first propertie The second propertie is that the Church of God is Catholike that is it is generally diffused and spread all the world over This word Catholike is not found in all the Bible yet as long as the sense is there we may retaine and keepe it seeing it is not against any point of our Christian profession As for the signification of it the word is the same both in Latine and Greeke and signifieth generall whence wee inferre the Church of God seemeth to take his name from our Lord Iesus himselfe where hee saith Act. 1. 8. And yee shall bee witnesses unto mee both in Ierusalem and in all Iudea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth Here the observation may bee this that if wee finde new words as long as the sense is not new nor the Doctrine wee may receive them but if both the words and the sense and Doctrine bee new that is if it bee not found in the Scripture then they are to bee rejected and refused therefore because transubstantiation is a new word and the Doctrine is new the sense not being to be found in the Scripture we are to reject it for before the Lateran Councell there was no such thing heard of which brought in both the word and Doctrine and made that a point of faith which before was never dreamt of Now the Church is said to bee Catholike in three regards 1. In regard of Place 2. In regard of Person 3. In regard of Time First the Church of God is Catholike in regard of place for it is not tied to one certaine place countrie or Kingdome but God himselfe hath inlarged and spread it over all the world farre and neere there was a time when it did belong to the Iewes and to those that did joine with them but now Christ hath broken downe the partition wall and hath laid all the world common now hee hath enlarged the Church and spread it all the world over This is that Peter speakes of Of a truth saith hee I perceive that God is no accepter of persons but in every nation hee that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him so Christ Matth. 8. saith That many shall come from the east and from the west and shall sit down with Abraham Isaak Iacob in the Kingdome of God so Eph. 2. 13 14. but now in Christ Iesus yee which were once a farre off are made members by the bloud of Christ for he is our peace which hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us and it is said Revel 7. 9. And after these things I beheld and lâ—e a great multitude of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the lambe cloathed with long Robes and palmes in their hands So then it is plaine by the Scriptures that the Church is Catholike in regard of place and is not abridged to no one countrey or Kingdome but is spread all the world over Augustine saith well We are not to thinke it was enough for Christ to shed out his most precious bloud for one countrey or Kingdome but it was to win the whole world to himselfe and againe hee saith By that which Christ gave for the redemption of man they may perceive the great price and payment which was his death and bloudshed a thing of so great value or price that it was not for any one country or Kingdome but for all and therefore it is called the Catholike Church The use is first seeing that the Church is Catholike or universall and consists of all countries and Kingdomes therefore we should bee thankfull to God that hath reserved us till this time for wee might have beene born when the light of the Gospell shined onely amongst the Iewes and then wee might have perished in unbeleefe therefore thankes bee unto God in that hee hath brought us forth in a time when the Gospell is preached And seeing it hath pleased God to doe so let us bee wise to lay hold on the good meanes that is layd before us come out of our sinnes and corruptions that so wee may bee saved from them if fish in a pond should bee nigh poisoned with stinking mud and water and one should come and cut a sluce through into fresh water what would they doe but goe out into the fresh water This is our case wee are like to fish in a pond that bee poisoned in the mud and stinking water of our sinnes and corruptions therefore seeing it hath pleased God to cut a sluce and trench through and to open the bosome of the true Church to us where the fresh water is the waters of life and salvation it must bee our wisedome to come out of our sinnes and to lay hold of the good meanes that are set before us Secondly seeing the Church of God is Catholike wherein there is the meanes of grace therefore it must be our consideration to apply our selves to lay hold on it in our life time while wee live heere It is S. Pauls exhortation 2 Cor. 6. 5. I beseech you brethren that you receive not the graces of God in vaine It is a great mercie that God doth offer in the true Church where the meanes of grace are used preaching prayer the use of the Sacraments therefore let us apply our selves to lay hold on it and to get good by it You your selves know that if earthly Paradise were to bee recovered and the Cherubins with the shaking sword removed so that wee might goe in without any danger would you lye down and sleepe would you idle out the time no I dare bee bold to say that you would flye to the trees gather of the fruit and eate of them especially of the tree of life that you might live for ever This is the grace that God doth offer to us for the militant Church is the Paradise of God where there are trees of all sorts therefore what should wee doe not lye down in the dust and idle out the time but apply our selves to eate of the fruit especially of the tree of life to feed on Christ by faith to draw out all his graces that so wee may live for ever Secondly the Church of God is Catholike in regard of the persons for it includeth all sorts of persons rich and poore high and low noble and ignoble wise and foolish bond and free and excludeth none To this purpose saith S. Paul Gal. 3. 28. There is neither Iew nor Grecian there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Iesus and S. Peter Act. 10. saith I saw a vision of all sorts of birds and beasts and there came a voice too that bad him kill eate by which vision he did understand that God had then sanctified all sorts of men in the bloud of Christ there was
