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
God in vaine Matth. 15.9 not one of them worshipped God aright in spirit and truth neyther did they liue after the lawes of God and Christ but after the lawes and customes and fashion of this world whereof they were When men spake to them of peace they were bent to warre and in stead of loue vnfained they did beare a perfect hatred to the Saints These men then were not such as be heere described yea none of them had any one of these properties which you necessarily require in euery member of the visible Church much lesse all of them And therefore by this description none of them were of the visible Church and yet by the Scripture it is plaine that they were all of the visible Church Thus we see your description accordeth not with the holy Scriptures neither hath warrant from thence but by them is easily conuinced notwithstanding you alledge for confirmation thereof sixe and thirty testimonies of holy Scripture But a thousand more so peruerted will not make good your description nor any other of your errors And because I know you will hardly leaue this hold and for that if this be battered downe and made euen with the ground you must needs betake your selues some other way I will therefore againe assault you by the force of another Argument If the visible Church be a company of faithfull and holy people that worship Christ aright are peaceably and quietly gouerned by his officers and lawes keepe the vnitie of faith in the bond of peace and loue vnfained Then none haue been at any time of the visible Church but such as haue beene faithfull and holy did worship Christ aright c as followeth in your description But some haue beene of the visible Church who were not such as be heere described as Cain Ismael Esau Saul Doeg Ioab Absalom the Scribes and Pharisies with infinite others Therefore the visible Church is not a company of faithfull people worshipping Christ aright c. The Consequence of the Proposition I doe illustrate and confirme by the like If the visible Church be a company of people professing the true Religion then none haue beene of the visible Church but such as haue professed the true Religion If the inuisible Church be the company of the elect then none haue beene or are of the inuisible Church but such as were and are elect and their names written in the booke of life The assumption your selues will grant Againe I reason with you on this manner If this be a true description then no reprobates euer haue bin are or shall be of the visible Church but only the elect for none haue beene are or can bee such as are heere described but the elect But many reprobates haue beene are and shall be of the visible Church Therefore this description of the visible Church is false The Proposition must needs be true except Christ Iesus be the King Priest and Prophet of Reprobates and that Reprobates worship Christ aright in Spirit and truth be gouerned by his lawes as their only King keepe the vnitie of faith in the bond of peace and doe vnfainedly loue the brethren Matth. 22.14 The Assumption will not be denied and it is manifest by that short speech of Iesus Many are called but few chosen This description being heretofore found fault with by some and Master Ainsworth iustifying the same it shall not be amisse to heare what hee saith in answere to them and in defence thereof Câ—unterpoys 208. They cauill at our description of a Church when we say that it is a company of faithfull people that truely worship Christ and readily obey him this say these Ministers is vtterly vntrue if it be vnderstood of the visible Church This is strange What would they haue vs describe the Church to be A company of Infidels or a company of faithfull and of infidels together when Paul teacheth that there is no communion betweene such 2. Cor. 6.14 15. or should wee say a people that falsely worshippe Christ Indeed if so we held we might well returne to their Church of England for there is false worship more then enough The Apostle writing to the visible Church of Ephesas calleth them Saints and the faithfull in Christ Iesus Will they say that this also was vtterly vntrue Their owne articles of Religion in England * Aâ—no 1562. Aâ—t 19. say thus The visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithfull people c. And is this also vntrue I answere you hauing respect to your owne words A visible Church is a coÌ„pany professing true faith or a company professing the true worship of God some whereof haue faith in Christ I meane true and iustifying faith and worshâ—p God indeed euen in spirit and truth the rest being the greatest part are hypocriticall worshippers void of true faith hauing only eyther the temporall or historicall faith or no faith at all but very Atheists Yet professe they the true worship of God and faith in Christ Iesus and in this respect may be called faithfull in Christ Iesus and Saints because whatsoeuer they be their profession is holy and he holy in whom they would seeme to belieue and whom they seeme to worship truly And in this sence our Church saith A visible Church is a Congregation of faithfull people that is of such as professe faith in Christ Iesus Of this sort of Infidels and counterfeit Professors were Cain and for a time Ismael Esau also Saul Absalom Iudas Simon Magus with infinite more Vnderstanding Infidels thus as they may well be called Infidels or vnbeleeuers who haue not true faith Then I say the Church is a company of saithfull and of Infidels 2. Cor. 6.14 But if by Infidels you meane the same the Scripture vsually vnderstandeth by this word such as worship a false god and doe not so much as professe the worship of the only true God or faith in him then it is true that a visible Church is not a company of faithfull