that the Church of Rome did as M. Hooâ—er his discourse of iustification soundly interpret these fundamentall writings whereupon wee build our Faith as she doth willingly hold and embrace the same But secondly if the name of foundation doe note the principall thing which is beleeued then that is the foundation of our faith which Saint Paul hath to Timothie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This 1. Tim. â— 15. is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners That of the Samaritans This is Christ the Sauiour Ioâ—n 4 4â— of the world That of the Apostle God manifested in the flesh iustified in 1. Tim 3. 16. the spirit scene of Angels preached vnto the Gentiles beleeued on in the world receiued vp into Glorie This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The pillar v. 15. anâ—â—ground of truth vnto which these 〈…〉 words are better referred than to the Church mentioned in the former part of the verse where she hath her appellation glorious enough That she is the House of God The Church of the liuing God For although the Church may bee Columna forensis a Pillar whereon doe hang the Edicts of the Great King which exhibites vnto vs all sauing truth for which cause it is necessary that they bee added vnto the Church which will bee Acts. 2. 47. made capable of saluation yet can she not be Columna architectonica that vnto the truth which a Pillar is vnto the house bearing vp the building for thus the Church is built vpon the Truth not the Truth vpon the Church CHAP. VI. What it is to ouerthrow the Foundation of Faith directly what by consequent WHat the Foundation of Faith is wee haue already seene now because that directly to hold the foundation is so essentiall to the Church of God that without it there can bee no Christian Church and that by our Aduersaries in this cause the denyall of the same is brought as a medium to proue the Church of Rome to bee no true Church it is therefore requisite that wee now enquire what it is directly to deny the foundation and what by consequence to ouerthrow it They ouerthrow it directly which directly deny that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners to whom Christ is an execration as to Pagans and Turkes or they to whom hee is a stumbling blocke and a rocke of offence as the Iewes Other Foundation can no man lay than that which is layd 1. Cor. 3. 11. Iesus Christ St. Paul writing to the Hebrewes and desirous to win them to the acceptation of this Corner stone which their wise builders had reiected as vnfit for building tels vs what it is directly to deny this foundation and withall the hainousnesse of it namely To tread vnder foot the Heb. 10. 29. Sonne of God to count the bloud of the Couenant where withall wee are sanctified an vnholy thing and to do despite vnto the Spirit of Grace This is directly to deny the foundation Of which crime whosoeuer is able let him indict the Church of Rome producing sufficient euidence thereof and whosoeuer shall open his mouth to pleade for them let him be guilty of all the dishonour that euer hath been done to the Sonne of God If any man loue not the Lord Iesus 1. Cor. 16 22. Christ let him bee Anathema Maranatha But vntill such demonstratiue proofe be brought forth I resolue to sit downe and rest my selfe content to take vp his speech of whom it was truly said that he was great in all wise mens eyes but his owne The more M. Hâ—oker his discourâ—e of iustification dreadfull a thing it is to deny saluation by Christ alone the more slow and fearefull I am except it be too manifest to lay a thing so grieuous to any mans charge Thus we see what it is to deny the foundation of Faith directly They ouerthrow it by consequent or indirectly which holding it directly maintaine any one assertion whatsoeuer whereupon the direct deny all thereof may bee necessarily concluded Thus the Galathians holding circumsion did by consequence ouerthrow saluation by Christ in as much as it was impossible that they should stand together Hence the Apostle vrgeth them with such dangerous sequâ—lles If yee bee circumcised Christ Gal. 5. shall profit you nothing Christ is become of none effect vnto you that are iustifiâ—d by the Law c. It was truly said of the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If one absurdity be granted a thousand will follow and as by long circuit of deduction it may bee that all Hoâ—ker â—â—cle 〈◊〉 2. sub inâ—tio truth out of any truth may bee concluded So by a circle of consequence there is no errour in Diuinity but razeth the foundation Howbeiâ— we make a difference of Heresies and Errours in this kinde some beeing in the next degree to infidelitie as those which deny any one Article of the Creede some such as from whâ—ncâ— the deniall of the Faith may be with facility concluded as those ancient Heresies which strooke neare the head Of Hebion denying the Diuinitie of Christ and Marcion which denyed his humanity Some againe in which ranke are those which the Church of Rome maintaineth which be remoued by a greater distance from the Foundation