really a God but because he may not or cannot be seen i. e. with mortal eyes SECT III. Visibility applied to the Church We may apply this distinction of visibility briefly in three particulars 1. In the latter sense onely visibility is given to the Church in the subject of the question viz. as it seemes to be what indeed and truth it is otherwise there appeareth contradictio in terminis I meanes in the terms of the question for then the question would be whether that Church which onely seemeth to be and is not really so may be considered to be really a Church of Christ therefore the forme of the question heeded supposeth this viz. that the visible Church is truely and really a Church of Christ and onely questioneth whether it may be considered to be so without respect to saving grace indeed a member or part of the visible Church may be such either really or onely in shew and seemingly but this cannot be said of the whole 2. Visibility is usually given to the Church by divines by Prop. 2. a Metaphor from sense to Reason The sight of the Church as they conceive being rather rational then sensitive and 't is rather termed visible quia rationabilis because it may be known and discerned it not being seen so much by the eye quam intellectu mente ratione as Divines speak Though I humbly conceive that this must rather be understood of the Church as true or of God or Christ then as a Church for as it is a Church or a Congregation of men professing religion so it is also evident to sense visibilis as Ames visu scilicet vel sensu externo Medul p. 165. Though visibility be opposed to invisibility it followeth not that because the question specified a Church visible therefore Prop. 3. we grant a Church invisible also properly so called no more then because there is a white swan therefore there is a black Yet I intend not to deny the Church invisible onely the subject of my question is not this but the Church-visible SECT IV. The nature of the Church I shall now as briefly as I can offer my notion of this visible Church so far as I conceive the present debate requireth viz. touching the nature and the common distribution of it into visible and invisible 1. The nature of the Church I conceive to be 1. Integral 2. Aggregative This distinction together with the application of both parts of Medul p. 167. sect 5. it to the Church may be easily collected from Ames himselfe and Trelcatius also teacheth that the Church both as visible and invisible hath integral parts and is consequently totum integrale Instit p. 214 â—um p. 220. and yet that the Church is in the number of those things which Logicians call aggregative 1. Then first the Church is an integrum and consequently The Church is an Integrum of an individual and singular and not an universal nature it containing plura membra constituentia ipsum realitèr whereby it doth actually exist extra animam or in it selfe The Church is integral for it hath a plurality of parts these parts are integral and these parts are united and consequently 't is singular for by a union of integral parts 't is unum and doth really exist and omne quod est vel existit eo ipso quia est singulare est and consequently 't is not universal in a Metaphisical or logical sense for universale doth not exist as such out of the minde and totum universale is distinct in kinde from totum integrale therefore the universal Church is not properly a genus nor particular Churches the species thereof but rather as Ames Ibid. hath clearly taught us members of the Catholick quae habet rationem integri Indeed Ames saith that a particular Church is species ecclesiae Ibid. in genere but let us first note the difference he there puts betwixt ecclesia in genere and ecclesia catholica and secondly the Ames his difference twixt ecclesia in genere and ecclesia catholica ground or reason assigned by himself of this assertion and my position will be still found to stand firm 1. His difference betwixt ecclesia in genere and ecclesia catholica is most apparent in his own words saith he a particular Church is species ecclesiae in genere but respectu ecclesiae catholicae 't is membrum c. so that nothing can be gathered from these words to conclude the Catholick Church to be a genus or a totum universale but indeed the contrary that it is not so but that as before was noted the Catholick Church habet rationem integri 2. The reason upon which Ames asserts a particular Church to be species ecclesiae in genere is that common nature which is found in all particular Churches but is this reason sufficient to denominate the Church a genus or particular Churches species thereof I humbly conceive not for then all those things which partake of the same common nature must specifically differ and every drop of water partaking of the common nature that is in all other drops of water must be species aquae Indeed everything which partaks of the common nature or genus Things may partake of the common nature of one another onely then they specifically differ or of their differences also and then numerically only onely of another thing doth differ specifically from that other thing and is species of that common nature or genus but if a thing partaketh not onely of the common nature of another but also of its difference it is granted thereby to have both its genus and differentia and consequently the same definition which cannot competere with things specifically differing Thus I conceive a particular Church partaking not onely of the common nature of all other particular Churches but also of their differentia they ought to have the same definition and having the same matter and the same forme too they are the same essentially and differ onely as Logicians speak Numerically But so farre as I understand this controversie 't is wholly spent about the true meaning of logical termes and wholly issues in this notion whether Ramus doth well to assert homo to be genus or not worthy of any much lesse an eager contest in Divinity unlesse we could descry some more dangerous consequences attending upon either conclusion then are yet discovered For my part while Ames maintaineth this difference 'twixt Ames asserteth both the Catholick and particular Church to be Integrum ibid. ecclesia in genere and ecclesia catholica as before was noted and grants that ecclesia catholica hath rationem integri and a particular Church est etiam integrum I am sure my position stands that the nature of the Church is integral and then whether the notion Church be a genus or not is hardly worth a dispute seeing that it existeth not out of the integral i. e. universal
give assent 3. they give assent to the Covenant of Grace 4. They are perswaded in a general maÌ„ner that God will perform his promises to the members of his Church Ep. to his declar of a man estate And ads Mark here is a true faith wrought by the holy Ghost yet not saving faith either First that the calling whereby men are brought to leave the world to renounce Idols to embrace the true religion Hystorically to believe the Gospel to see a necessity of depending on Christ repentance and obedience to salvation are no real works but this would be against common sense for we see the contrary with our eyes Or secondly that these common works are also saving works but this would be against experience which sadly tells us that men may go so farre and yet no further in the way to heaven or else against the doctrine of perseverance Or Thirdly that these common graces do not really constitute a visible Church but this would be against what we have formerly proved Or Fourthly and lastly that God is not the worker of these common effects by his Word which would indeed be against Religion I shall therefore conclude this Argument with those known and pertinent words of Amesius hence saith he even visible Hinc ecclesiae etiam visibiles particulares ratione fidei quam profiteutur rect è dicun tur esse in Deo paTre in domino Jesu Christo 1 Thes 1. 1. 2 Thes 1. 1. Medul p. 168. and particular Churches by reason of the faith which they professe as also I might adde by reason of the grace which they have received from God are rightly said to be in God he doth not say ratione fidei qua but ratione fidei quam profitentur that being the faith of God which they professe through the work of the common grace of God upon them they are rectè or truely said to be in God without any further consideration of any saving grace by which they believe received from him CHAP. VII The Argument from Christ as the head of the visible Church THe second Argument from the efficient is taken from Christ as the cause efficient of the visible Church according to dispensation or as he is the head thereof Thus Christ may be considered to be truely the head of the visible Church without respect to saving influence therefore the visible Church may be considered to be truely his body without respect to saving grace The reason of the connexion here is most evident but I must needs confesse that the antecedent requires as well a modest inquisition as strong demonstration seeing it is easily noted to crosse many plain expressions of eminent Divines In this antecedent there are two distinct branches First that Christ is the head of the visible Church this passeth Secondly that he may be so considered without necessary respect to saving influence this is my task which I shall humbly undertake after I have gotten a faire understanding with my reader therein For I desire it may be heeded that I do not affirm that Jesus Christ doth performe the office of a head fully without saving influence but as it is expressed truely i. e. in some measure truely 2. It may be also observed that truely here stands not in opposition to mystically but to falsly or to seemingly onely for though our Divines do usually mean by the mystical body the Church invisible yet doubtlesse Master Cotton as is well noted of him by others also doth not speak improperly when he termes a particular visible Church a mysticall body and if that be granted the visible Church though not particular may also challenge the same title and if the visible Church be granted to be the mystical body of Christ then Christ may be said to be its mystical head Besides if Christ be indeed the head of the visible Church as none do doubt and if he be not the head thereof as it is Physically or Mathematically taken which none will affirme who can deny but that he is so Mystically 3. Further may it be noted that it is not said that Christ doth performe the office of an head to the Church truely without saving influence in any other consideration but as it is the visible Church for if any will assert a Church invisible I am not bound at all to follow him and say that this Church invisible also hath true influence from its head Christ which is not saving a thing not to be imagined 4. Lastly neither do I offer to say that Christ is the head of his body visible without saving influence but that he may be so considered without respect thereunto seeing there are influences not saving which yet descend from Christ as the head upon his body the Church and upon many of the members thereof that shall never be saved and this is enough for my present purpose because in whatsoever sense Christ may be said to leave the influence of a head upon his Church the Church may in the same sense be said to be his body and if it shall truely be made to appear that Christ doth really performe the office of the head when he doth not give saving grace it will thence easily follow of it selfe that the Church may be consideâ—ed to be truely his body without respect thereunto Now that Christ may be considered to be thus truely the head of the visible Church without respect to saving grace I think appeareth thus Arg. 1. Christ truely dispenseth gifts and graces not saving to the visible Church and to many particular members thereof Arg. 1 that shall never be saved as he is a head therefore he may be considered to be truely the head of the visible Church without respect to saving influence The Antecedent which is alone to be proved hath three parts 1. That Christ doth truely dispense gifts and graces not saving to the visible Church which none that know what the gifts of prayer preaching healing c. or what the graces of illumination conviction common faith and common love are will offer to deny 2. That Christ bestoweth these both gifts and graces upon some particular members of the visible Church which shall never be saved this also will be easily granted me 1. Concerngifts in Judas and in those that are reserved to cry out another day we have prophecied in thy Name and in thy Name we have Mat. 7. 22 cast out devils and Secondly concerning graces if we but once shall think upon that sad catalogue the Apostle recordeth Heb. 6 4 5 6. 3. That Christ bestoweth these gifts and graces not saving Profession of saith before a visible Church uniteth to Christ as head of the visible Church whether the person be sincere or no cobbet of Inf. Bapt. p. 57. as a head which is also very evident 1. Because they are gifts and graces abound in the Church alone 2. Because they are conveyed to the Church by the dispensation of Ordinances which
other metaphors given him in Scripture to stand in relation to the visible Church without respect to saving grace therefore also under this of a Head The consequence cannot be denied seeing he is still but the same thing the same mediatour and represented under the same offices by all those various metaphors which the Scripture giveth him and therefore there is the same reason for one and all and an equal extent in the meaning and application of them all Now that Christ is considered under all those many other Metaphors given him in Scripture to stand in relation to the visible Church without respect to saving grace appears by induction 1. As he is a King he hath subjects bad and good some to be blessed but some to be cursed at the great day yet both children of the Kingdom 2. As he is a Master he hath some faithful and some slothful yet both his servants 3. An Husbandman that hath tares as well as corne and both in his field chaffe as well a wheat and both in the barne 4. A Fisher that hath fish that is bad as well as good yet both in the net 5. A Vine that hath some branches that bring forth much fruit and yet others that bring forth no fruit and yet both in him John 15. 2 6. A Father that hath rebellicus as well as dutiful children yet both children Isa 1. 2. 7. A House-keeper that hath vessels some to honour some to dishonour yet both vessels and within the house 8. A bride-groom that hath Vrgins to attend him some with oyle in their Lamps and some with none yet both Virgins therefore why not such a head as hath some members sound and others rotten and yet both related that is mystically united to him There are two special objections against this relation of wicked men to Christ which I hold my self bound to labour to salve before I passe on Object 1. The first is taken from the metaphorical termes of body and head and may be formed thus That member which hath not life in it self though it be yet united to the body is not truely a member of that body unde equivocè agunt membra tribui cadaveribus as Shibler saith But wicked men have no life in themselves therefore they are not truely but onely aequivocally members of the body of Christ Answ 1. To the proposition which hath first its proper and secondly its metaphorical sense I allow it in its proper but I deny it in its metaphorical sense or in this rigid application In omni parabola Hoc tenendum est ut utamur parabolis tanquam picta tabella Itaque reprehendenda est illa anxiet as sollicitudoeorum qui in parabolis Christi omnia student resccare ad vivum quod est non interpretari sed vexant Camero praelect in Mat. 18. 8. of it It is a general complaint by those that see how much it is abused That men are apt to receive apprehensions about the mystical union betwixt Christ and his members from the natural union betwixt the natural head and body Certainly a metaphor may be press'd to death so farre as the Scriptures apply this metaphor of head and members to Christ and his Church we may safely venture but further though it may be true it will not bear an argument That I have good ground thus to except against the proposition I leave in one word to the determination of all but Anabaptists for if this be a true proposition that none can be truely a member of the body of Christ that hath not spiritual life in himself then of necessity it followeth that the children of the holiest parents in the world are not to be accounted truely members of the body of Christ from their parents holinesse seeing that is the life that is in the parent and is not inhering in the childe but onely relative to it the childe hath not this life in its self but in another and therefore according to this proposition 't is not a true but onely an aequivocal member of Christ if we but once grant in the sense intended that it is an essential requisite to every member ut vitam habeat in se that it Infantes nati in ecclesia sunt etiam de ecclesia contra anabaplistas Ursin have life in it self and yet we know that it is the general opinion that châ—ldren born in the Church are also of the Church against the Anabaptists Answ 2. But we may let the Metaphor hold if we distinguish of life in the minor which may with favour of my reader be conceived to be such as is a necessary requisite to visible Church-membership or such as is a necessary requisite to saving or if you had rather invisible Church-membership if you please you may call the first an ecclesiastical or political life the last a saving or a spiritual life If the objection meaning in the minor the first of these then I deny it viz. that wicked men have no life in themselves for it is very evident that wicked men have so much life in themselves if any be requisite as is essential to visible Church membership I confesse life is somewhat unusually attributed to wicked men and to ascribe it to them as such is a contradiction seeing quatenus wicked they are dead yet seeing they are to be considered in a double respect 1. As wicked men in nature 2. As holy men in state and condition wicked men inherently holy men adherently wicked men habitually holy men relatively holy by Covenant by separation dedication obligation and profession though they be dead indeed in the first sense why may not they be truely said to be alive in the second if holinesse and life be equivolent here as must needs be granted and this holinesse of separation to God by Covenant and Baptisme and continued profession be a real thing as Camero saith and I think hitherto hath hardly been denied in terminis Such are doubtlesse Christians and not so far alienated from the life of God as the Gentiles or Heathens are they are not now Ephes 4. 18. without Christ or aliens to the Common-wealth of Israel or strangers to the Covenants of promise having no hope or without God Ephes â— 12. in the world which is the Scripture-description of such as are in a Gentile condition viz. out of the verge and pale of the visible Church Yea I have one and he an authour not to be contemned considering what paines he took in the controversie that saith expressely that wicked men are not onely members of the Church in the general but as the Church is the body of Christ and that they have the life of true members in them his words are these Such may be and and are of the visible Church who onely outwardly submit themselves to the true worship of God though they be not true worshippers this profession of the true religion and submission I speak of is all in
