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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A04324 A retrayt sounded to certaine brethren lately seduced by the schismaticall Brownists to forsake the church written by Edward Iames ... James, Edward. 1607 (1607) STC 14435.5; ESTC S4715 11,461 18

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A RETRAYT SOVNDED TO CERtaine brethren lately seduced by the Schismaticall Brownists to forsake the Church Written by Edward Iames Master in the Artes and Minister of Gods word Printed at London by Simon Stafford dwelling in the Cloth-Fayre neere the red Lyon 1607. A RETRAIT SOVNDED to certaine brethren lately seduced by the Schismaticall Brownists to forsake the Church THE Philosophers in old time did account it humanum errare in matters Philosophicall a thing incident to man to erre but in errore perseuerare belluinum a beastly thing to perseuere in error And Diuines may iudge it humanum a thing incident to man to erre in matters Theologicall but in errore perseuerare perniciosum to perseuere in error that in matters Theologicall must needs be deadly especially if a man doth so cleaue to error that he chooseth rather to forsake the Church then to forgoe his errour for seeing the Church is the mother of the faithfull whosoeuer doth cut himselfe there-from he must needs be faithlesse and therefore what goodly shewes soeuer he doth make yet if the Apostles wordes be true he cannot please God Euery man therfore that would be acceptable vnto God had neede to get himselfe into the bosome of the Church and being once gotten thither not to suffer himselfe in any wise to be remoued there-from For as none could be deliuered from the deluge but such as were contained in Noabs Arke so can none be saued from eternall death but onely those who keepe themselues within the Church of God These are common principles which no man that accounts himselfe a Christian can or will deny But the controuersie which doth trouble seduced braines is of the Church it selfe what it is where it should be sought for Papists would tye the Church to Rome so that if we credit them then must we confesse that as many as made a separation from the Romane Bishop haue likewise made a separation from the Church of God And all other Sectaries doe tye the Church vnto their sects whereas it were farre fitter for euery man to tye himselfe vnto the Church which that we may with ease performe it is very fit and meete first to define the vniuersall Church that we may know what it is secondly to expresse and lay downe the true notes and markes whereby true particular Churches which are very members of that vniuersall Church may be knowne from other congregations which when we haue once found out then may we cleaue vnto the Church with great security The word Ecclesia in English Church is a Greeke word doth properly signifie a congregation and yet euery congregation is not the Church of God but that congregation onely which Saint Paul doth tearme (a) Ephe. 4. ●…er 12. ● Cor. 12.12 Christs body of the which Christ himselfe is head And as the soule of man giueth life vnto mans body so Christs spirit giueth life vnto this body of Christ according vnto Christs words (b) ●ohn 6. v. 6. ● Cor. 12. ●er 13. It is the spirit which giueth life c. Neither is there any thing which doth maintaine and ioyne in one the members of this body besides this spirit according vnto that of Paul For by one spirit saith he are we all baptized into one body whether we be lewes or Grecians bond or free c. Euen as therefore a dead body whose soule is already departed can receiue neither fruite nor comfort from any meate or drinke so that congregation which is destitute of Gods spirit can receiue from Gods word which is the true spirituall meate neither fruite nor comfort and therefore it is that the Apostle telleth vs Though (a) 1. Cor. 3. ●…er 6. Paul plans and Apollo water yet that it is God which doth giue the encrease As therefore it is euident that euery member of mans body is liuely wherein the soule remaineth so euery congregation in the which Gods spirit worketh must needs be a true and liuely member of Christs body so that God is tyed to no one part of the world more then vnto another because he is God of all the world euen so the Church of God is tyed to no part of the world because it containeth in it all the beleeuers who are seattered ouer all the world This Church being one yet may it be considered diuersly either as it is hidden from and inuisible vnto men and knowne onely vnto him from whom nothing can be hidden or as it is visible conspicuous and apparant vnto men as it is inuisible and hidden from the sight of men it containeth onely those who appertaine vnto Gods free election and shall most certainly be saued And the reason why in this respect the Church is said to be hidden from men is because God onely knoweth who are his neither can man know them whilest he liueth here vpon the earth but the Church as it is visible apparant and conspicuous vnto men doth containe all those who in their outward behauiour worship one God embrace one Christ professe one Gospell hearken vnto one word and vse the same Sacraments many of these may be rauening wolues and wicked reprobates and yet they may be so close in cariage and their sinnes may be so secret that the Church cannot discerne them and therefore cannot discarde them vntill God doth make them manifest Hence it is that the Church thus considered is compared by our Sauiour Christ vnto a (b) Mat. 3. ver 12. threshing floore where the wheate and chaffe are so mixed together that they cannot be seuered before he with his fanne doth seuer them vnto a (c) Mat. 13 ver 15. field where doe grow both corne and weedes together which cannot be seperated before the haruest vnto a (d) Ibid. 〈◊〉 47. net in the which fish both good and bad are contained which cannot be sundred vntill both be brought vnto the shore And as this is the estate of the generall and vniuersall Church militant here in earth so is it the estate of euery branch or member thereof I meane of euery particular Church or congregation whether it be contained within one Realme Prouince or Diocesse or doe consist of thousands hundreds more or fewer it hath euer some lewd and wicked men amongst the good and godly Saints of God Neither doth these mens wickednesse make it to cease to be a Church although they are suffred to liue within it Would you haue it proued by examples it may be done with ease I will let passe the auncient Iewish Church and come vnto Christ his time Paul writeth vnto the Galathians as vnto the (a) Gala. 1 ver 2. Church of God and yet he saith that they are (b) Vers 6 remoued vnto another Gospell that they were (c) Gal. 3. ver 1. foolish bewitched and disobedient vnto the truth Lo then behold men foolish men bewitched men disobedient vnto the truth and remoued to another Gospell and yet a Church Amongst the Corinthians there were