these be two things whereon the faith of a Christian turnes concerning our faith in God wee beleeve that there is one God in substance and yet three distinct persons the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost The Father who created us by his Power the Son who redeemed us by his blood and the holy Ghost who is the inlightner and sanctifier of all the faithfull therefore after our faith in God Christian faith informs us to beleeve there is a Church of God because it is a rich store-house of all his grace and goodnesse and his true Temple as Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 9. 10. Know ye not that your bodie is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you c Augustine saith well the right order of beleeving is first to beleeve in the blessed Trinitie and then in the true Church first to the Maker and then to the House first to the Builder and then to the Citie So our faith must be first in God and then by and by turne to the Church of God Now herein are two things to be observed 1. Vnder what forme we must beleeve 2. What it is we must beleeve First under what forme wee must beleeve The Papists say wee must beleeve in the Church and the Romish Testament is for it upon 1 Tim. 3. and Bellarmine is not farre behinde he saith after a sort and after a certaine kinde we are to beleeve in the Church sundry Divines are contrary to this and they say that a Christian is to beleeve in none but God not in Angell nor Archangell nor in any creature but in God as Iohn 14. Christ saith Yee beleeve in God beleeve also in me marke the ground why we must beleeve in Christ because he is God so 1 Pet. 1. 21. saith the Apostle Which by his meanes doe beleeve in God that raised him from the dead and gave him glory that your Faith and hope might be in him not in the Church in Angell or Archangell but in God onely And an ancient father saith we beleeve there is an holy Church but wee doe not beleeve in the Holy Church wee must beleeve in none but God and the reason is because the Church is not God but the house of God Eusebius saith wee must beleeve Paul and Peter but wee must not beleeve in Paul nor in Peter the reason is because it is a transferring of the honour that is due to God to the creature and Chrysostome saith it is one thing to beleeve a Party and it is another thing to beleeve in a partie but it is proper to the divinity to bee beleeved in Hence wee see the light is so cleere in this point as no man neede doubt of it and Thomas Aquinas one of their owne Doctors saith it is better for a man to beleeve there is a Church than for a man to beleeve in the Church wherein hee grounded himselfe on Pope Leo in whose power the Church was to rest themselves Since that time they have refused this and say that a man must beleeve in the Church affirming that there bee three ancient fathers Saint Ierome Epiphanius and Cyrill that takes it in the same sense as they doe As for one of these which is Saint Ierome there was a chiefe bishop of Rome that brings his argument for us and inferres that this particle in is to bee remooved because in his best workes we doe not so read it Now for the two other their credit is the lesse because Arrius was the first that brought it into his Creed and Cyrill followes him as for Epiphanius though at first he might be carried with the streame of the times yet afterwards hee was overswayed by a number of ancient fathers at Alexandria who expound and take it as we doe Therefore it is out of question and without controulment that wee are not to beleeve in the Church but the right forme of beleeving is to beleeve that God hath a Church a holy people a holy company that he will blesse and save eternally Secondly what it is we must beleeve there are three speciall things we must beleeve 1. We beleeve that God hath a Church 2. We beleeve it is a holy Church 3. Wee beleeve it is an universall or Catholicke that it was from the beginning it hath beene in all ages and it is all the World over First that God hath a Church People and Family here in this world his number of saved ones as I may say though we cannot see nor designe them out Paul tells us Heb. 11. 