desperate a madnesse as for a passenger to leape into the Sea because hee knew the ship wherein he sayled and the company with whom he must necessarily conuerse were deepely infected with a deadly pestilence And thus to doe were a desperate pranke vnlesse the partie aduenturing had very great skill in swimming and were withall within ken of some comfortable shore or harbour All this may seeme to make for our Aduersaries or at least against our forefathers which were sometimes members of the visible Romish Church but did either voluntarily separate themselues from it or suffer themselues to be thrust out of it when as they might haue retained communion with it so they would haue imbraced their doctrine Besides the danger of separation from it both they and we haue felt the seuerest strokes of the spirituall sword of excommunication which the Gouernours of the Romish Church could reach vs. 5 The branches of the maine controversie betwixt that Church and ours are two The first whether the reasons which moued our forefathers to depart from that Church or not to imbrace her doctrines were iust and necessary The second Whether our forefathers being howsoeuer separated from it had commission full power and iust authority from God to vnite themselues into a true visible Church whether they did rightly pursue such warrant or commission as they had and whether they and we haue beene and are a true visible Church The iust and necessary reasons for which men whether few or many may and ought to separate themselues from any visible Church are in generall two The first because they are vrged or constrained to professe or beleeue some points of doctrine or to aduenture vpon some practices which are contrary to the rule of faith or Law of God and are either ex specie or ex gradu cumulo either for their specificall quality or for their burthen or number so hereticall and deadly that they necessarily induce a separation from the holy and Catholike faith without which the Church can neither be holy nor Catholike The second in case they are vtterly depriued of freedome of conscience in professing what they inwardly beleeue or bee bereft of some other meanes either altogether necessarie or most expedient to saluation both which may be had in some other visible Church In this later case that rule of our Apostle giuen vnto seruants is true Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called Art thou called being a seruant Care not for it but if thou mayest be made free vse it rather For hee that is called in the Lord being a seruant is the Lords freeman Likewise also he that is called being free is Christs seruant Ye are bought with a price bee not ye the seruants of men 1 Cor. 7.20 21 22 23. Although we were perswaded that wee could communicate with such a Church without evident danger of damnation yet in as much as we cannot so communicate with it vpon any better termes then legall seruants or bondslaues doe with their Masters we are bound in conscience and religious discretion when lawfull occasions and opportunities are offred to vse our libertie and to seeke our freedome rather then to liue in bondage CHAP. XV. That our Forefathers separation from the Romish Church was most lawfull and iust both in respect of Prince and State and in respect of euery priuate person which feared God or sought to retaine the holy Catholike and Apostolike Faith 1 WHen we debate the lawfulnesse of our Forefathers separation from the Romish Church we meane the then Romish Church as visible Now vnto the constitution of an entire and compleat visible Church there is required First an vnity of faith and doctrine Secondly an vnitie of discipline or coactiue Lawes but especially an vnitie of subordination to one independent Iudicature Vnity in points of faith and doctrine is more essentiall to the Church as it is holy and Catholike that is as it is Orthodoxall Vnity of Lawes or discipline or of independent Iudicature is more essentiall and more necessary to the Church as visible Hence as wee said before there be as many distinct visible Churches as there be independent Iudicatures or supreame Tribunalls Ecclesiasticke Vnto a Catholike Church or vnto a Church visibly Catholike such as the Romanists beleeue their Church to be both kinds of vnity are necessary Whether this vnitie of discipline full power of Iurisdiction or independent Iudicature be seated in one person or more that is whether the forme of ecclesiasticall gouernment be Aristocraticall or Monarchicall is in our Diuinity all one The vnitie or conformitie may be as compleat and perfect the one way as the other But the Romanists the English Priests and Iesuits doe not onely hold this vnity of independent Iudicature to be necessary to the constitution of the visible Catholike Church but that it must of necessity be radically in one person to wit in the Pope on whom as vpon the head and fountaine the vnity of the Holy Catholike visible Church doth depend and for this reason they put his Holinesse in the definition