truth is there was not so much as one word of commendation giuen him whereat Momus himselfe might cauill as the iâ—dicious and ingenuous Reader may heere see by the simple truth faithfully related vnlesse any will be so censorious as to taxe S. Paul for saying as the truth was That the Baâ—barians were courteous and shewed them that had suffered shipwracke no little kindnesse That it is sayd he was noted to be a Papist who euer denied it The proposition was not that hee was no Papist but according to the Doctrine of our Christian reformed Churches That a simple-hearted Papist not holding the whole mysterie of Romish iniquity but only erring in some lesse points which ouerthrow not the foundation may vpon repentance in generall of sinnes knowne and not knowne finde mercy with God relying vpon Christ alone for saluation Where it is said That he was a seducer I haue my selfe charged him with it but hee was so farre from maintaining that bad office that he did in excuse of himselfe affirme That he knew no cause why any man should count him a Papist vnlesse it were for keeping the Kings lawes in abstaining from flesh vpon Fridayes and such like times I call God to record I doe the man no wrong but testifie herein the very truth and did expastulate with him that if the conscience of the Kings Lawes did so preuaile with him in that why it should not also cause him to come more often to the Church the reason being the same for both whereunto his answere was silence But for the matter of seducing It makes not a man by and by a settled Professour in his Religion because hee labours to draw others vnto it for we see by experience that if any conceiue well of a Religion and begin to entertaine it though they be as yet but very Nouices they will presently seeke to induce others to the same this may appeare by those that were Conuerts to the truth as Andrew and Philip and the like whom as Apes these Errants imitate 2. Vnto the former another aspersion was added which did touch the whole Ministerie and was vrged with no little spight and clamour viz. That any man be he neuer so vile for a Cloth and a fee shall as his Funerall be commended and extolled to the heauens If any be guilty of this crime let him beare his owne burden for my part I haue learned with Elihu not to giue titles lest my Maker should become my destroyer for thereis a woe denounced against them that speake good of euill and call darkenesse light It is well knowne that for diuers yeeres I did vtterly abstaine from speaking any one word of the dead but onely applyed my selfe to the instruction of the liuing insomuch as it grew distasted yet neuer did I abstaine as holding is vnlawfull for I know there is very good vse of it 1. That the vertues of the godly may be propounded for imitation that wee might be followers of the Saints who through faith and pacience haue inherited the promises 2. That the perseuerance of the faithfull being made knowne we may with the ancient Church as is noted afterwards in this Treatise sing laud to God that being faithfull vnto the death they haue receiued the Crowne of life 3. That if any hauing liued scandalously in open sinne but through the mercy of God by the meanes of his afflictâ—ng rod are recouered and brought home with the Prodigall the Congregation being made acquainted with it may glorifie God that hath giuen them repentance vnto life and with the Angels reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner 4. That vpon any extraordinary accident men being suddenly surprized by death their example propounded may be a monitory to the liuing that they may take it to heart and profit by it These and the like are good occasions of the Teachers Discourse in this kinde And vpon this ground I haue indeuoured to auoyde scandalum datum the giuing of any offence keeping my selfe alwayes in the meane or middeway betweene both extremes 3. A third crimination or fault obiected and that with no little asperitie was that euen the very prophane should make a scoffe of it And what did they say Why forsooth being vpon their Ale-benches they call for another Pot deriding the Doctrine of Gods Mercy and Patience in that hee calleth not all at once but some euen at the eleuenth houre Did not the wicked doe this euen at the very preaching of the Prophets and Apostles yea of Christ himselfe Can any pretend pietie and take part with such impietie taking it vp and casting it as dung in the face of God himselfe for it is not Moses but God against whom men open their foule mouthes and the contemptuous vsage of the poorest seruant of Christ he counts as a despight done to himselfe howsoeuer men slubber it ouer 4. A fourth crimination was that I should shew so much respect to one that was a noted enemie to my selfe But bee it that hee was so I haue learned of my Master though hee were my enemie yet to call him friend Could he be a greater enemie to me then Saul was to Dauid yet