1. that Faith is the evidence of things that are not seene therefore though we doe not alwayes see the Church of God yet by Faith we must beleeve that God hath his people family and his number of saved ones for the same Saint Paul shewes us in the generall apostacie of the Iewes Rom. 11. That there is a seede and a little remnant left this he resolves us of from an Oracle of God that there were seven thousand left thou had not bowed their knees to Baal which were hid and secret therefore though wee cannot see or designe them out yee wee must beleeve that God hath his Church and company of holy people and his number of saved ones The Vs es are first to answere to a demand that the papists make Where was your Churches before Luthers time I answer I beleeve the Church of God hath beene in all ages and from the beginning and shall continue to the end of the World therefore although wee cannot see nor designe it out yet we beleeve there is a Church of God as Gen. 1. the Lord made two great lights the one to rule the day and the other to rule the night Now although wee cannot alwayes see these lights because there is some clouds that doe cover them or some thicke mist yet faith doth assure us that those lights be still so it is with the Church of God though it be not patent and visible at all times yet Faith doth assure us that there is a Church of God still Secondly seeing that God hath his Church in all ages and his number of saved people Therefore every man must labour to bee one of that number for though God hath his Church and number of saved ones if we doe not appertaine to this Church and be of this number what are wee the better We see when Noah made his Arke all that did not get into it did perish in the waters so though God hath his Church and number of saved ones yet if wee doe not labour to bee of his Church and people we must perish Now for the better clearing of this point wee will shew 1. What the Nature of the Church of God is 2. What be the divers parts of it 3. The diverse estates of the Church of God here in this world 4. What be the true markes and notes of the true Church 5.
to thanke God that it is not so common amongst us as it hath been There is also another fault amongst us that a poore man many times stands excommunicated three or foure yeers together indeed there may bee a fault in the poore man to stand so long but let us take heed it bee not for want of our helpe Therefore as wee are ready to contribute to the necessities of their bodies so we should bee to contribute to them in this case But here may a Christian demand whether were a man best to give money or to stand excommunicated still this question I will answer by another question what if a man fall into the hands of Theeves were hee better to lose his money or his life I answer hee were better to lose his money because his life is the greater even so a man were better to lose his money than the meanes of grace which is the greater Another may here object and say I but how if a man cannot bee absolved without hee should sinne against God and offend his conscience To this I answer that if the case be so that he cannot be absolved but he must sinne against God then hee were better lose the Communion of men which is the lesser than the Communion of God which is the greater as Iohn 9. wee see the blind man whom the Pharisees had cast out Christ meets with and said unto him doest thou beleeve in the Sonne of God as if hee should say notwithstanding this censure thy cause is good thou art a blessed man in like maner although the censure of excommunication hath passed upon thee if thou beleevest in the Sonne of God thy case is good this may comfort Christians Lawyers have a saying that unjust Lawes binde no man and Bellarmine saith that there is a double Communion an externall and an internall Communion the externall Communion of the Church of God is in the word preached prayer and in Sacraments the internall is in the graces of the Spirit Faith love and other graces Now a man may bee cast out from the externall Communion the word and Sacraments as when a man is put into prison or banished and yet may have the internall Communion with the Church a man may be cut off from his brethren in regard of outward societie but hee can not bee cut off from Christ And these bee the uses wee are to make of this point Now that wee have spoken of the Nature of the Church in the next place we are to speake of the properties of it which are two 1. It is a Holy Church 2. It is a Catholike Church First The Church of God is Holy there is a company of Holy People here in this world as Zech. 8. 5. thus saith the Lord I will returne unto Sion and will dwell in the midst of Ierusalem and Ierusalem shall be called a Citie of Truth and the Mountaine of the Lord of Hosts and the Holy Mountaine so in Dâ—â—iel the Church is called the Holy People of God and Revel 22. 2. saith S. Ioh. And I saw the holy Citie the new Ierusalem come downe from God so also 1 Cor. 3. 17. Saint Paul saith For the Temple of the Lord is Holy which ye are Therefore seeing the Church of God is an assembly of Holy People accordingly as it is Holy wee the Members thereof must labour to be Holy Now the Holinesse of the Church is opposed unto three things that seemeth to take away Holinesse from it First the judgement of the world for it thinkes that of all societies they are the vilest and the worst they thinke them to be but a company of dissemblers and hypocrites that professe the Word but deny the Power of it but we that are Christians beleeve that the Church of God is Holy though the World thinke them a company of dissemblers David saith Psal. 13. Yet God is good to Israel even to the pure in heart and in the 14. of Deut. 2. we read For thou art an Holy People to the Lord thy God and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a precious people to him Therefore howsoever the World condemnes them yet wee beleeve that God hath a Holy company of People in the World The second thing that seemeth to take away Holinesse from the Church is that it is a united company of good and bad together for I have shewed you that the Church of God is like to a Flocke wherein are Sheepe and Goates a Floore wherein is Corne and Chaffe a Field wherein are Tares and Wheate and yet these bad persons are no true Members of the Church but like bad humours in the body Againe the Faith of a Christian opposeth and doth beleeve that there is a company of Holy People and that the wicked that live amongst them doe not defile the Holy things of God for it is Pauls rule 1 Cor. 11. 