and Infidels together And the hauing communion with such Infidels as these in their false worship is that which the Apostle condemneth He doth not forbid to partake in diuine worship with such Infidels as formerly I haue spokeÌ„ of wicked vngodly men void of true faith as euery where very fondly you tel vs nor yet to communicate with these Infidels he speaketh of in true diuine worship but this he condemneth and argueth against That the children of God may not haue communion with Infidels and Heathens in their false and Idolatrous worship as some of the Saints at Corinth as it might seeme did repairing to the Idols Temples and ioyning therewith their neighbours that were Idolaters in their idolatrous worship This they thought they might lawfully doe so long as in their hearts and inward affections they condemned it and kept them pure as may be gathered from 2. Cor. 7.1 And this is it that Paul reproueth and nothing lesse then
they ioyned in diuine vvorship with him that was no member of the visible Church Did this congregation sinne therein If the church would not haue admitted him into holy communion with them because it is not lawfull to haue communion with such how had hee been added to the church and of an Infidell become a beleeuer But leauing these Corinthians I come vnto you You will willingly preach in any of our assemblies and in priuate also pray with vs though not so willingly if one of you may offer vp the prayers In either of these cases your selues haue religious communion vvith those as you say that are no members of a true vis church Doe you sinne thus doing I thinke you will say no shew vs then how this doctrine and practise of yours accord Doe you thinke that the words of seperation you vse in the entrance into prayer makes this said coÌ„munion of religious ciuill or if not so yet nullifies the communion When you haue proued this we will yeeld it vnto you Another thing to be obserued here is this If wee preach you will not heare and if wee pray in publike or priuate you vvill not ioyne with vs. And why we are not a seperated company of righteous men but a mixt and confused people of all sorts we are not members of a true vis church and therefore in the worship of God and religious exercâ—ses you may haue no communion with vs. For what fellowship hath righteousnes with vnrighteousnes And what communion hath light with darknesse and what part hath the beleeuer with the Infidell Tell mee now I pray you Is not the same company present whether wee or you preach or pray yes how commeth it to passe then that no communion may be held with this company when we preach and yet may when one of you doth preach your vvords of sepâ—ration in this straâ—t must helpe you which when I see I will beleeue else you will remaine succourlesse But I know what you will say that in the aforesaid cases both of the Apostles and your selues there vvas and is no religious communion because there vvas and is no couenant made first vvith God and then mutually by the Saints among themselues I answere you vvhen diuers ioyne together two three or more in any religious exercise or part of Gods vvorship that is religious communion albeit they are not ioyned together in and by that couenant you speake of vvhich thus I make plaine If any Christian should goe to Masse wee condemne that fact though hee enter not into couenant with them And vvhy Beeause a Christian may not haue communion vvith idolaters in their idolatrous vvorship Here is a communion without couenant If one of your church should partake with vs in diuine vvorship no such couenant as you speake of being made you will censure him for it And vvherefore because hee hath had religious communion vvith them which are no members of a true visible church Here your selues acknowledge a religious communion where no couenant is made but onely a partaking or ioyning together in religious exercises Therefore for the better informing of your iudgement and the Readers herein wee must know in vvhat case and vvith vvhom we may haue religious communion and in what case not Wee may haue religious communion vvith all men in true diuine worship be they what they may be good or bad as hereafter vvee shall heare But wee may not haue religious communion or partake in diuine vvorship vvith Idolaters in their false idolatrous worship heathen or Antichristian but must seperate and come out from among them and this 2. Cor. 6.16.18 Reu. 18 4. two Scriptures alledged here by you doe manifestly proue But neither these nor any of the other Scriptures quoted by you Mat. 18 17.20 1. Cor. 5.12 Act. 4.11.12 doe make any thing for confirmation of this yâ—ur principle No religious communion is to be had but with members of a visible Church and are therefore peruerted by you happily you vvill proue it from the aforâ—said place of the Corinthians and of the Reuelation thus Wee may not haue religious communion with Idolaters or those which are no members of the Church in their false vvorship Ergo to religious communion vvith them The Argument is naught concluding that vvhich is generall from a particular vvell may one proue a particular by a generâ—ll either affirmatiuely or negatiuely but not c contra The generall heâ—e is worsh p. The particulars of this generall bee true and false vvorship If thus one reason we may not haue communion vvith idolatâ—rs in diuine worship Ergo not in their false worship or therefore not in true diuine wo ship Either of these Argumeâ—ts is good and from the Antecedent the conclusion followeth necessarily But arguing as you doe we may haue no communion with Idolaters in their faâ—se worship Ergo not in diuine worship it is cleane otherwise This conclusion I say followeth not from the Antecedent The Antecâ—dent being true letteth not but that the