from among vs whom wee call Brownists contrarie minded who both reiect the aforesaid doctrine as erronious and condemne our Parish assemblies for false Churches it remaineth we heare what they likewise teach concerning the Church and their Arguments whereby they would proue our Church to be a false Church that so wee may more clearely see on which side the truth is whereby the louers of the Truth shall be preserued from error and Wisdome iustified of her children THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. I. A confutation of H. BARROW his description of a true visible Church WEE haue spoken in the former Chapter of the first vse wee make of the aforesaid Doctrine of the visible Church And there we haue seene how fitly it seemeth to iustifie the Church of England and to proue her to be a true Church now by it wee will also conuince the Brownists false doctrine of the visible Church And that shall be the second and lâ—st vse of the Doctrine aforesaid For the better vnderstanding of the Brownists doctrine concerning the true visible Church let vs heare how it is described by them It is saith BARROW a company and fellowship of faithfull and holy people gathered in the name of Christ Iesus A true description of the visible Church pag. 1. their only King Priest Prophet worshipping him aright being peaceably quietly gouerned by his officers lawes keeping the vnity of faith in the bond of peace and loue vnfained Generalâ—y coÌ„cerning this description I affirme that a Apology 44. Counterp 115. Princ. Infer 8. 10. as al the rest of the descriptions or definitions of the visible Church which they do giue so this likewise is rather a description of the inuisible Church militant then of the visible That which is hâ—ere set downe is true onely of the Elect and cannot properly and truely bee spoken of any Reprobate whereof a true visible Church may in part consist as well of the Elect for as the Elect only are faithfull and holy indeed and effectually called so Christ Iesus is their onely b Though Christ Iesus be in diuers respects King of the visible Church yet he is not King Priest Prophet of the visible but only of the inuisible Church hee cannot be said to be Priest of the visible Church but with relation had to them that be of the inuisible Church King Priest and Prophet they alone doe worshippe him aright are gouerned by his lawes keepe the vnity of faith in the bond of peace and loue vnfained But let vs brifely consider of the seuerall parts of this description That your meaning is the visible Church consisteth only of faithfull holy persons it is hereafter made manifest and appeareth also by the last page of H. Barrow his book intituled A true description of the visible Church where hee saith that into the visible Church there entereth no vncleane thing or person but all such are without how true this Doctrine is wee shall anon heare as also of the gathering heere spoken of And that the visible Church and consequently all the members thereof haue not Christ Iesus to be their King Priest and Prophet in the end of this booke it is made manifest Omitting therefore these things wee will come to that which in the description followeth In it you adde that the visible Church consisteth of a Company that worship Christ aright and to proue this you send vs to three places of Scripture the two first viz. Exod. 20.7.8 Leuit. 10.5 speake neuer a word for you The last and onely testimony you haue is Ioh. 4.23 where Iesus saith That the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and truth and that the Father requireth such to worship him And hereof our Lord rendereth a reason in the words next following saying God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and truth which in effect is this that God being of a spirituall nature requireth a spirituall seruice agreeable to his nature Of a company of such kind of worshippers say you doth the visible Church consist But how can this possibly be true seeing Christ Iesus speaking to some of the visible Church Matth. 15.7 saith thus O Hypocrites Esaias prophecied well of you saying this people draweth neere vnto me with their mouth and honoureth me with their lips but their heart is farre from mee but in vaine doe they worship me These were no true worshippers worshipping God in Spirit and truth but only outwardly and Hypocritically whereupon Iesus calleth them Hypocrites and yet were these worshippers members of the visible Church And whereas of the visible Church the greatest part are Hypocrites or hypocriticall worshâ—ppers by this description and doctrine of yours there can be no Hipocrites in it for you teach that the visible Church is a company that worship God in Spirit and truth but no Hypocrites worshippe God in Spirit and truth therefore by your doctrine no Hypocrites are of or in the visible Church That no hypocrites doe worship God in spirit and truth which resteth only to be proued it is hereby manifest First because they doe not