Churches in England that have at present I know not for what cause laid aside that practice are therefore not visible true Churches Though I highly approve of such a solemn declaration of the faith if possible in the same sound forme of words to be universally made yet I humbly conceive that this is but a prudential humane Ordinance and therefore not so necessary or so neer the essence or so essential a mark of the Church as sound doctrine and pure Sacraments both which are undoubtedly of immediate divine institution and without which the Church cannot exist Which thing Trelcatius doth thus most accurately and fully open the proper and essential note of the visible Church which flows immediately from the very forme of it is but one viz. the Nota propria essentialis ecclesiae visibilis proximeque fluens ex forma illius unica est veritas scilicet verbi Dei Revelati ac communicati cui veritas Sacramentorum tanquam connexum inseperabile conjuncta est Utriusque enim veritas ita proprium essentiale est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ecclesiae ut veritas haec ecclesia convertantur Instit Theol. p. 224. truth of the Word of God revealed and communicated to which the truth of the Sacraments is inseparably joyned for which he quotes Heb. 4. 12. John 10. 27. Matth. 28. 10. Rom. 4. 11. for as he addes the truth of both is such a proper and essential mark of the Church that this truth of both Word and Sacraments and the Church are convertible But of this I shall have more occasion in the next Chapter therefore I have onely this to do here namely to set this profession of the faith before you to consider whether it doth necessarily suppose saving grace or not in any of these senses 1. May not personal vocal profession be made without saving We are to acknowledge a Church of Christ more or lesse corrupt according to the greater or lesse abuse of Gods Word and worship Bp. Usher p. 39. his sum of Rel. grace and the truth be professed as well as beleeved where saving grace is wanting 2. May not ecclesiastical profession whether more formally by a solemn Creed read and silently consented unto by the people be also done and considered without any respect to saving grace in the declarer or consenters 3. Or that other real profession consisting in attendance upon the Ordinances of God be considered to have truth for its object both in Word and Sacraments and yet without respect to saving graces Againe the accidental notes of the Church are also generally acknowledged to be of two sorts inseparable or proper and separable or common The separable and proper notes of a true Church are said to be the pure preaching of the Word and the lawful administration of the Sacraments which are but the meanes or actions of conveyance and application of the foresaid truth of both unto the Church and so near unto the profession thereof which was said before to be the essential mark of the Church that I have already reduced it thither and need not repeat it here againe The separable notes of the Church whatsoever they be cannot conclude any thing against me because they are such I meane separable and therefore not necessary in our consideration of the being of the Church However that we leave not them onely untoucht they are usually reduced unto two heads 1. Ecclesiastical power 2. And holiness of life Ecclesiastical power hath three branches the power of Ministry the power of Order the power of Discipline all which may easily be considered without the least respect to saving grace 1. Judas may truely exercise his Ministry And 2. Outward Order may be fix'd and observed And 3. Discipline may be erected and dispensed without any necessary supposition of saving grace either in the parties so dispensing or in the objects openly scandalous on which the Discipline is dispensed as hath beene touched before and will be more fully handled hereafter I confesse holiness of life cometh neerest to shew its respect to saving grace but this also shewes as much respect to my cause as easily appeares by this concluding argument If holiness of life be separable from a true Church then saving grace is separable from a true Church for if a holy life doth not alwayes suppose saving yet saving grace doth not always produce a holy life But it is still confessed by those which write most accurately on the Church that holinesse of life is a separable accidental note which is onely necessary to the order and welfare of the Church and not to the being or truth thereof Now if saving grace be separable from a true Church then it may be considered to be truely such without respect thereunto The summe of the general Argument from the causes is this The Summe of the Argument from the causes in general All the causes of the visible Church may really exist without the work of saving grace viz. The efficient as Authour God Head Christ The end of the Glory of God on earth before men Worship The matter whether it be Professors of the faith The outwardly called Outward worshippers The form whether it be Constituting Distinguishing he forme constituting whether it be Faith Calling Society or community The form distinguishing whether it be Essential Profession of the faith or truth of word Sacraments ccidental inseperable Pure preaching of the word and administration of Sacraments Therefore the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace CHAP. XII The Argument from the definition of the visible Church first from its special quality HAving done with the causes we proceed to the definition whence we thus argue The definition of the visible Church doth not suppose saving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grace therefore the definition the visible Church it self may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace for the definition of a thing is but that whereby the nature of that thing is declared or explicated and is plainly convertible with the thing defined Now whether the definition of the visible Church be inclusive of saving grace or not may appear First from the parts thereof severally considered And Secondly by a view of such definitions of the Church as are already given us by approved Authours 1. The parts are three 1. The special quality of the visible Church 2. Or the special work and employment thereof Or lastly the state and condition wherein the Church so qualified is rendred capable of that employment First let us look upon the special quality of the visible Church which may be conceived to be either the faith calling or profession thereof Whence by some the visible Church is in short defined to be a company or society of Beleevers or a company of men called by external vocation or a company professing the Christian and true Religion where the weight and emphasis rests upon
spewed out of his mouth his word is to be removed from them for how did those Asian Churches cease to be so but by the Lords performance of that other threatning in order unto this viz. removing his Candlestick out of their place Revel 2. 5. Cons 6. Yea a people have no other way to unchurch themselves but by their voluntary breaking of their communion in the Ordinances of God by heresie poysoning them and thus making them die and cease to be Gods Ordinances or schisme directly rejecting them or by the perfection of both in a total Apostasie But though wickednesse did ever unchurch a people demeritoriè it never yet did unchurch a people formaliter vel effectivè as will appear more anone Yea though Heresie be indeed a renouncing the faith and schisme a renouncing the profession of the faith yet at present I conceive that heresie doth properly and strictly unchurch as it denieth the faith not as it is the faith of Christ but as it is the foundation of this communion in the Word and Sacraments Being built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and accordingly schisme doth stictly unchurch as it breaks off this communion and not as it ceaseth the profession of the faith Therefore breaking off from this communion is most exactly and properly termed schisme or a renting of the Church and ungodlinesse of heart or life and indeed a ceasing to professe the faith as such is not so properly or stictly schysme Cons 7. These qualifications faith holinesse calling and profession may all be found where there is no instituted or formed Church and consequently to our congregational brethrens principles who as Master Cotton in the name of his brethren phraseth it say that the universal visible Church is a Chimaera where there is no formed visible Church wherein Ames is so expresse Fideles non constituant ecclesiam particularem nisi speciali Med. p. 167. vinculo inter se conjungantur which onely renders them capable of this communion the Jewish Church being dissolved the Elect that were saved were not of themselves a formed instituted Church but must therefore be added to the Gentile-Churches i. e. Congregations Therefore these personal qualifications are not so fitted to the definition of the visible Church as communion in the Ordinances of God for wheresoever this is fixed and settled there is undoubtedly a true visible Church this communion supposeth the called beleevers professors on the one side and the officers or dispensers of the Ordinances on the other side and plainly expresseth or signifieth to us the essence or truth of the visible Church by the formal actions of it Now that I may yet be more free from exception and more truely understood I shall here recollect and subjoyne what hath beene already in a scattered way hinted about these two great considerable in a few brief concessions and propositions Prop. 1. I grant that these personal qualifications are necessarily supposed in this communion in Ordinances in the senses before given of them the persons thus communicating are such as are called thereunto such as professe the faith therein and such as are presumed to beleeve what they thus professe or at least not to deny or renounce it Prop. 2. These qualifications are therefore necessary conditions of Church members or of such particular persons as assemble themselves with the Church in this worship of God or as Ames most Med. p. 163 accurately forma vocatorum the forme of the called not of the Church Prop. 3. Therefore these qualifications are rather to be reduced to the matter of the Church then to the forme Prop. 4. I grant therefore that they fitly serve to expresse the qualification of the matter of the Church in the definition thereof as I conceive Amesius and others mean whose definitions of the visible Church are usually begun thus a company of beleevers c. or of the called c. or of such as profess the faith or the true Religion Prop. 5. Yet I humbly conceive the maine distingushing part of the definition of the visible Church lieth in the communion of Ordinances for the reasons above specified this being as was said the formal action of it immediately springing from its forme and essence viz. society or community which is the next great particular in the definition of the Church and now at hand to be considered Onely by the way let this be concluded with the easie notice that my designe is yet going on seeing none can doubt but if persons void of saving grace may be truely considered to have faith calling and profession as before they may much easier also be considered to partake of the outward communion of the Church in the worship and Ordinances of God and therefore so far none can hinder the definition of the Church to be applicable therunto without respect to saving grace CHAP. XIV Touching that State of the Church whereby it is capable of communion in Ordinances viz. Community THe last great particular that claimeth a place in the definition of the Church is that proper condition or state thereof that only renders it capable of the exercise of this employment comes now to be handled This I presume will be generally consented unto to be a company community or society as it strictly intends communion in the worship of God wherein I humbly conceive is contained 1. Many particular persons or men in the kinde not sex or age 1. Many coetus requirit decem 2. Many men for other creatures below man are not capable of making a society it being a political and therefore a rational state and Angels are almost as much above it society being a state of discourse and so most properly belonging to discoursive creatures viz. men according to that of the Grammarian coetus requirit decem homines this is supposed in a society Cod. 2. The union of these men by some kinde of bond or other whereby they are embodied and made an habitual assembly a fixed society this is expressed 3. Actual communion in the Ordinances of God this is intended Coetus or societas here is therefore to be taken in a moral or political sense from corporations or companies of trade So 1. 'T is orderly not tumultuons 2. 'T is fixed not occasional 3. 'T is habitual not onely actual 4. It hath officers belonging to an orderly and fix'd society of this nature 5. Therefore lastly 't is a society of Christians governed by the Minister or Ministers of the Gospel as we still finde it to be in Scripture I shall crave leave to explicate my self herein a little further by a few propositions Prop. 1. This community is of necessity required in the true or false definition of the visible Church Prop. 2. This community doth directly immediately and formally Foederata ifla conjunctio tantum constituit ecclesiam quotenus spectat ad communionem sanctorum exercendam Am. Med 169. intend communion Communion is the most
in Ordinances so Mr. Hudson the visible Church saith he is a company of people called or separated by God from Idols to the true Religion and yeelding professed subjection to that call and more plainly Wollebius the visible Church is a company of persons commonly called as well Elect as reprobate But no Authour that I have yet met withal did ever define the Church without specifying and expressing this society or community one way or other Apollonius begins his definition with societas the Leiden Professors with coetus So Wallebius Trelcatius Ames and Augustine with unitas of English men Bradshaw saith the Churches of Christ are holy assemblies Dayrel saith a particular visible Church is a company c. so Hudson the visible Church is a company c. And Arnobius upon the 19 Arti a Congregation of faithful people Therefore it is likely that the unity or society of the Church deserveth the first and the highest place in the definition thereof Lastly therefore I shall conclude my selfe in those expresse Fideles non constituunt ecclesiam particularem quamvis simul plures in codem loco conveniant aut vivant nisi speciali vinculo inter se conjugantur Med. p. 169. Vinculum hoc est foedus c. Ibid. words of Amesius that neither the faithful or many faithful or many faithful meeting together or living in one place do thereby constitute a particular Church without they be further joyned together by some special bond among themselvs and I shall not fear to adde with him that this bond is a Covenant and that this covenant ought to be such as he there defineth it viz. that whereby the faithful oblige themselves particularly to performe all those duties both towards God and mutually towards each other which respect the Condition and Edification of the Church Yet give me leave to explain my self in a few particulars touching this bond or Covenant and I shall hasten to the conclusion of this last particular 1. I grant this bond or covenant may be lawfully expressed at the first constitution of a particular Church because it rationally agreeth with the nature of such a society 2. I further grant that the expresse bond being a prudential thing may be so much the neerer to necessity by how much the more prudence dictates it to be of use and discovers more evident occasion thereof accidentally occurring at the constitution of such a Church 3. Yet I must interpose against the necessity thereof in its own nature because we finde not any such command in Scripture nor any such practice in the primitive Churches 4. Neither may the want much lesse the absence thereof by any means be hence interpreted to the questioning of the truth of such Churches as have the Word and Sacraments purely or but truly administred and constantly attended upon for who can deny but that these are infallible marks yea essential notes of a true Church besides it is apparent even thereby that there is an implicit bond or covenant wherein to such a people are not onely taken with God but mutuo inter se mutually with one another seeing as the prophet queries how can two walk together unlesse they be agreed which two of the most eminent Dr. Ames and Mr. Hooker as well as moderate Congregational men have under their hands acknowledged to be all that 's necessary to the truth of a visible Church in this respect 5. Therefore we must with them conclude that the form consisteth not in a Covenant as expressed for then where that was wanting the Church could not exist but as a Covenant or mutual bond so far as it is necessarily supposed in the nature of such a society or community 6. Although I have before granted that either an expresse or implicite covenanting to performe the duties of Church members is a necessary duty binding all that are admitted into such a relation Yet I must still deny it to be of such absolute necessity as that the non-real and actual intention in a particular person so to covenant and oblige himselfe should exclude the reality of his visible Church-membership provided his desire to be admitted be real and sincere The reality of his desire of admission is essential to his very admission but the reality of his actual purpose to performe all the duties to which he is obliged by his admission is onely essential to his safe admission the first is necessary for his being the last for his well-being in this state of the Church membership Indeed he is passively bound by the command of God as also by his relation to this society of the Church both actively Persons may be passively bound when they do not actively binde themselves and actually to oblige himself unto the said duties yet if by reason of the Churches carelesnesse he is not put upon it or by reason of his ignorance of this his duty or his unwillingnesse to engage at present so farre in it he shall not thus oblige himself he is not thereby presently disobliged from his duty by the nullity of this his Relation or visible Church membership 7. This actual obliging himself in truth to performe all the duties There is a necessary duty a necessary condition of a Church-member is therefore a necessary duty accompanying his admission but no necessary condition thereof or without which he cannot be admitted And this I would conceive to be the meaning of Ames his words before noted viz. the bond without which the faithful do not constitute a particular Church is a Covenant vel expressum vel implicitum which implicitum I humbly conceive must necessarily An implicit Covenant opposed to an expresse and an actual covenanting An actual conanting is either vocal or mental We covenant consequentially or vertually what neither expressely nor actually be opposed both to expressum and to actuale and his meaning is or should be that neither an expresse that is a vocal nor yet an actual whether vocal or mental Covenant is a condition so necessary as without which the faithful cannot constitute a Church but a conjunction so far foederata as his phrase is as is necessary to communion which doth implicitely i. e. consequentially though not expressely and vertually though not actually also bind the faithful i. e. all the members of the Church particulatim to the performance of all those duties which the nature of so holy a society calls them unto For I readily grant that though particular persons do not actually either in their words or thoughts oblige themselves so largely yet by their very desire of admission into the Church if admitted they do by consequence and vertue thereof oblige themselves unto all those duties that the state into which they desire to be and are accordingly admitted doth necessarily and naturally We binde our selves vertually to more when we yeeld to be admitted sometimes then we that are admitted think of or intend put them upon so
in conclusion this foedus as it is extended in Ames his description is necessary in intentione passionis viz. admission non patientis the person admitted 8. Yet at length we must conclude that there is very little use of and consequently as little reason to dispute about this bond whether expresse or implicite in constituted Churches seeing herein our members are generally admitted in their infancy and what shall need to be imposed at years of discretion cannot with any shew of reason intend their admission into the Church it being rightly either but in order to their admission to some higher Ordinance or at most their confirmation in that state and those priviledges whereinto they are indeed admitted before in baptism but of this more directly and therefore more largely hereafter However my maine conclusion passeth still for if the persons that are subjects of both this society and the bond thereof may be considered as before is proved without respect to saving grace then doubtlesse so may both the society and the bond thereof touching the first viz. the society there is no colour of doubting and touching the latter viz. the Covenant let Amens himself whose words haply are the ground of our doubt be our resolver he first assures us that such as onely professe are members of the visible Church and yet also here addes that the visible Church is not constituted without the bond of this Covenant so that if Ames consist with himself or may be yeelded unto in the case this Covenant may be entred even by such as onely professe i. e. such as have no saving grace or as he in another place no inward vertue Besides what should possibly hinder but that such persons as are not endued with saving grace may yet be obliged to those duties which are not performable without that grace which themselves want by an obligation brought upon themselves by themselves when they themselves did not intend it as we have found this to be and was the very case of Simon Magus CHAP. XV. Of the definition as it may be framed by the union of the former parts HItherto of the parts of the definition of the visible Church by themselves proceed we now to look upon these parts in union and to state an entire definition therefrom Which is most ready to be done by the closing or drawing together what hath beene so long considered apart The visible Church may thus be said to be Beleevers or persons outwardly called or professing the true Religion ordinarily attending the communion of Ordinances in coetu or in a fix'd society or if you would put them together thus a community of persons that believe with a common faith or that are called with common calling or that make a profession of the true Religion ordinarily meeting and joyning together in the Ordinances of Gods worship For though communion be neerer to the essence of the visible Church then personal qualifications and community then communion yet as hath beene still acknowledged they have all their sit place and use in the definition thereof Here therefore is the qualification of the matter viz. common faith calling or profession here is the forme constituting the coetus or community as it looketh unto communion and lastly here is the formal action or if you please rather the form dâ—stinguishing this society from all other communion in the Ordinances of God Most of the definitions that our reformed Divines