THE DISCRIPTION OF A TRVE VISIBLE CHRISTIAN RIGHT CONFORTABLE profitable for all such as are distressed in Sowle about present controversies in the Churche DRAVVEN BY He. Câ— but published by occasion as will appeare in the Epistle by Io. I. Luke 17. 22. And he sayd vnto the disciples the dayes vvil come vvhen ye shall desire to se one of the dayes of the Son of 23. man ye shall not se it Then they shall say to yovv Behold here or behold there but go not thither neither follovve them Math. 24. 25. Beholde I haue tolde yovv before In the Yeare from Christ his incarnation 1599. To the Christian Reader OUr beloued Brother Mr. He. Cl. after no small trauell he finished a booke contayning fully all poynts of Church-coÌ„troversie specially now turmoylinge our English people Which booke lying in myne house for a season I procured the third chapter of the Booke the whole contaynes about 26. ch to be copied out for myne owne vse what tyme both MaÌ„ aÌ„d Booke was presently by reason of busines in England to be sundred from me In whose absence as I tooke no small delite in the same chapter so I demed it my duty not knowing when the whole might be published to put it in print for publike vtility If curteous Read thow fynde it comly aÌ„d profitable in it self wheÌ„ thow hast read it theÌ„ easily iudge of the whole when all the members knit togither shold preseÌ„t it self vnto the as a reasonable body Meane-tyme my desire is of all such faithfull people as to whom the whole or any part of the said booke shall com that if it be in theyr pouwre they will for the edificatioÌ„ of me aÌ„d others procure the printinge thereof The miserable distractions of the Catholike confused aÌ„d scatred Church it requireth such a salue nor knoe I any who of experience is better able to guide distressed sowles in this fore-prophecied tyme of disorder whereyn if it were possible the very Elect should be deceived An age wherein more heed is to be had of reÌ„dinge Wolues clad in sheepish conversation as in skynnes rather then of open Beares Lyons and Leopards sittinge in the midst of the temple and Catholike wheatfeilde I meane the Church And thus desiring the praiers of the faithfull for my happy progresse in the wayes of holynes I leaue the to the gracious government of Christ his Spirit Amsterdam 1599. Amongst Christians the least of a thousande Io. Ioope Uvho is a true visible Christian. IT beinge once knowen who of vs may be adiudged a true visible Christian an easie entrance and firme ground is giuen to the substance off Church disputation And because no factious Spirit may haue an hole to creep out at such a christian must be considered Baptised or Unbaptised In the state of Unbaptisme som true christian may be and such a one I Describe thus 1. Vnto vs such a sowle coÌ„fesseth it beleiueth that Iesus Christ is com in our nature by the holy Ghost his ouershadowinge the blessed Virgin Mary and that for the absolute salvatioÌ„ of his people Of which nomber this Sowle confesseth it to be And 2. professeth it self willinge to stand subiect to all the Sauiours Lawes as by the ministry of his worde shalbe revealed vnto it this only for bringing Glory to our Father in heauen More then this for substance cold not be in any to whome our Sauiour his ymmediate disciples preached as anie reading theyr sermons of Conuersion may easily perceiue Nor vpon such bare confession of Faith and Obedience was any sowle debarred Baptisme for it self and the subiect family as may also appeared by Iohn Baptists procedinge and the Apostles Arts. Now Baptisme being as will appeare in his owne Chapter not the exhibiton of Christianity but the seale of Christianity presumed first to exist it so is evident that a true visible Christian may be before Baptisme and that by the former Confession feinge such a one to vs-ward hath by Fayth apprehended Christ aÌ„d with Christ how shall he not haue all things also But let me labour breifly to explaine the particulars Vnto vs. The manifestation of a Christian lieth not in the worlds approbation for the world knoes neither God nor his Sons The reason is we haue the spirit that searcheth all things euen the deep things of God but the Naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnes to him neither can he knoe them because they are spiritually discerned Yea though those Naturalls be crep into the Church they shalbe so farre from acknowledging them in truth as oftentymes They shall put them out of theyr Synagogues yea kill theÌ„ think they therein do God good service And in sayinge To vs rather theÌ„ To me it is because the faithfull theyr approbation it must not depend vpon any one no not on Elijah for euen in Israel there were true visible people to Obadiah who hid them by 50. and 50. in a caue when it may be Elijah demed all slayne by Iesabel So we se the blyndman in Iohns Gospell To be cast out of the Iuish church for an heretick who by and by was found out of Iesus for a Patrone of Christianity Such a sowle confesseth it beleiueth Beleif and Confession is ioyned togither of S. Paul with the heart man beleiueth vnto righteousnes with the mouth maÌ„ confâ—sseth vnto salvation So the psalmist I beleiued and therfore haue spoken Nor without confession of faith can any of the church take particular knowledge of such that so they may