see how Dauid giues him his due praise in his mournefull song vpon the death of Saul and Ionathan 5. The next obiection was that his not comming to Church was excused for that his memory was decayed In this point I cannot tell whether I should blame more the reporters laesum ingenium or laesam memoriam his want of wit or his want of memorie for what reason is there to thinke that a Papist should refraine comming to Church because he cannot remember what he doth heare when in truth hee would willingly bee there starke deafe or learne the Art of obliuion But the truth is that the failing of his memorie was spoken of in the beginning his not comming to Church in the end of all the speech and almost the last point of all and it was applyed only to his facultie wherein I said he did practise with good liking till through weakenesse his memorie began to faile But the substance of the speech which I now come vnto will cleere all You may therefore please to vnderstand that the Sermon being ended according to my vsuall manner I tooke occasion to speake somewhat of the partie deceased not by way of commendation or excuse in regard of his Religion which I had before taxed for many errours but onely by way of application of one speciall point in my Sermon which was that in a corrupt Church some may bee saued holding the foundation though taynted with diuers errours of lesse moment and so consequently in the Romish Church prouided that they hold not the whole Mysterie of that Iniquity nor by any doctrine or practice ouerthrow the fundamentall grounds of Faith and Religion This I did apply to the person of the Gentleman deceased charitably deeming him to be in the number of
wee haue opened the first branch of our definition of the Church shewing that the true Church is the company of the faithfull of what nation or countrey soeuer and that it is not tyed to any person or place no not to Rome Because many thousands were saued that neuer knew it and before euer it was Christian Romes authority ouer others is in no Scripture in no Creed it is but a particular Church and member onely of the Vniuersall as others are and subiect to errour as well as others The second branch of the definition of the Church is That it is discerned from all other societies by soundnesse of Doctrine and due administration of Sacraments Touching Doctrine it is the eare-marke of Christs sheepe My sheepe heare my voyce It is that whereby the faithfull are directed to try the true Pastor from the Impostor the Orthodoxe from the Hereticall Ye shall know them by their fruits Therefore S. Iohn counselleth not to beleeue euery spirit but to try the spirits whether they are of God and chargeth the elect Lady and her children thus If there come any vnto you and bring you not this doctrine receiue him not into your house neither bid him God speed And this charge he did ground vpon a Diuine rule of tryall in the words immediately going before the rule is this Whosoeuer transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hee hath both the Father and the Sonne And lest any should thinke it strange that the tryall of Doctrine should bee required of priuate Christians our Sauiour puts it out of doubt shewing not onely that it is and ought to be so but directeth how it may be done for hauing said My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me Hee giueth them a double rule which being obserued they may discerne of Doctrine the one concerneth the Hearer the other the Teacher The rule concerning the Hearer is If any man will doe his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of my selfe that is If a man in humilitie and sinceritie of heart seeke to be informed in the truth and as God from time to time shall reueale it vnto him maketh conscience to put in practice that which hee shall heare and as Theophylact saith shall imbrace vertue and not suffer himselfe to be a slaue to enuie and hate truth before he know it such a man shall bee able to discerne of Doctrine but yet with this prouiso which there Theophylact well inserteth viz. That this is one mayne part of doing the will of God namely to search the Prophets and Scriptures Touching the second rule which concerneth the Teacher it is this He that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glory but hee that seeketh his glory that sent him the same is true A good parallell distinguishing exactly the false Teacher from the true the one seeking his owne the other Gods glory By this rule wee desire all men sincerely and without preiudice to iudge betweene vs and our Romish Aduersaries Looke with an indifferent and impartiall eye into the doctrine and practice on both parts you shall find that all their doctrines and courses wherein they differ from vs ayme altogether at the extolling of nature mans workes and merits with a glance still at the magnifying and inriching of their Romane Synagogue whereas wee with our blessed Lord