worship God with a true and sincere affection of the heart Secondly Because this worshipping of God in spirit and truth is that worship which God requireth to be performed to him by men accepteth of and is well pleased with but the worship of hypocrites God forbiddeth reiecteth and abhorreth Hypocrites therefore doe not worship God in spirit and truth Thirdly As many as thus worship God in this world Heb. 11.6 Psal 19.11 he will honor in the world to come and for their poore seruice done to him on earth he will aboundantly reward them in heauen now woe be to Hypocrites saith Christ And againe giue him his portion with Hypocrites This is the hypocrites reward Where you say that the visible Church is a company peaceably and quietly gouerned by Christ's officers and lawes considering the greatest part of the visible Church are reprobates and so rebels against Christ taking part with Satan against him how can this be truely said of the visible Church and consequently of all the members thereof Cain Ismael Esau Saul Absolom the Scribes and Pharisies were all of the visible Church These and thousands more such in the Church haue beene so farre from being quietly gouerned by Christs lawes that with them in the second Psalme they haue said Verse 3. Let vs breake their bonds and cast their cords from vs. The visible Church therefore is not a company of such loyall and obedient subiects to Christ as these men affirme How peaceably and quietly was Saul gouerned by the lawes of God and Church officers then when he caused the Priests of the Lord to be slaine and eagerly persecuted Dauid thirsting after his bloud and that all his life time The same may be said of Cain killing Abel of Ismael mocking or as the Apostle saith persecuting Isaak of Absalom
We account of all men next to the King his children most honorable and happy especially his sonne and heire that is to inherit the Kingdome Hereupon the seruants of Saul speaking thus to Dauid Behold 2. Sam. 18.23 the King hath a fauour vnto thee be now therefore the Kings sonne in law DAVID answered Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the Kings sonne in law seeing that I am a poore man and of small reputation What then may it seeme vnto vs who are but dust and ashes nay worse then so by nature the children of wrath and of the Diuell to become by grace the adopted children of God Ephes 2.3 Iohn 8.41.44 It is a matter of great honor and dignity to bee the sonne and heire of a Noble man specially of a King And is it not a much more glorious thing to be the sonne and heire of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings All men bestow and leaue vnto their children according to that themselues be and haue The meane man an inheritance or portion according to his abilitie be it more or lesse The Gentleman leaues to his children according to his estate and worth The noble-man after his and the King according to his greatnesse Euen so it is betwixt God and his children What and how great then shall be the portion and honor of these children seeing it shall be agreeable to the greatnesse of their heauenly Father and that which beseemeth the children of such a Father It must needs be such as neither eye hath sâ—ene nor eare hath heard nor euer came into mans heart in a word incomprehensibly glorious Because of this the estate of these in the world to come is not only called a glorious estate Rom. 8.18.21 and vers 17.30 1. Iohn 3.2 Phil. 3.21 and the glorioas liberty of the sons of God and they then said to be glorified and to be like vnto Christ partaking with him in glory both in soule and body their vile bodies being made like vnto his glorious body but is also inlarged thus that they shall then haue a most excellent and eternall waight of glory 2. Cor. 4.17 To set forth also the excellent an glorious estate and condition of these in the world to come it is often said in the Scriptures that they shall haue a Kingdome Feare not little flocke Luke 12.32 for it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you a Kingdome Matth. 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit for there is the Kingdome of heauen And to the same end it is called the kingdom of God and of heauen 1. Cor. 6.9 Heb. 12.28 2. Tim. 4.8 1. Cor. 9.25 Mat. 5.3 and said to be such as cannot be shaken On the heads of these Kings shall be set a crowne of righteousnesse yea an incorruptible crowne of glory Happy then and a thousand times happy are all of this Church and company that shall haue such and so glorious a kingdome whereof also there is no end but they shall raigne for euermore These 1. Pet. 1.4 2.1.11 howsoeuer they be not borne nor come by discent to this heauenly kingdome and inheritance Ephes 1.4.5 Act. 13.48 yet are they of God chosen and ordained thereunto before the foundation of the world was laid as appeareth by that sentence of Christ the Iudge of all men which he shall one day pronounce vpon them Come yee blessed of my Father Matth. 