have given so far as I can find do indeed expresse all these three parts thereof I shall set a few of them down here and leave the rest to the search and judgement of the learned The Leiden Professors define it to be a company of those which Visibilis ecclesia est coetus eorum qui per verbum externum Sacramentorum disciplinae ecclesiasticae usum in unum corpus colescunt disp 40. The. 32 by the external word and the use of the Sacraments and ecclesiastical discipline are united into one body wherein two of the three foresaid parts are very evident 't is a company and such a company as hath the communion of such a body in the Word and Sacraments I confesse that the other viz. the qualification of the subjects of this company is not by them here specified yet their profession is easily implied in their fellowship and communion in Gods Ordinances and the not mentioning of the calling or faith or profession thereof onely intimates as before was noted that personal qualifications are not so necessary to the visible Church as this community or communion Indeed they also insert discipline but seeing that discipline is not necessary to the being of the Church and is but a separable adjunct of it it cannot be taken as more necessary into the definition of the Church Ames defineth the Church institute or visible particular to be Est societas fidelium speciali vinculo inter se conjunctorum ad communionem Sanctorum constanter inter se exercendam Med. 168. a society of beleevers joyned together among themselves by a special bond for their constant exercising the communion of Saints together where all the three parts are very visible 1 Beleever 2. In society 3. For communion I have before confessed that he intends saving faith as appears by his next words yet I humbly conceive his meaning is that all this society ought to be endued with such a faith and not that they are so indeed or if not no members of the visible Church For in the same page he tells us that it is very probable that there is no particular Church but it hath some members that do savingly beleeve and by his asserting the greatest probability of some that savingly beleeve he evidently granteth that others in this Church yea and many others for they viz. many others are directly distinguished to some may be without saving faith and yet as he grants in the next Paragraph be members of the visible Church and in that known place against Bellarmine saith expressely that it is false if any say that we the reformed Divines require inward vertues and therefore not the root of them saving faith to render one a member of the visible Church Trelcatius saith the visible Church is a company of men called Ecclesia visibitis definitur coetus hominum vacatione externam seu praedicatione verbi ad cultum gloriae Dei Inst 215 Est societas coramqui veram fidem profitentur ad communionem societatem ecclesiasticam inter se exercendam out by external calling as by the preaching of the word and the communion of the Sacraments to the worship of the glory of God here also all the parts are manifest A company 2. Of men called with external calling 3. To communion in the worship of God But Apollonius seemeth most clear and distinct whose definition I had rather fix upon then any yet named 't is saith he a society of persons professing the true faith and exercising ecclesiastical communion
and fellowship among themselves here is society of professors for communion communion ecclesiastical distinguishing this society from all others and profession dâ—stinguishing this society and communion to be of the visible and not of the invisible Church There are some of our own countrey-men that have given very clear definitions of the visible Church in this kinde Reverend Bradshaw saith the Churches of Christ are holy assemblies joyning ordinarily and orderly together in the worship of God here is an Assembly the qualification thereof holy the communion thereof joyning together in the Worship of God though I confesse I suppose that he here called these assemblies holy not with respect to the subjects or the persons that made it up but to the works and employment about which they were conversant the holy service and worship of God Yet I confesse that there is an obscure Authour whose name is Dayrel that wrote many yeares agon in the defence of Dayrel of the Church p. 24 like to Hookers our Churches against the Brownists whose definition is more exact to my notion of the visible particular Church then any of A Church as now we are to understand it â—s a society that â—s a number of persons belonging unto Christian fellowship the place and limits whereof are not certain eccl pol. p. 88 Lictionary p. 85 the former a particular visible Church saith he is that company that in a City Town or place cohabiting professe the Christian or true Religion and do ordinarily meet and joyne together in the exercises of religion A company united by co-habitation and profession and having communion together ordinarily in religious exercises the Ordinances of God Much like to which Wilson hath defined the universal visible Church 't is saith he a company of men selected gathered and called out of the world by the doctrine of the Gospel to know and worship the true God in Christ according to his Word Or if these be too long you may take it thus the visible Church Ecclesia specialiter sumitur pro coetu sacra scu conventu hominum ad cultum Dei convenientium Ravanel de eccl for which he quotes many Texts is a society of persons called out of the world to the worship of the true God In this last I am willing to acquiesce it being short and yet I humbly conceive plaine clear and full evidently conteining the whole sense of all the former and wanting for ought I can see in no necessary propertie of a perfect definition Herein we finde the matter persons called so termed by Christ himself as peculiar to the visible distinguished to the invisible or the Church of the Elect. 2. They are persons called out so it exactly answers to the most natural and allowed Etymology of the Church 3. Here are the termes of this motion a quo out of the world ad quem to the worship of God wherein we have its seperation The end of the Church in the Scripture in the time of the Gospel is to worship God as before from John 4 and its dedication its seperation from the world its dedication to God and his worship Wherein also its distinguishing forme and end and office is con-noted communion in the meanes or Ordinances of this worship of God 4. 'T is also said to be a society a fix'd community that respects this communion wherein as hath been often said the tò formale the very constituting form of the Church consisteth This definition is also convertible with the thing defined it doth not lie broader or narrower but just adequate and even with it for every society thus called out of the world to the worship of God is a Church of God and è contra Object Neither doth it avail to object that in this definition there is no mention at all of the constant or ordinary meeting thereof for this worship of God as some other definitions have it Answ For we are defining a visible Church in general which ought to be such as agrees with every kinde of visible Church if I may so speak both universal and particular now this constant actual meeting together is rather peculiar to the particular Church then common therewith to the Church universal which hath this actual meeting together but either in its representative a general counsel or in its parts particular Churches whereas a society called out of the world to the worship of God is general and common both to the universal and particular Church 2. Yea a particular visible Church it self is such when it hath not this actual meeting together much more when it hath it not constantly from which it haply may accidentally be long suspended and yet not lose its being and therefore not come short of its definition the essence of the Church lieth not in act but in habit not in communion but in community as this community * Foeder ata ista conjunctio catenus tantum constituit ecclesiam quatenus spectat ad communioneÌ„ exercendam to be exercised Am. Med. 169 Sanctae communis exercitium ad ecclesiam constituendam sufficit si constantia illa acâ—edit quoad intentionem tantum quae statum ad sert corporis membrorum in spirituali quadam politia as with small variation of words is gathered From Am. Med. 170 parag 21 looks towards and alwayes intends this communion to which it is therefore said to be called out of the world in the definition As a man doth not lose any part of his essence or cease at all to be a man when he ceaseth the exercise of his reason in his sleep or the like because the essence of his manhood lieth not in the exercise but in the faculty of reason whereby he is fitted and duely furnished to exercise the same when occasion is offered and impediments are removed So the Church ceaseth not to be a Church when she ceaseth her actual communion in the worship of God because the essence of the Church being in society to that end doth not suppose it though indeed it strongly intend it and dispose unto it as it conteineth a habit therof or at least an obligation thereunto upon due seasons Yet though the communion be not actual but onely habitual we may not say the community is onely habitual and not actual it would be strange to say that a man is only an habitual man because his reasoning is now habitual and not actual or a society of such a trade is onely habitually so when it doth not actually meet and assemble together The communion therefore is but habitual but the Church hath its essence and existence when it doth not meet together Therefore to have put ordinary or orderly meeting together into the definition of the Church would have made the definition larger then the definitum sometimes so that sometimes the Church must have been no Church when indeed it is so or the definition thereof must have been no proper definition thereof but variable
by persons who possibly never shall be saved and therefore who have not any saving grace The visible Church consisteth of good and bad as at the beginning we see it did in Cain and Abel whereupon our Saviour compareth the Church to a net in which are fishes good and bad But I shall conclude the matter out of doubt with the observation made for us by the industrious exposition of the English Articles The members of the visible Church it saith are some of them for God and some against God all of them not withstanding deemed parts of the Church so long as they make no manifest and open rebellion against the Gospel which also addes that the Churches bear witnesse hereunto referring us to confes l. Hel. v. 1. Art 14. and 2. c. 17. Bohem. c. 8. Gal. Art 11. Wittimb Art 32. Survic Art 15. whereunto I also refer my Reader CHAP. XXIII The judgement of the Brownists and of our Church against them herein THe third more special occasion exacting the judgement of the Church herein was given by the Brownists whereupon we shall briefly note two things to serve us in our passage 1. That it was the opinion of the Brownists that the essence of the visible Church consisted in saving grace contrary to what I am labouring to prove 2. That this was judged an errour and a great part of the errour of Brownisme as such by the eminent patrons of our Church and truth in that generation going onely before as in the present designe 1. That this was the opinion of the Brownists indeed viz. that the essence of the visible Church carrieth in it saving grace most plentifully appears by their asserting owning and pleading for the same in all their writings witnesse Smith Barrow Ainsworth Robinson Johnson and Cann c who tell us Defence of the churches p. 17 their Apol. p. 44 counterpoison p. 115. and 200 Barrows true description of the visible church p. 2 Principles and infer p. 8. 10 that the Church is a separated company of righteous men from the open wicked men of the world and that it cannot consist of all sorts good and bad in which no unclean thing or person entreth that keepeth the unity of faith in the bond of peace and love unseigned that is a company of faithful people that truely worship Christ and readily obey him a company of Converts a visible communion of Saints that is such as are separate from all known sinne practising the whole will of God known growing in grace and knowledge and continuing to the end And more fully and accurately let Smith be heard once more in the name of the rest the true forme of a true visible Church saith he is partly inward and partly outward the inward Princ. inf p. 11 part of the forme consisteth in three things 1. The Spirit 2. Faith 3. Love The Spirit is the soul animating the whole body faith uniteth the members of the body to the head Christ Jesus love uniteth the members of the body each to other the outward part thereof is a vow promise oath or Covenant betwixt God and the Saints 2. Now that this was held the errour of the Brownist and a part of their Brownisme and that it was not the allowed opinion of the true Church especially in England appeares abundantly in the disputations of all our Divines against them wherein we find these two propositions irrefragably proved 1. That an Assembly may be a true visible Church though its worship be very corrupt 2. That persons may be members of the visible Church by professing the true Religion though without sincere grace or holy life the latter of which is directly for us and in defence whereof Dayrel so smartly replied to Mr. Ainsworth you speak saith he you know not what for herby you imply a true visible Dayr p. 36 37 Church is a company of people professing and practicing such things as will bring them to salvation Whereupon it follows that there is no hypocrite in the visible Church for whose practice is answerable to his holy profession he is no hypocrite nor reprobate or any that shall be damned and thus you unawares confound the visible and the invisible Church Johnson himself testifieth thus much on our behalf even while he His defence of the churches and Ministry of England p. 71. saieth his accusation against us the forward preachers of England as he pleaseth to call them teach saith he that the true visible Church of Christ is not a separated company of righteous men from the open wicked of the world but may consist of people good and bad Neither may we think that that this was the doctrine of the Episcopal A book by sundry godly and learned Ministers standing out suffering in the cause of non conformity party alone for the very non-conformists have a book extant intended purposely against the separation and therein neere the beginning of that book they openly acquit themselves of and charge Barrow and the old Separatists with this errour that they held the visible Church to be a company of faithful people that truely worship Christ and readily obey him CHAP. XXIV Seven Arguments yet further proving that the judgement of the Church hath alwayes been on our side introduced by two Objections THere is a twofold distinction by some made use of to evade or weaken the authority aforesaid 1. It is urged that some eminent Divines assert that hypocrites are onely equivocè and not verè of the visible Church But hereunto we need only remember what hath formerly been I think truely observed that such Divines understand by Church in the proposition the Church of the saved which they themselves usually called the Church Catholick or the Church inviand none can doubt but such Church-membership is predicable of hypocrite onely nominally or equivocally and not really 2. It is also pleaded that some as eminent affirme and teach that hypocrites are onely in the Church not of the Church But * This tenent may seeme to cross many of our own Dâ—vines in their writings against the Papists but indeed it doth onely seem so for it is manifest that the Church which they intend is not the same with this which I have to deal withal for they speak of the Chuâ—ch catholick consisting only of the Elect. Hudson his Epistle Here we may fairly understand our Divines to meane the visible Church in the former and the invisible Church in the latter branch of this distinction q. d. they are in the visible When Willet had let fall that expression that wicked men are in but not of the Church he presently corrected himself adding yea they wicked men may be members of the visible church for a time Gen. 2. contro of the church p 62 Church but not of the Church invisible as the number of the saved Or as before we received from Doctor Field We are to take them as intending onely when
quis Christianam fidem se amplecti profiteatur ecclesiae per Baptismum inseri â—oget B. z. other Religions and expressed desire to be united to the Christian Church by baptism is with a professed subjection to the wayes and Ordinances of Jesus Christ the onely necessary requisite to constitute a Heathen a member of the visible Church and to give him title to the badge thereof viz. Baptisme I grant this must be serious otherwise it cannot give a real right yet I meane such a seriousnesse as may consist without saving grace and might otherwise be expressed by truth or earnestnesse as opposed to dissembling deceit designe or hypocrisie as before is explained Now if this embracing Religion and desire of baptisme be thus serious I presume such a one hath a real right in the Church and baptisme and may be lawfully admitted thereunto by the Church without further scrutiny or examination after such or such a measure of knowledge or holinesse or the inward saving condition of the party and this I hold upon the following reasons added to what hath been formerly urged Reas 1. Heathens may be lawfully received by the Church now upon the same moral conditions that the proselytes were in the time of the Law and that both by parity and identity of reason for Heathens embracing the Christian Religion now are as really made proselytes into the Jewish Church I meane the same Church which was then Jewish but now is Christian as the ancient proselytes were then for though the Church be changed in its outward dispensation and Ordinances it is still the same in its subjects and Covenant as appeares undeniably against the Anabaptist from Romans 11. Ephes 3. 6 c. But now the Jewish ancient proselytes were received and accordingly circumcised by the Church upon such a single disowning all false religions and adhering to the true with a desire to adjoyne themselves to the people and worship of the true God Therefore upon the same terms supplying what is necessarily to be supplied touching the Messias now come may Christ an proselytes be lawfully admitted into the Christian flock and number and be baptized Reas 2. That which is sufficient to make a disciple is sufficient to make a visible Church-member and to give claime to baptisme as Master Cotton and others reason well from Matth. 28. 18. Now an expressed desire to be admitted into the Schoole with a proffer to submit to the Rules and Laws thereof and to be taught and ruled accordingly is sufficient the party being thus received to disciple or make one a Schollar or a member of the School without the addition of such qualities or measures of learning or aptnesse thereunto Therefore a single desire to be joyned to the School of Christ and a professed subjection as Mr. Hudson speaks to the government thereof without any further evidence is sufficient to entitle a person to this disciple-ship and to warrant his reception and sealing by the Church Reason 3. Some Scripture admit into the Church upon as low termes as these viz. upon a general desire of baptisme and to submit to the wayes of the Lord in communion with his Church as might be instanced in all the examples of Johns Baptisme with that of the multitude Acts 2. of whom it is said that they gladly received the Word and were baptized Therefore persons may be lawfully admitted upon as low and easie termes still For 1. what was done in such cases in the Word may be lawfully done still for nothing was done unlawfully then and what was done then was written there for our imitation and learning 2. Though some other Scripture should require more then this viz. upon some consideration yet reason will prompt us to look for the minimum quod sic what may lawfully be done in such places as require least seeing every place and instance in Scripture requireth sufficient Reas 4. A profession that Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God with a desire to be united to the Christians communion by Baptisme rendred the Eunuch worthy to be admitted into the Church and baptized therefore so much doth others also What Philip required more in his question matters not if his answer had not been satisfactory doubtlesse he had not been baptized Reas 5. He that embraceth the Catholick faith or doctrine partaketh of the essence of the entitive Church and he that submitteth himself to baptisme and ecclesiastick communion partaketh of the essence of the organical Church therefore he that embraceth the one and submitteth to the other hath all that is essential to a visible Church-member Reas 6. Those lastly that require more viz. seem to require performance of the condition of the Covenant in order to entring Covenant but this is some-what strange The condition of the Covenant is twofold 1. In order to covenanting which is a promise or engaging to performe the termes or conditions of the Covenant now to be entred upon performance of which the reward covenanted for depends 2. The other condition is in order therefore to the obtaining this reward promised upon such condition which is the actual performance of the conditon engaged unto upon entring Covenant Vid. Blakes Seals Hystorical faith may be in reprobates both within the Church and also in such as be without the Church as Turks believe there is a God that Christ was born of a Virgin the resurrection of the dead c. yea the devils have it 1 Joh. 2. 19 Rogers of faith p. 6. The first is necessary to entrance into Covenant the last to the partaking of the benefit thereof As it is with men a servant enters Covenant by undertaking and promising to do his Master his work but obtaineth his reward or wages alone by doing what he hath thus undertaken Yet with leave of that Reverend man this engaging to perform the condition of the Covenant is I conceive more then a bare historical or dogmatical faith for there is something of application in that faith that doth not only beleeve but embrace the truth and the true Religion and make application to the Church for admission and baptisme However I humbly conceive though more then a bare histostorical faith should be requisite yet lesse then a faith that justifieth I do not say lesse then the profession thereof may truely entitle to visible Church-membership and consequently to Baptisme as hath been shewn CHAP. XXIX What is requisite to evidence a persons interest in the visible Church by men Quest THe second question to be answered is What is requisite to evidence a person to be a member of the visible Church to others or how may we know a person to be a member of the visible Church or what doth render Church-membership visible Answ 1. I answer first that that which evidenceth a persons interest in the essence of the visible Church doth even thereby evidence his visible Church-membership for what can better evince a members union with the body then its partaking
