaculata communione diuisa est Gelasius ad Anast Aug. Euseb hist eccl applieth Catholike both to the whole Church through ehe world and to particular Churches too Vid. Field lib. 1. p. 16. 26. l. 2. 56. Thirdly the obseruations from it Sheldon Quod semper quod vbique quod ab omnibus Vincent lib. 3. 24. Obiect Fourth point That the Church is a communion of Saints whereby two things are affirmed First that the Church hath a communion with or is ioyned to Christ which is the fourth quality First Christs communion with vs in two particulars First in regard of our selues in foure respects Secondly he communicates with vs in respect of the things that belong to vs which consisteth in these things Secondly wee communicate with him First in regard of himselfe hee is ours two wayes Secondly we communicate with him in regard of all thâ— things that are his as First what he had Secondly what he did Thirdly what he suffered Fourthly what he hath obtained by his doings and sufferings How these things are to be vnderstood This communication with Christ in the things that are his drawne into two heads First in some things by merit Secondly in other things by power Reasons on Gods part First his election Secondly his couenant Thirdly his free gift of Christ to vs. Fourthly his Loue. Reason on Christs part Reasons on our part First our faith Secondly our couenant Thirdly by gifts Fourthly our loue Fifthly our necessity Three meanes of this communion First the Spirit Secondly the Word Thirdly the Sacraments A Christians Patent Royall vnder the broad Seale of heauen for his interest First in God Secondly in the promises Thirdly in the offices and benefits of Christ. Fourthly in full and finall glorification A Christians acquittance generall against all pleading of sinne and euery thing that is against vs. The second thing affirmed concerning the communion of Saints and that is the communion which the Saints haue one with another and this is the fifth quality Caluin instit lib. 4. cap. 5 1. 2. Morney de eccles pag. 8. Christ the light of the World Three things concerning this communion First what it is it is spirituall In how many senses it is spirituall Two things wherein this communion consisteth and that in two things First a communion of state and that in diuers respects Secondly this communion consisteth in a communion of practise And this is first generall Secondly it is particular And this diuers wayes First in regard of gifts Non tollitur gratiarum diversitas nec conuellitur ordo politicus Calu. Secondly in regard of their wants and that diuers wayes Thirdly this communion of practise in particular is in respect of their doings Fourthly in respect of their sufferings Fifthly in respect of their affections Sixthly in respect of themselues and all they haue Thirdly the extent of this communion Cautions herein to be obserued This communion extends to the Saints in heauen The Reasons are of fiue sorts first in respect of God The second sort of reasons in respect of Christ The third reason in respect of the Spirit Fourth sort of reasons are in regard of the faithfull them selues in diuers respects Fifrh sort of reasons are in regard of our aduersaries Things to be done that we may maintaine this communion Trials whether we practise this communion Teaching two things First knowne to God prooued Secondly to themselues Thirdly none but God and themselues know it The fourth generall Head in this question which is the diuision of the Church which is partly of the name partly of the thing it selfe First of the name Secondly of the thing it selfe Three wayes how the Church is distinguished Into vniuersall or particular Secondly it is distinguished into the Church Militant and Triumphant What the Militant Church is defined This warfare is spirituall in three respects That the good Angels are parties of this Church Militant in some sense though noâ— parts of it What the Church Triumphant is Eight differences betweene the Church Triumphant and Militant And in it fiue things What to be considered of fâ—r the fitting helping and directing of vs in this warfare A third diuision of the Church into visible and inuisible Of the Church inuisible and of the inuisibilitie of it in fiue senses The Church signifying the vniuersall company of Gods chosen in heauen and earth in this sense it is inuisible actually and potentially Secondly the Church signifying the company of beleeuers in earth is inuisible simply or after a sort Generall aduertisements concerning the Church inuisible and visible Differences betweene the vniuersall inuisible and the vniuersall visible Church Vid. Zanch. in Hos 2.8.9 p. 51. August in Ps 10 Hierom. cont Lucif Exceptions of Papists out of the fifth of Matthew for the visibilitie of the Church answered The second exception out of Mat. 18.17 The third exception out of Rom. 10.10 Nine things considerable in a visible Church First the definition of it Vera ecclesia est quae profitetur Christi fidem Bellar. de ecclâ—s milit p. 249. First some Churches are either vniuersall visible Churches or particular visible Churches First Particular visible Churches are first Nationall Parochiall or domesticall Jnstances first of a Prouinciall Church Secondly of a Parochiall Church Thirdly of a Domesticall Church Secondly they are either more or lesse visible Thirdly