although indeede they ouerthrow it Now this I dare confidently affirme That no one Heresie which the Church of Rome auoucheth at this day nor all of them together how damnable soeuer they bee in themselues do so nearely raze the foundation of Faith as any one of those broched in elder times by Nestorius Macedonius and the like who yet were neuer said to deny the foundation of Faith directly Thus wee see what it is directly to deny the foundation what also by consequent All infidels deny the foundation of Faith directly by consequent many a Christian man yea whole Christian Churches haue denied it and doe deny it at this present day as the Greeke Church the Churches of the Lutherans the doctrines of Arminius not the Church of Rome onely What Hooker â—is dâ—scourse of iustification Christian Churches the foundation of Christianitie not directly for then they cease to bee Christian Churches but by a consequent in respect whereof we condemne them as erroneous although for holding the foundation wee doe and must hold them Christian CHAP. VII How to distinguish betwixt the Church of Rome and Babylon in the Church and the state of the question in hand WHen Popish Writers demand of vs where our Church was before Luther our Diuines vsually returne them this answer That it was both within the Church of Rome and without it Without it in distinct societies as the Albigenses and Waldenses which arose in France Sauoy and the places neare adioyning from whom descended the Wicklefisles in England and the Hussites in Germany who as soone as the Church of Rome had interpreted her selfe touching some
not sufficient to proue them eyther no Church at all holding as they doe fundamentall truth or a Church not so farre forth sanctified as they hold the same Which wee hope shall appeare plainely and clearely to all CHAP. II. What we thinke of those that line in the Communion of the Church of Rome ALthough I thinke it more needefull for euery man in particular to worke out his owne saluation than to be curious to know the estates of others and apprehending the mercy of God to his owne soule to cry out Domine quis ego sum Lord Iohn 21. 21. who am I that thou shouldest regard me with such fauour rather than like Pâ—ter of Iohn to aske Domine hic autem quid Master what shall hee doe as being too sollicitous of others Neuerthelesse wee who enioy the liberty of the Gospell cannot haue a better occasion to magnifie the goodnesse of God than by remembring Egypt from whence wee are deliuered nor they who are yet detained in the house of Bondage than by seeing their danger to hasten thence Errour in Religion may be no lesse pernicious to the soules of men than sinfulnesse of life and therefore doth so farre forth without Repentance exclude from all possibility of saluation The state of the Church of Rome not only now but for many hundred yeares past hath beene such that the Religion thereof in many parts of it hath beene hereticall and erroneous both for opinion and practice And therefore though the condemnation of some were more tolerable than of others some being Authors others receiuers some Masters others Schollers yet to all without exception from the idiot and handy-crafts man to the Pope and the Colledge of Cardinals plagues were due to our forefathers though they did but erroneously practise what the guides heretically taught If the blinde leade the blinde both fall into the pit of destruction Wee see the danger they all were in from the greatest to the least But was there no way of escape That which I named before Repentance only Repentance may be eyther actuall or generall Actuall Repentance is necessary for all knowne faults for those which wee through ignorance admit a generall Repentance will finde place with God By M. Hooker his discourse of iustification vertue whereof as many as hold the foundation which is precious though they hold it but weakely and as it were with a slender threed although they frame many base and vnsuitable things vpon it things that cannot abide the tryall of the fire yet shall they passe the fiery triall and be saued which indeed haue builded themselues vpon the rocke which is the foundation of the Church Our Fathers then holding the foundation of Faith which for the present I assume I doubt not but God was mercifull to saue thousands of them liuing in Popish superstitions in as much as they sinned ignorantly Yet do we not hereupon make Ignorance the Mother of Deuotion as it is obiected by some because we make â—urtenâ— 7. Vials them nearer to saluation who are held in errour not knowing it than those which pertinaciously defend it being knowne whose very want of learning may by accâ—dent conduce 〈…〉 cum liteâ—â—â— in â—arathrâ—m 〈◊〉 to their eternall good and make a way for them to the mercy of God whiles the others are left without excuse Nor yet because wee hope that God might be mercifull to some that liued in times of errour and blindnesse which it were no impiety to thinke though we had no reason for it are we of opinion That a man may bee saued in any Religion which to Bâ—rtoâ— iâ—id haue named only is sufficient refutation But to conclude let none embolden themselues vpon the mercy of God exhibited to our Fathers there is not the same reason of them and of vs they sinned ignorantly but the truth is now layd before our eyes they might bee saued by a generall Repentance for vs actuall Repentance is needfull Now the voyce from Heauen sounds more shrill in our eares than euer it did Come out of Apoc. 18. 