by the Church The two places are Mat. 28. 19. 1 Cor. 10. 16. In the former the Lord Iesus sends his Apostles first to teach or make men disciples and then to baptise them including the children in the parents according to the covenant made with Abraham into which the gentiles were in their time to be gathered Rom. 11. 17. Ephe. 2. 1 2. 13. 14. 3. 6. But on the contrary the Lord Bishops in Engl. having found a readier way send out their parrish priests to baptise all before them that are borne in their parishes whether their parents be taught or vntaught the disciples of Christ or of antichrist and the Divil not passing by the children of recusant Papists others refusing all communion with them whose children they use to baptize by force against the will of their Parents as I could prove if need were by sundry instances And is not here an orderly constitution and a Church truely gathered by the sacrament of baptisme Now 1 Cor. 10. 16. the Apostle teacheth that the bread and wine in the supper are the communion of the body and blood of Christ that is effectuall pledges of our conjunction and incorporation with Christ and one with another and in the 17. vers that all which eat of one bread or one loaf are one mysticall body This place alone if Mr B. and his fellow ministers would seriously con-consider and set themselves faithfully to observe they would rather offer their owne bodies to be torn in peices by wilde beasts then the holy misteries of Christs body to be prophaned as they are And here as formerly I will help the Arguments raysed from the scriptures produced by Mr B. and some other of the same kinde into form thus The sacrament of baptisme is to be administred by Christs appointment and the Apostles example onely to such as are viz externally and so far as men can judge taught and made disciples Mat. 28. 19. do receive the word gladly Act. 2. 41. beleeve and so professe Ch. 8. 12. 13. 37. have received the holy Ghost Ch. 10. 47. and to their seed Act. 2. 39. 1 Cor. 7. 14. But baptisme in Engl. is ministred by a far larger commission then Christs though there be in the parents neyther appearance of faith nor holynes if in stead of them they can procure godfathers and godmothers to cary the children to the font yea will they nil they the parrish priest hath commission to make them Christian soules every mothers childe of them borne within his parrish precincts And therefore the baptism in Engl. is not Christs baptisme in the administration of it For the Lords supper the Apostle sayth 1 Cor. 10. 16. that the bread and wine sanctifyed to that purpose is the communion that is an effectuall symbole or pledge of that communion which the receivers have with Christ. Wherevpon I do turne the point of this scripture into the bowels of the Church of Engl. thus That which ioynes such men in communion with Christ as by his expresse word he excludes from all communion with him that is so far from being the true constitutiō of the Church as it shewes both an vnholy confusion in the Church and a violent prophanation of the ordinance by it But the supper as it is ministred in the Parish-assemblies as they were at the first still are clapt together ioynes them with Christ with whom he expresly disclaymes all communion fellowship as their practise compared with these scriptures doth make manifest to all men 2 Cor. 6. 14. 15. 1 Ioh. 1. 6. Ergo. So that baptisme and the Lords supper are amongst you Mr B. and in your hands handling but as the holy vessels of the temple in Babylon there togeither with the Lords people deteyned by frawd and violence Our 2. supposed errour is thus layd downe They hold our constitution a reall Idol and so vs Idolaters If the constitution of your Church be false and forged like the moneth which Ieroboam forged in his owne heart as hath been formerly proved in part and shal be more fully in the traversing of the 8. errour then it is an Idoll if an Idoll a reall Idol for it is not meerly mentall or notionall but that which hath being and existence without the mind or vnderstanding And where Mr B. affirms this to be contrary to the course of holy scriptures never taking Idol in this sense because neyther he nor Marlorat finds the word Idol so vsed he must know it is as impossible for eyther him or Marl. or any other man to enumerate or reckon vp all the Idols wherof the scriptures speak though not in expresse terms yet by iust cōsequence proportiō as to number all the creatures in heaven and in earth yea all the workes of mens hands yea all the thoughts of their harts for all these may and do in some abuse become Idols And that we may better discern whether there be a like truth and boldnes in this assertion that the scriptures never take idol in this sense let vs consider and compare together a few places The Lord commaunded Moses Exod. 25. 26. 