conclusion may be false If we looke into the reason set downe in 2 Cor. 6.16 pointed at also in the other afore-named place of the Reuelation why we may not ioyne with Idolaters or false worshippers in their false worship we shall see that it makes nothing at all against communion with them in true worship and thâ—refore not against all communion as you would haue it but against some whâ—ch we also teach The reason is this Idolaters and all false worshippers in their worship doe not worship God but indeede the Diuell not Christ but Belial what doe the people of God then communicating with these vvorshippers in this vvorship So doing they worship the Diuell vvhich no man can doe and the Lord too If therefore saith in effect the Apostle you desire to worship God ioyne not vvith your neighbours in their vvorship no not with your bodies which hee calleth flesh reseruing your spirits pure vnto the Lord 2. Cor. 7.1 for then you shall be found vvorshippers of the Diuell and not of God So many of you therefore as are the sonnes and daughters of God come out from among them and seperate your selues meaning from their Idolatrous vvorship and all their pollutions vvhatsoeuer He saith not let them not come among you or haue communion vvith you in true worship but come out from among them that is ioyne not with them in their false vvorship but vvithdraw your selues Thus Paul denieth not all religious communion vvith Idolaters but all communicating vvith them in their false vvorship Nay it is so farre from being vnlawfuâ—l to haue religious communion with those which are not members of a true visible Church as you affirme that in some cases to deny it vnto them yea to the most grosse Idolaters that are it is very vnlawfuâ—l â—f Papists Turkes Heathens or some Infidels should offer to ioyne with vs in the hearing of the vvord prayer in vvhich case there is a religious
are to be found in diuine worship Such was the Religion and worship of the Iewes when Christ was vpon the earth at which time contrary to Gods appointment they had two high Priests Annas and Caiphas And where the high Priests office was to continue during his life they now held it but for a yeere To say nothing of their exceeding great corruption in doctrine and manners yet was the Religion and worshippe of the Iewes at that time the onely true Religion and worshippe but not a pure Religion and worshippe The same is true of the Church of Corinthus of the Churches of Galatia and of the seuen Churches in Asia And such is the Religion we professe in England and the worshippe we giue to God a true but not a pure Religion and worship And of this kind also wee may assure our selues is the Religion of the Churches in Scotland in France in the Low-countries yea euen of all the reformed Churches in Christendome though not all corrupted in the same degree True Religion is corrupted lesse or more And that is according as in diuine worship is omitted more or lesse of those things which God hath appointed or added and mixed therewith more or lesse which God hath not commanded or both As when any thing in Diuine worship is wanting which God hath ordained it is not pure Religion and worship but corrupted though it may be a true Religion and worship so when with Diuine worship are mixed Quaere de circumstantiis loci temporis habitus gestus c. or thereunto added some ceremonies more or lesse and ordinances of mans deuising which we call humane inuentions Religion then and worship are thereby corrupted and cannot be said to be pure and vndefiled The reason whereof is because God hath not left it to the liberty and will of man to serue and worship him as hee pleaseth and thinketh good but as he alone will be worshipped so in that manner as he not man hath appointed and no otherwise Nothing is left heere to the wit and will of man he may neyther adde nor omit any thing a Deut. 12.32 and 4.2 Prou. 30.6 Whatsoeuer I command you take heed you doe it thou shalt not adde vnto it nor diminish from it Hence it came to passe that b Leuit. 10.1 a fire came out from the Lord and deuoured Nadab and Abihu euen for offering strange fire before the Lord which he had not commanded them And that the Lord did slay c 2. Sam. 6.16 Vzzah holding vp the Arke of God when it was shaken and in danger to fall Hereby the Lord did shew how highly he is offended with this corrupting and defiling of his worship To teach the sonnes of men to beware thereof Thus you see the difference betweene pure Religion and the pure worship of God and true religion and worship corrupted Also that a people may be of a true Religion and haue the true worship of God and so be a true Church and yet not of that Religion which is pure and vndefiled nor haue the sincere worship As one beleeuing in Christ is a true Christian though he hath many infirmities So a company professing true Religion is a true Church though it hath in it many corruptions and bee a pure Church As a man beleeuing in Christ though he ought to be free from all impurity of soule and body and abound in all grace as much as is possible is a true Christian notwithstanding he attaine not to this perfection but haue many infirmities so a Church or company of men professing true Religion though in the worship of God it should be free from all humane inuentions and haue all the ordinances of God as much as is possible notwithstanding it attaine not to this height of purity or perfection but haue therein many corruptions is neuerthelesse a true Church CHAP. VI. That the profession of true Religion maketh one a member of the visible Church HAuing now prepared and made a way to the Readers better vnderstanding I returne to my former description willing thee againe to remember that I doe not say that a visible Church is a company of people