the very ground of the question is gone Indeed here is practice contrary to profession but not profession contrary to profession and practice contrary to profession may consist with profession for they professe to know God though in works they deny him If it be replied that a scandalous life is contrary to the faith professed and so the profession appears counterfeit I crave leave to ask once more whether faith here be taken objectivè or subjectivè if objectivè for the doctrine professed or the Will of God revealed to be beleeved then it may still be affirmed that the profession of the Scripture or an outward owning of the Will and Word of God is not inconsistent with a conversation contrary thereunto then why may not such whose practice is contrary either to their profession or to the Scripture which they yet professe be received by the Church if no other reason but this be assignable If it be said that a scandalous life is contrary to the faith in sensu formali vel subjectivo and that a wicked conversation declareth that the Professor doth not believe as he professeth and is to be rejected therefore as a counterfeit Once more I demand whether this faith professed be considered as saving or as common if as saving then Mr. Wood his cause is yeelded who is now opposing Reverend Master Baxter with this assertion that wicked men are not to be rejected formally because their wickednesse is a signe of unregeneracy but materially because it is contrary to the profession of the faith if as common or as other historical or dogmatical then though I grant that all those whose wickednesse is such as cannot consist with a real common or historical faith ought not to be admitted yet I deny the hypothesis that all wickednesse is such as is inconsistent with such a real common faith that common faith is in its kinde a true faith and that this true common faith is consistent with a wicked heart and life are two Propositions as little doubted by most Divines as much confirmed by sad experience and largely discoursed in the Treatise following Sunt in eo coetu viz. ecclesiae visibilis multi electi alii non Sancti sed tamen de verâ doctrinâ consentientes Phil. Melanct. part Sept. p. 33. Others may have leave to think that such scandalous persons ought not to be admitted into the Church because of the scandal that would come to Religion thereby and because that in this sense scandal is contrary to the profession of the faith the Church thus drawing a blot and disparagement upon her selfe as if she was ready to open her bosome to any vile unclean unreformed persons and truely I humbly conceive there is very much in this for if the Church ought to have a care that those already within cause not the wayes of God to be evil spoken of why ought she not to have the like care touching those she is about to let in or why should those be admitted into the community that now appear to be such as are presently to be cast out of communion but I presume this is not all For 3. From the premises it seemes at least probable to me that the Church is to have some kinde of respect unto the saving condition of the person she is about to admit into communion though I donbt not to assert with our brethren N. E. and Reverend Master Baxter that a sober and humble profession of faith and repentance with a desire of Baptisme is as much evidence of this saving condition as the Church is bound to expect without any farther positive proofs of conversion 4. Yet I humbly conceive that more then a bare outward profession is requisite to give real interest in the visible Church and the previledges thereof before God though no more is requisite to give visible interest before men and that there is sufficient ground for the trite distinction of right here Coram Deo ecclâ—sia for the Churches judgement of mens right must passe with her administrations upon visible or appearing signes by their outward profession but Gods upon real for the visible Church is really a Church with God as well as the invisible though the Church is bound to believe a profession that is made upon designe as the Jews at New Castle was yet God knows his wickednesse and count him a dogg eating the childrens bread out of the hand of Church deceived by his falsnesse but not erring because profession is her onely rule in the case If it be demanded what is more required besides profession to give real interest in the visible Church I Multi enim sunt non renaâ—i vel hypocritae consentientes tamen de doctrina ritibus extcrnis sen est coetus consentientium de doctrina habens multa membra mortua sen non regeneratos Maâ— 7. 21. Mat. 13. 24. par in Urs cat 343. have at large answered in the Treatise that in Adult persons about to be admitted a real actual and not fained consent but in persons borne in the Church and baptised in their Infancy and now at the adult estate a non-dissent a not dissenting from or a not rejecting of the truth and wayes of the Lord at least for all that are of the visible Church must be one of these ways either negatively or positively consentientes to true doctrine as Melancton before as wel as outward professors of it 4. Yet I must still hold my maine Proposition till I see more reason to let it go that unregenerate persons once received into the Church are notwithstanding their unregeneracy or their want of evidences of saving grace really or truely members of the visible Church till they cut themselves off by Heresie Schisme or the perfection of both Apostasie or at least are cast out by Church-censure what reasons what authorities from the Scriptures and the Church I shew for it and what absurdities I alledge against the contrary opinion must be left to your censure in the reading of the Treatise Onely that it may passe here a little the more freely I cannot but adde the remembrance of one or two late most eminent and full Testimonies Mr. Hooker of New England saith Survey of Church discipline p. 36. that externally those are within the Covenant and consequently the Church who expressing their repentance with their profession of the truth engage themselves to walk in the wayes of God and the truth of his worship though they have not for the present that sound work of faith in their hearts and may be never shall have it wrought by Gods Spirit in them Master Norton also a Minister of N. E. to this very question whether truth Against Apol. p. 3. of grace be required to visible Church-membership answereth one may be admitted into the Church-communion of the external or visible Church that is not endowed with the real inward holinesse of regeneration and justifying faith in Christ or that
notwithstanding ignorance or wickednesse of heart and life doth proceed into and continue men members of the visible Church even in the adult estate 135 136 c. I Idolatry how consistent with a true Church 202 Jewes Abrahams seed and yet the Devils children 1. How 142 143 144 The Jewe outwardly what 144 145 Individuum and integrum the Church is both 4 5 1 John 2. 19. Examined 148 to 151 The ignorant how to be discovered 364 No one means absolutely necessary 36 Ignorance not inconsistent with Church-membership proved 184 185. Objections answered 185 c. Infants what constitutes their Church-membership 173 Infants borne members not de jure onely but de facto and sealed such by baptisme 175 Infants perfectly members though not perfect members proved p. 175 176 Infants may be known to be members 182 Infants right in the Church seated in themselves and not in their parents explained and proved p. 185 186 187 K Knowledge not necessary to membership 184 185 186 Knowledge dark and generall is sufficient for such consent as is necessary to keep adult persons in Covenant 188 189 L The largest acceptation not alwayes the lesse proper 111 M Matter of the visible Church both in its parts and subject may be considered without respect to saving grace 60 c. Meanes necessary to the attaining the end is allowed by the text which commands the end 277 No one Meanes of discovering the ignorant absolutely necessary 278 The matter of the visible Church as Professors of the faith not properly the grace but the doctrine 61 The Church is denominated visible and invisible from its Members p. 5 6 The Moral Law is to be applied to Gospel worship by two Rules 230 231. N Niddui whether persons under it might come into to the Temple or Synagogue 195 The one onely true Note of the true Church is the truth of the Word to which truth of Sacraments is inseparably annezed 76 O Outward calling hath inward effects the reason why said to be outward 85 The Jew outwardly what 144 The onely considerable Objection artificially framed against my maine conclusion largely answered 105 c. Objections against particular arguments See the Arguments Objections from Scripture are subjoyned to Scripture Arguments So are Objections from humane Testimony P A Particular Church without any savingly beleeving in it is at least ens reale potentia and for ought we know actum 26 27 Excommunicate persons members more then potentia 192 Ecclesiastical power wherein it consists 't is separable from a true Church 77 Power of the Church to deny the Sament to the ignorant not founded on reason prudence mutual confederation or on Matth. 7. 6. or 1 Cor. 5. but in our ministerial authority given us for edification largely proved 272 to 277 The great prohibition of unworthy receivers is 1 Corinth 11. 28. p. 237 to 240. Preaching how farre necessary to the first constitution of true Churches 208 to 212 Ecclesia presumptiva shut out of the Controversie 21 Preparations to duties are either meerly such as preparations to prayer c. or also conditions without which the duty is not to be done such is self-examination before the Sacrament 233 Preparations are necessary to hearing ad bene esse i. e. utiliter esse to the Sacrament ad bene esse i. e. honeste vel legaliter esse largely explained 334 Profession is properly of fides quae not qua proved 61 62 Profession of the true faith the chiefest note of a true Church 74. This is personal and so a note of a true member or ecclesiastical and so a note of the Church 75 What Ames by profession as a note 75 76 Profession of faith as a note of the true Church is not to be distinguish'd from the Word and Sacraments 76 Whether the visible or the invisible Church be most properly a Church largely debated p. 13. to 19. this is not a question properly betwixt us and the Papist but amongst our selves 111 The Protestant judgement is that saving grace is not of essence of the visible Church or visible Church-membership p. 153 to 157. further proved to be so by seven Arguments 158 to 165 Q Argument from the quality of the Church 80 81 82 The Question analised and and stated chap. 1 c. R Whether if none are to receive but the worthy the Sacrament essentially depend upon worthinesse Reasons for the negative 231 232 233 All kinde of right will not infer present possession several distinctions of right 251 252 253. the distinction of right into its first and second act grounded on the Laws of Reason Nations Scripture Churches 254 255 The Church of Rome and the reformed Churches differ rather about the truth of the invisible Church then about the nature of the visible Church 118 119 The reformed Divines true meaning of the onely true Church largely examined 105 to 120 The respect we owe to saving grace in the consideration of the visible Church 30 c. The reformed Divines give definitions specifically differing to the Church as strictly and as largely taken yet held but one Church 117 118 119 140 Schisme from Rome destroyed not our Churches 206 S Saving grace what respect we owe to it in the consideration of the visible Church 33 c. 't is not of the essence but of the excellency of the visible Church 36 Sardis acknowledged to be a Church though said to be dead 146 There are in the Church such as Seeme and are not Are and seem not Are and seem and are not seen Are seem and are seen also 31 The same persons in divers respects seem to be what they are and what they are not 32 Schism cutteth off from the Church and when 200 201 Schism from Rome hath not destroyed our Churches 206 The Supper is immediately forbidden to some Church-members therefore but mediately required of all proved by many arguments 219 c. Objections hereunto answered 225 c. The grounds of denying the Supper to some Church members largely examined 259 to 271 Self-examination is the great condition of a private persons coming to the Supper 237 c. Who may be suspected of ignorance 278 279 None but the suspected may be tried 277 Suspension for scandal 't is excommunication in part 287 288 289 Awicked man not excused from though not permitted to receive the Supper If he receive not he sins twice if he do receive he sins thrice 226 T Temporary faith is that faith whereby we profess the true Religion nor savingly 62. 't is true faith through not saving 84 85 Titles equivalent to Church-member given by God in Scripture to wicked men in number twenty three 126 to 134 Truth as applicable to the Church is genere entis vel genere moris 19. the usual distinction of a true Church and truly a Church questiond 20. the Chur. is true respectu naturali vel entitatis moralis i. e. vel status vel finis 107 vel simpliciter vel secundum quid 108 the truth of
the Church consisteth not in consideration only 20 Mr. Timpsons abuse of Mr. Humphrys distinction of do not and cannot examine our selves and his own distinction of natural and rational incapacity c. examined 239 Truth of Word and Sacraments is the one only true note of the true Church 77 V Visibility opposed to reality and to invisibility 2. but given to the Church in the question as opposed to invisibility onely and not reality and that by a metaphor 2 3 To assert a visible Church doth not suppose a Church invisible 3 4. three exceptions against the distinction of the Church into visible and invisible 10 11 Visible Church most properly the Church of Christ argued p. 12 to 19. though the stresse of the controversie resteth not here 18 The grounds of the distinction of the Church into visible and invisible enquired for 8 'T is not properly distinctio but discrimen inter totum partem 9 10 W God calls and ownes a wicked people for his p. 120 c. and giveth many titles equivalent to Church-members to wicked men 126 to 134 Wicked men not excused from though not permitted to receive the Supper as Church-members they are obliged as wicked they are prohibited if they receive not they sin twice if they do receive they sin thrice 226 We may proceed against wicked members but by discipline 373. viz. first admonition and then excommunication ibid. Truth of the Word revealed and communicated is the onely true note of the true Church to which truth of Sacraments are inseparably annexed 76 The World is the terme from which the Church is called 40 41. this may be considered without respect to saving grace 40 The Reader is desired to excuse some litteral errors not noted and to correct these following BEfore the Epistle to the Ministers and over the head of it for Dedicatory read Presatory Ep. â— 7. l. antipen penitent r. pertinent Book Pag. 7. Line 1. for constitue and by read constitute by p 9. l 5. Church visible r was visible and l 22 p 10 l 24 other r. otherwise p 22 l 4 longer r. larger p 25. l 27 word r. work p 28. l. 20. object beleeving r. beleeved and l. ult on r. or and l 20. passions r. professions p 31. l 25. none visi r. non visi and l 30 add onely to after not p 37. l. ult câ—lled r. calling and l. 18. add God before doth p 46 l 20. leave r. have p. 59 l. 19 we r. who p. 60 l. 18 add Church after visible p. 61 l. 8 blot out should p. 65 l 11. add Church after visible p. 69 blot out from these to same in l. 7 8 9 10 p 78 l. 14 blot out not and add grace after the first saving p 80 l. 7 definition r. definitum p. 82 l 17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and l. penult add Faith after in the p. 86 l. 22 and r. as p 105 l. 28. visible r. true p. 107 l ansep thought r. though p. 111. l. 25. their r. this p. 122. l. 18. change r. charge and add this before for p. 140. l. 3. add ouâ— after with p. 209. l. 5. Rable r. rubble and l. 9. the first for r. forth p 217 l. 11. add not before upon p. 267 l. 12. or r. but p. 289 l. 25. deserve r. desire for Mr. Morris always r. Mr. Morrice Note that by Copula in the Analisis of the question is not intended for an exact Logical Copula but onely that which fitly serves to joyn the subject and the main thing questioned together in the question and if the Reader would be more accurate he may take may be considered in to the predicate questioned and if he had rather the words abstractly and concrâ—â—â—â—â— p. 2 l. 15 16. may change places though as it is it best liketh the Authour Quest Whether the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace CHAP. I. Of the subject of the question the visible Church SECT I. The Analasis of the question WE must have leave to speak something largely of the termes before we venture to resolve this intricate and famous question The termes are three First the subject of the question Secondly the predicate questioned Thirdly the copula or that which joyneth the subject and the predicate in this question together The subject of the question is the visible Church the predicate questioned is contained in the words truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace wherein we may further observe the thing which is more directly questioned in these words truely a Church of Christ together with the condition or limitation thereof in the words annex'd without respect to saving grace Lastly that which coupleth this predicate questioned with this subject of the question is to be noted in the words may be considered to be c. SECT II. Visibility explained and distinguished The subject of the question then is the Church as it is specified with the quality of visiblensse for we do not consider it here in any other capacity either an entitive or organical as catholick or institute as universal-visible or particular-visible nor yet abstractly as a Church or concretely as visible but in a conjunct compounded and united sense as it is the visible Church or the Church which is visible For the better opening of this terme three things may be undertaken First to explaine the attribute visible Secondly to apply it to the Church and then to make my Notion of this visible Church as plain as I can so far as may concern the question in general To begin with the first Visibility seemeth familiarly to be used Visible is 1. that which seemeth what it is not in two distinct significations 1. Visibility is somtimes taken for that â—ffection of a thing wheâ—by the thing seemeth to be what indeed it is not as one that seemeth to be a sincere member of Christ when in truth he is not so may yet be said to be so visibly or as we more ordinarily use to say to seeme to be so Thus Visibility stands opposed to Reality 2. Visibility is also sometimes taken for that affection of a thing 2. What it is whereby the thing seemeth to be what indeed it is and shewes it self ad extra to be such Now here visible is nothing else but that which may be seen Whether it be actually visum seen or not as a regenerate person evidencing the truth of his grace by a sound profession is truely said to be so visibly i. e. appearingly or a visible Saint Thus visible stands opposed not to real but to invisible that is that which may not or cannot be seen a man is said to be visible not because he seems to be a man and is not but because he may be seene thus likewise God is said to be invisible not because he is
when it is not seen by the world in its wonted splendor and glory by reason either of a cloud of persecution from without as the Church mentioned Rom. 11. 4. was or of a cloud of confusion thtough the spreading of error and the rents and breaches of schisme within whence many take occasion to pretend that they cannot tell where the true Church is as we have sad experience this day in England Hence Doctor Fulk on the Rhemist Testament Dr. Fulk â—n Rhet. Test Rom. 11. 4. granteth that we do conclude the true Church may for a time be hid or secret which our Divines do sometimes render by the terme invisible Yea Beza saith that the Church is oft-times brought to that estate that even the most Beza in Rom. 11 2. watchful and sharp-sighted Pastors think it to be clean extinct and put out The second of these senses of this distinction is the most usual in Authours and that wherein the visible Church is generally meant in this Treatise SECT VIII The visible Church most properly a Church Once more if I may have leave to digresse a little I shall humbly adde that it is my present opinion that the visible Church is most properly the Church of Christ though I dare not assert it with much confidence knowing that some later eminent Divines seem at least of another mind Yet I desire it may be heeded that I do not say that the visible Church is more truly much lesse more soundly and savingly a Church of Christ then the Church invisible but onely that the visible Church is without comparison or in it self most properly a Church of Christ And thus I hope to escape the challenge of the reformed Writers Of which at large hereafter chap. 16. Indeed they sometimes say that the invisible is the onely true Church but first they never questioned but that this onely true invisible Church was also visible in our sense and againe we may hear them explaine their position in Doctor Fields Field of the Church p. 12 13 14. expression When we say none but the Elect are of the Church we meane not that no others are not at all nor in any sort of the Church but that they are not principally fully and absolutely I presume therefore I may present my reasons for this my opinion without just offence to my Reader which are these Arg. 1. The Church of Christ is most properly visible therefore the visible Church is most properly the Church of Christ That the Church of Christ is most properly visible appeareth thus 1. Such as the parts of an Aggregative body are most properly such the whole is most properly as if the stones be precious so is the heap if they be vile so is the heap if they be black so is the heap if they be visible so is the heap and if they be most properly visible so is the heap for if the parts be so in themselves how can they be lesse visible in the whole 2. Now the Church is confessed to be an Aggregative body and yet the parts or members are doubtlesse visible in most proper speaking whether we consider them as Men or as men Called 1. The members of the Church are Men and who can doubt but that men are visible in the highest propriety of speech that runnes not against his own sense yea should we yeeld that saving grace alone doth unite men to the Church yet seeing 't is not the grace which is invisible that is the member but the man who is invisible the members of the Church are visible still For as Peter du Moulin saith those that are of this invisible Church are visible as they are men but not as they are His Buckler p. 264. elected 2. The members of the Church are as truely and properly visible as they are men called for 1. All the members of the Church whether they be elect or reprobate fall under the called Yea as Ames hath excellently noted the very elect are members of the Church not qua electi Medul p. 161 but qua vocati as they are called yea the very elect are not members of the Church invisible but as they are called the Church of the elect lying hid in the Church of the called as before was noted 2. Now all that are called are as such most properly visible for in their very state of calling the called stand most visibly distinguished from all other societies of men viz. in their profession of the name and worship of Christ before all the woâ—ld wherein the elect-regenerate or called are doubtlesse as eminent and open actors as the reprobate can be and consequently do as truely help to constitute and render the Church to be visible as they Therefore if that part of the Church which in one regard beareth the name of invisible be as properly visible as the other which is onely visible who can doubt but that the Church in general is most properly visible But as Doctor Field saith it cannot be but they that are of the true Church must by the profession of the Feild of the Church p. 14 15 truth make themselves known in such sort that by they profession and practice they may be discerned from other men And again the persons of them of whom the Church consisteth are visible their profession known even to the prosane and wicked of the world and in this sort cannot be invisible neither did any of our men teach that it is or may be Arg. 2. The whole Church doth most properly deserve the name Church for though both the visible and the invisible Church should be truely and properly a Church of Christ yet if in a strict consideration one of these is but a part and the other as the whole containeth that part that which containeth the other as its part must needs be the whole and best deserve the name of the whole Now the invisible Church hath beene found to be the part of the visible and the visible to be the whole containing that part seeing all that savingly beleeve do equally share in the Churches profession and visibility with the externally called Yea and they that is the sincere beleevers as Master Baxter asserts are His Rest p. 137 a part of the externally called who are the visible Church therefore as Master Blake reasons the invisible is onely one part and so His scals p. 157 not the Church in its most proper signification Arg. 3. The Church of Christ never ceaseth to be visible therefore the visible Church is most properly the Church of Christ for 1. The Church of Christ must needs import his Church in its most proper signification for he that speaks of the Church must either mean the onely Church or the Church emphatically so called in either of these senses the Church signifieth the Church properly so called 2 Again that which never ceaseth to be visible must needs be visible and indeed most properly
