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A30804 A short treatise describing the true church of Christ, and the evills of schisme, anabaptism and libertinism ... delivered in two sermons by Mr. Richard Byfield. Byfield, Richard, 1598?-1664. 1653 (1653) Wing B6393; ESTC R14831 37,996 46

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the only Iehovah and on him that is on him as he hath named revealed himself in his holy word are they built 2. The Temple had goodly foundations so the Church is built on Christ the Foundation-stone elect and precious tryed and sure on whom whosoever beleeveth shall never be confounded It is built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Apostles are the highest Office and Calling that ever was in the Church and therefore named first not upon their Persons but upon their Doctrine called the foundation because it layeth Christ the Foundation and layeth him out and sets him in his proper place to the full in two sorts of fundamentall truths the Law and Gospel or as it is in Revel 14. 12. The Commandments of God and the faith of Jesus The Church is the Communion of Saints that keepeth these two This is the Zion of God opposed to Antichristian Babylon There is not a clearer Text in all the Bible nor more lively distinguishing it concerns our dayes well is this Book of Prophesies called the Revelation not onely because it opens and reveals the Prophesies of things to come all Prophesies but also because it carries such beams and rayes of lightsome doctrinall truth wherewith it is bespangled and shines in severall parts of it to enlighten the times which the Prophesies concern 3. The walls of the Temple were conjoyned by corner-stones Christ Iesus is the chief corner stone that holds both parts of this spirituall building both Iews and Gentiles that are called fast together so that they do concorporate Eph. 3. 6. 4. The severall stones in this Temple or curtains with tapes and loops and tenons posts and sockets are the severall members variously gifted and yet united in the unity of profession and of the spirit and of faith and of Baptisme and in the bond of Peace 5. The outer and inner coverings are the double condition of the Church the inward Psal 45. 14. comely and glorious the outward black and tann'd with afflictions and persecutions Cant. 1. 5. 6. The Temple had pillars and walls and the visible Church in respect of the Ministery of it is the pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3. 17. Gal. 2. 9. Col. 2. 19. The Officers and Members in the Church are the sustainers of the fabrick and the body 3. But for the Furniture chiefly is the Church of God his holy Temple For. 1. There being retained held and held forth the Doctrine of Reconciliation by Christ alone that one Mediatour that God is onely to be found gracious to a sinner in Christ fully satisfied in his blood which is belonging to no sinner but to him that beleeveth here is the true Mercy-seat God in Christ We need not say O thou that dwellest between the Cherubims● but know and pray to God as the God Father of our Lord Iesus Here being taught that Christ is true God and true Man in one Person here is the Ark over laid with gold the true flesh of Christ under which his God-head was covered is the Vail between the Holy-place and the Holy of Holies 2. The Doctrine of Christs sacrifice on the Crosse and of his intercession in heaven is both the Altars the Altar of whole burnt● offering and the Altar of incense 3. The Tables of the Covenant in the Ark the Manna and Aarons rod by it this is in the Church that sets up Christ the Bread of Life the onely Prophet that teacheth to profit and the high Priest over the house of God whom we ought to obey 4. The Candlestick is the light of the Word the Law and Gospel that all in Gods house may walk in the light of the Lord and see to do his work 5. The Laver is the Doctrine of Regeneration and Iustification by Christs blood and spirit 6. The Golden Instruments and vessels for Incense-offering and sprinkling with the rest are the gifted Ministers gifted with pastorall and teaching aptnesse and abilities and sanctified for the applying of Christ and his benefits by their Ministery which gifts Christ giveth but the Church upon due triall acknowledgeth owneth receiveth confirmeth with her testimony and honoureth 4. For the glory inhabiting there God in Christ is there giving the blessing and life The name of that City is Iehovah-Shammah Ezek. 48. 35. or The Lord is there 5. For the cover on it all There is over every such assembly and over the whole Zion of God Isa 4. 