professing the pure Religion of God but a company professing true Religion Adde thereunto if you will and enioying a true worship of God though not a pure worship And heere fitly I may frame another description of the visible Church That it is a company of men enioying and submitting themselues to the true worship of God Let there be an assembly ioyned together in prayer in hearing the Word and in receiuing the Sacraments a Touching the substance therof though not in euery circumstance and in that purity which ought to be according to Christs institution and it is a true visible Church If thou wilt soundly vnderstand Christian Reader what a true visible Church is and be preserued from that errour and Schisme into which many of late haue fallen thou must carefully obserue and remember these two things First The difference betweene pure Religion and true Religion corrupted betwixt pure worship and true worship corrupted whereof we haue spoken Secondly That to the making or being of a member of the visible Church a profession of true Religion and an outward submission to true worship sufficeth From whence these conclusions doe follow First That an Assembly may be a true visible Church though it professe not the Religion that is pure and vndefiled nor liue vnder a pure and sincere worship of God but such as is partly impure and corrupted Secondly That a man may be of the true visible Church though he be not religious and godly but indeed and in truth irreligious and prophane so that he professe the true Religion And that such may be and are of the visible Church who only outwardly submit themselues to the true worship of God though they be not true worshippers and doe not worship God in Spirit and truth This profession of the true Religion and submission I speake of is all in all in this case It is that which giueth life and being to euery member vnited to his body so as whosoeuer maketh this profession and vseth this submission being knit to this body and not cut off by excommunication is in and of the visible Church The matter of this Church is a company of men not one but a company lesse or more And yet not a company of Angels or Spirits but of men The forme is the profession of true Religion or submission to the true worship of God As therfore it is in all other cases that where the matter and forme of a thing is there is the thing it selfe euen so it is in this particular Ainsw to Master Stone pag. 18. Mark 1.24 Act. 16.16 In a Pamphlet set forth by Master Ainsworth as it is reported against Master Stone we haue to the premises this answere That this profession is not wanting in the Sinagogue of Satan For saith
and are true onely of Gods elect vvho are the inuis Church And notwithstanding to tell vs That places setting forth the inuisible Church are not by you applyed to the vis Church And vvhere you say that the vis Church is Christs sister his loue and his spouse how can this possibly bee true seeing the greatest part of the vis Church and sometimes almost the whole vis Church is hatefull to God abhorred of him as before hath been made manifest And by what titles I pray you doth Iesus declare his loue to the inuisible Church if these be the titles of the visible Christ Iesus himselfe telleth vs that whosoeuer doth his fathers will which is in heauen the same is his sister But this doe onely they who are of the inuisible church They therefore onely are Christ his sister If the vis church and members thereof bee Christ his loue then none of them shall bee damned For it cannot bee that Iesus will condemne them whom he loueth It is the elect likewise and inuis church which being contracted here to Christ shall bee married to him the Kings sonne in the vvorld to come when they shall partake vvith him in glory And not the vis church whereof the greatest part shall be damned and but a few therof saued Lastly say you the vis Church is the body of Christ Wherevpon all those places in Pauls Epistles where mention is made of Christs body you expound of the visible when they are to be vnderstood of the inuisible church or the vvhole company of the faithfull which is a part thereof If the vis church be the body of Christ as you tell vs then euery one of the vis church is a member of Christ his body and hath therefore the same spirit abiding in him that is in Christ Iesus For the very same spirit that dwelleth in Christ the head is from thence deriued to his body and all the members thereof If any man haue not the spirit of Christ the same is not his But if the spirit of him that raised vp Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you Rom. 8.9.11 Hereby wee know saith Iohn that we dwell in him and he in vs 1. Ioh. 4.13 because hee hath giuen vs of his spirit From hence wee learne that Iesus doth communicate his spirit to all his members so as whosoeuer hath not this spirit bringing forth the like or the same effects in him that it did in Christ the same is no member of Christ nor part of his body Christ dwelleth not in him nor hee in Christ As by loue all the members of this body are vnited together so by the spirit of God this body with all the members thereof are coupled and knit together to the head Christ whereby it receiueth grace and increase of grace growing vp into Christ Iohn 1.16 Ephes 4.15.16 for the furniture thereof according to the effectuall power of this spirit which is in the measure of euery part Ioh. 15.1 This spirit is as the iuice that from Christ the vine is conueyed into euery branch And it is as the soule of this body giuing spirituall life to all the members thereof euen as the soule of man doth animate the body with all the part or members thereof But euery one of the vis Church is not a member of Christ his body forasmuch as the spirit of Chr st dwelleth not