27. to make the tabernacle and sanctuary of the Lord for the place of his dwelling and worship and to this end did appoint both the matter and form of the whol work even to the least pin if Moses had framed it eyther of other matter or of the same matter after an other fashion had not this forgery and devise for the worship of God been a reall sensible and palpable Idoll a sinn against the second Commaundement which forbids nothing but Idolatry It cannot be denyed Hence it followeth that the constitution or frame of the tabernacle or temple of the new testament which is the visible Church 2 Cor. 6. 16. if it be other eyther in matter or form as yours is in both is a reall and substantiall Idoll Secondly Antichristianism is Idolatry and is in that respect called Babylon Sodom and Egypt spiritually so Antichristians are sayd to worship the beast now a devised constitution frame and fabrick of the Church is a part of antichristianism of the apostasy of Antichrist therefore a reall Idol and as Mr Smyth truely affirmeth a greater Idoll then eyther the Antichristian ministery or worship As the temple which sanctifyeth the gold is greater then the gould the altar which sanctifyeth the offering greater then the offering so the temple of the new testament the Church or people of God by whose faith all the ordinances of the Church are sanctifyed is greater then the ministery worship or any other ordinance and so on the contrary being Idolatrous a greater Idoll then they And lastly the Church being the end of the ordinances Mar. 2. 27. 28. is more excellent then they being true and being false a more detestable Idoll then any of them Lastly neyther your bolstring out of a false constitution as a new
which those holy things are to be vsed Psal. 147 19. Rom. 3. 2. 9. 4. and that we are as well to look in what fellowship and communion we receive the holy things of God as what the things are we do receive And as in the naturall body there must first be a naturall vnion of the parts with the head and one with an other before there can be any action of naturall communion eyther between the head and the members or one member and an other so in this spirituall body the Church the members must first be vnited with Christ the head and become one with him before they can any way partake in his benefits oâ— haue communion with him eyther in the merits or vertue of his death and obedience Ioh. 15. 2. 4. 5. Rom. 8. 1. as also one with an other as members of the same body vnder him the head before they can communicate in their works or operations Communion in works and actions doth necessarily presuppose vnion of persons And if it be true which Mr B. labours so much to justify both in his former and latter writing that a man is onely to look to his own person that it be holy and to the thing in hand that it be commaunded of God and that it matters not to how vnholy a society this holy person adjoynes himself in the communion of this holy thing then may â—e lawfully repute and acknowledge an assembly of atheists haeretiques and idolaters though as the assembly gathered Mark 5. 9. usurping the holy things of God for the temple of the living God and for his sonnes and daughterâ— among whom he doth dwell and walk there There may he call upon God as their common father and say with faith as Christ hath taught his discipls our father there may he have coÌ„munion in the body and blood of Christ as with the members of Christ. But the Lord Iesus in teaching his Church with one hart and voice to say our father hath established an other brotherhood in giving his body and blood to be eaten and drunken of all in communion hath knit in one an other society The Apostle writing vnto the Church of Corinth compares the whole Church to a mans body and the persons in the one to the members of the other viz to the head foot â—y ear hand and other parts and endeavouring purposely to draw them to the right vse of those spirituall gifts wherewith they abounded without contempt or envie he shewes that all have need and vse each of others the head of the foot the hand of the ey and so mutually one of an other and that without the help ech of other neyther could consist Now since every part stands need of other even the head the cheifest of the feet the meanest doth it not concern the head to consider what a foot it hath the ey to see what an hand it hath and so every member to forecast that it be coupled with such other members in this body mysticall as may not fayl it in the time of need Wo be to him that is alone sayth the wise man for if he fall there is not a second to lift him vp but if two be together the one will lift vp his fellow if he fall And how behoofull both for the comfort and safety of the severall members and whole body it is that joyntly and severally all and every part be so fitted and furnished as they may faithfully discharge their duties and affoard their service vpon occasion and as need stands and how great not onely