notwithstanding ignorance or wickednesse of heart and life doth proceed into and continue men members of the visible Church even in the adult estate 135 136 c. I Idolatry how consistent with a true Church 202 Jewes Abrahams seed and yet the Devils children 1. How 142 143 144 The Jewe outwardly what 144 145 Individuum and integrum the Church is both 4 5 1 John 2. 19. Examined 148 to 151 The ignorant how to be discovered 364 No one means absolutely necessary 36 Ignorance not inconsistent with Church-membership proved 184 185. Objections answered 185 c. Infants what constitutes their Church-membership 173 Infants borne members not de jure onely but de facto and sealed such by baptisme 175 Infants perfectly members though not perfect members proved p. 175 176 Infants may be known to be members 182 Infants right in the Church seated in themselves and not in their parents explained and proved p. 185 186 187 K Knowledge not necessary to membership 184 185 186 Knowledge dark and generall is sufficient for such consent as is necessary to keep adult persons in Covenant 188 189 L The largest acceptation not alwayes the lesse proper 111 M Matter of the visible Church both in its parts and subject may be considered without respect to saving grace 60 c. Meanes necessary to the attaining the end is allowed by the text which commands the end 277 No one Meanes of discovering the ignorant absolutely necessary 278 The matter of the visible Church as Professors of the faith not properly the grace but the doctrine 61 The Church is denominated visible and invisible from its Members p. 5 6 The Moral Law is to be applied to Gospel worship by two Rules 230 231. N Niddui whether persons under it might come into to the Temple or Synagogue 195 The one onely true Note of the true Church is the truth of the Word to which truth of Sacraments is inseparably annezed 76 O Outward calling hath inward effects the reason why said to be outward 85 The Jew outwardly what 144 The onely considerable Objection artificially framed against my maine conclusion largely answered 105 c. Objections against particular arguments See the Arguments Objections from Scripture are subjoyned to Scripture Arguments So are Objections from humane Testimony P A Particular Church without any savingly beleeving in it is at least ens reale potentia and for ought we know actum 26 27 Excommunicate persons members more then potentia 192 Ecclesiastical power wherein it consists 't is separable from a true Church 77 Power of the Church to deny the Sament to the ignorant not founded on reason prudence mutual confederation or on Matth. 7. 6. or 1 Cor. 5. but in our ministerial authority given us for edification largely proved 272 to 277 The great prohibition of unworthy receivers is 1 Corinth 11. 28. p. 237 to 240. Preaching how farre necessary to the first constitution of true Churches 208 to 212 Ecclesia presumptiva shut out of the Controversie 21 Preparations to duties are either meerly such as preparations to prayer c. or also conditions without which the duty is not to be done such is self-examination before the Sacrament 233 Preparations are necessary to hearing ad bene esse i. e. utiliter esse to the Sacrament ad bene esse i. e. honeste vel legaliter esse largely explained 334 Profession is properly of fides quae not qua proved 61 62 Profession of the true faith the chiefest note of a true Church 74. This is personal and so a note of a true member or ecclesiastical and so a note of the Church 75 What Ames by profession as a note 75 76 Profession of faith as a note of the true Church is not to be distinguish'd from the Word and Sacraments 76 Whether the visible or the invisible Church be most properly a Church largely debated p. 13. to 19. this is not a question properly betwixt us and the Papist but amongst our selves 111 The Protestant judgement is that saving grace is not of essence of the visible Church or visible Church-membership p. 153 to 157. further proved to be so by seven Arguments 158 to 165 Q Argument from the quality of the Church 80 81 82 The Question analised and and stated chap. 1 c. R Whether if none are to receive but the worthy the Sacrament essentially depend upon worthinesse Reasons for the negative 231 232 233 All kinde of right will not infer present possession several distinctions of right 251 252 253. the distinction of right into its first and second act grounded on the Laws of Reason Nations Scripture Churches 254 255 The Church of Rome and the reformed Churches differ rather about the truth of the invisible Church then about the nature of the visible Church 118 119 The reformed Divines true meaning of the onely true Church largely examined 105 to 120 The respect we owe to saving grace in the consideration of the visible Church 30 c. The reformed Divines give definitions specifically differing to the Church as strictly and as largely taken yet held but one Church 117 118 119 140 Schisme from Rome destroyed not our Churches 206 S Saving grace what respect we owe to it in the consideration of the visible Church 33 c. 't is not of the essence but of the excellency of the visible Church 36 Sardis acknowledged to be a Church though said to be dead 146 There are in the Church such as Seeme and are not Are and seem not Are and seem and are not seen Are seem and are seen also 31 The same persons in divers respects seem to be what they are and what they are not 32 Schism cutteth off from the Church and when 200 201 Schism from Rome hath not destroyed our Churches 206 The Supper is immediately forbidden to some Church-members therefore but mediately required of all proved by many arguments 219 c. Objections hereunto answered 225 c. The grounds of denying the Supper to some Church members largely examined 259 to 271 Self-examination is the great condition of a private persons coming to the Supper 237 c. Who may be suspected of ignorance 278 279 None but the suspected may be tried 277 Suspension for scandal 't is excommunication in part 287 288 289 Awicked man not excused from though not permitted to receive the Supper If he receive not he sins twice if he do receive he sins thrice 226 T Temporary faith is that faith whereby we profess the true Religion nor savingly 62. 't is true faith through not saving 84 85 Titles equivalent to Church-member given by God in Scripture to wicked men in number twenty three 126 to 134 Truth as applicable to the Church is genere entis vel genere moris 19. the usual distinction of a true Church and truly a Church questiond 20. the Chur. is true respectu naturali vel entitatis moralis i. e. vel status vel finis 107 vel simpliciter vel secundum
or particular Church Yea might we thus understand Ames to intend genus and species in a grammatical sense and not a logical in this place I think any one might say after him that ecclesia particularis est species ecclesiae in genere that is the word or notion Church is generally predicable of all Churches this way also the Church may be said to be universal as well as respectu loci and temporis as ursine or personarum and partium as Trelcatius addes but not naturae the Church is a totum and universalis but not a totum universale 't is a totum integrale and universal in the respects specified but not universal quâ totum But any further scrutiny into this matter may be pardonably waved seeing our maine question considers not the Church either as universal or particular or as universal-visible or particular-visible but onely as it is the visible Church as at first was noted Now all so farre as they own the visible Church to be really a Church make no question of its integrality that ever I yet heard of and therefore those that deny the universal visible Church to be an integrum do equally deny it to be really a Church who do also acknowledge the particular visible which they allow to be a Church really to be also totum integrale 2. The Church is also in its nature Aggregative that is 't is The Church is Aggregative of the number of those things which are constitute and by aggregation or collection this is applicable to the Church I conceive as it is that species of integrum that hath its parts united per modum colligationis but this bond by which such parts are held together may not be thought to be real as sticks are bound together in a fagot but metaphorical or political as Companies or bodies or societies of men are bound together by some tie or bond so the Church hath her joynts and bands whereby it is held and knit together as the Apostle speaketh Ephes 4. 16. onely with this difference that civil societies are under civil and the Church is under spiritual bonds What these spiritual bonds of the Church are is largely enquired hereafter Aggregative bodies are so familiar that indeed we finde them in every classis of the creatures and accordingly they are either inanimate as piles of wood heaps of stone c. or animate and these are either irrational as a flock of sheep a shole of fish c. or rational and these againe are either civil as a family a corporation a Common-wealth c or ecclesiastical as the Church Aggregative bodies are either occasional as many times flights Aggregatives are inanimate and animate these irrational and rational these civil and ecclesiastical these occasional and fix'd Their essential state of birds are and that rout we read of Acts 19. was or fixt and settled as the Church of God is Aggregative bodies are distributed secundum statum essentialem vel integralem according to their essential state they are distributed into their matter and form as Trelcatius intimates * Tales quae non sunt eo nunquid absolute sed continent in se duo quonum alterum est simile maltitudini materiae dispersae altorum vero unitati ordine collectioni Instit therl p. 214. Professio visibilis Communio visibilis Am. Medul p. 165. s 28. Integral state they are such saith he aâ—â—ontaine in them two one of which is like to multitude and dispersed matter which is as it were the matter the other to unity order and collection which is the forme Now such are the essential parts of the Church the matter whereof is persons professing Religion or called and the forme the collection or Congregation order unity society or community of persons as at large hereafter By the way give me leave to hang two queries upon this observation 1. Whether an aggregative body and consequently the visible Church which is such have not its essential forme as well as every other thing that hath an essence 2. Whether an aggregative bodn made up of visible parts and consequently the visible Church which is such have not an essential form which is visible if the matter or parts be visible why is it not the union or aggregation of this visible matter or parts visible also if the persons and the profession of the persons be visible what hinders the society or fellowship of them to be visible also or what should render it invisible but of this also more largely anone According to their Integral state aggregative bodies are distributed into their parts qua integral and according to the nature of them which are sometimes similar sometimes dissimilar 1 Cor. 12. 28 29 30. Now the parts of the visible Church I conceive are both similar in that all are called dissimilar in that some are Elected and some not similar in that all are professours dissimilar in that some are also officers and some not But we are now I humbly conceive very neer unto the ground of the common distribution of the Church into visible and invisible which was proposed to be next considered SECT V. The ground and meaning of the distinction of the Church into visible and invisible This aggregative body the Church is usually distinguished into visible and invisible I shall briefly shew how I understand it and wherein I except against it and thus my notion of the Church visible will furthèr appear 1. I conceive it cannot be a distinction of the essential totality of the Church as if the visible were the matter and the invisible were the form of the Church then the invisible Church being also visible visible in profession as invisible in faith should be both forme and part of the matter of the same Church which is absurd Wherefore I dislike that distinction that hypocrites are materialy but not formally of the visible Church for indeed if hypocrites be not formally of the visible Church they are not of it at all if forma dat esse nor may be said to be so if forma dat nomen 2. Neither can it be distinctio generis in species as Ames observes as if there were one Church visible and another invisible specififically differing for properly there is but one Church as all consent and that one Church is therefore not a genus for then its species would make more then one 3. Neither again can it be distinctio integri in membra as Ames also teacheth as if one part of the Church visible and another part invisible seeing the whole is in its profession visible but this I humbly conceive is nearest to it 4. Therefore lastly I conceive it to be distinctio integri non Una numero duplicem mododicunt pro conditione membrorum ipsius in partes sed à parte and to result not from the totality of the integrum as such but from a diverse consideration of the nature or disposition of the
the faithful or the called or professors of the true Religion My businesse is not to defend or to except against any of these either in their truth or fulness but to propose whether these and the like have any necessary dependance upon saving grace which to affirme I think is not without evident danger Here are two things rest upon me 1. That external calling profession of the true religion and faith have no necessary dependance upon saving grace 2. That these are true and real in their kinde as to visible membership when not saving 1. For external calling the very sound and notion thereof Efficacitas vocationis duplex una salutaris electorum proprio altera non salutaris ad vocatos communiter spectans Inst Theol. p. 114. sufficiently proves its independency upon saving grace and that as distinguished from the inward and saving calling it is true and real in its kinde and indeed effectual as Trelcatius notes I suppose is sufficiently argued before 2. Neither can any doubt but that profession of the true and Christian religion is also generally done without saving grace and for its being yet a true and real profession when not saving this depends upon the truth of the faith by which or rather from which this profession is made and which is next to be weighed 3. Therefore whereas the external calling and the profession of the faith have both been largely handled before and this common faith hath been often touched upon as againe will be frequent occasion of hereafter I shall now once for all humbly endeavour to prove that there is a faith in the members of the uisible Church which is true and real in its kind though not saving Arg. 1. This appears First from the authority Secondly from the reason of Scripture 1. From Scripture-authority thus 1. The Scripture intimates that all that are not Heathen are Beleevers 1 Cor. 7 14. as even all affirme that interpret the place against the Anabaptist for indeed the question was not Existimant reformati quod soedcralis quaedam fanctitas qua jus habent illi qui hoc modo sancti sunt ad media salutis Sacramentum Baptismi qua ab Ethnicis Turcis similibusque al iis infidelibus seperantur 1 Cor. 7. 14 Toti Nationi seu populo comunicetur cui Deus tabulas sui soederis ita imper tit easdem suscipiant profiteantur quos ad statum visibilis ecclesiae suae vocat ducit Rom. 11. 16 17 18 19 20. Blakes Seals p. 118. out of Apol. touching continuance with such as were wicked if professing religion but such as were Heathens i. e. out of the Church therefore Heathen and Infidel or no Church-member and unbeliever are synonimous Let him be to thee as a Heathen Mat. 18. is worse than an Infidel 1 Tit. 5. 8. But now there are may persons within the Church who though they are without saving grace may not be termed Heathens 1. The scandal of persons within may declare they have no saving grace yet the punishment at last to be inflicted on such is but to put them into the state of an Heathen or to deal with them as with a Heathen or a Publican therefore doubtless they were not Heathen before 2. In the place before cited a wicked Church-member is compared to an Infidel or an Unbeleever worse then an Infidel because he professeth and owneth the faith with his mouth which he denies and wounds by his ungodly life and he that is compared to an infidel is thereby concluded to be no infidel for a comparison must needs be betwixt two for it is as it were a comparison or a comparing things one with another and he that is no Infidel or unbeleever must needs be granted to be a beleever or will be enforced from 2 Cor. 6. 15. What part hath the Beleever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an infidel or one without the Church 3. Of which the Scripture giveth us a cleare instance in Simon Magus it first affirmeth that he believed and then witnesseth that he notwithstanding was in the gall of bitternesse They have indeed a true faith in their kinde but not the justifying faith of the Elect. Boultons deceit p. 73. and bond of iniquity and consequently in a state of wickedness 4. And lastly the Scripture is most plaine Luke 8. 13. in our Saviours interpretation of the stony ground which for a while beleeve but in the time of temptation fall away i. e. from that state of faith wherein they stood a while our Saviour doth not say by their falling away it appears they did not beleeve Upon this Luk 2. 13. Master Perkins notes three things 1. Their faith they are said to beleeve for a season 2. The fruits of that faith they received the Word with joy 3. Their unsoundnesse in the time of temptation they fell away Mark saith he here is a true faith yet not saving faith Epist before his declarat of a mans estate at all or shew themselves to be what indeed they were before viz. Infidels but he affirmeth they did beleeve 2. Again that this was a real faith for he saith they fell away from it they could not fall away from that which was not Lastly in the time of temptation implying that before that time they might be truely said to stand in the else the blast of temptation could not have thrown them down as also those that made shipwrack of faith are supposed 1. To have had the faith else they could not have lost it 2. To have had no saving faith for then they would not have made shipwrack of it 2. In the reason of the Scripture it is also plaine that there is a true faith which yet is not saving whether we consider it in a relative or in a qualitative sense 1. There is a relative or if any had rather a federal faith as well as holinesse allowed by all but Anabaptists upon the account of our parents Church-membership Obj. If any should reply that this faith is in the parent and not in the childe Answ I must have leave to deny it an account of which I shall give more largely hereafter in briefe here thus 1. The faith that is in the parent is a personal habitual or qualitative faith this faith that relates to the childe is foederal 2. The childe is as truely the subject of this faith which he hath by relation to his father by grace as of filiation or son-ship which he hath also by relation from his father by nature 3. Yea this faith is more firmely seated in the childe then his One sort of real holines consists in a bare relation of the people of God and depends wholly upon birth within the pale of the Church and the parents embracing the covenant Blak Scals p. 150. out of Camero filiation for this dieth with the parent that doth not which shews that the childe hath its faith as well be relation to