in euery one of the vis church and therefore the vis church is not the body of Christ but some other company of men there is which make that body vvhereof Christ is the head and euery particular man of that societie a member thereof Neither can you deny that which I doe inferre herevpon and necessarily followeth vpon the former Namely if euery one of the vis church be a member of the body of Christ then euery one of the vis church hath the Spirit of Christ dwelling in him Counterp 128. Nay your selfe M. Ainsworth confesse and vrge this against vs saying That we cannot possibly be members of the body of Christ nor haue him for our head Being we are not partakers of his life and spirit It resteth therefore that either you yeeld to the conclusion That the vis church is not the body of Christ or else affirme That euery member of the visible church hath the Spirit of Christ dwelling in him Apology 44. That euery one of the vis church is not a member of Christs body hath already been sufficiently proued and is hereby likewise euident because then none of the vis Church could be damned For tell me I pray you can a member of Christ possibly bee condemned Euery member of Christ is as it were flâ—sh of his flesh and a bone of his bones We are members of his body Ephes 5.30 of his f esh and of his bones Doth Christ hate his owne flesh or rather nourish and cherish it Will or can Christ the iudge condemne any who is thus neare and deare vnto him It is not possible Againe Christ is life it selfe I am that way Ioh. 14.6 that truth and that life saith he Whereby we learne that as without Christ no man can haue spirituall and eternall life so whosoeuer hath Christ and is a member of Christ the same hath this life deriued vnto him a member from Christ the head How then can such a one die seeing he hath already life it selfe and that life begun in him which is eternall and whereof their is no end Herevpon the Scripture saith Rom. 8.1 That to them which are in Christ Iesus members of his body there is no condemnation And that to such Christ is made wisedome righteousnesse 1. Cor. 1.30 sanctification and redemption Besides what creature is able to pluck away a member from this body and to break that bond whereby one of these members is tyed to the head Christ Iesus Who can s perate betweene Christ and his members Surely not principalities nor powers much lesse flesh and bloud None shall plucke these out of my hand saith Iesus Rom. 8.35 Ioh. 20.28 Verse 23. I doe not deny but that as the vis Church in a certaine respect may be called the body of Christ so Christ Iâ—sus not in one but in diuers respects may fitly be called the head of the vis Church This lets not but thâ—t which I here affirme is true And hereof he rendreth a reason My Father which gaue them mee is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my fathers hand I and my Father are one But leauing this argument we will proceed to some others In the 5. to the Ephes Thus we reade The husband is the wiues head euen as Christ is the head of the Church and the same is the Sauiour of his body 25. Husbands loue your wiues euen as
to smell with c. Euen so a visible Church as it were or like a body hath many officers euery office hauing his distinct office Will you hereupon collect that the visible Church is the body of Christ the misticall body I say of Christ By the same reason we may conclude that whatsoeuer in Scripture is compared to a body the same is the body of Christ Such collection is very absurde And thus much concerning the titles which these men ascribe to the vis church and that which is farre worse with respect had to the whole church as appeareth by their writings whereas by the holy Ghost they are meant and giuen to the inuisible church or if to the visible it is in respect of the Elect which are therein who onely are the body of Christ his Sister his Loue his Spouse c. CHAP. VI. The Churches of the Brownists are by their owne doctrine false Churches and therefore men ought to seperate and come out from among them YOu measuring our Parish assemblies by this crooked line of yours I meane your false doctrine of the visible church it is no maruel though they be not right and straight in your eyes Nay marke what we say vnto you Prooue your description of the visible church by the word of God prooue that to be the matter and forme and those to be the a With respect had to the whole churâ—h titles of the visible church which you say confidently are and wee will acknowledge all our Parishionall assemblies to bee false churches and as you say holdes of soule spirits and cages of euery vncleane and hatefull bird Defence of the churches and Ministers of England 6. and whatsoeuer else you charge vpon vs and accuse vs to be But if this you cannot doe as is euident by the premises you are greatly in fault for obtruding that doctrine of the people of God as true which is false to the great disturbance of the peace of the church and disquieting of many a poore soule Certainly if the description that you giue of a true visible church were true and that you of the seperation were such a church hee was a foole and worse then a foole euen a madman and out of his wits who would not seperate from vs and be of your societie Whether your doctrine of the visible church be true or false it is easie to discerne by the premises Let vs now consider whethet your congregations be by your owne doctrine true visible churches yea or no that so we may the better see whether we be in our wits or out of them in not ioyning with you To this end let vs apply your doctrine of the visi church vnto you and measure your church by the same line you meate ours Euery true visible church is a company of faithfull and holy people called and seperated from the world by