the discomfort but the daunger is when there is a fayling this way both the word of God and coÌ„mon reason and every mans own experience will teach him Wherevpon I conclude that it concernes every man as first and most to look to his own person and to consider how things stand betwixt God and himself so in the next place to take heed he joyn himself in such a communion as wherein he may with comfort call vpon God as a coÌ„mon father and partake in his ordinances by a coÌ„mon right to him the rest that being so joyned he fayl not the body or any member of it as there is need of his help service otherwise Mr B. reasons will not bear him out no not though for scores he put hundreds which being compared with the scriptures and grounds from them formerly layd down will appear to be the very froath of his own lipps neyther solid nor savoury Next Mr B. reduceth to certayn heads such places of scripture as forewarn Gods people to separate themselves and that first vnder the law as 1. from Idols of false Gods as Israel from Aegyptian Babylonish or heathenish Gods and Idolaters dwelling about them 2. From Idols of the true God as Iudah from Israell in Ieroboams time and after 3. From persons ceremonially polluted In the time of the gospell 1. From Iewes not receiving Christ but rayling against him 2. From Gentiles without Christ. 3. From Antichrist vnder the shew of Christ persecuting Christians 4. From familiarity private with men excommunicate or of lewd life c. which places you say no way concern you at all and so you give a very ample testimony of your selves if we durst beleeve your words against our own knowledge Your first head I let passe and in answer vnto your second affirm thus much that in your constitution you are partly as the Aegyptians in respect of your bondage partly as the Babylonians in respect of your confusion and partly as Ieroboams Church in respect of your Apostacy in your devised preisthood sacrifices and holy dayes the Lord having appointed no such Ministery as your preisthood no such sacrifice as your service book no such holy dayes as your single and double feasts which you have forged of your own harts Touching separation from persons ceremonially polluted it must be coÌ„sidered that ceremonies have their signification and shadowes their substance The ceremony then was that whosoever touched a dead person or a person or thing unclean was vnclean whom or whatsoever the vnclean persoÌ„touched that person or thing was vnclean so that a persoÌ„ vnclean did not onely pollute the thing he touched to himself as Mr B. vvould haue it but to others also whosoever touched the thing that he touched was polluted by it What is then the substance of these ceremonies Who is now a leper but he which hath the leprosy of sinne arysing in his forehead Who hath an issue of blood vpon him but he in whose soul and body the issue of sinne runneth vnstopped Who is the dead person now that may not be touched without pollution but he that is dead in trespasses and in sinnes And who toucheth such an vnclean person if he that becomes and remaynes one body with him by spirituall communion and a member of him touch him not RoÌ„ 12. 4. 5.
do take hold of the promise of the spirit beleeving that they are his people and he their God and that thru God and man are invisibly vnited and 3. by love by which men take hold one of another and so are vnited together invisibly And all this he confirms sufficiently by the scriptures Answerable vnto which 3. invisible hands for this invisible vnion he makes 3. visible handes for the visible vnion 1. vnto the spirit the word 2. vnto faith the profission of faith 3. vnto love the sacrament of the Lords supper for â—o he proportioneth them The colour of truth which these things may seem to haue in their mutuall reference will â—ub off in the very touching of the particulars But if Mr B. would haâ—e observed just proportion and haue set things down playnly he should haue said thus or to this effect As the invisible internall and effectuall vnion of God with man of man with God and of one man with another is raysed from the invisible internall and effectuall work of the spirit invisible internall and effectuall faith and love which are onely seen and known of God and of the parties themselves in whom they are so must the visible externall and apparant vnion of God with man of man with God and of one man with an other arise from the visible externall and apparent work of the spirit visible externall and apparant faith and love which are seen of men and made sensible to the ey of charity which judgeth probably of thinges which are not seen by the things which are seen For albeit it be true which Mr B. hath in his 2. book that wee are not therefore a Church of God bycause men so judge vs but bycause God hath received vs into covenant with himself yet it must also be considered that the Church is not called