25.34 take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world And therefore they who in their minoritie and nonage haue not yet receiued this inheritance and kingdome are as sure of it as if they were inthronized and in possession thereof Because as God himselfe so all things in God and namely this election of part of mankind vnto saluation is vnchangeable So that heauen and earth shall sooner passe away then any one of this chosen generation perish Are not they now happy who are sure to inherite this Kingdome albeit they yet haue it not What though in this world and for the present 1. Cor. 15.19 they bee of all men the most miserable yet neuerthelesse if we haue respect to their future estate Heb. 11.26 1. Pet. 1.4 to this great recompence of reward and inheritance immortall by the power of God reserued for them in heauen they are of all the children of men the most happy and those only who be happy all others being in a most accursed estate coÌ„dition And thus much concerning the Church or that we cal the Inuisible Church the knowledge whereof we referre to God the searcher of hearts proceed we now to entreate of the visible Church which men can know and discerne and is therefore called visible into which all they must retire themselues in this world that will be gathered with the inuisible Church into heauen in the world to come according to that saying Act. 2.47 And the Lord added to the Church from day to day such as should be saued For this cause it standeth vs vpon diligently to search and enquire into this matter and so for thee Christian Reader to giue good eare to that which followeth CHAP. III. Of the visible Church and diuers acceptation of the word Church AS sometimes this word Church must be taken in that sence I haue already spoken of that is for all the elect or some speciall company of the elect as is manifest by the premises so in many other places of holy Scripture it cannot possibly be so vnderstood but must of necessity haue some other signification Verse 3. In the 8. of Acts Luke reporteth of Saul that he made hauocke of the Church And no lâ—sse doth the Apostle say of himselfe 1. Cor. 15.9 I am not meete to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God In these places and very many more by Church we cannot vnderstand the Elect except we will imagine eyther that Saul knew whom God had elected or that all bee elected who are persecuted both which are very false How then must wee vnderstand this word Church heere And what may we doe to finde out the true sence and meaning of this word in these and such other like places where it cannot be taken in the former signification Surely it may easily and and safely be done by conference of Scripture as we shall see Verse 3. In the 22. of the Acts Saint Paul hath these words of himselfe I was zealous towards God as yee all are this day vers 4. And I persecuted this way vnto the death binding and deliuering into prison both men and women And Galath 1. Thus he likewise speaketh of himselfe Vers 13. yee haue heard of my conuersation in times past in the Iewish religion how that I persecuted the Church of God extreamely and wasted it 14. And profited in the Iewish religion aboue many of my companions of my owne Nation and was much more
In the second of Haggai the Prophet hath these words If a polluted person touch any of these shall it be vncleane and the Priests answered and said it shall be vncleane Then answered Haggai and saide so is this people and so is this nation before me saith the Lord. As heere notwithstanding the visible Church and people of the Iewes are said to be vncleane yet there were then in the Church many Saints Zerubbabel Iehoshua Haggai with many others as appeareth by chap. 1. v. 12.13 chap. 2. v. 5 6. Euen so albeit in holy writ the members of visible Churches are called Saints yet were there vndoubtedly in the same Churches not a fewe that were polluted and vncleane Neither is there any more force in this latter allegation to proue that all in the Church are outwardâ—y holy then in the former to proue that all in the Church in the Prophet Haggai his time were vncleane This might well suffice for an answere I will notwithstanding adde more therevnto that if it be possible your mouthes may be stopped But to come to a more direct answere I deny that Paul indited and writ his Epistles for and to the visible Churches in Rome Corinth Ephesus c. But to the seuerall and particular Churches that is societies of the faithfull in those and other cities and so framed his stile accordingly vnto this blessed and holy people many wicked and vnbeleeuers voide I meane of true faith ioyned themselues in the profession of the same faith and in holy Communion worshipping the same God after the same externall manner with them These latter and bad sort being all of them Hypocrites were in the Church but not of it no more then the chaffe that is mixt with wheate is wheate the first and good sort onely making the Church so much commended