26. Let a Man therefore examine himselfe c. whereupon saith Augustine Marke thou that art a good Man thou mayest eat and drinke with comfort if thou doe examine thy selfe and againe he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnation not so to thee that art a good Man but to the wicked that came like swine without any preparation at all The third thing that seemes to take away holinesse from the Church is the remainders of sinne and corruption for there is no Man in the estate of Grace but hath complained of this So David Psal 40. 12. My sinnes hath taken such hold on me that I am not able to looke up and Paul complayneth Rom. 7. The good thing that I would doe that doe I not but what I hate that doe I c. so in the best estate there is some remainders of sinne Therefore although the World and the Divell should condemne them yet we beleeve the Church of God is Holy SERMON LXVII 1 CORINTHIANS 3. 17. For the Temple of God is holy which yee are HAving spoken of the Nature of the Church we began to speake of the Properties of it the last day being two First we beleeve the Church of GOD is Holy Secondly that it is Catholike agreable to that part of our Christian profession Now the Church of God is holy foure manner of wayes First In regard of the Holinesse of their Faith or by the Holinesse of their Faith All other societies are fouly spotted and tainted with errour against the foundation but this remaines unspotted in the foundation therefore the Church is Holy because their Faith is Holy So Iude 20. But ye beloved edifying your selves in your most holy Faith keepe your selves in the Love of God So Matth. 7. 6. saith our Saviour Give not that which is holy to Dogges It cannot be denyed but that there may bee errours in the true Church for as they bee subject to all other sinnes so are they to the sinne of ignorance as
a time when divers men were excluded from the Congregation of the Lord as Num. 22. the Ammonites the Moabites because they did not meete the people of the Lord with bread and water but now it hath pleased God to take in all sorts of men so that no man is excluded unlesse hee will exclude himselfe as it is said Esai 65. 25. That the Wolfe and the Lambe shall feed together and the Lion shall eate straw like the Bullock and to the Serpent dust shall bee his meat the sense is that in the time of the Gospell the Lord will alter the naughtinesse of mens hearts and bring them to joine in holy sweet communion one with another but if they would not attend him but desire rather to live in their sinnes still than they should live in Gods curse the Serpent shall eate dust hence wee are taught seeing God doth exclude no man wee must take heede wee doe not exclude our selves If a man comes to a Kings Court in meane apparell and have no good attendance he can have small hope of accesse to the King oh but let him come to Gods court though hee come never so meanely and basely apparelled if hee bee well attended with faith and the graces of his Spirit then he shall have accesse into the presence Chamber of Almightie God therefore seeing no man is excluded doe not thou exclude thy selfe If a gift grant or pardon should come from the King to certaine persons that would claime it there is no man that would exclude himselfe and say it doth not belong to mee but every man would labour to have his part in it so the Lord hath given a gift and a grant to bestow pardon of sinnes the love and favour of God heaven and happinesse to all that will repent and beleeve in Christ Therefore no man must exclude himselfe and say it doth not belong to mee but labour to have his part in it Thus the Church is Catholike in regard of the persons Thirdly the Church of God is Catholike in regard of time for it hath beene in all ages and so shall continue to the end of the world it began in Adams time and shall continue to the last man that shall live it hath bin in all times and it shall continue so long as the world doth last For this world was made for the good of the Church therefore God lets it stand for their sakes and as soone as the people of God be gathered home then this world shall have an end as the Prophet David hath it Psal 48. O God according to thy Name so is thy praise unto the worlds end so also Psal 89. thy seed will I establish for ever and set up thy Throne from generation to generation and Dan. 2. 44. it is said And in the dayes of those Kings shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdome that shall not be destroyed a Kingdome that shall not bee given to another but that shall breake and destroy all those Kingdomes and it shall stand for ever Here wee may see the honour that God brings us to to bee of that Communion and fellowship that all the Saints are of to bee of that Church that Adam Abel Henoch Noah Abraham Moses and all the rest of the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and Christ himselfe were of and all the holy men that have lived as Ephes 1. 