the word of God worshipping Christ aright gouerned by his lawes knit together by the bond of peace and loue vnfained But your churches are not such companies Therefore they are not true but false churches The proposition standeth vnmoueable being grounded vpon the foundation your selues haue laide and as you thinke vpon a rocke If you deny the assumption and auouch that each Church of yours is such a company as is by you described I reply then there are no Hypocrites nor reprobates in your Church but all Elect for the Elect onely worship Christ aright that is in spirit and trueth as your selues doe interprete it are gouerned by his Lawes knit together by the bond of peace and loue vnfained and therefore your congregations are not true visi Churches Because in the true visible Church there be tares and chafle as well as wheate that is reprobates as well as Elect. Thus we see it is an easie thing to beate you with that rod which you haue prepared for our shoulders wherewith you haue a great while lashed vs according to your strength And thus much touching the description of the visible Church the matter and forme and titles thereof according to the doctrine of the Brownists and the confutation thereof CHAP. VII The controuersie betweene vs and the Brownists concerning religious communion is here debated where is shewed First that we may lawfully ioyne in diuine worship with them which are not members of the Church Secondly with the open wicked and that thereby neither the faithfull nor the holy things of God are polluted AMong sundry other errours of the Separists concerning the vis Church which for breuitie Iomit this is one Princip Infer 9. That no religious communion is to be had but with members of a visible Church This is manâ—festly conuinced by the practise of the Apostles in the first gathering or planting of churches Paul and Barnabas and generally the Apostles preached the Word vnto the Gentiles who then were Infidels here were religious communions When sundry men ioyne together in any religious exercise or part of Gods worship as the Apostles and these their hearers did that is a religious communion Againe these were not ciuill communions these societies were not met together to bee occupied about any worldly affaires or matters appertaining to this life therefore they were religious communions In these religious communions and in the worship of God the holy Apostles did ioyne with those that were not members of a visible Church not within but without the Church and yet did not sinne therein Therefore a religious communion may lawfully be had with those which are no members of the church By this practise and example of the Apostles who did nothing herein but that which Iesus commanded them and therefore did not sin we learne a Principle or Inference cleane contrarie to yours namely that lawfully and without sinne we may ioyne in the worship of God with those that are without and not in or of the church How else except we would doe euill that good might come thereof shouâ—d these that are without be added to the Church and such be conuerted tâ— God seeing the preaching and hearing of the word are the meanes which God hath appointed for the coâ—uersion of men and that these are parts of Gods worship Hereby we see their must bee a religious communion or ioyning together in the worship of God before those which are no members become members of the church Now this communion say you cannot be without sinne Now therefore say I can be added to the Church without the sinne of him by whose ministerie they are added besides the sinne of others in the church ioyning with him therein 1. Cor. 14.25 If all prophecie quoth the Apostle and there come in one that beleeueth not or one vnlearned he is rebuked of all men and iudged of all men And so are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so hee will fall downe on his face and worship God and say plainely that God is in you indeede Here vvas a religious communion here
Christs permitting his Disciples the people to heare the Scribes and Pharises The Scribes and Pharises saith he sit in Moses seate Mat. 23.2 All therefore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and doe Verily if it were vnlawfull for the faithfull to ioyne with open vvicked men in the worship of God and that they did pollute it vnto the faythfull as these men doe tell vs then had it been vnlawfull to haue heard and prayed with the Scribes and Pharisies who were men notoriâ—usly vvicked Which made Iohn the Baptist to greete them thus Mat. 3.7 23.33 O generations of vipers who hath forewarned you to flye from the anger to come And our Sauiour after many a fearefull vvoe denounced against them to cry out to the same effect with Iohn O serpents the generation of vipers how shall yee escape the damnation of hell This their wickednesse also was open and well knowne to the faithfull neither could they possibly be ignorant thereof Considering their open persecuting of Christ euen to death their open blaspheming of him Matth. 9.34 12.24 Iohn 9 22.34 and 12.42 and traducing of his works and their persecuting of the Saints insomuch that many durst not confesse Christ Iesus for feare of the Pharisees But your aâ—oresaid reason concerning the pollution of the faithfull and holy things of God by the wicked you will prooue by the Scriptures M. Francis Iohnson charging the forward Preachers of England with 17. points of false doctrine setteth downe this for one and the first in the rancke That though the open notorious obstinate offenders be partakers of the Sacraments yet neither the Sacraments nor the people that ioyne with them are defiled thereby Defence of the Churches and Ministers of England 70. Communion of Sâ—iâ—ts 469. Par. l. 71. 72. 