vnto vs in holy writ and the confused and mixt company of both these that wee call a visible Church They went out from vs saith Iohn but they were not of vs 1. Iohn 2.19 for if they had beene of vs they would haue continued with vs. Now to the Churches I say and not to the visible Churches the Apostle meant and writ at least chiefely his Epistâ—es as the inscriptions of the most of them besides many sayings in the same doe manifestly declare whereof we haue had a tast in the precedent section of which some I will repeate and adde some others To all that be at Rome beloued of God vnto the church of God which is at Corinthus to theÌ„ that are sanctified in Christ Iesus To the Saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithfull in Christ Iesus To them which are at Colosse Saints and faithfull brethren in Christ In like manner doth Saint Peter Peter an Apostle to the strangers that dwell here and there elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father vnto sanctification of the Spirit And in the second Epistle thus Simon Peter to you which haue obtained like precious faith with vs. And as in the inscriptions so in the Epistles themselues the Apostle vsually speaketh as to the Church and not to the visible Church To the Romanes Rom. 8.9.15 to whom he writ thus yee are not in the flesh but in the spirit because the spirit of God dwelleth in you Againe yee haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but yee haue receiued the spirit of adoption To them he writ at Corinthus 1. Cor. 1.7 vers 26.30 yee are not destitute of any gift waighting for the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ 8 Who shall confirme you vnto the end that yee may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Iesus Christ 9 God is faithfull by whom yee are called vnto the fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ Brethren you see your calling how that not many wise men after the flesh c. But yee are of him in Christ Iesus Your bodies are the members of Christ Your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost yee are bought for a price 1. Cor 6.15 19.20 v. 27. Gal. 3.26 4 6. yee are the body of Christ To the Galatians thus Yee are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus Because ye are sonnes God hath sent foorth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts These speaches with infinite more of this kinde are true and can properly be said onely of the Churches and members thereof and improperly of the visible Churches and therefore mee thinketh it is very hard to vnderstand them of the visible Churches and members thereof rather then of the Churches themselues Neither can I conceiue what there is in religion or reason to leade vs from the litterall sence to your tropicall exposition specially considering these kinde of speeches be so frequent in the Epistles and few or none to be found in them which can properly be saide of the visible Churches This is further confirmed by 1. Cor. 12.28 but more plainly by Ephes 4.8.11.12 Where the ministery and Ministers are saide to be ordained for and giuen to the Church and Saints and body of Christ which body the Church or that we call the invisible Church is and not the visible And heere I reason thus To what Church or societie soeuer the ministery and Ministers of Christ were giuen to the same the canonicall Epistles were written But to the Church militant the ministery and Ministeis were giuen Therefore to it the Epistles canonicall were written The proposition is in it selfe cleare the assumption the former place of the Ephesians doeth manifestly prooue Whatsoeuer things are written Rom. 15.4 and therefore the Epistles of Paul and of the other Apostles are written for our learning or instruction who be of Gods election that we the elect of God through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope These things saith Iohn haue I written vnto you that beleeue in the name of the same God 1. Iohn 5.13 that yee may know that yee haue eternall life If Iohn write to the faithfull and to those who might assure themselues of eternall life which Faith and Life only the Church militant and elect that be on earth haue then vndoubtedly the Apostle Paul did write vnto the like seeing they were both guided by the same spirit and as pennes in the hand of the same Writer Finally as the Apostles whiles they were limited and confined to the nation and people of the Iewee were sent by Iesus to Preach to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel that is the elect Israelits Matth. 10.6 so vndoubtedly when the Apo coÌ„mission was enlarged they to Preach to all nations some of them to write they were of Iesus sent and inspired to Preach and write to the lost sheepe that is the elect of the Iewes and Gentiles And as the lost sheepe of the house of Israel were they whom Christ in his first sending and preaching of his Apostâ—es respectâ—d and of whom