of the Holy Catholike Church as you heard before out of Cardinall Bellarmine and the Author of the Antidote So that the Popes supremacie hath the same place in the whole visible Church as euery summum genus in his proper predicament As nothing can bee truly said to be in the predicament vnlesse it participate the nature or definition of the summum genus so none by this doctrine can be a true member of the holy Church vnlesse he be subordinate to the Pope Or as no man can come to the Father but by the Sonne so none can come vnto the sonne but by this Holy Father the Pope Euery one must be visibly vnited vnto him and to his Lawes before he can be mystically or spiritually vnited vnto Christ Howbeit by putting the Pope in the definition of the Holy Catholike Church with intention thereby to exclude vs from it who denie his authority they intangle and fetter themselues in another point of great consequence betwixt vs them of which aduantage we shall make some better vse hereafter The summe of our present dispute is this As professing of vnitie with the Romish Church in all points of faith which that Church teacheth doth necessarily induce a disunion or separation from the holy Catholike Faith and Church so the acknowledgment of such subordination as is required vnto the head of it in matters of discipline or iurisdiction induceth flat rebellion or high treason against all free States or Kingdomes Christian 2 The reasons which moued our forefathers to forsake the visible Romish church or to suffer themselues to be forsaken by it and withhold vs from returning to iâ— were and are in two respects most necessarie and iust Iust they were and are necessary First on the behalfe of euery priuate man that had or hath a care of conscience and Religion Secondly on behalfe of Prince and
reason in his owne words We must bee vtterly stript of the Image of the earthly man before wee can put on the compleat and glorious Image of the heavenly And as we haue borne the Image of the earthly we shall also beare the Image of the heauenly But when shall that be When this corruptible shall haue put on incorruption and this mortall shall haue put on immortalitie when the saying shall be brought to passe Death is swallowed vp in victory 1 Cor. 15. ver 49 54. 5 The title of Catholike to my best remembrance is not expressed in Scripture but often implyed in termes aequiualent The Church of Christ was first expresly enstyled Catholike by the Apostles theÌ„selues o◠〈◊〉 compoâ—ers of the Apostles Creed especially in opposition 〈…〉 visible Church of the Iewes or rather to this peoples factious conceit of the prerogatiues which God had bestowed vpon their Nation misweening that the whole family or house of God the full amplitude of the Messias his Kingdome should be comprized within the house or family of Abraham or at least that none should haue any title or claime to the Kingdom of God vnlesse he were first admitted to bee a member of that visible society which did meet at Ierusalem as at their Common Hall House or place of Parliament That the Church should bee thus Catholike or vniuersall or that the Gentiles should be fellow heires or ioynt members of the same body with Abrahams seed was a secret not imparted to many before the Revelation of the Gospell For this cause I Paul the prisoner of Iesus Christ for you Gentiles if yee haue heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is giuen me 〈…〉 How that by reuelation he made knowne vnto me the mystery as I wrote afore in few words whereby when ye read yee may 〈…〉 and my knowledge in the mystery of Christ which in other ages was not made knowne vnto the sonnes of men as it is now revealed vnto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the spirit that the Gentiles should be fellow heires of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospell Ephes 3. ver 1 2 3 4 5 6. Saint Peter himselfe had not fully apprehended this mystery vntil the Lord awaked him out of this dream by interpreting the vision which he saw concerning this point Act. 10. ver 15. But seeing the euent answerable to Gods word or to the voice which hee heard in the vision he burst out into this confession ver 34. Of a truth I perceiue that God is no accepter of persons but in euery nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him accepted to bee a liue member of his holy and Catholike Church as Cornelius no question either at this time or afterwards was But the full importance of this terme Catholike is set downe Revelat. 