73 This doctrine quoth he is contrarie to these Scriptures 1. Cor. 10.17 Hag. 2.14 15. 1. Cor. 5 6. 10.28 2. Cor. 6.15.18 Gal. 5 9. with eleuen more there quoted So that there is no want of witnâ—sses But let vs heare also what M. Ainsworth saieth If in our assemblies quoth he the wicked partake with vs neither we nor the holy things can sanctifie them but contrariwise they defile vs and euery thing they touch For confirmation hereof both these men and likewise M. Smith alleadge Hag. 2 13 14. with diuers other places of the olde Testament concerning ceremoniall pollution whereby they will haue it that this spirituall pollution is signified and shadowed foorth If saith Haggai one beare holy flesh in the skirt of his garment and with his skirt doe touch the bread or the pottage or the wine or the oyle or any meate shall it be holy And the Priests answered and saide No 14. Then saide Haggai If a polluted person touch any of these shall it be vncleane and the Priests answered and said it shall be vncleane I answere proue and make it plaine to vs 1. That by touching is signified our mutuall partaking in these holy things or in true diuine worship 2. That this polluted person doeth signifie an open wicked man in the Church Prooue I say these to haue this resemblance as your interpretation and application of them implyeth and I will confesse that you doe not misinterpret misapply these Scriptures as you doe the rest here But if herein you faile neither this Scripture nor any of this kinde will auaile you at all Concerning the first of these you say And this touching figured our fellowship together in the Church as the Apostle sheweth 2. Cor. 6.14 15 16 17. Communion of Saints 469. I deny this and affirme that this place of Paul prooueth no such thing The Apo perswading the Saints at Corinth not to ioyne with their neighbours who were heathens and Idolaters in their false and Idolatrous worship nor in any of their pollutions no not so much as with their bodies though they kept their spirit pure vnto the Lord vseth this phrase in the Lawe touch no vncleane thing not meaning thereby to teach what this touching figured but the Corinthian saints that they might no way pertake nor haue any thing to doe more nor lesse soule nor body with the Idolatrous worship or any other pollution of theirs Now what maner of proofe and argument is this We may not at all pertake with Idolaters in their false worship not somuch as touch it with a finger Ergo not with the open wicked in true diuine worship If wee communicate with Idolaters in false worship by touching that impure worship we our selues shall be made impure touch it not therefore come not at it Ergo if wee communicate with the open wicked in true diuine worship wee and that worshtp shall be made vncleane These two conclusions are your positions and the two Antecedents are Paules Let the Reader iudge of the consequence But let vs come to rhe other thing heere to be considered that is whom the man that was ceremonially vncleane did signifie You will not say I knowe the open wicked man but the sinner without any such limitation or restraint Wherupon by your expositioÌ„ this followeth That the sinner or man spiritually vncleane defileth the holy things of God Word Sacraments and Prayer and they that communicate with him therein are likewise defiled as the man ceremonially vncleane polluted whatsoeuer things he touched and they that touched him were vncleane But this inference is false because without any such pollution we may communicate wiâ—h hypocrites who be sinners and therefore this your exposition from whence it is inferred is false In this straite you haue no other refuge but this That by the vncleane man vnder the lawe was signified the open wicked man or knowne sinner Which I desire you would hereafter prooue vnto vs for we will take nothing of your word In the meane season this I say vnto you that had you or should you yet consider that howsoeuer the wicked whether openly or secretly wicked for all is one polluted indeede the holy things of God it is vnto themselues onely and not to others according to this Scripture vnto them that are defiled Tit. 1.15 and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure you wou'd neuer trouble the Church of God with this impure doctâ—ine This testimony of Titus you produce for your selues and it maketh against you Communion of Saints 133. Communion of Saints 464. 1 Cor. 5.6 Gal. 5.9 Answerable hereunto bee your other testimonies of holy writ and namely this so frequent with you a little leauen leaueneth a whole lump For the Apostles meaning is not that a few or one knowne wicked man by his open sinne doeth pollute the Word Sacraments and the whole assembly they be comming guiltâ—e of sinne and so defiled 1. Because they haue religious communion with him Paral. 71 72. 73 2. Because by this communicating with a knowne sinner in dâ—uine worshâ—p they doe approoue of his sinne and thus consenting thereto become accessary vnto it This