the world of Infidels viz. of such as live without the pale of the Christian profession I think it will be easily granted first that such as own the said Christian profession are most properly opposed to and called out of the world in this sense and secondly that such are most properly the visible Church But enough if not too much of this 't is time to take up with this item that though haply this discourse may tend to some insensible advantage in the main question yet the stresse of it resteth not upon this point For we may prove that the visible Church is truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace whether the visible Church be found in the issue to be most properly a Church or not therefore the sense of this word truely in the question we shall now make bold to enquire into CHAP. II. Of the terme truely or the Church truely so called WE now proceed to the predicate in question or that which is questioned of this subject the visible Church contained in these words of the question truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace Wherein we have before observed First that which is more directly questioned in these words truely a Church of Christ Secondly the condition or limitation thereof in the words annex'd without respect to saving grace To begin with the first I humbly conceive that a good and cleare understanding of this terme truely or how the Church may be said to be truely so may have a strong subserviency to a happy decision of the main controversie wherefore I shall take the liberty to enlarge my sense and notion thereof to as much plainesse as I am able 1. Truth as predicable of the visible Church is sometimes expressed by vera and sometimes by verè By vera ecclesia is usually meant the Church not onely endued Ecclesia vera with the truth of being but endowed also with the truth of goodnesse or the goodnesse of well-being and under some excellency of doctrine or manners or both By verè ecclesia is usually intended the being of the Church Verè alone and not the quality unlesse so farre it intend the evil qualities of any Church as to secure its being against them Accordingly Divines use to say that such a Church as is very corrupt and yet retaineth the essence or being of a Church of Christ is verè or truely a Church of Christ but not vera ecclesia or a true Church that is a pure or an holy Church as an honest man is said to be verus homo a true man and a thief who is not properly said to be a true man is doubtlesse verè homo and as truely a man as any other verè serving to expresse truth as natural and vera as moral Yet with leave though this distinction may serve to explain The distinction excepted against our meanings I adde that 't is well-known to all that are schollars that both these termes vera and verè may be lawfully applyed to the Church or any thing while the physical being thereof is not wholly perish'd though the defects in morals be never so notorious if we speak of the subject under that notion and of truth as attributed thereunto in its physical acceptation A thief is doubtlesse a true man as well as truely a man if we speak of a thief quatenus homo as a man and not as a good or bad man morally true or false Thus also the Church may be said to be as well a true as truely a Church of Christ while its essentials remaine in it and it hath not yet lost its natural being be it never so corrupt in moral concernments or never so much to be censured or condemned in any such respects for if the Church hath its Ens it must be allowed its verum also 3. But it appeareth that the question carrieth the weaker terme viz. truely as that which is likeliest to be yeelded unto by such as are likeliest to dissent upon the whole whereby it easily The terme applied to the question appeareth to the Reader what is enquired after in the question namely not whether the visible Church may be considered to be a pure or a perfect Church or a true Church in a moral capacity but whether it may be considered to be truely a Church that is to have all the essentials of a visible Church or its natural being without respect to saving grace or whether the beiing of the visible Church have a necessary dependance upon saving qualifications 4. It may be also heeded that though the question run whether it may be so considered the reason whereof may appeare hereafter yet the question is not whether the truth of the Church consist only in consideration for the weight of our question resteth upon the truth of the Churches being in it self and not in our minds or conception onely this nature and truth of the Church without our mindes cannot be so quoad nos without an act of our minde viz. consideration but the question properly is de veritate ecclesiae visibilis as the Metaphysicks speak in essendo Veritatem in Rebus ipsis quae ab illâ denominantur verae Suar. disp 8. which is defined truth in the things themselves by vertue of which truth the things themselves are said to be true which is such a truth as agrees with the Church without the operation of the mind and therefore such as states the Church a real thing thing seeing competere alicui atra mentis operationem is the known definition of Reale esse Lastly this common expression truely a Church is desired to be kept unto to keep out those troublesome and disputable termes of ecclesia aequivoca and ecclesia presumptiva which are wont to perplex this controversie to both of which this verè ecclesia or the truth of the Churches being in it self stands in as evident as direct opposition for the aequivocal Church in the sense of most of those that dissent from me hath no truth of being at all and the presumed Church dependeth upon the charity of the mind of those that consider it and hath not that being that is to be certainly knowne and considered by us as it is here in question but more plainelie 1. The evasion of ecclesia presumptiva is thus anticipated whether it import the visible or invisible Church 1. If by this presumed Church be meant the visible which in favour and charity we presume to be a Church as Spalatensis and after him Davenant seemeth to some to imply though we know not who are true members thereof because we know not who among them have saving grace then who seeth not that this presumption begs the question it being evidently built upon that supposition which is mainly in controversie viz. that one cannot be a true member of the visible Church without saving grace this acceptation of the Church taketh up that respect to saving grace which
that work There is a True saving faith Distinct 1 True faith not saving This distinction may be grounded on those words of Bolton Boltons deceit of the heart p. 73. Vid. p. 94 ad p. p. 100. in this Treatise of common faith they have indeed saith he speaking of temporary beleevers true faith in their kinde namely a joyful assent to the truths of the Gospel but not the justifying faith of the Elect which they think they have Neither did I ever know any Writer of note to deny the temporary common or hystorical to be a true faith in its kinde therefore when we read our Divines asserting the saving or justifying Mark saith Mr. Perkins here is a true saith wrought by the holy Ghost yet not saving faith Epist to his declaration of a mans estate faith to be the onely true faith we are I humbly conceive to understand them cautiously as meaning not to exclude the other common faith from being true also in its kinde but not true to its full profession as to justifie and save to which this kind of common faith doth also pretend To apply I conceive the true saving faith is the necessary condition of the Church of the elect but onely of the excellency and not of the essence of the called or the visible Church This true faith doth respect the Subject beleeving Distinct 2 Object beleeving 1. When men do truely beleeve what they professe their faith is said to be true subjectively 2. When men do beleeve that which is truth their faith is said to be true objectively therefore the Gospel is called the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ viz. is sensu objectivo The first may be termed fides formalis and stands opposed to hypocrisie the last fides objectiva and stand opposed to Heresie The last viz. a beleeving the truth is necessary to the Churches being a Church of Christ and the first viz. a beleeving truely to its being truely so and therefore both necessary to render the visible Church truely a Church of Christ For though she should beleeve never so truely any thing else but God and Christ c. this its faith not fixed on God or Christ for its object could never constitute a Church of God on Christ Again though the Church should professe all faith and truth with the greatest shew imaginable if she do not truly beleeve what she thus professeth i. e. with a common or historical faith she would onely seem to men that which indeed God knows she is not viz. truely a Church of Christ We must consider of the Church In general In some particular members and of their truely beleeving Distinct 3 Actually Virtually Accordingly I adde that a truely beleeving actually is necessarily required to the true being of the visible Church in general she being the pillar and ground of truth unlesse some of her members did actually know beleeve and maintain the truth I can hardly imagine how she could be called a true visible Church of Christ Yet I doubt not but that a virtual beleeving which in a great measure may bethought to consist in our relation to our parents and the Church who do actually beleeve and in that good profession to which we are borne and which we still own as far as we are capable is sufficient to render very many particular members truely members of the visible Church which to deny is to shut the Church doore upon all our children and all that are ignorant seeing knowledge is necessary to actuall beleeving Whose right in the Church I shall yet largely defend hereafter But farther There are which Do onely not actually beleeve Distinct 4 Deny or renounce the faith Such as do onely not actually beleeve as children idiots c. may doubtlesse be members of the visible Church but I deny this priviledge to all that deny or renounce the faith advisedly and in fundamentals as one not onely condemned of God the Church but also of himself and if by profession upon designe he deceiveth men he getteth onely the name and nothing at all of thing or truth of a Church member and though men who can onely judge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must admit him to the Ordinances and priviledges of the Church yet he is but a dog eating the childrens bread to which he onely seemeth to have a right but indeed and truely have none Therefore I grant that men may not onely live within the bounds of the Church but may also proceed to make profession of the faith and seeme to be members of the visible Church and yet be no members truely thereof viz. when it is in pretence or designe as aforesaid and the subject of such a profession deny or renounce the faith if not with their mouth yet in the purpose and intent of their hearts Yet some do Formally and directly deny the faith Distinct 5 Consequently and undirectly onely Such as do directly and formally deny the faith or Christ are those which in the opinion of their minde do immediately hold quite contrary thereunto or in the rebellious action of their wills do directly reject and defie the same and both these are persons that whatsoever their passions be cannot be allowed to be truely members of the Church of Christ as more at large hereafter Because of that weakness which the Phylosopher neteth in mens capacities when he saith that the common sort cannot see things which follow in in reason an Heretick may directly grant and yet consequently deny the foundation of faith Hookers eccles pol. p. 515. Tit. 1. 16. But there are others that may be said to deny the faith or Christ though not so directly yet by consequence and indirectly and that either in opinion or practice in opinion which as it is possible though in it selfe it seeme to have no great danger in it yet it draws in the consequences of it some great errour in fundamentals as the opinion of the necessity of being circumcised in the primitive times did in the consequence of it deny Christ to be come in the flesh in practice which the Apostle affirmes when speaking of wicked men he saith They professe they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient i. e. though they did not deny God to be God or reject him as their God in a direct and proper sense yet they did as those do that do not know or own him and by consequence they did deny him though they directly professed him and professed to know and own him as profane professors use to do in every age Now I humbly conceive that neither of these two latter branches are by such a denial of the faith or of God presently cut off from the Church thereby or thereby declared to be truely no Church-members for as it would seem a hard censure to reckon Aliud est fidem violare aliud abjurare ab râ—nunciare such as deny the faith onely in the consequence of
their opinions with those that directly and in very termes renounce it so neither savours it of much charity or indeed justice that wicked men that directly professe the faith both vocally with their mouth and really by attending on the Ordinances of God be equally condemned with Apostates and Hereticks that rase the very foundation of all religion though in works they deny him Therefore such as stand baptized into the faith of Christ and yet remaine in visible Communion with the Church and do not renounce the faith of Christ either with their mouths or in the intent and purpose of their hearts cannot onely by their disobedience or wicked lives as I shall anon labour to prove unchurch themselves or declare themselves as some would rather say to be no true members of the visible Church There are in the Church such as 1. Seem and are not 2. Are and seem not 3. Are and seeme and Distinct 6 are none visi not seen 4. Are and seem and are seene also He that is and seemes not is a David in desertion he that seemes and is not is a Judas betraying with a kisse he that is and seemes and is not seen is a Saint in a cave he that is and seems and is seen also is I presume not onely the man savingly qualified professing the same before men but our ordinary professour and Church-member that usually attends upon visible communion with the Church though wanting saving grace The same persons in divers respects may seem to be what They are Distinct. 7 They are not Or the same persons may be said in one respect to be hypocrites and in another respect true beleevers so that though we are wont to condemn all for hypocrites that professe Religion without real holinesse yet I suppose I shall not erre if I say we ought to do it not without caution and limitation I confesse that if not all that thus professe Religion without saving grace yet most of them are hypocrites in that they pretend if not seem to be what they are not viz. savingly qualified and I humbly offer whether it be not in this sense that Divines generally charge such professours as have no saving grace with the sin of Hypocrisie even because they pretend to have that Mr. Perkins speaking of temporary beleevers on Luk. 8. 13. saith these though they are not sound yet they are void of that grosse kind of hypocrisie Their mindes are enlightned their hearts are endued with such faith as may bring forth these fruits for a time and therefore herein they dissemble not but rather shew that which they have His Ep. to the Reader before his Treatise tending unto a declaration of a mans estate grace and interest in Christ or as they would say in the true mysticall invisible Church which indeed they have not But let us seriously consider can either they or we with any colour of reason or justice adjudge men to be hypocrites farther then they are so or for professing themselves to be what indeed they are though also they should professe themselves to be what they are not may not men be so far illightened as to know and beleeve the Scriptures really and yet not be so far sanctified as to believe effectually to salvation and may he not professe this faith which he truely hath though he also professe and pretend to more and is he not a true beleever and a true professour so far as he hath though false and hypocritical in professing more and to be accounted a true Beleever as to the Church visible though a hypocrite as to the Church invisible A hypocrite is one that pretendeth or seemeth to be what he is not but when men that have no saving grace pretend or seeme to be visible Church-members relatively holy Gods Covenant-people common believers c. they pretend and seeme to be what in truth they are therefore thus farre they are no hypocrites but true beleevers so far as they truely beleeve and true men so far as they professe But what they thus truely believe and what they truely are The devil is an hypocrite while he professeth himself an Angel of light but when he acknowledgeth what he truely believeth that there is a God and that he is a fearful avenger of wicked spirits and that Christ is the Sonne of God c. in this the devil is no hypocrite so what is good in wicked men is still good and what is true in them is still true notwithstanding all the evil and falshood that they are guilty of Their hypocrisie in one respect cannot destroy their reality and truth in any other In a word a hypocrite as such cannot possibly be truely a member of any Church whether it be visible or invisible for that which is false as such can never be true so he that pretends to saving grace and interest in the Church invisible if his pretence to that saving grace be false his interest in this invisible Church cannot be true and likewise he that pretends to the common faith and yet doth really renounce it cannot possibly be a true member of the visible Church yet one that is an hypocrite as to the Church invisible may in another sense be a true beleever and have a real interest in the visible Church accordingly CHAP. IV. Arg. 1. From the Etymology or the Name of the Church HItherto of the Termes of the question and the sense thereof by what I have already intimated I am bound to adhere unto the affirmative part which turneth it selfe into this Thesis The visibly Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace Thus I shall now proceed as the Lord shall assist me to prove from these five considerable places or heads of Argument viz. the Etymology of the Church visible Causes of the Church visible Definition of the Church visible Testimony on my side Absurdity on the contrary First then as method requires we shall set down the Etymology of the Church and argue from it The name or word signifying Church in the Greek original which is generally allowed to be argued from is known to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which primitively derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and more immediately from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contained in it both Calling and calling out a right improvement of each of these I presume wil help us with its Argument SECT I. My first Argument then ariseth from the calling that we find Arg. 1 included in the name and is indeed inseparable from the nature Primum illud quod actu eccle siam constituit est vocatio unde nomen definitionem suam accepit ecclesia enim est coetus hominum vocatorum Med. 161 162 Inter Orthodoxos qui ecclesiam definium coetum electorum vel per electos intelligunt secundum electionem vocatos vel non ecclesiam quae actu existit Medul 161 of the Church thus Arg. 1. The Church
great meanes of the former viz. his glory as Szegedine exactly teacheth the end of the Church is the true Finalis causa ecclesiae est verus Dei cultus ordinata enim est ecclesia ad verum Dei cultum ad glorificandum Deum Szeged p. 2â—6 Theol. Instit p. 215. Quae causa finalis ecclesiae verus Dei cultus Bucan de eccl lo. 441. p. 477. worship of God for the Church is ordained for the true worship of God that he might be glorified which Trelcatius hath handsomely couched together saying that the visible Church is instituted ad cultum gloria Dei for the worship of the glory of God now as that which is suborainate hereunto the visible Church is made the seat and subject of all visible administrations whereby also the wicked in the Church may be left without excuse the Elect converted the converted edified the visible Kingdom of the Devil vanquished Christs visible Kingdom advanced and the Nations of the earth openly gained to a visible subjection thereunto in due season Secondly these are the real uses and proper ends of the visible Church For 1. The visible Church as such hath a neer aptnesse and kindlinesse Medium est aptum utile fini in it and is per se and sua natura useful hereunto viz. for the keeping and upholding the glory and worship of God in the world as none will deny seeing God is herein truely owned visibly professed submitted unto obeyed and worshipped according to his will and that with such a smooth and easie tendency as naturally Quod sua natura utile est ad aliquid efficiendum propter illud esse videtur â—ows from the visible Church as such Now it is a maxime that that which is apt of it selfe and according to its own free nature for the effecting of any thing seemeth to have its being for that very thing and by consequence that thing is truely and properly the end thereof 2. The visible Church as such is necessary for the obtaining of these ends without it what glory would redound to God in the world or what worship where else would visible Ordinances be fixt and dispens'd how would the visible Kingdome of Christ be advanc'd the visible Kingdome of Satan subverted How would hypocrites in the Church be inexcusably judged or the Elect be ordinarily saved if there were no visible Church Quod alio quo piam indiget vt acquiratur hujus finis est Sinâ— quo quicquam existere non potest in naturâ id est illi necessarium atque propter illud factum Now the Rule is that that which wants another thing for its own attaining is the end of that other thing but these particulars want the visible Church for their obtaining therefore they are the ends thereof which is evidently grounded by Scaliger upon that necessity that there is of the means in order to the end which is the thing I am urging for saith he that thing is necessary for another when that other cannot exist in nature without it and therefore this was made for that other and consequently that other thing for which this was made is the end thereof Here is a double necessity of the visible Church for the ends specified Necessitas â— Of the means i. e. without which these ends cannot 1. Medii be attained this hath been now spoken to 2. Of the ends i. e. where this means of the visible Church is there these in some true 2. Finis measure do of necessity follow which might serve us another evidence that the ends before are true and proper ends of the visible Church for quo existente necessario prâ—ducitur aliquod bonum hoc est aut videtur esse illius finis 3. God himself hat ordained the visible Church for the ends specified Praecepti vel institutionis therefore 't is yet further necessary for them viz. with a necessity of divine ordination and institution and then there is no ground of doubting left but that they are true and proper ends thereof Hath not God ordained the visible Church to put his name there to be the ground and pillar of his truth that he might have a praise and a name in the Earth and in one word that those that worship him might glorifie his Name Psalme 89. Finis rei est sua operatio Operatio est usus vel actus ad quâ—m ordinatur now if so are not these the ends for which God hath ordained the visible Church the end of a thing is but its operation and operation in this logical sense is but that use or act for which any thing is ordained by God in nature or by God in Scripture the latter of which we are now upon and therefore I shall rather choose to expresse iâ— in the worâ—ds of a Divine lately cited the Church is ordained by God for his true worship that he might Szâ—gid p. 226 be glâ—rified and therefore the end of the Church is the worship of God Thirdly as these are proper ends of the visible Church so the visible Church is truely a means of them and may be so considered without respect unto saving grace for what necessity of saving grace can we imagine to the attaining of the foresaid endâ— the glory of God in his visible worship before the eyes of men much lesse what possible necessity is theâ—e for our having respect unto saving grace when we truely consider thereof doth mens attending upon publick Ordinances essentially depend upon their saving grace or cannot we truely consider thereof but we must suppose the men savingly gracious do not the common effects of the spirit in illuminating conviacing of sinne and of necessity of attending on the means of grace for peace and salvation work men out of conscience to a constant and solemn dependance thereupon and yet none will say that any particular thus expressed doth necessarily suppose a saving work yea the end which is neerest and most generally allowed to the visible Church viz. the worship of the glory of God may doubtlesse be obtained by a great deal lesse viz. by a visible profession of and submission to that way of worship that the Lord hath ordained which doth not of necessity require such a great degree of common grace as before was specified True grace is indeed necessary to work out our own salvation But we are wont to say that gifts which do not necessarily suppose true grace are onely necessary to work on others especially in the way of the worship of God for the advancing of his name and glory thereby to the world 'T is also true that saving grace is necessary to the acceptance of our worship before God I mean to a plenary acceptance for some we read of that found some measure of true acceptance in their serving of the Lord though without saving grace But yet not necessary for the effecting of Gods glory before men that
God Joh. 1. 34. so Nathael professing said thou art the Son of God v. 49. But most remarkable is that eminent profession of Peter with Id est super hauc firmam confessionem tuam qua confiteris credis me esse Christum filium Dei viventis edificabo ecclesiam meam as Bucer in loc Christ his approbation annex'd to it Matth. 16. 16 18. thou art saith he Christ the Sonne of the living God to which our Saviour answers upon this rock upon this rock as some eminent expositors conceive of profession or upon this profession as upon a rock will I build my Church Christ then it seems will build his Church upon this rock of profession of the doctrine of faith and such as are built thereupon are true stones in his house and the true subject matter of his visible Church and those that require a profession of the grace of justifying faith or of saving grace as necessary to our entring the visible Church seem to lay another foundation thereof then Christ himself hath laid Therefore answerable hereunto is that of the Apostle being built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets i. e. as Bullinger teacheth upon their doctrine not their grace nor yet Eph. 2. ult our own not as if the Apostles and Prophets were the foundation of the Church in their persons yet it seems they were so in their doctrine which was indeed the doctrine of that one foundation other then which none may lay viz. Jesus Christ Therefore accordingly the true visible Church hath ever hitherto been argued and knowne by the truth of the doctrine which it hath professed and not by the truth of its graces 4. Therefore the true and proper principle of this profession is but a dogmatical faith seeing that faith which is the principle of such a profession must needs fix upon the same object with that profession Faith is termed hystorical in the Schooles that goeth no farther then to give assent and credit to the story of that which God speaketh to be true Culverwel of faith p 16. Vid. Rogers of faith p 6. and Ball of faith page 3. Temporary faith hath more then the former adding to knowledge and assent a profession of the Word yet living still in their sinneâ— in a carnal estâ—te Rogers page 7 Temporal faith is to assent to the heavenly doctrine to professe it and to glory therein the devils beleeve historically Ursin Cat. English by Par. page 134 135. we professing what we beleeve and beleeving what we professe viz. the doctrine of faith as the common sense within receiveth the same object which the outward organ of the eye or ear seeth or heareth Yet I further yeeld that there is an act of faith more then meerly dogmatical or historical that doth many times if not ever engage a man to be so beleeving to make a profession to the world of what he beleeveth for it is not the bare beleeving of such a truth that puts a man on to professe it but usually something of an applicative faith added thereto which faith also must needs be yeelded to be very farre short of a justifying faith and is termed by Divines a temporary faith 5. Againe this profession put on as farre as it is possible is but either vocal by word or real by deed I meane be attendance upon the visible administration of the Gospel and worship of Christ whom we professe in the sight of men for that other profession of a holy life is so indirect a profession and so uncertaine a character of the true visible Church as that it was yet never allowed by the Church of Christ in any age to be a necessary requisite to the matter of a true Church 6. But by the two former branches of this profession the matter of the Church receiveth the name both of professours and worshippers which latter terme of worshippers I cannot but expresse my good liking to 1. Because the proper quality use end and businesse of the visible Church in the world is cultus gloriae Dei as before viz. to worship God 2. And Christ himself assureth us that his Father under the Gospel-dispensation sought a people to serue him by this very terme namely to worship him John 4. 3. And the rule for the finding out the material cause of a thing is Cujus rei propria qualitas in aliquo composito reperitur id est hujus materia 7. But to conclude not any one or all of these do necessarily suppose that faith which justifieth or saving grace a man may Eternally those are within the Covenant who expressing their repentance with their profession of the truth though they have not the sound work of faith nor never shall Hook surv p. 36. truely beleeve and outwardly profess the doctrine of Christ and constantly attend upon the Ordinances of worship a man may be a professour of the true faith and a worshipper of Christ with outward worship and thus be truely a part of the matter of the visible Church and all this without saving grace as none can deny 8. Therefore the subject matter of the visible Church may be truely considered to be the matter of the Church of Christ without respect to saving grace 9. Yea if we speak of particular members and not of the whole I conceive that so much as is already yeelded is not absolutely necessary to the matter of the visible Church for one that is born within the Church and never yet did actually renounce his relation thereunto though he do not actually beleeve or vocally professe c. as is the very case of Children Ignorants Ideots and Mad-men I doubt not to affirme to be a real part of the matter thereof For as Reverend Master Cotton from His holinesse of Church members p. 1. New England teacheth such as are borne of Christian parents and baptized in their infancy into the fellowship of the Church are initiated members of the same Church though destitute of spiritual grace until they justly deprive themselves of the priviledge of that fellowship CHAP. X. The Argument from the forme constituent of the visible Church HAving found the viâ—â—ble Church considerable as truely such in all the rest of its causes we now proceed to examine and argue from the form thereof And if we shall be able to prove that this cause also may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace I presume that nothing can possibly intercept this our conclusiâ—n there-from viz. then the visible Church may be considered Posita forma in materia cengrua necessario fit compositum Arist formam vâ—cat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be truely such in it selfe when it hath beene found to be truely such in all its causes without respect thereunto For Forma tribuit essentiam completam câ—mpâ—sitâ— it presupposeth the matter informed by it yea it is said not onely to perfect but even to give the very being to