5. vers 8 9. And the foure and twenty Elders sung a new Song saying Thou art worthy to take the booke and to open the seales thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation And hast made vs vnto our God Kings and Priests and we shall raigne on the earth The branches of this title Catholike are specially these three First Gods Church is said to bee Catholike or vniuersall in respect of all places Secondly in respect of all sorts and condiâ—â—â—â—â— of men nationall or personall Thirdly it is said Vniuersall in respect 〈…〉 Some of euery Nation Condition or state are admitted vnto it Some likewise are admitted in euery age or generation of men From the day wherein the Lord did lay the first foundation or corner stone in Sion there haue beene in one place or other daily additions vnto this Church without substraction continuall adgeneration without corruption and a continuall growth or augmentation without any the least diminution or decay of any true liue particle which it had before CHAP. V. Containing the friuolous exceptions of Cardinall Bellarmine and some other Romanists against the former or like description of the true Church or that Church which is principally meant in the Apostles Creede 1 THis notification or circumscription of the true Church by the true and liue-mysticall body of Christ is not lyable to that exception which Bellarmine and his followers haue taken against Caluines inuisible Church as they conceiue it Or in case the same exceptions bee taken against the Church described or notified in the former chapters one answer will suffice for both Their onely exception is this Primum igitur quòd vera Ecclesia sit visilibis probatur primò ex Scripturis omnibus vbicunque inuenitur nomen Ecclesiae Nam semper nomine Ecclesiae visibilis congregatio significatur Nec vnum saltem locum Caluinus proferre potuit nec protulit vbi hoc nomen tribueretur congregationi inuisibili Bellar. de Ecclesia militante lib. 3. cap. 12. That the true Church is visible may first be proued out of all those Scriptures in which the name of the Church is found For by this name a visible Congregation is alwaies signified Caluin neither did nor could produce so much as one place wherein the name Church is bestowed vpon any inuisible Congregation 2 If his meaning be that so much of the true Church and liue-mysticall body of Christ as is now extant on earth though altogether vnuisible to vs be either excluded or not principally meant in those places of Scriptures Creedes or Councels in which the true Church is notified vnto vs by these or the like attributes one holy Catholkie or Apostolique it is grosly and apparently false For all Gods promises to the Church principally belong to the principal members of it who are distinctly and indiuidually knowne to himselfe onely not so to vs. To whom notwithstanding their persons are visible the profession of their faith is likewise visible The sinceritie of their hearts or faith is to vs inuisible and therefore inuisible it is to vs whether they bee liue-members of the holy Catholike Church or no. If his meaning be that many Indiuiduals which are no true liue-members of the mysticall body of Christ be literally comprized vnder the name and title of the Church the allegation though most true is very idle and impertinent For thus the Iew is able to make proofe as direct and full as can bee required by any ingenuous and learned Christian that most of those types and prophesies which we alledge to euince Iesus the sonne of Mary to be the Christ and promised Messias are literally and historically meant and verified either of the sacrifice of the Law or of Gods people of Dauid of Salomon or of some other c. Al this notwithstanding being granted doth no way disproue but rather ratifie our application of the same prophesies or sacred passages vnto Christ of whom they are alwaies in the intention of the holy Spirit principally meant and
parallel betwixt the Apostle and the Prophet is this After the Evangelical Prophet had written the historie of Christs passion in the 53. chapter he presently sets down that invitation of the new Ierusalem pre-figured by Sarah and her barrennesse to take vp old Hannahs Song Reioyce ô barren thou that didst not beare breake forth into singing and cry aloud thou that didst not trauell with child for more are the children of the desolate then the childrē of the maried wife saith the Lord. Enlarge the place of thy tent let thē stretch forth the curtains of thine habitatiōs spare not lengthē thy coards strengthen thy stakes For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left thy seed shal inherit the Gentiles make the desolate cities to be inhabited Isa 54. v. 1 2 3. The Apostle immediately after his explication of the former Allegory Gal. 4.27 takes vp the first part of the Prophets song by way of testimony or confirmation of his doctrine But Ierusalem which is aboue is free which is the mother of vs all For it is written Reioyce thou Barren that bearest not c. CHAP. XI Of the consonancie betweene the promulgation of the old Testament and the New Of the opposition between the Law and the Gospell or betweene the old Testament and the new The explication of the Apostles argument Heb. 9. ver 13 14. 