the Epistles of Paul Peter and Iames there is nothing meant of the inuisible Church Because the saide Epistles were written as you say to the visible Church Also that nothing in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus are spoken either of the inuisible or visible church But of Ministers The foundation whereof is that to whomsoeuer an Apostle writ an Epistle of them all in that Epistle is spoken and to be vnderstood Secondly I deny your assumption and affirme that Peter writ to the Church whereby I meane the same which we call the inuisible Church and euen so did the rest of the Apostles those Epistles excepted which were written to some speciall person For the ministery is giuen to the Church or Saints and Body of Christ Ephes 4.11.12 Which Body the inuisible Church is and not the visible And heere I reason thus as I haue once before To what Church or societie the ministery and Ministers were giuen of Christ to the same the Canonicall Epistles were written But to the Church militant the ministery and Ministers were giuen therfore to it the Epistles were written The proposition is manifest the assumption Ephes 4.11.12 doeth clearely prooue We may remember also heere how Peter in his first Epistle writeth expressely and by name to the Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father vnto sanctification of the Spirit and in the second thus Peter to you which haue obtained like precious Faith with vs which Faith onely the elect haue and therfore is the same in effect with the former Peter to the Elect c. In answering our aforesaide and last obiection Iustif 107. M. Robinson addeth this If you would graunt that onely they are true members of the Church which by the word of God which must be the rule of our iudgement may be iudged Saints it would end this controuersie But all that professe Religion may by the word of God bee iudged Saints as before I haue shewed Otherwise Saul Doeg Ioab Absalom the Scribes and Pharisees Iudas Demas with infinite such were not true members of the visible Church which with any truth you cannot affirme See that you be now M. Robinson as good as your word let this controuersie concerning the matter of the visible church bee ended And thus much concerning the matter of the vis Church Let vs now heare what is the forme thereof The forme say we is the profession of true religion The Separists teach otherwise some that this is the forme some that M. Ainsworth writeth thus Counterp 107. Ibid. 174. To the constitution of a Church there belongs first a people as the matter whereof and 2. a calling gathering and vniting together as the forme whereof the Church consisteth We must remember here that a little after these words he teacheth that Saints by calling are the matter of the visible Church If this be true then calling is comprised vnder the matter and therefore not vnder the forme so that gathering and vniting together must make the forme or else we haue here none That gathering now and vniting together are not the forme I doe thus prooue If a people be the matter and gathering and vniting together the forme of the true visible Church then euery people gathered and vnited together is a true visible Church But the latter is false Therefore the first The proposition is grounded vpon this certaine and vndoubted trueth that where matter forme of a true vis church is there is a true church The assumption to wit that euery people gathered and vnited together is not a true vis Church is likewise true otherwise the congregations of Papists Anabaptists c. bee true Churches for they consist of people gathered and vnited together But leauing this man let vs heare what M. Smith sayeth Principles and Inferences 11. The true forme saith he of a true visible Church is partly inward partly outward The inward part of the forme consisteth in three things 1. the Spirit 2. Faith 3. Loue. The Spirit is the soule animating the whole body Faith vniteth the members of the body to the head Christ Iesus Loue vniteth the members of the body each to other The outward part thereof is a vowe promise oath or couenant betwixt God and the Saints Euery peece and parcell hereof he seemeth to himselfe and to his Disciples to proue substantially he alleadgeth no lesse then twelue testimonies of Scripture for the proofe of one point Reply The forme saith he is partly inward and partly outward Then the matter of the visible Church must bee so too except he will haue a forme without matter which I know you will not say Tell vs therefore what is the inward matter of the visible Church and what is the outward for assuredly wee know not But let this goe The inward forme is the Spirit Faith Loue. One would thinke that this was rather the forme of the Church militant considering these three Spirit Faith Loue are onely to be found in the elect and cannot fall into any reprobate whereof the visible Church consisteth for a great part And first as touching the Spirit it is proper to the chosen as is manifest by Romans 8.14.17 Gal. 4.6 Tit. 