Churches in England that have at present I know not for what cause laid aside that practice are therefore not visible true Churches Though I highly approve of such a solemn declaration of the faith if possible in the same sound forme of words to be universally made yet I humbly conceive that this is but a prudential humane Ordinance and therefore not so necessary or so neer the essence or so essential a mark of the Church as sound doctrine and pure Sacraments both which are undoubtedly of immediate divine institution and without which the Church cannot exist Which thing Trelcatius doth thus most accurately and fully open the proper and essential note of the visible Church which flows immediately from the very forme of it is but one viz. the Nota propria essentialis ecclesiae visibilis proximeque fluens ex forma illius unica est veritas scilicet verbi Dei Revelati ac communicati cui veritas Sacramentorum tanquam connexum inseperabile conjuncta est Utriusque enim veritas ita proprium essentiale est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ecclesiae ut veritas haec ecclesia convertantur Instit Theol. p. 224. truth of the Word of God revealed and communicated to which the truth of the Sacraments is inseparably joyned for which he quotes Heb. 4. 12. John 10. 27. Matth. 28. 10. Rom. 4. 11. for as he addes the truth of both is such a proper and essential mark of the Church that this truth of both Word and Sacraments and the Church are convertible But of this I shall have more occasion in the next Chapter therefore I have onely this to do here namely to set this profession of the faith before you to consider whether it doth necessarily suppose saving grace or not in any of these senses 1. May not personal vocal profession be made without saving We are to acknowledge a Church of Christ more or lesse corrupt according to the greater or lesse abuse of Gods Word and worship Bp. Usher p. 39. his sum of Rel. grace and the truth be professed as well as beleeved where saving grace is wanting 2. May not ecclesiastical profession whether more formally by a solemn Creed read and silently consented unto by the people be also done and considered without any respect to saving grace in the declarer or consenters 3. Or that other real profession consisting in attendance upon the Ordinances of God be considered to have truth for its object both in Word and Sacraments and yet without respect to saving graces Againe the accidental notes of the Church are also generally acknowledged to be of two sorts inseparable or proper and separable or common The separable and proper notes of a true Church are said to be the pure preaching of the Word and the lawful administration of the Sacraments which are but the meanes or actions of conveyance and application of the foresaid truth of both unto the Church and so near unto the profession thereof which was said before to be the essential mark of the Church that I have already reduced it thither and need not repeat it here againe The separable notes of the Church whatsoever they be cannot conclude any thing against me because they are such I meane separable and therefore not necessary in our consideration of the being of the Church However that we leave not them onely untoucht they are usually reduced unto two heads 1. Ecclesiastical power 2. And holiness of life Ecclesiastical power hath three branches the power of Ministry the power of Order the power of Discipline all which may easily be considered without the least respect to saving grace 1. Judas may truely exercise his Ministry And 2. Outward Order may be fix'd and observed And 3. Discipline may be erected and dispensed without any necessary supposition of saving grace either in the parties so dispensing or in the objects openly scandalous on which the Discipline is dispensed as hath beene touched before and will be more fully handled hereafter I confesse holiness of life cometh neerest to shew its respect to saving grace but this also shewes as much respect to my cause as easily appeares by this concluding argument If holiness of life be separable from a true Church then saving grace is separable from a true Church for if a holy life doth not alwayes suppose saving yet saving grace doth not always produce a holy life But it is still confessed by those which write most accurately on the Church that holinesse of life is a separable accidental note which is onely necessary to the order and welfare of the Church and not to the being or truth thereof Now if saving grace be separable from a true Church then it may be considered to be truely such without respect thereunto The summe of the general Argument from the causes is this The Summe of the Argument from the causes in general All the causes of the visible Church may really exist without the work of saving grace viz. The efficient as Authour God Head Christ The end of the Glory of God on earth before men Worship The matter whether it be Professors of the faith The outwardly called Outward worshippers The form whether it be Constituting Distinguishing he forme constituting whether it be Faith Calling Society or community The form distinguishing whether it be Essential Profession of the faith or truth of word Sacraments ccidental inseperable Pure preaching of the word and administration of Sacraments Therefore the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace CHAP. XII The Argument from the definition of the visible Church first from its special quality HAving done with the causes we proceed to the definition whence we thus argue The definition of the visible Church doth not suppose saving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grace therefore the definition the visible Church it self may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace for the definition of a thing is but that whereby the nature of that thing is declared or explicated and is plainly convertible with the thing defined Now whether the definition of the visible Church be inclusive of saving grace or not may appear First from the parts thereof severally considered And Secondly by a view of such definitions of the Church as are already given us by approved Authours 1. The parts are three 1. The special quality of the visible Church 2. Or the special work and employment thereof Or lastly the state and condition wherein the Church so qualified is rendred capable of that employment First let us look upon the special quality of the visible Church which may be conceived to be either the faith calling or profession thereof Whence by some the visible Church is in short defined to be a company or society of Beleevers or a company of men called by external vocation or a company professing the Christian and true Religion where the weight and emphasis rests upon
members of the Church but infidels but neither temporary beleevers nor foederal as before can ever from the Scripture be proved either to be infidels or savingly beleevers 2. Foederal faith is not justifying or in Wallaeus his word doth not justifie the childe yet this entitles the childe to visible Church membership and by this to wit foederal faith all that are borne in the Church are entitled and stand possessed of the said membership and this is the very state and case of most of the people of God in England and that which answereth our own case might give satisfaction without further enquiry 3. Yet if not a dogmatical faith a faith lesse then justifying or a temporary faith or a common faith which so farre draweth the person beleeving and to own and apply himself by desire of and submission unto Baptisme to the true Religion though it work not so deep as was before explained is sufficient to admit an adult heathen as more largely anon into communion with the Church as easily appears in Simon who had no more in the Eunuch who professed no more and in the stony ground which hereby stood in a due possession of this communion till in the time of temptation it fell away CHAP. XIII Touching Communion in the Ordinances of God and the place it hath in the definition of the Church WE now proceeed to the second great specialty observable in the definitions of the visible Church taken from its chief office and employment viz. communion in the Ordinances and worship of God Here though I do not altogether exclude the qualifications spoken to yet I shall humbly offer whether communion in the worship and Ordinances of God be not fitter to define the visible Church by then the former qualifications thereof Cons 1. Such as lay most weight upon the former qualifications of faith calling and profession in their definitions of the visible Church do yet ever adde more then a touch of this holy exercise and communion of it to the perfecting of their said definitions as will appeare expresly anon Amesius himself adds unto his societas fidelium ad communionem sanctorum constanter inter se Med. p. 168. exercendum Cons 2. These qualifications seeme fitter to define the Church as invisible by seeing they also are invisible indeed Ames defineth the Church to be coetus vocatorum but he evidently intends Vid. Med. cap. 31. 7. p. 162 the mystical or invisible Church it is a most usual thing for Divines to define the mystical by which they intend the Church of the saved after this manner viz by some occult invisible quality of faith love calling or the like whereas the defining of the Church from its outward acts and exercises in the worship of God is without some shew of exactnesse to define the Church as visible from something visible Cons 3. If the visible Church should take its definition rather from the said qualifications then from its communion in Ordinances then would the Church be rather known from the evidence of these qualifications then from its communion in Ordinances for that which flows most immediately from the essence of a thing into our apprehension and knowledge cannot but be reckoned the most essential and therfore the best mark of that thing But the Church on the contrary hath been ever better knowne and distinguished by the Ordinances wherein it communicates then from any personal qualities whatsoever 1. Therefore the truth of the Ordinances and the truth of the faith which is professed hath been ever respected and looked upon as an essential mark and indeed the onely essential mark of the true visible Church while personal qualities have beene ever reckoned among the seperable adjuncts thereof 2. Indeed purity of life and evidences of saving grace I humbly conceive are rather the purity of single members but the purity of Ordinances the purity of the Church as such so that the purer the Ordinances the purer the Church c. contra As even all our Divines do argue upon the Marks of the Church against the Papist and as is most punctually and fully asserted by the Irish confession Artic. 58. But particular and visible Churches of those that make a profession of the faith and live under the outward meanes of salvation be many in number wherein the more or lesse sincerely according to Christs institution the Word of God is taught not practiced and the Sacraments are administred not received and the authority of the keys is used not obeyed the more or lesse pure are such Churches to be accounted Cons 4. The Church is rather and better distinguished from O holy Socrates O holy Plato O devilish Christian O wicked Protestant Woods Serm. p. 49 its opposite viz. the world by its fellowship in Ordinances then by the evidence of inward qualities or saving grace any other way therefore its definition should rather be taken from thence 1. Many Christians are not so civil as some Heathens and many Heathens are not so profane as some Christians yet no Heathens do attend the Ordinances of God as Christians do in their solemn assemblies 2. As Heathens taken in a large sense for all infidels do openly oppose the true religion so Christians do more openly own and maintain the same in these their solemne meetings and properly publick assembles particular persons stand in most direct opposition to infidels not by their own private calling faith or profession but by their relation to these bodies and Assembles of Gods people and the communion thereof in the worship of God in publick 3. Therefore therein also the Church is most exposed to the malice of those that seek her life and thirst to destroy her very being in the world not so much in her righteousnesse towards men or in her private enjoying or separate professing the faith of Christ as in her publick and valiant owning and serving her Lord in the wayes and Ordinances of divine worship as it were to the worlds and the God of the worlds defiance for fear of whom they flinched Heb. 10. and forsock the assembling of themselves together with the Church Cons 5. This further appears if we well consider the onely way that God himself hath generally if not ever taken directly and judicially to un-church a people namely by removing his Ordinances and not his graces their faith calling or profession from them Look over all the books and works of God and see whether this can be questioned the very people that murthered Christ yet to them belongs the promise Acts 2. and they are the seed of the Covenant chap. 3. and so continue notwithstanding this height of all impiety untill the Ministry and Ordinances are turned from them to the Gentiles Acts ult 't is granted that such desperate wickednesse doth not onely deserve that God should spew a people out but also it doth violently provoke him to it yea it is threatned with it Rev. 3. 16. Yet observe they are to be
spewed out of his mouth his word is to be removed from them for how did those Asian Churches cease to be so but by the Lords performance of that other threatning in order unto this viz. removing his Candlestick out of their place Revel 2. 5. Cons 6. Yea a people have no other way to unchurch themselves but by their voluntary breaking of their communion in the Ordinances of God by heresie poysoning them and thus making them die and cease to be Gods Ordinances or schisme directly rejecting them or by the perfection of both in a total Apostasie But though wickednesse did ever unchurch a people demeritoriè it never yet did unchurch a people formaliter vel effectivè as will appear more anone Yea though Heresie be indeed a renouncing the faith and schisme a renouncing the profession of the faith yet at present I conceive that heresie doth properly and strictly unchurch as it denieth the faith not as it is the faith of Christ but as it is the foundation of this communion in the Word and Sacraments Being built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and accordingly schisme doth stictly unchurch as it breaks off this communion and not as it ceaseth the profession of the faith Therefore breaking off from this communion is most exactly and properly termed schisme or a renting of the Church and ungodlinesse of heart or life and indeed a ceasing to professe the faith as such is not so properly or stictly schysme Cons 7. These qualifications faith holinesse calling and profession may all be found where there is no instituted or formed Church and consequently to our congregational brethrens principles who as Master Cotton in the name of his brethren phraseth it say that the universal visible Church is a Chimaera where there is no formed visible Church wherein Ames is so expresse Fideles non constituant ecclesiam particularem nisi speciali Med. p. 167. vinculo inter se conjungantur which onely renders them capable of this communion the Jewish Church being dissolved the Elect that were saved were not of themselves a formed instituted Church but must therefore be added to the Gentile-Churches i. e. Congregations Therefore these personal qualifications are not so fitted to the definition of the visible Church as communion in the Ordinances of God for wheresoever this is fixed and settled there is undoubtedly a true visible Church this communion supposeth the called beleevers professors on the one side and the officers or dispensers of the Ordinances on the other side and plainly expresseth or signifieth to us the essence or truth of the visible Church by the formal actions of it Now that I may yet be more free from exception and more truely understood I shall here recollect and subjoyne what hath beene already in a scattered way hinted about these two great considerable in a few brief concessions and propositions Prop. 1. I grant that these personal qualifications are necessarily supposed in this communion in Ordinances in the senses before given of them the persons thus communicating are such as are called thereunto such as professe the faith therein and such as are presumed to beleeve what they thus professe or at least not to deny or renounce it Prop. 2. These qualifications are therefore necessary conditions of Church members or of such particular persons as assemble themselves with the Church in this worship of God or as Ames most Med. p. 163 accurately forma vocatorum the forme of the called not of the Church Prop. 3. Therefore these qualifications are rather to be reduced to the matter of the Church then to the forme Prop. 4. I grant therefore that they fitly serve to expresse the qualification of the matter of the Church in the definition thereof as I conceive Amesius and others mean whose definitions of the visible Church are usually begun thus a company of beleevers c. or of the called c. or of such as profess the faith or the true Religion Prop. 5. Yet I humbly conceive the maine distingushing part of the definition of the visible Church lieth in the communion of Ordinances for the reasons above specified this being as was said the formal action of it immediately springing from its forme and essence viz. society or community which is the next great particular in the definition of the Church and now at hand to be considered Onely by the way let this be concluded with the easie notice that my designe is yet going on seeing none can doubt but if persons void of saving grace may be truely considered to have faith calling and profession as before they may much easier also be considered to partake of the outward communion of the Church in the worship and Ordinances of God and therefore so far none can hinder the definition of the Church to be applicable therunto without respect to saving grace CHAP. XIV Touching that State of the Church whereby it is capable of communion in Ordinances viz. Community THe last great particular that claimeth a place in the definition of the Church is that proper condition or state thereof that only renders it capable of the exercise of this employment comes now to be handled This I presume will be generally consented unto to be a company community or society as it strictly intends communion in the worship of God wherein I humbly conceive is contained 1. Many particular persons or men in the kinde not sex or age 1. Many coetus requirit decem 2. Many men for other creatures below man are not capable of making a society it being a political and therefore a rational state and Angels are almost as much above it society being a state of discourse and so most properly belonging to discoursive creatures viz. men according to that of the Grammarian coetus requirit decem homines this is supposed in a society Cod. 2. The union of these men by some kinde of bond or other whereby they are embodied and made an habitual assembly a fixed society this is expressed 3. Actual communion in the Ordinances of God this is intended Coetus or societas here is therefore to be taken in a moral or political sense from corporations or companies of trade So 1. 'T is orderly not tumultuons 2. 'T is fixed not occasional 3. 'T is habitual not onely actual 4. It hath officers belonging to an orderly and fix'd society of this nature 5. Therefore lastly 't is a society of Christians governed by the Minister or Ministers of the Gospel as we still finde it to be in Scripture I shall crave leave to explicate my self herein a little further by a few propositions Prop. 1. This community is of necessity required in the true or false definition of the visible Church Prop. 2. This community doth directly immediately and formally Foederata ifla conjunctio tantum constituit ecclesiam quotenus spectat ad communionem sanctorum exercendam Am. Med 169. intend communion Communion is the most
in Ordinances so Mr. Hudson the visible Church saith he is a company of people called or separated by God from Idols to the true Religion and yeelding professed subjection to that call and more plainly Wollebius the visible Church is a company of persons commonly called as well Elect as reprobate But no Authour that I have yet met withal did ever define the Church without specifying and expressing this society or community one way or other Apollonius begins his definition with societas the Leiden Professors with coetus So Wallebius Trelcatius Ames and Augustine with unitas of English men Bradshaw saith the Churches of Christ are holy assemblies Dayrel saith a particular visible Church is a company c. so Hudson the visible Church is a company c. And Arnobius upon the 19 Arti a Congregation of faithful people Therefore it is likely that the unity or society of the Church deserveth the first and the highest place in the definition thereof Lastly therefore I shall conclude my selfe in those expresse Fideles non constituunt ecclesiam particularem quamvis simul plures in codem loco conveniant aut vivant nisi speciali vinculo inter se conjugantur Med. p. 169. Vinculum hoc est foedus c. Ibid. words of Amesius that neither the faithful or many faithful or many faithful meeting together or living in one place do thereby constitute a particular Church without they be further joyned together by some special bond among themselvs and I shall not fear to adde with him that this bond is a Covenant and that this covenant ought to be such as he there defineth it viz. that whereby the faithful oblige themselves particularly to performe all those duties both towards God and mutually towards each other which respect the Condition and Edification of the Church Yet give me leave to explain my self in a few particulars touching this bond or Covenant and I shall hasten to the conclusion of this last particular 1. I grant this bond or covenant may be lawfully expressed at the first constitution of a particular Church because it rationally agreeth with the nature of such a society 2. I further grant that the expresse bond being a prudential thing may be so much the neerer to necessity by how much the more prudence dictates it to be of use and discovers more evident occasion thereof accidentally occurring at the constitution of such a Church 3. Yet I must interpose against the necessity thereof in its own nature because we finde not any such command in Scripture nor any such practice in the primitive Churches 4. Neither may the want much lesse the absence thereof by any means be hence interpreted to the questioning of the truth of such Churches as have the Word and Sacraments purely or but truly administred and constantly attended upon for who can deny but that these are infallible marks yea essential notes of a true Church besides it is apparent even thereby that there is an implicit bond or covenant wherein to such a people are not onely taken with God but mutuo inter se mutually with one another seeing as the prophet queries how can two walk together unlesse they be agreed which two of the most eminent Dr. Ames and Mr. Hooker as well as moderate Congregational men have under their hands acknowledged to be all that 's necessary to the truth of a visible Church in this respect 5. Therefore we must with them conclude that the form consisteth not in a Covenant as expressed for then where that was wanting the Church could not exist but as a Covenant or mutual bond so far as it is necessarily supposed in the nature of such a society or community 6. Although I have before granted that either an expresse or implicite covenanting to performe the duties of Church members is a necessary duty binding all that are admitted into such a relation Yet I must still deny it to be of such absolute necessity as that the non-real and actual intention in a particular person so to covenant and oblige himselfe should exclude the reality of his visible Church-membership provided his desire to be admitted be real and sincere The reality of his desire of admission is essential to his very admission but the reality of his actual purpose to performe all the duties to which he is obliged by his admission is onely essential to his safe admission the first is necessary for his being the last for his well-being in this state of the Church membership Indeed he is passively bound by the command of God as also by his relation to this society of the Church both actively Persons may be passively bound when they do not actively binde themselves and actually to oblige himself unto the said duties yet if by reason of the Churches carelesnesse he is not put upon it or by reason of his ignorance of this his duty or his unwillingnesse to engage at present so farre in it he shall not thus oblige himself he is not thereby presently disobliged from his duty by the nullity of this his Relation or visible Church membership 7. This actual obliging himself in truth to performe all the duties There is a necessary duty a necessary condition of a Church-member is therefore a necessary duty accompanying his admission but no necessary condition thereof or without which he cannot be admitted And this I would conceive to be the meaning of Ames his words before noted viz. the bond without which the faithful do not constitute a particular Church is a Covenant vel expressum vel implicitum which implicitum I humbly conceive must necessarily An implicit Covenant opposed to an expresse and an actual covenanting An actual conanting is either vocal or mental We covenant consequentially or vertually what neither expressely nor actually be opposed both to expressum and to actuale and his meaning is or should be that neither an expresse that is a vocal nor yet an actual whether vocal or mental Covenant is a condition so necessary as without which the faithful cannot constitute a Church but a conjunction so far foederata as his phrase is as is necessary to communion which doth implicitely i. e. consequentially though not expressely and vertually though not actually also bind the faithful i. e. all the members of the Church particulatim to the performance of all those duties which the nature of so holy a society calls them unto For I readily grant that though particular persons do not actually either in their words or thoughts oblige themselves so largely yet by their very desire of admission into the Church if admitted they do by consequence and vertue thereof oblige themselves unto all those duties that the state into which they desire to be and are accordingly admitted doth necessarily and naturally We binde our selves vertually to more when we yeeld to be admitted sometimes then we that are admitted think of or intend put them upon so