assertion or the grosse absurdities that certainly follow it My Argument hence supports it selfe upon three positions 1. Contradictories cannot be both false which to affirm would directly imply an evident contradiction viz. as if it should be said this neither is a man nor not a man so that if it shall appear that this assertion that saving grace is of the essence of the visible Church or visible Church-membership is indeed false then the contradictory hereunto that saving grace is not of the essence of the visible Church or visible Church-membership must needs be true 2. Againe what is truely found in the conclusion may be justly laid upon the premises that infer that conclusion whereupon 't is taken for absurd to deny the conclusion but the fault must be sought for in the premises therefore if that which naturally followeth the assertion contradictory to ours be absurd and naught the assertion it self which is the ground and cause thereof cannot be sound or good 3. But now the consequences of this that saving grace is of the essence of the visible Church which is the formal contradiction to my conclusion may easily appear to be somewhat absurd by these few that follow Absurd 1. Then no reprobate did ever partake of the essence of the visible Church or was indeed a member thereof and Judas was either no Church-member or no reprobate Absurd 2. Then there are no hypocrites in the visible Church and either the Scribes and Pharisees were no Hypocrites or no children of the visible Kingdome of Christ Absurd 3. Yea then indeed there are no hypocrites at all for if there were none within the Church there can be none without seeing it is necessarily supposed that a hypocrite be a professor of religion and there are none that professe Religion without the visible Church Absurd 4. Then the election of God is as large as his calling and either those many whom our Saviour affirms to be called were not called or else though our Saviour intimates that they were not yet they were elected Absurd 5. Then most of those that constantly attend upon all the parts of Gods publick worship are yet not of the visible Church but indeed Heathens seeing Heathen is put in opposition to visible Church-member in the Word of God Absurd 6. Then that great and weighty obligation pressing wicked Church-members to reformation in Scripture from their relation to God their being Israel his children his people c is utterly evacuate and made of no force at all for there are none such but even to think of a wicked Church-member implieth a contradiction in adjecto Absurd 7. Then the strong obligation upon wicked Church-members to gratitude and thankfulnesse for the bounty and favor of God in all the priviledges and advantages and Ordinances of the Church to them and theirs is made invalid and weakned to nothing for God it seemeth never vouchsafeth any such things unto them but they daily steale and rob God of them Absurb 8. Then that sore aggravation of sin and punishment which God in the Scripture hath provided from the former duty and mercy for the rebellious children of his Kingdome against the day of judgement is wholly prevented for it seemes such being no real Church-members or Subjects of Gods Kingdome and the duties of such and their mercies not duely or really belonging unto them the aggravations taken against them thence are ill grounded and consequently of no weight force or justice Absurd 9. Thus the visible Church is confounded with the invisible or is not at all distinct therefrom for if the Elect be the matter of the visible Church and saving vocation its forme as is pretended and those be also the matter and forme of the Church invisible wherein lies the difference or indeed who seeth not a wide difference betwixt this opinion and our Saviours doctrine many are called c. and its perfect agreement with Brownisme of late and Donatisme of old together with its strangenesse to the writings of all the reformed Divines who generally allow and improve the distinction of the Church into visible and invisible and judge that Church truely a Church which is more largely taken or taken largely in its distinction to the Church more strictly taken or the Church of the saved or called according to the election and constâ—ntly reckon that external calling and not saving is the forme of the visible Church or the Church largely taken which they conclude to be complexatam malos quam bonos Absurd 10. This opinion that saving grace is of the essence of the visible Church draweth many absurdities with it touching the dispensation both of censures and Sacraments First touching censures if no wicked man be a real member of the visible Church it inevitably followeth either that pertinacious wickednesse doth formally excommunicate and that every such wicked person doth formally excommunicate himself seeing he cannot be denied to be the formal agent of his own wickednesse or at least that there is no need of such a censure of excommunication to put wicked persons out of the Church seeing that for which a man deserveth thus to be cast out or cut off is open wickednesse and that hath if not put him out yet declared him to be without or no Church-member before 2. Yea indeed we may justly inferre that there is no such thing as casting out of the Church at all For 1. Those alone are to be cast out that are obstinately wicked But 2. Obstinately wicked persons were never within that is quoad homines for if interest in the Church be founded in saving grace and none ever fell away from saving grace then none ever fell away from their interest in the Church and consequently those that have no evidence of saving grace as the obstinately wicked have not they appeare to men never to have been within and therefore not cast out at all but onely as some please to speake declared to have been ever so 3. Then it further follows that there is no possibility for the Church to judge those that are within for obstinately wicked persons are alone to be judged now these if they have no saving grace are it seemes not within and that they have any saving grace cannot be discerned while they remaine obstinately scandalous and when they cease to be obstinately scandalous they cease to be objects of the censure of the Church 4. Yea then the Church hath no possibility left her of judgeing any for she hath power to judge none but such as are scandalous and such as are within that is such as have saving grace neither can she judge who have saving grace and who not but by their freedome from or appearance of scandal and consequently none can possibly be both scandalous and within in the judgement of the Church I mean such a possibility as is limited by the rule id possumus quod jure possumus for if the Church should judge de facto she must do
have term'd either Heresie or Apostasie 2. Schisme may be thought also to put a man wholly out of the Church as it breaketh the other great bond of union viz. Schisme love though I must check here for schisme simply considered and of it self alone doth not wholly destroy our relation to the Church Dr. Hammond observeth that whatsoever may be thought to unchurch is reducible to these foure 1. Apostasie 2. Hâ—resie 3. Schisme 4. Consumption and devastation yet afterwards Paren p. 84. addes for the third of that schisme the fathers which aggravated the sinne of it to the highest do not yet allow it the force of unchurching but call them brethren i. e. fellow Christians which were most obstinately guilty of it I suppose he means such as were single as well as violent schismatâ—cks and chiefly the Donatists and not that this should contradict what before he had said that Schisme may be thought to be one meanes of unchurching among the rest that is as it may be qualified Therefore Schisme as sufficient to un-church or dismember must be 1. Total viz. a breaking off from all communion with the Speratio fiat certis quibusdam actionibus quamvis schismatica non tamen statim separat ab ecclesia Am Cas de schis p. 307. Church for to divide with the Church in some things or parts of worship and to retaine the rest hath been alwayes reckoned a separation onely in the Church and not from it much lesse so farre as to lose all interest in it if this separation be just it is not Schisme If unjust 't is but partial Schisme and the subject is a member but in part cut off and yet hanging to the body 2. It must be universal that is a breaking off from and refusing communion with all the purticular Churches of Christ in the world for one may schismaticaly that is causelesly depart Si separatio sit ab una ecclesia aut pluribus particularibus possunt tamen aliaâ—um ecclesiarum membra manere ubi supra Schisma proprie dictum est peccatum gravessimum ubi supra from one particular Church of Christ and joyne himself to another which though it be a very great sinne and schisme both in the party and the Church that knowingly receiveth him yet not so great as to render that party no member or that Church no Church 3 It must be also heretical such as is caused by or accompanied with the renouncing of some fundamental doctrine for as Willet observeth if Schysmaticks retaine that is in a body purity of doctrine and the right use of Ordinances as some schismatical Congregations in Augustines time did and now do they make up a true visible Church a flock of sheep is truely such though consisting of particulars strayed from their several folds Schismaticus potest esse qui non est haereticus ut siquis credens omnes Articulos fidei nolit tamen cum ecclesia vera communicare in actionibus piis Ubi supra to which they ought notwithstanding to return as to their proper and lawful places Yet I conceive it possible that a person may by a total and universal schisme though not Heretical that is if he neither joine himself to an ancient or to the Schismatical Churches cease to be a member of the Catholick organical Church hereby Though positive schisme be usually a great aggravation of negative schisme yet it is rather a diminution of it when the negative schisme is as before universal and total the reason is Si separatio pertinaciter fiat vel ab omnibus ecclesiis veris vel ab ulla propter causam communem tum tales schismat quamvis fieri possit ut fidem retinentes sint membra ecclesiae Catholicae non possunt pro visibilibus ecclesiae membris haberi Ubi supra because it is better to be a member of a Schismatical Church where the worship of God is in any measure exercised then of no Church at all and consequently to joyne in no kinde of publick worship at all though doubtlesse it is best of all to remain with or to returne again unto the communion and worship of the true and ancient Congregations of the Lord So that we may adde as a fourth property of such schisme as destroyeth Church-membership it must be negative as well as total universal and heretical Object It may be thought that this enumeration of the means wherby a person or a people unchurch themselves is too short seeing idolatry and apostasie do as well unchurch as Schisme or Heresie Answ I answer concerning Idolatry 1. Idolatry cannot be Idolatry Papismus est pernitiosa haeresis quia pracipuam partem pietatis evertet variis modis in falso cultâ— idolatria de consc p. 171. considered distinctly from Schisme and Heresie indeed it is made up onely of them 1. A denying the true God or a denying the true worship of the true God and a giving of Deity or the worship of the Deity to a creature in our minde or opinion which is mental Idolatry is nothing else but high heresie therefore Ames giveth this reason to prove Papacy to be heresie because it overturneth the principal part of piety in false worship and Idolatry Again secondly the other great part of Idolatry is Schisme both negative in withdrawing from the worship of the true God or a with-drawing worship from the true God and positive by setting up a false worship to the true God or giving the worship of the true God practically or actu exercito to a false God Idolatria est tribuere ei rei divinitatem ac honorem Dei quae non est Deus ac adimire cultum Dei creaturae tribuit Zegid de Idol p. 382 and therefore practical idolatry is properly and directly opposed to the true worship as mental idolatry is to true faith 2. Idolatry as such on all kinde of idolatry is not inconsistent with the true Church or true Church-membership and indeed it is so then onely when its heresie or schisme so renders it or when it is rather a fruit of apostasie or a total defection from God and all true Religion The people of the Jews were frequently guilty of this great sin of idolatry yet who will venture to affirme that they so often ceased to be a true Church or a people unto God and for The Jews idolatrous yet a Church what reason did not their idolatry wholly cut them off from God but because they did not totally immerse themselves therein they still retained the Statutes and the Law of the true God and so their heresie was not total as also in a measure his worship and service and so their schism was not total and consequently their departure from God was but partial and not to be branded in proper Ecclesiast polit p. 85 speaking with the foule charge or title of Apostasie wherefore as Mr. Hooker thinks not onely amongst them God alwayes
unto him by the command of these Kings in like manner our gracious Queen Elizabeth did her duty to God in following these happy Kings in the like case in England and the people did no lesse then their duty to God and the Queene in returning to their God at the Queenes command 2. Neither can it be sufficiently proved that the preaching of the Word is of absolute necessity at the first constitution of a particular Church especially where some Knowledge of God and his wayes is presupposed as our case in England then was 1. I grant that in ordinary cases the preaching of the Gospel is required to the constitution of a Church but that there can be no extraordinary exception to this rule I deny especially when men would thence reason us out of our senses as well as our Churches we see our Churches in all the parts and essentials of true Churches shall we yet argue against what we see and not believe our own eyes because their first constitution was not as we would have had it or as indeed ordinarily Churches are constituted would it not have been judged a madnesse in Caine and Abel to have reasoned their parents out of the number of man-kinde because they were not born of a woman as men ordinarily are Let who will undertake to prove that our Churches in England were not constituted at first by the preaching of the Word and I dare engage to make good the assumption that our Churches in England are true Churches and thus we may haply discover another extraordinary way of constitution of Churches besides the preaching of the Word 2. The preaching of the Word as necessary to a true Church may be thought to be either antecedent or subsequent to the constitution thereof either of which is sufficient provided that the people are brought to a willing embracement of the Christian profession by any other means so that where the Candlestick is pitched and the Ministry of the Word is fixed among any people that freely attend upon it there none may doubt but that God hath chosen a people to be his Church for here are found the infallible marks of a true Church Now none can deny but that our Congregations in England if they were not at first reduced by the Minstry yet they have enjoyed it ever since that their reduction from the Popish yoak in the dayes of that famous Queen and that none may have cause to say that this our attendance on the Ordinances of God is generally forced by a Law as was wont to be laid to our charge we have of late a most clear evidence that it is indeed free and voluntary seeing all compulsory meanes are known to be rebated and taken away in the present liberty 3. Much lesse can it without grosse ignorance or dangerous impudence be denied that the Ministery of the word was instrumental with the Queens command to the reduction of the people in her dayes from Popery to Protestantisme yea 't is well known that divers Ministers were sent into all parts to satisfie the people touching that change in Religion which she then was about and allowed the people that their returne might be free above half a years time to consider of it and what law was made at length to compel in any regard was made by consent of the people themselves in Parliament all which are so evident in history that I shall need say no more thereof However suppose that all these things should be granted them 1. That we lost our Churches in Queen Maries dayes 2. That a true Church can be constituted onely by the preaching of the Word 3. That our Churches in Queen Elizabeths dayes were gathered or rather compelled onely by the Queens Command 4. And consequently that they then were no true Churches but societies of Heathens all which have appeared to be false yet what will this adversary conclude from thence against our present Churches especially if we adde the serious consideration of these four following particulars 1. That our people have had the preaching of the Word ever since 2. That they are now a willing people in Gods publick worship all meanes of compulsion being now taken off 3. That they became thus willing to embrace and abide in the true Religion by the preaching of the Word seeing no other meanes by their owne principles could make them so 4. And therefore consequently we stand true Churches now by their own principles being constituted such at length by the long abiding of the same among us if not so at first by the preaching of the Word CHAP. XXXVI Inferences from the former discourse concerning Baptisme and title to it WE have found the former doctrine helpful to us in the vindication of the truth of our Churches let us follow it a little further and it may haply discover something also touching their title to Sacraments And First of Baptisme Secondly of the Supper Concerning Baptisme it follows that if the former principle stand the children of foure sorts of persons may lawfully communicate Baptisme thereof the children of such as have no saving grace nor evidence of it the children of visibly wicked persons the children of the excommunicate and the children of such as ought not to be admitted to the Lords Table which will fall into so many Positions 1. Then first saving grace in the parent is not absolutely necessary to a real-right nor its evidence to a visible right in baptism for his child or the children of such as have no such grace and make no satisfactory evidence thereof to the Church may yet have a clear and good title to Baptisme and be lawfully baptized 1. The children of such as have no saving grace may have a Children of graceless persons have right in Baptisme real right in baptisme because such parents may notwithstanding their want of saving grace be really members of the visible Church and be themselves really baptized which is all that is requisite to entitle their children to visible Church-membership and consequently to baptisme the children of such parents are within the Covenant and interest in the Covenant carrieth Foederatis competit signum foederis doubtlesse a right in it to some seal of the Covenant and if to any must it not be to the first viz. Baptisme 2. The children of such as give no satisfactory evidence of saving grace may yet have a visible title to baptisme and a just claime for it from the hands of the Church because such parents may without such evidence have evidence enough of their interest in the Covenant and the visible Church sufficiently satisfying the Judges thereof by some other means for that which being real giveth real right to Ordinances in Gods account being visible or seen and known or not to be doubted of by men giveth visible right thereunto in the Court of the Church But something else besides such saving grace being real giveth real right to Ordinances therefore
