is the keeper and Conservator of all the Holy Scriptures and the Divine Truths contained therein and that by faithful keeping them it upholds and supports the Truth as a Pillar doth the building which rests upon it But this is sufficiently included in what follows Secondly the Church is not only to preserve the Truth but to profess it and to give attestation to it that is to bear witness that this is the Truth of God and this alone which he hath revealed for the Salvation of Mankind By which means it doth not only hold up the Truth but hold it out to others as the Sacred Edict or Decree of God which all are to take notice of and observe And so Thirdly It is by this means to promote and propagate the Truth and not let it fall to the ground as a building doth when the Pillars that supported it are removed In brief As Heretical Churches were the Pillars and Stays of falshood they maintained and defended it they testified to it and indeavour'd to continue it and leave it to Posterity just so is the Church of Christ the Pillar and Ground of Truth it professes the Christian Faith it maintains it as the Truth of God and notwithstanding all the persecutions troubles losses torments whereby its Enemies would shake the constancy of those who maintain the Truth they testifie to it and declare to future Generations that this as S. Peter speaks is the true grace of God wherein we stand This is the first consideration to assure us of the true meaning of these words II. The Second is as strong for plain reason makes it evident that this not the other is the sense of them The Church that is cannot be the very foundation upon which the Truth is built not that which gives it authority and makes it to be Truth for the quite contrary is declared by Truth it self that the Truth is the foundation upon which the Church is built and which makes it to be a Church So S. Paul instructs this very Church of Ephesus who were built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner Stone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth into an holy Temple in the Lord In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit II. Ephes 18 19 20. It was therefore a Church of Christ because it held the Truth which He and his Apostles taught And so a great number of the Ancient Fathers expound those words of Christ to S. Peter Thou art Peter and upon this Rock i. e. upon the confession of Faith which thou hast made upon that Truth thou hast confest I will build my Church Matth. XVI We can own no Society of Men to be a Church of Christ unless they profess the true Faith of Christ And therefore the true Faith must be known before we can know whether they be a true Church or no who call themselves by that Name and consequently they do not give authority to the Truth but the Truth to them because the Truth must be supposed before they can have any authority Observe the above recited words I beseech you which say the Church is built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets c. i. e. upon the Truth revealed by them in the Gospel It is a Church by holding and believing this for if this be not the thing which makes a company of Men to be a Church of the living God tell me why the Mahometans are not his Church They are a society of Men professing some belief and having some truth and devotion and being governed by Laws as well as we There is no reason why they belong not to the Church of Christ but because they have not the Truth as it is in Christ Therefore the Church doth not make the Truth but the Truth makes the Church the Truth doth not rely upon the Church because it is before the Church which relies upon it Which was the Doctrine of the Church it self in after Ages as it were easie to shew if I intended to write a great Book I will content my self with two Testimonies in ancient times the one is of S. Chrysostome who thus expounds these very words the Church of the living God the Pillar and Ground of Truth Not like that Judaical Temple saith he for this is it which keeps together and contains the Faith and the preaching or Doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the Truth is both the Pillar and the Ground or foundation of the Church The other is S. Austin in his third Book upon the Creed to the Catechumens (c) Tom. IX which begins thus You know this viz. the Creed to be the foundation of the Cathlique Faith upon which the edifice of the Church arose being built by the hands of the Apostles and Prophets And with this of Gabriel Biel in latter Ages (d) L. 3 in sentent Dist 25. Dub. 3. Catholique truths without any approbation of the Church are in the nature of the thing immutable and immutably true and so are to be accounted unchangeably Catholique Which brings to mind another remarkable saying of S. Austin who after he had produced in his first and second Books against Julian the Pelagian the testimonies of XI great Doctors viz. Irenaeus Cyprian Reticius Olympius Hilarius Ambrosius Innocentius where by the way it is observable he mentions the Bishop of Rome only as one of the eminent Bishops not as Head of them all Gregory Nyssen Basil of Caesarea John Chrysostom Hierom makes this reflection upon their consent which he lookt upon as the voyce of the Catholique Church Qui tamen veritati auctoritatem non suo tribuêre consensu c. who notwithstanding did not give authority to the Truth by their consent but received testimony and glory by partaking of the Truth They endeavour indeed to put by such evident conviction as this by a little distinction that though in it self the Church is built