is invisible and visible this distinction is a distribution of the adjuncts of the same subject in divers respects the one internal the other external I confesse the reformed Divines I mean many of them do affirme that the invisible Church is onely revera ecclesia the true Church but their meaning I humbly conceive must be taken with a great deal of caution which with all humility I shall labour to unfold in a few distinctions as neere their owne sense and with as much of their spirit as I am able The Distinctions which may help us herein may be either of the Epithete true or the subject the Church 1. Truth as applicable to the Church is taken Respectu Naturali Vel Entitatis Morali Vel Status Vel Finis Now I humbly offer whether the reformed Divines asserting the invisible Church to be the onely true Church can possibly be though to exclude the visible Church from being true in the first branch of this division viz. in that natural sense whereby a thing is said to have the truth of being and existence why then do they still define the visible Church and give it all its Profession and preaching of the true doctrine is the only proper and certain note of the true Church Hildersham on Joh. 4. p. 161 This was the meaning of Wickliff Husse and others who therefore define the Church to be the multitude of the elect not for that they think them onely to pertain to the Church and no others but because they only pertain unto it principally fully effectually and finally Field on the Church p. 13. Distinct 2. real causes why do they tell us of the marks of the true visible Church why do none of them assert that the visible is not truely a Church or that the invisible Church is alone the Church truely so called yea in that they assert it to be visible they conclude it to be real seeing we cannot see that that is not Therefore they may be granted to meane onely that the invisible Church is onely true with respect to her state in the favour of God and to her end salvation that is the members of the invisible Church alone are certainly and infallible instated in the love of God and to be saved their controversie with the Papist engaged them to both these in their defence of the invisible Church and perseverance but no further for though the question was whether all in the visible Church were in a state of grace or whether all that were in a state of grace should persevere therein to the end yet we never read that they ever came to question whether the visible Church might be truely said to be a Church of Christ or not the centrary being indeed acknowledged on both sides The Church invisible then is the onely true Church in this moral sense it onely being truely in the love and favour of God and sure of salvation but the visible Church is also true in a natural sense it being really and truely a Church of God Or 2. Truth as applied to the Church is so Simpliciter Secundum quid Truth as taken in general large or simple acceptation may be easily conceived to be granted by the reformed Divines even to the visible Church 't is true in its kinde with such a truth as is agreeable to the nature of a visible Church I think none will deny this nor affirm the invisible Church to be the onely true Church in this sense Yet there is a restrained sense of truth in order to some particular determination of it which belongs onely to the Church invisible and which our Divines must needes meane whatever it be yet generally they explaine themselves as Bullinger doth himselfe revera ecclesia saith he viz. fideles Electi Dei viva membra connexa Christo non modo vinculis externis notis sed spiritu fide In which words he plainly expresseth that there is a double way of being knit to Christ 1. Fide spiritu 2. Vinculis externis notis The first of which he intends when he speaks of the true Church viz. that the invisible Church is the onely true Church in this respect of being knit unto Christ by faith and the spirit leaving room for any to conclude besides that such as are knit unto Christ by outward bonds alone are yet so farre truely knit as to be truely members of the visible though not of the Church invisible Vnion with Christ is true outwardly externis vinculis by which the visible Church is truely his Church and true savingly whereby the invisible Church is the onely true Church in that respect The subject of this questioned truth may also be distinguished for the better discovery of the minde of these Divines herein The Church is taken Strictly Largely Consisting of the Elect regenerate Distinct 1. Hac autem ecclesia latius accepta quatenus bonos malos continet Zanch. de eccl p. 65. Militans ecclesia rursus consideratur dupliciter vel enim strictius considerata vel latius malos complexa Bul. Dec. 350. Vox ecclesia ambigui stricte latissime minus late in quo electi hypocrite Ravanel c. Objicis sat scio hypocritas me numerasse c. Dec. p. 347 Good and bad This we may the bolder insist upon because it is of so frequent use amongst the reformed Divines themselves upon the same occasion and as they themselves explaine it the Church strictly taken is the Church invisible consisting onely of the Elect as Trelcatius Bullinger c. or of the Elect-regenerate and called as Ames and others and the Church largely taken consisting of the Elect and reprobate Beleevers and hypocrites good and bad as their general language is To apply it when these Divines affirme that the invisible Church is the onely true Church can they be understood in any other sense then this viz. that they onely are the true Church in this close strict and saving sense as the Church is taken strictly and is it not as evident as any thing in the world that they intend only to shut hypocrites out of the Church in this strict and saving sense and as plaine that they allow them a place in the Church as it is largely taken which large acceptation of the Church is by themselves generally expressed to be ecclesia bonos malos amplexa Bullinger frames an objection on purpose that he may have an occasion to declare his minde to this point his objection is How can hypocrites being members of Satan be members of the Church He answers by distinguishing of hypocrites Some saith he confide in their own righteousnesse as the Pharisees did these are not others do not so but neither hating nor flying from nor persecuting the Church do outwardly joyne with it and professe the same faith a while with it c. these are members of the Church till they fall away and much more those that continue in
by persons who possibly never shall be saved and therefore who have not any saving grace The visible Church consisteth of good and bad as at the beginning we see it did in Cain and Abel whereupon our Saviour compareth the Church to a net in which are fishes good and bad But I shall conclude the matter out of doubt with the observation made for us by the industrious exposition of the English Articles The members of the visible Church it saith are some of them for God and some against God all of them not withstanding deemed parts of the Church so long as they make no manifest and open rebellion against the Gospel which also addes that the Churches bear witnesse hereunto referring us to confes l. Hel. v. 1. Art 14. and 2. c. 17. Bohem. c. 8. Gal. Art 11. Wittimb Art 32. Survic Art 15. whereunto I also refer my Reader CHAP. XXIII The judgement of the Brownists and of our Church against them herein THe third more special occasion exacting the judgement of the Church herein was given by the Brownists whereupon we shall briefly note two things to serve us in our passage 1. That it was the opinion of the Brownists that the essence of the visible Church consisted in saving grace contrary to what I am labouring to prove 2. That this was judged an errour and a great part of the errour of Brownisme as such by the eminent patrons of our Church and truth in that generation going onely before as in the present designe 1. That this was the opinion of the Brownists indeed viz. that the essence of the visible Church carrieth in it saving grace most plentifully appears by their asserting owning and pleading for the same in all their writings witnesse Smith Barrow Ainsworth Robinson Johnson and Cann c who tell us Defence of the churches p. 17 their Apol. p. 44 counterpoison p. 115. and 200 Barrows true description of the visible church p. 2 Principles and infer p. 8. 10 that the Church is a separated company of righteous men from the open wicked men of the world and that it cannot consist of all sorts good and bad in which no unclean thing or person entreth that keepeth the unity of faith in the bond of peace and love unseigned that is a company of faithful people that truely worship Christ and readily obey him a company of Converts a visible communion of Saints that is such as are separate from all known sinne practising the whole will of God known growing in grace and knowledge and continuing to the end And more fully and accurately let Smith be heard once more in the name of the rest the true forme of a true visible Church saith he is partly inward and partly outward the inward Princ. inf p. 11 part of the forme consisteth in three things 1. The Spirit 2. Faith 3. Love The Spirit is the soul animating the whole body faith uniteth the members of the body to the head Christ Jesus love uniteth the members of the body each to other the outward part thereof is a vow promise oath or Covenant betwixt God and the Saints 2. Now that this was held the errour of the Brownist and a part of their Brownisme and that it was not the allowed opinion of the true Church especially in England appeares abundantly in the disputations of all our Divines against them wherein we find these two propositions irrefragably proved 1. That an Assembly may be a true visible Church though its worship be very corrupt 2. That persons may be members of the visible Church by professing the true Religion though without sincere grace or holy life the latter of which is directly for us and in defence whereof Dayrel so smartly replied to Mr. Ainsworth you speak saith he you know not what for herby you imply a true visible Dayr p. 36 37 Church is a company of people professing and practicing such things as will bring them to salvation Whereupon it follows that there is no hypocrite in the visible Church for whose practice is answerable to his holy profession he is no hypocrite nor reprobate or any that shall be damned and thus you unawares confound the visible and the invisible Church Johnson himself testifieth thus much on our behalf even while he His defence of the churches and Ministry of England p. 71. saieth his accusation against us the forward preachers of England as he pleaseth to call them teach saith he that the true visible Church of Christ is not a separated company of righteous men from the open wicked of the world but may consist of people good and bad Neither may we think that that this was the doctrine of the Episcopal A book by sundry godly and learned Ministers standing out suffering in the cause of non conformity party alone for the very non-conformists have a book extant intended purposely against the separation and therein neere the beginning of that book they openly acquit themselves of and charge Barrow and the old Separatists with this errour that they held the visible Church to be a company of faithful people that truely worship Christ and readily obey him CHAP. XXIV Seven Arguments yet further proving that the judgement of the Church hath alwayes been on our side introduced by two Objections THere is a twofold distinction by some made use of to evade or weaken the authority aforesaid 1. It is urged that some eminent Divines assert that hypocrites are onely equivocè and not verè of the visible Church But hereunto we need only remember what hath formerly been I think truely observed that such Divines understand by Church in the proposition the Church of the saved which they themselves usually called the Church Catholick or the Church inviand none can doubt but such Church-membership is predicable of hypocrite onely nominally or equivocally and not really 2. It is also pleaded that some as eminent affirme and teach that hypocrites are onely in the Church not of the Church But * This tenent may seeme to cross many of our own Dâ—vines in their writings against the Papists but indeed it doth onely seem so for it is manifest that the Church which they intend is not the same with this which I have to deal withal for they speak of the Chuâ—ch catholick consisting only of the Elect. Hudson his Epistle Here we may fairly understand our Divines to meane the visible Church in the former and the invisible Church in the latter branch of this distinction q. d. they are in the visible When Willet had let fall that expression that wicked men are in but not of the Church he presently corrected himself adding yea they wicked men may be members of the visible church for a time Gen. 2. contro of the church p 62 Church but not of the Church invisible as the number of the saved Or as before we received from Doctor Field We are to take them as intending onely when
quis Christianam fidem se amplecti profiteatur ecclesiae per Baptismum inseri â—oget B. z. other Religions and expressed desire to be united to the Christian Church by baptism is with a professed subjection to the wayes and Ordinances of Jesus Christ the onely necessary requisite to constitute a Heathen a member of the visible Church and to give him title to the badge thereof viz. Baptisme I grant this must be serious otherwise it cannot give a real right yet I meane such a seriousnesse as may consist without saving grace and might otherwise be expressed by truth or earnestnesse as opposed to dissembling deceit designe or hypocrisie as before is explained Now if this embracing Religion and desire of baptisme be thus serious I presume such a one hath a real right in the Church and baptisme and may be lawfully admitted thereunto by the Church without further scrutiny or examination after such or such a measure of knowledge or holinesse or the inward saving condition of the party and this I hold upon the following reasons added to what hath been formerly urged Reas 1. Heathens may be lawfully received by the Church now upon the same moral conditions that the proselytes were in the time of the Law and that both by parity and identity of reason for Heathens embracing the Christian Religion now are as really made proselytes into the Jewish Church I meane the same Church which was then Jewish but now is Christian as the ancient proselytes were then for though the Church be changed in its outward dispensation and Ordinances it is still the same in its subjects and Covenant as appeares undeniably against the Anabaptist from Romans 11. Ephes 3. 6 c. But now the Jewish ancient proselytes were received and accordingly circumcised by the Church upon such a single disowning all false religions and adhering to the true with a desire to adjoyne themselves to the people and worship of the true God Therefore upon the same terms supplying what is necessarily to be supplied touching the Messias now come may Christ an proselytes be lawfully admitted into the Christian flock and number and be baptized Reas 2. That which is sufficient to make a disciple is sufficient to make a visible Church-member and to give claime to baptisme as Master Cotton and others reason well from Matth. 28. 18. Now an expressed desire to be admitted into the Schoole with a proffer to submit to the Rules and Laws thereof and to be taught and ruled accordingly is sufficient the party being thus received to disciple or make one a Schollar or a member of the School without the addition of such qualities or measures of learning or aptnesse thereunto Therefore a single desire to be joyned to the School of Christ and a professed subjection as Mr. Hudson speaks to the government thereof without any further evidence is sufficient to entitle a person to this disciple-ship and to warrant his reception and sealing by the Church Reason 3. Some Scripture admit into the Church upon as low termes as these viz. upon a general desire of baptisme and to submit to the wayes of the Lord in communion with his Church as might be instanced in all the examples of Johns Baptisme with that of the multitude Acts 2. of whom it is said that they gladly received the Word and were baptized Therefore persons may be lawfully admitted upon as low and easie termes still For 1. what was done in such cases in the Word may be lawfully done still for nothing was done unlawfully then and what was done then was written there for our imitation and learning 2. Though some other Scripture should require more then this viz. upon some consideration yet reason will prompt us to look for the minimum quod sic what may lawfully be done in such places as require least seeing every place and instance in Scripture requireth sufficient Reas 4. A profession that Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God with a desire to be united to the Christians communion by Baptisme rendred the Eunuch worthy to be admitted into the Church and baptized therefore so much doth others also What Philip required more in his question matters not if his answer had not been satisfactory doubtlesse he had not been baptized Reas 5. He that embraceth the Catholick faith or doctrine partaketh of the essence of the entitive Church and he that submitteth himself to baptisme and ecclesiastick communion partaketh of the essence of the organical Church therefore he that embraceth the one and submitteth to the other hath all that is essential to a visible Church-member Reas 6. Those lastly that require more viz. seem to require performance of the condition of the Covenant in order to entring Covenant but this is some-what strange The condition of the Covenant is twofold 1. In order to covenanting which is a promise or engaging to performe the termes or conditions of the Covenant now to be entred upon performance of which the reward covenanted for depends 2. The other condition is in order therefore to the obtaining this reward promised upon such condition which is the actual performance of the conditon engaged unto upon entring Covenant Vid. Blakes Seals Hystorical faith may be in reprobates both within the Church and also in such as be without the Church as Turks believe there is a God that Christ was born of a Virgin the resurrection of the dead c. yea the devils have it 1 Joh. 2. 19 Rogers of faith p. 6. The first is necessary to entrance into Covenant the last to the partaking of the benefit thereof As it is with men a servant enters Covenant by undertaking and promising to do his Master his work but obtaineth his reward or wages alone by doing what he hath thus undertaken Yet with leave of that Reverend man this engaging to perform the condition of the Covenant is I conceive more then a bare historical or dogmatical faith for there is something of application in that faith that doth not only beleeve but embrace the truth and the true Religion and make application to the Church for admission and baptisme However I humbly conceive though more then a bare histostorical faith should be requisite yet lesse then a faith that justifieth I do not say lesse then the profession thereof may truely entitle to visible Church-membership and consequently to Baptisme as hath been shewn CHAP. XXIX What is requisite to evidence a persons interest in the visible Church by men Quest THe second question to be answered is What is requisite to evidence a person to be a member of the visible Church to others or how may we know a person to be a member of the visible Church or what doth render Church-membership visible Answ 1. I answer first that that which evidenceth a persons interest in the essence of the visible Church doth even thereby evidence his visible Church-membership for what can better evince a members union with the body then its partaking
Scholastical Divine Reverend Master Norton of New England These things thus premised the Argument hence is this As the visible Church may be considered to be called out of the world so it may be considered to be a Church of Christ. What hath beene said hath put this out of doubt But the visible Church may be considered to be truely called out of the world without any respect to saving grace Therefore the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace The minor here which is all that is left questionable is easily evident if we distinguish of the world as we are wont to distinguish of the Church viz. to be visible and invisible the visible world is the world of infidels and such as openly detest the true Messias the invisible world is the world of ungodly which being as tares amidst the what of the godly cannot be discerned by men The first is opposed to the visible Church the latter to the invisible out of the visible world the visible Church is called and out of the invisible world the invisible Church or the Church of the saved is called Againe the visible Church is as truely called out of the visible world of Pagans and Infidels and such as live without the pale of the Church as the Church of the saved is called out of the world of the vngodly doth not the eye of the whole world see this and bear witnesse to it viz. that the visible Church is by the calling of God in this sense effectually in that it is really separated Vocatio communis ab infide litate ad fidem evocat Trel ut supra from and stands in distinction and opposition unto the whole world of Infidels Pagans Turks and Jews and all other societies and parties of men in the world as the called of God his lot and portion and peculiar people all which and a great deale more Master Baxter as well as many others is pleased to acknowledge that the Scriptures attribute to the visible Church CHAP. VI. Arg. From the visible Church in its causes and first as it is of God HItherto of the quid nominis proceed we now to the quid Rei and to seek for that thing and nature and truth of being in the Church which the name we have found doth import I shall put my self and reader into the way of this search by an offer of this general Argument taken from the causes of the visible Church As we may consider the causes of any thing so we may consider the thing it self But we may consider the causes of this Church to be real causes without respect to saving grace Therefore the Church to be truely a Church without respect to saving grace I think the major will not be question'd by any seeing whatsoever any thing is in it self it is the same first in its causes Quicquid est in effectu prae existit in causis Causatum quod ex causa suum esse habet yea the very definition of the effect is that it is but the result or that which hath its very selfe of the cause and depends by its cause and therefore it is called effectum or a thing done or standing as it is by it cause and causalum that is a thing caused that is such a thing as is Causalitas sive causatio est influxus ille seu concursus quo unaquaequc causa in suo genere actu influit in effectum Suarâ—z no more a thing then what it hath from its cause or as it is caused and causality or causation which is but the formal reason of the cause is nothing else but that Influx or concurrence whereby every cause in its own kinde doth actually flow into the effect The minor onely then resteth upon proof viz. That the visible Church may be considered to have its true and real causes without respect to saving grace which I shall labour to maintaine by a particular induction and examination of the several causes of the visible Church in order the efficient the end the matter and form thereof Here now are two things to be joyntly enquired after First what these causes are Secondly whether they may be considered to be real causes of the visible Church without respect to saving grace Let us first then begin to consider the efficient cause of the visible Church thus namely what it is and what kinde of effects it worketh without respect to saving grace 1. The efficient cause of the visible Church is Principal Instrumental The principal efficient of the visible Church is secundum Efficient Constitutionem Ordinationem The principal efficient in the constitution of the Church is God Rom. 2. 29. in the administration or ordination of it is Christ thus God Rom. 12. 5 1 Cor. 3. 11 Col. 1. 18. is properly the authour and Christ is properly the head of the Church The instrumental cause of the Church especially in its constitution Acts 2. 41 2 Pet. 2 23 1 Tim. 2. 15 is the preaching of the word for how can they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how can they hear without a preacher this distribution needeth no proof seeing it is generally allowed 2. Let us now come to our task and examine whether these efficient causes may not be considered to have a real influence into the visible Church which yet doth not include saving grace As for the instrument the preaching of the word we need not insist particularly thereupon partly because the instrument is but subordinate to its principal efficient in the same operation and therefore if the work of principal efficient be real so is doubtlesse the same work relating to the instrument of it and partly because the influence of this instrumental cause the preaching of the word into the constitution of the visible Church is reserved to be largely handled in answer to a great objection against cur Churches in England at the latter end of this discourse Therefore we have but two things here before us whether God may be considered to be truely the Authour or Christ to be truely the head of the visible Church without respect to saving grace and of these in order I shall humbly signifie my opinion by forming the same into Arguments The Argument from God as the Authour of the visible Church If God in the constitution of the visible Church by the preaching of the Word may be considered really to effect the same without the bestowing of saving grace then he may without doubt be considered to be the real Authour of the visible Church without respect to saving grace But now God in the constitution of the Church by the preaching of the word may be considered really to effect the same without the bestowing of saving grace Here is nothing to be interposed but these foure things Mr. Perk. speaking of temporal beleevers saith 1. They have knowledg 2. they