visible in respect of God but of men to whom it doth or may appear by whom it is so discerned and judged probably The scriptures do speak of a iustification before God which is by â—aith alone and of a iustification before men which is by workâ— the former of which we may truely call invisible justification as known to none but God and the conscience of the party justifyed the other visible justification as being manifest and made visible vnto men by works as ver 18. of the Chapter before named where the Apostle speaketh of shewing manifesting or making visible faith and so consequently justification by works And look what is here sayd of visible and invisible faith and justification the same from other scriptures compared together may be affirmed of visible and invisible election redemption sanctification as also of visible and invisible saynts for the matter and of the visible and invisible vnion for the form of the visible and invisible Church the invisible being certayn infallible and so known to be of God the visible morall probable and so appearing vnto men There is in deed and in the right disposition of things by the revealed will of God but one Church of Christ which is his body whereof he is the head and which he hath purchased with his blood for Christ hath not purchased two Churches with his blood but one neyther is the head of two bodyes but of one and according to this purchase of Christ and ordinance of God all that are of the visible Church are also of the invisible and all of the invisible of the visible Church which are indeed not two but one Church in two sundry respects as I have formerly shewed I deny not but that as it hath been sayd of old there are many sheep without and many wolves within many of the visible Church which are not of the invisible Church and so answerably many of the invisible Church which never come into the visible Church But this say I is not according to the revealed will of God in his word but by mans default and sin It is their sin of ignorance or infirmity which being of the invisible Church do not if possibly they can joyn themselues vnto the visible Church there to partake in the visible ordinances it is their sinne of hypocrisie and presumption which not being of the invisible Church do adjoyn themselves to the visible Church there to prophane the Lords covenant ordinances to which they have no right For how can they being wicked and vnholy chalendge the LORD to be their GOD that is all happines goodnes vnto them which is one part of the covenant or professe themselves to be his people which is another part when the Divel is their God and their lusts and they his their people and servants to whom they obey or what have they to do to meddle with Gods covenant whom he expresly forbids to take it in their mouthes It is therefore a vile profane defence which you are driven to Mr B by pleading that wicked persons are true matter of the Church and so admitted into covenant with God in the 2. book that obedience onely followes the covenant as the fruit of it and that God requires not actuall obedience or that wee should be actually good or holy before or when we covenant with him but that he should make vs good and that wee should be good and perform actuall obedience afterward which as it is notable Anabaptistry and in deed the ground of that haeresy being applyed to the covenant of the Iewish Church so being applyed to the covenant of the Church now it is worse then Anabaptistry And consider this man he makes the sacrament of the Lords supper a ground and part of the covenant and yet affirms that God for mens entering into this covenant requires not that they should be holy and good and so by this deep divinity it must needs follow that the Lord requires not that men should be good or holy for their partaking in the sacrament of the Lords supper The particulars now follow in which you place this visible vnion and covenant of the Lord with his people of them with him and of one of them with another The first whereof is his word which say you is the onely first visible note and testimony from God by which he makes a people his people Ps. 147. 19. Rom. 3. 1. 2. Ioh. 17 6. and so you go on to prove that this word is Gods outstretched hand to subdue people vnto him the sword of the spirit by which he smiteth the immortall seed by which he begetteth and maketh alive the word of reconcilation by which he reconcileth his Church and people And therevpon you conclude that to whomsoever God sends his word to them he testifieth his love and desire to make them his Church and people To let passe the repugnancy in your words as first where you speak of the onely first note as though there could possibly be more firsts then one and 2. where you make the word a note and testimony