proclame them visible Christians Nay how is it possible that anie now sâ—old haue true faith in God aÌ„d the same be hid from the whole Church Som must haue intelligence thereof except it shold be begotteÌ„ without the ministrie of mankynd But this the Apostle denieth thus How shall they beleive without a Preacher how shall they preach except they be sent then Faith is by hearing and hearing by the word off GOD concluding hereby 1. that there cannot be faith without hearing 2. that such hearing is tyed to preaching 3 and it must be the word of God preached that only begets true faith 4. that such begetters of true apprehending faith for calling vppon God as a father in Christ Iesus whereof before he spoke they are sent of God and therefore theyr feete or governing affections to be proclamed Beauteous not Antichristian for Ministers sent of Satan or els of God in his wrath vnto Sowles they beget not such true applyinge faith in theyr hearers Now if a Sowle cannot be possessed with faith but it must be by the minister of faith no more then there now can be a childe without a father or an apple without a tre so the spirituall father at least must haue intelligence of such fruite nor can they hide it from the Teacher Consider this in the Eunuch Lidia the Iaylour
yea in all those that were pricked in the heart at Peters sermon at Iohn Baptists sermon or at the preachinge of anie who haue begotten faith by the blessed worde By the way therefore to say that the Church which consistes of manie beleiuers it hath bene somtymes wholy invisible it is passing false For as none can be members of Christ without faith and there cannot be such apprehendinge iustifying faith without preaching of the Evangell and that cannot so be preached of anie except they be sent of God so all this cannot be without externall Confession of the same faith according to that of Peter and Iohn we cannot but speak the things which we haue seen heard Now what is it that such do confesse they beleiue That Iesus Christ son of the liuing God is com As before his comming it was required man shold beleiue He shold com for so was he darkly preached to Adam more plainly to Abram but far more openly by the Prophets to auncient mother Zion so synce his manifestation it is required mankynd confesse they beleiue He is com The not beleif whereof is cawse the Iewes stand reiected Nor can they be regraffed into the body of the Church vntill they se and confesse lamenting-wise that already He is com and pearced But vpon such sight ād confession they shall haue the fountaine opened vnto them for syn and vncleannes to the expellinge of the false prophet The literall vayle of Moses so removed the Catholike bodie of Israel shall so be saued And whereas the Gentiles labour and are like still to labour of spirituall errour by the leaues then of that naturall tre the faithfull of the nations shalbe healed Who therefore wisheth an end to contentiō arising from such errour let them pray that the kingdom may quicly be restored to that naturall Israel Which Iesus in english Sauiour must be confessed the Christ in english Annoynted in hebrue Messiah that is that blessed One which from Adams fall was frely promised of God to be sent in tyme for sauinge his people from theyr synnes Which work of salvation he accomplished by prophecy sacrifice and invisible powre weakly fore-figured by the annoynted Prophets Preists and Rulers giuen to Auncient Israel For how can anie be sayd to haue faith in him that confesse not they beleiue him to be that One which saueth his people as the Lord had appoynted Nor can this be without beleyuing him to be the Son of the liuing GOD the beleif whereof is sayd not to com by the Revelation off flesh and Blood but by our father which is in heauen And vppon the confession of this Philip baptised the Eunuch Nor is this to be marvayled at seing the epithet Livinge it distinguisheth the true GOD from all false Gods and the beleiving Iesus to be his Son sent for sauing such as com vnto God by him it is to flesh and blood vnreasonable And that we se in the Iues who held it blasphemy or an euell speach in him to make himself the Son of God To haue made himself the Son of God but only in regard of this obedience to God that they wold not terme an euell speach for they thought so of themselues and theyr princes but teaching himself so to be Son as he is and euer was one with the father that is the same for essence and eternity of essence that they helde blasphemie The impossibility of beleiving this Son-ship is to be considered in the following words Com in our Nature This nature of Man body and sowle assumed of him this the Iues sawe but that nature whereby he was the only begotten of the father figured in Isaac thonly begotten of Abram hy-father that the naturallcy sawe not and therefore beleiued not The humaine nature was not in question amongst the Iues for that they verily sawe ād felt without ani guiste of faith but to acknowledge this visible nature assumed of the former invisible nature that required the fathers revelation as the humaine nature the mothers declaration And this nature was figured by the Ramme that was sacrificed for Isaac And both of them foretyped by the two Hegoates whereof the One died Body in his kynd and the sowle in his kynde both being