11. saith the Apostle Now therefore yee are no more strangers nor forrenners but citizens with the Saints and of the household of God and are builded upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone so Heb. 12. 17. Saint Paul saith for yee are not come to the mount that might bee touched c. but yee are come to the mount Sion and to the citie of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the congregation of the first borne whose names are written in Heaven and to God the Iudge of all men and to the Spirits of just and perfect men So then wee see that this is the honour that God hath brought us to to bee of the same Church and company that the Prophets Apostles holy men and Christ himselfe were of Therefore to apply it first let us not lose the graces of God like a slight huswife that keepes the emptie caske and boxe and loseth the Iewell but let us labour to partake of the same graces with them seeing wee are of the same Church that they bee of Secondly seeing the Church hath beene in all times past and shall continue to the worlds end therefore it may bee our comfort in all the troubles that doe befall it when wee see men conspire against and labour to destroy it yet notwithstanding all that they can doe it shall stand and continue to the worlds end It hath bin in all times and it shall continue for ever as Psal 48. 8. David saith As wee have heard so have wee seene in the citie of the Lord of Hosts in the citie of our God God will establish it for ever Therefore seeing hee hath established the Church it shall stand though all the world were set against it Augustine saith well The enemies of the Church though they come and gather themselves together to destroy and roote it out yet this is the comfort Christ will keepe it hee hath a sword to defend it he will tye up the devill and shut up hell that they shall not trouble the Church therefore though wee doe not see the Church visbile it not being patent and openly seene but sometime hidden as it was in the time of Elias from the fury of the world yee we must beleeve that the Church of God is Catholike or Universall that it hath beene in all times and it shall continue to the worlds end Now the Papists adde somewhat unto this Article and say that wee must beleeve in the Catholike Romish Church but this is first absurd in Religion and secondly absurd in Reason it is absurd in Religion because the Romish Church must fall in the time of Antichrist as the Scripture sheweth and as the Papists themselves say but the true Catholike Church that shall ever continue therefore it is absurd in religion to beleeve in the Catholike Romish Church Secondly it is absurd in Reason because that Rome when it was at the best could but be a part of the Church and a part cannot bee the whole Church as Scholars know therefore it is absurd in Reason But they say that the name of Catholike doth properly belong to them to this I answer as Christ did to some that lived in the Church Revel 2. 4. that said they were Iewes but saith Christ they are the Synagogue of Sathan so I may say of them though they terme themselves to be true Catholikes yet they be but a conspiracie against Christ Now by three reasons I
will prove that they cannot be true Catholikes First because alwayes the true Catholikes have taught that divine worship is to be given to God onely and to no creature else as Christ saith Matth. 4. to the devill thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve so likewise Revel 22. Iohn fell downe to worship the Angell but the Angell said unto him See that in no wise thou dost it for I am thy fellow servant and Saint Ierome saith that we Christians doe not worship any creature neither Angell nor Archangell but God onely now because they teach that we should worship stockes and stones and the workes of mens hands therefore they are no true Catholikes Secondly because true Catholikes teach that there is but one Mediator between God and man and that is Christ only according to the Apostle For there is but one God and one Mediator betweene God and man the man Christ Iesus so Heb. 13. 15. saith he Let us therefore by him offer the Sacrifice of praise alwayes to God so Origen also we Christians offer up all our prayers to God by the meanes of Christ but the Papists teach that there are a number of Mediators and that we may pray to the Virgin Mary to Peter and Paul therefore they are no true Catholikes Thirdly because the true Catholike Church hath taught for sixteene hundred yeeres together that men should not equivocate should not speake one thing and thinke another but should speake the truth from their hearts as Ephe. 4. 