upon the Truth yet in respect to us the Truth is built upon the Church Which appears already to be a vain conceit unto those who consider that the Church cannot be the foundation of Truth to us unless we first know it to be the true Church of Christ and indued with this priviledge from God to be the Ground of Truth in this sense which I am now confuting But whence should we know this If it be said from the Truth which it professes then the Church is not the Foundation of the Truth to us for we must know the Truth before we can know that to be the true Church which calls it self the Foundation If we say from the Church then the Church is the Pillar and Ground of it self and we believe it to be the true Church because it says it is Which is so absurd and dangerous that the Mahometans as I said will be as true a Church as any else they may boldly put
a contrary mind hoping though they do not convince them of their errors yet they will help to establish the People of our Church in the present Truth Which I doubt not they will see to be the truly Catholique Apostolique Faith which they ought not to part withal but preserve as carefully as they do their life And so the cannot fail to do if they add to Faith Vertue In order to which I have endeavoured to make this Treatise as practical as I could that we may not fall into that grand error of thinking it enough to hold the Truth though we hold it in unrighteousness God of his infinite mercy deliver us all from that damnable delusion and establish our hearts unblameable in Holiness before God even our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints 1 Thess III. 13. PART I. INTRODUCTION IT is a pious reflection which Clemens Alexandrinus makes upon a saying of Plato that if truth could never have been learnt L. VI. Stromat p. 675. but either from God himself or from his dependents then we who have the testimonies of the Divine Oracles do justly boast that we are taught the truth by the very Son of God. Which he hath revealed unto us so plainly in all things necessary to our Salvation and transmitted unto us so intirely in the Holy Scriptures that it cannot but be a great trouble to all those who love him and his Religion to see such wranglings about it in his Church as if there were no more certainty among us what is truth than there was among the Philosophers The contention about this is so sharp and fierce that while Men seek after Truth they are in danger to lose the very aim and scope of it which is Charity the love of God and of one another This S. Paul determines to be the very drift of the Gospel when he tells Timothy the end of the commandment is charity 1 I. 5. Nay they have raised so many doubts about this matter that poor People are many times to seek for Truth it self even in the clearest light thereof It being some Mens business so to confound their thoughts that they know it not when they see it but are still in great trouble about it even when they have it And where to seek for it is now grown a great question also It is to be found no doubt in the Church but about that there are so many disputes that Men are to seek as much as before if they go to find it there In short there are no words more abused than these two Truth and Church and therefore I hope it will do some service to Souls if for their plain and safe direction in these matters I rescue those words of S. Paul to Timothy 1 III. 15. the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of truth from those false glosses that are put upon them to the great dishonour of our blessed Lord and of his Holy Truth And for that end I shall distinctly treat of these four things First What that truth is of which either the Church or Timothy or both were the Pillar and Ground Secondly What it is to be a Pillar and Ground of the Truth Thirdly Who it is to whom this Office and Honour belongs of being the Pillar and Ground of the Truth or what we mean when we say the Church is intrusted therewith Lastly How it discharges this Office. I. What is the Truth Here we must begin because we must first know what the Truth is before we can know a Society of Men to be the Church which is constituted and made by believing and professing the Truth And this in effect is a resolution of that question which Pilate askt our Saviour but would not stay for an answer What is Truth Which though it be made a great difficulty by those whose interest it is to make things intricate and perplexed yet in my opinion it is very easie to give satisfaction to it and we need not go far neither to seek it For the Apostle himself immediately explains what he means by Truth in the words following and without Controversie great is the mystery of godliness God was manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World received up into Glory Where we learn two things in general concerning this matter First that the truth here spoken of is that which was formerly a Mystery or Secret which lay hidden for many Ages and Generations in the unknown purpose of God but now is revealed and manifested by the Son of God and his holy Spirit to make Men godly Which is the other thing we learn from thence that the truth which the Apostle intends is the Mystery of Godliness or as he he speaks in the VI. Chapter v. 3. the Doctrine which is according to Godliness And therefore whatsoever doth not tend to better Mens lives by making them do their duties faithfully both towards God and towards Men to some of which the duties that are owing are in this very Epistle called shewing Piety or Godliness v. 4. we are not to