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A51443 The preachers tripartite in three books. The first to raise devotion in divine meditations upon Psalm XXV : the second to administer comfort by conference with the soul, in particular cases of conscience : the third to establish truth and peace, in several sermons agianst the present heresies and schisms / by R. Mossom ... Mossom, Robert, d. 1679. 1657 (1657) Wing M2866; ESTC R32966 363,207 375

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a Mother for fruitfulness this the Kingdom of Heaven this the Body of Christ this the Church Universal the Church Catholick which is invisible the object of Faith and not of Sense and therefore we say in our Creed I believe the holy Catholick Church Which holy Catholick Church ● Tim ● 15 Cant. 6.8 as by S. Paul it is said to be Columna Veritatis the Pillar of Truth so by Solomon Columna Unitatis the Dove of Unity Indeed the Church can be but one because Christ her Head is but one who is the same yesterday to day Heb. 1● 8 and for ever The same 1. Objectivè in his Word yesterday shadowed in the Law to day shewed in the Gospel the New Testament being claspt up in the Old and the Old laid open in the New The Old Testament and the New like two concentrick circles they differ in their circumference yet agree in one center and that center Christ 2. As Christ is the same objectivè in his Word so is he the same subjectivè in his Attributes his Wisdom Goodness Power yea dignity and authority one and the same Shepherd of his Flock one and the same King of his people one and the same Head of his Church 3. The same effective in the gifts and graces of his Spirit in the power and efficacy of his Word and of his Sacraments Now the light of the Gentiles Luke 2.32 as before the glory of his people Israel as yesterday to Abraham Isaac and Jacob so to day he is to as many as believe on him Jesus a Saviour And if thus but one Head then necessarily but one Body if but one Christ then but one Church But one Church however it receives its divers names of distinction according to its different degrees of communion as being either militant or triumphant The Church militant in tempore peregrinationis in the time of her sojourning here in fear and the Church triumphant in aeternitate mansionis Aug. Enchi● c 56. in the eternity of her dwelling with Christ in glory so S. Augustine Militant is that part of the Church which is on earth still fighting in a continued warfare against the flesh the world and the devil Triumphant is that part of the Church which now rest from their labours Rev. 14.13 who by the power of Christ have vanquish'd the powers of darkness and therefore with victorious palms in their hands clothed with the robes of glory they stand continually before the throne of God Rev. 7.9 15. and serve him in his temple Both these the Militant and Triumphant make up one Church Catholick Aug. ibid. one now in vinculo charitatis in the bond of charity and shall be for ever one in consortio aeternitatis in the fellowship of eternity But further this Catholick Church with which we have communion with Christ as she is Columba Unitatis the Dove of Unity so Columba Puritatis too the Dove of Purity she is the holy Catholick Church Though on Earth indeed she be incompassed with many infirmities Psal 45.13 overshadowed with many afflictions yet is she the Kings daughter all glorious within indued she is with Christs holy Spirit adorned she is with his holy Graces clothed she is with his perfect Righteousness Holy the Church is 1 In Christ her Head who is perfectly holy even holiness it self 2 Holy she is in her Triumphant part Eph. 5.27 which is made compleat in Holiness sine ruga aut macula without either wrincle or spot without either wrincle of imperfection or spot of uncleanness 3 Holy she is in her Militant part also holy by sanctification partially and by imputation of Christs Righteousness perfectly so sanctified she is not as to be free from all abiding of sin Rom. 6.12 that 's for the estate of glory but so as to be free from the reigning of sin that 's for the state of grace Our holiness in this life it is but inchoative and in part in fieri not in facto our perfection of holiness shall not be till our consummation in happiness and when we shall be made compleatly happy then shall we be made also perfectly holy Thus you have seen what is the Church of Christ in its larger acception and in its nearer relation In its larger acception as the Church of the Elect the Elect Angels and Elect Saints in its nearer relation as the Church of the redeemed redeemed in an effectual communication of Christs fulness as he is the Head The Head of the Body the Church c. 3. What the Church is of which Christ is said to be the Head in its different adjuncts as visible and invisible The Church Catholick or Universal not being genericè but integraliter Universale the Universal Church as we say the Universal World as it is aptly distinguished according to its different states into the Church Militant and Triumphant so is it distinguished no less aptly according to its divers adjuncts into the Church visible and invisible Which distinction being observed to be not a distribution of the Genu● into its Species nor of the whole into its parts as if either one Church or one part of the Church were visible and another invisible but a distinction of adjuncts to the same subject This being observed we may the better answer and retort the Arguments of the Romish adversary in the great contest concerning the visibility of the Church To be invisible is an affection of the Catholick Church in respect of its internal and essential form To be visible is an affection of the same Catholick Church according to its form external and accidental The internal and essential form of the Church consists in union with Christ through the Spirit the object of Faith and not of Sense in which regard the Church must needs be invisible But now the external and accidental form of the Church is the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments with a publick profession of the true Faith of Christ and in this the Church must needs be visible yea by how much that profession and Ministry is the more publick and pure by so much is the Church the more conspicuous and glorious The Church then as it is visible may be thus defined to be The whole company of men and women professing the Faith of Christ in the sincere preaching of the Word and right administration of the Sacraments And this is the definition of the Church according to its external and accidental form that definition before given being according to its form Internal and Essential and by this we may understand how men are said to be of the Church and to be in Christ either by outward profession or by inward sanctification that an external this an internal communion by the outward profession of an external communion onely so the Formal Hypocrite by the inward sanctification of an internal as well as the outward profession of an external communion so the Truly Regenerate