husbandry the word of his kingdom When the Lord Iesus sent out his Apostles to gather Churches the onely meanes which came into his heart was the teaching or making of men disciples and the Apostle to the Ephes witnesseth that the Church or temple of God is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetâ— Iesus Christ himself being the chief corner stoneâ— but these men it seemes will have the Church of God built vpon the lawes of Magistrates yea vpon the reports yea vpon the bellyes of men They would be counted Ministers of the gospel yet they make no conscience of ascribing the honour which is peculiar vnto the gospel vnto so many other and so mean things And for Christian Kings Queens as as I acknowledge them for noursing fathers anothers so may I not for procâ—â—ant parents of the Church It is vnreasonable to affirm that civil causes as are their compulsive lawes should bring forth spirituall effects as is the Church or kingdom of Christ. By this Argument the Turk may make all his dominions a Church in a week or two It may as truely be affirmed that Magistrates may by their lawes compel men to receive the word gladly to stand in the estate of salvation to be saynts and sanctified in Iesus Christ to be in him and in God the father through him viz externally and in appearance and so far as men can judge for such is the Church and of such persons doth it consist as the scriptures cited testify And for the parable in Luke 14. 23. which they bring to prove that the Church may be gathered by bodily compulsion as Mr Ainsworth hath justly reproved their folly from Prov 26. 9. sufficiently confuted their erroneous exposition shewing that Luke speaketh of a spirituall violence and compulsion which the word of God offereth vnto the consciences of men so do I ad for the conclusion of this poynt that even the blynde Pharisees did see and discerne that Christ meant by the former servants the Prophets which the Lord the King sent to the Iewes as he did by the last the Apostles whom when the Iewes refused the gospell he sent to the gentiles to compel them by the efficacy of the word which is mighty in operation to the obedience of fayth Lastly what compulsive lawes soever the Magistrates may make or exequute it is a vile errour to think a sinfull flattery to bear theÌ„ in hand that they have power froÌ„ God to coÌ„pel an apparently flagious person to enter into the Church of God and the Church so to receive and continue him The Ministers 3. exception that their Church was gathered by the preaching of the word and that the first conversion of their land to the fayth of Christ was by the preaching of the gospell as appeares by the best historyes And so they go on and tell vs of many from age to age called by the same meanes who in the tyme of persequution sealed the truth with their blood and in the time of freedom did openly professe the same In the page immediately before going a Church might be gathered without conversion and now their Church was lawfully gathered for it was converted to the fayth of Christ by the preaching of the gospell 2. It is both vntruly and vnadvisedly affirmed of these ministers that their land was converted to the fayth of CHRIST The defence of their nationall Church and of the compulsion of all the flagitious persons in the nation to ioyne continue members of it drives them to this absurd assertion that the whole nation or land was at the first converted to the fayth of Christ. And where they speak of many in all ages since called by the gospell which also they have sealed with their blood as I confesse this with Mr Ainsworth and rejoyce for the mercy of God towards them this way so I doubt not but the truthes taught in Rome have been effectuall to the saving of many for which also there have many of them and no doubt would many more if there were occasioÌ„ lay down their lives against Pagans Infidels But these men should prove first that the body of the land have been converted to the fayth of CHRIST and orderly joyned into particular congregations and 2. that it hath so continued ever since even in the tymes when the blood of those Martyrs now spoken of was shed by the lawes civil and Ecclesiastical made by the body of it through the seduction of Antichrist for that purpose and so that there needed no new gathering after the Romish apostasy by the preaching of the gospell on the one side and by willing subjection in free and personal profession on the other That which they ad of sundry secret congregations in Queen Maryes dayes in many parts of the land is but a boast there were very few of them in any But where they say that these did vpon Queen Elizabeths entrance openly professe the gospell it is vntrue there was not one congregation separated in Queen Maryes dayes that so remayned in Queen Elizabeths The congregations were dissolved and the persons in them bestowed themselves in their severall parishes where their livings and estates lay The circumcised were mingled with the vncircumcised whence came that