can judge onely according to appearance in his visible worship saving grace is an invisible thing then what necessary use can there be thereof in such visible effects as may be done without it and such as in their present consideration respect only such creatures as cannot discern things invisible I grant that saving conversion of visible Church-members is one great end of the visible Church and that therefore the promises of first grace do most especially belong unto them but this if well heeded rather helps then hinders my designe for it evidently supposeth the visible Church and visible Church membership to have its being before his conversion or saving grace of Finis est postorior medio in executione which the visible Church is said to be a means for the Rule is that the end is after the means in execution CHAP. IX The Argument from the Matter of the visible Church HItherto of the external causes of the visible Church and the Arguments thence arising let us now consider the causes thereof remaining which are called internal viz. the matter and forme From matter of the visible Church in general I argue thus The visible Church may be considered truely to have the matter of the Church of Christ without respect to saving grace Therefore to be truely a Church of Christ without respect thereunto This consequence simply taken I confesse is not so warrantable because the matter doth prae-exist before and remaine sometimes after the forme yet take it respectively to the forme afterwards to be maintained and to the question in controversie which is chiefly concerning the matter of the Church and especially to the opinion of my present Opponents we readily affirm that all the question is about the matter of the Church that if this be fained so is our Church and if this be real so is our Church and I doubt not but it will passe without interruption However the thing that I am dispatching doth not engage me for the consequence though the other causes have been found so pregnant as to bear such a particular improvement onely to assigne and maintain to the visible Church all its causes and therefore its existence truely so in our consideration without respect to saving grace which I presume hath been done already as to the Authour the Head and the End of the Church to which I now proceed to add the matter thereof affirming as before in the antecedent that the visible Church may be considered to have the true matter of the Church of Christ without respect to saving grace The matter of the Church habet rationem Partium Subjecti 1. The matter of the visible Church having the reason of the parts is the Ministers and the people the pastors and the flock ecclesia utens and ecclesia docens as some speak and as we read 1 Cor. 12. both making up the compositum the Church and this Church must needs be the visible Church for there are no such organical parts no Minister but Christ himself in the Church invisible Now may we consider both these parts of the matter of the Church as truely such without respect to saving grace did not Judas truely teach and do not thousands truely professe in the Church of Christ being truely called though not savingly chosen without any measure of saving grace but this will more fitly meet us in the next consideration of the matter of the Church viz. as having the reason the subject matter Next we enquire what the subject matter of the visible is and whether it also may be considered without respect to saving grace 1. What is rhen the subject matter of the visible Church Trelcatius tells us that it is all such as are called out and externally professe the faith which I think none can choose but approve of when they consider that faith is a thing invisible and therefore not any way fitted to commend the matter of the Church to us as visible and though it be granted that faith doth unite men to the Church yet it must still be yeelded that profession thereof doth render them members of the Church as visible 2. But here seeing most do consent that professors of the faith are the subject matter of the visible Church it will I presume be worth our enquirie what is meant by the faith so professed Certainly it must be either the doctrine or the grace of faith and which of these is properly or usual said to be professed 1. Is it the grace of faith which men professe certainly no for that is the faith by which and not the faith which we profess 2. How incongruous a speech would it be to say I professe that I believe while it is good and sound and relishing upon the minde of the hearer to say I professe what or that doctrine which I do beleeve 3. If the meaning was that we do professe the grace of faith then the Epithite true which Divines do generally annex to faith should be put to profession and whereas they usually speak of the profession of the true faith they should should say the true profession of the faith 4. This appeares in its contrary out of doubt for such as fall away from the faith are not said to deny their own faith but the faith or doctrine of Christ 2. Then it is doctrine of faith which we professe as members of the visible Church and if this be the note or character of the matter of the visible Church it can in the most strict and rigid sense that can possibly be put upon it onely require two things truth in the object professed and truth in the subject professing i. e. that he professe the true doctrine of faith and that he believe what he professeth i. e. that he have a good profession and that he have a good principle answering to it such a faith as such a profession doth require to make it not dissembled but true and real and thus though we do not professe the grace of faith yet the grace of faith so farre is consented to as is requisite to a true profession seeing thereby we truely beleeve what we so professe 3. Yet though this faith is supposed to be true where the matter of the Church is true the matter of the Church doth not receive its denomination of being true from the truth of this grace of faith but from the truth of its object or doctrine beleeved and accordingly professed which as also what was before asserted viz. that the doctrine of faith is the object of proper profession or the faith properly professed appears by abundant example in Scripture The Eunuch being being demanded dost thou beleeve answered not my faith is sincere but I beleeve that Jesus Acts 8. 37. is the Sonne of God The like did they Matth. 14. 33. when reproved for their unbeleef they professed saying of a truth thou art the Sonne of God John also bare record and what was it that is the Son of
in an united and conjunct sense is the forme of the Church that is neither the called nor society but these both together as a company or society of the called or the faithful though then we know not as before was said where to finde the matter of the Church and that the whole definition will be taken up in the form and consequently we may not grant it yet I conceive we may safely give it for the visible Church may be as well considered to be a society of persons called conjunctively as persons called and a society without respect to saving grace 3. And although we should farther give him that which also we have before denyed to grant him viz. that that faith which is the essential forme of the Church is a saving faith yet he is pleased freely to recompense us again with with as much in affirming that persons that are onely externally called and such as onely professe as himself speaks are truely members of the Church of Christ according to the outward state thereof or as it is a visible Church which is freely acknowledged to be all that is necessarily sought in the present controversie 4. Indeed he also adds that such profession and outward calling is but the accidental form of the Church as before which assertion we conceive will hardly bear this his conclusion however this is nothing unto us We thankfully take his concession and leave the consequence to be further considered CHAP. XI The Argument from the distinguishing forme of the visible Church WE now descend to the other branch of the formal cause called distinguens vel discriminans contained in those notes or marks whereby the Church is known to be true and distinguished from a false Church Whence the Argument is this The notes or marks of a true Church may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace therefore the Church her selfe None will venture upon the consequence for if those very things viz. the notes whereby alone we take to our selves a consideration of the Churches being and truth cannot be affirmed to have any dependance upon saving grace then certainly the Church may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace The Antecedent appears by an easie induction of the notes and marks of a true Church They are either essential or accidental it is generally agreed Professio verae fidei est maxime essentialis ecclesiae nota Med. p. 171. that the essential note of the Church is profession of the true faith which as Amesius saith is maximè essentialis in the highest manner essential to the Church Now the nature of an essential mark as the Schooles teach is certo demonstrare infallibly to demonstrate the essence of that thing of which it is a mark therefore profession of the true faith doth thus certainly infallibly demonstrate the essence and nature of the true Church but now profession of the true faith may be truely considered without respect to saving grace for the true faith may be professed by a Cain a Judas a Simon Magus a Demas and those that have no share at all in saving grace and that truely to as none I think will venture to question But this profession of the true faith I humbly conceive if we speak exactly as it is a mark of the true Church must be taken ecclesiastically and not personally for there may be a private personal owning and profession of the faith where there is no formal proper and exact Church and there we cannot affirme profession of the faith an essential note of the true Church personal profession I grant is a certaine mark of a member of the Church i. e. universal and ecclesiastical profession of the Church it self This ecclesiastical profession I conceive consists in attendance upon the Ordinance of divine worship and is rather a real then a vocal profession for the end of the visible Church being properly the worship of God the note thereof is properly that which renders it serviceable to its end which is attendance upon those things which are ordained for that end the Ordinances of divine worship I confesse Amesius intends a profession of faith formally and vocally taken which he distinguisheth from the solemne preaching Professio ista in coetu aliquo potest antecedere solennem verbi praedicationem Sacramentorum administrationem Med. p. 172. 30. of the Word and administration of the Sacraments By which he either meanes a profession made by all those that are admitted into an instituted Church which cannot I conceive be proved from Scripture to be a necessary duty much lesse an essential mark of the true Church and is not very consonant with reason seeing if this be maximè essentialis nota the Church may possibly through want of occasion of admitting be many years without such an essential note the nature of which if I mistake not requires that it be more usual Besides how such a profession can be looked upon as the profession of the whole which is of some necessity for its being a mark of the whole I know not it being not made by a publick Minister but a private member yea hardly a member if the end of his confession be in order to his admission but however 't is clearly the profession of the party and a note onely of his faith and worthinesse of admission and in any sober sense can hardly be look'd on as the profession much lesse the note and least of all the essential the chiefly essential note of the whole Church as indeed we never found affirmed before by any Authentick authour in the Church of Christ and which I humbly conceive is not Ames his sense here onely I took this occasion to free him from it because I fear these words of his are made a patron of such a practise But if this be not the profession of faith which Amesius affirmeth to be the note of the Church it must needs be the set and solemn declaration of the faith by the mouth of the Church to wit the Minister which was wont to be done as he requireth before the Sermon But this I humbly conceive is not to be distinguished from the Word and Sacraments as it is maxime â—ssentialis ecclesiae nota according to Scripture reason or the judgement of most if not all that have anciently written upon this subject is not the same faith professed by the Minister in preaching and the people in hearing and by both in participating in the Sacraments or seales thereof which is read in the Creed and are not these actions as visible and as essential to the Church as the reading and hearing of the Creed or dare any say that where there is a constant and diligent attendance on the preaching of the true doctrine and lawful administration of prayers and Sacraments that there we cannot discerne a true Church without a solemne declaring of the faith in a set Creed and most of our
CHAP. XXVI What is requisite to constitute a member of the visible Church A twofold answer hereunto considered BUt least my notion of the visible Church wherein as my question leads me I have hitherto rather hovered in generals and negatives should be left suspitious or obscure I shall now pitch upon a more fix'd particular and positive discourse in answer to the three plaine cases or queries following which haply may prove a fit medium betwixt the debate already had and some plaine practical and necessary inferences that are yet to be drawn from the whole The Queries are 1. What is requisite to constitute a member of the visible Quid constituit Quid distinguit Quid destruit Church 2. What is requisite to evidence this visible Church-membership to others 3. What is that that doth dismember or cut one wholly off from the visible Church Quest 1. Then what is requisite to constitute a member of the visible Church Answ Mr. Cotton answers in the name of the Churches in New England thus 't is not the seed of faith nor faith it selfe that knitteth a man to this or that particular visible Church but an holy profession of the faith and professed subjection to the Gospel of Christ in their communion his way of those Churches p. 84 85. Supposing what is herein to be supposed viz. that the way of entring the universal visible Church is not here concerned Secondly that the way of Infants becoming Church-members is not here intended I could even signe this answer Onely I must needs except against its fitnesse to be applied to the cases of most Churches seeing it onely intends that which is more extraordinary viz. the entring of Heathens into our Chuâ—ches and leaves untouch'd that which is the ordinary and daily means of increase or continuance of them by our children born therein to God and to this priviledge of visible Church-membership Master Hudson also towards the latter end of his discourse of the Church proposeth and answereth this same Question viz. what is requisite to make one a member of the visible Church his answer hereunto conteineth three things Competent knowledge holinesse of life and subjection to the Gospel By which his answer it appeares that he likewise intended onely that which is requisite to make an adult Heathen a member of the Christian Church not at all noting the common way of entring into the Church and Covenant amongst us viz. by birth-priviledge However let me humbly offer this question whether all such as are not so qualified may be truely said to be no Church-members even amongst the Adult if so then there are no ignorant or unholy persons in the visible Church which cannot well be imagined to be Mr. Hudsons meaning by any that consult his p. 9. where we finde him asserting that the difinition of the Church is true of the godly as well as of the hypocrite and therefore true of the hypocrite but if he did not mean to exclude all such as want a competency of knowledge and holy life then these things specified are not conditions necessarily requisite to visible Church-membership which I presume to be the truth as well as Mr. Hudsons intention Indeed all must grant that Church-members of years ought to be competently knowing and of an holy life c. and this is necessary upon all Church-members as such with a necessity of the precept but it is therefore necessary with such a necessity viz. of the means as without it none can be truely in the Church I cannot but deny many things are necessary to the well-being that are not so to the truth or being of the visible Church-membership and so are these mentioned as I conceive doth already and by and by may further appear CHAP. XXVII A distinct consideration of admission of Infants and adult persons the condition of Infants Church-membership HAving thus prepared my way for an answer let me renue my question and what is it then that constitutes a member of the visible Church But seeing all but Anabaptists must needs acknowledge that the way and termes of the admission of Infants and such as are adult doth plainly differ a necessity is thereby granted us first to distinguish accordingly before I define or fix my answer if I would speak distinctly of things that differ 1. Then the first if the question be concerning Infants I may The way of infants admission briefly answer and boldly say that the condition or ground of infants admission into the Church is easily resolved by all but Anabaptists and yet as lightly considered by most for who else doth offer to question but that those that come into the Church in their infancy do advance thereunto by their Birth priviledge that they were borne to God in Covenant with him and his people and signed and sealed such by Baptisme But that this is as slightly considered and as lightly weighed by most that assert it is too too evident for how few do hence consider that then most of our people in England stand Church-members by verture of their birth-priviledge and are accordingly to be dealt withal as such how few do clearly see themselves hence enforced not to deal with them as Heathens or as persons out of the Church and not to require qualifications in order to their admission they being admitted already unlesse they have thus extinguished this their interest by such a violent course as will afterwards be spoken of How sweetly would the clear consideration of this original Church-membership common to our people lead us to see a great measure of the mystery and ground of most of our confusions and sad distractions to pitch and settle here even in the want of a more serious considering what this principle so generally granted viz. that we are borne Church-members and sealed such even from our infancy might prevent and conclude Yea what can we imagne to have a more direct and kindlier tendency to the ending of our differences thus desperately heightned then a serious sincere and impartial yeelding to the natural ducture and true consequences of this irresistible truth both about the Church and Sacraments But that is our misery which Justinian termeth but an inconvenience we puzle our selves about a way of settlement while Inconveniens est omissis principiis origine repetita illo tis manibus materiam tractare indeed they are off from our ground or rather expect the still waters and silver streams of peace and purity in the waters of strife or divided streams or rather flames of our own contention every one prosecuting the ground of division with pretence of union and beginning at the foot that 's cloven when it were better prudence to begin at the well-head to find and detect the cause of our breaches and the true meanes of our reconcilement which I verily believe chiefly to consist in a right understanding and diligent prosecuting this principle of infant Church-membership in the true and genuine
with the essence thereof 2. Againe that which evidenceth a persons communion in the essential and formal actions of the Church doth also thereby evidence such a persons interest in the essence of or his essential union with the Church for nothing can have or carry a stronger tincture of the essence of any thing then the formal or essential actions thereof which immediately flow from it 3. Then further the essence of the visible Church hath beene found to consist in community respecting communion in Gods truth and Ordinances and the formal actions of this community have been found to be this communion 4. Now that person that appears to have communion with the Church in Doctrine and worship or in the truth and Ordinances of Jesus appears to partake of the essential actions and consequently of the essence of the visible Church 5. These premises thus laid I found my answer upon them to the question thus that therefore that person that doth not plainly renounce the truth and openly submitteth unto and ordinarily attendeth upon the Ordinances of divine worship whatsoever evil qualities he may otherwise bear doth thus appear to be really a member of the visible Church Indeed were saving grace of the essence of the visible Church a person could not appear to be a member thereof without the evidences of saving grace but seeing we have found that it is not we adde whatsoever evil qualities he may otherwise beare As a man living within such a dominion and was either borne there or else is known to be naturalized and made free according to the Laws thereof though he be a great offender and highly obnoxious to Law and punishment yet if he renounce not his subjection or declare not against the government is notwithstanding known to be a member of that body politick or a lawful subject of that dominion Or as in the natural body a member remaining in union with the body and in communion with it in its essential actions though it be a diseased or wounded or leprous member yet is known and granted to be a real member So a man that stands in relation to the Church and ordinarily attends upon the Ordinances thereof and doth not renounce the doctrine of the Gospel though he be a wicked and rotten member is yet hereby evidenced to be really a member of the mystical visible body the Church for this sufficiently evidenceth that common faith which though it avail not to justication yet is found effectual so far as to constitute or interesse in visible Church-membership Obj. It may be hence urged that then children cannot be known to be Church-members and consequently cannot be members of the visible Church Answ May not a childe be known to be a member of the Common-wealth by its being borne therein and doth not the Scripture intimate as much concerning a childe born in Zion it shall be said that this man was borne there q. d. that this man is known to be a member of Citizen of the City or Church of the living God because he was borne there or by Birth-priviledge or being born free 2. Children have visible communion with the Church in their parents profession as Ames teacheth sunt participes ejusdem profesfessions c. 3. They have some visible communion with the Church in their own persons also in that first Ordinance of Christ of which they are capable and thus being entred they remain in the Churches communion so far thereby until they shall be capable of enjoying more Object 2. However it may be said that the excommunicate are thus excluded Answ Not so for though the excommunicate should have no actual communion with the Church yet they have a fundamental and habitual communion with it as a palsie member is yet a real member and may be truely said to have an habitual communion with the body though at present its actual partaking of the animal influence be denied or suspended or as a man out-lawd may be said to have a remoter right fundamentally in the Law of the Land though he have no present actual benefit thereby which indeed the violence of discipline and not the nature of such a condition hath brought him unto But secondly there is notwithstanding some secret actual communion betwixt the body and a palsey member and the Common-wealth and a person out-law'd and likewise betwixt the excommunicate and the Church which may also be known for that the palsey member hath some influence from the body appears by its warmth that the person out-law'd hath some benefit by the Laws appears in that they secure his life it being murther to kill him and that the excommunicate have some fellowship with the Church appears in that they are within the care thereof and under the Ordinance of God appointed for salvation and not for destruction and is to be dealt withal as a brother 3. The excommunicate lastly I mean such onely as are not heretical have communion with the Church in preparatione animi and in their desires which is onely suspended for their good a while with hopes of repentance and satisfaction and thereupon re-admission as the palsie member in the disposition or preparation of nature is ready as it were to receive the suspended influence from the body again viz. upon the unlocking and opening of obstructions which a member wholly cut off or dead hath not CHAP. XXX What it is that doth wholly put a man out of the Church and first that it is not ignorance WE proceed Lastly having shewn what is requisite to constitute and evidence visible Church-membership to enquire into the meanes and ways of dissolving it and the question is What is that which wholly dismembers or cutteth off from the visible Church Hereunto I answer Negatively and Positively Ans 1. Neg. First I assert that the want of such a competent measure of knowledge as every one ought to have which is commonly termed ignorance doth not simply or of it selfe wholly cut off from the visible Church and the Reasons hereof are Reas 1. Because such a knowledge doth not go into the essence of the visible Church which we have found to consist in society or community Reas 2. Because evidence or appearance of knowledge is not a necessary or essential requisite to discover Church-membership for then none might take another for a member of the Church before he is satisfied of his knowledge which would be a strange thing therefore ignorance or the want of such knowledge doth not signifie one no Church-member the consequence is built upon the common rule eadem est ratio contrariorum Reas 3. Because the Scripture doth not assert it which alone hath authority from God to satisfie us in this point the Scripture doth often charge the members of the Church with ignorance but doth never either say that ignorant persons cannot be Church-members or that ignorance doth cast men out of the Church or indeed so much that ignorant persons ought meerly for their