1 BVt when did the Church or spouse of Christ or children of the new Testament first take vp this ioyfull song whereunto the Prophet did invite her Immediately vpon our Sauiours death and resurrection No these were the dayes of the Churches widowhood wherein she sate for a while destitute and comfortlesse and wherein her womb was shut vp from bearing children The Apostles themselues had as little strength as Abraham had to beget or Sarah had to bring forth children vnto God vntill they were indued with power from aboue The new Ierusalem did not descend like a glorious bride from Heaven vntill the bridegroome her Lord had ascended from earth to heauen in glory But within ten daies after the Holy Ghost came down vpon the Apostles and disciples in visible shape in token that Christs Church was now betrothed vnto him this was as the solemnization of the Mariage And whereas for fifty daies after our Sauiours resurrection wee doe not read of one soule more then their owne begotten to God by the Apostles and Disciples there were added vpon the fiftieth day three thousand soules vnto the new Ierusalem or visible Church and euery day after such as should bee saued And these being dispersed throughout euery Nation vnder heaven did propagate the seed increasing and multiplying much faster then the Israelites did in Egypt The songs of ioy foretold by Esaias the Prophet were taken vp by these sonnes of the new Ierusalem whilest they were filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speake with other tongues as the spirit gaue them vtterance Acts 2. ver 4. God gaue his Law vpon Mount Agar or Sinai fiftie dayes after the Israelites were deliuered out of Aegypt and fiftie dayes after the deliuerance of his people from the bondage of sin and Sathan the same Lord proclaimes his Gospel or new Couenant vpon Mount Sion in Ierusalem the Metropolis or royall seat of Abraham or Dauids seed The visible Ierusalem from Davids time till Christs is as the middle terme of proportion betweene the Law and the Gospell that is the same proportion which the Law as opposed vnto the Gospell or which Agar with her children had vnto Abrahams of-spring by Sarah in respect of ciuill freedome or of emblematicall or typicall preheminences the like proportion had Abrahams of-spring by Sarah or the visible Ierusalem in her greatest glory vnto the new Ierusalem after the Holy Ghost had descended vpon the Apostles and such as were in their times conuerted vnto Christ And as the Law being giuen vpon Mount Agar did emblematically import a kind of ciuill seruitude vnto such as did adhere vnto it whilest it stood in opposition to the Gospell so the Gospell being promulged in the visible Ierusalem did betoken the spiritual freedome of all such as abandoning the Law did embrace it 2 Of the difference or agreements betwixt the Law and the Gospell or which is all one betwixt the old Testament and the new I shall haue occasion to treat elsewhere For this time it shall suffice in a word to aduertise that the old Testament and the new are sometimes compared and considered by sacred Writers tanquam includens inclusum as the Huske and the Graine The Gospell before Christs time was in the Law as the corne new set in the eare And the Law and the Gospell or the two Testaments thus considered are rather one thē two at least there is an vnity of subordination betwixt them Vnto such as vsed the old Testament as they ought onely as an Introduction to the new there was indeed but one Testament For as the Schooles speake vbi vnum propter aliud ibi vnum tantùm The same Testaments may be sometimes considered as abstracted or seuered each from other Thus the Gospell or new Testament since our Sauiours death and resurrection is become as pure corne threshed and winnowed The old Testament or the Law thus seuered from it remaines onely as the chaffe or huske If we thus consider the Law or old Testament as the Iewes imbrace it that is altogether seuered from the new to which alone wee Christians adhere by faith they are not onely two but two opposites or contraries The Iewes appetitus caninus or womanish longing after the Law and our constant adherence to the Gospell thus opposed vnto the Law as pure corne vnto the putrified chaffe or huske breeds a kinde of Antipathie betweene vs. For such as is our seuerall food and nourishment such our seuerall dispositions are Wee feed vpon the pure corne or rather vpon the bread of life it selfe cleansed from all branne the Iew onely vpon the chaffe or huske and his religion is as loathsome to vs as swines flesh is to him See Philip. 3. vers 7 8 9. 3 This opposition or subordination betweene the legall or Euangelicall Testament will further appeare from our second instance which was in the same Apostle Heb. 9. ver 13 14. If the blood of Bulls and of goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the vncleane sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God The termes of proportion likewise in this inference are foure The first not fully expressed but implyed and it is a sin or trespasse meerly committed against the Law of ceremonies The second which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to this is a legall or proper sacrifice for such a sinne to wit the blood of Bulls and of goats and the