but Man and death otherwise raigning ouer both which a late writer shold haue obserued before herein he had so easilie contradicted the Auntients that One died for satisfying Iehouah for Israels synnes although with Ionah it came out of the earths wombe not feeling corruption thother scaped but the Sowle which som wold haue only to be typed hereyn it by lot was with the bodie caught and throwen into the Seas off God his boyling indignation so far was it from scapinge thother scaped carying Syn as Captiuity captiue into the place cut of from the habitation of Synners And yet in this same humaine nature touching the manner of generation the reason of faith is also required For that cawse I adde By the holy Ghost his ouershadowing c. As by the spirit of God his mouth ech treature first had existence so for causing this glorious manhood in the first fruites of our nature that was to be vnited with the Godhead for euer the same eternall spirit called also the spirit of Christ because he procedeth both from Father and Son he ouershadowes the Virgin and is Agent to her seede patient for the Manhoods existence That womans seede shold conquer the Head of the serpent that in Abrams seede not seedes all Nation̄s shold be blessed that a virgin shold conceiue and bring forth a Son whose name shold be Gnimmanuel c. God with vs wonderfull Counsailour the might God the euerlasting Father Prince of peace c. all this was preached of old but the mysterie touching the manner of his Conception that was concealed till his comminge And yet this mysterie was before preached vnder couert shadowes For as our Sauiour him self was foretyped in Isaac Samson and Samuel so we se theyr mothers Satah Monahs wife and Hannah to bring forth not by naturall course though Nature not reiected but by promise and Grace Touching the end of whose comming this must be confessed That it vvas for the absolute salvation of his people That he came to saue it was noted from his name Iesus but it must be confessed that his worke is absolute that this that to the beginning continuance and endinge thereof he hath no One to help or vpholde that according to that his speach in Isaiah I am mighty to saue I haue trod the vvynepresse alone of all the people hearken Meritmonger there vvas none vvith me And I looked and there vvas none to help and I vvondred that there vvas none to vpholde therefore myne ovvne arme helped me my vvrath it self sustayned me And this is the same which Peter teacheth thus Nor is there salvation in any other for
amongst meÌ„ there is giuen no other Name vnder heauen vvherby vve must be saued And therefore not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name we giue prayse As he came thus to saue his people euen all the father had giuen him accordinge to election not works so Of that nomber this Sovvle beleiveth it to be The former beleif and Confession is only Generall and so farre togither with many particulars flowing from thence the devels and many of reprobate mankinde do comprehend to the effecting and making vp of a true visible Christian therefore is required A particular application of the former mercy exhibited in Christ Iesus The first beleif and confession it is of Logitians termed the Generall or Matter whereof a visible Christian consists but this seconde namely the particular or personall application of the former it is termed the Difference or Forme because it differenceth the thing from other things by his forme euen as the forme of an howse doth difference the howse from tyber and stone lying loose and vnapplyed togither which in such vnmortised estate may be termed the matter of an howse but not called an howse because the different forme is lackinge Both the parts of this definition nor is any thing truly defined without them two blessed Paul layeth downe for himself thus Christ Iesus came into the vvorld to saue synners that is the Generall the Difference foloweth thus of vvhome I am cheife that is the Annoynted Saviour came to saue his people that lay captiued in Syn of which nomber he was thus to saue I beleiue my self to be One Which poynt of appreheÌ„ding fayth as it is the fre worke of God his spirit through the ministry of the ghospell so the same Apostle testifies that the testimony to be giuen vnto all the true Christians saying The same spirit beareth vvitnes to our spirit that vve are the Children off GOD. I knoe very well that our iustification with God it lyeth rather in our being comprehended of Christ then in our comprehending of him so farre is all merit from vs but it is impossible we shold be comprehended of Christ and neuer haue intelligence thereof by his word and spirit for Christ is not tongueles and he lookes the Saued shold prayse his father for such a mercy and impossible as before that such can be possessed of the spirit aÌ„d not vtter theyr faith vnto others So much for faith Generall and Particular Now followeth the fruites Secondly such a sowle professeth it self willing to stand subiect to the saviours lawes as by the Ministry of the word shalbe revealed vnto it Having Hope of salvation administred by the ministrie of faith such a Sowle cannot but promise obedience to the Author and Finisher of his sayth Christ Iesus as also to square obedience vnto his Saviours hests alone The equity whereof