once the holy City but where these meanes are yet continued we are to acknowledge a Church of Christ Rev. 2. 12 13. more or lesse corrupt according to the gâ—eater or lesse abuse of Gods Word and worship Bish Usher sum of Divin p. 398. Church along with them Yet observe though the rest were blinded the Elect were saved many of the former Church of the Jews now dissolved joyned themselves unto the Gospel-Churches which indeed were the same for substance and differ'd onely by a new administration of Ordinances with their own Church before Now of any other way wherein God doth directly and formally reject or divorce a person or people besides these I think we read not in Scripture CHAP. XXXIV How a man may cut himself off from the visible Church viz. by Heresie and Schisme THe destruction of man is of himself not onely meritoriously but sometimes efficiently and so in order thereunto is his cutting himself from the Church of God the meanes of his salvation That it is so is not doubted our question is how it cometh to passe The visible Church is usually considered in an entitive or organical apacity accordingly it is said to be endued with two properties profession of the faith as entitive and communion in worship as organical respective hereunto a man may violate his right in the Church and dismember himself 1. By Heresie denying the faith he cutteth himself from the Church entitive 2. By Schisme renting himself from its comunion in worship he breaks himself off from the Church organical so that my general answer here is that a person may wholly cut himself from the visible Church by two means viz. Heresie and Schisme by the first he goes off the foundation which lies in doctrine by the last he forsakes the fellowship which lieth in worship of these a little more distinctly 1. Heresie cutteth off from the Church as it breaketh the great Haeresis opponitur fidei schisma charitati Ames bond of the Churches union viz. faith and as it necessarily carrieth with it a want of that historical faith which hath the doctrine of faith for its object and which none do doubt to be an essential requisite to a true Church-member Therefore the Jews Buxtor Lex Cald. Talm. Rab. p. 195 held that an heretical Israelite had no communion with the Church of Israel and why but because communion supposeth union and union with Israel or the true Church is lost with faith they also held as Master Selden noteth that an Israelite turning an Heretick i. e. denying any of the thirteen fundamental Articles to be as an Heathen man and did therefore permit a Jew to lend De jure Nat. gent. l. 6. c. 10 him upon usury as to an Heathen and why but because he had renounced the Law which chiefly if not onely differr'd a Jew from an Heathen Not that every errour is so dangerous for every errour is not heresie nor yet every heresie onely such as is so general and desperate as that it takes one wholly off from the maine doctrine of Christ his Prophets and Apostles the doctrinal foundation Eph. 2. ult of the Church It hath beene a very ancient controversie in the Church whether Heresie doth wholly cut off from the Church or not upon which counsels have contradicted and contra-decreed The Africane Bishops in the Council of Carthage held that heresie As Mr. Hooker observeth out of Fortunat. secundin Hieron did put out of the Church which opinion was afterwards condemned in the Council of Nice even by the chiefest of the authors thereof themselves Mr. Hooker who enclined to the negative seems to plead for the fathers so farre as they appear on the contrary side If the Ecclesias pol. p. 87. fathers saith he do any where as oftentimes they do make the true visible Church of Christ and heretical companies opposite they are to be construed as separating hereticks not altogether from the company of Beleevers but from the fellowship of sound Beleevers However I presume the controversie may be easily ended viz. by parting stakes and allowing some truth on both sides 't is true that Hereticks are of the Church and it may be true that Hereticks are not of the Church there is a latitude in heresie Thus the Ancient fathers held for their opinion was that that heresie which did not deny the Trinity did not wholly cut off from the church Paget some heresie which absolutely denieth some particular fundamental truth and taketh up some one or few stones thereof is consistent with Church-interest and other heresie which raseth up the very foundation of Religion denying most or the most chief if not all of the Articles of our Christian faith is inconsistent therewith Object But it should seem then that Heresie doth not un-un-Church for if denying of some particular fundamental truth do not then heresie properly doth not for that is properly heresie and that which raseth up the foundation of Religion seems more then heresie and may be Apostacy Answ A falling from the faith is indeed Scripture-Apostacy though I humbly conceive that that expression as it stands in that place of Scripture intends as well a falling from the companies of the faithful by schisme as a falling from the doctrine of faith by heresie and indeed both these viz. perfect heresie and perfect schisme make proper Apostacy as Reverend Hudson observeth for a man to remove out of the Church Catholick either entitive by disclaiming the doctrine and faith of Christ which is heresie or organical by refusing to joyne to any Christian society which is schisme is a great sin and Apostacy 2. But I conclude though a man deny not all the maine Articles The difference betwixt heresie and infidelity and apostacy the two latter are the denying or renouncing the whole faith of Christ but the former of any one single part of it Han. paraen p. 64. of Christianity without which he is not properly an Apostate in the sense of Divines yet by denying many or most of the chief fundamentals whereby he may fitly be said to teare up the foundation though he do not take up every stone thereof a man may cut himself off from the Church the pillar of truth 3. Besides doth not Apostacy imply the height of Schisme as well as Heresie can a person be properly said to be an Apostate if we speak as others do that yet remaineth in the communion of Ordinances why then may not a person that renounceth all the Articles of the Christian faith if he yet refuse not communion Ita ut hereticus quis possit esse non schismaticus Ames in Ordinances be rather said to be an Heretick then an Apostate But I dispute not for words be it granted me that such a renouncing of the Christian faith without any personal separation from the Church is sufficient to cut a man off there-from it will not trouble me to
that though some whose principles seem strictest may suspect that mine may favour wickednesse or not promote the reformation of the people I am most fully perswaded that there is no other lawful or possible way of a sound reformation of shaming sinne and encouraging holinesse but that which leads from these principles which I defend I should humbly beseech some abler pen to make trial if there be any doubt at all of it whether keeping to this maine principle the truth of our Churches he can possibly go in any other course or further in the same course towards their ends then I have done the truth is I rather feare the exceptions of those who judge me too strict then of those that censure me too large Onely one thing more I most earnestly begge not for my own but for Sions sake I earnestly begge though we cannot be in ever thing of one minde yet let us have but one heart and walk together in one way untill we must needs part resting upon the promise Phil. 3. 15. But O my dear brethren wherein so ver we must differ what urging crying reason is there that we should unite as one man to maintain our Churches in England that great dipositum put into our hands by our ancestors our very Birth-right and the greatest inheritance we can possibly leave our posterity after us what heed is requisite to keep out all disputes as well as principles that may but seeme to question them how are they struck at on every side how undermined how doth division and Heresie daily moulder them what a deluge of Popery is ready to overwhelme them The Sects which daily encrease and spread upon us as a Learned man from beyond the Seas complaines Notum est quot Sectae in Europa a reformatione surrexerint in dies surgunt suis commentis pernitiosae sua variotate notabiles immo nec non alicubi suis ausibus formidabiles Hot. tol Christ p. 119. Impossibile est ut vel per seculum serventur c. p. 118 How pernitious are they in their Heresies how notable in their variety and how formidable in their attempts The same Authour observes that after the manner of mans judging It is impossible that the Protestant Churches should be preserved one age longer against so great and so united a force against such depths of device and policy of the Sea of Rome unlesse they grow wiser and at length think more seriously of uniting among themselves and who knows but that this force may fall and the plot take first on England yea what fear should strike us what trembling should take hold upon us to think how we even we in the Ministry to whom the care of the Church is committed stand guilty of provoking our God to give us up to the cruelty of such as have rent themselves from us for our causing affecting indulging or suffering parties for our own undiscerned sehismatical inclinations or else to remove his Candlesticks from us who have had so little care of his Church or to resigne us in wrath to the lust and tyranny of bloody Popery who have almost lost our Protestantisme for a Reformation As my dear Brethren should our neglect of charity unity purity should our vanity oscitancy or any other kinde of folly indeed prevaile with God to let in a deluge of Popery upon England and by England upon all the Reformation should I say which the God of truth for ever avert the ruines of all Protestantism lie on us how sad would the weight yea how dreadful may the thought thereof be Quantum quaeso scandalum vae autem illi per quem evenit per quem stat ut non tollatur The Lord humble us the Lord awaken us shew us our danger strike us together that as one man of one head one heart one hand we may at length think of saving our selves our Gospel our Churches from that immanent danger which though every one speak of yet how few feel or lay to heart anaeternum as the Authour above admires adeousque incauti per manebimus ut videre nec quidem sentire possimus illos prorsus irreconciliabiles adversarios ex aequo partis ruinam per-utriusque schissuram a se invicem Meditari But I fear least some may be apt to censure this my undertaking as likely to make more breaches and divisions amongst us but the Lord knows how I have laboured to avoid any such thing and that had I not thought that the way wherein I stand was a middle way wherin I might easily shake hands with my brethren on both sides and labour to draw them neerer together I had never been so publick upon this subject this censure may haply be cast unjustly upon me by those that do not read me it cannot be justly by such as do Yea my Reverend Brethren let me conclude with this free and bold assertion that one of the greatest motives inducing me at first to study and now to publish this discourse was some good hopes that if this point of the visible Church and its membership was but once laid in its just latitude it might through mercy prove a happy means of bring us to see many of our errours and causelesse differences in the circumference while we are agreed and meet in the center and to draw more direct and closer lines therefrom hereafter the hearty earnest humble desire begging and prayer of Dearest Brethren Your unworthy brother and co-worker in the service of Christ and his Gospel FRANCIS FULWOOD AN ALPHABETICAL Table A TWenty Absurdities following this position that saving grace is of the essence of the visible Caurch p. 165. to p. 171. That which partaketh of the accidental fâ—rme of a thing must needs partake also of the substantial forme of that thing proved 68. and 112 113 114 Beleeving is Virtual or Actual 29 Some do not actually beleeve others renounce the faith 29 30 31 Persons may be passively bound when they do not actively binde themselves 97. The largest acceptation not always the lesse proper 111 The difference betwixt the infant state and the adult 134. to 142 Adult persons become Christians how 177 to 181 Admonition distinguished and pressed pag-285 286. a Church censure ibid. A discourse of the terms Equivocum Univocum Axalogum as applicable to the Church 21 22 23. the eager dispute about it is unworthy Divines 22. Logicians differ about the application of them 22. The desire of the Reverend brethren is that we lay aside these distinctions and solely adhere to the terme in the question viz. truely a Church of Christ 21 Titles equivalent to Church-member given by God himself in Scripture to wicked men 126. to 134 The Church is totum aggregativum discussed the nature of aggregatives 7 8. Rational aggregative bodies differ from inanimate heaps 114. yet the forme of such lieth in aggregation 115 The Anabaptists objection against our Churches Answered p. 207 298 Apostasie unchurcheth men as
really a God but because he may not or cannot be seen i. e. with mortal eyes SECT III. Visibility applied to the Church We may apply this distinction of visibility briefly in three particulars 1. In the latter sense onely visibility is given to the Church in the subject of the question viz. as it seemes to be what indeed and truth it is otherwise there appeareth contradictio in terminis I meanes in the terms of the question for then the question would be whether that Church which onely seemeth to be and is not really so may be considered to be really a Church of Christ therefore the forme of the question heeded supposeth this viz. that the visible Church is truely and really a Church of Christ and onely questioneth whether it may be considered to be so without respect to saving grace indeed a member or part of the visible Church may be such either really or onely in shew and seemingly but this cannot be said of the whole 2. Visibility is usually given to the Church by divines by Prop. 2. a Metaphor from sense to Reason The sight of the Church as they conceive being rather rational then sensitive and 't is rather termed visible quia rationabilis because it may be known and discerned it not being seen so much by the eye quam intellectu mente ratione as Divines speak Though I humbly conceive that this must rather be understood of the Church as true or of God or Christ then as a Church for as it is a Church or a Congregation of men professing religion so it is also evident to sense visibilis as Ames visu scilicet vel sensu externo Medul p. 165. Though visibility be opposed to invisibility it followeth not that because the question specified a Church visible therefore Prop. 3. we grant a Church invisible also properly so called no more then because there is a white swan therefore there is a black Yet I intend not to deny the Church invisible onely the subject of my question is not this but the Church-visible SECT IV. The nature of the Church I shall now as briefly as I can offer my notion of this visible Church so far as I conceive the present debate requireth viz. touching the nature and the common distribution of it into visible and invisible 1. The nature of the Church I conceive to be 1. Integral 2. Aggregative This distinction together with the application of both parts of Medul p. 167. sect 5. it to the Church may be easily collected from Ames himselfe and Trelcatius also teacheth that the Church both as visible and invisible hath integral parts and is consequently totum integrale Instit p. 214 â—um p. 220. and yet that the Church is in the number of those things which Logicians call aggregative 1. Then first the Church is an integrum and consequently The Church is an Integrum of an individual and singular and not an universal nature it containing plura membra constituentia ipsum realitèr whereby it doth actually exist extra animam or in it selfe The Church is integral for it hath a plurality of parts these parts are integral and these parts are united and consequently 't is singular for by a union of integral parts 't is unum and doth really exist and omne quod est vel existit eo ipso quia est singulare est and consequently 't is not universal in a Metaphisical or logical sense for universale doth not exist as such out of the minde and totum universale is distinct in kinde from totum integrale therefore the universal Church is not properly a genus nor particular Churches the species thereof but rather as Ames Ibid. hath clearly taught us members of the Catholick quae habet rationem integri Indeed Ames saith that a particular Church is species ecclesiae Ibid. in genere but let us first note the difference he there puts betwixt ecclesia in genere and ecclesia catholica and secondly the Ames his difference twixt ecclesia in genere and ecclesia catholica ground or reason assigned by himself of this assertion and my position will be still found to stand firm 1. His difference betwixt ecclesia in genere and ecclesia catholica is most apparent in his own words saith he a particular Church is species ecclesiae in genere but respectu ecclesiae catholicae 't is membrum c. so that nothing can be gathered from these words to conclude the Catholick Church to be a genus or a totum universale but indeed the contrary that it is not so but that as before was noted the Catholick Church habet rationem integri 2. The reason upon which Ames asserts a particular Church to be species ecclesiae in genere is that common nature which is found in all particular Churches but is this reason sufficient to denominate the Church a genus or particular Churches species thereof I humbly conceive not for then all those things which partake of the same common nature must specifically differ and every drop of water partaking of the common nature that is in all other drops of water must be species aquae Indeed everything which partaks of the common nature or genus Things may partake of the common nature of one another onely then they specifically differ or of their differences also and then numerically only onely of another thing doth differ specifically from that other thing and is species of that common nature or genus but if a thing partaketh not onely of the common nature of another but also of its difference it is granted thereby to have both its genus and differentia and consequently the same definition which cannot competere with things specifically differing Thus I conceive a particular Church partaking not onely of the common nature of all other particular Churches but also of their differentia they ought to have the same definition and having the same matter and the same forme too they are the same essentially and differ onely as Logicians speak Numerically But so farre as I understand this controversie 't is wholly spent about the true meaning of logical termes and wholly issues in this notion whether Ramus doth well to assert homo to be genus or not worthy of any much lesse an eager contest in Divinity unlesse we could descry some more dangerous consequences attending upon either conclusion then are yet discovered For my part while Ames maintaineth this difference 'twixt Ames asserteth both the Catholick and particular Church to be Integrum ibid. ecclesia in genere and ecclesia catholica as before was noted and grants that ecclesia catholica hath rationem integri and a particular Church est etiam integrum I am sure my position stands that the nature of the Church is integral and then whether the notion Church be a genus or not is hardly worth a dispute seeing that it existeth not out of the integral i. e. universal
is questioned and therefore can claime no place in the controversie 2. But if by this presumed Church be meant the invisible Church or the Church of the saved which seems more proper seeing we can onely presume and conjecture as * Insibili credimus esse electos aliquos etiamsi qui illi sint non novimus scientia perfecta sed conjecturali duntaxat Col. Theo. p. 4. disp 13. Thes 7 Maccovius saith who are the true members thereof Yet thus it concerneth not us at all who are now debating a question about the visible and not the invisible Church 2. In like manner the term aequivocum is struck out of this controversie for if the question be as ours is whether the Church be truely so without respect to saving grace and the answer be this that such are onely members of the Church aequivocè that have no saving grace the thing in question is evidently begg'd if aequivecè be opposed to truly as usually herein it is 6. But there being so much noise at present about the termes univocum aequivocum analogum about this thing I think my Reader will look for some longer account of my minde therein which though I am loath to do yet I humbly offer in a few particulars 1. If we shall be able to prove that the truth of the visible Church doth not necessarily suppose saving grace and that such as have no saving grace may truely be said to be of the Church I humbly conceive we need not trouble our selves at all whether they be so univocè equivocè or analogicè 2. Yet although I presume it might safely be asserted that wicked men may be members of the visible Church univocally I should for peace and quiet sake be very well satisfied with this that they are most properly so per analogiam wherein I humbly conceive we may almost meet with both those Reverend and eminent men Mr. Blake and Mr. Baxter as appears under both their hands in print Vid. Br. Apol. p. 99. and Blakes seals p. 150 151. 3. However if I may make my own choice I had rather reduce the membership of hypocrites unto that branch of Analogy which Bueerwood calls Dignitatis solius which truely methinks if I may be plaine should fit the notion of most men that trouble themselves in the point and are loath to be Brownists 4. The analogy of dignity onely saith he is when one member of it is more worthy then the other and instances thus homo and Brutum are Analogous of the name Animal though to satisfie us how unworthy this is of an eager dispute with Divines when we see such a difference among Logicians themselves Stierius and other Logicians bring us the very same instance of univoca but if we keep our selves to this branch of analogy on which we have pitch'd it may help me to explain my meaning thus 1. Both man and beast are animal so both the hypocrite and the Elect regenerate are Church-members 2. The beast is as truely and properly animal as well as the man so the hypocrite is truely and properly a Church-member as well as the Elect regenerate 3. the man however is the more noble animal so the elect regenerate is the more noble Church-member 4. Lastly therefore the man and the beast are analogous of the name animal and the hypocrite and the Elect regenerate of the name Church-member 5. I might subjoyne if it be worth the paines that if we would speak logically in logical termes as we speak of one member of the division so we must speak of the other and not as some affect to do to say that true beleevers are univocal members and hypocrites aequivocal for they are both membra dividentia of the same head and if the one be univocal so is the other and if the one be aequivocal so is the other as the living dogg and the dog-star are both aequivoca with respect to the name Canis and man and beast are either both analoga or univoca of the name animal CHAP. III. Of the respect we owe to saving grace in the consideration of the visible Church HAving hitherto laboured in the Explication of the subject of the question viz. the visible Church and of its attribute directly in question viz. truely a Church of Christ we proceed to the condition or limitation thereof contained in the words annex'd without respect to saving grace which for the sake of dispatch we shall look upon together with the Copula which serveth to joyne the subject and the attribute in the question together containe in these words may be considered to be which that we may the easier receive our explication of we shall sent the question at full once more before us viz. Whether the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace Where that we may further observe the reason as well as the sense of the termes I humbly beg my readers patience yet carefully to heed 1. That it is not questioned whether the visible Church may be without respect to saving grace but whether it may be considered c. that would have sounded very improperly For respect doth not flow a principio essendi but a principio cognoscendi and naturally answers onely thereunto Respect is but a looking upon or unto which requireth an eye either real viz. bodily if the discourse be of sensible objects or metaphorically viz. of the minde if the discourse be of intellectual or rational objects as this that is before us here viz. saving grace is Here we have a rational object viz saving grace and a rational sight or a looking upon or unto it viz. in the word respect and therein therein is plainly rational eye and act supposed as fit to be expressed which here is done by this terme in the question Consideration Had the question been of the truth of the visible Church in general without respect it might have been thus expressed viz. whether the visible be truely a Church and no more Or had the question been onely and simply of the Churches dependency upon saving grace and not of our respect thereunto it might have beene expressed thus Whether the visible Church be truely a Church without saving grace and no more But seeing as we shall presently finde that there is a necessity of the latter words without respect to saving grace there is also a manifest necessity of such a kind of copula as here we have viz. may be considered or conceived or thought or imagined to be or the like and the meaning thereof is briefly but thus Whether we may take a true apprehension conception or consideration of the visible Church in the being or nature thereof without an eye or respect unto saving grace or whether we must necessarily take saving grace into our thoughts to a right and true understanding of the visible Church to be truely a Church of Christ 2. That the question is not
this profession till they die which he largely proves as indeed most of the reformed Divines do from all the parables of Ut jam nihil addubitarc possumus Judam non fuisse membrum internae Sanctae dei ecclesiae licet esset membrum exterioris ecclesiae Quam superius appellavi ecclesiam militantem strictius consideratam aliam vero visibilem illam bonos malos comprehendentem latius consideratam Dec. page 355 the Kingdome of Heaven in the Gospel at length concludes that hypocrites are members of the Church visible largely taken containing the good and the bad but not of the Church invisible not true and living members of this interiour Church or the Church so strictly taken Yet this doth not infer two distinct Churches for if we take the Church strictly then hypocrites are no part of the Church and if we take it in the large sense then the strict Church is but a part thereof to instance in the material Church if taken in a strict sense it signifieth the body of the Church exclusive of the chancel if largely for both together and then the Church strictly taken is but part of the Church largely taken This is clear while we distinguish the Church qua Church but when we consider it as visible and invisible it faileth us We say well that the Church taken strictly is part of the Church taken largely and the Church largely taken containeth the Church strictly taken but it would be hard to say the Church invisible taken strictly is part of the Church visible taken largely to say a thing as invisible is part of a thing as visible is contradictio in adjectio 'T is evident then that invisible and visible are opposed here in the accident not in the subject i. e. 't is not meant that as some persons are invisible so others in the same respect are visible as if saving grace was not seen in some and yet seen in others but thus some persons having saving grace not seen are said to be invisible and others having profession visible are said to be visible Moreover this subject of these accidents is rather the faith Bull. Dec. 355 Invisibilis interna dicitur non quod homines sunt invisibiles sed quod hominibus non appareat qui vere ficte credaut then the person they are applied to the person but intend the faith or the truth thereof as 't is saving 't is invisible as 't is professed so 't is visible and not because the men are either visible or invisible Lastly the Church largely taken may be considered Either Asolutely Or Comparatively In it self or in comparison with the Church strictly taken and accordingly the reformed Divines may be thought to meane that the Church largely taken if it be considered absolutely and in it self is a true or at least truely a Church of Christ but when the Church largely taken as it includes the bad the good together is compared with the Church strictly taken for the company of the Elect or savingly called then as they say the latter is the onely true Church and the former in comparison thereunto is not a true Church that is not so truely in the favour of God and union with Christ Object 3. I confesse that Ravanellus and Calvine with others haply affirme that the Church thus largely taken is the Church improperly and the Church strictly for the Church of the Elect onely is the Church properly taken But Answ 1. I humbly conceive that their difference with the Papist did not exact their assertion from them for the Papist denieth the invisible Church altogether and not that it is the Church properly or improperly taken then this remaineth as a lawful controversie among us Protestants whether the visible or invisible Church be most properly the Church of Christ 2. Neither do I think this assertion of theirs doth necessarily flowe from this strict and large acceptation of the Church the larger acceptation of a thing doth not alwayes imply the most proper acceptation thereof nor è contrà God of Abraham not of the dead the man as Abraham taken from the soul onely is not the largest nor yet the preperest acceptation of man The Church taken exclusive to the chancel is not the largest nor I think the properest acceptation thereof a denomination from the better part is not the largest nor I think the properest denomination of a company this is figurative therefore the other viz. the larger acceptation should be the proper as opposed to figurative 3. How ever this toucheth not my conclusion which is that the Church in this large acceptation may be considered to be truely a Church and not properly much lesse more properly so then the Church invisible or strictly taken 4. Yet I humbly crave that my former arguments for the contrary part in my state of the question may have the justice of consideration if not the charity and honour of a confutation Object 4. I confesse once more that Ames hath placed reprobates and hypocrites out of the essential and within the accidental form of the Church But Ans 1. I humbly conceive that this is his peculiar language we find divers of the reformed Divines distributing the form of the Church into internal and external as they also do the state society Vid. Cameron praelect de eccl cap. de natura conditione ecclesiae in prin cipio circa medium caput and communion of the Church 2. I have ventured before to manifest the inconsistency hereof with his own concession that hypocrites and reprobates while they remain in the communion of the Church are membra ecclesiae yea that this very expression that they onely partake of the accidental form hath a contradiction in it self For if there be no essential forme besides this then cannot be an accidental forme seeing this viz. the accidental forme is opposed unto the essential and must needs suppose an essential Accidens hic est accidens non praedicabile sed praedicamen tale quod opponitur substantiae distributio enim est in formam substantialem accidentalem or substantial forme to give being to the subject of this accident all whose being is in the subject of it if there be no substantial forme there is no substance and if there be no substance there can be no accident for the definition of substance requires that it do substare accedentil us and therefore as Schibler saith the reason of an accident requires that it do in haerere in subjecto Or if the Church have another forme viz. essential or substantial besides this accidental as indeed he allows then I cannot yet see but that interest in the accedental forme is necessarily founded in interest in the forme which is called essential and that by granting that hyrocrites and reprobates do partake of the accidental he necessarily implies that they also partake of the substantial forme and therefore to say that such or any persons