make the scope of all our teaching and practice the glory of God and the praise of the all-sufficient merit of Christ. This direction of our Sauiour is sufficient alone of it selfe to prooue that the Doctrine is the right triall of the Church and Pastors of it But besides we finde the Congregation of the faithfull described in the Acts of the Apostles by this very note that they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine And the Thessalonians are commended that they receiued the Word of God not as the word of man resting vpon the bare authority of the Teacher but as it is in truth the Word of God They that rested vpon men vnder the name and colour of the Church and chiefe gouernours of the Church the chiefe Priests and Elders of the people did crucifie Christ whereas they that examined the Doctrine by the Word of God did beleeue If therefore ye will approoue your selues to bee the Disciples of the Gospell that is true Christians yee must walke saith Athanasius by the rule of the Scriptures It is sound Doctrine then grounded vpon the Word of God that the Christian soule must rest vpon for the discerning of the true Church for whether it bee concerning Christ or concerning his Church saith S. Augustine or touching any other thing pertaining to faith and life If wee or an Angel from heauen teach any otherwise then that which yee haue receiued in the Scriptures let him bee accursed As for the Sacraments that they are also discerning notes of the Church I need heere to say nothing in regard that it hath beene sufficiently shewed before that they are so peculiar to the Church that the one cannot bee without the other Concerning the third branch of the definition of the Church That it admitteth nothing as necessary to saluation or as an absolute part of Gods worship that is not according to the Word and Ordinance of Christ. This fully completeth and perfecteth the definition of the Church which must bee as pure in her Religion and worship as shee is sound in her Doctrine that there bee no mixture of mans inuention with Gods Ordinance for in the seruice of God the hypothesiâ— or condition of the Prophes must euer hold good If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him God will haue all or none Hee cannot abide that his fâ—are that is his religious worshâ—p should be taught by the precepts of men and therefore accounteth it vaine worship and meere lost labour when the commandements of men are taught and held for Doctrines and as it were rules and principles of necessity to be obserued This must bee seriously considered for the better meeting with two aduersaries which doe assaile truth on both sides with their different extremes The one is the Romanist who hold that the ceremonies of the Church may not bee omitted without grieuous sinne inasmuch as they haue spirituall vertue and are parts of Diuine worship and withall are meritorious And they father this conceit vpon the power which they attribute to the Church to institute suo iure that is by her owne right such Ceremonies and therefore to make their followers plyable they teach them as a mayne principle of their Religion that they must obey with equall respect in regard of saluation the Mothers precept as well as the Fathers Mandate but they neuer consider that the true
Church is an obedient wife and will not in any thing contradict the will of her heauenly Spouse The second sort of aduersaries are our Separatists who for euery externe and indifferent ceremonie make as great combustion and stirre in the Church of God as if some mayne Article of Faith were called in question They must be intreated to consider that the Text doth not simply condemne all commandements of men but when they are taught for doctrines and rules of Gods worship as Caluine speaketh The doctrine of our Church might giue them coment being the same with all the rest of the reformed Churches namely That it is not lawfull for the Church to ordaine any thing contrary to Gods written Word and that besides the same it ought not to inforce any thing to bee beleeued for necessitie of saluation Whereby they may if they will open their eyes without preiudice see of what nature the Ceremonies of our Church of England are And so much for the definition of the Church by which wee may see what that Church is to which wee must bee ioyned if euer wee looke for saluation that is the society of true beleeuers But for the better vnderstanding of the state of the Church diuers things are to bee considered which giue more light to the Doctrine and more full satisfaction to such as desire vnfainedly to know the truth heeâ—ein The first consideration is that the Church is onely one though different in time as farre as from the beginning to the end of the world distant in place as remote as East from West North from South nay heauen from earth distinct for people being of all Countries and Nations For as hath beene said before it