reckon it among the truths which were deposited with Timothy to be preferred and upheld in the Church For God did not design by the discovery he made of his Mind and Will in the Gospel merely to enlarge our knowledge but to rectifie our wills and affections by the right information of our minds and by acquainting us with such weighty truths especially such wonderful revelations of his love as cannot but irresistably sway us if we lay them to heart unto his Obedience But that we may not be left to guess at this truth or mystery of Godliness without any certainty he sets down a particular of it and reduces the whole mystery of Godliness to these Six heads I. The principal is this that the eternal Son of God came down from Heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and was made Man that he might suffer for us and make himself an offering for our sins All this I take to be included in these words God was manifested in the flesh Which cannot be meant of God the Father for it is expressly said in other places that it was Jesus Christ who came in the flesh 1 Joh. IV. 2. and is here declared to be God that is the eternal Son of God the Word made flesh 1 Joh. 14. Which doth not denote merely his being made Man but likewise his suffering for us he taking our flesh on purpose for this very end that therein he might by his Death make an atonement for Sin. And so the very phrase flesh and blood signifies in Scripture as it doth commonly in the Hebrew Writers this weak frail mortal suffering State wherein we are at present into which our blessed Lord put himself when he manifested himself in our flesh So we read expressly II. Hebr. 14. where to
take part with us in our flesh and blood is to make himself liable to sufferings and death In these few words therefore are contained many principles of Christian truths viz. that Jesus Christ was really God not God the Father whose being is here supposed but God the Son and that he was incarnate and really made Man of the Substance of his Mother being perfect God and perfect Man and as really suffered for us in the flesh as S. Peter speaks 1 IV. 1. Which were the Doctrines that were first assaulted by the Devil and his Agents in the beginning of our Religion such as Simon Magus and the rest of that Tribe but proved to be undoubtedly true by the mighty power of his Spirit II. Which is the second part of this Mystery justified in or by the Spirit Which sufficiently convinced all gain-sayers that he was no less than the Son of God though in the likeness of sinful flesh and that by a Sacrifice for sin he condemned sin in the flesh VIII Rom. 3. For as he was conceived in his Mothers Womb by the Holy Ghost I. Luke 35. So at his Baptism he was anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power X. Act. 38. there being then a visible descent of the Spirit of God in a Glorious manner upon him together with a voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased III. Matt. 17. And as it then lighted on him so it abode and remained on him I. Joh. 32 33. as appeared by the power of such Miracles as neither Men nor Devils could work but only the Spirit of God. Which was so evidently true that to ascribe them to the Devil was the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost XII Matt. 28.31 32. III. Mark 29 30. by whose power not only Devils were cast out but even the Dead were raised whereby he was manifested to be the resurrection and the life XI Joh. 25. By the same Spirit he himself also was raised from the Dead and declared again the Son of God with power I. Rom. 4. And having all power in Heaven and Earth given him he sent the Holy Ghost upon his Apostles on the day of Pentecost as a further Justification of him XV. Joh. 26. V. Act. 32. Nay more than this by the laying on of their hands poured it out upon others who believed on his Name II. Act. 38. VIII 17. Which was the unction from the Holy One whereby they knew all things as St. John calls it 1. II. 20. i. e. were assured of all the Christian Truth revealed unto them For all these were illustrious witnesses unto Christ and justified this grand truth that he was God manifested in the flesh for such ends and purposes as he pretended against all opposers who accused it of falsity And who is there that doth not see several other principles of God's holy Truth contained in this particularly that the Holy Ghost is God the third person in the Holy Trinity being the Spirit of God which knows the things of God as the Spirit of Man doth what is in him 1 Cor. II. 11. and led or guided the Apostles into all Truth XVI Joh. 13. and dwells in the whole body of the Church as his Temple 1 Cor. VI. 19. which no created Spirit can do and gave such a Divine testimony to our Saviour that to speak against it was unpardonable blasphemy That other great article of our Faith also is included in this which S. Paul declares in these terms Though he was crucified through weakness yet he liveth by the power of God 2 Corinth XIII 4. III. This was a thing notorious to the Angels themselves which is the third particular in this Mystery Was seen of Angels both at his birth III. Luke 9 10 13. and in several passages of his life IV. Matt. 11. XVII 5. I. Joh. 51. and at his death XXII Luke 43. and at and after his Resurrection XXVIII Matt. 2. XX. Joh. 20. and also at his Ascension I. Act. 10 11. when they testified to the Apostles that this same Jesus who was taken up from them into Heaven shall so come in like manner as they had seen him go into Heaven Where when he came they all Worshipped him I. Hebr. 6. and