4. her my people that yee be not partakers of her sins and that yee receiue not of her plagues This then beeing premised I will come nearer to the matter in hand viz. Whether they say well who affirme the Church of Rome to bee no true Church and if the Church of Rome deny the foundation of Faith CHAP. III. What we vnderstand by Church here THis terme of Church is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ambiguous and of doubtfull sense none more The ambiguity of the word hath serued some as a fit cloake vnder which they might both shroud their sleights and impostures and likewise â—vâ—nt their deceitfull wares Thus our Aduersaries of the Church of Rome vse the name oâ— the Church like Gorgons head to affright the simple and bring them into subiection no otherwise than the Iewes of old cryed the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord who themselues of all others had most sacrilegiously polluted it And the Turkes at this day bragge of themselues that they are Muselmanni that is The only true beleeuers who hate euen to the very death Christ and Christian Religion Vnto others who delighted to find out the truth it hath giuen occasion more accurately to distinguish that they might neither enthrall themselues to euery company which boast themselues to bee the Church nor yet withdraw their due reuerence and obedience from the true Church when they haue found her out The word Ecclesia which signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Church in the latitude of the sense thereof may be applyed to signifie any company or congregation any combination or faction whatsoeuer but strictly taken and as it is ordinarily vsed in Scripture by the Church we vnderstand Gods Company the Congregation of the faithfull men called forth and set apart from the â—est of the world which the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports and become the Lords peculiar Now the Church which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords portion or houshold hath a double acceptation there is the Church inuisible and the visible Church The Saints in heauen which are the Church triumphant and the true beleeuers vpon earth which are the Church militant these together make vp the inuisible Church which we call inuisible because for one part of it those which are dead in the Lord and receiued into Abrahams bosome they are farre remote from our sense wee see them not The true beleeuers vpon earth which make the other part of the inuisible Church howsoeuer wee are conuersant amongst them and behold their persons yet whether they bee indeede such as to vs they seeme is more than we can know and that their names are written in the Booke of life is a thing past our discerning The visible Church comprehendeth all Christians as many as farre and neare throughout the whole world are baptized into the name of Christ and professe the same
Parts of the true visible Catholicke Church are Churches Nationall as England the Netherlands c. The parts of the Visible Church are eyther sound as the Orthodoxe and reformed Churches or vnsound and diseased as the Greeke Church the Churches of Italie Spaine France c. Members of the true visible Church are all persons baptized who haue not renounced their Baptisme but do still professe him to whom at the first they gaue vp their names To conclude what the nature of the Visible Church is we may conceiue by this exact definition of it that it is a Communitie or Societie of men sanctified Hooker his discourse of iustification through the profession of the truth which God hath taught the world by his Sonne Where by the way let it bee noted that by sanctification is to be vnderstood a separation or distinction from others not professing as they doe as the word is frequently taken in Scripture especially the Old Testament for true holinesse consisteth not in professing but in obeying the truth of Christ CHAP. IV. What we call a true Church TWo things there are which breede diuersities of opinions among men the one the many circumstances wherewithall matters disputable are beset which beeing Hooker lib. 1. Pâ—r. 11. seuerall cause men of sundry wits to be of sundry iudgements the other the not conferring the opinions of those that dissent From whence it hath come to passe that many emulations and heart burnings haue bin noun shed betweene men otherwise learned and pious which afterwards by wise men interposing themselues and comparing the seuerall opinions haue beene happily layd asleepe and the opposites reconciled who after their opinions and assertions were compared together