5 6. a speciall Protection a speciall Direction and a speciall safety to them that shrowd there from the heat and from the storm This is the defence upon all the glory Now from this branch of the Doctrine and from this true and plain explication of the same we may describe or direct to the infallible note of the true Church on earth and of a true particular visible Church 1. Where ever Iesus Christ is held for the foundation and corner-stone and the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles touching the faith of Iesus and the Commandments of God that concern holinesse and righteousnesse there is the true Church Ephes 2. 19 20. What ever Society of men associating in a religious way do hold Christ and the Prophets and Apostles Doctrine for faith and holinesse that Society is a particular visible Church Ephes 2. 22. 2. In what ever particular Society religious there is to be found all the furniture of the Temple all the glory the Mercy-seat the two Altars the Table of Shewbread the Candlestick the Laver that is a true particular visible Church It is the Temple of God therefore the Church of God Who can deny that that is Zion where it can be truly said the Tabernacle of God is with these men Behold he dwelleth with you you of Kingstone for of you it may truely be said Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men And to remove all things that may mislead your judgements let us looke upon that Prophesie in Rev. 11. 1. and forwards to v. 14. It concernes the state of the Church during the reigne of Antichrist in which Prophesie so farre as pertaineth to our present purpose two things are beyond all doubt and the more to be heeded First that the outer Court and the Holy City that is the Church visible is given to the Gentiles even the Antichristian or Popish Gentiles and they shall tread it under foot forty and two moneths which is one thousand two hundred and sixty daies Propheticall that is so many yeares this is the time of Antichrists reigne Secondly that this is the time and space in which the two witnesses that is the small but sufficient number for testimony to confirme any truth I say the small number of Christs faithfull Ministers for these two witnesses are expresly called two Prophets v. 10. and their worke is expresly and precisely named to be Prophecying v. 3. Now the Magistrate and his worke by the sword and Edicts is never in all the Bible called by these names
guilty in a higher degree And here let me mention only those that we are most in danger of and troubled with at the present these Hereticks polluters of the Temple of God are 1. The Antinomians they over-throw the Law Morall they hold that Christ came to abolish it that a beleever hath nothing to do with keeping the Commandements that the Gospell takes away all obedience to the Commandements they are against all urging of doing of duty of Humiliations of Repentance for sins after Iustification of praying for pardon of sin by a beleever they hold that the Law ought not to be Preached to beleevers with a great deale more of the like pernicious Leaver all which savoureth of ignorance pride and conceitednesse and of affectation of licentiousnesse and lawlesse liberty the spirit of Libertinisme inspireth these men 2. The Anti-Sabbatarians They evert the fourth Commandment teaching that it is Ceremoniall and so taking away all conscience of sin against the Commandment of God though no day be kept a Sabbath in the week and thereby all preaching and attendance on duties of Gods Worship publike and private on the Lords day in conscience to Gods Commandment laid aside they at one blow lay flat all that would uphold the power of godlinesse 3. The Germane Anabaptists that hold that a Christian ought not to be a Magistrate that Christians may not take the sword nor wage war these evert the fifth Commandment I call them the Germane Anabaptists for there divers Sects of them are and have been for this hundred of yeers past through Gods just judgement their errours some of them begin to spread in England these ghosts can passe the Seas and swim thorow the billows and waves of mighty waters they are in their first spawning to be looked unto for who knows unto what destructive Principles and Practices such giddy self-willed spirits may run Bellarmine slanderously calls them Proles Lutheranismi the off-spring of Lutheranisme they are indeed the off spring of hell for hell it selfe is moved when God rents the heavens and comes down to the great work of the Reformation of his Church Satan that sent these Furies out to