25. saith the Apostle Wherefore cast off lying and speake the Truth every man to his neighbour so Psalm 15. Hee that speaketh he truth in his heart is one of them that shall inhabite Gods holy hill therefore we cannot say one thing and meane another for the oath is according to him that taketh the oath and not according to the minde of him that sweareth but the Papists teach that a man may equivocate sweare one thing and meane another and therefore they are not true Catholikes Now the use of this is seeing in this world is the true Catholike Church and the meanes of Grace let it be our wisedome to lay hold on the good meanes that is set before us before wee remove hence I have shewed you heretofore if a man should send his servant into the Indies with a ship to fill with gold and there might have it but fils it with rubbish stones and gravell when this servant comes home hee may looke for a cold welcome home so the Lord hath sent us into this world as it were into the Indies with a ship with our soules and bodies and into the Church of God there we may have gold to fill our shippes with that is the graces of his Spirit therefore if wee shall fill our shippes with rubbish gravell or dirt that is with sinnes and corruptions we may looke for a cold welcome home for in the Church of God there are the springs and fountaines of grace therefore why doe wee not apply our selves to fill shippes with the purest gold to get faith repentance prayer and all the graces of the Spirit that so we may have comfort at our returne to God SERMON LXVIII 1 IOHN 1. 3. That which we have seene and heard declare we unto you that yee also may have fellowship with us and truely our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ HAving spoken of the Church in the next place wee are to speake of the speciall benefits and blessings that God doth bestow on it for the Church is Gods peculiar and chosen people that hee hath drawne out of this world therefore it pleaseth him to bestow greater blessings and more speciall favours on them than on all other societies and assemblies whatsoever It is true indeed that there be common blessings that hee bestowes upon others as it is said Psal 119. 69. that the earth is full of thy goodnesse O Lord and so Matth. 5. 45. For hee maketh the Sunne to shine on the evill and on the good and sendeth raine on the just and on the unjust these common blessings all the people of the world partake of O but there are a peculiar blessings and favours that belong to none but to Gods servants wherein none of the wicked have their parts and therefore as David saith Psal 31. 19. How great is thy goodnesse O Lord which thou hast laid up for them that feare thee and done to them that trust in thee c. the prophet doth not say positively much goodnesse is laid up for them that feare God but makes a question and saith how much goodnesse and so Psalm 147. ult hee hath not dealt so with every nation neither have they knowne his judgements so there bee speciall favours and blessings that none of the world have part in for howsoever the wicked of the world may have common blessings as riches favour amongst men wisedome and learning and bee enabled to mainetaine Arts and Sciences yet notwithstanding there are speciall blessings that none of the wicked have their parts in that doe belong to his children onely to enjoy by the meanes of Faith so Genes 17. 18 22. Abraham prayeth to God that Ismael might live in his sight the Lord told him that he had heard him concerning Ismael and that he would make a great nation of him but my covenant will I establish with Isaac even so now God blesseth the wicked in this world hee maketh great men of them and rich gives them wisedome children and such like but his covenant he doth establish with Isaac his speciall blessings and favours hee bestowes on none but his owne children to be enjoyed by Faith Now there bee two reasons why the Lord doth so and it is not unprofitable for a man to consider of them First because the godly may see what a goodly and rich portion the Lord hath appointed for them that so if any wayes either through the falsehood of the devill or other provocations they bee pulled out from the enjoying thereof they may labour to recover it againe knowing no where to have better entertainement than in the house of their father this it was that brought home the Prodigall sonne to his fathers house when he considered the happy estate of those that lived therein that they had bread and bread enough and not onely the sonnes but the servants and such as were hired but for a day even the meanest of them so when Christians shall consider the rich and happy estate of all the people of God what a deale of comfort and joy they have in the house of God that they are comfortable in their life and blessed at their death when they sleepe in the dust and when they shall be raised up to glory that is no small allurement for them to returne againe unto the house of God so we see Hos 2. 7. it is there
direct her to Heaven in the Church are the Springs of life and salvation there are the Scriptures and the meanes of holinesse all other companies and societies have not the like The Papists say that they have more meanes of holinesse than we by their Fasting Pilgrimages Castigations and such like trumperies but I would have them to consider what Saint Paul saith in the 1 Tim. 4. 8. Boâ—ily exercises profit little marke saith a good man hee doth not say they profit nothing but they profit little when they want the maine as Augustine saith they runne apace and the more speede they make the further off they be from Heaven Now the Papists faile in too maine things first in the true ground secondly in the true meanes of holinesse First in the true ground for before our workes be accepted our persons must be in favour for our works cannot please God till our persons please him as Gen. 4. 