were found in words to differ but in sense and meaning to say the same thing and seemed rather to disagree than to do so indeed The like falleth out in this present controuersie Some haue affirmed and doe maintaine That the Church of Rome so farre forth as she hath the Sacraments and teacheth fundamentall truth is the true Church of Christ the Family of Iesus because they know it meerely impossible that these things should bee found any where without the Church Others beholding the mysterie of iniquitie which worketh in that Church and the many heresies and impieties where withall her doctrine is fraught haue denied the Church of Rome to bee a true Church and in regard of her many corruptions haue thought her hardly to deserue the name of a Church at Whitaâ—er â—e â—câ—leâ—â—a Cap. 1. all These assertions are seemingly repugnant and yet are easily reconciled the former opinion by a true Church vnderstanding a Church that hath those essentiall qualities which concurre to make vp the being of a Church and are as it were the forme of it which according to Philosophy giueth essence and distinction to euery thing though otherwise much deformed and vnsound the latter meaning thereby a Church sound and healthy including within the appellation of a true Church not onely the being simply but the well-being also and all that complement of excellencie and perfection which in this world the Church is capable of So that both sides confesse the Church of Rome to bee a true Church but neither of them that it is an Orthodoxe Church Mee thinkes I might here put a period vnto this discourse and proceede no faither but that the importunitie of some which hath caused me to begin this treatise calleth vpon me to goe forward and enforceth to sift the matter neerer yet who will not thus bee satisfied but as if the church of Rome were wholly and in euerie part Diabolicall and euerie Papist an Antichrist crie in the language of Edome Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground There is no saluattion for awy there euerie 7. Vials passim liuing soule therein perisheth they fight against God plead for Babylon whosoeuer they be that allow them the name of a Church for she hath altogether denied the faith nay cursed it is become worse than an infidell I say vnto them as Christ to his Disciples when their zeale or rather fury transported them Yee know not of what Luk 9. 55. manner of spirit yee are Therefore to giue full satisfaction As we esteeme him to bee a true man to whom the definition of a man Id qâ—â—d absolute de re quaque dicitur ad â—ei essentiam naturanque pertâ—â—â—â—â— quod vero 〈◊〉 id non est râ—i essentiale propâ—iâ— sed potius essentia accessio circumstâ—ntia â—umus lib Singulari de Ecclesia agreeth which is that hee is a liuing Creature endued with reason though otherwise hee bee sicke of a foule disease suppose the Leprosie yea the Plague which is not onely contagious but mortall likewise So we take the Church of Rome to bee a true Church and a part of the true Visible Catholicke Church so farre forth as the definition of the Church aboue giuen is compatible with her though otherwise shee bee miserably deformed and infected which wee haue more than once affirmed This attribute of truth then is to be vnderstood not Morally but Logically So a Thiefe though hee bee not an honest man is yet a true man notwithstanding Yet more fully The Church of Christ may be Musâ—ulus in Epist ad Galat. considered three wayes first Respectu electionis diuinae secondly Respectu obedientiae quam praestat Deo thirdly Respectu iuris Christi in Ecclesiam The Church in regard of diuine praedestination is inuisible as we haue shewed and therfore comes not within the present cause If we consider the Church in regard of her obedience and fealty which she performes towards God the Church of Rome is not the true Church of God she hath rebelled against him and transgressed his Lawes she hath added to his Word and must expect without Repentance that hee will adde to her plagues But in the third place though she be turned aside by her Idolatries and hath wandred from God through her Fornications yet hee hath not lost his right ouer her as ouer those Churches of Constantinople and other parts who long agoe embraced Mahumetisme in stead of Christian Religion Christ hath still Title to the Church of Rome as a Prince vnto his Subiects that are become Rebels whom vpon their Repentance and Amendment he receiueth not as aliens and strangers but as his owne naturall Subiects CHAP. V. What the Foundation of Faith is THe Foundation of our Faith implyeth two things First the generall ground whereupon wee rest when we doe bâ—leeue And thus the fundamentall writings of the Prophets Euangelists and Apostles are the foundation of our Faith Therefore St. Paul telleth vs that the Church of God is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets â—phe â— 20. More peculiarly the Christian Church is said by St. Iohn to be built vpon twelue foundations and in them Apoc. 21. 14. the names of the twelue Apostles O