admired at the wonderful Wisdom of God which was made known to them by the Church 1 Pet. I. 12. especially this Mystery of Christ as the Scripture calls it which is the fourth particular in this Catalogue of Christian Truths IV. That this Doctrine thus confirmed and attested was preached unto the Gentiles who were assured that they should be made fellow-heirs with the Jews and partakers of God's Promise in Christ by the Gospel as S. Paul speaks III. Ephes 6. Vnto whom this grace was given to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all Men know what is the fellowship of the Mystery which from the beginning of the World was hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ An astonishing Grace this was declaring the infinite love and kindness of God that they who thought not of it who had no promises to make them expect it who were strangers to God and the Covenant of Promise were on a sudden surprized with the revelation of God's good will to them in Christ and by belief of it were made fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God. That is the Church was made truly Catholique all the World being taken into fellowship with the Apostles whose fellowship was with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. I. 3. V. And another great wonder was that notwithstanding all the opposition which was made by the Potentates by the Philosophers and Disputers of the World by the Devil also and his Angels who though they also saw 〈◊〉 and could not but confess him yet set themselves against him with their whole power and notwithstanding all the strong prejudices that were in Peoples minds against it this whole Mystery of Godliness was entertained and received with great joy every where Which is the fifth particular seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World. So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed as S. Luke speaks Act. XIX 20. The reason was because Christ the Head of the Church being raised from the dead was exalted at God's right Hand far above all Principality and Power and every name that is named either in this World or in the other so that neither Men nor Devils could hinder the propagation of the Gospel by the working of that mighty Power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the Dead and set him at his own right hand in the Heavenly places VI. For that is the last part of this Mystery of Godliness he was received up into or in Glory that is in a glorious manner received up into Heaven And being gone into the Heavens as S. Peter writes 1 III. ult is on the
de Trin. I beseech thee preserve this undefiled Religion of my Faith and grant me this voyce of my Conscience to the last breath that what I professed in the Symbol of my Regeneration being baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost I may always obtain viz. I may adore thee our Father and thy Son together with thee and do honour to thy Holy Spirit who is of thee by thine only begotten For he is a sufficient witness to Faith who said Father all mine are thine and thine are mine my Lord Jesus Christ who remains in thee and from thee and with thee always God who is blessed for ever and ever Which I the rather mention because it serves to illustrate the prudence and charity of S. Austin and the rest of the Christian Bishops of those days who though they looked upon the Donatists as Hereticks in denying the Church to be Catholique by confining it to themselves yet distinguished them from such Hereticks as erred in the prime and most Fundamental truths of our Religion about the Divinity and the Incarnation of our Christ and such like That is they made a difference even in the Articles of Faith and lookt upon some as more Fundamental than others being of more importance and of greater weight and moment and therefore judged more mildly of them than they did of such as denyed the Holy Trinity or held any Doctrines which impeached the glory of the Father or of the Son or of the Holy Ghost And therefore they still called these Donatists Brethren they pitied them as Men seduced by their Guides and professed sincere love and affection to them whether they accepted it or no. Though such was the peevishness of that Sect that they abused this charity of good Catholique Christians towards them just as they of the Church of Rome do our charity now For from thence they took occasion to argue that they were in the right even by the Concessions of their Adversaries which justified both them and their heretical Schism For you said they (m) August L. 2. contra lit Petiliavi cap. ult can find no faults in our baptism nor consequently in our Faith into which we baptize for if you could you would baptize those over again who come from us to you as we baptize those again who come from you to us Which is as much as to say you allow there is a Church and Salvation among us but we allow no Church no Salvation among you therefore it is safest for all to joyn with us not with you Which is the very Charm whereby they of the Church of Rome endeavour now to work upon the spirits of simple people among us though no wiser than this argument of a company of mad men would be if they had so much cunningremaining as to say to us we deny you to be Men but you allow us to be Men therefore we are fit for all Mens society not you who are but a herd of Beasts And what S. Austin answers to the Donatists is a full answer to the present Romanists which is this in short (n) L. 1. de Baptisino contraâ— Donatistas C. X. for it is besides my business to do more than mention these things