monstrous confusion agaynst which we witnes And shew me one of your ministers continuing his charge in Queen Elizabeths dayes over the flock to which he ministred in Queen Maryes dayes the persequuted gospell It is certayn the congregations whether many or few were all dispersed and that the members of them joyned themselves to the prophane Apostate Papists where their outward occasions lay As then an handfull or bundle of coâ—â—e shufled into a feild of weeds though in it selfe it retayn the same nature yet cannot make the feild a corn feild so neither could this small haÌ„dful of separated people in Queen Maryes dayes sanctify the whole feyld of the idolatrous prophane multitude in the land by their seating themselves amongst them As then it is not true that the body of the land in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths reigne did joyne vnto the secret congregations so remayning in Queen Maryes dayes but on the contrary these congregations did dissolve and joyne themselves with the vnhallowed rowt in the popish profane parishes vnder their late masse their duÌ„b priests for the most part so neyther matters it which ioyned uÌ„to which since the vnhallowed graceles multitude neither could by the word of God ioyn vnto others nor be ioyned to by them in the covenant of grace and of the gospell with the seales and other the ordinances thereof to which they had or have no right VpoÌ„ the same grouÌ„d also I infer that it is not materiall though the people were not compelled to the profission of the gospell before the midsomer after the Queen came to the crown if they were compelled to
reformed Churches are one whereas the wayes of the Church of England wherein we forsake her do directly and ex diametro crosse and thwart the wayes of the reformed Churches as appeares in these three mayne heads 1. The reformed Churches are gathered of a free people ioyned together by voluntary profession without compulsion of humane lawes On the contrary the Church of England consists of a people forced together violently by the lawes of men into their Provinciall Diocesan and Parishionall Churches as their houses staÌ„d be they never so vnwilling or unfit 2. The reformed Churches do renounce the Ministery of the Church of Engl as she doth theirs not admitting of any by vertue of it to charge of soules as they speak where on the coÌ„trary all the masse-preists made in Queen Maryes dayes which would say their book-service in English were coÌ„tinued Ministers by the same ordination which they received from the Popish Prelates 3. The government by Archbishops Lord Bishops and their substitutes in the Church of England is abhorâ—ed and disclaymed in the reformed Churches as Antichristian as is on the contrary the Presbyterian government in use there by the Church of England refused as Anabaptisticall and seditious Now if Mr B. can at once walk in so many so contrary wayes he had need have as many feet as the Polypus hath Secondly understanding by his Churches way such doctrines ordinances as wherein we oppose it it is an empty boast to affirm that the same is spread into other nations Which are the nations or what may be their names which eyther do reteyn or have received the Prelacy Ministery service book canons and confused coÌ„mixture of all sorts now in vse in the Church of England But Mr B. having as he boasts God Angels and men on his side proceeds in the next place to plead agaynst vs Gods iudgments who seemeth as he sayth from the first beginning to be offended with our course And intending principally in this whol discourse to oppresse vs with contumelyes by them to alienate all mens affections froÌ„ vs he raâ—eth together into this place as into a dung-hil of slaâ—der and misreport whatsoever he thinks may make vs and our cause stink in the nostrels of the reader And so forging some things in his own brayne and enforcing other things true in themselves with most odious aggrevations he presents vs to the view of the world with such personall infirmities and humayn fraylties written in our foreheads as the Lord hath leâ—t vpon the sonnes of men for their humbling And the world wanting spirituall eyes beholding the Church of Christ with the eyes of flesh blood seing it compassed about with so many infirmities falling into so many manyfold tryals and temptations is greatly offended passeth vnrighteous judgement vpon the servants of God and blasphemeth their most holy profession But let all men learn not to behould the Church of Christ with carnall eyes which like fearfull spyes will discourage the people but with the eyes of fayth and good conscience which like Ioshua and Caleb will speak good of the promised Land the spirituall Canaan the Church of God But to the poynt That Mr B. may make sure work he strikes at the head and whetteth his toung like a sword and shooteth bitter words like arrowes at such principall men as God hath