the very ground of the question is gone Indeed here is practice contrary to profession but not profession contrary to profession and practice contrary to profession may consist with profession for they professe to know God though in works they deny him If it be replied that a scandalous life is contrary to the faith professed and so the profession appears counterfeit I crave leave to ask once more whether faith here be taken objectivè or subjectivè if objectivè for the doctrine professed or the Will of God revealed to be beleeved then it may still be affirmed that the profession of the Scripture or an outward owning of the Will and Word of God is not inconsistent with a conversation contrary thereunto then why may not such whose practice is contrary either to their profession or to the Scripture which they yet professe be received by the Church if no other reason but this be assignable If it be said that a scandalous life is contrary to the faith in sensu formali vel subjectivo and that a wicked conversation declareth that the Professor doth not believe as he professeth and is to be rejected therefore as a counterfeit Once more I demand whether this faith professed be considered as saving or as common if as saving then Mr. Wood his cause is yeelded who is now opposing Reverend Master Baxter with this assertion that wicked men are not to be rejected formally because their wickednesse is a signe of unregeneracy but materially because it is contrary to the profession of the faith if as common or as other historical or dogmatical then though I grant that all those whose wickednesse is such as cannot consist with a real common or historical faith ought not to be admitted yet I deny the hypothesis that all wickednesse is such as is inconsistent with such a real common faith that common faith is in its kinde a true faith and that this true common faith is consistent with a wicked heart and life are two Propositions as little doubted by most Divines as much confirmed by sad experience and largely discoursed in the Treatise following Sunt in eo coetu viz. ecclesiae visibilis multi electi alii non Sancti sed tamen de verâ doctrinâ consentientes Phil. Melanct. part Sept. p. 33. Others may have leave to think that such scandalous persons ought not to be admitted into the Church because of the scandal that would come to Religion thereby and because that in this sense scandal is contrary to the profession of the faith the Church thus drawing a blot and disparagement upon her selfe as if she was ready to open her bosome to any vile unclean unreformed persons and truely I humbly conceive there is very much in this for if the Church ought to have a care that those already within cause not the wayes of God to be evil spoken of why ought she not to have the like care touching those she is about to let in or why should those be admitted into the community that now appear to be such as are presently to be cast out of communion but I presume this is not all For 3. From the premises it seemes at least probable to me that the Church is to have some kinde of respect unto the saving condition of the person she is about to admit into communion though I donbt not to assert with our brethren N. E. and Reverend Master Baxter that a sober and humble profession of faith and repentance with a desire of Baptisme is as much evidence of this saving condition as the Church is bound to expect without any farther positive proofs of conversion 4. Yet I humbly conceive that more then a bare outward profession is requisite to give real interest in the visible Church and the previledges thereof before God though no more is requisite to give visible interest before men and that there is sufficient ground for the trite distinction of right here Coram Deo ecclâ—sia for the Churches judgement of mens right must passe with her administrations upon visible or appearing signes by their outward profession but Gods upon real for the visible Church is really a Church with God as well as the invisible though the Church is bound to believe a profession that is made upon designe as the Jews at New Castle was yet God knows his wickednesse and count him a dogg eating the childrens bread out of the hand of Church deceived by his falsnesse but not erring because profession is her onely rule in the case If it be demanded what is more required besides profession to give real interest in the visible Church I Multi enim sunt non renaâ—i vel hypocritae consentientes tamen de doctrina ritibus extcrnis sen est coetus consentientium de doctrina habens multa membra mortua sen non regeneratos Maâ— 7. 21. Mat. 13. 24. par in Urs cat 343. have at large answered in the Treatise that in Adult persons about to be admitted a real actual and not fained consent but in persons borne in the Church and baptised in their Infancy and now at the adult estate a non-dissent a not dissenting from or a not rejecting of the truth and wayes of the Lord at least for all that are of the visible Church must be one of these ways either negatively or positively consentientes to true doctrine as Melancton before as wel as outward professors of it 4. Yet I must still hold my maine Proposition till I see more reason to let it go that unregenerate persons once received into the Church are notwithstanding their unregeneracy or their want of evidences of saving grace really or truely members of the visible Church till they cut themselves off by Heresie Schisme or the perfection of both Apostasie or at least are cast out by Church-censure what reasons what authorities from the Scriptures and the Church I shew for it and what absurdities I alledge against the contrary opinion must be left to your censure in the reading of the Treatise Onely that it may passe here a little the more freely I cannot but adde the remembrance of one or two late most eminent and full Testimonies Mr. Hooker of New England saith Survey of Church discipline p. 36. that externally those are within the Covenant and consequently the Church who expressing their repentance with their profession of the truth engage themselves to walk in the wayes of God and the truth of his worship though they have not for the present that sound work of faith in their hearts and may be never shall have it wrought by Gods Spirit in them Master Norton also a Minister of N. E. to this very question whether truth Against Apol. p. 3. of grace be required to visible Church-membership answereth one may be admitted into the Church-communion of the external or visible Church that is not endowed with the real inward holinesse of regeneration and justifying faith in Christ or that
one that was borne in the Church will not cast him out yet who would admit a distracted Heathen while such a person known to be unregenerate would hardly be received while such yet known unregeneracy is not sufficient to cast a man out As Mr. Hooker before a scandalous person may be a Church-member and is so doubtlesse till he be excommunicate and while so he is in the Covenant within and his child is born in the Church and hath right to baptisme but I shall crave leave to signifie my mind a little more clearly herein by a few steps further 8. To draw a little neerer to our selves and our own common case I therefore adde that children borne of Church members and baptized in infancy are borne and baptized Church-members and though our case require it not yet I doubt not to say that the childes right in the Church and Baptisme doth not necessarily depend upon a vocal profession on purpose of its parents who yet abide in the faith and state of profession as is hereafter largely discuss'd for in Infants their being borne in the Church is instead of an outward profession as Bishop Usher affirmeth His sum of religion about Baptisme Yet I verily beleeve the childes actual possession of Baptisme not of the Church or Church-membership depends with the highest conveniency upon the parents claiming it and expresse owning the faith into which he desires his childe may be baptized and his publick undertaking to bring it it up in the fear of the Lord according to that now most general and laudable custome of the Churches of Christ amongst us which usage carrieth in my opinion as cleare a tendency to Reformation and order as any one practice not expresse in Scripture now exercised and truely such as seemes to me a great deal liklier to prevail with our people to a publick owning their obligations to God then any other course whereupon we haply fix greater expectations as to my observation lesse obnoxious to the jealousies and murmurs of a disturbed distracted and discontented generation 9. Againe those that were borne in the Church and baptized in their infancy continue in their right and possession of Church-membership as well as those admitted upon personal profession at the adult estate until they are justly devested thereof by themselves or the Church as before or in Master Cottens plaine and pertinent words the suffrage of N. E. Such as are borne of Christian parents and baptized in their His holiness of members p. 1 infancy into the fellowship of the Church are initiated members of the same Church though destitute of spiritual grace until they justly deprive themselves of the priviledge of that fellowship yea that such are not to be censured much lesse dismembred but His way of the Churches p. 89 with p. 51. upon known scandal and that they may claime the Supper also in the same Church wherein they were baptized if no exception lie against them which Learned Master Baxter hath sealed also for saith he no Church member ought to be kept from Church-communion Disp 3. p. 294 with p. 104. of his Rest much lesse cut off from the community but upon some just accusation of a crime which he was since guilty of more then he was at his admittance Consequently the children of these ought also to be reckoned members of the Church and to be Baptized to succeed in their parents profession who live and die in a state of profession from one generation to another without exacting any positive proofes or evidence of conversion or saving grace in the parents for they stand in possession and 't is not just for any to question their Title much lesse to void it without a positive disproving of it which can by no way be done without the censure of the Church upon evidence of obstinacy in known scandal which I confirme and conclude with those excellent words of worthy Master Baxter Those Disp p. 34 34. therefore that will any mans childe kept back from Baptisme for their parents unholinesse or persons kept from the Supper must not expect that men bring proof to them of their holinesse beyond their profession of it but must deale by them as by other notorious offenders even admonish them of their unholy miscarriages and he may not be so heavily punish'd before he be judged or heard 10. Thus we are at length arrived at our very case which I desire may be seriously considered who after our fathers and our fathers fathers time out of minde did generally come into the Church when we came into the world being borne of Christian parents and such as lived and died in a state of profession and do continue the succession of the same unto this day without rejecting the faith or the Church into which we were baptized or yet being rejected or censured by the Church for obstinate continuing in any know scandal Wherefore give me leave my Worthy brethren to intimate againe that if any question yet remaine about our membership 't is not to be resolved by debating what qualifications we ought to require in adult persons who desire admission or baptisme a case that hardly happens once in an age but what it is that nulls the membership of persons at age that were borne Christians and baptized in their infancy as we generally were in England This is the center where all the lines drawn like swords about most of our controversies must point at last a sound and effectual discussion of this would doubtlesse be a happy means of charming the great noise amongst us according to the determination of this most of our opinions and practices would easily be enforced one way or other thought if without offence I may so complain this is the thing that is least thought on I have venture in the Treatise upon one great and most special question under this whither I conceive we must needs be driven upon the debating of the means of unchurching viz. whether the want of saving grace be inconsistent with visible Church-membership and have afterwards though more briefly considered the general question what doth not and what doth unchurch more distinctly as also what doth constitute and evidence visible Church-membership Many other things are likewise occasionally discuss'd some more briefly and some more largely according as I thought them more or lesse serviceable to my maine designe and at last have added a large application of the whole to our Churches and to our administrations wherein some haply may judge me too large and others too strict measuring me as most men are wont to do the books they read by the model and idea of things that prepossesseth them though Reverend Sirs I cannot but hope better of you and do hereby cheerfully yet in true humility first cast my self upon your candour and then upon your censure and due admonition in any thing you shall find amisse In the mean while truely this is a comfort to me
their opinions with those that directly and in very termes renounce it so neither savours it of much charity or indeed justice that wicked men that directly professe the faith both vocally with their mouth and really by attending on the Ordinances of God be equally condemned with Apostates and Hereticks that rase the very foundation of all religion though in works they deny him Therefore such as stand baptized into the faith of Christ and yet remaine in visible Communion with the Church and do not renounce the faith of Christ either with their mouths or in the intent and purpose of their hearts cannot onely by their disobedience or wicked lives as I shall anon labour to prove unchurch themselves or declare themselves as some would rather say to be no true members of the visible Church There are in the Church such as 1. Seem and are not 2. Are and seem not 3. Are and seeme and Distinct 6 are none visi not seen 4. Are and seem and are seene also He that is and seemes not is a David in desertion he that seemes and is not is a Judas betraying with a kisse he that is and seemes and is not seen is a Saint in a cave he that is and seems and is seen also is I presume not onely the man savingly qualified professing the same before men but our ordinary professour and Church-member that usually attends upon visible communion with the Church though wanting saving grace The same persons in divers respects may seem to be what They are Distinct. 7 They are not Or the same persons may be said in one respect to be hypocrites and in another respect true beleevers so that though we are wont to condemn all for hypocrites that professe Religion without real holinesse yet I suppose I shall not erre if I say we ought to do it not without caution and limitation I confesse that if not all that thus professe Religion without saving grace yet most of them are hypocrites in that they pretend if not seem to be what they are not viz. savingly qualified and I humbly offer whether it be not in this sense that Divines generally charge such professours as have no saving grace with the sin of Hypocrisie even because they pretend to have that Mr. Perkins speaking of temporary beleevers on Luk. 8. 13. saith these though they are not sound yet they are void of that grosse kind of hypocrisie Their mindes are enlightned their hearts are endued with such faith as may bring forth these fruits for a time and therefore herein they dissemble not but rather shew that which they have His Ep. to the Reader before his Treatise tending unto a declaration of a mans estate grace and interest in Christ or as they would say in the true mysticall invisible Church which indeed they have not But let us seriously consider can either they or we with any colour of reason or justice adjudge men to be hypocrites farther then they are so or for professing themselves to be what indeed they are though also they should professe themselves to be what they are not may not men be so far illightened as to know and beleeve the Scriptures really and yet not be so far sanctified as to believe effectually to salvation and may he not professe this faith which he truely hath though he also professe and pretend to more and is he not a true beleever and a true professour so far as he hath though false and hypocritical in professing more and to be accounted a true Beleever as to the Church visible though a hypocrite as to the Church invisible A hypocrite is one that pretendeth or seemeth to be what he is not but when men that have no saving grace pretend or seeme to be visible Church-members relatively holy Gods Covenant-people common believers c. they pretend and seeme to be what in truth they are therefore thus farre they are no hypocrites but true beleevers so far as they truely beleeve and true men so far as they professe But what they thus truely believe and what they truely are The devil is an hypocrite while he professeth himself an Angel of light but when he acknowledgeth what he truely believeth that there is a God and that he is a fearful avenger of wicked spirits and that Christ is the Sonne of God c. in this the devil is no hypocrite so what is good in wicked men is still good and what is true in them is still true notwithstanding all the evil and falshood that they are guilty of Their hypocrisie in one respect cannot destroy their reality and truth in any other In a word a hypocrite as such cannot possibly be truely a member of any Church whether it be visible or invisible for that which is false as such can never be true so he that pretends to saving grace and interest in the Church invisible if his pretence to that saving grace be false his interest in this invisible Church cannot be true and likewise he that pretends to the common faith and yet doth really renounce it cannot possibly be a true member of the visible Church yet one that is an hypocrite as to the Church invisible may in another sense be a true beleever and have a real interest in the visible Church accordingly CHAP. IV. Arg. 1. From the Etymology or the Name of the Church HItherto of the Termes of the question and the sense thereof by what I have already intimated I am bound to adhere unto the affirmative part which turneth it selfe into this Thesis The visibly Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace Thus I shall now proceed as the Lord shall assist me to prove from these five considerable places or heads of Argument viz. the Etymology of the Church visible Causes of the Church visible Definition of the Church visible Testimony on my side Absurdity on the contrary First then as method requires we shall set down the Etymology of the Church and argue from it The name or word signifying Church in the Greek original which is generally allowed to be argued from is known to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which primitively derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and more immediately from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contained in it both Calling and calling out a right improvement of each of these I presume wil help us with its Argument SECT I. My first Argument then ariseth from the calling that we find Arg. 1 included in the name and is indeed inseparable from the nature Primum illud quod actu eccle siam constituit est vocatio unde nomen definitionem suam accepit ecclesia enim est coetus hominum vocatorum Med. 161 162 Inter Orthodoxos qui ecclesiam definium coetum electorum vel per electos intelligunt secundum electionem vocatos vel non ecclesiam quae actu existit Medul 161 of the Church thus Arg. 1. The Church
and the called are of equal latitude But the called may be considered to be truely so without respect to saving grace therefore the Church c. That the Church and the called are of equal latitude is not only confirmed by the Etymology of the Church but is the evident consent of all Divines wherefore Amesius tells us that the first thing which constitutes the Church actually is calling and that the Church hath not onely its Name but its definition from calling who also desineth the Church to be a company of men called Yea so strict is Amesius in this point that he concludeth the very Elect are not of the Church either visible or invisible but as they are called and by consequence that the Church is made up of the called as distinguished not onely to those that are not called in general but particularly to the Elect. Trelcatius expresly saith that external calling is the very forme Forma ecclesiam visibilem constituens est vocatio illa externa quam mediatè Deus efficit Inst Theol p. 223. that constitutes the visible Church The assumption viz. that the called may be considered to be truely so without respect to saving grace appears 1. In the evidence of our Saviours known words many are called and few chosen 2. Of the very nature of a true call 1. Those whom Christ affirmeth to be called are truely called let Christ be true but Christ affirmeth some to be called that They are called foro Christi not onely foro ecclesiae have no saving grace for he saith that many are called and but few chosen therefore more are called then are chosen then some are called that are not chosen then some are called that neither now have nor yet ever shall have any saving grace unless the reprobates may Therefore some are truely called that have no saving grace and if so doubtlesse none will stick to grant but that they may be considered to be truely so without respect to saving grace 2. This appears from the nature of a true call which doth truely consist without saving grace as is easily manifest by a due distribution thereof Calling is Active or direct Passive or reflex and this Partialis Totalis Common Saving The direct or active calling is such a calling as is not answered by the persons called upon whereby though indeed they are called upon they are not in the Scripture sense called this hardly any can think doth render the persons called upon truely a Church thus Paul called the Athenians but yet left them as he found them not a Church of Christ but of Satan viz. Idolaters this call seeing it obtaineth no part of its end at all I presume to terme vocatio mefficax or as Master Baxter hath well Englished The calling which is common to Pagans is vocation uneffectual The reflex or passive calling is such as terminates effectually in the persons called upon which is when persons both hear and answer the word calling suffering themselves to be called and brought unto God thereby this in general I presume to terme effectual calling as it stands in opposition to the former call which is not at all effectual and also as this sheweth it self most exactly and prâ—fitably effectual for its most direct and prâ—per end a calling and gathering a people to God Indeed this which I terme effectual calling is twofold it being effectual either onely in common or also in saving effects The first to wit that calling which onely reacheth unto common effects is that by which persons are called out of the world to renounce all false Gods and to professe the true God according to the true Religion and thus to become truely members of the visible Church and of the number of the many called in the Text and therefore I humbly desire that two things may be here noted 1. That though some please to terme this kinde of call partialis it must onely be understood with respeact to that other saving work which belongs to the next branch of the distribution and not at all with respect to the work specified or the calling to be truely members of the visible Church which doubtlesse is perfectly and totally done by the true and genuine efficacy of this which we terme a common call Secondly let it be further noted therefore that when we say this common call is effectual to common effects we mean onely such effects as are common to the Elect and Reprobate but not common to the Church and the world but special and peculiar to the Church alone wherein more are called then are elected The second sort of effectual calling to wit that which worketh saving effects is indeed though not more truely effectually yet more gradually and further if not specifically more effectual then the former for it bringeth men not an ecclesiastical but also to a mystical and saving union with Jesus Christ and by that which is opposed to the common faith which is said to be wrought by the former common call and is usually called justifying or saving faith which is called by those which terme the call partialis vocatio totalis and is as I conceive plainly implied in the chosen in the text fore-cited few are chosen i. e. few are called as Amesius expresseth it according to election The distribution being thus laid two things are briefly to be done in order to a fit application thereof and then I have ended this first Argument 1. To Apologize for this which to some may seeme a new sense of the common distinction of calling into effectual and ineffectual 2. To evince this common call to be truely a call For the first of these the distribution forelaid seeming so rational to my self and so adequate to the meaning if not to the very termes of most Divines I hope little need be said yet 1. I must confesse it is somewhat rare for Divines to terme the common calling effectual calling yet I presume it is as seldome termed ineffectual Trelcatius gives the term efficax onely unto the saving call yet he doth not term the common call opposed by himself in the very same place unto the saving and as he stileth it effectual call in efficax 2. Yea though Trelcatius doth not terme this common call efficax he doth evidently imply that it may be lawfully termed so he tells us that externa vocatio is that quam mediatè Deus efficit Now if this common or external call be that which doth efficere it may doubtlesse be properly said to be effectual yea more Instit p. 114. plainly in another place he teacheth that efficacitas vocationis est duplex una salutaris electorum propria Altera non salutaris sed praevia secundum ordinem communem ad vocatos communiter spectans so that there is an efficacy in the common call which is not saving and therefore this common call is efficax 3. However a Learned Authour of our own viz. Reverend Master Baxter hath authorized