when we speak favourably of you it is for the sake of What you have of ours not for what you have of your own let that which you have of ours be set aside and we approve of nothing at all among you But I will not further enlarge upon this nor say much of the next which is very plain V. They therefore who condemn those as Hereticks who Excommunicate them and pronounce Anathema's against them that believe the whole Catholique Faith are the great disturbers of the Christian World and the true cause of the Divisions and breaches that are in the Body of Christ And who they are that do thus is visible to every eye the Church of Rome having thought fit not to rest satisfied with the simplicity of those often mentioned Catholique fundamental Truths which are without Controversie and unquestionable but as if that Faith which the old Christians thought compleat they take to be defective have adjoyned as many more nâ—w Articles to the old body and that under the pain of damnation if we do not believe them I have told you what they are and if you look them over again you will find that upon those have all the Contests risen between us and them The necessary fundamental Truths which constitute the Church which was built upon no other for many Ages are on both sides unquestioned but because we question or rather deny those which they would impose which we are certain are no part of the Christian Doctrine they call us Hereticks That is because we will not yield Obedience to their usurpt authority because we cannot believe their new inventions to be Catholique and fundamental Doctrines Here is the true reason of all the miserable ruptures that are in this part of the World nay this is the just grievance and complaint of all Christians who know any thing of these matters but themselves alone VI. And their guilt is herein the greater because the best learned among themselves have confessed these Additions to the Creed to be doubtful opinions unnecessary and superfluous Doctrines Novelties unknown to the ancient Church Concerning every one of which three things our Authors have given the clearest evidence 1. The first of them the doubtfulness of those Doctrines appears in this that there is not only variety but contrariety of judgment about them in their own Church which argues plainly great perplexity and uncertainty Of which there needs no other proof as Doctor Potter (o) Answer to Charity mistaken p. 69. observes but the famous Books of Bellarmine who in the entrance upon every Question there stated gives an account of the Contentions and Contradictions of those who have-written upon it among themselves And at this day they are not better agreed in the Explication of several Points in difference between us See the late Answer to the Bishop of Meaux's Exposition of Faith. particularly about the Worship given to Images and the Invocation of Saints which some of their greatest Doctors mollifie and sweeten as they do other points into downright Heresie as such Explications are accounted by others 2. The very same may be clearly shewn out of their own Authors and hath been demonstrated by our Divines concerning the Second thing that those Doctrines are not necessary but superfluous For the Roman Catechism (p) Praefat. Sâ—ct 12. it self having observed that their Ancestors had most wisely distributed all that belongs to saving Doctrine into these four heads for the help of the Peoples understanding and memory the Apostles Creed the Sacraments the Decalogue and the Lord's Prayer immediately confess concerning the first that all things which are to be held by the Discipline of the Christian Faith whether
XV. Act. 2.25 so that it was received joyfully at Antioch V. 31. and the Churches in other Cities were established in the Faith and increased in number daily XVI 4.5 For which reason the testimony of a great assembly of Bishops was a greater support and strengthning to the Faith than the testimony of single persons They were the principal Trustees as I observed before to whose fidelity the truth was committed and when they met together in a Council to discharge this trust it gave great force to the truth declared by them Which they knew so well that in ancient times such Councils were wont to desire the consent of other Bishops who were not there for the greater establishment and confirmation of the Faith as Theodoret (g) L. 2. Hist Eccles C. 6. relates of the Council of Sardica whose Letter he hath set down to all the Bishops in the World desiring them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as present in Spirit with them to consent to their Synod and by their subscription to decree that concord might be preserved among all their fellow Bishops every where Nay the great and first general Council of Nice it self (h) Theodoret. L. 1. Eccles Hist Cap. 8 9. wrote to the Church of Alexandria and the rest throughout Egypt Libya and Pentapolis to give them an account of their decrees And Constantine also certified all absent Bishops who could not come to the Council of their proceedings That there might be one Faith as his words are and sincere charity and a concording Religion or Piety preserved among them all It was upon the same score that sometime they sent particularly to the Bishop of Rome for his concurrence as the Council of Carthage (i) August Epist XC XCI XCV and others did in the business of Pelagius not because they imagined their decrees would be of no force without his consent that 's an ungrounded fancy but because he was an eminent Bishop in the Church of Christ by whose concurrent