when he killed his brother rebelled against his father lay with his Concubines and vsurped the Kingdome of the Scribes and Pharisies traducing blaspheming mocking and putting to death the Lord Iesus and lastly of all the domesticall enemies of the Church who haue reuiled slandered imprisoned banished and murthered the Saints All these were of the visible Church and yet were none of these peaceably gouerned by Christs officers and lawes but were rebels against Christ transgressors of his lawes and despisers of his officers You speake therefore most vntruely when you say that the visible Church is a company fellowship peaceably quietly gouerned by Christ his officers laws Finally in requiring loue vnfained in all the members of the visible Church seeing this loue is an effect of faith vnfained as Paul sheweth 1. Tim. 1.5 Doe you not therein also require of them that be of this society that faith which worketh by loue 1. Pet. 1.9 euen the true and iustifying faith the end whereof is the saluation of mans soule Whereupon followeth that the visible Church is a company of faithfull indeed and consequently of such as shall be saued This that I inserre how false soeuer you feare not to teach saying They keepe the vnitie of faith in the bond of peace This loue vnfained they onely haue which loue the brethren not in word and tongue but in deed and truth as appeareth also by their quoting of Ioh. 13.34 But this loue whosoeuer haue are translated from death to life and thereof may assure themselues The whole company therefore of the visible Church hauing this loue as you teach are by this doctrine sure of life and saluation Doe you not blush to tell vs in effect that that loue is to be found in euery member of the visible Church which the holy Ghost doth giue vs for an infallible marke of the child of God and heire of saluation Another place of Scripture that in the margent is quoted for the proofe hereof is 1. Cor. 13. 4. Can that loue trow you the Apostle there speaketh of fal into the reprobate and be found in any but Gods elect coÌ„sidering the heaueÌ„ly effects it hath in whomsoeuer it is Among other things of this loue it is said that it thinketh not euill it reioyceth not in iniquity but reioceth in the truth and that it doth neuer fall away In which respect it doth excell faith and hope as is said in the last verse now abideth faith hope and loue but the chiefest of these is loue What meane you to require this loue which is proper to the elect in all the members of the visible Church of the which the most are reprobates Cain slew his brother Ismael persecuted Isaak of Esau it is said That he hated Iacob Cen. 27.41 because of the blessing wherewith his father had blessed him and therefore purposed to slay him How deadly Saul did hate Dauid and hunt after his life as one would hunt a Partridge the holy story maketh mention And as for the Scribes and Pharisies their extreame hatred against Christ and all that confessed him is manifest in the history of the Gospell their crucifying of Christ and persecuting of his members did shew the hatred that was in their hearts Hereunto we may adde the persecutâ—rs and murtherers of the Saints that haue beene in the Church almost in all ages many whereof were of the visible Church yet were they so farre from louing the brethren that they did hate them with a cruell hatred We see then men haue bin of the visible Church and therefore may be at this day who haue not this vnfained loue of the brethren nay are as far from it as hatred from loue and darknesse from light How then doe you truly describe the visible Church that it is a company of men who loue one another vnfainedly Thus in effect you teach that the visible Church consisteth of a company and fellowship of people who as they are at peace with God and among themselues so haue they vnfâ—ined loue one to another Wheras the most of the visible Church being reprobates wicked and vngodly men as they haue no peace with God according to that of the Prophet Isa 48.22 there is no peace saith the Lord to the wicked so neither are they nor can be at peace with men I meane the rest of the Church which are the elect Except you will haue peace betweene the Serpent and the woman and both their seeds The Scriptures tell vs there is and will be no peace nor loue Gen. 3.15 but perpetuall enmitie and warre betwixt these You tell vs in effect nay that these meeting together in the Church they are peaceable and kind louing vnfainedly one another you should adde as Ioab did Abner and Amasa 2. Sam. 3.27 and 20.10 whom vnder the pretence of brotherly loue he killed with the sword As Ioab kissed Amasa and Iudas Christ so vsually doe some members of the Church kisse some others Prou. 29.27 Salomon saith That the righteous are an abomination to the wicked and the wicked to the righteous but in the visible Church there are righteous and wicked men therefore in the visible Church there are some that abhorre and haue others in abomination You say nay they are all tyed together by the bond of peace and loue Iesus saith of himselfe That he came not to send peace into the earth Matth. 10.34 Luk. 12.49.51 but rather debate and a sword nay fire and what is his desire but that it be kindled Is not this sword and fire the seperation also and enmity that our Lord further speaketh of which commeth through the preaching of the Gospell to be found in the Church and betweene the members thereof But only betwixt them that are in the Church and those that are without If any be thus fondly conceited let him looke backe to the premisses and his error will be corrected As the aforesaid members of the visible Church Ismael Esau Saul the Scribes and Pharisies had not this loue vnfained so neither had they the other essentiall properties which you require in all them who be of a true visible Church They were not faithfull and holy indeed nor yet holy in the face and outward appearance which you require at least nor otherwise faithfull and holy then the most open wicked of our Land They had not Christ to be their King Matth. 1.21 Priest and Prophet They were rebels and none of Christs subiects or people all which he will saue The Diuell was their father and king and they his children and vassals doing the lusts of him their father in stead of the wil of God As he was a murtherer from the beginning so were they all murtherers in their times The like may bee said touching Christ his not being their Priest nor Prophet Worshippers of God they were indeed but hypocriticall not true and sincere worshippers of many of them Iesus said Yee worship