consequences of it as anon may further appear Object 'T is here objected that infants are borne members of the Church de jure onely and that they are not actually so until they are baptized as Rutherford distinguisheth Answ Our children are borne actually in the Church or actually out of the Church but they are not borne actually out of the Church for then they are borne actual Heathens and not Christians as is generally pleaded against the Anabaptists Ubi ponis parvulos non baptizatos profecto in numero credentium Aug. de verb. Apost Serm. 1. 2. Children are borne to an immediate right to the seal of the Covenant to wit baptisme therefore they are borne actually in Covenant and consequently in the Church for though a right to be taken into Covenant give a remote right to the seale of the Covenant it must be an actual being in Covenant that giveth an immediate title or claime to the seal thereof and that children borne within the pale of the Church have such an immediate right to baptisme is not to be doubted seeing we cannot think upon any neerer cause of title to baptisme in such children then their Birth priviledge or their being borne in the Church 3. I therefore humbly conceive that our children are borne E foederatis nascentes etiam in foedere sunt Dei in foedere comprehenfi ab ipso utero Bez in 1 Cor. 7. 14. Baptizandi sunt infantes non ut sancti sint sed quia sancti sunt Whitaker Church-members not onely de jure but also de facto and sealed rather then made such actually by baptisme though truely such as deny them to be born so actually if they as Rutherford doth will but grant that they are baptized actual Church-members my turne is thereby sufficiently served seeing most of our people were not onely borne de jure but also baptized de facto within the Covenant and members of the visible Church Object 2. It is again objected that infants are not perfect Church-members as Ames non adeo sunt perfecta membra c. Answ 1. There is a difference betwixt perfectè and perfecta membra one may be a member of the Church perfectly that is no perfect member thereof perfectly with regard to being or state not perfect with respect to nature or quality perfect naturally not perfect morally such a Church-member viz. in infancy may be and not such as such a Church-member viz. in years ought to be 2. I hence assume that Infants borne and baptized lawfully within the Church though they are not perfect members as neither are many growne persons yet they are truely and perfectly so For these Reasons 1. They are either members perfectly so or not at all for all motion from corruption to generation is instantaneous and there is no time when such a thing may be said to be partly and not wholly what it is particularly this change from a state of Heathenisme to a state of Church-membership hath no degrees of magis and minus but being wholly wrought in instanti a man is perfectly the one or the other and not halfe an Heathens and half a Christian Omne ens est verum perfectum Now none but Anabaptists will offer to say that such infants are in no respect Church-members therefore they are so perfectly 2. They are perfectly disciples therefore perfectly Church-members for disciple and Church-member are synonimous that they are perfectly disciples appeares by considering what is requisite to make a disciple perfectly so namely entrance or admittance into the Schoole or the society of such as are to be taught indeed one cannot be a perfect or compleat Schollar without learning yea and much learning but one may be truely perfectly and compleatly a Schollar before any thing at all be learned and a Schollar is so denominated not quia doctus sed ut sit doctus as is noted by many now it s generally urged against the Anabaptist that infants are admitted disciples into Christ his Schoole by Baptisme Infants are thus perfectly in Covenant otherwise we seal in Baptisme such as are partly heathens and but partly in Covenant which sounds absurdly therefore they are perfectly members of the Church for as they are in Covenant so they are in the Church the Church alone being the party in Gods Covenant 4. Lastly it may be well observed that Ames his words give no just ground for this objection for he doth not say that such infants are not perfect members much lesse not perfectly members onely that they are not so perfect members as to have a next Non adeo sunt membra perfecta c. vid. Am. Med. and immediate right to all the Ordinances as the adult or persons of age have which is as easily as readily granted by my cause CHAP. XXVIII The Terms upon which adult persons are admitted visible Church-members PRoceed we next to consider the conditions upon which persons borne and educated under Heathenisme may become Christians or members of the visible Church Now though the former discourse concerning infants be of most concernment yet here lieth the burden and stresse of Argument In general that might here satisfie which Reverend Master Cotton from the words of our Saviour hath given us viz. that such a person as is by nature and birth and breeding a Heathen and no Christian to the end he may become a Church-member he must be discipled that is as Master Cotton explaineth it he must be entred into Christ his Schoole Which I humbly conceive is truely done 1. In his own part by a voluntary offering himself to be admitted And 2. On the Churches part by receiving him and sealing him by Baptisme a member of her own society upon lawful termes I grant that there is some measure of the knowledge of Christ and some kinde of profession of the faith inherently necessary of the very designe of Baptisme in Christs Name but I think no more then that is absolutely necessary though a great deale more may I doubt not be expediently and prudently required by the Church I would not be thought to condemne the ancient practise of the Church in her more strict and severe proceeding towards the Chatecumeni though others have so freely lash'd it yet 't is known that the work of admitting proselytes by circumcision in the time of the Law and Christians by Baptisme in so many thousonds in the dayes of the Gospel by John and the Apostles was more speedy Worthy Master Hudson hath an expression which I cannot but note as very helpful and preparatory to my set and fixed answere page 127. the Church saith he is called entative not because of inward grace but from the receiving and embracing the Christians Catholick faith which is essential to a visible Beleever accordingly my answer is A serious embracing of the Christian Religion as distinct from all Ex probabilibus conjecturis an aliquis ad Christum pertineat puta in adultis si
once the holy City but where these meanes are yet continued we are to acknowledge a Church of Christ Rev. 2. 12 13. more or lesse corrupt according to the gâ—eater or lesse abuse of Gods Word and worship Bish Usher sum of Divin p. 398. Church along with them Yet observe though the rest were blinded the Elect were saved many of the former Church of the Jews now dissolved joyned themselves unto the Gospel-Churches which indeed were the same for substance and differ'd onely by a new administration of Ordinances with their own Church before Now of any other way wherein God doth directly and formally reject or divorce a person or people besides these I think we read not in Scripture CHAP. XXXIV How a man may cut himself off from the visible Church viz. by Heresie and Schisme THe destruction of man is of himself not onely meritoriously but sometimes efficiently and so in order thereunto is his cutting himself from the Church of God the meanes of his salvation That it is so is not doubted our question is how it cometh to passe The visible Church is usually considered in an entitive or organical apacity accordingly it is said to be endued with two properties profession of the faith as entitive and communion in worship as organical respective hereunto a man may violate his right in the Church and dismember himself 1. By Heresie denying the faith he cutteth himself from the Church entitive 2. By Schisme renting himself from its comunion in worship he breaks himself off from the Church organical so that my general answer here is that a person may wholly cut himself from the visible Church by two means viz. Heresie and Schisme by the first he goes off the foundation which lies in doctrine by the last he forsakes the fellowship which lieth in worship of these a little more distinctly 1. Heresie cutteth off from the Church as it breaketh the great Haeresis opponitur fidei schisma charitati Ames bond of the Churches union viz. faith and as it necessarily carrieth with it a want of that historical faith which hath the doctrine of faith for its object and which none do doubt to be an essential requisite to a true Church-member Therefore the Jews Buxtor Lex Cald. Talm. Rab. p. 195 held that an heretical Israelite had no communion with the Church of Israel and why but because communion supposeth union and union with Israel or the true Church is lost with faith they also held as Master Selden noteth that an Israelite turning an Heretick i. e. denying any of the thirteen fundamental Articles to be as an Heathen man and did therefore permit a Jew to lend De jure Nat. gent. l. 6. c. 10 him upon usury as to an Heathen and why but because he had renounced the Law which chiefly if not onely differr'd a Jew from an Heathen Not that every errour is so dangerous for every errour is not heresie nor yet every heresie onely such as is so general and desperate as that it takes one wholly off from the maine doctrine of Christ his Prophets and Apostles the doctrinal foundation Eph. 2. ult of the Church It hath beene a very ancient controversie in the Church whether Heresie doth wholly cut off from the Church or not upon which counsels have contradicted and contra-decreed The Africane Bishops in the Council of Carthage held that heresie As Mr. Hooker observeth out of Fortunat. secundin Hieron did put out of the Church which opinion was afterwards condemned in the Council of Nice even by the chiefest of the authors thereof themselves Mr. Hooker who enclined to the negative seems to plead for the fathers so farre as they appear on the contrary side If the Ecclesias pol. p. 87. fathers saith he do any where as oftentimes they do make the true visible Church of Christ and heretical companies opposite they are to be construed as separating hereticks not altogether from the company of Beleevers but from the fellowship of sound Beleevers However I presume the controversie may be easily ended viz. by parting stakes and allowing some truth on both sides 't is true that Hereticks are of the Church and it may be true that Hereticks are not of the Church there is a latitude in heresie Thus the Ancient fathers held for their opinion was that that heresie which did not deny the Trinity did not wholly cut off from the church Paget some heresie which absolutely denieth some particular fundamental truth and taketh up some one or few stones thereof is consistent with Church-interest and other heresie which raseth up the very foundation of Religion denying most or the most chief if not all of the Articles of our Christian faith is inconsistent therewith Object But it should seem then that Heresie doth not un-un-Church for if denying of some particular fundamental truth do not then heresie properly doth not for that is properly heresie and that which raseth up the foundation of Religion seems more then heresie and may be Apostacy Answ A falling from the faith is indeed Scripture-Apostacy though I humbly conceive that that expression as it stands in that place of Scripture intends as well a falling from the companies of the faithful by schisme as a falling from the doctrine of faith by heresie and indeed both these viz. perfect heresie and perfect schisme make proper Apostacy as Reverend Hudson observeth for a man to remove out of the Church Catholick either entitive by disclaiming the doctrine and faith of Christ which is heresie or organical by refusing to joyne to any Christian society which is schisme is a great sin and Apostacy 2. But I conclude though a man deny not all the maine Articles The difference betwixt heresie and infidelity and apostacy the two latter are the denying or renouncing the whole faith of Christ but the former of any one single part of it Han. paraen p. 64. of Christianity without which he is not properly an Apostate in the sense of Divines yet by denying many or most of the chief fundamentals whereby he may fitly be said to teare up the foundation though he do not take up every stone thereof a man may cut himself off from the Church the pillar of truth 3. Besides doth not Apostacy imply the height of Schisme as well as Heresie can a person be properly said to be an Apostate if we speak as others do that yet remaineth in the communion of Ordinances why then may not a person that renounceth all the Articles of the Christian faith if he yet refuse not communion Ita ut hereticus quis possit esse non schismaticus Ames in Ordinances be rather said to be an Heretick then an Apostate But I dispute not for words be it granted me that such a renouncing of the Christian faith without any personal separation from the Church is sufficient to cut a man off there-from it will not trouble me to
from our first constitution is vanish'd for now the fault it seemeth is found in something that hath happened since which also ought to be made to appear 1. To be truely charged upon our Churches And Secondly sufficient to destroy them otherwise our Churches being thus confessed to be truely and rightly constitute at first and nothing being found to destroy their being or truth since it cannot be denied but that they are true Churches still Let it be therefore briefly examined what they severally alledge against us Obj. 1. The Papists object that our schisme from the Church of Papists Rome hath destroyed our Church Answ But this will never serve their turne without the proof of two things which are never to be proved 1. That the Church of England was guilty of Schisme by renouncing obedience to the Church of Rome For 1. England was never an obliged member of that particular Church of Rome but a Sister Church unto it Secondly as we and Rome were both members of the Catholick Church we never separated from Rome onely in those things wherein Rome first separated from God truth and us 2. That Schisme meerly of it self without heresie is sufficient to destroy a Church which the Scriptures never affirmed and which they know that the Ancient fathers ever denied Object The Anabaptists object that though we were lawfully baptized at first yet our present members are not and where Anabaptists there is no true baptisme there is no true Church Answ But there are three rotten pillars to uphold this argument which cannot support themselves 1. That Infant-baptisme is no lawful baptisme which they themselves now see that they cannot evidence and are therefore now weary of the point and onely labour to prove the lawfulnesse of beleevers baptisme 2. That Infant-Baptisme may not be true and effectual baptisme though they could possibly prove it to be unlawful and that we should not have been baptized till years of discretion fieri non debuit factum valet is sometimes a good Rule an errour in a circumstance doth not null the action persons baptized with water in infancy and with the holy Ghost since who dare say they are not baptized 3. That Baptisme is of the essence of Church-membership Learned Master John Goodwin hath written a Treatise on purpose upon this subject shewing by many arguments that supposing Baptisme not lawfully administred to Infants yet this is no just ground of separation from such Churches as do baptize infants and one hath made an attempt to answer them but with very unhappy successe Whether Infant-Baptisme hath plaine Scripture proof or not 't is both certaine and plaine in Scripture that the children of Lamb. Church-members are born in the Church and Covenant of God But from what Scripture can it be inferr'd that one that is borne in Covenant ceaseth to be so if not Baptised I know not I grant that the admission of persons not borne in the Church ought to be solemnized with Baptisme yet I conceive that Baptisme is the seal and badge of this his admission rather then essential to it and that he is a member indeed and before God by his sincere embracing the Christian Religion in his heart though not baptized though his submission to Baptisme be a necessary expression of his Christian profession for the Churches satisfaction and yet I conceive there is much difference betwixt the cases of such persons and of those that are borne in the Church and that this difference is clearly revealed in the Scriptures of both Testaments Object There is but one thing that hath any colour of bjection in Scripture against it that the person not circumcised should be cut off from the people and that he had broken the Covenant of God Gen. 17. 14. But this is easily removed for both his sin and punishment plainly intimate such a persons interest in the Covenant 1. He hath broken my Covenant that was his sinne of which he had not been capable had he not been in Covenant and therefore a person refusing circumcision was in Covenant 2. His punishment was to be cut off from the people which also intimates that at present he was among Gods people and to be punished with that punishment which was peculiar unto them it matters not what was meant by this cutting off for whether it was by death or excommunication we can thence onely argue desert of the like punishment in the like case and not that such a person is not yet in Covenant before this punishment is inflicted which is onely due unto him for breaking the Covenant in refusing the seale of the Covenant which he could neither have beene guilty of nor had any right unto unlesse he had been in Covenant Certainly therefore faith and not Circumcision or Baptisme is that which enters a man into Covenant with his seed we say Baptisme is the Seal of the Covenant and the badg of Christianity yea the Anabaptists and we are agreed in this that Baptisme is to be administred onely to such as are in Covenant already and consequently that persons are in Covenant before they have right to Baptism and therefore baptisme is not of the essence of the Cevenant or Church Object The Brownist supposing the destruction of our Churches Of Brownists in Queen Maries dayes thus objecteth The true Church is gathered by the preaching of the Word but the Churches of England were called onely by Queen Eliza's command and not by the preaching of the Word therefore they are no true Churches Answ This is the Goliah-objection yet with no great difficulty vanquished for 1. It cannot be proved that we wholly lost the being of a Church by the Marian persecution The Fundamental points touching God Christ Scriptures Ordinances did still shine through that red vaile at least they were never covered much lesse lost in that Popish Rabble which God most graciously and suddenly cleansed by the means of that happy succeeding Queen so that it was rather a reformation then a constitution of a Church which we then received and the Queen did no more in putting for her entrusted power for recovery of our former purer Religion then what other Scripture-Princes had done before her with applause from heaven The people in Josiahs time were farre more Idolatrous then in Queen Maries the like might be observed of Hezekiahs time see how Ahaz and Amon left them 2 Chron. 28. 2 3 4. and 23. and 33. 2 3 4 5 9. yet we find that these Princes compelled all that were found in Israel to serve the Lord their God as it is said of Josiah 2 Chron. 34. 33. who commanded the people to serve the Lord 2 King 23. 21. and Hezekiah with his Parliament made a decree requiring the people from Dan to Beersheba to return againe unto the Lord God of Abraham whom they had forsaken 2 Chron. 30. 56. Now who will say that Israel was not a people of the Lord because thus reduced againe