1.1 And for this cause Faith is called the Faith of Gods elect because I say it is proper to the elect of God which is further confirmed by that in the Acts Acts 13.48 1. Ioh. 3.14 as many as was ordained to eternall life beleeued And concerning Loue Iohn telleth vs that thereby wee may know and bee assured that wee are translated from death to life The spirit saith hee is the soule animating the whole body By whole body he vnderstands the whole visible Church and his meaning is that as the body of man and all the members and parts thereof are animated that is are quickened and receiue naturall or corporall life from the soule so the whole visible Church and all the members thereof haue spirituall life from the Spirit of God From whence this necessarily followeth that euery one of the visible Church hath the Spirit of God Rom. 8.10.11 quickening him to righteousnesse and holinesse of life here and to immortalitie and eternall life in the world to come For both these effects the spirit worketh in whomsoeuer it is and is there fore-called the spirit of life The which if it bee true Rom. 8.2 I meane that euery member of the visible Church hath the Spirit of God as all of you doe in effect teach and namely as oft as you doe tell vs that a true visible Church is the bodie of Christ then in the visible Church there are none dead in trespasses and sinnes no dead but all liuing stones forasmuch as the whole body and consequently euery member thereof is animated and quickned by the Spirit from whence floweth spirituall life and motion Then in the visible church there be no hypocrites nor carnall or naturall men no wicked person neither openly
the faithfull are onely doth and can offer such sacrifices Therefore the inuisible Church are this royall Priesthood or kingdome of Priestes and not the visible Church If I should haue saide nothing M. Ainsworth himselfe wil suffice for the conuiction of this error Communion of Saints 248. They whom Christ hath made Kings and Priests vnto God his father being a Kingly Priesthood euen a kingdome of Priestes and a holy nation hauing part in the first resurrection the second death may haue no power ouer them but sit with Christ in his throne euen as hee ouercame and sitteth with his Father in his throne From your owne words I argue thus against you They who are this royall Priesthood that is Kings and Priests vnto God haue part in the first resurrection the second death hath no power ouer them but sit with Christ in his throne But the inuisible Church onely and company of the Elect haue part in the first resurrection the second death hath no power ouer them Ergo the inuisible Church is this royall Priesthood The proposition your owne words doe prooue The assumption needes no proofe And againe in another place hee conuinceth himselfe and his friends Seeing then saith he we haue receiued such grace from God Communion of Saints 487. 488. so many as beleeue in the name of his sonne Christ as that we are through his mercy made a chosen generation a kingly Priesthood washed from all our sinnes in the blood of Christ and raigning with him on earth by mortifying and subduing our earthly members what remaineth then but that we purge our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and Spirit From hence I inferre that either the visible Church and consequently all the members thereof are washed from their sinnes mortifie and subdue their earthly members which no man will affirme or else the visible Church is not that royall Priestood whereof the Scripture speaketh for they that are this royall Priesthood are washed from their sinnes by your owne confession Iudge now thy selfe Christian reader whether this that M. Ainsworth writeth heere doeth not conuince that he saith else where Communion of Saints 470. And now that all Christians are made Priests vnto God euen a Kingly Priesthood to raigne vpon earth and to haue their power of Christ to iudge all that are within the Church and cast out the wicked from among them they ought to reteine and vse their power By Christians he meaneth here the members of the visible Church and of all them he affirmeth that the are Kings and Priests vnto God And to increase his sin after his and their accustomed manner he alleadgeth three places to prooue this his error namely 1. Pet. 2.9 Reu. 1.6 5.10 For the conuincing of which errors their are no testimonie in holy Scripture more excellent as we may appeare by the premisses Whereby it is euident they are strangely blinded in their vnderstanding seeing in the middest of a glorious light they see not the light but grope as men in palpable darkenesse And heere fitly I returne that vpon you M. Ainsworth which you falsely apply to vs. The Reader may see how your right eye is blinded to bring Scriptures so plaine against your selues Besides the three former testimonies you alleadge one another that likewise maketh not for but against you If you will heare my voyce indeede Counterp 79. Exod. 19.5 and