thinks fit to commend her for as he had done before in all his Epistles to the rest of the Churches Secondly positively she was so abominable in her lukewarmnesse ver 14. and her carnal security and self-confidence and slighting of Christ and his riches and treasures ver 16 17. his stomack even rose against her so that he threatens to spew her out of his mouth ver 15. Yet secondly observe the mouth of Christ himselfe and that from heaven and even now in the very midst of his heat and anger against her sticks not to own her and call her a Church to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea he could as well have directed his letter to the governour of those that would be thought to be a Church or that pretended Church or have left the superscription to have been written by his servant John who in charity might have cured and have stiled her a Church who indeed was none but loe this is a truth revealed from heaven and that by the mouth of him that had just now told this same Church that he was a true and faithful witnesse v. 14. and therefore may not be thought to flatter her that a wicked people may yet be owned by Christ himself to be his Church 2. Thus the antecedent appears the consequence which is that therefore a Church may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace is as fully manifest by two short considerations 1. Let it be seriously considered whether it can reasonably or indeed possibly be imagined that God or Christ do intimate by owning such a wicked people as is noted before that yet notwithstanding all this wickednesse abounding upon them they were savingly sanctified or had saving grace and yet clearly thus it must have been if a people cannot be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect unto this sanctifying or saving grace and if it were not so and it be granted that God had no respect unto their saving grace when he owneth them thus for his Church and people then it will hence easily follow that God doth own such a people to be his Church and people upon other termes and respects then this of saving grace and then who seeth not the undeniablenesse and strength of the former consequence 2. Again it is yet more evident and forceable if we adde this to the former consideration that we are speaking of the visible Church quoad homines or as men are to consider of it then we may reason thus if God and Christ call a people his people and his Church that give no evidence at all of their saving grace then we are doubtlesse to account a people sometimes at least to be a Church and people of God that give us no evidence of saving grace for none will deny but that we are to account of a peoples relation to God as he himself is pleased to reveale it to us Now God as we have heard hath in his word revealed that a people visibly wicked and consequently without any evidence of saving grace are a people of God and a Church of Christ therefore we also are to reckon a visibly wicked people and a people that give no evidence of their saving grace sometimes to be a people of God and a Church of Christ and then how apparently and irresistibly must it needs follow that as a people may be known to us to be a people of God and a Church of Christ without the help of the evidence of saving grace so they may be truely considered to be thus a people of God and a Church of Christ without respect unto saving grace seeing God himself hath been pleased to reveale that there is something else on which we shall through Gods assistance particularly insist anone to ground a true and right understanding of a peoples interest and relation to God as his people and Church besides this sincere or saving grace CHAP. XVIII The second Argument from Scripture such as the word declares to have no saving grace it giveth titles equivalent to Church-membership THat we may yet further search into the minde of God in the present controversie we shall now descend to consider the titles which all allow to be equiualent to visible Church-membership and to what kinde of persons the Scripture applieth them which with the more fairnesse and fitnesse of reasoning will be dispatcht in the confirmation of the following Argument If the Word of God ascribe such titles as are truely equivalent to visible Church-membership unto such persons as the Word of God it self hath testified to have at that time had no evidence at least of saving grace then the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace In this consequence I confesse there is one thing begg'd which yet I think none will deny me viz. that it is good arguing from the members to the body or the parts of the Church to the whole But considering that 1. The Church entitively taken is nothing else but a company of members 2. That the whole difference in dispute resteth upon the matter of the Church and the necessary qualification thereof And 3. That chiefly as it hath rationem subjecti in which sense Ministers and all within are members of the Church And 4. That the end of this great controversie is evidently practice which is onely conversant about particular persons or members my consequence here is not to be excepted against But now the Word of God ascribeth such titles as are truely equivalent to visible Church-membership to such particular persons as the Word of God it selfe hath testified to have at that time had no evidence at least of saving grace This is indeed the proposition that the nature of this dispute expects to to be proved which I think I shall be able to do in many particulars 1. Brother is in 1 Cor. 6. 8. equivalent to Church-member yet even there it is ascribed to some that give no evidence of saving grace ye do wrong and defraud and that your brethren those that do wrong and defraud their brethren give no evidence of saving grace but some that do wrong and defraud their brethren are even by the Scripture called brethren for if the defrauded are brethren to the defrauders then by the same reason of relation the defrauders are brethren to the defrauded but the defrauded are brethren to the defrauders your brethren therefore the defrauders are brethren to them as indeed they are expressed to be verse 6. Brother goeth to Law with brother 2. Called is a title in Scripture equivalent to Church-member But our Saviour therein also tells us that some are called that give no evidence of saving grace even some that neither then had any saving grace nor ever should for more are asserted by Christ to be called then are elected but no more either now have or ever shall have saving grace then are elected therefore some
is yeelded that these Jews were not onely nominally but really members of the visible Church and then my desire is granted viz. that persons void of saving grace as these Jewes were may be considered to be real members of the visible Church 3. Indeed if we take Abrahams seed here in the last sense viz. spiritually or savingly such then the opposition is most evident for thus they could not be Abrahams seed and the children of the devil also and our Saviour plainly staves off from the first by so sharp a charge of the second q. d. you think because you have Abraham to your father that you are the heirs of salvation and heaven but alas ye are the devils children and must look for your place and portion with him Secondly we may distinguish also of these Jewes as they are here affirmed to be the children of the Devil The children of the devil are so in nature or habitually or in conversation or service or so in state condition profession and visible shew nor though such as are in nature and service the children of God and in grace and works the children of Abraham cannot be in state profession or outward shew the children of the Devil yet on the contrary it is too evident in sad experience and plaine in the Scripture that such as are the children of God and our father Abraham in profession and condition may yet be the children of the world the flesh and the devil in heart and life and service as these Jews were who though they were so notoriously eminent in the service of the devil against Christ and his Gospel are yet acknowledged by our Saviour here to have Abraham to their father and by Paul Rom. 9 4. to be the adopted children of God Object 2. He is no Jew that is onely so outwardly Rom. 2. 28. therefore he is no real Church-member that is onely so in profession Answ 'T is confest that he is no Jew in the Apostles sense that is onely a Jew outwardly and that this by analogy will conclude from Jews to Christians but the great question yet resteth viz. in what sense the Apostle meaneth that the Jew outwardly is no Jew 1. He cannot mean that he was no Jew carnally this is confessed while the Apostle termes him a Jew outwardly 2. He cannot mean that he is no Jew ecclesiastically or with respect to visible Church-membership for that also he allows in the very next words ch 3. 1 2 c. what advantage then hath Quum enim cos circumcisionis symbolo insignitos suisse tra dit quo filii Deâ— haberâ—ntur non eas fatetur suo aliquo meri to excelluisse sed Dei beneficiis Bul. in loc Rom. 9. 4. the Jew as if he had said if he be in some sense no Jew what then is his advantage above the Gentile he answers himself much every way and wherein but in Church-priviledges and how but as this outward Jew is a Church-member 3. Then thirdly there is no sense left for these words of the Apostle but that spiritual saving sense before mentioned so that here is a Jew and no Jew a carnal Jew and an outward Jew a member of the visible Church to whom belongeth the adoption and the glory of the Covenants c. and yet no Jew spiritually and savingly as the very place interprets it self if any thing heeded where the Jew outwardly is onely asserted to be no Jew in that he is not a Jew inwardly and what 's that but such a Jew as God expects accepts or gives praise unto whose praise is not of men but of God the conclusion is that some are outwardly Christians or members onely of the visible Church who are not spiritually or savingly so or that shall finde no praise or acceptance with God which was never denied Object 3. Some in the Church have onely a name to live when indeed they are dead Rev. 3. 1. therefore there are some that are onely nominal and not real members of the Church Answ I have before confessed that there are some persons mingled with the Church and people of God that are of his Church onely nominally and not really that have the name alone and not the thing whether we respect the visible Church or the invisible such as pretend contrary to their direct intentions as the Jew at New-castle to joyne with the Church upon any corrupt or treacherous designe may have the name but that is all of a visible member thereof Again all hypocrites that cover their rottennesse under specious professions of the truth of their grace from the eyes of the world have the name and shew of the members of the Church invisible or of the Church of the saved when they have nothing at all of the truth or being thereof 2. But 't is most evident that our Saviours words now urged reach onely the latter sort of these pretenders and lay us a ground onely to distinguish of nominal and real members of the Church of the saved so far is it from troubling the course of our question at all for if we mark the Text saith not that this Church hath a name to be a Church but to live to have spiritual and saving life in her in opposition whereunto she is alone said to be dead Againe this life doth not seeme so much as to pretend the life of outward grace or that which is the principle of the state and condition of the visible Church but onely the life of habitual and inward grace or that which is the principle of good works and a holy conversation as is very evident from the very Text I know thy works thy works are not perfect before God v. 1 2. 3. Yea to put all out of doubt the same mouth that thus chargeth her to be dead doth also acknowledge her to be a Church and her Ministry to be an Angel to the Angel of the Church in Sardis v. 1. and concludeth this Epistle v. 7. as he doth the rest Let him that hath an eare heare what the Spirit saith unto the Churches it is also called a golden candlestick as well as the rest yea and by name said to be one of the seven Churches ch 1. 11. and 20. Object 4. To the wicked God saith what hast thou to do to declare my Statute or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth c. Psalme 50. 16. therefore wicked men are not in Covenant and consequently not in the Church Answ This passage may be thought to be spoken of wicked Ministers 1. From the context in the verses preceding which chiefly treat of the work of Ministers viz. sacrifices and offerings and burnt-offerings as the special matter of the present discourse from v. 8. to v. 14. 2. From the Text it self which supposeth the persons here reproved to be such as used to declare Gods statutes to others I should not lay much weight upon this interpretation but that it seemeth to have been
non profecto veniet Antichristus ex Judais quod quidam credunt neque ex Turcis sed ex Christianis Naogeorge in loc Hereticks that were never of the Church in the Apostles sense were yet of the Church in the first sense numero nomine titulo ex Apostalorum societate Christianorum and thus Christiani as Bullinger saith Christiani olim fuerant quos hic vocavit Antichristus they were Apostolorum discipuli though ficti and fratres though subdoli and falsi as Naogeorge saith but thus as before was noted the Text concerneth not our question at all 2. Yet I grant that some of these Hereticks might formerly have owned the true Religion without these Heresies or any purpose and designe to promote the same or themselves by them but that they came on as in our age men usually do thereto by degrees and that though they were not of the Church in the Apostles sense yet they were of the Church according to the second branch of the distinction before explained viz. of the Church of the called though not of the Elect. Tertii vivam habent fidei radicem ac suae Adoptionis Testimonium penitus fixum in cordibus gerunt de his loquitur Jobannes cum impossibile esse dicit ab ecclesia alienari Calv. in loc Therefore the Apostle meaneth that these Hereticks did make it appeare by their departure from the Church upon so damnable an occasion that they were never of the Church to be saved or elected to salvation though yet they were once of the visible so ciety of Christians or of the visible Church from which otherwise they could not have departed and that really though not effectually finally fully or savingly they were not of us saith Oecumenius that is of the lot of them which are saved yet they were truely of us as Augustine fully and clearly distinguisheth the place his words are these such as will not tarry in the Church but finally forsake it to the end in the prescience of God and respect of the small benefit they shall have by their temporal and small abode there be not of or in the Church though according to this present state they are truely members thereof which words are quoted and sealed to by Fulk against the Rhemists in Vindication of the Protestant judgement aspersed by the Papists as more fully anon in this point those other words of Augustine used by Fulk upon this Text likewise are yet more clear these men therefore were of the many that were called but of the few that are chosen they were not And this double sense of being of the Church at which some seeme to be offended is clearly grounded upon the Scripture those that are of the visible Church and not of the invisible are as well said to be of Israel though not Israel by Paul to the Chap. 9. 6 Romans as those are here said to be of us that are of the Church invisible also Therefore I conclude with Fields apt and pertinent words by that which hath been said that none but the Elect are of the Of the Church p 14 Church in that principal and high degree before mentioned we may easily understand the Truth of their meaning who say that hypocrites wicâ—â—d men and cast awayes are in but not of the Church Object 6. The titles that are proper to the savingly beleeving as Saints Gods children people c. are communicated by Scripture to all Church-members therefore all Church-members are by Scripture supposed to be truely and savingly beleeving and those that are not savingly qualified are but equivocally so called by Scripture Answ To take it for granted that such titles as these are proper in Scripture to such onely as savingly beleeve is too plainly to begge the thing in question or rather that which hath been wholly put beyond all question by the Scripture it selfe before Had not we already found the holy Ghost almost throughout the Scriptures when he doth not onely suppose but expresly charge a people to be notoriously wicked to own such a people at the same time and in the same place to be Gods people children holy c. this might have seem'd a plausible and handsome argument but seeing it is indeed thus a very easie reply may serve it until our former arguments from Scripture against it are answered How such titles as these became so generally received as proper and peculiar to such onely as savingly believe I dare not presume to guesse however give me leave to fear that the too frequent restrain'd or ambiguous application thereof shall I say unadvisedly from our pulpits hath had some influence into that sad and schismatical perswasion and errour of the Anabaptist as well as others CHAP. XXI The Authority of the Church searched after and first in Augustines age LEt us now at length descend from the consideration of Divine authority to that which is called Humane and from the Scripture to the Church But if we would indeed discerne the clear and distinct opinion of the Church in this famous controversie we need not be so much busied in drawing consequences or offering snatches from what she hath scattered by her worthy hands up and down upon other occasions but rather seriously to fix and ponder upon what she hath delivered about it when called by some eminent and special providence to speak punctually to it Before this controverting age of ours there have been three remarkable periods of special occasion exacting the sentence and judgement of the Church in the present case upon all which we now proceed briefly to examine what judgement she hath made The first eminent occasion hereof was urged by the Donatists Aug. Tom. 7. Gram. l. 2. c. 3. 4 there was indeed as Austine observeth some slight motion of it by some Schismaticks in Cyprians age before but Donatus was the first great stickler in it who held that none but the godly were true members of the visible Church the very point I humbly conceive that we have all this while been arguing against but was this indeed the opinion of the Donatists if St. August may be believed doubtlesse it was illud ostendere tentaverunt inquit August Donatistae prolatis multis testimoniis Divinarum Scripturarum Aug. Tom. 7. Col. cum Donatistis quod ecclesia Dei non cum Malorum hominum commixtione futura praedicta sit though driven by dispute at length they evaded by limitting their opinion to openly wicked as Augustine testifieth also Malos in ecclesia permixtos esse confessi sunt Donatistae sed occultos eos esse dixerunt Now this worthy mouth and champion of the Church in his age hath noted this opinion as an errour and therefore not his own opinion and as an errour of this sect of the Donatists and therefore not the opinion of the true Catholick Church of God in his time as abundantly appears by his set and purposed large disputation in most of his volumes
that their non dissenting or rather nonwilful with-drawing from the Church of God is an evident token to men of their positive consent and that men are haply upon that account reckoned members of the Church As in the Common-wealth a person that desires to become a member or a subject thereof must necessarily expresse his desire of it and consequently his consent unto it with his submission to the Laws and government of that Common-wealth yet one that was borne free as also the former after his freedome is granted him his consent may not be questioned much lesse his freedom or interest in the Nation while he remaineth quiet and peaceable and breaketh not himself off therefrom by defiance or open rebellion And that thus it is in the Church also is plaine from Scripture the great and infallible Charter of the Churches freedome In the time of the Law it was requisite that proselytes were expresly to consent as Hamor and Shechem said onely let us consent unto them viz. to be circumcised and they will dwell with us i. e. own us as one people with themselves yet persons that were Gen. 34. 23 borne Israelites were to be circumcised by Gods command though without their own and against their parents will and both these as also the proselytes were for ever after to be reckoned in Covenant without any further scrutiny so long as That is the command was in force and such children had a right though the parents did not circumcise them they did not bewray themselves by open apostasie and now in the times of the Gospel we use to urge against the Anabaptist that both the subjects and conditions of the Covenant are still the same now as then the Gentiles being now ingraffed into the same stock and baptisme succeding in the roome and use of circumcision Therefore it is worth our observation that Gods Covenant-people in the time of the Law were not onely admitted without any respect to their voluntary consent or knowledge but commanded to renue their Covenant in such a manner as that they that Deut. 29 11 12 15 2 Chro. 15. 9 12 Jer. 34. 10. were absent and not in place to expresse their consent were included in those that were present I say to renue their Covenant for doubtless they were Gods Covenant-people before neither can any possibly imagine that such as did not expresly consent to this present act did cease from the number of Gods Covenant-people thence-forward 3. Though a clear and distinct knowledge of the conditions be requisite to interesse in the benefits of the Covenant yet a general cloudy and partial knowledge is sufficient to enstate a man and to continue him in the Covenant of God viz. some general and dark apprehensions of the true Messias of the true God opposed to the false that God is to be worshipped by all his people c. is such as I mean and no more can be supposed to have been in those three thousand Acts 2. in the Jailour Simon Magus or the Eunuch himself when they were received by the Gospel-Church and baptized We have the reason given Deut. 29. 18. why the people were to enter i. e. to renue their Covenant viz. that such among them as were idolatrous might be discovered plainly intimating that those who did so far consent as that they might appear thereby to be no idolaters which required onely a general knowledge and owning of the Lord were not to be distinguished in much lesse cut from the Covenant people of God This might suffice us yet we have four advantages more to add with which I shall end this answer 1. It is not said nor to be thought that all those that were guilty of idolatry and thus found out did presently cease to be of the Church 2. Though such an explicite general knowltdg to be a necessary condition of admitting into the Church adult persons yet this reacheth not our common case viz. the continuance of persons within the Church who were born there and sealed in infancy 3. A search after either their knowledge or consent in order to their continuance in Covenant who break not out into open rebellion against the same hath no footing at all in Scripture or Antiquity 4. Especially seeing that such do usually make a real profession of their consent by their ordinary attending upon the Ordinances of divine service which for ought I yet see may passe for an explicite consent among men seeing it is real and actual though not vocal which consent none can deny to be given by those that have a very inconsiderable measure of knowledge as daily experience witnesseth CHAP. XXXI Wickednesse doth not put a man out of the visible Church IGnorance hath already appeared in sufficient we proceed to enquire what profanenesse or wickednesse hath to cut a man off from the Church A person may be thought to be cut off from the Church either de jure or de facto or in plainer termes meritoriously or effectively in the former of these respects a man is said to be cut from the Church most improperly for unlesse desert or fault and punishment be all one a person that onely deserveth to be cut off and is not actually and really proceeded against can onely properly be said not to be cut off as yet I apply my answer thus That seeing a profane or wicked person before the censure of the Church be pass'd upon him can onely be said to deserve and not yet to suffer it I conclude that profanenesse or wickednesse doth not properly i. e. formally effectively or actually cut off from the Church After all that hath already evinced the truth hereof I might adde one argument ad hominem whatsoever genius attendeth my Opponent If it be thought that saving grace be essentially requisite to membership then the profane or wicked whose case is now a trying is either such a one as hath the seed of God abiding in him under all his wickednesse as it was in David or else he is wholly without grace as Judas was if he be supposed to have any measure of saving grace then he can never lose it for saving grace cannot be lost and if Church membership essentially depend upon that saving grace which he hath and cannot lose certainly his wickednesse cannot cut off this his membership nor indeed any thing else it is little lesse then a contradiction to affirme a particular after a general denial that cannot possibly admit an exception and if it be first said that a man can never lose that which entitles to membership there is no room left to affirm afterwards that wickeduesse cutteth it off Again if such a profane and wicked person be supposed to have no true grace then if grace be of the essence of the Church he was never truely of the Church and consequently not at all capable of being dismemembered therefrom either by wickedness or any thing else seeing one cannot lose that which he never