testimony the Truth would be still more confirmed and their Churches would have the greater comfort de communi participatione unius gratiae from the common participation of one grace by knowing that is that they were of the same belief The like may be said of the Martyrs who when they suffered in great numbers gave the more amazing testimony to the Truth which terrified the Devil himself and staggered their very Judges as S. Basil speaks (k) Tom. 1. Hom. XX. of the XL Martyrs who all together as if they had had but one Mouth cryed out when they were examined I am a Christian By such resolution as this our Religion was not only upheld but mightily increased And the more the number of Christians increased the more was Truth spread abroad till it grew to be the prevailing Religion and the Kingdoms of the World became the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ 2. But it was not mere numbers that did the business for their extraordinary Piety and Purity in those early days had the greatest hand in it Which was the second thing I desired to be noted under this last head that the better the Pastors and the People are the greater service they do to the Truth and the more prevalent their testimony is when it appears by their lives that they have no other interest to serve but that of Truth and Godliness And when all is done it will be found that the sanctity of those who assert God's holy Truth their pure and undefiled Religion which keeps them from being spotted by the World is that which will be the most powerful to move Mens minds and will make the easiest way for its entertainment in Mens Hearts Nothing can give a Church such authority and make its testimony so credible as its integrity and sincere Devotion its study of purity in Heart and Life it s designing clearly the good of Souls and not worldly advantages its universal charity and kindness which invites even strangers to attend unto it and much more its own Members And therefore I must note for a conclusion of this part of my Discourse that when we speak of the Church i. e. the whole company of believers and say that it is the Pillar and Ground or establishment of Truth it is meant principally of those whose Faith brings forth fruit and works by love These are the main supporters of the Christian Religion who do not merely profess it but are acted and live by their Faith in all holy obedience to Christ For they are living Stones built upon him the foundation of all the true living Body of Christ who are animated by his Spirit and with whom he hath promised to make his abode and consequently are the only persons who to purpose support and maintain and defend the Truth Which would in a little time be suppressed or obscured depraved or varied concealed or misinterpreted if the wicked only had the conduct of it Who are no more to be accounted Pillars of the Truth i. e. can no more alone support and uphold it than a Reed a Straw or a rotten Stick can support a building This is the ancient Doctrine of the Church it self as appears by what S. Austin saies in his Preface to the Exposition of the XLVIII Psalm (k) Tom. VIII Enarratio in Psal XLVII Where taking the firmament which was made the second day to be an emblem of the Church he saith by the Church we ought to understand Ecclesiam Christi in Sanctis c. the Church of Christ in his Saints the Church of Christ in those whose names are written in Heaven the Church of Christ in those who do not yield to the temptations of this World. Ipsi enim digni sunt nomine FIRMAMENTI for these are worthy the name of Firmament or strength Therefore the Church of Christ in those qui firmi sunt who are strong concerning whom the Apostle speaks we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak is called the FIRMAMENT For hearken and acknowledge how this Church is called by this name in the Apostolical writings and then he quotes this place to Timothy which is the Church of the living God columna firmamentum veritatis the Pillar and support of Truth By these principally the Truth is maintained For it is most plainly delivered by the Apostles themselves that Men and Women by their wicked lives did turn Apostates from the Faith. And we find by experience as well as their instructions that nothing doth more quench the Spirit of God nothing is more contrary to true Wisdom than filthiness and impurity which we must abandon therefore and not think we can do very considerable service to the Truth by the bare profession of it but upon the foundation Christ Jesus we must seriously indeavour to raise the superstructure of a holy life whereby we shall adorn recommend and effectually promote our Religion It must not be denyed indeed that a
better from one of their society who calls them brethren than from one that separates from them as mere Strangers and Foreigners with whom they have nothing to do in matters of Religion Would to God this were more seriously practised among us that we would be as forward charitably to reprove Men for their wickedness as we are even to reproach them perhaps uncharitably for their false opinions It might be a means of their cure an effectual remedy for their amendment when piously and prudently administred and a means of bringing those back who are gone astray from us that there may be no divisions among us but we may be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment PART III. How the Church discharges this Office of a Pillar and Ground of Truth WHAT the Psalmist saith concerning Jerusalem or the Church of the Jews which was wont there to assemble is more