is the societie or congregation of the faithfull of all ages This voity of the Church is noted in the one Arke of Noah in Salomons Doue My Doue my vndefiled is but one in the wheat field in the draw net in one flocke one fold vnder one Shepheard in one Bride and Bridegroome in one body vnited to one Head Christ For saith the Apostle by one Spirit are wee all baptized into one body This consideration doth second that which hath beene said of the Church for it doth euidently euince and prooue that there is no necessiâ—ie of being vnited to this or that particular Church aâ— Rome or the like so long as a man is of the number of the faithfull wheresoeuer dispersed for as S. Paul disputes The body is not one member but many Is the foot not of the body because it is not the hand or the eare because it is not the eye So we may truly say Is this or that Nationall or Prouinciall Church no Church because it is not dependant vpon Rome Are they that are baptized into one body and vnited to Christ Iesus by one faith vnfained no members of the mysticall Body of Christ the Church because they are not incorporated and reconciled to Rome If the body though it bee buâ— one yet is not one member but many then reason will teach vs that euery member hath his proportionable nutriment life and motion from the head without any dependance one vpon another The second consideration is That it is Catholicke or Vniuersall and that in respect of time place and persons because there is euer was from the beginning and euer shall be to the end of the world a company more or lesse of true beleeuers because the Church is not confined within the limits of any one Countrey as in the time of the Iewes but is spred ouer the whole world and because it consisteth of all sorts and degrees of men of all nations kindreds people and tongues as it is in the Reuelation So that to bee of the Catholike Church is to hold and beleeue as the Church of the whole world euer did and constantly doth hold and beleeue Therefore it was that in the ancient Church when Heresies and Schismes sprang vp those that did cleaâ—e to the truth had giuen vnto them the name of Catholicke excommunione totius orbis for their communion with the Church of the whole world not for their communion with this or that particular Church Whilest the Romish Church doth assume the title of The Catholicke Church calling it selfe Catholicam Apostolicam Romanam being as other Churches but a particular Church what doeth it but expose it selfe to the laughter of the whole world for what concordance is there betweene generall and particular or with what sense can it bee called The Vniuersall particular Church And yet they make their credulous followers beleeue that they cannot bee of the Catholicke Church vnlesse they communicate with their particular Romane Church cleane contrary to the name and nature of the word Catholicke The third consideration is that the Church is visible and that in all ages but it must be knowne how and in what sence it may be truly said to be alwaies visible According to the Romish Tenet it is said to be visible and palpable as some eminent State Monarchy or Common wealth as Rome France or Venice conspicuous in flourishing pompe to the eye of the World so that it may at all times be sensibly discerned But alas this conceit is a meere golden dreame and senslesse dotage for let an ingenuous minde awaked once out of that slumber looke seriously into the Word of God and consider the state of the Church in all ages he shall finde for his satisfaction that the Church hath beene oftentimes obscured captiuated persecuted and so farre from being acknowledged that it hath beene accounted of the world no better then Schisme and Heresie and the true Professors of it prosecuted as malefactors for their soundnesse as both the Prophets Christ himselfe and the Apostles were by the corrupt members of the visible Church bearing the chiefe rule To this effect the Prophet Esay did complaine that in his time the Church was but a small remnant and those howted at like Owles being as signes and wonders in Israel The complaint of Elias is that hee was left alone The faithfull were glad to bee hid in caues and fed wâ—th bread and water by religious Obadiah And as it is in the Epistle to the Hebrewes They wandred about in Sheeps skins and Goate skins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy they wandred in Desarts and in Mountaines and in dennes and caues of the earth The prophecies of the Christian Church foretell as much both for outward persecutions and open apostasie vnder one eminent Head called That man of Sinne who should take vpon him to oppose and exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God challenging the chiefe soueraignty in the Temple or Church of God In S. Iohns Vision the Woman the Church was constrained through persecution to fly into the wildernesse Our Sauiour foresheweth how hard it should