defame the work of Reformation which God began by Luthers glorious Ministery he is Satan still and sends these Furies among us for the very same end For the present I will name no more that are against the Commandments of God Against the faith of Iesus I shall onely mention two 1. The Arminians that teach universall grace and the falling away of the Saints and deny that the efficacious working of internall grace from Gods Spirit is necessary to conversion and to the begetting of faith in a sinner They teach that the grace of conversion is resistible that we cannot have assurance and the like 2. The Socinians which among other damnable errours run into these two First they deny the Deity of our Lord Iesus Christ who is the great God our Saviour God blessed for ever Secondly they deny that Christs death was for satisfaction Isa 53. 5 6. Gal. 3. 13. 1 Pet. 2. 24. or for merit 1 Pet. 1. 18. 19. Act. 20 28 and that it was a price 1 Cor. 6. 20. 1 Tim. 2. 6. of our redemption but onely hath in it the nature of an example how we should suffer that Christ is our Redeemer not by being a ransome or paying a price or as our Surety Heb. 7. 22. making satisfaction but onely by leaving us an example that we should follow his steps The foregoing Texts of Scripture are expresly against this most hellish heresie These and the like to these are Dogs Wolves in Sheeps-skins evill workers the Concision as those that urged Circumcision are called Phil. 3. 2. they are to be named with such names of disgrace as tell truly what they are that all may beware of them they cut themselves others that hearken to them off from Christ and from his Church● in Jucunda prosonomasia conjunxit interse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conciditur enim quod discerpitur plan● distrahitur circumciditur quod supervacancis resectis purgatur Bullinger in locum this respect all the hereticall teachers are the Concision they are evill-workers for they should build up the Church of God but they pull it down and destroy it like dogs they bark at the truth they grin at Orthodox Ministers and fasten on the simple the fangs of their poisoned doctrine There 's the Wolfe beware and thrice beware 4. Antichrist and the Spirit of Popery which hath turned Zion into a Babylon I mean Rome-Christian into Rome-Antichristian and it is now a cage of unclean and hatefull birds a den of beasts a stie of foule spirits This Spirit of Antichrist discovers it self in four things 1. In Self-exaltation and Domination over the Church that the Pope might sit in the Temple of God as God 2 Thess 2. 4. 5. 2. In Apostacy from the faith that the man of sin might be the head of the Church thus he becomes the head of that Apostasie and of the Popish Apostaticall Synagogue farre from the Apostolicall Church of which Christ is head 3. In spirituall fornication and adultery which is Idolatry Superstition and Will-worship thus the Popish Synagogue is the Whore of Babylon 4. In lyes taught in Hypocrisie and doctrines of Devills 1 Tim. 4. 1 2 3. 5. They defile and destroy Gods Temple that by pernicious errours destroy and evert either of the two great ordinances of God the Magistracy and the Ministery the Authors the fautors cherishers or nurses the receivers abettors or applauders of such errours these strike the very Pillars of the Temple 1. For Magistracy those that erroneously teach that Magistrates have nothing to doe in the first but only in the second Table of the Law that they are to preserve the Peace and judge about meum and tuum mine and thine but for Religion and Gods Worship and Doctrine they have not to do● with their power in those But God saith I will give Kings to be thy nursing fathers Esa 49. 23. as speaking of the Church under the New Testament David saith Psal 122. 9. because of the house of the Lord I will seeke to doe thee good And againe Psa 101. 8. I will betimes cut off evill doers from the City of God Restauration of the true Worship and Religion and the demolishing and extirpation of the false were the chiefe praises of godly Princes Asa Iehosaphat Hezekiah Iosiah and of Nehemiah the renowned reformer Neh. 13. Obj. That 's the Old Testament Sol. What are the Damned Manichees again raised from Hell Shall we againe be haunted with the Ghosts of the old Heresies sentenced to the bottomlesse Pit one thousand four hundred yeares agoe for rejecting the Old Testament 2. Do● you hold the New Testament to be in force you must then receive the Old The New Testament is not to be received but as it agrees with the Old Christ bids Search the Scripture Ioh. 5. 39.