had his Church because he had thousands which never bowed their knees to Baal but whose knees were bowed unto Baal even they were also of the visible Church Apostasie a genus or an integrum of heresie and schisme And if it be yet urged that apostacy should be reckoned among the meanes of unchurching I reply that Apostacy may be thought to be a genus of heresie and schism or a compositum made up of both and the perfection of heresie and schisme as it is in the first respect totum universale or in the latter respect totum essentiale vel integrale whose species or whose parts are heresie and schism 1. Now if we consider apostasie as a genus of heresie and schism Apostasie as a genus c. is such in grammar and Scripture then we may conceive heresie or a falling from the faith to be one kinde of Apostasie and Schisme or a forsaking the Assemblies to be another kinde of Apostasie by the one men fall from the truth and by the other from the Church and by either or both from God Apostasie thus understood as I humbly conceive both according to grammar or the Etymology of the word which is in general onely a falling from which may equally respect the truth and the Church and also according to Scripture or the use thereof in the Scripture is such in the first and properest sense of the word Now if we take Apostasie in this signification it cannot be reasonably added as a third meanes of unchurching unto Heresie As a compound the usual sense and schisme seeing that a genus is universale and not individuum and existing onely in its species and not as distinct thereunto or in it self 2. If we take Apostasie in the sense of the Church wherein it is usually taken for a compound of perfect or total Heresie and Schisme or a perfect and absolute renouncing the faith and forsaking the communion of the faithful then I answer that it seemeth needlesse to adde this as a third means of unchurching in this sense either seeing it hath no other nature or force thereunto but what it received from its parts to wit heresie and schisme which have been before insisted upon so that all the difference is that heresie and schisme considered in themselves do unchurch apart and considered in Apostasie they do unchurch together or they are considered to do that together in Apostasie which they were considered to do before apart in themselves and this need not be added as a third meanes which hath no energy to do this effect but that which it receiveth from the other two yea even as it consisteth wholly thereof I conclude this discourse with a synopsis of what hath been said herein given us in those pertinent words of Learned Willet Synop. of the second contr of the Church he first tells us who may not be of the visible Church viz. Infidels i. e. such as are not baptized 2. Hereticks 3. Schismaticks to which he addes excommunicate persons he secondly teacheth who are or may be of the visible Church viz. 1. Such as are not predestinate 2. Manifest sinners de facto 3. Close Infidels i. e. hypocrites CHAP. XXXV Our Churches in England are true Churches inferr'd from the former discourse I Had once resolved to have written no more but finis to the former discourse and to have entrusted it as it is to the impartial improvement of my Readers Genius for who seeth not what great things a very little use of reason may inferre therefrom both touching our Churches Sacraments and Censure However though peaceable prudence be ready to advize as things and persons now are to be very sparing in taking the advantages offered us thence yet love to the truth and the zeale of the house of the Lord hath prevailed with to add something upon each of these heads as most direct and easie conclusions from the former premises and first concerning our Churches thus If we seriously consider what hath been said what can possibly hinder us from concluding therefrom that our publick Congregations in England are true Churches Were not all our members borne in the Church baptized in the Church and have they not hitherto remained in communion of the Church hath Apostasie Heresie Schisme hath a removal of the Candlestick or excommunication it self if it have such a power unchurched them Are not all our Congregations called out of the world of Infidels Turks Jews yea and Papists too and do not they stand as holy communities separate therefrom to the true worship and ordinarily exercised in the Ordinances of God Doth the Scripture require any more to the essence of the Church then ours have or doth it note any thing sufficient to unchurch that ours are not free from are not all the causes distinguishing marks of the true visible Church eminently in ours or doth not the whole definition thereof agree to them do not all the Churches salute and own us as true Churches and would not many dangerous absurdities both in judgement and practice immediately follow the denial thereof Are our Churches corrupt in their conversation true but the essence of the Church consisteth not in saving grace nor its visibility in an holy life besides what Scripture-Church is there except one viz. that at Philippi but is even by the Scripture it self both blamed for corruption and also acknowledged to be a Church or people of God But I intend not to enlarge here having elsewhere largely anticipated this discourse onely having often observed one great objection taken from the first constitution of our Churches to be the last and onely hold of the ancient Brownists as also of the subtiler sort of our later Anabaptists to whom we might adde the Papist I shall spend the remains of this chapter in the view and answer thereof 't is this Obj. Our Churches were not rightly constituted at first therefore they are no true Churches Answer This Objection as it lieth thus in general may be easily evaded upon all our adversaries own principles 1. To the Papists we reply that our Church was at first rightly constituted upon Popish principles for do they not say that we were at first converted unto Christianity by the preaching of Augustine the Monk and that he was commissionated thereunto by the Pope himself 2. To the Brownist we say that we were at first converted by the Ordinance of preaching whether of Joseph or not to which we may adde in answer to the Anabaptist that our ancestors were then baptized upon their personal professing the faith at years of discretion which thing cannot be rationally doubted seeing all are agreed that Heathens are not to be baptized but upon such profession of the faith and againe that our Ancestours were Heathens before their conversion to Christianity Object I know that all these adversaries are ready to reply that something hath since intervened that hath destroyed our Churches Answ Yet then the objection taken
from our first constitution is vanish'd for now the fault it seemeth is found in something that hath happened since which also ought to be made to appear 1. To be truely charged upon our Churches And Secondly sufficient to destroy them otherwise our Churches being thus confessed to be truely and rightly constitute at first and nothing being found to destroy their being or truth since it cannot be denied but that they are true Churches still Let it be therefore briefly examined what they severally alledge against us Obj. 1. The Papists object that our schisme from the Church of Papists Rome hath destroyed our Church Answ But this will never serve their turne without the proof of two things which are never to be proved 1. That the Church of England was guilty of Schisme by renouncing obedience to the Church of Rome For 1. England was never an obliged member of that particular Church of Rome but a Sister Church unto it Secondly as we and Rome were both members of the Catholick Church we never separated from Rome onely in those things wherein Rome first separated from God truth and us 2. That Schisme meerly of it self without heresie is sufficient to destroy a Church which the Scriptures never affirmed and which they know that the Ancient fathers ever denied Object The Anabaptists object that though we were lawfully baptized at first yet our present members are not and where Anabaptists there is no true baptisme there is no true Church Answ But there are three rotten pillars to uphold this argument which cannot support themselves 1. That Infant-baptisme is no lawful baptisme which they themselves now see that they cannot evidence and are therefore now weary of the point and onely labour to prove the lawfulnesse of beleevers baptisme 2. That Infant-Baptisme may not be true and effectual baptisme though they could possibly prove it to be unlawful and that we should not have been baptized till years of discretion fieri non debuit factum valet is sometimes a good Rule an errour in a circumstance doth not null the action persons baptized with water in infancy and with the holy Ghost since who dare say they are not baptized 3. That Baptisme is of the essence of Church-membership Learned Master John Goodwin hath written a Treatise on purpose upon this subject shewing by many arguments that supposing Baptisme not lawfully administred to Infants yet this is no just ground of separation from such Churches as do baptize infants and one hath made an attempt to answer them but with very unhappy successe Whether Infant-Baptisme hath plaine Scripture proof or not 't is both certaine and plaine in Scripture that the children of Lamb. Church-members are born in the Church and Covenant of God But from what Scripture can it be inferr'd that one that is borne in Covenant ceaseth to be so if not Baptised I know not I grant that the admission of persons not borne in the Church ought to be solemnized with Baptisme yet I conceive that Baptisme is the seal and badge of this his admission rather then essential to it and that he is a member indeed and before God by his sincere embracing the Christian Religion in his heart though not baptized though his submission to Baptisme be a necessary expression of his Christian profession for the Churches satisfaction and yet I conceive there is much difference betwixt the cases of such persons and of those that are borne in the Church and that this difference is clearly revealed in the Scriptures of both Testaments Object There is but one thing that hath any colour of bjection in Scripture against it that the person not circumcised should be cut off from the people and that he had broken the Covenant of God Gen. 17. 14. But this is easily removed for both his sin and punishment plainly intimate such a persons interest in the Covenant 1. He hath broken my Covenant that was his sinne of which he had not been capable had he not been in Covenant and therefore a person refusing circumcision was in Covenant 2. His punishment was to be cut off from the people which also intimates that at present he was among Gods people and to be punished with that punishment which was peculiar unto them it matters not what was meant by this cutting off for whether it was by death or excommunication we can thence onely argue desert of the like punishment in the like case and not that such a person is not yet in Covenant before this punishment is inflicted which is onely due unto him for breaking the Covenant in refusing the seale of the Covenant which he could neither have beene guilty of nor had any right unto unlesse he had been in Covenant Certainly therefore faith and not Circumcision or Baptisme is that which enters a man into Covenant with his seed we say Baptisme is the Seal of the Covenant and the badg of Christianity yea the Anabaptists and we are agreed in this that Baptisme is to be administred onely to such as are in Covenant already and consequently that persons are in Covenant before they have right to Baptism and therefore baptisme is not of the essence of the Cevenant or Church Object The Brownist supposing the destruction of our Churches Of Brownists in Queen Maries dayes thus objecteth The true Church is gathered by the preaching of the Word but the Churches of England were called onely by Queen Eliza's command and not by the preaching of the Word therefore they are no true Churches Answ This is the Goliah-objection yet with no great difficulty vanquished for 1. It cannot be proved that we wholly lost the being of a Church by the Marian persecution The Fundamental points touching God Christ Scriptures Ordinances did still shine through that red vaile at least they were never covered much lesse lost in that Popish Rabble which God most graciously and suddenly cleansed by the means of that happy succeeding Queen so that it was rather a reformation then a constitution of a Church which we then received and the Queen did no more in putting for her entrusted power for recovery of our former purer Religion then what other Scripture-Princes had done before her with applause from heaven The people in Josiahs time were farre more Idolatrous then in Queen Maries the like might be observed of Hezekiahs time see how Ahaz and Amon left them 2 Chron. 28. 2 3 4. and 23. and 33. 2 3 4 5 9. yet we find that these Princes compelled all that were found in Israel to serve the Lord their God as it is said of Josiah 2 Chron. 34. 33. who commanded the people to serve the Lord 2 King 23. 21. and Hezekiah with his Parliament made a decree requiring the people from Dan to Beersheba to return againe unto the Lord God of Abraham whom they had forsaken 2 Chron. 30. 56. Now who will say that Israel was not a people of the Lord because thus reduced againe
or actual right to be admitted by the Church to the Lords Supper but may and in some cases ought to he debarred thetefrom First that every person lawfully baptized hath a right to the Lords Supper appears from precept promise and ptecedent in Scripture and Reason grounded upon or drawn from Scripture 1. Those whom Christ commands to celebrate his Supper have certainly some kind of right so to do fot what better right or Reas 1 from the command Debitum agendi debitum habendi warrant can we have to do any thing or receive any thing then our Masters command Thus duties and priviledges are inseparable what God commands is both These things I command for your own good and if we must do what God commands as our duty then we may do what God commands as our tight and priviledge But now God commands every disciple and lawfully baptized person to receive the Supper and to do all that Christ hath commanded his Church Do this in remembrance of me Teach them to observe and do whatsoever I command you This will not conclude that every Church-member must receive the Supper without any further consideration This hath been and may be further cleared for this command is but mediate and consequently gives but a mediate obligation to such as cannot and a mediate right to such as can and do not examine themselves yet it is a right though but remote or mediate and it is an obligation though it be conditional seeing the condition is commanded also and though the condition of this obligation be such as we before have heard 2. God hath conveyed and granted all Covenant-priviledges from the promise Reas 2 and consequently this of the Supper to all that are taken into and sealed in Covenant else why are we taken into Covenant if not to enjoy the priviledges of the Covenant yea what is the object of our right by Covenant but the priviledges of the Covenant Therefore the Covenant still runs thus I will be thy God and I will give thee c. yea can we have a right in God the greater and not in the Ordinances of God which is the lesse qui habet habentem omnia habet omnia how shall he not with him give us all things and with a right in him give us a right in all things I grant the Covenant is but a conditional Covenant and therefore a right unto the priviledges thereof is but a conditional right But now though differences rise high about the way and terms of being in covenant yet al agree that Church-membership discipleship and lawful baptism are of equal latitude with being in covenant Therefore wherever God begins with I will be thy God it necessarily follows and thou shalt be my people and wherever God ownes a people to be his is to be his Covenant-people 3. Those whom the Scripture admits to actual possession from example Reas 3 without requiring any new evidence or title have a plain and evident right to the Supper without any new evidence or title This cannot be denied because we have no other rule to judge of persons right to the Supper but the Scripture and because that would not admit to possession such as have no right unto it But now we finde Acts 2. 41 42. the Scripture admitteth persons baptized putting no barre by ignorance or scandal against themselves immediately without requiring any new evidence or title of them to actual communion with the Church in doctrine fellowship breaking of bread and prayers viz. in all Gospel-worship 4. A baptized Church-member stands not at the same distance from Scripture-ground Reas 4 from the Supper with persons that are neither Church-members nor baptized for he is visibly at least drawn out of that state of distance and being afarre off wherein the world of Infidels lies and is in Scripture acknowledged to be made nigh in opposition to Infidels Gentiles and those without Eph. 2. 11 12 Therefore a baptized Church-member must needs be granted to have some kinde of right to all Ordinances and consequently to the Supper for though there be a latitude in right yet there is no medium betwixt est and non est right and no right And if the baptized be nearer in right to all Ordinances then an Infidel he hath some kinde or degree of right thereunto not to be questioned if he be not ar the same distance with such as have no right he must needs have some kinde of right He that is not so far off from the Supper is nearer to it and he that is nearer to the Supper is nearer only in a way of right for there is no proceeding towards a legal possession but by a line of right Digression 4. The Grounds of the Churches power to deny the Supper to some Church-members materially considered Though every person lawfully baptized hath some kinde of right to the Lords Supper yet the Church hath power to withhold the present use thereof from some persons lawfully baptized The truth of this Proposition is generally allowed even in the granting 1. That children are lawfully baptized 2. That children are not to receive or not to be admitted to the Lords Supper I shall rather therefore spend this digression in digging for or fixing the grounds of this truth according to Scripture Which Grounds may be aptly considered Materially Formally The material Grounds are the objects about which this power of denying the Sacrament is exercised the Matter for which persons though baptized are to be denied the Supper or the grounds of denying the same to such persons The formal grounds are the grounds of the power it selfe by which the Church denieth the Sacrameâ—t to such the grounds on which this authority of the Church is built So that the present discourse is visibly engaged upon these two questions Quest 1. What are the just and lawful causes for which the Church may deny the Sacrament to baptized persons Quest. 2. On what is this power of the Church to deny the Sacrament upon such causes fixed or whence is it taken or derived Quest 1. First then what are the just and lawful causes of denying the Sacrament to baptized persons I answer that these causes are either privative viz. the want of some necessary qualifications conditional to this Communion or positive viz. some apparent ill quality or blemish for which a person though baptized ought to be debarred from this Communion the first is more eminently noted in 1 Cor. 11. and the latter in 1 Cor. 5. the first may be termed unworthinesse 1 Cor. 11. 29. the latter wickednesse or scandal 1 Cor. 5. ult persons under the first of these may be thought to be unfit and to be kept off upon principles of care and merciful caution persons under the latter may be thought to be und eserving and to be cast out upon principles of Justice The first are therefore rather not to be admitted ratione cautelae whose suspension called
hardest after this Ordinance then the two former especially by our Authour hereby the party is admitted out of the Infant into the Adult estate and received into full communion By confirmation say the Waldenses is forthwith given Confirmatione protinus data est c. Nemo ad sacroSanctam communionem priu admittatur quam catechismum dedicerit confirmatus sit full power of communicating in the body and blood of Christ with all the faithful for none according to our own Lyturgy is to be admitted to the holy communion before he hath learned his catechisme and be confirmed viz. in his right therein Now for confirmation as to these three last uses for which it is now onely desired I shall crave leave to signifie mine opinion very briefly of First I conceive it is not to be found in expresse command or example or in any expresse mention or words in Scripture what the confirmation of Apostolical practice was we have already noted and yet I beleeve it was not like to this Secondly though the eminently Learned and judicious Calvine and some other very worthy Divines are very peremptory that this kinde of confirmation was in use in the Ancient Church I confesse though I have earnestly sought it and desired to see it in some ancient Writer I could never yet be made so happy neither did I ever yet see any words cited or pretended to be cited out of any such ancient Authour that did offer any thing like it viz. the admitting such as were baptized in Infarcy when growne of age upon their personal publick profession and engagement into farther communion with the Church by the coremony of imposition of hands and prayer What the ancient confirmation was hath been already intimated Thirdly yet I rejoyce to acknowledge that this moderne confirmation for the three great uses mentioned is not onely agreeable to the common principles of nature and reason but that likewise it is juxta consensum Scripturae according to the consent of Scripture as Chemnitius teacheth Fourthly which consent of Scripture hereunto is I conceive not onely negative but positively given in such general commands as require all Church-dispensations and more expressely those of discipline to be directed and leveld at edification for I doubt not but that such a confirmation may be piously used and to the edification of the Church as Chemnitius also affirmeth as a meanes most happily accommodated to this great end Fifthly therefore I must have leave to say that I verily beleeve after these my small endeavours upon the point that our Reverend and most Worthy Father Master Hughes hath hit the very white and that if this kinde of confirmation which is now sought for or that way of examination which many practice by some also termed a little more mildly a ministerâ—al conference which are all one for substance cannot stand upon his or such like grounds they will stand no where but must fall at last Sixthly moreover were the late superstitions and formallity removed as all good men must needs wish and the stated effects and provisoes allowed as I cannot but desire and the present season and temper of our people duely considered and found to be receptable of it which I am willing to hope I do here most solemnly judge that confirmation might prove through divine mercy a most effectual mean as of the edification of the Church so of reconciliation of the much to be lamented differing brethren and therefore to be both piously and charitably desired and not onely coldly and faintly to be wished but by all the lovers of truth and peace earnestly prayed for and seriously endeavoured both as a most needful and seasonable Ordinance Seventhly yea though after all due paines and endeavours used we should not be able to reconcile our principles in every point if yet we can meet in the same practice about confirmation though on some small differing grounds why may not the Church be happily edified and the peace thereof in a measure obtained by such an unity uniformity in practice while the persons differing but in lighter matters may wait upon the Lord in this good service for the great blessing of unanimity promised also May it be still provided I humbly offer first that confirmation be not thought to have any ingrediency into the nature or being of our membership Secondly that the temper of the people be found such as will admit of such a change without any dangerous disturbance among them threatening more hurt then sober men can rationally expect advantage to the Church thereby these methinks have some weight in them and may not be reckoned among the lighter matters 8. Lastly for the Ceremony of imposition of hands I cannot beleeve it to be so necessary as the substance of confirmation alreâ—dy declared is though with Chemnitius I doubt not but it may be added here without superstition especially when the substance of the work shall rather receive solemnity and reverence then disgrace or prejudice thereby as Calvine intimates it did of old to the end this action saith he which otherwise ought deservedly to be esteemed grave and holy might have the more reverence and respect Quo autem haec actio c. Inst l. 4. c. 19. s 4 the Ceremony also of imposition of hands was added to it After the Learned Doctor Hackwell I am apt to judge this ceremony of laying on of hands to arise from natures fountaine and thence to spread it self over all the world by universal custome Man-kinde being as it were prompted by nature to solemnize any great honour to be conferred on a person with this ceremony both Jew and Greek and the Church of God have taken it into common practice upon all sch occasions as is most apparent both in prophane and ecclesiastical hystory is And upon this ground with some special allusion to the practice of the Apostle who its like took it up from the former natural and universal custome with Jewes and Gentiles when they conferr'd the Holy Ghost I presume the Churches afterward annex'd it as a right to confirmation However if this kinde of confirmation be not found in Scripture this right of it imposition of hands as relating to it cannot be found there wherefore we can onely say this of it that it is a decent ecclesiastical ceremony as Luther calls it solemne and laudable and very fit to be added in confirmation when general prejudice or any other extraordinary impediment doth not prohibit it or when it is not likely to lose its end We propose two ends at present of setting up the practice Two ends of now deâ—â—ring confirmation of confirmation the Edification of the people and Reconciliation of Brethren in the Ministery give me leave to present unto you a double Consideration hereupon First whether imposition of hands added in confirmation by us now may not grate upon popular prejudice and hinder somewhat the first of our ends Secondly whether some worthy brethren who do not at all scruple the substance of the action but are haply ready to joyne with us in it yet because they see not that imposition of hands was ever used but but by a Bishop may not be stricken off further from us should we venture upon it and thus far we should faile of the other of our ends I dare conclude that neither of those two great patrons of confirmation Calvine or Chemnitius doth lay such a stresse upon imposition of hands therein but that the substance of the action being solemnly practiced this ceremony of laying on of hands in such a case as was now proposed may yea ought to be omitted I had thought to have added a fifth proviso namely that the children of such as are baptized and do usually joyne with us Prov. 5. Children of the non-confirmâ—d to be baptâ—zed in attendance upon the worship of God though they be not as yet confirmed be not denied their Infant Baptisme this also seems to be granted us in our Reverend Authours own principles our Authour questions not the membership of such parents yea p. 54 60. further he argueth that such though appearing unworthy of confirmation through ignorance or scandal they are not to be excommunicate or dismembred He also asserts that children are p. 25. with 53. baptized by vertue of their parents membership Thus hence we might be bold to reason where there is membership in the parent there the childe may be baptized if children are to be baptized by vertue of their parents membership But there is membership in such parents as are baptized and not excommunicated nor to be excommunicated Therefore the children of such parents may be baptized and that regularly as p. 53. our Authour addes according to the Word FINIS