keepe my couenant then you shall bee vnto me a kingdome of Priests but the Elect onely and they which are of the inuisible Church doe this which the Lord heere requireth Therefore they onely are the kingdome of Priests here spoken of Againe the visible Church these fewe excepted in it which are of the inuisible Church doeth not heare Gods voice indeede but contemne it doeth not keepe but breake his couenant and therefore is not a kingdome of Priests to God For what though this speech was spoken to the visible church They therein of the inuisible Church onely could did keepe the condition heere required They therefore alone make this Kingdome of Priests Thus your owne sword helpeth to pierce your side Neither is that so fit a title for the visible Church the sheepe of Lord seeing in the Scriptures specially of the new Testament ordinarily by sheepe are ment the Elect and Church inuisible I am the doore of the sheepe Ioh. 10.7.15 Matth. 25 33. I lay downe my life for my sheepe when the Sonne of man commeth in his glory he shall set the sheepe on his right hand and the goates on the left In a word If wee would knowe who indeede are the sheepe of the Lord and rightly so to be called Christ himselfe telleth vs againe in the 10. of Iohn saying Vers 27. my sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish Thereupon M. Ainsworth saith well such were not of Christs sheepe for then he would haue giuen them life eternall and for confirmation therof he quoteth this place of Iohn Communion of Saints 58. Wherby he imployeth that all Christs sheepe shall haue life euerlasting From whence it followeth that this title Christs sheepe or the sheepe of the Lord appertaineth to the elect and inuisible church and cannot rightly be saide of the visible Church except all the visible Church shall be saued A great part of the visible Church are so farre from being like to sheepe that they may more fitly be compared to wolues Mat. 10.26 Luke 10.3 Behold I send you as sheepe in the middest of wolues These whom Christ calleth wolues were the visible Church of the Iewes In which Church were but a fewe sheepe You teach further that the visible Church is in the Scripture called the Temple of God and this you will proue by 1. Cor. 3.17 Knowe yee not that you are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you 17. If any man destroy the Temple of God him shall God destroy for the Temple of God is holy which yee are I would desire no better place for the confutation of this error then this you alleadge for probation thereof See you not that the Spirit of God dwelleth in all those who be this Temple of God now God his spirit dwelleth onely in the Elect They are of the Elect therefore and inuisible Church who are the Temple of God That God breatheth his Spirit onely into the Elect it is manifest by Rom. 8.14 as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sonnes of God And by Gal. 4.6 And because yee are sonnes God hath sent foorth the Spirit of his sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father Againe the Temple of God is heere saide to be holy which must needes be because the Spirit of God dwelleth in him that is this Temple and it is holy which is therefore called the holy Spirit and the holy Ghost â—â—to oâ—eâ—y
say a word for you It argueth that there is not that feare in you of taking Gods Name in vaine and of doing the work of the Lord negligently that should be In like manner you deale in the other parts of this position For whereas you should proue that the Sacraments are a meanes of saluation and the like by prayer and censures you send the Reader to some pla es of scripture where there is mention indeed of a Sacrament of Prayer and of Censures but not a word there to proue them to bee the meanes of saluation Such as these are a l the quotations you haue for proofe of your opinions The way or doore say you whereby both members and officers enter in is Christ that is the way taught by Christ in his word Pag. 13 Ioh. 14.6 10.3.7.9 17 17. Mark 13.34.37 Hereby you intimate that for as much as we walke not in this way nor enter in by this doore members into communion and officers into offices therefore our people are not in communion or bee not members of true visible Churches nor our Ministers Ecclesiasticall Officers but meere priuate That in this way wee walke and enter into the Church and Ministery by this doore it hath touching the former of these beene already made manifest True it is that in neither of these we haue walked or doe with that straight foote we should and that in them wee bewray humane frailtie but such as through the mercy of God in Christ nullifies not our Church and Ministerie no more then Iacobs infirmities in the way hee walked to the blessing hindered him of the blessing Or his faultie entrance into the married estate with Leah made a nullitie in their Matrimonie so as they liued perpetually in adultery And seeing I am fallen into this point of your peruerting and