fully verified in the Christian Church Great and glorious things are spoken of thee O thou city of God LXXXVII Ps 1. This great City S. John saw descending out of Heaven having the glory of God XXI Rev. 10 11. And in the Verse before calls this Church the bride the lambs wife There is a special presence that is of God in it and a special love of the Lord Jesus to it For it is the body of Christ and the fulness of him that fills all things To this S. John saith they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations against this our Saviour promises the gates of hell shall not prevail The pure water of life clear as crystal runs therein here grows the tree of life XXII Rev. 1 2. and it is as it were the paradise and garden of God. Which things show what an honour what an happiness it is to be a Citizen of this Holy Jerusalcm Whosoever they be that by a cordial Faith in Christ and sincere love to him joyn themselves to this Body are made Members of Christ Children of God Companions of Angels and Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven They are under the protection of the Almighty under the guidance of his Holy Spirit under the care and tender love of that great and glorious Lord who is the Prince of all the kings of the earth and hath all power in heaven as well as earth invested in him For the Church is the house and family of God nay the temple of the living God 2 Cor. VI. 17. for he hath said as it there follows I will dwell in them and walk in them and will be their God and they shall be my people I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord God Almighty These things are great indeed and exceeding glorious But not content with these priviledges which are as a Royal Diadem and Crown of Glory on the Head of the Church there are those who would adorn her with prouder Titles and set her forth in an adulterous dress and a presumptuous glory making her in a manner equal to her Head the Lord Christ For they have snatcht one of the incommunicable properties of God and fixt it as a Jewel on the top of the Churches Crown telling us that she is an infallible Guide who cannot mislead us That is though she may go astray and play the Harlot in life and practice yet she cannot err nor mistake in her judgment So that if we listen to what she says we shall never wander but always be in the right For the proof of this they first suppose themselves to be the Church of Christ and they alone and then they abuse this place of Holy Scripture to assert this Divine Prerogative to be in his Church that is in themselves But I have exposed the bold folly of these pretences by showing that the Church here spoken of is the Church of Ephesus and that Timothy was the principal Pillar and Ground of Truth in this Church Which doth not signifie I have shown that either the Church or Timothy were the very Foundation of the Christian Faith upon whose credit the Authority the Truth and Certainty of all Religion depends but the Supporters of the Truth who testified maintained upheld and propagated the Faith of Christ For the more full understanding of which I shall briefly show before I proceed to the last thing propounded first what power it is that we herein ascribe to the Church particularly to the Bishops and Governors thereof Secondly what power it cannot pretend unto nor ought to be yielded to any Church or Person whatsoever I. As for the first of these what the power is we allow the Church when we say it upholds maintains and testifies to the Truth it is as much as to enquire of what Authority the Testimony of the Church is how much it ought to weigh with us and how far we ought to yield to it to the Testimony for instance of the present Church of which we are Members for it hath as much Authority as any other when it propounds Truth to us and presses it upon our belief Are we to believe it meerly because the Church saith it In answer to which we affirm that the Testimony of the Church is that whereby we are both informed of the Truth and induced as by the first external motive to Faith in Christ Mr. Hooker calls it the Key as others do the Door which lets us into the knowledge of the great Mystery of Godliness which is preserved in this House of God. If we allow it not this we allow it nothing nor can it or any Person in it be said to be a Pillar and Ground of Truth unless it do something to the bringing us acquainted with the Truth which it propounds and sets before us and testifies to be that which Christ hath left with his Church to be delivered down to all Generations For it conveys the Holy Scriptures to us and calls upon us to consider and study them that therein by the help of the Pastors of the Church to whom this Office I have shown principally belongs we may find all necessary Truths in order to our Salvation Which Testimony being the Testimony of Men that profess Faithfulness Honesty and a good Conscience as the great thing in their Religion is the highest of all humane Testimonies and cannot but work very strongly and powerfully upon Mens minds when Christians are such as they profess to be and as they are it ought to work thus far upon all sorts of Men even upon those who are out of the Church as to incline them to have a reverend regard to that Faith and those Scriptures and to look into them and consider them which they see such multitudes of People and some of them very wise as well as devout constantly esteem as the very Truth of God transmitted to them from his Son by the Apostles who attended on him from his first appearing till he went to Heaven This moved S.