raysed vp in this cause whereof some have persevered and stood fast vnto death others have fallen away in the day of temptation whose end hath been worse â—hen theyr beginning The first person in whome he instanceth is one Boulton touching whoÌ„ he wryteth thus that he being the first broacher of this way came to as fearefull an end as Iudas did adding therevpon that God suffereth not his speciall instruments called forth otherwise then after a common course to come to such ends To this I do first answer that neither this man was nor any other of vs is called forth by the Lord otherwise then after a coÌ„mon course even that which is common to all Gods people which is to come out of Babylon and to bring theyr best gifts to Syon for the buylding of the Lords temple there It is true that Boulton was though not the first in this way an Elder of a separated Church in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths dayes and falling away from his holy profession recanted the same at Pauls Crosse afterwards hung himself as Iudas did And what marvayl if he which had betrayed Christ in his truth as Iudas did in his person came to the same fearefull end which Iudas did Nay rather the patience and long suffering of God is to be mervayled at that others also who eyther have embraced this truth and after faln from it or refused to submit vnto it when they have both seen and approved it have not been pursued by the same revengefull hand of God And for the promise of Gods presence with his Gen. 12. 3. Math. 28. 20. Ios. 1. 9. it must ever be taken conditionally viz. whylest they are with him and do his work faythfully as they ought and no further Now touching Browne it is true which Mr B. affirmeth that as he forsook the Lord so the Lord forsook him in his way and so he did his owne people Israel many a tyme. And if the Lord had not forsaken him he had never so returned back into Egypt as he did to live of the spoyles of it as is sayd he speaketh And for the wicked things which Mr B. affirmeth he did in this way it may well be as he sayth and the more wicked things he committed in this course the â—esse like he was to continue long in it and the more like to returne againe to his proper centre the Church of England where he should be sure to find companions ynough in any wickednes as it came to passe Lastly to let passe the vniversall Apostasy of all the Bishops Ministers students in the Vniversityes yea and of the whole Church of England in Queen Maryes tyme a handfull onely excepted in comparison which the Papists might more colourably vrg against Mr B. theÌ„ he some few instaÌ„ces against vs the fall of Iudas an Apostle of Nicholas one of the first 7 DeacoÌ„s of Demas one of Pauls speciall companions in the Ministery do sufficiently teach vs that there is no cause so holy nor calling so excellent which is not subject to the invasion of paynted and deceiptfull hyppocrites whose service the Lord notwithstanding may vse for a tyme till theyr whyting be worne of then leave them to their own deceavable â—usts which will work theyr most wofull downfall thereby warning his people not to repose too much vpon any mortall man in whome there is no stedfastnes but to cast theyr eyes vpon him aâ—one and vpon his truth which chaungeth not Of Mr Barrow and Mr Greenwoods spirit of rayling as this man rayleth against them in another
the world yet not of it but chosen out of it and hated by it men fearing God and working righteousnes and so being accepted of God in what nation soever purchased with the blood of Christ and so made his flock saynts by calling and sanctifyed in Christ Iesus and calling vpon the name of the Lord Iesus Christ in every place such were the Churches in Iudâ—a Galily and Samaria the Churches in Galatia the 7 Churches in Asia and of such people gathered into so many distinct assemblyes ech entyre in her self having peculiar Bishops or Elders set over her for her feeding by doctrine and government did those particular Churches consist they thus separated from the rest both Iewes and Gentiles in every nation whether more or lesse were that chosen generation that royall Preisthood that holy nation and purchased people of the Lord. But that ever the whole nation and all the Kings naturall subiects in it should have been within the covenant of the Lord entituled by the word of the Lord to the seals of the covenant and all the other holy things depending vpon it is a popular and popish fantasy as ever came into mans brayn requyring a new-found land of Canaan for a seat of this national Church wherein no vncircumcised person may dwel and a new old testament for the policy and government of the same And lastly it makes all one them that Christ hath chosen out of the world and the world them that fear God work righteousnes and whom he accepteth in every nation and the nation it self the beloved of God at Rome and the sanctifyed