abuse of Scripture and got into this field a large one I confâ—sse and able to tyre a horse I will goe a fewe steppes or pases further therein I take no exception against this position but your proofes thereof In Ioh. 14.6 I am that Way that Trueth and that Life Our Sauiour speaketh of the way to Heauen that by him we must come thither if euer wee will bee there That by him we must haue life eternall else we dye eternally This to be Iesus his meaning we may easily see by the dependance of this verse with the former Christ fortelling his Disciples of his Passion then approaching and of his going to Heauen to prepare a place for them vseth thereupon these wordes And whither I goe yee knowe and the way yee knowe Thomas answers Lord we knowe not whither thou goest how can we knowe the way Iesus replies I am that way meaning that leades to Heauen which is the place whither I goe This is the right sence and meaning of this Scripture For our Sauiour returning a direct answere to Thomas and therefore concerning that way which leadeth to the place whither hee was now going which was Heauen it must needes be that he speaketh of the way to Heauen What meane you now speaking of the way or entrance into the visible Church to coate this Scripture for confirmation thereof In the way Iesus heere speaketh of the Elect onely and the inuisible Church doeth walke for to them alone he is the way In the way you speake of the visible Church the reprobate as well as the Elect doe walke All that walke in the way Iesus speaketh of shall be saued But many of those which tread the way you speake of shall bee damned Christ Iesus then you speake both of diuers societies and of diuers wayes Indeede you speak of a way and heere that word way is vsed Is that enough If I were to prooue that by Christ Iesus as by a doore wee must enter into Heauen and for proofe thereof should alleadge Gen. 6.16 The doore of the Arke thou shalt set in the side thereof Or Gen. 19.6 Then Lot went out at the doore vnto them and shut the doore after him all men would laugh at me Be not offended with me Thus M. Smith deale you M. Iohnson Ainsworth Robinson and Barrow full often in your allegations of Scripture There is nothing more vsuall with all of you then this to vnderstand that of the visible Church which by the holy Ghost is meant and spoken of the inuisible Church or some members thereof Heere is Church and Church but different Churches and Societies members and members but of diuers bodies and therefore the Scriptures concerning one make not at all for the other Your quotation of Ioh. 17.17 Sanctifie them with thy trueth thy word is trueth is idle and to no purpose Iesus speakes there of his eleuen Apostles as is euident by the verses precedent and subsequent specially by the 20. verse praying for them to his Father that seeing he was now to send them into the world to Preach the Gospell to euery creaâ—ure as hâ—s Father had seâ—t him into the world to performe the worke of redemption as vers 18. that he would indue them with gifts of his Spirit for the discharge of the office of Preaching or of Apostleship This you alleadge to prooue â—hat the way taught by Cbrist in his word is the way or doore whereby members are receiued into the visible Church and Officers into Offices Frame your argument and conclude this proposition from this Scripture and the vanitie of your proofe will appeare Like to this is your last testimonie Mark 13.34.37 And those things that I say vnto you I say vnto all men watch For further proofe of your abuse of Scripture your confirmation of your tenth position in the 71. Page of your Apologie may suffice To prooue that the Sacraments being seales of Gods couenant ought to be administred onely to the faithfull and baptisme to their seede which no Christian man vnderstanding this position aright denies or doubts of you coate aboue 50. testimonies of holy Scripture and that which is worse scarce halfe of them as I verily thinke doe manifestly and directly prooue that for which they are by you alleadged And for a tryall and tast thereof let vs heare one or two of your testimonies in stead of many as Ezek. 13.22 Because with your lies yee haue made the hearts of the righteous sadde whom I haue not made sadde and strengthened the hands of the wicked that hee should not returne from his wicked way by promising him life And Reuel 17.1 Then there came one of the seuen Angels which had the seuen vialls and talked with me saying vnto me come I will shew the damnation of the great whore that sitteth vpon many waters Hereunto adde Prou. 9.1.5 Hos 2.2.4 Ezek. 16.59.60.61.62.63 And 23.41.42 Psal 22.30 with sundry others These men being told of their abuse of Scripture doe vtterly deny it and cast it from them as a very slander But how iustly they are by vs charged therewith and how sinfully they stand out against it and blesse themselues in that which is euill doth partly heere appeare but more fully throughout this whole Treatise FINIS