and desirable Ordinance Wherefore if I may possibly prevent so scandalous a censure I shall not venture to hold my Reader in so long suspence till he come to the pages where confirmation is considered in the book nor yet barely to acknowledge my allowance of it under my hand but after my humble thanks heartily tendred to our worthy Author for his excellent paines in so seasonable a subject I do also presume earnestly to beseech my Reverend brethren that what the learned and zealous Master Baxter hath so smartly pressed upon the Ministry about it may be speedily and seriously considered and undertaken by us Yet least I should dash upon the other rock I humbly crave the leave to offer without offence whether there be not some few proviso's touching confirmation to be distinctly noted to the end it may prove which the God of truth and peace grant a happy meane of reconciling at length the two long divided and differing brethren and whether they may not be such as these 1. That such of the Catechmmens as appear when called to be Ignorant Châ—istians not to be confirmed are Church members confirmed grossely ignorant of the fundamentals of Religion and consequently such as cannot personally professe the faith as they ought be notwithstanding this their ignorance and the further just suspention of their confirmation still acknowledged to be Church-members So farre I doubt not but we are agreed for our Reverend Authour makes no question but the Catechumens are in p. 52. 54 57. Church-state and then asserts that if they give not when called to it a satisfactory account of their faith they are to continue and to be left in that condition indeed without enjoying any further priviledge as himself addes yet as he conceives p. 60 not to be cast out of the Church 1. I acknowledge that the Catechumens baptized in Infancy Perfection Moral Physical are but incompleat and imperfect members yet I crave leave to distinguish for there is a moral and there is a physical compleatnesse and perfection a man that hath all the excellencies and ornaments Perfectio transcendatis est qua ens dicitur perfectum quatenus ipsi nihil deest in integretate essendi of a man is usually said to be a perfect a compleat man yet a childe that hath almost nothing but the bare essentials of a man in it is as truely said to be a perfect or compleat man as he the first in a moral the last in a physical or metaphysical sense for omne ens est verum perfectum so there are babes in Christ in his School his Church as truely and in that sense as perfectly so as strong men and such as are not fit through ignorance to be received to higher priviledges have yet the essentials of Church-members though they want the ornament of such as our Perfection of essence ornament Reverend Authour stiles confirmation they have therefore the perfection of essence but not of ornament and though I need not assert them to be perfecta yet I hope it is no offence to say they are perfectè membra and not half Christians and half Heathens Object It is acknowledged that confirmation was of old called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the perfecting unction and the confirmed were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfecti vel persecti Christiani perfect or perfect Christians Answ Yet it may be also noted 1. That among the ancients The Ancients deny perfection rather to the Catechumens not baptized Oâ—seâ—v l. 2. c. 3 the imperfection of membership is generally attributed to the Catechumeni not yet baptized non initiati non illuminati as they used to speak rather then to the baptized not yet confirm'd of these speaks Albaspinaeus quoted by our Author corporis Christi perfecta omnino formata membra non erant for the baptized are initiati not entring but entred not forming but formed Areopagitam de Hierarch eccl initio accordingly when Dionisius would note the priviledge of the members of the Church above the Catechumens he distributes the Church into the initiati or the baptized and the fideles or the Communicants at the holy table and we hear nothing of a third sort viz. the confirmed betwixt these two Doctrina inquit de Sacramentis è Scripturis de prompta solis fidelibus initiatis est communicanda 2 The Fathers usually adorning what they treat of with Rethorical No aâ—gument to be grounded upon the ancients single expressions Credunt infantes Corpus mortis in primis parentibus generavit eos peccatores spiritus vitae in posterioribus parentibus regeneravit eos fideles Aug. tom 10 p. 421 Octa. flowers it may be questioned whether it be safe to build a point of such weight and consequence as this is upon single expressions especially in the case in hand wherein we finde them varying something among themselves Chysostome and Austine stile the catechumeni not yet baptized brethren Austine affirmeth that infants being baptized are membra Christi yea and fideles Albaspinaeus and Pachimer acquainting us with antiquity that none could be a perfect Christian but be that was confirm'd and that of old confirmation was therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfection Again that no one was thought to deserve the name of Christian unlesse he were confirmed and that confirmation seemed to give as it were the last stroke to perfection And yet again that the Eucharist is the perfection and consummation Catechumeni sunt fidâ—le inquit haymo quia credunt in verum deum sed quia nondum sunt baptizati non sunt sancti super 1. ad Eph. of both baptism and confirmation and that those alone were accounted fideles or the faithful who were not onely baptized and confirmed but had been partakers of the Eucharist though now the Church seeth reason to maintaine that such as are not yet baptized are Christians holy and faithful or beleevers and therefore or upon that account to receive them to Baptisme I doubt not but these various expressiâ—ns of the Ancients are easily reconciled as will offer it self in the particulars following therefore 3. There is a perfection of Church-state and a perfection of Perfection of Church-state and Chuâ—ch-priviledge Church-priviledge those that were baptized though not confirmed were perfect with a perfection of Church-state though not yet perfect with a perfection of Church-priviledge until they were confirmed which our Authour hath observed and excellently collected and approved for us to be all that was meant by that perfection which the ancients ascribed to confirmation there were saith he such as by imposition of hands were admitted p. 15. to the participation of all the priviledges of Church members and so that is by his participation became and were declared to be compleat and perfect Christians Again more plainly having largely discoursed of the perfection attained by confirmation that by perfection saith he is meant no other then their right to enjoyment of those priviledges especially the Lords
all in this case it is that which giveth life and being to every member united to his body so as whosoever maketh this profession and useth this submission being knit to this body and not cut off by excommunication is in and of the visible Church Dayrel of the Church pag. 36. But if life here be intended to signifie such as is essential to ones being a member of the Church of the saved as it seems to be I answer that either unlesse it be proved that the Church visible and the Church of the saved are of equal latitude which I wholly despair to see there are four terms in the argument the major intending the visible and the minor the invisible Church or else there is the fallacy termed ignoratio elenchi discovered in it the conclusion being onely that life is essential to a member of the Church of the saved which was never questioned when it should as easily appears have been that this life is also necessary to visible Church-membership to which it carrieth no aime at all Object 2. The second great objection against this Argument is taken from those known words of Zanchie de eccles 534. Membra sunt Satanae non Christi Hypocrites and reprobates are members of Satan and therefore they can be no members of Christ Answ In answer hereunto I shall first consider the sense of Zanchy in these words and then his reason 1. I conceive that Zanchy did not intend by these words that they were not members of the visible but of the invisible Church which I have observed to be the general meaning of our reformed Divines when they speak of the members of Christ insomuch that there is almost ground to think for one that is well accustomed to their writing they distinguish betwixt the members of the visible Church and the members of Christ as they also generally attribute two other termes viz. Catholick and Mystical as if they were peculiar to the Church invisible whereas I presume hardly any of those same Divines but would upon a little consideration thereof allow all the three viz. Mystical Catholick and members of Christ unto the visible Church also for if the visible Church be not a natural 't is a Mystical body and if it be unversal which they did not deny it must needs be Catholick and if it be not the body of Christ whose is it yet I say 't is of most easie observation that seldome either of the three are given by them to the visible Church and therefore not likely to be so here and if he meant of the Church invisible 't is nothing to our question Again another reason why Zanchy may be thought here to speak onely of the Church invisible offers it self from the scope of the place for he is evidently striking at the Papists excessive errour touching the members of the Romish Church as if every one that had the honour to be a member thereof was thereby a member of the Church of the saved which Zanchy seemeth to anticipate as other our Divines in the like case asserting that there are reprobates and hypocrites in the visible Church and these are not to be thence concluded to be real members of Christs invisible mystical body or in a state of salvation and thus membra sunt satanae non Christi quoting that place that is seldom if ever interpreted of the members of the visible Church viz. they were not of us 1 John 2. 19. for confirmation thereof and that his secret bent is against the Papist as I have said is more then intimated by his next words quicunque spiritum habent non Christi sed Antichristi Thus much for his sense now for his reason here that one cannot be both a member of Christ and a member of Satan but wicked men are members of Satan I answer 1. By concession for it is most true one cannot be both a member of Christ and a member of Satan at the same time and in the same respect one cannot be a member of Christs Is it then possible that the self same men should belong both to the Synagogue of Satan and to the Church of Jesus Christ Unto the Church which is the body mystical not possible howbeit of the visible body of Jesus Christ c. Hook eccles polit p. 84. visible body and of Satans visible body that is a Christian and an infidel a beleever and an unbeleever at the same time and in the same respect this is a plain contradiction But Secondly by way of exception I answer further that the same person may at the very same instant of time be both a member of Christ and a member of Satan in divers respects he may be a member of Satan internally and a member of Christ externally and yet both really a member of Satan habitually a member of Christ relatively a member of Satan by obedience a member of Christ by profession a member of Christ by Covenant a member of Satan by service Lastly a member of Christ his visible Kingdome and a member of Satans invisible Kingdome and both really and truely so as a man that is openly and really the husband of an honest wife may yet the member of an harlot by a close and reserved course of uncleannesse with her even so one that is really and openly in Covenant with Christ and truely a member of his body may yet by a secret course of unfaithfulnesse to him be also a member of Satan CHAP. VIII The Argument from the End of the visible Church HItherto of the efficient causes of the Church and the Arguments thence arising next proceed we to the end thereof and argue thus As a thing may be considered to have its end so it may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. Nihil potest esse causa nisi in quantum est ens Si medium non existit non producitur finis considered to have its being for nothing can be further a cause then it hath a being therefore not negation or privation an possibly be a cause of a real and positive effect but that which is a cause of a real and positive effect must needes be something real and positive in it selfe 2. If the meanes do not exist the end is not produced and therefore if the end be produced the means is thereby certainly discoved to have its existence But now the visible Church may be considered truely and really to have its end without respect to saving grace therefore also its being There are three things which may tend by a briefe dispatch to the clearing of this Assumption 1. To assigne the ends of the visible Church 2. To prove the same to be real and proper ends therefore 3. To shew that the visible Church as it is a means thereof may be considered without respect to saving grace First the ends of the visible Church is ultimately the glory of God in the world and more immediately his worship in the world the
natural act and the very essential efflux of community therefore coetus a coire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is truely rendred an Assembly or Congregation Prop. 3. Communion then hath the next necessity and place to community in the definition of the Church as being the essential property thereof and its formal evidence Prop. 4. The means of this communion or its specification is the Ordinances or worship of God instituted and enjoyned by Christ in the Gospel Prop. 5. Would we view all the three special particulars that lay claime to this definition at once I humbly conceive 1. That the qualifications spoken of viz. faith calling c. taken with Ames in a saving sense they best serve to define the Church invisible 2. Communion in Ordinances best serve to define the universal visible 3. And this community or proper society best serves to define the particular instituted visible Church which is the Church which we finde most frequently defined by Authors not but that they may all have their place in the definition of the particular Church but I think thus they may all have the chiefest and most necessary place in the definition of the Church Prop. 6. We then may hence note three degrees of necessity in these three great parts of the definition of the Church 1. The Church cannot be without the qualifications specified yet they may be where the Church viz. a particular Neque tamen sufficit subitanea aliqua conjunctio sanctae communionis exercitium ad ecclesiam constituendam nisi etiam constantia illa accedat quoad intentionem saltem c. Am. Med p. 170 instituted Church is not viz. in the called or beleevers scattered 2. Actual communion constantly attended on cannot be where the Church is not yet the Church may be where there is no actual communion the Church is really when it doth not meet or assemble together this is more necessary then the formes 3. Communion or society referring to this communion can neither be where the Church is not neither can the Church be where this is not therefore this is necessary even with the highest degree of necessity for a right defining a particular visible Church which further appeareth thus 1. Because as before we conceive the very forme of the Definitio propriè dicta vel essenâ—ialis est physica quae datur per Meteriam formam vel metaphysica que datur per genus differentiam Church to consist in coetu in society or community it being an aggregative body but I still intend such a community as relates to communion in the worship of God now desinitions being onely to explicate the essence of a thing and the forme being neerest to the essence and as Aristotle saith the very quid and essence it self definitions are best when taken from the forme 2. Definitions are fittest to be taken from hence because the qualifications mentioned are supposed in the persons of this society and this community doth essentially con-note the communion in Ordinances in the habit or first act of it when the second act or actual communion is unavoidably suspended by intrinsick or extrinsick necessity thereof 3. These qualifications may be where there is no Church and a Church may be where there is no actual communion at present The action being ended the Assembly is dissolved and is no longer in being whereas the Church which was assembled doth no lesse continue afterward then before Hook eccles pol. 89 and therefore neither of these are so fit to define the Church withal as community that was now observed to be convertible with the Church 4. The Names of the Church do generally intimate this community for its most usual and proper name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scharpius acquaints us that it is from convocando and that among the Athenians it signified a company called together voce praeconis to hear the sentence of the Senate which Assembly the Latines called concio and this saith he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transferred to a holy use we see here one actual Congregation of the people and this called ecclesia from their being convocated and this usual actual convocation must needs suppose a community by which they were held in a constant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a convocando apud Athenienses significabat coetume reliqua Turba voce praeconis ad audiendum Senatus sententiam convocdtum qui coetus latinis concio dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad res sac as traducitur Nempe ad significandum sanctum coetum voce praeconien verbi vocatorum ad oracirla divina audienda Joh. Scharp Carsus Theol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gâ—aecis celebre usitatura significans proprie coetus hominum a suis sedibus in alium convocatorum ad aliquid audiendum Poly. Anth. p. 969. Vid Bul. dec p 135. preparation for these summons but he proceeds to tell us what it is in a holy sense viz. an holy Assembly of persons called together by the voice of the Preachers of the Word to hear the Divine Oracles Langus also teacheth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Greeks signifying properly a company of men called together from their own seats into some other place ad audiendum to hear something whence the occasion being frequent and solemn the company became a society or an habitual company constantly attending in one place upon Gods worship which is properly a Church of God therefore in Latine 't is called Congregatio haply from the Hebrew Katial Congregavit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It s metaphorical names import no lesse 't is called a Body a House a Family a City a Flock a Kingdom all which connote union and such as directly intends communion and fellowship 5 The Church is therefore called a Way I persecuted saith Paul this way unto the death Acts 22. v. 4. which is a figure pointing at the persons that usually walked together in Visibilis ecclesia est coetus eorum qui per verbum externum Sacramentorum ac disciplinae ecclesiastice usum in unum externum corpus coalescunt disp 40 Thes 32 Est unitas ecclesiae quae late patet in Sacram. omnium societate communione His Vind. p. 9 Visibilis ecclesia est coetus communiter vocatorum tum electorum tum reproborum p. 194. Arnob. p. 156. upon the 19. Art allowed by the former Church of England one way of worship and evidently intimateth that the persons that thus walked together were a fix'd community or society 6. Some that define the Church leave out the foresaid personal qualifications so do the Leiden Professours the visible Church say they is a company of persons that by the external word the use of the Sacraments and discipline are united into one outward body And Augustine 't is the unity of the Church which lieth broad in the society and community of all the Sacraments Some againe that define the Church do not expresse it communion