Ioshua the figure of Iesus who is to seat vs in heaueÌ„s Canaan where he is gone to prepare Mansions for his trybes he vrgeth it to Israel the type of the Catholike Church who willingly agayne and againe to the Lo. his Minister professed themselues bound to the Lord alone and that him alone they wold serue And the holy man David for tyinge the ronagate heart vnto dutifull obedience he bynds it to the Goodabearinge thus I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keep thy righteous iudgments And because such a vowe may be currant I adde And this only for bringing glory to the father in heauen Obedience is not promised to the end the promiser shall merit thereby for our Merit-obedience fully and wholely abideth in Christ but that by such orderly cariage specially God may receive glorie from the mouths of Many who beholde such conversation according to that our Saviour Let your lighte so shyne before men as they may se your good works glorify your father which is in heauen And that of the Apostle Paul Whatsoeuer ye do do all to the glory of God So that vowe of obedience and obedience it self all is alone to be referred vnto the Lord his glorie seing his Glory is the end of all things Thus much touching a visible Christian vnbaptized who by reason of such fayth and avowed allegiance cannot but couet baptisme nor may be denyed Baptisme Who as he is by the ministrie of Som begotten vnto the fayth so is he not to refuse the seale of his fayth by such ministrie euen as the Males vnder the lawe received Circumcision by the ministrie of theyr Parents And such subiection is due vnder payne of being cut of from Israel I meane such refusers of Baptisme by the ministry of such as haue begot them notwithstanding all other protestations of fayth and obedience they are to stand excommunicate to the Church because they rebell agaynst the glorious seale of entring into the Church for so they cast themselues out of the Covenant whereinto they were entred by such a spirituall Parent NOW touching the Baptized somwhat The former two poynts of fayth and confession they being essentiall to vs-ward for visible Christianity they at no hand may be lacking in the Baptized Wherevnto I also adde being so com vnder the outwarde Couert of the Church it is of absolute necessity that they be found in the Catholike Church holding communion with som particular congregation although the same assembly be as a member passing corrupt and vlcerous Touching spirituall defects we are to admonish but not in paine of death to forsake the fellowship according to that of the Ho. Gh. vnto the Hebrues Let vs consider one another to provooke vnto loue to good works not forsaking the fellowship we haue amongest our selues as the maner of som is but let vs exhort that somuch the more because ye se the day draweth nere For if we syn willingly that is forsake the fayth and fellowschip afore spoke of after we haue received knowledge of the truth there remayneth no more sacrifice for synnes Now though the cawse of a Schismatike yet retayning the fayth in opynton it be not so incurable as his who schismes both from the Church and apostates from the fayth yet that meere schismatike withdrawes vnto perdition And therefore as the Lords sowle shall haue no pleasure in such so the Author of that epistle cleares himself and others of such iudgment thus But we are not they which withdravve our selues vnto perdition but followe faith vnto conservation of the sowle Nor doth Iohn 〈…〉 e them otherwise then sâ—â—ing Euen now are many Anti-christes they vvent out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had bene of vs they would haue continued with vs. Nor can they be otherwise then opposit vnto Christ seing they are opponed to the Body of Christe though it may be cloked with a zeale agaynst the vlcers in Iobs body I meane the corrupted Church For if there can be no true
sayth Iustification by Fayth ALONE it is sufficient so that the beleiuer whosoever is ONLY so justified yea though no worke haue bene performed by him Wherevnto he addeth the theif his iustification on the Crosse sayinge The Lord required not of him what before he had wrought nor did expect what vvork he shold fulfill after he beleived but being iustified by SOLE confession namely of fayth he ioyned him companyon vnto him being redy to enter into Paradise And that Origen may not be demed wauering herein he afterward sayth Abraham might haue glory for his vvorks vvith holy iust men that savve them but this glory vvith God vvas ONLY by Fayth hid And so he straight reconciles S. Paul and S. Iames adding this The Apostle elsvvhere saith the stipend of Syn is death but here he sayth not the stipend of Righteousnes is lyfe eternall But the Grace of God is life eternall And Clemens his Mr. writ thus before him By Faith ALONE the beleiuer is perfected Cyprian hath this Faith ALONE profils somuch vve can as vve beleiue After him Victor Antiochian preacheth thus These vvordes thy faith hath made the hole they shevv that the gaâ—ments touched cured her not but Faith Therefore neither place nor vvords nor any such thing externall doth saue a man but euery man is saued by his fayth And Ambrose treades the same tract so They are justified GRATIS because Working Nothing nor restoring any thing in the rovvne