in Christ Iesus at Corinth with the City of Rome and of Corinth then which what confusion can be greater But to admit that for truth which you so take namely that Rome in the sence wherein we speak sometymes was the true Church of God as Iudah and more specially that the English nation was as the nation of the Iewes and all and every person in it high and low received into covenant with the Lord to be his people and that he might be their God yet can it not be sayd of Rome that she stil remayns the true Church of God as Iudah did in her defection but on the contrary as she brake her covenant with God advancing by degrees that man of syn the sonne of perdition and adversary Antichrist till he was exalted into the throne of Christ and that mistery of godlynes in and according to which that Church was planted at the first degenerated into the mistery of iniquity so did the Lord for her adulteryes wherein she was incorrigible when they were come to the height break the covenant on his part and gave her as an harlot a bill of divorce and put her away and her daughter Engl. with her amongst the rest Now for the more full clearing of this truth I wil in the first place answer such reasons as Mr B. brings against it and that done lay down certayn arguments to disprove his Popish plea for that Romish Synagogue Onely in the mean whyle I wish him to consider that if Mr â—m deserve so severe a censure as he layes vpon him pag. 281. of this book for some favourable affirmations touching some things â—â— persons in Rome he himselfe is much more blame worthy that both professeth and pleadeth her the true Church of Christ and in the covenant of grace and salvation then which what greater and more notable plea can be made for her Nay if it be probable that he which pleads for Rome as Mr Smith doth will in tyme become â—n love with it and sit downe a blind Papist it is necessary that he which thinks it a true Church return vnto it from which he hath wickedly schismed as all men do that separate from the true Church of Christ for any corruptions whatsoever Here I do also entreat the prudent Reader to beare it in mynd that the constitution of England cannot be iustifyed nor she proved to be rightly gathered but with the defence of Rome yea of that great and purpled whore to be the true spouse of the Lord Iesus The Reasons by which Mr B. would prove Rome a true Church are by him reckoned five in number we wil consider of them in order The first is taken from the first planting of that Church in S. Pauls tyme by vertue of which former calling and constitution sayth he Rome still remaynes the Lords people as Israel did in the wildernes notwithstanding her idolatry I do answer first that Rome as we now consider of it was never the Lords called nor under his covenant though a Church or assembly in that city or it may be more then one of saynts were and secondly that though she were yet is the covenant broken through her fornications and impenitency in them both on her part and the Lords visibly and she devorced long a goe and her daughters in and with her His secoÌ„d Reason is grounded vpon 2 Th. 2. 4. because Antichrist that is sayth he that head with his body sitteth in the temple of God which he further tels vs must be vnderstood visibly in respect of the truthes of God in doctrine and ordinances of Christ held there of which Gods people among them partake in his mercy to their salvation and others from tyme to tyme have mayntayned openly to the preservation of some fundamental poynts of the Apostolical constitution Wherevpon he also concludes that since the temple of God typing out the Church wherein he sitteth hath a true constitution Rome and that in respect of the tyme present hath a true constitution and is a true Church He might also have added and ever shal be a true Church for Antichrist ever shal sit there til Christs second coÌ„ming v. 8. Many men have written much about the notes marks of the true Church by which it is differenced and discerned from all other assemblyes and many others have sought for it as Ioseph and Mary did for Christ with heavy hearts Luk. 2. 48. that they might there rest vnder the shadow of the wings of the Almighty enioying the promises of his presence and power But what needs all this a doe Mr B poynts vs out with the finger a mark of the true Church most evident and conspicuous and like a beacon vpon an high hill and that is the exaltation of Antichrist I had thought the Churches and people of God should have been known by his dwelling among them walking there and by Christs presence in the middest of them but I now perceive Antichrists power presence and exaltation is a sure signe by which the Churches of Christ must be discerned If any therefore desire to plant his feet in the courts of the Lords house and there to abide for ever let him be sure to chuse such a Church to ioyn to as wherein Antichrist sitteth