4. But the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his sacrifice Some thinke to please God with their good deeds and never seeke to have their persons accepted by the meanes of Christ and therefore they faile in the ground Secondly they faile in the true meanes for righteousnesse and holinesse come by union with Christ being ingrafted and planted into Christ by a true faith that the life that they live they may live in the Sonne of God and so Christ derives his holinesse to them but if they bee not united and knit to him they doe not live in him Wherein they may be compared to a Man that takes a Siens and bindes it to the barke of a tree then waters it and bestowes great paines about it neverthelesse it withers because it is not ingrafted into the tree so because they be not planted into Christ to draw holinesse from him therefore though they take great paines yet all comes to nothing so that they faile in the right ground and true meanes of holinesse Now because the true meanes of holinesse is in the true Church therefore it must bee every Mans wisedome to take his best advantage by the use of good means to profit by it We see the little Bees though they keepe their hives in a wet day yet when a storme comes they will get up so much the sooner and be the more painefull in like manner if we be hindred by foule weather or by sicknesse when God offers us occasion we should be so much the more painefull and diligent because the true meanes of holinesse is in the Church Here let us apply to our selves First seeing then the Church of God is Holy therefore it must bee every mans care to be holy for if there be any disproportion or dissimilitude in any of the members it makes a deformitie in the body as if one hand bee long and another short one hand white and another blacke one cheeke red and another pale one eye cleare and another thicke so when one member is holy and another prophane when some make conscience of their wayes and other live in grosse sinnes this makes a deformed body therefore it must be the care of every one as the Church is holy so to bee holy Wee see the wilde beasts that were savage and cruell before they came into Noahs Arke when they were there they laid aside their ferocitie and wildnesse and became tame and gentle so though we were called beasts before we came into the Church of God yet now when we be once in the same we should leave all our wildnesse and prophanenesse and labour to be holy We know what was Thâ—maâ—s speech to Ainmon such a thing as this ought not to be done in Israel so when we are tempted to any sinne or uncleannesse we should say likewise such a thing as this ought not to be done in the Communion of the Church nor by any member thereof Secondly seeing the Church is holy wee must take heede that wee doe not disgrace or defile it that are the members of it for the shame disgrace and blot doth not rest on our selves but on the Church as in Iohn we see when the buyers and sellers had polluted the Temple Christ makes a whip and whips them out now if Christ was thus displeased with them that defiled the materiall Temple much more will he be with those that defile the spirituall Temple 1 Cor. 5. 1. The Apostle reproves the Church of Corinth in these words It is reported that there is fornication amongst you such as is not so much as named amongst the Heathen whereupon saith Chrysostome Marke he doth not say such an one and such an one hath committed fornication but it is reported commonly that you have done it you that bee professours and religious and therefore you have disgraced the Church of God by your sinnes and brought a blot on it you I say that bee the members of it because the Church of God is holy and you bee unholy Thirdly seeing the Church of God is holy wee must take heed we doe not meddle with it to annoy it and to hurt it It is the charge that God gives Psal 105. 15. Touch not mine anointed and doe my Prophets no harme so Zech. 2. 8. God sayes hee that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye and 1 Cor. 15. 9. saith S. Paul For I am the least of the Apostles which am not meet to bee called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God and Senacherib though he overcame many countries and Kingdomes yet when hee came to besiege Ierusalem the Angell of the Lord destroyed his Hoast so that he was compelled to goe home with shame So Revel 20. 9. when Gog and Magog went to compasse the Tents of the Saints and the beloved citie it is said fire came downe from Heaven and devoured them therefore men must take heed how they meddle with the Church to annoy or hurt it Fourthly seeing the Church of God is holy it must bee our care to keep it so and to rid it of drunkards whoremasters and uncleane persons so wee see 1 Cor. 5. 13. saith the Apostle Put away from amongst you that wicked man it must bee the care of the Church to rid out them that bee evill Chrysostome saith if a man should have a fountaine committed to him to keep for a King would hee let Hogges and beasts descend into it with their feete to mud and puddle the water so saith hee thou that art a minister God hath committed a fountaine to thee to keep not a fountaine of water but a fountaine full of life and Spirit and the bloud of Christ therefore it must bee thy care to keepe the fountaine pure and not to let every beast come in to defile the same seeing the Church of God is holy it must bee thy care to keepe it holy and that no man doth defile the holy things of God Thus much for the