thereof by Fayth ALONE they are iustified through the guifte of God And at large the same Elder presseth th'opposition not betwene the works of the law and the works off faith as the Romanist wold haue it but betwene the works of the lawe aÌ„d SOLA FIDES Faith alone For Chrysostom he thus syngs the same songue here the Apostle shevveth the vertue off God not because he only saueth but also iustifieth leadeth into glory vsing no vvorks herevnto but exacting ONLY faith And Basilius Magnus writeth so That glorying in God is then by all meanes perfect vvhen as a Man is not extolled by reason of his ovvne righteousnes but acknovvledgeth himself verily to be destitute of Righteousnes but to be justified by Faith ONLY in Christ. And Paul so glories in that as he contemnes his ovvne Righteousnes Pope Leo writes thus Euen as righteousnes is by Faith so likevvise by true fayth is life eternall obtayned Rabanus walks in the same padde with his predecessors sayinge By the Grace of Christ ALONE the Elect are deliuered from every ScaÌ„dale Thus Remigius Lyfe eternalis not by Merit because of our selues vve caÌ„ fall but of our selues vve caÌ„not ryse but by his vvill that is by his Mercy But yet lower to corrupted tymes The Idiote writes so To justify is better then to create seing by creating Nature is giuen but by justifyinge both the falt is taken avvay and Grace is conferred Then Giselbert foloweth on with his pen thus I say the righteousnes of God not vvhereby god is just but vvhereby he cloths man vvheÌ„ as he justifies the vvicked Gratis Afterwards Theophilact so subscribes It is the Righteousnes of God vvhich is by Fayth This nedeth not our Labours or vvorks but the WHOLE partaineth to God his grace But I will yet descend to corrupter tymes Abbot Barnard hath this If thovv shalt beleiue that thy synnes cannot be blotted out but Only of him agaynst vvhome thovv hast synned in vvhome syn is not thovv dost vvell but adde therevvithall se also thovv beleiue it That is because by him synnes are forgiuen vnto the. This is the testimony vvhich the H. Gh. beareth in our heart saying Thy synnes are forgiuen the. For so the Apostle thought namely that MaÌ„ vvas iustified by Faith GRATIS And abbot Rupertus so It is expedient to knoe Christ he must seek him vvho being found doth bring profit in vvhome to beleiue it is Salvation And afterwards In Iesus Christ neither circumcisioÌ„ nor vncircumcision nor Gentile nor levve but FAITH ONLY is required And the Manke lo. Baptista Folengius protesteth his fayth thus vvhat greater Signe can there be both of God his justice vvherby of Synners he hath MADE vs lust as also of his Goodnes vvhereby vve are GRATIS invited to the inheritance of Eternall happines after a manner euen dravven vs being vnvvillinge But to alleadge all I cold alleadge it were to make a Booke and not to conclude a Chapter and none of the former writers can be reiected off the Romanist With whose so euident testimony if so He will not be satisfied neyther is a Clowde of witnesses moe likly to be accepted As for works whereby Fayth is declared to Man according to that of Iames Shevve me thy Fayth by thy vvorks â—noue of those writers but euer vrged them as men wold thereby receive assurance of theyr Election according to that of S. Peter make your callinge election sure namely by works Not that thereby our Election is made sure with GOD but vnto vs. wherevnto lo. Viguerius Doctor of Theologie amongst the Papists in his Theologicall Institutions approved by Sorbon priviledged by the King Ao 1549. he thus coÌ„senteth By those vvords 2 Pet. 1. 10. no vvay can be had that Election shold be by reason of vvorks follovvinge but that by perseverance in good vvorks Praedestination vvhich is vnmoveable it is by conjecturall assurance so shovven Certaine vnto vs. Touching the Euer-visibility of the Church it is One way then proved wheÌ„ there be found in Catholike vnity such as holde the former two poynts 1. Christ. 2. so apprehendinge Christ vnto perfection of salvation But that there haue bene som who haue so beleiued and confessed euen through the corruptest tymes it may appeare vp that is already sayde Obiection But som of them liued vnder Antichrists externall Church-gouernment therefore such visible Antichristian This blynd argument of Brounisme I answer with the like Diotrephes Nicolaitans Satans throne Balaamites Iesabel prophetisse Denyers of Resurrection c. they liued vnder Christ his externall church-gouernment therefore all they were true visible Christians If this be sottish theÌ„ the former for if Christ his church-gouernment be not able to make all true visible Christians vnder it then neither can Antichrist his externall regiment make all vnder it visible Antichristian There is a greater government then the church-government and that is the government of Christ and Antichrists Spirit and that is it which maketh the sowle visible Christian or Antichristian But hereof as also of the Church her euer-visibility in his owne chapter for the probation whereof variety of Arguments shall not be lackinge That is already sayd it may suffice to manifest vvho is a true visible Christian. All glory to God The definitioÌ„ of a true visible Christian as yet in an vnbaptised estate vvhose particulars are aftervvardâ— proved * Rom. 8. ‡ 1 Iohn